Question Can smoke players win tournaments?

[greeneless]

Hey, so I'm a total noob who needs an education. I play a lot of characters, smoke included. I was surprised to see him on Tom Brady's A section on his tier breakdown, and no one detested it, so I figured maybe I'm playing smoke wrong. I haven't seen smoke players make much noise since the OTG smoke bomb was patched out, though. So, really what does he have? Why is he so good?

I don't think he has low strings unless I missed something, and if i did please tell me lol.. so I find myself relying pretty heavily on a hit with a smoke bomb into 3, d1, 2... but i dont feel like I can really zone with smoke because the smoke bomb is predictable and takes no chip damage. IIRC b2, 3 is an overhead string that can be linked into a smoke bomb, but there is no easy way to get people toblock low on smoke.

Any zoning techniques with him that I'm just not seeing? Any good rushdown strings that are safe on block for some chip damage?

 

[ApocaLips]

First off, worst thread title ever.

Hey, so I'm a total noob who needs an education. I play a lot of characters, smoke included. I was surprised to see him on Tom Brady's A section on his tier breakdown, and no one detested it, so I figured maybe I'm playing smoke wrong.

You mean CONtested (plenty of people detest it, lol). That tier list is really old and probably wrong. Smoke likely isn't A-tier in all fairness. Lots of things have shuffled around in the meantime.

I haven't seen smoke players make much noise since the OTG smoke bomb was patched out, though. So, really what does he have? Why is he so good?

Look at any one of the several guides in this section. No one is going to be able to type out a comprehensive list for you in one post.

I don't think he has low strings unless I missed something, and if i did please tell me lol..

He doesn't.

so I find myself relying pretty heavily on a hit with a smoke bomb into 3, d1, 2... but i dont feel like I can really zone with smoke because the smoke bomb is predictable and takes no chip damage.

Can't rely on random smoke bombs against people who know how to block well.

IIRC b2, 3 is an overhead string that can be linked into a smoke bomb, but there is no easy way to get people toblock low on smoke.

There are plenty of ways to get opponents to low block. D+4 frame traps and an extremely fast and long range sweep. BTW, B+2 also has extremely long range. Smoke's 50/50 is one of the longest ranged 50/50s in the game.

Any zoning techniques with him that I'm just not seeing? Any good rushdown strings that are safe on block for some chip damage?

Not really. The goal of his full screen game is to build meter and force enemies to come to you so you can intercept them.

 

[FrothyOmen]

Smoke has tools to deal with just about every situation in the game, this is why he's so good.

He does not have low strings, and he doesn't really need them. Would they help immensely? Of course. But we make due without them. 3d12 and 32 are going to be the only strings you ever throw out there, for the most part. b23 is of course incredible (fastest overhead in the game if I'm not mistaken) in its own right, however you can't throw it out *too* much or else your opponent's never going to block low.

Smoke isn't good at zoning per se, but he's good at keeping enemies out and threatening combos from anywhere on the screen. You need to keep in mind just how far his fastest sweep and fastest overhead in the game actually reach... it's pretty surprising. Plus the ability to add 10% unscaled, unblockable, untechable damage to any* knockdown is bosslike. Ever throw somebody near the end of the game and they have just a bit of life left? you can end the round right there and then for a meter, which honestly isn't such a bad trade since it takes chance out of the equation.

3d12 is your best string on block, does 5% chip and you can tack a smoke bomb to the end to make it neutral on block ( i think? maybe -1) so you can be safe from retaliation. b23 is good as well, doesn't do as much chip but it links into specials more fluidly, if that makes sense. You can hitconfirm into any of smoke's special moves, lately a smoke away/smoke towards crossup is popular. He's a much better character than people give him credit for, but he's extremely difficult to play correctly and with the versatility he offers.

 

[PND_Ketchup]

of course he can, it depends on the player.

if CD jr can win tournaments with rain and jax it pretty much shows if the player knows enough about their character it's always a possibility, that said i think a sheeva or stryker player may have trouble.

 

[FrothyOmen]

IMO, Rain is top tier. He's just so damn good X_X

 

[Lyuben]

Question: how do the top tier affect him? I would think he does fine against the current S tier. Except maybe Cage.

 

[MagicMan357]

of course he can, it depends on the player.

if CD jr can win tournaments with rain and jax it pretty much shows if the player knows enough about their character it's always a possibility, that said i think a sheeva or stryker player may have trouble.

i wanna see him kick ass with sheeva

 

[FrothyOmen]

Smoke's toughest matches are purely in the rushdown department, the tiers don't really mean anything. Kabal gives problems (to me at least, but I'm not a tournament-grade player so my opinion doesn't mean much), as does Cage and Lao. If you're a jedi and save meter for only EX Shake, you can handle those matchups pretty well. Otherwise they become games of "how well can smoke keep them out". I personally think he's 5-5 vs. kabal, cage, and Lao, but you've gotta work for those 5-5s.

 

[greeneless]

Actually the tier list I'm talking about was from like this week... head scratch. Oh no you're right its definately out dated.

Btw thanks frothy for the actually helpful reply that wasnt also critical of everything that I typed.

SORRY GUYS FOR THE WORST THREAD TITLE EVER ILL TRY TO THINK OF SOMETHING BETTER NEXT TIME K

 

[ghostwriteous]

of course he can, it depends on the player.

if CD jr can win tournaments with rain and jax it pretty much shows if the player knows enough about their character it's always a possibility, that said i think a sheeva or stryker player may have trouble.

its kind of weird, cause with that said, smoke used to be CD Jrs main, and it looks like hes never won any tournaments with him, atleast that Ive seen.

