Strategy Ermac Key Strategy: Mix-ups

[Metzos]

Ok, so I need to figure out on which characters 2 whiffs on?

Yeah. There was a thread regarding that, i think it was UFG's.

 

[Zoidberg747]

yeah... all low hitbox it whiffs. I'm sure there are others.

on those characters... I tend to use more 121. these guys are much better than I with ermac though. I'm still learning to HC and find mixups. He is a big bait an punish type dude.

Yeah im basically starting fresh with him. I can do double jik tele combos pretty easily, but other than that I have to start from scratch

 

[Metzos]

Zoidberg747, when you start your offensive with Ermac you must first understand that you are a baiter. A punisher. Which means this: to prepare your offensive with 31's and 312's you must first apply down pokes to your opponents. Capitalize their mistakes and make them stand guard. Now, someone will tell me, "but Ermac's pokes are -f on standing opponents and blah blah blah blah blah". So ? As i said, Ermac is a baiter. Let me give you an example. You are at sweep range and you do dash cancel to d4 or d3 and opponent blocks d3 for example. He cant punish it at max range. Very few can, if any. For example JC cannot punish a blocked maxed range d3 with F3,cause F3 whiffs. That is the reason Ermac's down pokes are -f on standing opponents, on hit. Cause they have a hell of a range. Not many people realize that. Also, 31 on block is at 0f which is excellent against the majority of the characters who dont have fast normals up close. A good mixup is 31 on block and then IMMEDIATELY throw, which if done correctly it cant be seen. This even works against rush down characters as well. Another thing. Make them RESPECT your throw and its range. Again an example. Sweep range dash cancel and throw. You will catch them by surprise and they are at full screen again. Another example: U4. Slow overhead, yeah, but it provides push back on block and its safe. Same with his F4. Fast advancing low with stagger which provides a guaranteed throw afterwards, or you can just finish the string for 15% dmg and knock back. Yeah i know U4 is really slow, but its a low crush moves which means its active frames destroy low pokes at sweep range from the time the normal is done. You must make them respect your down pokes and U4 when in sweep range, and they will start blocking high. Once this is done, you can start your offensive with 31 which JAILS if the opponent blocks 3 while standing. As STB CharlieMurphy said correctly 121 is also a very good string. Really fast (1 has a 10f start up), safe on block, provides push back and 12 is a combo starter which leads to a 38% dmg combo meterless. Ermac's pressure is not as good as Sonya's pressure, for example, but it certainly does not suck as many tend to believe. This is ignorance. Hope i helped.

Post edited.

 

[Zoidberg747]

Zoidberg747, when you start your offensive with Ermac you must first understand that you are a baiter. A punisher. Which means this: to prepare your offensive with 31's and 312's you must first apply down pokes to your opponents. Capitalize their mistakes and make them stand guard. Now, someone will tell me, "but Ermac's pokes are -f on standing opponents and blah blah blah blah blah". So ? As i said, Ermac is a baiter. Let me give you an example. You are at sweep range and you do dash cancel to d4 or d3 and opponent blocks d3 for example. He cant punish it at max range. Very few can, if any. For example JC cannot punish a blocked maxed range d3 with F3,cause F3 whiffs. That is the reason Ermac's down pokes are -f on standing opponents, on hit. Cause they have a hell of a range. Not many people realize that. Also, 31 on block is at 0f which is excellent against the majority of the characters who dont have fast normals up close. A good mixup is 31 on block and then IMMEDIATELY throw, which if done correctly it cant be seen. This even works against rush down characters as well. Another thing. Make them RESPECT your throw and its range. Again an example. Sweep range dash cancel and throw. You will catch them by surprise and they are at full screen again. Another example: U4. Slow overhead, yeah, but it provides push back on block and its safe. Same with his F4. Fast advancing low with stagger which provides a guaranteed throw afterwards, or you can just finish the string for 15% dmg and knock back. Yeah i know U4 is really slow, but its a low crush moves which means its active frames destroy low pokes at sweep range from the time the normal is done. You must make them respect your down pokes and U4 when in sweep range, and they will start blocking high. Once this is done, you can start your offensive with 31 which JAILS if the opponent blocks 3 while standing. As STB CharlieMurphy said correctly 121 is also a very good string. Really fast (1 has a 10f start up), safe on block, provides push back and 12 is a combo starter which leads to a 38% dmg combo meterless. Ermac's pressure is not as good as Sonya's pressure, for example, but it certainly does not suck as many tend to believe. This is ignorance. Hope i helped.

Post edited.

This helps a freakin ton. Youre da man

 

[Zoidberg747]

Metzos what are the best uses for iAB and when are you supposed to use it?

 

[Metzos]

Metzos what are the best uses for iAB and when are you supposed to use it?

Well, the best uses of iAB are to keep out your opponent, either iAB is a hit or a block. You dont care about that. On block its completely safe and on hit you get a free jump in or a F2 to get additional +f's. As for your second question, just outside of sweep range. Closer than that you have your down pokes, 121, and 312. Btw 312 is a veeery tricky string in terms of hitbox and active frames. I ll let you guys know more once i have tested some stuff.

