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ok Ultimatemk.com didn't own the rights to what I wrote for the guide that never got finished. So I'm posting it, if there are any others that wrote something, post it here as well. I'm sure I need to retouch some things I said...

Kitana by DarkMoon

Kitana is ranked around #4 in MK2. She is an above average high Mid-Tier character fighting for her position with Kung Lao. She has a few differant styles of gameplay depending on who she is up against. She is a great rusher with her female properties giving her some of the best jabs in the game. Her rushdown is probably the most on spot, accompanied with a great defense and some of the easiest damaging combos to pull off, makes her one dangerous character. Her Uppercut is awesome and can take out most characters jump kicks and punches. Try to distance yourself on her uppercut, It seems to work best when you catch the end of your opponents leg. If the characters jump kick is too far over her body she can get hit. Her female SUJK comes out fast almost immediately and is one of the best in the game. It should work against every character for anti-air. Her attacking jump kicks and punches are decent enough and can beat-out most other characters if you should be both jump kicking at the same time. Works as a great counter to jump backwards and kick someone who is jump kicking at you. Careful though, Her jump kicks can be easily punished by uppercuts, roundhouses and aaDHK's. Her jump punch can be a deadly weapon to turtles who like to wait for a roundhouse or aaHK oppurtunity. If jumping from afar, her JP will break Ninja's roundhouses, Jax's aaHK, Cage's aaHK, and possibly everyone elses. It is a little risky though as the other character could walk forward on you before they perform their aaHK/RH move. Be prepared to block low incase your opponent should try and sweep you instead.

Her HK is nothing special, its useable but it is definately not the greatest for anti-air in the game. If you use her HK for anti-air against most characters, you must make sure that her foot is going to connect with your oppoent's rear-end, starting from his/her thigh to their arse. This means you have to be relitively close when your opponent jump kicks at you. If done from farther away and her foot connects with say Johnny Cage's foot or Shang's she will get hit. You should use her HK for countering cross-overs in upclose battle mainly, any other scenario you should try to get a fan lift in instead. It is possible to get a distant aaHK on ninja's and possibly Baraka, but just don't. Her LK is a decent wake up for ducking characters but not as good as Baraka's. Most characters can still duck underneath it and counter with an uppercut. It is a great wakeup though for people trying to sweep, It will litterally kick them right in the face as the opponent goes in their sweep animation. Ducking HK is good for anti-air against some characters: Ninja's and I think Jax. Don't use it that often though as the player attacking you has to hit her calf / foot area. It just doesn't seem effective enough to be a good solution. Her ducking LK quite frankly sucks. It's horrible, It is so damn short and barely has any reach to it at all. It is only good for hitting an opponent who is jumping in close, but then when you do that, only hit your opponent once with it. It does not have the reach to succefully get two ducking LK's after one another to back up your opponent. Most likely if you try for a 2nd one you will get swept, only do it once and get back or go into rushdown. It does work good however for countering Liu Kang's low fireball. She is so low to the ground when she does it that she will go underneath his fireball. This is a very good tactic and I suggest practicing it and getting it down. Her sweep comes out very fast and has high priority over alot of characters.

Chip damage is a Kitana specialty. She is the best character at creating upclose chip damage in the game, and when it comes down to it, any kind of damage is good damage. She beats out almost everyone in upclose battle. Her jabs as mentioned earlyer are great for keeping the rushdown. It's not very easy to uppercut her inbetween her jabs. Stick the player, get them to crouch and block and the lead is yours. This brings me to her moveset, her Fan Swipe is a very important underused move by most players. When used upclose it is a monster for laying down chip damage. Don't be afraid to spam it but be cautious, a good player can uppercut you between Fan Swipes. Keep alternating between jabs and Fan Swipes, keep it fresh and random. You don't want your pattern to become stale and predictable. Make sure to throw in her lightning fast sweeps incase your opponent lets his guard down low. Their is nothing your opponent can do to you except duck LK to get you back, and then get back themselves. It is a very common thing to see your opponent jump backwards to get away from Kitana after they perform their ducking LK. Watch for this and if you see it, hit them with a Square Wave Punch and get back to rushdown mode.

The Square Wave Punch is a move borrowed from Sonya in MK1. It is a great move for anti-air, getting places, and linking combos. It is as good of a move as it is a dangerous move. Be careful when you use her Square Wave Punch for getting places, you do not want your opponent to be standing in a position where he can uppercut you on your way back down from the air. Make sure to know the distance you will travel, only use it when its safe to do so. Liu Kang can jump punch backwards and break Kitana's SWP leaving her open for him to combo with an air fireball afterwards. Use caution if you are going to use this move against him.

Her Fan Throw is a huge projectile that takes about 1/4th of the playfield up and takes quite a bit of damage away. It can be thrown from the air and used to link combos, this is when it is mostly used. It's start up time is rather slow when thrown from the ground and can be seen from a mile away. However it can still be effective and come as a surprise to people if you just toss it out there randomly from the ground. If they see it coming though becareful they will easily jump kick over it and tag you. When Kitana isn't keeping a rush down with jabs and Fan Swipes, her Fan Throw plays a key part in her defensive strategies. Don't use the fan throw everytime you jump in the air, or it will become predictable and less effective. Instead, just jump around playing with your opponent and then throw it out. This will keep the move fresh.

