3rd Variation (Realm Destroyer) Best Variation Post Aftermath Patch

[EpicPour]

Just Wow, and I barely use him

 

[ticklebandit!]

Alright alright you might have something here. I stopped playing Shao awhile ago so im a bit behind the times on the issues he faces. But this variation seems pretty good now. Seems like the optimal i could come up was F3,4 enhanced charge dash B3 dash 4 db1 for like 34. The corner carry is some of the best I've seen so you can add damage to that bnb pretty easily. You can replace the dash 4 db1 with dash 12 1+3 if you have the krushing blow loaded too.

And it looks like to me I can fairly easily interrupt a break away at any time in that combo. Like obviously i can catch them right after enhanced charge but i can also tag them out of the sky after B3. And i can burn another bar on db1 and 4 db1 again for easy 35 damage. And even if i don't burn another bar on db1 it still does 27 damage.

I know this doesn't help him open people up but I'm interested to see what other shao kahn players think. Is this not good?

 

[EpicPour]

been 3 days and hes a blast now... complete bully with that F4 F34 pressure

 

[EpicPour]

 

[XxTheGoblinX]

Alright alright you might have something here. I stopped playing Shao awhile ago so im a bit behind the times on the issues he faces. But this variation seems pretty good now. Seems like the optimal i could come up was F3,4 enhanced charge dash B3 dash 4 db1 for like 34. The corner carry is some of the best I've seen so you can add damage to that bnb pretty easily. You can replace the dash 4 db1 with dash 12 1+3 if you have the krushing blow loaded too.

And it looks like to me I can fairly easily interrupt a break away at any time in that combo. Like obviously i can catch them right after enhanced charge but i can also tag them out of the sky after B3. And i can burn another bar on db1 and 4 db1 again for easy 35 damage. And even if i don't burn another bar on db1 it still does 27 damage.

I know this doesn't help him open people up but I'm interested to see what other shao kahn players think. Is this not good?

Yea the guaranteed damage is really good but Id still choose risen emperor over that variation just because it has everything that you mentioned except Skewered and spear charge. Shoulder charge is faster than Spear charge so It punishes so many more moves and has the armor break that can give him 47% . I'm not giving up a Godlike Punish/neutral game for Guaranteed 27% combos.

 

[DixieFlatline78]

Yea the guaranteed damage is really good but Id still choose risen emperor over that variation just because it has everything that you mentioned except Skewered and spear charge. Shoulder charge is faster than Spear charge so It punishes so many more moves and has the armor break that can give him 47% . I'm not giving up a Godlike Punish/neutral game for Guaranteed 27% combos.

That and chokeslamming people out of their breakaway is sick as hell. Oh and not having to spend meter to side switch is nice. Annihilation is a great ender and Hammer Toss is very useful for space control

Realm Destroyer does have some exceptional corner carry though and getting a launch off armor break is very nice, especially considering in the other variations you have to predict if theyll break the tackle or the follow up

 

[XxTheGoblinX]

That and chokeslamming people out of their breakaway is sick as hell. Oh and not having to spend meter to side switch is nice. Annihilation is a great ender and Hammer Toss is very useful for space control

Realm Destroyer does have some exceptional corner carry though and getting a launch off armor break is very nice, especially considering in the other variations you have to predict if theyll break the tackle or the follow up

True I think Shao has something for everybody

 

[EpicPour]

heres some easy to do combos online, ofcourse theres more advanced Guides out there but I always felt that those show combos that need perfect ping connection where as mine are for the more beginner types

 

[ticklebandit!]

Yea the guaranteed damage is really good but Id still choose risen emperor over that variation just because it has everything that you mentioned except Skewered and spear charge. Shoulder charge is faster than Spear charge so It punishes so many more moves and has the armor break that can give him 47% . I'm not giving up a Godlike Punish/neutral game for Guaranteed 27% combos.

I was under the impression the armor break in that variation was kinda a bill? Like isn't the armor break holding down after shoulder charge? So why wouldn't your opponent delay their break away?

 

[XxTheGoblinX]

I was under the impression the armor break in that variation was kinda a bill? Like isn't the armor break holding down after shoulder charge? So why wouldn't your opponent delay their break away?

This variation has 2 armor breaks. If they delay you can scum grab them easily. So its a guess but its in my favor cuz if I guess there going to quick breakaway then ill use shoulder break and get around 45% . If I'm wrong they still lose meter and they cant breakaway next time combo.

 

[EpicPour]

This variation has 2 armor breaks. If they delay you can scum grab them easily. So its a guess but its in my favor cuz if I guess there going to quick breakaway then ill use shoulder break and get around 45% . If I'm wrong they still lose meter and they cant breakaway next time combo.

