Ending combos with Close Upskull (when opponent is blocking)

[iwantfood]

Ending combos with Close Ground skull (when opponent is blocking)

When ending combos such as 221 or f434 with a close ground skull, it gives slight advantage allowing you to hit them with another quick f434 or fast string of your choice.

Using a jump-in punch with this strategy has been the meat and potatoes of my Shang's offense.

The opponent can jump over you after the ground skull however. If your opponent chooses to do this, you can neutral jump 1, to ground bounce him for yet another combo. Also, the opponent has the ability to down jab you after the up skull. To be this out you can down jab him first since you have advantage, or you can cross him up with a jump in punch.

Anybody else on to this effective Shang-trap offense?

 

[mPariah]

Yeah I love doing this. you can actually cut short the F434 one and do a F34, up skull, and the spacing will keep you right next to them allowing you to repeat, do a F+3 up skull, 221up skull, or b+121 up skull. so long as they don't jump you can usually maintain pressure.

 

[iwantfood]

Using f43, ground skull instead of finishing the string

Hmmm good finds. Speaking of cutting f434 short. I need some input on this new finding.

Whenever I use f434 (this isn't including when I use this string as a punisher), I see if my opponent is being hit or if he is blocking. When he gets hit I use far ground skull for the combo. If he continues to block, I will use close up skull to gain advantage.

However, I have been in sparring using f43 straight into close ground skull. Is this more beneficial, as in MK9 it is very hard/strict to hit confirm. The reasoning, is that sometimes when my opponent is blocking the f434 string, he will block the first f43 but will get hit with the 4 ender. This will cause me to be too late when entering the far ground skull...

By using only f43 xx close up skull (when opponent is in block stun), it guarantees that the opponent will remain close to you and whether he is blocking, or gets hit, the close ground skull will always hit.

Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Any good Shang players have input on this situation?? Should I use this new strat, or should I just be having quicker execution. It just seems so impossible to hit confirm in this game