The Fan Lift is the grand daddy of combo starters in MK2. Their is no reason why you should not successfully come up on a combo after a well placed Fan Lift. Your looking at the bare minimum atleast 30% damage after this move. This move along with the fan throw keeps your enemy at bay, and plays key part of Kitana's defense. Kitana is somewhat of a "dancer" when you see her being played defensively. You will see Kitana pushing B,B,F,B,F,F,Duck,F,B,F,F etc.dancing around the screen. This is too fool you, what the character is doing is buffering between fan lifts and fan throws and waiting for you to either jump in and hit the Fan Lift, or waiting for a good spot to throw the fan out. Be careful when doing the Fan Lift in upclose battle, if your opponent blocks it. For some reason the effect of the lift is broken and he can simply walk through it and uppercut you.

In the right hands, Kitana could be almost unstoppable.
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Raiden by Scheiss

Raiden has plenty of options whether he is playing offensively or defensively. He can be quite the turtle if used properly, simply warping when the player jumps at you or by doing his torpedo. His jab game is very reliable, and can allow for a lot of damage and even multiple throws.

Sweeps: Not a very good sweep, use it's complete length to push players back if they block, or walk in for jabs if it hits.

Low Kick: Very slow attack, use it sparingly unless you know it will connect.

High Kick: Again, a very sluggish attack, his HK's height can counter a lot of close players trying to cross up or jump away. It can be used as anti-air, but doesn't have the priority over some players JKs unless the distance is right.

Roundhouse: His RH can be used as anti-air from a closer distance than most RHs, but it's most common use is during mix ups to destroy cross-overs and jump-aways.
Corner RH infinite: Similar to the male ninjas, Raiden has a corner RH infinite that works on Baraka, Jax, Cage, Raiden, Male and Female Ninja

Uppercut: Raidens uppercut is fairly weak. Similar to his aaRH, you must be closer than other characters uppercuts. Use for max 1 hit chip damage, then setup your defense or offense after the push-back.

Jump Punch: The jump punch is good and has good priority on other JPs and JKs. If you are going to meet someone in the air, make sure you get the torpedo afterward.

Jump Kick: Raidens jump kick should be used from a further distance than most JKs, because it is more susceptible to aaHPs. Use the torpedo after a connected jump kick for aprx 33% damage. Raidens JK timing should alternate, giving you enough time to decide if you want to torpedo if it connects. Stalling the torpedo after a high JK can catch your opponent off-guard very often or cause them to lock up completely after failing previously, allowing you to get in close for his jab pressure.

Close HP: Raidens "standing-uppercut" is fairly fast and can be used as a mix-up. This move will push your opponent backwards (similar to a standing HK, but with more recovery time) which allows you to warp behind them for jab pressure or get a wake-up torpedo. It can be a very important tactic if you land this move while your opponent is in the corner. Allowing for a lot of chip damage or an opening as your opponent scrambles to recover. Wiffing a close HP on a ducking opponent has very fast recovery time and generally opens a player up for a throw or RH.

Close Kick: Raidens close kick is almost worthless. Even if you connect it you may take damage from fast specials, more commonly an uppercut if blocked. Use VERY sparingly, if ever.

Jabs: Raidens jab game is where he excels. His jabs allow him to stay close while charging HP and baiting a Shock grab, which has enormous priority and even trumps uppercuts. If your opponents distance is almost out of reach you can warp behind them to continue the jabs all over again. Players will catch onto this and wait for a chance at an uppercut. When they do this, either torpedo or sweep and walk in for more jabs. If you get a throw, the opponent will bounce away, you can warp behind them and throw check into more jabs or sweep wake up.

Throw: Raidens throw is great, it allows you to use any of his moves afterward. If you choose to warp, you can either walk in for a throw check or wait for an uppercut and trump it with the shock grab for a lot of damage. His projectile can be used for someone trying to escape and his torpedo can be used as a wake up.

Projectile: Raidens projectile is slow and has a lot of recovery time. It's main use should be as an anti-air attack from opponents trying to escape and then warping as they hit the ground, allowing for jabs or shock grab if they try to uppercut.

Torpedo: Raidens torpedo is a crucial move to his air game. This move gives good damage and can be used as an escape tactic. Rarely use air torpedoes on crouching opponents to avoid being punished. Using his torpedo on a cornered ducking opponent can give you a free hit if they try to uppercut you while you are still floating over them in the corner. Do not abuse this move because players can simply jump backwards and kick you or take large damage if blocked, especially in the corner. Using the torpedo directly out of a warp gives your opponent very little time to think as well as counter, but isn't recommended against someone who uses their block button well.

Shock Grab: The shock grab is what sets Raiden apart from any other character in MK2 jab game. This move trumps almost any attack in close, most commonly, uppercuts. This move should be charged at all times or before you start your jab game. Once you have your opponent under jab pressure, you can keep them in it and try to bait an uppercut to release HP. Do not use this move if your opponent is blocking, you will get uppercutted.

If they try to get a ducking LK or two(which is one of the few options for them of escaping), they are most likely going to jump backwards afterward, so throw a lightning bolt, warp and begin jab pressure to bait an opening for this move. Once you have them in the grab, there are many techniques for high damage. At the very least you can get a very consistent RH or HK. Some players prefer to do high damage combos, but they also leave you open unless executed properly.
 
scheiss I added your Raiden guide to the first post if thats ok with you if not it can be taken out. I didn't add any of the other guides because I don't know if those people post here and want them posted here.
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
DanCock said:
Kung Lao by DanCock

Feel free to add or argue my write up. All info is helpful and I wont be bitchy about it, just thankful!!

NOTE *** I could be totally wrong in everything that is typed here so feel free to edit my post w/corrections and additions ***

^^^ EDIT by Konqrr ^_^

He has the best uppercut in the game...rating it a 1-10 id rate it a 10.

He has the best D+LK basic attack, its fast and has good reach.

D+LK stops clips, you can easily piss some one off by using this you can just sit there, and if they walk up spam the D+LK, since your already ducking if they try and jump at you Uppercut.