I'll have to try the other variations, I like using the 3rd because I still haven't seen it in ranked and I like being different

 

[XxSYNDROISxX]

All his variations are now decent realm Destroyer has his best armor break true Kahn give him decent Mix-Ups, risen Empire is still going to have his highest damage

 

[Olcadan13]

i agree that the variation actually has a reason to be used now, but i feel like risen emperor just has more utility overall

 

[Evil Canadian]

i agree that the variation actually has a reason to be used now, but i feel like risen emperor just has more utility overall

with... what exactly?
Annihilation is good yes
the buff almost never goes off against people with half a brain
and uphammer is basically just a dead move

To me V3 is now king, only situations where it ain't are moves that shoulder can punish that spear charge can't. Overall though its the best.

most damage
most screen carry which is very helpful cause a lot of his jailing game only gets real in the corner thanks to d4.
new neutral tools cause spearcharge spaced is safe against a large bulk of the cast.
back hammer toss improves his neutral presence by a lot.

 

[Olcadan13]

with... what exactly?
Annihilation is good yes
the buff almost never goes off against people with half a brain
and uphammer is basically just a dead move

To me V3 is now king, only situations where it ain't are moves that shoulder can punish that spear charge can't. Overall though its the best.

most damage
most screen carry which is very helpful cause a lot of his jailing game only gets real in the corner thanks to d4.
new neutral tools cause spearcharge spaced is safe against a large bulk of the cast.
back hammer toss improves his neutral presence by a lot.

i feel like annihilation has a lot of gimmicky uses that make shao kahn a hell of a lot easier to use

it creates a poke mind game (d1 annihilation, once they respect annihilation d1 into throw or whatever)

plus i haven't had the time to lab it but in KL at least annihilation catches a lot of people trying to duck the grab part of f3 4 13 (god forbid they don't flawless block)

but then again im just so used to risen emperor after over a year, maybe with some practice, or like a video or something (wink wink) ill figure out how to open people up with realm destroyer

 

[ChaosTheory]

plus i haven't had the time to lab it but in KL at least annihilation catches a lot of people trying to duck the grab part of f3 4 13 (god forbid they don't flawless block)

If you're going to play risky (which is how Shao seems to be required), you might as well Shoulder Charge or Spear Charge in that situation. All three moves are death on block, so why not cash out big?

Of course all of the post-f3,4 wildness goes out the window when you play someone that FBs it.

 

[John Grizzly]

If only we could play a version of Shao Kahn with Shoulder Charge, Skewer, Annihilation, Ground Shatter, Air Hammer and Reverse Hammer. Boy, would he feel like a complete character then.

It's all a shame all these fun and interesting moves were created and we have to pick and choose what we want. I hate variations.

 

[NoCharge]

The only best option risen emperor has vs realm destroyer is an uninterruptable d1-special. Which is a debatable option. V3 is now his best imo.

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

with... what exactly?
Annihilation is good yes
the buff almost never goes off against people with half a brain
and uphammer is basically just a dead move

To me V3 is now king, only situations where it ain't are moves that shoulder can punish that spear charge can't. Overall though its the best.

most damage
most screen carry which is very helpful cause a lot of his jailing game only gets real in the corner thanks to d4.
new neutral tools cause spearcharge spaced is safe against a large bulk of the cast.
back hammer toss improves his neutral presence by a lot.

Besides the shoulder, which you mention (which is a big deal, btw):
Risen Emperor has better midscreen oki at the end of combos.
RE can side switch without having to spend bar.
RE can spend two bars on a combo and keep the opponent in the corner.
RE combos can always be unbreakable if you make the right read. Females can flip out of V3 midscreen before you catch with up spear.
RE's buff can be setup safely or nearly safely with modified combos, some ending in up hammer, which then net you more throw damage and one of his easiest KBs.
RE has better corner chip out due to up hammer.

Due to the above, I'd say Risen Emperor is still his better variation. Sadly, until they change his F34, I don't think either is going to be competitive at the highest levels. And either way, thankfully, he's a blast to play now

 

[Olcadan13]

imagine if v3 had air hammer

 

[EpicPour]

The only best option risen emperor has vs realm destroyer is an uninterruptable d1-special. Which is a debatable option. V3 is now his best imo.

But I still only see Var 2 in KL, its feels like im the only one rocking var 3 here

 

[NoCharge]

But I still only see Var 2 in KL, its feels like im the only one rocking var 3 here

They will see the light soon enough.

 

[Dukmunky]

One less krushing blow doesn't help v3. . . I'm still messing around with it but TK feels more consistently good with your ability to keep people in the corner whil doing big damage. Seeking Wrath hammer is useless - if they swapped that out it would be amazing