SparkyTheGreat
Noob
This is obviously my first post here, so please bare with me.
I wrote this thing for a friend, and as this site doesn't have one posted up, I thought I'd throw it here. I see there's already a pinned topic, but it's locked and empty, so I figure it won't hurt any. If for whatever reason I should not have posted it or any part of it, and I'll gladly modify/remove/delete anything and everything (even if it's the entire guide).
With all that said, for the most part it's all my findings, with the exception of a few combos I've seen other players use and slightly adjusting them as well as the bio, which was grabbed from the Prima Guide. If anything is incorrect feel free to correct, as stated, this was written for a friend, and by no means is it meant to be a definitive play style for the character.
Bio
"An assassin of the Lin Kuei clan, Kuai Liang
commands the power of ice and cold. Unlike
other members of his clan, he and his older
brother, Bi-Han, were abducted as children by
the Lin Kuei and trained in the techniques of
assassination throughout their lives. Though his
codename is Tundra, he has now assumed the
mantle of Sub-Zero to honor his brother after
Bi-Han’s mysterious death. With the help of his
fellow Lin Kuei Smoke, Sub-Zero tirelessly hunts
the one who killed his brother."
General Strategies
First thing's first, you have to realize that unlike Sub-Zero, Cyber Sub-Zero is a rushdown character. Granted that he has various zoning and defending moves, overall most of your damage will come from an outright attack. The best possible position for Cyber Sub-Zero is to have the opponent pinned up against the corner, only guessing what's coming. From there the combos and mixups really come into play. The 3,4 is a great started as the second hit is an overhead attack, exposing the opponent to some hefty damage. 3,3,2 hits low, so if you're spamming 3,4 and eventually are figured out, there's always that to rely on. Of course, grabs are always great for an unexpected 12% damage. 2,1 is a good combo starter as well, and it's fairly safe on block as well. Most of the time trading off projectiles comes in Cyber Sub-Zero's favor, as you can teleport on your wakeup and still have enough time to pull off an entire combo. It's worth mentioning that Raiden is by far the worst matchup for Cyber Sub-Zero, having an answer for nearly everything Cyber Sub-Zero has, even the weaker Raidens make it a one-sided match. On the other hand, Noob Saibot and Scorpion have a much harder time, especially with a good mixup and use of Ice Parry (for Scorpion's teleport) or dive kicks (for Noob's projectiles).
Ice Bomb Setups
Honestly, I've yet to figure out great setups, due to the amount of time it takes for them to explode, as well how long it actually takes to come out and recover from, they're not used too often. A great way to bait the opponent once or twice is to throw the mid-range one (FF3) on the opponent's wakeup from things such as a throw or a slide. Most of the time the opponent just forward, which meets a divekick to the face, landing on the freeze bomb, followed by a slide. While simple, the damage output is pretty high. For some quick damage, while having some distance it's also feasible to use the Enhanced Ice Bomb (Cryo Bomb) to force a jump, which can be countered by an Ice Parry, and uppercut, or even a slide. Granted it won't do a lot of damage, but has certainly come in handy in close games, especially since it's almost never expected.
What Not to Do
Throwing random Ice Balls or Ice Bombs will only hurt you, as they are way too slow and can be punished heavily. Use them from a safe distance against characters that can't teleport, or you'll be in trouble. While the slide is a great wakeup move and it does hit low, consistently using it every time you get knocked down is a big no-no, you never want to be predictable. Don't expect the teleport to go through attacks, it's a slow move, in which you are vulnerable. Doing it every once in a while is fine, but don't push your luck. If possible, don't turtle, as Cyber Sub-Zero is not made for that and characters like Johnny Cage will do far too much damage way too quickly if you plan on turtling the entire match. Do not use the same tactics for every character you face, they are all different, and just because you can get away with a move on one doesn't mean that'll be the case with others (the dive kick is a great example. Most of the time it's pretty safe against most characters, but Cyber Sub-Zero can Ice Parry on reaction).
Easy Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,grab. While not the most sophisticated of attacks, it's easy to do and fairly effective.
2,1,1+2,slide. Doesn't require the timing to be great, with a decent damage output.
1,1,Ice Ball,FF,away+3,2,1. Again, not too complicated, and allows for a bit of a break for thought since the opponent'll stay frozen for a decent amount of time.
Intermediate Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,FF,uppercut. Might take a bit to get used to the button presses, but dealing damage in the 20s is well worth it.
2,1,1+2,FF,forward+1,Ice Beam,slide. Same concept of getting a few hits in, freezing, launching, juggling.
Expert Combos
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,forward+2,2,Cyber-Slide. A continuation from an intermediate combo, adding on a few more hits for good measure.
