Durango
Enhancer
Once you're familiar with your opponents' movesets, the best way to succeed is to use them to your advantage. Once you've 222-Ice Cloned someone into a corner, I've written below a list of opponents' most common abilities to try an escape and how you can counter it.
Kitana: EX Fan Slice / Fly
You: Keep distance as she busts through the clone. Freeze or 22. Block if necessary. For Fly, stand jump your ice clone to keep her from walking past or flying, limiting her range completely. If she gets past you from a standing clone, EX slide to get her back there.
Mileena: EX Roll / Teleport
You: Dash up and bait-block her. This goes for teleport too. Play defensive while not giving her any distance.
Scorpion: EX Teleport
You: Duck and D4 to punish him without blocking him and giving him frame advantage. Jump over and combo him back into the corner.
Smoke: EX Smoke Towards, Teleport
Start with a block. If he teleports, you can punish and put him back. If it's Smoke Towards, backwards grab him back in there or just punish. EX Slide will get him for sure.
Sheeva: EX Grab, Teleport
Duck and D4. This will keep from giving her the anti-air needed to grab you. If she teleports, simply go under your clone and let her fall for the trap.
Noob Saibot: Flip kick, Clone, Teleport
Dash up then backwards with enough range to bait the flip kick without getting hit by it. Punish with freeze. If he hits you with a clone, he's going to try to get out by any means necessary, possibly with a teleport. Those can be blocked and punished effectively. You could also find your distance, bait a clone, then dash-jump at the last second and leap over it.
Liu Kang: EX low fireball, EX bicycle kick
EX Low Fireball, if it connects, is Liu Kang's free pass out of the corner. Make sure you're lowblocking. If he Bicycle kicks, you can simply punish by ducking and sliding or EX sliding back into the corner
Sub-Zero: EX Slide, EX Freeze
First thing they'll try is use their invincibility frames to bust through the clone. Low block. If you're far enough away, they'll try an EX Freeze to subdue you. If they're feeling froggy, that is. Most of the time, they'll jump over. This is where your 22 comes in handy.
Jade: EX Invincibility, EX Shadow Kick, Low Boomerang, EX Staff Slam
Contrary to her status on the tier list, this is quite easily one of Sub-Zero's toughest matchups. Due to her meter gain, Jade is almost never without one bar of meter. Any of these moves can bust a clone, and if punished incorrectly, will end up being your undoing. The truth is, jailing her is very difficult compared to most characters, so you need to strategize efficiently. Start with blocking to get a preview of what she'll do. If you time with proper spacing, you can jump punch over her staff slam. But always remember any of these attacks leave her with little recovery time, meaning she can react on a given moment's notice.
Kenshi: EX Rising Karma, EX Combo Slash
Kenshi is said to be one of Sub-Zero's toughest matchups. This changes completely against a wall. The solution is simple; block at midrange. That's where his attacks will hit, and when you block, you can counter with a slide or a dash-in 22, keeping him there. Repeat as necessary. Remember, midrange. In case he tries to jump, you can still 22 him back into the corner.
Reptile: EX Dash, EX Slide, EX Ball
Reptile has two EX moves to bust through the clone using invincibility frames. Low block either of these; in the dash's case, if it comes, turn into a standing block the moment you see it so he doesn't overhead you. If they go for a ball, they'll likely jump or use a standard dash.
Raiden: Teleport, EX Thunder Fly
Best thing you can do? Jump-punch either forward or backwards. If forward, it's to shorten his teleport or avoid the incoming thunderfly. If backwards, it's to punish the teleport. Do NOT fall for his mindgames and get stuck in the corner. EX Teleports and repeated mashing of the kick combos is how Raiden players like to corner players quickly and turn the tables.
Ermac: Force Lift, Force Push, Teleport
I saw this from a Tom Brady thread. Blocking shuts down his force games, leaving him open for a punish. Teleports make it worse for him.
Jax: EX Dash Punch, EX Elbow Drop
Mid-range, just out of the range of the elbow, and duck. Prepare to punish a dash. Note that you have to time your jump punches carefully if you choose to go in and punish a potential elbow; if it's a dash punch, they'll bust through the clone, you'll miss, and they'll counterattack with a nasty combo.
Rain: EX Teleport, EX Lightning Bolt
This one is fun to do. Blocking shuts down his teleport. If he attempts the tele-kick, free combo. You can 22-freeze him, jump over, and put him back into the corner. You can also block the lightning.