 

[Gh0sty]

Metzos what are the best uses for iAB and when are you supposed to use it?

I'm sure Metzos has different applications, but I use it to retreat safely against an opponent who is pursuing or to bait a AA attempt into push at a safe distance.

Also to build meter/troll at full screen. Mostly to troll.

Sent from my jailbroken iPhone using a pirated copy of Tapatalk

 

[Metzos]

I'm sure Metzos has different applications, but I use it to retreat safely against an opponent who is pursuing or to bait a AA attempt into push at a safe distance.

Also to build meter/troll at full screen. Mostly to troll.

Sent from my jailbroken iPhone using a pirated copy of Tapatalk

Zoidberg747, what killa said plus you can use as a "dont you dare fucking AA me " method as well. What i mean by that is that if you attempt a jump in and the opponent back dashes to AA you with standing 1 for example you can cancel the jp or jk to air-blast to counter his AA.

 

[Critical-Limit]

I know during 1,2,1. Not that most people try to jump out.

But if they try to jump after 2. 1 will catch them out of the air, and you can hit confirm that into D1, then lift.

ran into it on accident when someone online tried to jump out after 2.

 

[Metzos]

I know during 1,2,1. Not that most people try to jump out.

But if they try to jump after 2. 1 will catch them out of the air, and you can hit confirm that into D1, then lift.

ran into it on accident when someone online tried to jump out after 2.

Yeap, they cant avoid that. Sometimes lift will even connect without the use of d1. But its kinda situational.

 

[Zoidberg747]

Zoidberg747, what killa said plus you can use as a "dont you dare fucking AA me " method as well. What i mean by that is that if you attempt a jump in and the opponent back dashes to AA you with standing 1 for example you can cancel the jp or jk to air-blast to counter his AA.

I will say I have been jumping in to do iAB. Will try and apply it like you said, thanks again.

 

[Swagrid]

I was playing around in the lab and found out that a fully charged back two is still unblockable and can combo if you time it right with a followed up back one. This is probably known, but I though I'd share in case anyone didn't.

I've seen some Ermac guys use the fully charged back two as a bait or as a trap, and I figured this would just add to the punch of it.

 

[Zoidberg747]

I was playing around in the lab and found out that a fully charged back two is still unblockable and can combo if you time it right with a followed up back one. This is probably known, but I though I'd share in case anyone didn't.

I've seen some Ermac guys use the fully charged back two as a bait or as a trap, and I figured this would just add to the punch of it.

Dude you play ermac? We should do mirrors at Louisiana next weekend lol

 

[Swagrid]

Dude you play ermac? We should do mirrors at Louisiana next weekend lol

And here I've been mentally preparing for Baraka lol. yeah, Ermac is my main, working on a pocket Lui Kang and Raiden.

Is it known tech to combo of that unblockable move? I've ben doing b2, b1 lift dash b1 2 f1 dash push. Maybe someone can find an even better combo for it?

 

[Metzos]

And here I've been mentally preparing for Baraka lol. yeah, Ermac is my main, working on a pocket Lui Kang and Raiden.

Is it known tech to combo of that unblockable move? I've ben doing b2, b1 lift dash b1 2 f1 dash push. Maybe someone can find an even better combo for it?

B2 unblockable B1 lift jk tp jk tp d1 TKP. Cant remember the dmg though. I think its above 50% if you complete the combo. I got some ideas about that though. Not gonna reveal anything yet cause i wanna test some stuff first. I ll let you guys know.

 

[Zoidberg747]

And here I've been mentally preparing for Baraka lol. yeah, Ermac is my main, working on a pocket Lui Kang and Raiden.

Is it known tech to combo of that unblockable move? I've ben doing b2, b1 lift dash b1 2 f1 dash push. Maybe someone can find an even better combo for it?

Oh I main baraka, ermac is just for casuals

 

[Swagrid]

I can't get the double tp jump kick, everytime I hit the second JK the second tele goes over their head.

 

[Metzos]

I can't get the double tp jump kick, everytime I hit the second JK the second tele goes over their head.

zaf created a video about this. I cant seem to find it though. I tagged him, so he should get back to you once he sees this.

 

[zaf]

I can't get the double tp jump kick, everytime I hit the second JK the second tele goes over their head.

Here is the video i made for this combo.

Th reason why you hitting with the JK and the tele is going over their head is because this combo is very specific. The opponent needs to be at exact heights for this to work. it can also happen if you are not linking the JK to the teleport quick enough.

 

[PaletteSwap]

Strangely, a lot of people have been falling for U4 lately. I've been doing 3, 1, 3, 1, d4, d4, u4. I know a throw is typically more valuable so this just makes me really wish I can get a tks off of the overhead.

EDIT: I just started experimenting with 3, 1 3, 1 b2 cancel 3, 1 lift combo or IAFB.

Kinda risky, but an option to widen the variety of your mix up game. I cancel dash forward out of the b2 for the lift combo or back for IAFB. You can try a naked TKS out of it too but I'd use it sparingly.

I've yet to test it on a formidable opponent yet, but in theory it should keep your opponent guessing.