Hat Throw:
Great Anti Air. When some one jumps in, throw the Hat, it'll always hit. Just be careful because his foe can time a jump and combo. You don't wanna guide his Hat up high alot, his foe can toss a fireball or time a jump in and kick him. So keep that fireball mid level with a random low one. If you feel his Hat won't hit when they jump in use his standing HK to knock them outta the air.

Dive Kick:
Up close if some one attempts a clip just jump then dive kick REAL fast it'll hit them. If your full screen away and his foe is tossing a fireball jump in the air with a jump punch then dive kick it'll counter their fireball. Also, if you catch them jumping in the air jump punch and dive kick for a quick 1-2 combo. Try to avoid doing the Dive Kick up close to his foe as you'll be easily be hit by an uppercut.

VS a block ducking foe, walk up to them and press f+hp and spam that shit. It comes out fast and is great at chipping away damage.

His clip is so-so, average, nothing special with it like long range (females and shang).

Roundhouse sucks

Teleport:
If you do this move then kick right after and your foe is blocking they can counter with an uppercut. If you teleport then wait, then kick, you could get hit with an uppercut before the kick. Its all about psyching out your foe. I use it when I watch my foe and see them about to perform a fireball, I'll then teleport and kick them.

Spin:
I'm not very good with this move, it is a good move though. Like, say if Liu does a Ground Fireball, you can do a quick Dive Kick and land on the ground and do a quick Spin (make sure you dont touch your foe with the Dive Kick). The Spin is pretty much a uppercut, mid screen if its done you can either do a quick Hat Throw for a 1-2 hit combo or jump into the air
with a punch or kick and then Dive Kick for a quick 1-2-3 hit combo.

IMO, in the right hands he is the best character in the game. Great Anti Air moves, good defense, and good offense.
Konqrr said:
DanCock said:
He has the best uppercut in the game...rating it a 1-10 id rate it a 10.
Definitely one of the best. Liu's is better because it hits crossups better than Lao's uppercut.

DanCock said:
He has the best D+LK basic attack, its fast and has good reach. D+LK stops clips, you can easily piss some one off by using this you can just sit there, and if they walk up spam the D+LK, since your already ducking if they try and jump at you Uppercut.
Again, one of the best. I think his and Liu's Ducking LK are the same in speed, recovery, and range. They both are excellent and are why Scorpion or Raiden can not beat them.

DanCock said:
Hat Throw:
Great Anti Air. When some one jumps in, throw the Hat, it'll always hit. Just be careful because his foe can time a jump and combo. You don't wanna guide his Hat up high alot, his foe can toss a fireball or time a jump in and kick him. So keep that fireball mid level with a random low one. If you feel his Hat won't hit when they jump in use his standing HK to knock
them outta the air.
As I'm sure you meant, it is good Anti Air if you at near to full screen away. Against someone without a teleport, the Hat Throw is your equalizer from full screen. Throw a couple and see if they jump in. If so you can hit them out of the air with a Jump Punch, which counters almost any air attack from full screen due to it's height, then Dive Kick combo. If they don't jump, try to fake them out with some b,f+lp cancelled jabs for bait. If they still don't jump then do more Hat Throws. If you are not full screen and they jump, his HK is an excellent move for Anti Air. Do another fake Hat Throw (b,f+lp cancel) to bait them to jump again and another aaHK is yours.

I agree on the little to no usage of the up angled Hat Throw. It is anticipatory at best and even then it must be done at near to full screen. Besides, you should go for chip damage anyways.

Dive Kick:
The Dive Kick should be used most often as a transport move. Getting you accross the screen quickly and safely. NEVER do a Dive Kick that lands you directly on top of your opponent or you will eat an uppercut every time. Always land just out of uppercut range either in front or behind them. You can then do a quick Spin and catch them trying to counter you.

The Dive Kick is also useful for when you jump back, if they try to catch you with a projectile or try to follow you with a jump. You can safely hit them with a Dive Kick. Just make sure that if they are jumping with you that their Jump Punch/Kick won't hit you out of your Dive Kick.

DanCock said:
VS a block ducking foe, walk up to them and press f+hp and spam that shit. It comes out fast and is great at chipping away damage.
While this is a good tactic, how you posted it is way wrong. Just walking up and hitting F+HP is a bad idea...IF you don't know on whom it works against.

The headbutt only connects on Male/Female Ninjas, Jax, Cage, and against Kung Lao you can only do it on P1 side (wtf? dunno), and against Shang it hits every now and then only in the corner so it's not worth it on him.

You are MUCH better off doing a varied jab attack that I'll post about later in which the only way out of this is to not duck and block or pick Shang/Cage to avoid jabs altogether lol

DanCock said:
Roundhouse sucks
Not so. It comes out extremely fast but I wouldn't use it for Anti Air. It hits people who are in a ducking block for good chip damage and recovers very fast.

DanCock said:
IMO, in the right hands he is the best character in the game.
Even though he is a very, very good character, he cannot hang with Mileena or Jax. He struggles against everyone above him on the tier list.
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
Konqrr said:
KUNG LAO (by Konqrr):
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Here's what I've done so far with Lao:

Low Punch:
- Hits Jax in a Crouch Block.
- The move by itself isn't very good at all and should be rarely used outside of up close LPHPHP chip damage on everyone but Shang or Cage.
- If you use it by itself, make sure you cancel it with Block so if your opponent tries to uppercut, you will automatically block it.