Skarlet: EX Teleport, EX Slide Dash
Just block. Low for the slide, and if you see her turn into blood, stand up immediately with your block to punish that teleport instead.
Freddy Kreuger: Flame teleport, EX Ground Hand
SLIDE. I cannot stress this enough. It kills his teleports. The Ground Hand I'm referring to isn't the one that crawls on the ground, but the upper that leaves you stunned. Jump if necessary, he'll probably teleport again.
Stryker: EX Baton Staff
The one with the armor that comes forward. Easiest way to bust this? Back jump punch and punish it. Back into the corner.
Sonya: EX Cartwheel
You cannot trust Sonya players because they are wily. You need to keep your mid-range distance here if you're not blocking fairly close.
Sektor: EX Teleport, Flamethrower
D4. There's not much you can do to punish this, and he's safe on teleport. D4 or D3 to throw him off and add a little damage before jumping over and pushing him back in with 212-clone while he blocks, which is what he'll likely do. Flamethrower makes it hard to punish against the wall since it's an anti-air, but if he's not teleporting, you can always throw ice at him.
Kano: EX Cannonball, EX Up Cannonball
This one couldn't be easier. Need me to spell it out? Block. He has a one-track minded way of trying to get out, and it couldn't be easier to just 22-freeze and throw him back in there.
Nightwolf: EX Shoulder Ram, Thunder
The base shoulder ram is sometimes enough to bust through with the frames. Duck into a 22. EX will hit low unless you're blocking, in which case you can 212-clone him back in. You see the Thunder coming, jump over into a combo. Don't stand too close so you can jump into his face, not behind him.
Cyrax: Teleport, EX slide-kick
Here's a tricky one. Teleport comes with a punish that varies on the user. If they block, you want to grab. If they jump backwards, you want to 22 Freeze or EX Freeze. If they fight back, you want to jump over and punish with 22-freeze / 212 freeze. The slide kick is worse, though. You can either block it and go for a 212-freeze or jump over and backwards to try and punish.
Kabal: Dash, EX Dash, Saw, EX Swords
Remember that scene from Kill Bill where Beatrix pulls out Elle's eye? That's what Kabal hitting you with the saw while you have him cornered feels like. You need to low block for sure. Just give yourself enough space and distance so that he can't cancel his dash out into a jump to get away, but enough where if he chooses to jump the clone instead, you can 22 him. Kabals are also tricky with air time; they can air-fireball to get out of the way. EX Swords can be punished with blocking into a 212 freeze.
Sindel: EX Flip Kick, jump back air fireball
The flip kicks are not only going to crash the clone, but punish you badly. And not only that, they're hard to punish and counter because of the awkward movement and ground cover. Stand blocking works, as does getting away and freezing...right? If you keep too much space, they'll just jump-fireball you and get out that way instead. If you jump in, though, they'll get away and immediately turn the tables on you by pushing you into the corner. Think smart on this one.
Kung Lao: Teleport, EX Teleport, Spin, EX Spin, Ground Hat
Kung Lao's variety of escapes makes him seem intimidating. Truth be told, Sub-Zero has an easier time with him than most because of just that; they all have a common denominator of being punished by a low-block. Teleport you can bust with an uppercut or turn into a stand block if necessary; if you see it's not a Low Hat coming, just whack him or block his tele-3. But his spins are the most common escape method, moreso the EX. The standard spin is just a pure anti-jump punch, in which case you'll want to keep your distance and ice him from afar. If it's an EX Spin, keep blocking, come in with 22-freeze as soon as it's over. If you're afraid he's going to block it, 212-freeze instead. The EX teleport is the only worrysome one. It will bust your clone, give him armor (a free hit), and make him unpredictable in where to hit, throwing your character off. Keep in mind, however, I've had luck in pushing a Kung Lao's teleport using a slide multiple times.
Shang Tsung: Up fireball.
Honestly, I feel sorry for Shang Tsung players going against a Sub-Zero. The most troublesome ones I faced kept their distance or continued to rush jump punch at me. You're better off staying close since Shang has next to no armor moves, so as much as a slide is enough to take him down. If you jump punch, you're asking for an air fireball. You're better off staying at the distance where you can anti-air 22 him once he tries to jump over.
Baraka: EX Blade Spin, EX Blade Slashes, EX Blade Dash.
