What's new

Question - Royal Storm 50/50,s and mixups?

Hi, I'm a little confused about a couple of things some in general MK X others pertaining to Kitana and would like to see if anyone can answer a couple of questions. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
1) What is a 50/50 in this game? Can someone explain this to me or give me an example?
2) What is a mixup? I'd like to think its a combo that hits high and also low within itself so you have to block in 2 different positions, standing then crouching or vice-versa is this correct?
3) I'm guessing mixups are real hard to block then?
4) Does Kitana have a 50/50?
5) Does she have a mixup?
 
Hi, I'm a little confused about a couple of things some in general MK X others pertaining to Kitana and would like to see if anyone can answer a couple of questions. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
1) What is a 50/50 in this game? Can someone explain this to me or give me an example?
2) What is a mixup? I'd like to think its a combo that hits high and also low within itself so you have to block in 2 different positions, standing then crouching or vice-versa is this correct?
3) I'm guessing mixups are real hard to block then?
4) Does Kitana have a 50/50?
5) Does she have a mixup?
1) A 50/50 is when you have usually 2 options. An option that hits overhead, or an option that hits low. The point is simple, if they block low, your overhead can hit them, if they block overhead, your low can hit them. Making it a 50/50 chance, you guess the right option. There are other options of 50/50's, but this is the most basic.

2) A mixup and a 50/50 is pretty much the same thing. It's mixing up your strings and specials to make them guess the correct position to block. You can also ( and especially want too with Kitana ) use throws to mix someone up as well. This is a mixup, because you cant block throws. If they're trying to block your low or overhead option, and you throw them, they're going to get hit by it.

3) Not really a yes or no question. Some mix ups are referred to as "hard to blockables". This is when you can almost hit them low and overhead at the same time, making it very difficult to block both of them. For example, Summoner Quan Chi, and Cyrax. These type of mix ups are generally hard to block, ( hence the name ). Otherwise, most other mix ups are just making the correct read/guess.

4) Technically? Yes, in game? No, not really. Her b3 hits low, and her b2 hits overhead. Even though she has an overhead, playing Kitana, your opponent is going to block low against you, 95 % of the time. This is because her b2 is literal garbage. Its slow, and doesn't launch. Im also pretty sure its punishable. ( could be wrong, i almost never use it ). So its very big risk for very little reward. Pretty much the only good thing about it, is it is a hard knock down. Meaning you can end your combos with it to prevent their wake up/tech rolls. Her REAL 50/50 is when she has Xray. ( Which happens more then you probably think ). When Kitana has an Xray, she has access to a 9 frame overhead. So she can force her opponent into a mix up situation fairly easily. 2 good ways of doing this are: B14. This string usually hits Mid - Low. However you can do b1 - Xray. Which makes it mid - overhead. Your opponent is forced to guess which option youre going to do. The 2nd way, is doing b3 Xray. Not really a 50/50 as it will always hit low - overhead. But the transition is that fast, that it will catch anyone who isn't looking for it off guard. ( sometimes will still catch the ones that are looking for it ). Hope this helped, and if i was wrong in explaining anything, someone will correct me !
 

exflyingbooty

This dream has a sad ending
4) Does Kitana have a 50/50?
5) Does she have a mixup?
Kitana's mixups come from "float" shenanigans, simply jump cross over and do b+3 into a combo. When they start respecting that, do float and njp. She has a really good mixup from her xray which is simply b+1,4 or b+1 x-ray which will catch a shit ton of people lol
 
1) A 50/50 is when you have usually 2 options. An option that hits overhead, or an option that hits low. The point is simple, if they block low, your overhead can hit them, if they block overhead, your low can hit them. Making it a 50/50 chance, you guess the right option. There are other options of 50/50's, but this is the most basic.

2) A mixup and a 50/50 is pretty much the same thing. It's mixing up your strings and specials to make them guess the correct position to block. You can also ( and especially want too with Kitana ) use throws to mix someone up as well. This is a mixup, because you cant block throws. If they're trying to block your low or overhead option, and you throw them, they're going to get hit by it.

3) Not really a yes or no question. Some mix ups are referred to as "hard to blockables". This is when you can almost hit them low and overhead at the same time, making it very difficult to block both of them. For example, Summoner Quan Chi, and Cyrax. These type of mix ups are generally hard to block, ( hence the name ). Otherwise, most other mix ups are just making the correct read/guess.

