Discussion Anti-Airs Suck in MKX: Fact or Myth?

[Braindead]

I want to address this idea that anti-airs suck at MKX. I want TYM to decide based on facts if it's an actual fact or just another myth (shoutouts to the safe armored launchers abundance myth).

So what I want to do is do a count of the characters that have good anti-airs vs the number of characters that struggle with anti-airing. I'll start with the characters I play (at any level) and have absolutely no trouble anti-airing with:

Subzero - S1 and EX Frost bomb, Slide if you have large-enough testies
Kotal Kahn - B1, D2, D3, air grab
Shinnok - LOL
Balanced Kenshi - D2 and RK/EX RK. I'm pretty sure the other variations have good AA tools as well.
Ferra/Torr - This is the only character I used to struggle to AA with, but BioHazard consistently rapes jump-ins with d3 so that's my fault not the character's. In Lackey you have DP and EX DP as well.

Characters I don't play but I know/it's agreed that they have good AA tools:
D'Vorah
Scorpion
Cassie
Sonya
Erron Black
Jax
Alien
Kung Lao
Kung Jin
Mileena
Tremor
Kano
Goro
Triborg
Kitana
Predator
Raiden
Ermac
Quan Chi
Jacqui
Takeda


Remaining characters, don't know enough about them, need information:
Reptile - Has a good armored launcher, anything else?
Jason
Tanya
Bo Rai Cho
Johnny Cage - I hear this guy struggles with AA - RIP MK9's F3/B3 OS
Liu Kang
Leatherface

If you disagree with the placement of any character let me know.

 

[PND_Ketchup]

IMO it depends on what you're trying to anti air with.

Most characters can anti air easily with uppercut, but in a game as punish heavy as MKX, an uppercut isn't sufficient.

The strength of a character's anti air comes from how hard they can punish jumps, rather than just being able to hit someone out of the air for minimal damage.

 

[Braindead]

IMO it depends on what you're trying to anti air with.

Most characters can anti air easily with uppercut, but in a game as punish heavy as MKX, an uppercut isn't sufficient.

The strength of a character's anti air comes from how hard they can punish jumps, rather than just being able to hit someone out of the air for minimal damage.

Agreed. So do you think any of the characters I placed as having good AA tools only rely on their D2 to AA? I think for the most part they at least have a good d2 and a good armored launcher that catches jump-ins easily for a full combo.

 

[Braindead]

Also BTW Ketchup what is your opinion on Quan's AA ability? Do you struggle getting good AAs with him?

 

[anTi_air_chrisT]

Good luck AAing SubZero with 90% of the cast.

 

[Eddy Wang]

IMO it depends on what you're trying to anti air with.

Most characters can anti air easily with uppercut, but in a game as punish heavy as MKX, an uppercut isn't sufficient.

The strength of a character's anti air comes from how hard they can punish jumps, rather than just being able to hit someone out of the air for minimal damage.

Exactly this.

Also, i don't think that jabs are bad, some jump attacks are just way stronger which makes it dificult to AA other characters depending on range and of course as Ketchup said, with what we're trying to AA with.

KL spin can be punished if you're a little bit off his spin radius, there a part where the active frames of his spin doesn't reach while he is spinning.
His standing jab is strong but there are still some types of jump attacks that can stuff it due body position during the jumps or disjointed hitboxes aka priority normals.

The most fun part about punishing a balanced jump ins are, on those that in order to stuff your jab they need to do j2 way earlier, but as result it won't autoface or hit crouching characters, read that and crouch, they whiff the jump attack and you punish them in the ground, or they won't autoface missing its target and then you can trip guard as well, i do it all the time against some characters like Cassie.

 

[thlityoursloat]

I feel like anti-air attacks just have too many holes in them. Kenshi's EX rising karma makes me want to kill myself sometimes.

 

[Braindead]

Exactly this.

Also, i don't think that jabs are bad, some jump attacks are just way stronger which makes it dificult to AA other characters depending on range and of course as Ketchup said, with what we're trying to AA with.

KL spin can be punished if you're a little bit off his spin radius, there a part where the active frames of his spin doesn't reach while he is spinning.
His standing jab is strong but there are still some types of jump attacks that can stuff it due body position during the jumps or disjointed hitboxes aka priority normals.

The most fun part about punishing a balanced jump ins are, on those that in order to stuff your jab they need to do j2 way earlier, but as result it won't autoface or hit crouching characters, read that and crouch, they whiff the jump attack and you punish them in the ground, or they won't autoface missing its target and then you can trip guard as well, i do it all the time against some characters like Cassie.

I think the problem with TYM is that there's a couple of good jump in attacks in this game like Kotal's J1 or Subzero's J1 on cross-overs, and because of them they just consider MKX to be a jump-fest and AAs suck. And that's just plain wrong.

