Match-up Discussion MK2 Mileena VS Kitana

VS

Rules of this discussion:

• You may contribute anything that will further the interest and understanding of the matchup. This includes strategies, videos, combos, etc.
• Feel free to answer the default questions posed in the first reply, though you are not required to do so.
• Please keep the discussion focused on the two characters in question.

This is a classic matchup you see all the time in MK2. I'm sure some people will tell you that this is a blowout in favor of Mileena while others will say it's much closer. Here's the breakdown of the facts though...

Projectile warfare WILL come into play in this contest. The edge in this regard, of course, goes to Mileena. In the case of Mileena, sai spamming from hell is key. For Kitana, she must be able to throw the IAF to stand a chance and break up the sais. Kitana does have other options such as wave punching over the sais. Eventually, Mileena will need to come in close to do damage. If she jumps in, Kitana will need to be ready with a cautiously buffered fan lift. Always beware jumping in against these two as both will make you pay with good aa combos if caught (fan lift, aaHP to roll.) CQC for both players is incredible. Dominance needs to be established early-on in the fight to get the other player crouch blocking. If not, you could find yourself rolled or fan lifted. Whatever you do, be EXTREMELY cautious when fighting in the corners. One mistake on either end can spell disaster and end the match in an instant if the player can pull off the high wall combos. At high level, Mileena wins this going away to the tune of 7-3; if she can consistently do the wall combos then it becomes 8-2.

• What are the best options for CQC in this match?
• How should Kitana get inside against a spamming Mileena?
• What other variables comes into play here that should be considered?

Haha you know this is a match I love. My favorite 2 characters against each other...

KITANA
If you don't have IAFs against a good Mileena, you're in big trouble. Most Mileena players do not know what to do against a Kitana that uses IAFs. I like to mix up great caution along with great aggression in this match. Try to time your IAF throws so you at the very least trade projectiles with Mileena- obviously the fan does greater damage. Buffer the IAF raise and make Mileena pay for any jump ins, or whiffed jump-forward air sais. A good play against a spamming Mileena is to keep inching your way forward, and trap her in a corner. She will often try to roll her way out, which sets up your 70% combo fan raise corner combo. Kitana has the better CQC by virtue of her fan swipe. Often time this match comes down to who times their jump kicks and sweeps better. If you don't know IAFs, use the same strategy to try to trap Mileena in a corner. When she jumps at you, anti-air uppercut her. Both women have awesome uppercuts. Square wave when Mileena jumps away or gets spam happy, but be careful that you don't end up landing next to her and getting uppercutted.

MILEENA
She should never lose this match. IMO this is one of the easiest matches to win with Mileena. If you sai spam, you basically shut down any Kitana except the very best. Use your roll sparingly against Kitana- blocking and fan raise combo-ing this is the only way Kitana is really going to do any real damage to you. Use the drop kick even less, doesn't get you very far in this match. Don't be afraid to get aggressive, as her CQC is nearly identical to Kitana's. Though really if you turtle this match, Kitana can't hurt you except with IAF throws.

Hard to say overall. There were times vs InsaneBoss' Mileena that I would beat him 8-2 with Kitana (see video below) in a set of 10. Other times he would 10-0 me- it just depended on who played great that day. Should be a 7-3 match for Mileena though, unless Kitana is really on fire.

@MKillBill- 14 hours, but only because I was at work all day!

I got him 7 in a row before I started recording, but he also 16 streaked me earlier, so it was always back and forth with us!

I don't feel that Mileena totally shuts down Kitana. Ducking an iAS gives her an iAF opportunity and while Mileena can completely avoid it, it stops the iAS for a bit and allows Kitana to advance. Roll must be used sparingly and smart or Mileena loses 50% or more in the corner. Kitana can also use Square Wave to hit Mileena doing low iAS brainlessly. This threat also stops the iAS onslaught and allows Kitana to advance.

There is no way this is 9-1 or even 8-2. I'd lean more toward 6.5-3.5 or even 6-4 Mileena due to the damage Kitana gets for blocking Roll or Telekick.

Konqrr said:

I don't feel that Mileena totally shuts down Kitana. Ducking an iAS gives her an iAF opportunity and while Mileena can completely avoid it, it stops the iAS for a bit and allows Kitana to advance. Roll must be used sparingly and smart or Mileena loses 50% or more in the corner. Kitana can also use Square Wave to hit Mileena doing low iAS brainlessly. This threat also stops the iAS onslaught and allows Kitana to advance.

There is no way this is 9-1 or even 8-2. I'd lean more toward 6.5-3.5 or even 6-4 Mileena due to the damage Kitana gets for blocking Roll or Telekick.

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Good points definitely... however I have to play devil's advocate here too
Like I said above, sometimes Niki's Mileena would beat my Kitana 10-0- and I wasn't even playing badly.
Mileena is just MUCH stronger in this pairing.
I would love to see any of the other all-time great Kitanas like @MIKECALDWELL 's or KANOMK2's, do a set vs Niki's Mileena.
A Kitana less skilled than those guys wouldn't win 1 out of 10 vs Niki.
His Mileena really is the set standard as we all know.

My only issue is that saying it's 6-4 would mean Mileena merely has a SLIGHT advantage.
5-5 is even, 6-4 is slight advantage, 7-3 is difficult but winnable, 8-2 is a big advantage, 9-1 is you better say a prayer!

Granted I love this match and rarely lose it.
But I work my ass off every time to come ahead, while the Mileena player doesn't have to do much more than spam to be effective.

Konqrr said:

Ducking an iAS gives her an iAF opportunity and while Mileena can completely avoid it, it stops the iAS for a bit and allows Kitana to advance.

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This would heavily depend on range… even then its a losing battle. And what, she gets one off? And the timing for it to be effective is extremely tight and the chance of error is there too, iAF isn't a guarantee, especially at the range you want it at at any given time, like Air Sai. Also, anytime she is walking forward, behind a iAF or not, she is open to a Roll.

She can't compete with Mileenas spam. Her cool down is a problem too. Mileena will dodge it with ease. It isn't a very good opportunity, or a position your going to want to find yourself in.

Konqrr said:

Roll must be used sparingly and smart or Mileena loses 50% or more in the corner.

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Roll must always be used sparingly against good players or she is always going to take big damage, especially in the corner against anyone. It is an extremely unsafe move.

Konqrr said:

Kitana can also use Square Wave to hit Mileena doing low iAS brainlessly.

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Cant use the term brainlessly when referring to tier placement

Konqrr said:

This threat also stops the iAS onslaught and allows Kitana to advance.

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I wouldn't really say that. Mileena can easily keep her at bay, run away, bait these out/time them differently and have her chasing her. Kitana isn't really going to find herself advancing on a good mileena. It is extremely hard. Also, to play devils advocate, if Mileena has to be cautious with her Roll, Kitana the same with her Square Wave, or Kitana will be looking at taking massive damage almost the same

mortal_jason said:

My only issue is that saying it's 6-4 would mean Mileena merely has a SLIGHT advantage.
5-5 is even, 6-4 is slight advantage, 7-3 is difficult but winnable, 8-2 is a big advantage, 9-1 is you better say a prayer!

Granted I love this match and rarely lose it.
But I work my ass off every time to come ahead, while the Mileena player doesn't have to do much more than spam to be effective.

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I do agree that it isn't 9-1 or 8-2, but I agree with Jason that it is like a full time job for Kitana just trying to fight Mileena, let alone win. I put it 7-3. Maybe 8-2. I just can't put it that close to .500 (5-5, even), so I can't agree with 6-4 or 6.5-3.5.