It's very rare when I face a Baraka who really knows what he's doing. The spin gives Baraka free frames at the end if you block, is an anti-air, and busts through the clone. The EX Blade Slashes punishes you if you try to jump in. You could try freezing him from afar, but that won't help if he EX Blade Dashes through the clone, through your ice, and hits you. You need to play smart and very carefully here. Throwing ice is your best bet 2 out of 3 times, but every now and then, you need to go for a jump punch. Blocking only leaves him free to attack or block and take minimal damage. This is one battle that may be better midscreen simply because they'll try fireballs more often, risking getting iced and punished.
Johnny Cage: EX Shadow Kick, EX Flip Kick, EX Nutpunch
Both can bust through a clone, and the flip kick keeps you from wanting to jump punch. A slide would be okay after a block, but don't stand too close. I've had one of the Forever guys do a bold move and EX Nutpunch, busting through the clone AND using the invincibility frames to punish anything you do. Bait it and go for the ranged slide or even a block, dash-in 212. Clone or freeze from there.
Cyber Sub-Zero: Teleport, EX Slide, Parry
This is the last easy one you're gonna get. Teleport is punishable by a back-jump punch. The slides you low block. It's that parry that's a problem. Go low with D4's and keep whacking him until the next chance to use your clone. Repeat from there.
Quan Chi: Teleport, Trance
This is easily the toughest one you will find, at least online. Quan Chi's teleport can go behind, in front, or on top of you. He is very, very hard to predict and punish because of the short amount of recovery time he has on a teleport, enabling him to jump afterwards or fight back. Keep space and backstep-block so one of three things happens: he behind-ports onto your new space, flipping and being punishable, teleporting ahead of you and being punishable by a quick 22 or a slide, or ahead-teleporting directly into the clone. Trace can be beaten with block, but because it's an anti-air, they'll expect you to jump in and punish you harshly with one of these two methods. Do NOT, under any circumstances, let a Quan Chi out of the corner and push you in it unless you want to be infi-looped by EX runetraps.
Always keep in mind players will time their attacks as well. Sometimes you'll see them not move and jump in, which they will use to escape your clone. It's up to you to put them back in that corner as quickly as possible. Jax players are notorious for this.
Also keep in mind, USE YOUR D4's. They have great range, quick recovery time, do 3% damage, and can be used repeatedly. If you do it once or twice, you can find a different strategy, and perhaps even just reset the clone. They are great for pressure, fantastic even, and limits your enemy's moves, especially if they're standblocking or going for anti-airs that don't cover them from below.
Kitana: EX Fan Slice / Fly
You: Keep distance as she busts through the clone. Freeze or 22. Block if necessary. For Fly, stand jump your ice clone to keep her from walking past or flying, limiting her range completely. If she gets past you from a standing clone, EX slide to get her back there.
Mileena: EX Roll / Teleport
You: Dash up and bait-block her. This goes for teleport too. Play defensive while not giving her any distance.
Scorpion: EX Teleport
You: Duck and D4 to punish him without blocking him and giving him frame advantage. Jump over and combo him back into the corner.
Smoke: EX Smoke Towards, Teleport
Start with a block. If he teleports, you can punish and put him back. If it's Smoke Towards, backwards grab him back in there or just punish. EX Slide will get him for sure.
Sheeva: EX Grab, Teleport
Duck and D4. This will keep from giving her the anti-air needed to grab you. If she teleports, simply go under your clone and let her fall for the trap.
Noob Saibot: Flip kick, Clone, Teleport
Dash up then backwards with enough range to bait the flip kick without getting hit by it. Punish with freeze. If he hits you with a clone, he's going to try to get out by any means necessary, possibly with a teleport. Those can be blocked and punished effectively. You could also find your distance, bait a clone, then dash-jump at the last second and leap over it.
Liu Kang: EX low fireball, EX bicycle kick
EX Low Fireball, if it connects, is Liu Kang's free pass out of the corner. Make sure you're lowblocking. If he Bicycle kicks, you can simply punish by ducking and sliding or EX sliding back into the corner
Sub-Zero: EX Slide, EX Freeze
First thing they'll try is use their invincibility frames to bust through the clone. Low block. If you're far enough away, they'll try an EX Freeze to subdue you. If they're feeling froggy, that is. Most of the time, they'll jump over. This is where your 22 comes in handy.