 

[thlityoursloat]

I think the problem with TYM is that there's a couple of good jump in attacks in this game like Kotal's J1 or Subzero's J1 on cross-overs, and because of them they just consider MKX to be a jump-fest and AAs suck. And that's just plain wrong.

Top players like REO think anti-airs need to be better though...

 

[Braindead]

Top players like REO think anti-airs need to be better though...

And it baffles me to be honest. If a scrub like me can body jump-ins like 90% of the time then why does someone like REO think AAs need to be better? I find it hella weird lol.

 

[Braindead]

The most fun part about punishing a balanced jump ins are, on those that in order to stuff your jab they need to do j2 way earlier, but as result it won't autoface or hit crouching characters, read that and crouch, they whiff the jump attack and you punish them in the ground, or they won't autoface missing its target and then you can trip guard as well, i do it all the time against some characters like Cassie.

Also want to point out how true this is. And not to mention that neutral crouching can also make tons of jump-in attacks whiff because they need to be done VERY late if the opponent is neutral crouching, especially on crossovers.

 

[thlityoursloat]

And it baffles me to be honest. If a scrub like me can body jump-ins like 90% of the time then why does someone like REO think AAs need to be better? I find it hella weird lol.

Who do you play against and which character do you play?

 

[Vick]

Ermac has some of the best AA's in the game with B1, D1, D2 and D4 (It blows up crossups easily)
Tanya has a good D2
Same for Liu Kang
Takeda's D1 is underrated imo and he also has B1.
Jacqui has her Stanky leg

 

[Braindead]

Who do you play against and which character do you play?

I listed the characters I play in the OP. I play against random characters there isn't a specific character.

The fact that I can AA Kotal's J1 with Subzero is also something to think about lol.

 

[jackempty0]

What I think isnt that people want better anti airs. They just want easier anti airs

 

[PND_Ketchup]

Also BTW Ketchup what is your opinion on Quan's AA ability? Do you struggle getting good AAs with him?

I found quan's anti air game was strong. standing 1 is good, d3 is good, uppercut is really god. He can turn most anti airs into trance. It's just anti airing in general without armor in this game is risky

 

[Eddy Wang]

Also want to point out how true this is. And not to mention that neutral crouching can also make tons of jump-in attacks whiff because they need to be done VERY late if the opponent is neutral crouching, especially on crossovers.

I've explained this, but its in portuguese tho, there are indeed some jump attacks where the rule doesn't apply, because they can hit anyone independent of how earlier or late they're used.

 

[Rude]

I have a 5f NJP. I can't objectively comment on Aa'ing in MKX for anyone who doesn't have a 5f NJP.

 

[God Confirm]

And it baffles me to be honest. If a scrub like me can body jump-ins like 90% of the time then why does someone like REO think AAs need to be better? I find it hella weird lol.

reo is a fuckin scrub compared to you mate

 

[M.D.]

The only viable and consistent anti air this game has is armor.

Other than that, it's not consistent and it heavily depends on the character you're trying to anti air.
To some it works every time (like d1 anti air vs johnny), for others it randomly works (ferra d3 vs sub j1).

It's too much of a gamble and it is not consistent. Everyone who says they get it consistent regardless of character are bullshiting. You might get it consistent vs a character with useless jumpins, yes. But as a whole, you can not rely on this when fighting top tiers because you will just get clipped through your attack into 40%.

What this game needs is the injustice patch treatment, universal buff d2s to outprioritize everything from the air.

 

[Vick]

What I think isnt that people want better anti airs. They just want easier anti airs

Eh yes and no.. There are characters like Bo, Kotal, Sonya, Alien and Sub who are a nightmare when they are airborne.

 

[Braindead]

Ermac has some of the best AA's in the game with B1, D1, D2 and D4 (It blows up crossups easily)
Tanya has a good D2
Same for Liu Kang
Takeda's D1 is underrated imo and he also has B1.
Jacqui has her Stanky leg

Added Ermac and Jacqui and Takeda to the good AAs list.

As per Ketchup's comment, I'm gonna wait on the chars with only good d2s.

 

[M.D.]

What I think isnt that people want better anti airs. They just want easier anti airs

Not easier, but consistent. Which means you need an attack that will beat everything from the air as a rule.

Which is what anti-air means. Like street fighter dragon punch or crouching normals. Or armor in MKX.

It does Not mean having a 2 frame window to press a button and if you miss, you get hit into 99%. That is not anti-air, that is random muscle memory crap.

 

[Sage Leviathan]

Sometimes a good AA can't do the trick against certain jump attacks.
But then... are players who use characters like Alien, Sub, or Kotal complaining about how good some AAs are?

 

[anTi_air_chrisT]

Can't KL hold the spin?