High Punch:
- Great for Anti Air against Liu Kang, Jax, and the Male Ninjas.
- Hits everyone but Shang and Cage in a Crouch Block.
- Up close, used by itself is a good move if you are sure you are not too close and accidentally do the headbutt, which is a very good move for chip damage but is only effective on half the roster, you are much better off using HP chip damage by pressing LPHP or LPHPHP on Jax, or LPHPHPHP on everyone else but Shang or Cage. Using this jab tactic is extremely effective and very hard for someone to get out of by anything except letting go of Block which in some cases causes them to stand up and get hit by the jabs. If they do let go of block and are ducking under your jabs, you can buffer the Spin, or better yet sweep them and go into jabs again.
- Against all characters, if you are standing as close as possible throwing constant HP's over them as they duck without blocking, their only option is a D+LP, which sometimes they get hit out of, or D+LK, which is always a safe option. If they try to do anything else they will be hit by the flurry of punches.
- If you hold Down and Block while you are jabbing with HP (or LP or a mixture of both), you will be able to block anything they try to do. This is universal to all characters.

Low Kick:
Sparingly, if ever, use a standing Low Kick against a skilled player. It is good to snuff sweep attempts and hit ducking opponents. If you hit a standing opponent with it, here are some of the things that can happen to you:
-> vs Anyone - Sweep or walk up HK
-> vs Scorpion - Spear
-> vs Reptile - Slide
-> vs Sub-Zero - Freeze
-> vs Baraka - Blade Swipe
-> vs Raiden - Electric Grab
-> vs Liu Kang - Bicycle Kick or Flying Kick
-> vs Cage - Shadow Kick
-> vs Kitana - Fan Lift
-> vs Jax - Gotcha Grab or Jump Kick, Backbreaker or if he is hit close enough with the LK, he can get an Overhead Hammer
-> vs Mileena - Facing her in the corner, she can do a Roll, Jump Punch, Roll, Jump Kick, Air Sai

High Kick:
- Very good for Anti Air against everyone except Baraka and Shang Tsung.
- Watch out for near full screen jump punches from Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Female Ninjas, Jax, and Cage. From that distance, you should be countering with a Sweep instead.
- Don't even bother trying to use it against a jumping Baraka
- Don't try it against Shang's Jump Kicks unless he is jumping from around sweep distance.
- Don't try to use it as chip damage on a crouch blocking opponent. It hits very high and will miss them even if you are standing right next to them. Lao's HK sprite will overlap them but not connect! Up close, ALWAYS use jabs instead.
Slips said:
RAIDEN (by Slips):
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Raiden is a great all-around character. He can turtle well with teleports and lightning shots, and rush down exceptional well making your opponent guess at jump distance between teleports, torpedos and jump-ins. He is also one of the best punishers in the game with his electric grab and torpedo is very useful for distance punishing as well.

Offense
When the opponent is turtling full screen away is when it is most frusterating in MK2. Refrain from doing full screen torpedos and teleports and your opponent will be searching for them as your only offensive options at this distance and will punish you accordingly. Instead move closer to where you are at jump distance, at this distance, they not only now have to worry about jump-ins but they cannot react to torpedo and teleport as easily.

Learning to do torpedo from crouching will make the animation instant, making it even harder to react to. This will force your opponent to stand and block more, giving you leeway to do teleports and jump-ins. Most characters can punish torpedo, so you must be careful. If you are unsure you can shoot a lightning shot at jump distance to be safer. Some characters can even duck under torpedo or they can lk from crouch to get underneath it and try and uppercut when Raiden lands, most people see this as a weakness, but it actually a prime set-up for his electric grab, so have it ready.

The teleport is a great way to get close to your opponent and begins Raiden's uniquie rush down. If they don't punish you for doing your teleport, they usually have a natural response to when it happens. A lot of people jump away, which you can counter by doing an instant forward jk. Some will jump towards you to start a cross-up, in which case you can counder by doing an instant away jk or jump straight up jk. Once you get them to stop jumping around after you teleport you can start teleporting into sweeps and jabs and start your rush down.

Rush Down
Raiden's rush down usually occurs when he is able to jump in on his opponent or after a teleport where the opponent is too scared to move. Raiden has a ton of options to lock his opponent down. Of course he has the standard low punches that hit most opponents (all but Shang and Cage), sweep and cross-over jk's. What gives him more options is the insane
priorities of his electric grab, torpedo and teleport.

Electric grab is easily one of Raiden's best moves, it comes out instantly at 0 frames. Your opponent can be in the middle of a sweep or uppercut and get grabbed. A lot of the time you can jump and instantly whiff a jump kick in the air to get your opponent to let go of block and land with an electric grab as they try and uppercut or poke. Eventually, they'll learn to respect this lure and allows you to whiff jk's more often and land to start doing more jabs.

Torpedo is only good in rush down when your opponent lets go of block after a jk to try and retaliate to your rush down. With Raiden's vast array of weapons and special moves, you can confuse the hell out of your opponent, mix everything up well. A good mix of things would be something like; jk, double lp, cross-over jk, teleport, cross-over jk, whiffed cross-
over jk, double lp, sweep, teleport...ect.

Radien also has one of the few throws with very good wake-ups afterwards. After the throw, teleport and begin to do lp's most players do not hold the right direction and will be throw again if they don't jump. For opponent's who do jump, teleport into an electric grab will make them stay.

Defense and Punishment
Raiden's electric grab is prime for punishing moves. Blocking moves such as Ninja slides, Scorps TP, Kang's flying kick, Lao's bullet kick, Mileena's roll, all mean losing to over 1/3 to half life of their bar. (Grab them on the landing frame) Learn to do double hp to torpedo for a hefty 50% combo. Female Ninja's, Lao and Raiden himself is hard to get double hp, so you might want to settle with just a roundhouse. If your opponent is projectile happy, try to time a teleport behind them and electric grab during their recovery. For other moves like Mileena's drop kick, and blocking high recovery moves at a slight distance (Kang low fireball, Scorp spear) use torpedo to punish.