Jade: EX Invincibility, EX Shadow Kick, Low Boomerang, EX Staff Slam
Contrary to her status on the tier list, this is quite easily one of Sub-Zero's toughest matchups. Due to her meter gain, Jade is almost never without one bar of meter. Any of these moves can bust a clone, and if punished incorrectly, will end up being your undoing. The truth is, jailing her is very difficult compared to most characters, so you need to strategize efficiently. Start with blocking to get a preview of what she'll do. If you time with proper spacing, you can jump punch over her staff slam. But always remember any of these attacks leave her with little recovery time, meaning she can react on a given moment's notice.
Kenshi: EX Rising Karma, EX Combo Slash
Kenshi is said to be one of Sub-Zero's toughest matchups. This changes completely against a wall. The solution is simple; block at midrange. That's where his attacks will hit, and when you block, you can counter with a slide or a dash-in 22, keeping him there. Repeat as necessary. Remember, midrange. In case he tries to jump, you can still 22 him back into the corner.
Reptile: EX Dash, EX Slide, EX Ball
Reptile has two EX moves to bust through the clone using invincibility frames. Low block either of these; in the dash's case, if it comes, turn into a standing block the moment you see it so he doesn't overhead you. If they go for a ball, they'll likely jump or use a standard dash.
Raiden: Teleport, EX Thunder Fly
Best thing you can do? Jump-punch either forward or backwards. If forward, it's to shorten his teleport or avoid the incoming thunderfly. If backwards, it's to punish the teleport. Do NOT fall for his mindgames and get stuck in the corner. EX Teleports and repeated mashing of the kick combos is how Raiden players like to corner players quickly and turn the tables.
Ermac: Force Lift, Force Push, Teleport
I saw this from a Tom Brady thread. Blocking shuts down his force games, leaving him open for a punish. Teleports make it worse for him.
Jax: EX Dash Punch, EX Elbow Drop
Mid-range, just out of the range of the elbow, and duck. Prepare to punish a dash. Note that you have to time your jump punches carefully if you choose to go in and punish a potential elbow; if it's a dash punch, they'll bust through the clone, you'll miss, and they'll counterattack with a nasty combo.
Rain: EX Teleport, EX Lightning Bolt
This one is fun to do. Blocking shuts down his teleport. If he attempts the tele-kick, free combo. You can 22-freeze him, jump over, and put him back into the corner. You can also block the lightning.
Skarlet: EX Teleport, EX Slide Dash
Just block. Low for the slide, and if you see her turn into blood, stand up immediately with your block to punish that teleport instead.
Freddy Kreuger: Flame teleport, EX Ground Hand
SLIDE. I cannot stress this enough. It kills his teleports. The Ground Hand I'm referring to isn't the one that crawls on the ground, but the upper that leaves you stunned. Jump if necessary, he'll probably teleport again.
Stryker: EX Baton Staff
The one with the armor that comes forward. Easiest way to bust this? Back jump punch and punish it. Back into the corner.
Sonya: EX Cartwheel
You cannot trust Sonya players because they are wily. You need to keep your mid-range distance here if you're not blocking fairly close.
Sektor: EX Teleport, Flamethrower
D4. There's not much you can do to punish this, and he's safe on teleport. D4 or D3 to throw him off and add a little damage before jumping over and pushing him back in with 212-clone while he blocks, which is what he'll likely do. Flamethrower makes it hard to punish against the wall since it's an anti-air, but if he's not teleporting, you can always throw ice at him.
Kano: EX Cannonball, EX Up Cannonball
This one couldn't be easier. Need me to spell it out? Block. He has a one-track minded way of trying to get out, and it couldn't be easier to just 22-freeze and throw him back in there.
Nightwolf: EX Shoulder Ram, Thunder
The base shoulder ram is sometimes enough to bust through with the frames. Duck into a 22. EX will hit low unless you're blocking, in which case you can 212-clone him back in. You see the Thunder coming, jump over into a combo. Don't stand too close so you can jump into his face, not behind him.
Cyrax: Teleport, EX slide-kick
Here's a tricky one. Teleport comes with a punish that varies on the user. If they block, you want to grab. If they jump backwards, you want to 22 Freeze or EX Freeze. If they fight back, you want to jump over and punish with 22-freeze / 212 freeze. The slide kick is worse, though. You can either block it and go for a 212-freeze or jump over and backwards to try and punish.
Kabal: Dash, EX Dash, Saw, EX Swords
Remember that scene from Kill Bill where Beatrix pulls out Elle's eye? That's what Kabal hitting you with the saw while you have him cornered feels like. You need to low block for sure. Just give yourself enough space and distance so that he can't cancel his dash out into a jump to get away, but enough where if he chooses to jump the clone instead, you can 22 him. Kabals are also tricky with air time; they can air-fireball to get out of the way. EX Swords can be punished with blocking into a 212 freeze.