4) Technically? Yes, in game? No, not really. Her b3 hits low, and her b2 hits overhead. Even though she has an overhead, playing Kitana, your opponent is going to block low against you, 95 % of the time. This is because her b2 is literal garbage. Its slow, and doesn't launch. Im also pretty sure its punishable. ( could be wrong, i almost never use it ). So its very big risk for very little reward. Pretty much the only good thing about it, is it is a hard knock down. Meaning you can end your combos with it to prevent their wake up/tech rolls. Her REAL 50/50 is when she has Xray. ( Which happens more then you probably think ). When Kitana has an Xray, she has access to a 9 frame overhead. So she can force her opponent into a mix up situation fairly easily. 2 good ways of doing this are: B14. This string usually hits Mid - Low. However you can do b1 - Xray. Which makes it mid - overhead. Your opponent is forced to guess which option youre going to do. The 2nd way, is doing b3 Xray. Not really a 50/50 as it will always hit low - overhead. But the transition is that fast, that it will catch anyone who isn't looking for it off guard. ( sometimes will still catch the ones that are looking for it ). Hope this helped, and if i was wrong in explaining anything, someone will correct me !
Thanks man you cleared it up for me with excellent detail!
 
Kitana's mixups come from "float" shenanigans, simply jump cross over and do b+3 into a combo. When they start respecting that, do float and njp. She has a really good mixup from her xray which is simply b+1,4 or b+1 x-ray which will catch a shit ton of people lol
Thanks man I appreciate it!
 
Another thing I've noticed is why so many people want their characters normals or moves to hit mid? Can't you block mid's by blocking standing or crouching? Wouldn't you want your characters moves to either be low or overhead?
Ps- is high the same as an overhead?
 

GreatKungLao

LiuTana
Another thing I've noticed is why so many people want their characters normals or moves to hit mid? Can't you block mid's by blocking standing or crouching? Wouldn't you want your characters moves to either be low or overhead?
Ps- is high the same as an overhead?
Because mids can't be whiffed on crouching opponent, there is a lot of high attacks that can whiff on crouching opponents which leads to massive punishment or at the very least can be poked out. As a Liu Kang player with forever cursed 111 string I can feel pain because of highs literally every day. Mids can hit blocking opponent in all positions and with that it can be canceled into safe special (like DB2 with Liu Kang) in order to stay in better position. Whiffing high attacks are a lot worse that blocked mids.

High and overhead are not the same. High doesn't hit crouch blocking opponents at all and is usually used as anti air.
 
Because mids can't be whiffed on crouching opponent, there is a lot of high attacks that can whiff on crouching opponents which leads to massive punishment or at the very least can be poked out. As a Liu Kang player with forever cursed 111 string I can feel pain because of highs literally every day. Mids can hit blocking opponent in all positions and with that it can be canceled into safe special (like DB2 with Liu Kang) in order to stay in better position. Whiffing high attacks are a lot worse that blocked mids.

High and overhead are not the same. High doesn't hit crouch blocking opponents at all and is usually used as anti air.
Thanks bro, I'd think Liu kang should be top tier isn't he? I mean this guy with him used a mixup combo over and over on me and I really couldn't block because if I blocked low he hit overhead, then I blocked high and he hit low, over and over again, plus I tried to punish his bicycle kick and I couldn't.
 

Cashual

PSN: Cansuela
Thanks bro, I'd think Liu kang should be top tier isn't he? I mean this guy with him used a mixup combo over and over on me and I really couldn't block because if I blocked low he hit overhead, then I blocked high and he hit low, over and over again, plus I tried to punish his bicycle kick and I couldn't.
Liu Kang is good yes, but you weren't getting hit because his mixups are overly difficult to defend, you're getting hit because you are not yet familiar with his strings. Liu Kang is a pressure character that relies on chip, armor breaking, and tricking the opponent into hitting buttons when they in fact cannot. My point is that he isn't nearly the mixup 50/50 dependent character that say sonya, cassie, jacqui, etc. are.

What you truly need to do if you want to be good at the game is go into practice mode with kitana and liu kang. Record liu kang doing the strings you were getting opened up by (take control of liu and record yourself doing his strings and specials that you have trouble with), switch back to kitana and practice blocking the strings and punishing bicycle kick. Bicycle kick can be neutral ducked and can be full combo punished. Don't take this the wrong way, but when new players such as yourself start talking about who is or isn't top tier....well...just don't. If you are unfamiliar with concepts like overheads and mids and 50/50s, the issues you're having with certain characters have nothing to do with tier placement or "broken". It has solely to do with match up knowledge, or lack thereof, and the fact that you don't yet understand your own tools and how they relate to the cast.

Long story short, just keep grinding, and take things to the lab that catch you constantly. The best players are that way because when they struggle against a certain setup or mixup, they drill it til it's automatic reflex to block and punish. I spent 2 days setting the AI to jump forward at me in practice mode simply to learn how to anti air with standing 1 into full combo. That's what the game takes to be even decent.