For anti-air Raiden's best option is HK, it has the standard priority for most HK's in the game. For characters with high priority jks like Baraka and Shang, use jsuk.

Overview
Raiden is an offensively-geared character, he in not a keep-out character like Kang, Jax, Mileena, Scorp. Getting into your opponent's face to start his rush down is essential and will get your opponent's to throw out moves during the course of the match to keep you out in which you can punish them effectively well with Raiden. In the right hands he is a beast.
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
Scheisse said:
RAIDEN (by Scheisse):
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Raiden has plenty of options whether he is playing offensively or defensively. He can be quite the turtle if used properly, simply warping when the player jumps at you or by doing his torpedo. His jab game is very reliable, and can allow for a lot of damage and even multiple throws.

Sweeps: Not a very good sweep, use it's complete length to push players back if they block, or walk in for jabs if it hits.

Low Kick: Very slow attack, use it sparingly unless you know it will connect.

High Kick: Again, a very sluggish attack, his HK's height can counter a lot of close players trying to cross up or jump away. It can be used as anti-air, but doesn't have the priority over some players JKs unless the distance is right.

Roundhouse: His RH can be used as anti-air from a closer distance than most RHs, but it's most common use is during mix ups to destroy cross-overs and jump-aways.
Corner RH infinite: Similar to the male ninjas, Raiden has a corner RH infinite that works on Baraka, Jax, Cage, Raiden, Male and Female Ninja

Uppercut: Raidens uppercut is fairly weak. Similar to his aaRH, you must be closer than other characters uppercuts. Use for max 1 hit chip damage, then setup your defense or offense after the push-back.

Jump Punch: The jump punch is good and has good priority on other JPs and JKs. If you are going to meet someone in the air, make sure you get the torpedo afterward.

Jump Kick: Raidens jump kick should be used from a further distance than most JKs, because it is more susceptible to aaHPs. Use the torpedo after a connected jump kick for aprx 33% damage. Raidens JK timing should alternate, giving you enough time to decide if you want to torpedo if it connects. Stalling the torpedo after a high JK can catch your opponent off-
guard very often or cause them to lock up completely after failing previously, allowing you to get in close for his jab pressure.

Close HP: Raidens "standing-uppercut" is fairly fast and can be used as a mix-up. This move will push your opponent backwards (similar to a standing HK, but with more recovery time) which allows you to warp behind them for jab pressure or get a wake-up torpedo. It can be a very important tactic if you land this move while your opponent is in the corner. Allowing for a lot of chip damage or an opening as your opponent scrambles to recover. Wiffing a close HP on a ducking opponent has very fast recovery time and generally opens a player up for a throw or RH.

Close Kick: Raidens close kick is almost worthless. Even if you connect it you may take damage from fast specials, more commonly an uppercut if blocked. Use VERY sparingly, if ever.

Jabs: Raidens jab game is where he excels. His jabs allow him to stay close while charging HP and baiting a Shock grab, which has enormous priority and even trumps uppercuts. If your opponents distance is almost out of reach you can warp behind them to continue the jabs all over again. Players will catch onto this and wait for a chance at an uppercut. When
they do this, either torpedo or sweep and walk in for more jabs. If you get a throw, the opponent will bounce away, you can warp behind them and throw check into more jabs or sweep wake up.

Throw: Raidens throw is great, it allows you to use any of his moves afterward. If you choose to warp, you can either walk in for a throw check or wait for an uppercut and trump it with the shock grab for a lot of damage. His projectile can be used for someone trying to escape and his torpedo can be used as a wake up.

Projectile: Raidens projectile is slow and has a lot of recovery time. It's main use should be as an anti-air attack from opponents trying to escape and then warping as they hit the ground, allowing for jabs or shock grab if they try to uppercut.

Torpedo: Raidens torpedo is a crucial move to his air game. This move gives good damage and can be used as an escape tactic. Rarely use air torpedoes on crouching opponents to avoid being punished. Using his torpedo on a cornered ducking opponent can give you a free hit if they try to uppercut you while you are still floating over them in the corner. Do
not abuse this move because players can simply jump backwards and kick you or take large damage if blocked, especially in the corner. Using the torpedo directly out of a warp gives your opponent very little time to think as well as counter, but isn't recommended against someone who uses their block button well.

Shock Grab: The shock grab is what sets Raiden apart from any other character in MK2 jab game. This move trumps almost any attack in close, most commonly, uppercuts. This move should be charged at all times or before you start your jab game. Once you have your opponent under jab pressure, you can keep them in it and try to bait an uppercut to release
HP. Do not use this move if your opponent is blocking, you will get uppercutted.

If they try to get a ducking LK or two(which is one of the few options for them of escaping), they are most likely going to jump backwards afterward, so throw a lightning bolt, warp and begin jab pressure to bait an opening for this move. Once you have them in the grab, there are many techniques for high damage. At the very least you can get a very consistent RH or HK. Some players prefer to do high damage combos, but they also leave you open unless executed properly.
Slips said:
SCORPION (by Slips):
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Scorpion is one of the best turtle characters in the game, some characters simply cannot touch him, while others must always be careful on how to attack him. If he is losing, he actually has a unique style of rushdown that is very effective as well to get him back in the match. If he did not have problem matches against Kang, Lao and Jax, he would be
much higher in the tier list.

Defense
Scorpion is one of the best punishing in the game, if there is a way to punish a character for doing something, Scorpion has the answer. He has fantastic anti-air moves, roundhouse and air throw. Roundhouse beats everything, including Shang and Baraka's jk's. Air throw can be used as anti-air as well, but its more useful in preventing cross-overs.