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,3,4,slide. A bit difficult to connect the kick after the dashing in because of the Ice Bomb flying out by mistake, much easier to do on an arcade stick than on a regular controller, in my opinion.
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,FF,2,1,1+2,Cyber-Slide. The timing for the second dash is pretty strict, and should not be a complete dash, otherwise the first hit after the launch won't connect.
Easy Corner Combos
3,4,slide. Because it's an overhead, it's very effective and can be followed up wonderfully with a slide.
3,3,2,slide. The second hit is low, so it's great for mixups, especially since the previous combo starts with the same attack.
2,1,1+2,uppercut. Easy and doesn't require to dash in as done mid screen, the drawback is it's not block safe.
Intermediate Corner Combos
3,4,3,4,3,4. Easy to do, but a bit challenging to time. With decent damage output as well as it being an overhead, it's great to know and use.
3,3,2,Ice Beam,3,4,slide. Hits low, which is often unexpected, the Ice Beam does waste a meter, but for the damage that follows for is great for the button input's simplicity.
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,1,1,slide. The trick is landing the 1,1 after the launch, worth while to learn to do.
Expert Corner Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,backward jump kick,3,4,3,4,3,3,slide. Most have already seen a variation of this,
Finishers
#1: Kold Fusion (jumping distance) down, away, down, forward, 2
#2: Brain Freeze (jumping distance) down, down, away, down, 1
Stage Fatality (close/touching) down, down, up, block
Babality (jumping distance) down, away, forward, block
Things to Note
-The X-Ray has to be done in air, unlike any other X-Ray, and it is not an overhead attack though it does have armor, allowing it to go through uppercuts and other attacks.
-The Enhanced Ice Parry (Frozen Parry) works exactly the same as Ice Parry, but instead of doing a count-attack, it leaves the opponent frozen. From there you can either jump in with a punch and start a full combo, or go in with the 2,1,1+2 and go from there.
-The Enhanced dive kick (Powerpick) is an overhead attack.
-Ending combos with a slide is generally a good idea, as it gives you control of your character before the opponent has the time to even get up, which let's you bring the pressure sooner.
Important links
Cyber Sub-Zero Q&A
Combos and Juggling
Cyber Sub-Zero videos
Things to add
-Format to Tom Brady style
-Finish corner bomos
-X-Ray combos
-Complete moveset
-Character-specific strategies
-Tag variations and team mates
I wrote this thing for a friend, and as this site doesn't have one posted up, I thought I'd throw it here. I see there's already a pinned topic, but it's locked and empty, so I figure it won't hurt any. If for whatever reason I should not have posted it or any part of it, and I'll gladly modify/remove/delete anything and everything (even if it's the entire guide).
With all that said, for the most part it's all my findings, with the exception of a few combos I've seen other players use and slightly adjusting them as well as the bio, which was grabbed from the Prima Guide. If anything is incorrect feel free to correct, as stated, this was written for a friend, and by no means is it meant to be a definitive play style for the character.
Bio
"An assassin of the Lin Kuei clan, Kuai Liang
commands the power of ice and cold. Unlike
other members of his clan, he and his older
brother, Bi-Han, were abducted as children by
the Lin Kuei and trained in the techniques of
assassination throughout their lives. Though his
codename is Tundra, he has now assumed the
mantle of Sub-Zero to honor his brother after
Bi-Han’s mysterious death. With the help of his
fellow Lin Kuei Smoke, Sub-Zero tirelessly hunts
the one who killed his brother."
General Strategies
First thing's first, you have to realize that unlike Sub-Zero, Cyber Sub-Zero is a rushdown character. Granted that he has various zoning and defending moves, overall most of your damage will come from an outright attack. The best possible position for Cyber Sub-Zero is to have the opponent pinned up against the corner, only guessing what's coming. From there the combos and mixups really come into play. The 3,4 is a great started as the second hit is an overhead attack, exposing the opponent to some hefty damage. 3,3,2 hits low, so if you're spamming 3,4 and eventually are figured out, there's always that to rely on. Of course, grabs are always great for an unexpected 12% damage. 2,1 is a good combo starter as well, and it's fairly safe on block as well. Most of the time trading off projectiles comes in Cyber Sub-Zero's favor, as you can teleport on your wakeup and still have enough time to pull off an entire combo. It's worth mentioning that Raiden is by far the worst matchup for Cyber Sub-Zero, having an answer for nearly everything Cyber Sub-Zero has, even the weaker Raidens make it a one-sided match. On the other hand, Noob Saibot and Scorpion have a much harder time, especially with a good mixup and use of Ice Parry (for Scorpion's teleport) or dive kicks (for Noob's projectiles).