 

[PND_Ketchup]

its kind of weird, cause with that said, smoke used to be CD Jrs main, and it looks like hes never won any tournaments with him, atleast that Ive seen.

well thats his fault.

Aris has a lethal smoke and ive seen him demolish with him, this is one of those cases when the player has to be good and know the ins and outs with him i suppose.

 

[FrothyOmen]

just an fyi, Aris dropped Smoke for Cage (his old alt)

 

[G4S KT]

just an fyi, Aris dropped Smoke for Cage (his old alt)

Really? That sucks.

So what, I'm the only person left who is bringing Smoke to tournaments? Check was telling me about how there wasn't a single Smoke player at Summer Jam...

 

[SZSR]

Really? That sucks.

So what, I'm the only person left who is bringing Smoke to tournaments? Check was telling me about how there wasn't a single Smoke player at Summer Jam...

Well congrats KT Smith, you're currently the best Smoke mainer in the tournament scene (I'm counting Shoryuken as a Smoke alt and ATL_Redd as having a Smoke alt too). As for tourney playing Smokes, quite a few guys here in GA main Smoke so you're not alone, it's just really sparse now more than ever.

GamerBlake won a big tourney with Smoke, but I don't know if he's a straight Smoke mainer or a Scorpion. Arguably, it's between Smith and Blake.

 

[PND_Mustard]

any character can win, just gotta have the players who are willing to put the time in to their character and not beg for buffs 24/7.

 

[FrothyOmen]

KT, I am 99% sure of it. I was listening to a stream one day and Aris came on the mic, and he was talking about the Smoke reset and he prefaced his disdain for it with saying that he had dropped Smoke and mains Cage now. So we'll see at the next tourney he shows up at, I guess? :s

 

[JoDecay]

Plus the ability to add 10% unscaled, unblockable, untechable damage to any* knockdown is bosslike.

How do you do that?

Im pretty new to the game and i suck big time. Since I like to play as Smoke, Id like to know what you're talkong about

 

[YougotCaged1]

Smoke can definitely win tournaments. I plan on taking him to NEC. I feel like he has some untapped potential that I'm working on discovering. He has the tools to win no doubt, the smoke bomb isn't predictable. Your just predictable with it.

 

[FrothyOmen]

After just about any knockdown that isn't a back throw you can use an EX Smoke bomb for the 10%damage. Mainly possible after front throw, jk xx air throw, and sweep are kind of the big 3.

 

[kandehbar]

Yes smoke can....We just need to utilize ex smoke toward/away invisibility and shake cancling

KT......your the spearhead for smoke now...... make us proud

 

[greeneless]

Smoke can definitely win tournaments. I plan on taking him to NEC. I feel like he has some untapped potential that I'm working on discovering. He has the tools to win no doubt, the smoke bomb isn't predictable. Your just predictable with it.

Yeah, I probably am. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with him tbh, and I wasn't being cynical, I feel the same about the potential, I just dont have a clue how to tap into it haha. I hope you take him deep in the tourney so I can catch some clips.

 

[Solidshadow]

Of all the things mentioned that smoke is good at you guys left out some crucial things. For one, his teleport. After every knockout you can teleport and you will appear behind him. You can combine this with b23 or 3d12 to get a shit load of pressure. So essentially smoke is very good at rushdowns. Secondly, his d1 is insanely fast. Faster than kitanas d1 even I think. And thirdly he has beast anti air with his teleport. Those things werent mentioned. Oh and lets not forget the f4 reset that was recently added to his arsenal

So I just want to say because of his versatility, and the fact that in the right hands he can now do at least 70% from anywhere on the screen with one bar, he should be an S- Tier character, and an A without the reset. For example against Kabal, if he does aa fireball he can counter with a teleport, shake, or ex smoke bomb. Kabals rushdown can be intercepted with his insanely fast d1. Against kung lao, he just has to sit tight and shake every hat, uppercut every teleport, and bait 'n punish every spinning hat move (Forgot the name lol). Against raiden he has self-explanatory options. The only ones smoke has serious trouble with is reptile (but then again who doesn't) and mileena.

In short, smoke is beast

Also, I just registered HI GUISE

 

[Wildabeast]

Smokes good its just that hes not an easy mode character, becoming good with him requires a lot of patience.

 

[Metalwolf53]

Can smoke players win a tournament?- Yes. It just takes a lot of time put into the character, and the match-ups to even think about doing so. In my opinion, the top smoke player is KT Smith NYC, he has what it takes to go to a tournament and kick some serious ass. Smoke doesn't have any low hitting combos, but his ability to poke the opponent repeatedly and then link B+2,3 is good enough to compensate. I very much look forward to a smoke player winning a major.
ARIS DROPPED SMOKE?! THAT MOTHERF***ING TRADER!....
Have a good day.
~Hound.


EDIT: Forgot about that Kandehbar. In order to win tournaments, you need to have atleast a 5-5 matchup with the main tournament characters(Raiden, Kung lao, Reptile, and Kabal.) or be INSANELY good with your character.

 

[kandehbar]

Well one.. Raiden is a bad match up. Between two equally good players Raidens teleport is really just that good. I swear to god i think it freezes time for a frame man i just can put my fingure on it. But he cant Shake superman and teleport whiffs The best thing to do against raiden is to bait superman and even then he could just teleport grab you or pull out some mix up

Raiden and reptile are smokes worst matchups