Spear shot is prime for punishing all punishable special moves for good damage. Sometimes you can stick in a HP ]
 

Konqrr

MK11 Kabal = MK9 Kitana
ReptileStyle said:
REPTILE (by ReptileStyle):
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Reptile is lowest on the tier list, but in the right hands he can compete with most of the mk2 cast!

1. His rhk is among the best in the game. (along with scorpion/sub-zero) Great in the corner.

2. Hp is pretty good for aa, but takes some tighter skill to connect constantly. Stick to his rhk.

3. Forceball is sloooooow. startup is bad as well as recovery. opponents are able to duck lk in order to disable the projectile. If that happens you can use the slide to catch them. The forceball isnt completely useless thou. Its his bread/butter when invisible (more on this later) and you can often bait someone into jumping into a forceball after jumping away from
them at the right distance. By the time it comes out the opponent lands right on top of the forceball...sometimes connecting with a kick depending on the character. (ninja females come to mind....)

4. His acid spit comes out fast but the damage is poor. It can beat out subzero's freeze and even shangs fireball. the key is being able to buffer his acidspit from ducking position. at the right distance you can even use it for aa. spacing needs to be taken into consideration. also vs 5 star jk kings shang/baracka should not even be attempted. his acidspit comes in
handy thou while invisible.

5.The main focus with Reptile is to TRY TO BE INVISIBLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! I understand that with some characters this is hard to do,( esp vs Lui Kang/Mileena) but always buffer this move whether on the offensive or after getting hit. Being able to buffer from sweep (going under projectives) or after knocking the opponent down is a must.
a. Knowing where your reptile is at all times is very important.
b. You want to try to get in close in order to lockdown and force you opponent to make a fatal mistake. you do this by mainly ABUSING THE SWEEP. when in close to a opponent and going into invisible when they first see the animation they will try to sweep you on reaction. If you mash sweep IMMEDIATELY you will beat out they sweep cause coming from block it takes more time for them to recover and sweep you. Mixup sweeps with roundhouse kicks when in close range.
c. Using the sweep, if they block you have different options. Once again knowing your distance comes into play here. A block sweep sets you up for:
-another sweep
-forceball
-bait game (look for chance to throw in a slide or punish with uppercuts)
-acidspit
The key here is to mix it up as much as possible. if your opponent turtles alot sweeps into acidspit usually will loose an enemy up, especially in the corner. remaining in a ducking position and waiting for your enemy to either jump OVER you (the key again is the sweeps for proper distance) throw projectile or attempt a sweep you can punish with an uppercut or slide respectively. Try to stay right outside you opponents sweep range and make it so they jump over if they attempt a jk. what i do I i always go for acidspit instead of the slide because in that way, if they fake letting up off block to bait a slide, I will just lock them down thus resetting they turtling position. This works if they also attempt to jump away. In order to do this, buffer from ducking. Always reset your position so that they can not hit you which leads me to..

6.BAIT GAME! Just wait for your opponent to attempt a move you can punish. This is extremely hard vs lui kang and hard vs mileena. Mileena not so much because she doesnt have low fireballs. How do you stop a sai spamming mileena? at full screen it is possible. If you are able to go invisble after buffering from sweep under a sai... duck and wait patiently...
Buffer acid spit and wait for her to do the higher sai throw. Timing is crucial but from full screen, you will connect acidspit and by the time the sai reaches you, you will have ducked under it. Be ready to block and punish sub/reptiles slide while invisible. Also bait out mileena/scorps teleport.

Feel free to add additional tactics...
Konqrr said:
CAGE (by Konqrr):
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Cage is a defensive character ranked around #9 out of 12. He is best played from just outside sweep distance. You want to duck a whole lot so you can throw Shadow Kick's out of nowhere. Duck, step back, duck, step forward, duck, waiting for an opportunity while throwing sweeps here and there. Always baiting.

Sweeps are average, same framecount and recovery as Male Ninjas. Once you land one, close the distance and play Cage's excellent jab game mixed with more sweeps and Close HP's.

Low Kick is pretty short, if you can get one then you're better off doing a Shadow Kick.

High Kick has good range and can snuff out most jumping attacks provided you are at the correct distance, but you should be playing from a ducking position and his uppercut is WAY superior.

Roundhouse is terrible, don't use it.

Uppercut is very good, it hits really high like Liu's and can hit Mileena out of her Telekick if scouted.

Jump Punch is only good for corner combos to keep your opponent airborne longer for more punishment, aside from that don't use them.

Jump Kick is very good. Male Ninjas and Baraka can Roundhouse you with ease though so watchout. Use it slightly outside of jump range so your feet are what hits and not your whole sprite. But make sure that you block the possible incoming sweep and counter with your own or simply walk back and play your waiting game.

Close HP. Cage does a midrange strike that recovers very fast and should be abused if you are close. Mix this up with jabs if they are actively blocking, but if you suspect they are going to escape, sweep them and walk up to repeat the pressure.

Close Kick. Cage kicks his leg straight up which, if it hits, pops his opponent up for a juggle. Midscreen, you can combo a Shadow Kick, but the corner, you can get a whole lot more. It is a VERY risky move to do because if it's blocked you can be hit with virtually anything your opponent wants.

Jabs. Cage's LP's are decent, they hit all characters who are in a ducking block except for Shang and himself. His HP's are used in the same manner as Lao and Baraka by starting with LP then doing a few HP's.

Throw. Cage grabs his opponent and throws them down behind him causing them to bounce away. You want to walk with them as they bounce and sweep them for extra chip damage.