Ice Bomb Setups
Honestly, I've yet to figure out great setups, due to the amount of time it takes for them to explode, as well how long it actually takes to come out and recover from, they're not used too often. A great way to bait the opponent once or twice is to throw the mid-range one (FF3) on the opponent's wakeup from things such as a throw or a slide. Most of the time the opponent just forward, which meets a divekick to the face, landing on the freeze bomb, followed by a slide. While simple, the damage output is pretty high. For some quick damage, while having some distance it's also feasible to use the Enhanced Ice Bomb (Cryo Bomb) to force a jump, which can be countered by an Ice Parry, and uppercut, or even a slide. Granted it won't do a lot of damage, but has certainly come in handy in close games, especially since it's almost never expected.
What Not to Do
Throwing random Ice Balls or Ice Bombs will only hurt you, as they are way too slow and can be punished heavily. Use them from a safe distance against characters that can't teleport, or you'll be in trouble. While the slide is a great wakeup move and it does hit low, consistently using it every time you get knocked down is a big no-no, you never want to be predictable. Don't expect the teleport to go through attacks, it's a slow move, in which you are vulnerable. Doing it every once in a while is fine, but don't push your luck. If possible, don't turtle, as Cyber Sub-Zero is not made for that and characters like Johnny Cage will do far too much damage way too quickly if you plan on turtling the entire match. Do not use the same tactics for every character you face, they are all different, and just because you can get away with a move on one doesn't mean that'll be the case with others (the dive kick is a great example. Most of the time it's pretty safe against most characters, but Cyber Sub-Zero can Ice Parry on reaction).
Easy Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,grab. While not the most sophisticated of attacks, it's easy to do and fairly effective.
2,1,1+2,slide. Doesn't require the timing to be great, with a decent damage output.
1,1,Ice Ball,FF,away+3,2,1. Again, not too complicated, and allows for a bit of a break for thought since the opponent'll stay frozen for a decent amount of time.
Intermediate Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,FF,uppercut. Might take a bit to get used to the button presses, but dealing damage in the 20s is well worth it.
2,1,1+2,FF,forward+1,Ice Beam,slide. Same concept of getting a few hits in, freezing, launching, juggling.
Expert Combos
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,forward+2,2,Cyber-Slide. A continuation from an intermediate combo, adding on a few more hits for good measure.
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,3,4,slide. A bit difficult to connect the kick after the dashing in because of the Ice Bomb flying out by mistake, much easier to do on an arcade stick than on a regular controller, in my opinion.
Jump-in punch,2,1,Ice Ball,jump-in punch,2,1,1+2,FF,FF,2,1,1+2,Cyber-Slide. The timing for the second dash is pretty strict, and should not be a complete dash, otherwise the first hit after the launch won't connect.
Easy Corner Combos
3,4,slide. Because it's an overhead, it's very effective and can be followed up wonderfully with a slide.
3,3,2,slide. The second hit is low, so it's great for mixups, especially since the previous combo starts with the same attack.
2,1,1+2,uppercut. Easy and doesn't require to dash in as done mid screen, the drawback is it's not block safe.
Intermediate Corner Combos
3,4,3,4,3,4. Easy to do, but a bit challenging to time. With decent damage output as well as it being an overhead, it's great to know and use.
3,3,2,Ice Beam,3,4,slide. Hits low, which is often unexpected, the Ice Beam does waste a meter, but for the damage that follows for is great for the button input's simplicity.
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,1,1,slide. The trick is landing the 1,1 after the launch, worth while to learn to do.
Expert Corner Combos
2,1,Ice Ball,2,1,1+2,backward jump kick,3,4,3,4,3,3,slide. Most have already seen a variation of this,
Finishers
#1: Kold Fusion (jumping distance) down, away, down, forward, 2
#2: Brain Freeze (jumping distance) down, down, away, down, 1
Stage Fatality (close/touching) down, down, up, block
Babality (jumping distance) down, away, forward, block
Things to Note
-The X-Ray has to be done in air, unlike any other X-Ray, and it is not an overhead attack though it does have armor, allowing it to go through uppercuts and other attacks.
-The Enhanced Ice Parry (Frozen Parry) works exactly the same as Ice Parry, but instead of doing a count-attack, it leaves the opponent frozen. From there you can either jump in with a punch and start a full combo, or go in with the 2,1,1+2 and go from there.
-The Enhanced dive kick (Powerpick) is an overhead attack.
-Ending combos with a slide is generally a good idea, as it gives you control of your character before the opponent has the time to even get up, which let's you bring the pressure sooner.
Important links
Cyber Sub-Zero Q&A
Combos and Juggling
Cyber Sub-Zero videos
Things to add
-Format to Tom Brady style
-Finish corner bomos
-X-Ray combos
-Complete moveset
-Character-specific strategies
-Tag variations and team mates
