Counter picking in tournament play

[Sasuga]

I don't counter pick. I just go with my main, should she get messed up, I'm calling for backup. There's only two characters I'm decent with anyway.

 

[Tim Static]

Counter picking is a strategy to win. Completely within the rules. People need to get over it.

PS- Vulcan Hades new sig is LOLtastic!

 

[B W1zZ]

My strategy is to rock out with my cock out with Raiden all day. In my opinion highly concentrating your focus on your bad or problematic matchups can be just as effective. Then again I play a character with no real "bad" matchups.

You will never be complete with your main unless you put extra effort into your hardest matchups. In my opinion there's a fine line between excusing a loss as a bad matchup, and saying to yourself "What could i have done differently against this character?" Just because it's a bad matchup on paper doesn't necessarily mean it's impossible.

 

[MKB]

I used to be vehemently against counterpicking back in the days of UMK. I made claims of being "dishonorable" and "cheap" because you couldn't win straight up. I now realize that in tournament play, especially when money is on the line, that's a load of horseshit. If you aren't using every tactic in the book to (legally) win your matches, then you aren't trying to win. Online, or casual play, is totally different. Feel free to random select, mirror match, institute counterpick rules, whatever.

 

[AK L0rdoftheFLY]

Perfect example of this is me beating ATL redds smoke in the last two tournaments. In the last BnB in losers finals he knew it would beat his smoke and went straight to kang. He beat my nw so I countered with kabal and won. Then he countered my counter with smoke and it went even but he ended up winning.

He counter picked me from the first game therefore he won. If I had countered his kang with kabal fom the beginning I probably would have won. It's the name of the game. But that's why you don't want to play your buddies in majors early on. That is why PRE REGISTERING FOR FINAL ROUND IS SO IMPORTANT.

 

[Vagrant]

This fuckin guy on XBL. (I Got 99 Problem) Selects Kano, I put my cursor on Scorpion..

KITANA!!

.....Oh no thats cool man I'd much rather duck fans all day and chase you around the arena so that by the time I finally put your ass in a vortex you can break the combo and we can do it all over again..... =)

lol

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

im 100% loyal to my character

 

[Vagrant]

Following up my last post... I'm not genuinely upset, I know I need to learn the matchup.... But If I never have to duck another fan in my life I'd be content

 

[Dizzy]

Raiden has bad matchups?

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Raiden has bad matchups?

yes according to my MU chart

 

[STRYKIE]

It annoys me more so when noobs do it online.

SCORP--
SONYA!!!
SCORPI--
KITANA!!

Tourny play and high level play I can understand and respect a bit more...

I need to pick up a second for UFGT in may to avoid being completely one dimensional but I take alot of pride in sticking to my main.... Call me stubborn I guess

Word, but I ran into a major one online..

SUB-ZE...
RAIDEN!
REPTI..
MILEENA!
KUNG L..
KITANA!
NOOB SA..
SMOKE!
JOHNNY CA..
KABAL!

Even then, he wouldn't even move his cursor until I fucking highlighted Sheeva.

Edit: and ironically, I don't even use Cage, LOL

 

[Vagrant]

Raiden has bad matchups?

...duh..... Darrius owns his ass....

 

[Tim Static]

im 100% loyal to my character

And thats fine. But either way, its ok.

Also, people also need to remember Tier Lists and MU's are based on players with equal skill. If you use Sheeva and destroy Smoke, that just means you are that much better and MU's/Tiers dont matter. I really think most people dont even understand or realize that.

 

[STRYKIE]

I used to wonder why people online would scroll through the entire roster before going back to Scorpion, but after seeing this phenomenon happen in real life I realize it's because they didn't know where Scorpion was. He's the character you started on, champ.

Scorpion's been default for player 1 for the last 4 games..

 

[Vagrant]

. I really think most people dont even understand or realize that.

Thats a pretty scary thought......

 

[Altaire]

I agree.

Counter-picking does not work anyway unless the match up is 7:3 or worse. Generally speaking, you are not beating a "character specialist" with your secondary or tertiary character at a very high level of play in a high stake tournament.

This is somewhat true, but I don't think it's always a case of the matchup, either. Sometimes, it's just a matter of comfortability.

I main Cyber Sub, sub Sektor and Noob. Sektor, on paper, is 6-4 with Kitana, while Noob is 5-5 with her (if not worse). For whatever reason, I have an easier time in that matchup with Noob, and always have. I'm basing this on multiple Kitana players, offline and on. Does it mean Noob has an easier time with Kitana than Sektor does? No, it means that I'm more comfortable using Noob in that matchup than I am with Sektor. I've put a great deal of time into both characters, but the bottom line is that the way I play Sektor just doesn't click for me in that instance.

I think matchup charts do matter, but at the end of the day, you need to base your counterpick decisions on what works for you.