Sindel: EX Flip Kick, jump back air fireball
The flip kicks are not only going to crash the clone, but punish you badly. And not only that, they're hard to punish and counter because of the awkward movement and ground cover. Stand blocking works, as does getting away and freezing...right? If you keep too much space, they'll just jump-fireball you and get out that way instead. If you jump in, though, they'll get away and immediately turn the tables on you by pushing you into the corner. Think smart on this one.
Kung Lao: Teleport, EX Teleport, Spin, EX Spin, Ground Hat
Kung Lao's variety of escapes makes him seem intimidating. Truth be told, Sub-Zero has an easier time with him than most because of just that; they all have a common denominator of being punished by a low-block. Teleport you can bust with an uppercut or turn into a stand block if necessary; if you see it's not a Low Hat coming, just whack him or block his tele-3. But his spins are the most common escape method, moreso the EX. The standard spin is just a pure anti-jump punch, in which case you'll want to keep your distance and ice him from afar. If it's an EX Spin, keep blocking, come in with 22-freeze as soon as it's over. If you're afraid he's going to block it, 212-freeze instead. The EX teleport is the only worrysome one. It will bust your clone, give him armor (a free hit), and make him unpredictable in where to hit, throwing your character off. Keep in mind, however, I've had luck in pushing a Kung Lao's teleport using a slide multiple times.
Shang Tsung: Up fireball.
Honestly, I feel sorry for Shang Tsung players going against a Sub-Zero. The most troublesome ones I faced kept their distance or continued to rush jump punch at me. You're better off staying close since Shang has next to no armor moves, so as much as a slide is enough to take him down. If you jump punch, you're asking for an air fireball. You're better off staying at the distance where you can anti-air 22 him once he tries to jump over.
Baraka: EX Blade Spin, EX Blade Slashes, EX Blade Dash.
It's very rare when I face a Baraka who really knows what he's doing. The spin gives Baraka free frames at the end if you block, is an anti-air, and busts through the clone. The EX Blade Slashes punishes you if you try to jump in. You could try freezing him from afar, but that won't help if he EX Blade Dashes through the clone, through your ice, and hits you. You need to play smart and very carefully here. Throwing ice is your best bet 2 out of 3 times, but every now and then, you need to go for a jump punch. Blocking only leaves him free to attack or block and take minimal damage. This is one battle that may be better midscreen simply because they'll try fireballs more often, risking getting iced and punished.
Johnny Cage: EX Shadow Kick, EX Flip Kick, EX Nutpunch
Both can bust through a clone, and the flip kick keeps you from wanting to jump punch. A slide would be okay after a block, but don't stand too close. I've had one of the Forever guys do a bold move and EX Nutpunch, busting through the clone AND using the invincibility frames to punish anything you do. Bait it and go for the ranged slide or even a block, dash-in 212. Clone or freeze from there.
Cyber Sub-Zero: Teleport, EX Slide, Parry
This is the last easy one you're gonna get. Teleport is punishable by a back-jump punch. The slides you low block. It's that parry that's a problem. Go low with D4's and keep whacking him until the next chance to use your clone. Repeat from there.
Quan Chi: Teleport, Trance
This is easily the toughest one you will find, at least online. Quan Chi's teleport can go behind, in front, or on top of you. He is very, very hard to predict and punish because of the short amount of recovery time he has on a teleport, enabling him to jump afterwards or fight back. Keep space and backstep-block so one of three things happens: he behind-ports onto your new space, flipping and being punishable, teleporting ahead of you and being punishable by a quick 22 or a slide, or ahead-teleporting directly into the clone. Trace can be beaten with block, but because it's an anti-air, they'll expect you to jump in and punish you harshly with one of these two methods. Do NOT, under any circumstances, let a Quan Chi out of the corner and push you in it unless you want to be infi-looped by EX runetraps.
Always keep in mind players will time their attacks as well. Sometimes you'll see them not move and jump in, which they will use to escape your clone. It's up to you to put them back in that corner as quickly as possible. Jax players are notorious for this.
Also keep in mind, USE YOUR D4's. They have great range, quick recovery time, do 3% damage, and can be used repeatedly. If you do it once or twice, you can find a different strategy, and perhaps even just reset the clone. They are great for pressure, fantastic even, and limits your enemy's moves, especially if they're standblocking or going for anti-airs that don't cover them from below.
