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Can't beat my friend's Liu Kang

First off, I wanna say my friend was a top 50 player in IJ2. So he’s got really good fundamentals and reactions. He wins sets no matter who he picks, but he is extra mopping me with Liu Kang, like 20:1. What do I do against this character? His fast advancing strings are ridiculously good at catching me. His zoning with low / high fireball is great. Lightning fast bf3 to whiff punish into combo from a distance. Both wakeup options land easily and lead back into godlike pressure or full 300-ish combo. A friggin’ parry with fast start-up. Just great, damaging options all around. I underlined advancing strings because I think that is the crux of the issue - he can start his pressure whenever he feels like it, it catches everything and of course it’s his combo starter. Help??
 
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STB Sgt Reed

Online Warrior

Anyway, the string that gives problems is his 4 hit kick string (don't know the notations sorry). It's +4 on block if he finishes the entire string, BUT:

  1. You can poke after the third hit of the string to interrupt it (or do a low combo starter if you have it ie baraka, sub zero, etc)
  2. He can use low fireball after the third hit to stop you, this, you can block and full combo punish
  3. He can use ex low fireball, so be wary of the high.
  4. He can parry.
Lows beat all of the options except finishing the string and low fireball (but fireball is punishable itself) and finishing the string is beat by a poke.

But if you let him finish the string he's +4 so don't be hitting buttons, you're gonna get bopped in the face.
 

Iconic Horror

Behold The Kingdom Of The Wretched Undying

Anyway, the string that gives problems is his 4 hit kick string (don't know the notations sorry). It's +4 on block if he finishes the entire string, BUT:

  1. You can poke after the third hit of the string to interrupt it (or do a low combo starter if you have it ie baraka, sub zero, etc)
  2. He can use low fireball after the third hit to stop you, this, you can block and full combo punish
  3. He can use ex low fireball, so be wary of the high.
  4. He can parry.
Lows beat all of the options except finishing the string and low fireball (but fireball is punishable itself) and finishing the string is beat by a poke.

But if you let him finish the string he's +4 so don't be hitting buttons, you're gonna get bopped in the face.
isn’t ex low fireball safe?
 

Anyway, the string that gives problems is his 4 hit kick string (don't know the notations sorry). It's +4 on block if he finishes the entire string, BUT:

  1. You can poke after the third hit of the string to interrupt it (or do a low combo starter if you have it ie baraka, sub zero, etc)
  2. He can use low fireball after the third hit to stop you, this, you can block and full combo punish
  3. He can use ex low fireball, so be wary of the high.
  4. He can parry.
Lows beat all of the options except finishing the string and low fireball (but fireball is punishable itself) and finishing the string is beat by a poke.

But if you let him finish the string he's +4 so don't be hitting buttons, you're gonna get bopped in the face.
So basically default to d3 or low starting string while i'm in block pressure
 
That's helpful. How do I play neutral against liu kang though? It feels like he controls every part of the screen, and dominates up close. I have a Baraka, Geras and Raiden. Let's just say I'm using Baraka, which is who I lost 20:1 against him with lol
 

STB Sgt Reed

Online Warrior
Baraka should be able to use his low starter after the third hit of the string provided he doesn't fireball or ex fireball. Which he probably will if he knows the matchup. So be ready to blow those 2 options up.
 
Baraka ‘s f212 where he swipes advancing w the arm blades can catch liu’s kicks at sweep range, but I don’t think it combos into much
 
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