Shadow Kick. A very fast move that hits high and is relatively safe on block. The only specials that can hit you after it is blocked, to my knowledge, are Scorpion's Spear and Mileena's Roll. Only use this as a surprise move, preferrably from a ducking position. This is Cage's best punisher.

Shadow Uppercut. Unless you KNOW that your opponent is going to jump at you, do not use this move. If you try to use it on reaction, you will get hit more often than not. It has a very short range and is pretty much useless.

Projectile. Cage has two fireballs, a low arching one and a high arching one. You should be mixing these up from close to full screen distance. This tactic really annoys opponents because if you are good at anticipating when they will try to jump, you can do this all match. Using fireballs are a good way to bait your opponent into doing special moves to get close to you to make you stop and you can capitalize greatly on this. A couple things to watch for, Sub-Zero ducks under your fireballs at midrange when he throws his Iceball...NEVER use them against Scorpion unless he has just teleported.

Low Blow. Sort of a novelty move, Cage does the splits and punches male opponents in the groin. You don't get any guaranteed hits after this connects, but you get the opportunity for some good chip damage. Lay in on the jabs and Close HP's after this connects.
John2kx said:
SUB-ZERO (by John2kx):
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Sub-Zero is a fun character to use, and while he has a difficult time against quicker or more powerful characters (especially Liu Kang), he can intimidate via mind-games, which should be your general strategy. Aside from his excellent aaRHK, his defensive game is weaker than his offense. The important thing is to keep your opponent guessing.

His basic moves are the same as the other ninjas', so you can copy/paste that here from another ninja's strategy guide..

Generally, you'll want to trick your opponent into thinking you'll do a ground freeze when you want to do a normal freeze, and vice-versa. The mind-game frustration should eventually cause your opponent to jump at you or use some other punishable special. Of course, even though this is likely, one should never count on it. Always assume your opponent has
unlimited patience.

If your opponent is ever frozen in a standing position, don't just walk in and uppercut. You should always jump in with a deep JK -> ground freeze -> and THEN uppercut. You need to be fast, though, or your opponent will jump out of it, or if Liu, hit you with a flying kick to the head.

After an uppercut, walk forward a couple of steps, pause as if you're going to ground-freeze, and then execute a regular freeze. I've found that 85% of the time, if your opponent hasnt' already caught on, he will jump back, and your freeze should catch him just before he lands.

The best time to fake a ground-freeze is obviously in close range. You can use the fact that the opponent will be trying to jump away to your advantage. For example, after a deep cross-over JK, execute a sweep and then a regular freeze. If your opponent was expecting a ground-freeze after the cross over JK, he should be caught by the sweep. At that point,
he'll expect the ground freeze to come after the sweep, so he will still be trying to jump away. Your normal freeze will then hit him as he is getting up from the sweep. Another good opportunity for a cross-over JK -> ground freeze -> uppercut.

The slide should catch most people off guard, unless you spam it frequently and they're expecting it. Hence, it should be used very sparingly. Use it under high projectiles, but be aware that if you use it too late, you'll get hit by the projectile during the beginning frames of the slide. Using it out of the blue is risky, so I wouldn't recommend it. If you happen to connect, it will likely annoy your opponent into jumping forward, at which point you can counter in a number of ways (aaRHK, suJK or suJP, etc).

Sub-Zero will always win in a projectile fight (except against liu), and this is one of the reasons he is strong against Baraka (his projectile goes over Sub's head during the freeze animation) and Cage (his projectile's arc goes over Sub's head at mid-screen). If your opponent has an air-projectile attack, execute a freeze every time they jump away. Some people can't help but throw out a projectile every time they're in the air, and that should cause them to land on the freeze projectile. Even if Sub gets hit by the projectile, your opponent
will stay frozen long enough to land an uppercut or corner combo. The damage from that is hard for any projectile to beat.

Overall, a very powerful character in skilled hands, but struggles against quick characters.
 

dubson

Noob
Konqrr, great guides, but on Johnny Cage specifically, I don't think you elaborated enough on his nutt punch.

It has some really good set ups, just as Raiden's shock grabs does.

Jab pressure to nutt punch, to jab pressure, they try and toe you, bam, nutt punch again. It works quite well since his jabs are so good.

Also decent as a crossover when mixed up with his good priority jump kicks. Scare them out of trying to uppercut every time.

DanCock also barely touched on Kung's spin. It can be a huge part of his game, especially in the corner and in jab pressure.

I think more of the guides should be as in-depth as dvd's. His guide is excellent. Not that the others aren't, but his had many in-fight scenarios.
 

Kensidj

10 ft Tall Roadblock
Yeah man. Lao's spin is super-deadly if the potential is maximized. There's some pretty fun ways to bust it out on people that they don't expect and usually walk/jump right into it.

-standing flurry of high punches into a spin(if your opponent is next to you they will most likely try to sweep, let off block, uppercut or jump over your head to cross you up. either way...they lose.)

-standing HK into spin(same scenario. opponent sees that as an opportunity to counter-attack and they walk right into the spin)

-sweep or dive whiff kick into spin(same scenario)

The best case scenario is when they try to jump over your head to cross you up. This sends them very high into the air giving you max potential for a huge combo. I know if anyone does this to me, they are getting juggled across the screen at least 2 or 3 times and finished off with a standing HK or aaHp hat throw. When I say juggled, I mean JP, Whiff kick, JP, Whiff kick, JP, Whiff kick. If you get them in the corner you can do JP, Whiff kick to another spin.

These spin trap techniques are the sole reason I absolutely love using Kung Lao.
 

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
I've tried a lot of the strategy for Raiden and it works like a charm. Thanks :)
 
Reptile by AriaDelano

Lowest tiered character among the mk2 selection. Although his main arsenal consists of a slow moving force ball, a weak but effective acid spit, his invisibility makes him a competitive player among the strongest tiered.

Basic moves:
His rh is his most notable basic, probably considered the strongest in the game along side the other ninjas.
His jab game is among the weakest, so going toe to toe with anyone other than a ninja is not suggested. His aahp is considered to be mid-level, trying to take out shang or baraka would not be highly recommended.

Special moves:
Slide-His slide is a useful tool when trying to “buffer out” an opponent. Because it does not inflict a lot of damage, the move should be used wisely because it can be countered easily with an uc if anticipated. Use against a high-skilled player should be discretionary.

Force ball-With the lack of speed on departure, this move can be easily countered. A good time for use is either when you’re invincible or a mix up of a quick acid spit to suppress your opponent. If you effectively land the force ball there are a number of combos that can be used: 1) aahp 3 times to a jk 2) aahp, jk, slide in 1 motion. Another “pretty” combo would be a crouching lp to uc. It most head to head situations, a force ball vs. other characters projectiles you will likely always end up losing.

Acid spit-A weak but fast projectile can be used effectively to cancel special moves (raiden’s torpedo, kang’s bk, etc.). Can also be used as a buffer move to help mask rep’s strongest special move, his invincibility.

Invisibility-Probably one of the underrated moves in the game, as well as being a move that could be debated for his place on the tier chart. The most obvious strength for him in the game, the key is to stay invisible as much as possible and change strategies as often as possible. With lower tiered characters he often doesn’t have a problem staying invisible with multiple projectiles, but higher tiered can prove quit a challenge. His invincibility was probably invented to be an offensive strategy, but can be used as a counter defensive strategy as well. For opponents with forceful projectiles, getting in close and sweeping to get invisible is a better route. There are 2 different players styles to play against while invisible, aggressive and defensive.

Aggressive-Best to keep projectiles at a minimum and stick with the basics. Most aggressive players will jump in right away, leaving a good opportunity for a crouched hk to slide. Another option as well is to keep an aggressive player in check by a sweep, and mix up the opposite side by an “invisible throw” or another sweep to constant jab pressure to a rh. An aggressive player is more likely to get punished by reptile than a non-aggressive.

Defensive-The acid spit and force ball become a bigger factor in combating a defensive player. Most players will go to a crouched lk, making them vunerable to a slide. A force ball is another option to open an offensive strike. Once opened with a slide is a great time to take advantage and get inside. Again sweeps are very effective in keeping an opponent in check, leaving them guessing what your next move will be.
The key to reptile’s invisibility is knowing the type of opponent you have, and adjusting to that style to be effective.

Match-ups

Liu-kang-Probably the hardest player to fight against because of high/low projectiles, fk and bk. Best way to effectively fight kang is to try to get in a close as possible and sweep to invisibility. Constant pressure is key in fighting kang because of his chip damage with fbs.

Mileena-Another top tier character with a lot of options, the goal is to stay low and stay on the ground as much as possible. Rep is highly susceptible to her combos, aahp , roll to sais (and forget about the corner). Crouched hk’s and aahp are mid-level. Turning invisible and staying low can bait an aggressive mileena to teleport kick or roll, so block, rh, turn invincible, and repeat.

Jax-Best way to beat jax is to turn invisible and try to get as close as possible taking away his mpg and shock waves. Constant pressure is a must, crouched hk and aahp are normally easily connected. Quick acid spits are a good distraction for mix-ups. Sweeping distance while invisible is your safest bet, staying away from gotcha grabs and the quadraslam.

Sub-zero-Sub has a lot of tools that keep rep in check, the ice throw and slide alone can make it hard to turn invisible. Going to the basics is probably the best way FTW.

Lao-Hat throws and a crouched lk make it hard for rep at a distance. A good tactic against lao is to use his aggressive offense against him…dive kicks and teleports while invisible can be buffered, force balls and spits are suggested while invisible. The key is to get in close on lao and force pressure to commit errors.

Raiden-Teleports and torpedo can seem overwhelming at first, but the acid spit and invisibility play a key role in beating him. Random acid spits will cancel a torpedo and normally give you enough time to disappear and stay low. If he tries to teleport, a crouched lp to slide will do the trick. A crouched hk and aahp are easily connected. Big key to playing raiden is staying low and using his aggressive tactics against him.

Scorpion-Best way to play scorp is to buffer his spear, acid spits becoming a notable tactic. A fast scorp will try to send a 2nd spear or teleport right away, so trying to turn invincible after a spit is discretionary. A crouching hk and aahp can be easily connected. The biggest obstacle in fighting scorp is his teleport, staying low is your safest bet.

Kitana-Biggest threat here is the fan lift and quick rush downs. If you are playing her aggressively while invisible, watch for her close fighting skills. Toe to toe, rep will lose against quick sweeps and jab pressure. A crouched lk and aahp against her are mid-level. Throwing force balls and acid spits to trap her will lead to bigger damage (so keeping distance is suggested).

Shang-Because of shang’s inside jab pressure, sweeps, and jk’s, staying a further distance will give you a better edge. A crouched lk and aahp is not recommended (ever). If timed right, you can slide under shangs’s fbs, and use sweeps to mix him up.

Cage-An easier character to turn invisible on, key with him is to watch for shadow kicks and projectiles. Because of his leg reach, a crouched hk is not recommended, and aahp as well. Staying within sweep distance and baiting the force ball while invisible is a good choice with cage.

Baraka-Not much here other than barakas long kick, if your going to turn invisible than make sure you keep your distance.
 
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