Match-up Discussion Ermac Matchup chart by Metzos

[Metzos]

Tell me about Ermac VS Kabal.

In my infinite hunt for a solid choice in this match, I look to Ermac for hope in the maelstrom.

How does he fare?

Not really much to say about that MU. You must know which strings you can try and down poke during his NMC's (check REO's videos about that) and generally try and stay away from him. Another good thing, if he tries to close the distance with ND or EX ND is to dash forward and block fast to bait and punish his ND if he doesnt cancel it. Saws must be punished on reaction with IAT and you can deal against his IAGB's with your projectile. It lowers Ermac's hitbox which causes the IAGB to whiff and forces Kabal to block Ermac's projectile which shuts down his projectile pressure from fullscreen. Just try to get Kabal in the corner and keep him there with your zoning. Always expect though that he might try to EX ND through your TKP and always be careful of the overhead command throw and the regular throw ofc, which can get you in the corner and from there its very hard to deal against Kabal's pressure as you know.

 

[Cibernetico]

As we all know, the Freddy matchup is hard and Ive been getting in more games lately vs this character at VSM. Don't know if it has been posted, but I found that after his string where he finishes with his hell stance(or whatever it is called), if you block that string, you can actually d3 him during the stance to pretty much stand him back up. I've noticed that it helped a lot on slowing down the pressure and not to mention it puts you at sweep range.

 

[FrostyBarrel]

I think I got some solid Ermac match up experience today.

Hmm, Sonya is hard. I also find Sindel a bit much as well, even though the match up chart says 6:4 in Ermacs favour. Besides Sonya, I think Ermac does pretty well against some of the heavyweights in this game like Kabal, Cage and Jax. Cyrax is quite a challenge as well which surprised me but im learning to telelift teleports on reaction.

Don't get caught in that net use dash-block. It's your best friend ,but why is sindel hard?

 

[zaf]

Sindel should really not be a problem for ermac. I have a local sindel i practise with and there is nothing in this mu that gives ermac problems imo. Id like you to speak about the mu Flagg

 

[MKF30]

Sindel, the second they go for her air fireballs teleport and she eats damage.

She can be annoying if you let the Sindel player outzone you, just don't.

 

[Cibernetico]

wow I was playing Claude Von Stroke's Raiden yesterday and he normally blows me up. But yesterday, I realized that if I don't even throw out any Force Pushes, Raiden seems to have a hell of a harder time punishing mainly because a blocked TKP = a free Superman for Raiden.

 

[Metzos]

wow I was playing Claude Von Stroke's Raiden yesterday and he normally blows me up. But yesterday, I realized that if I don't even throw out any Force Pushes, Raiden seems to have a hell of a harder time punishing mainly because a blocked TKP = a free Superman for Raiden.

Yeah you must be really careful against Raiden. He is one of the few that he can punish a max range TKP with Superman. Its abit hard for Ermac tbh.

 

[Cibernetico]

True it is, but just yesterday I realized how much less annoying the matchup is if you don't rely on TKP too much.

 

[Metzos]

True it is, but just yesterday I realized how much less annoying the matchup is if you don't rely on TKP too much.

Yeap. Raiden is one of those character you must keep close to you at all times. His pressure is not that good also which means you have a better chance dealing against him up close than afar. Also a tip i can give you is always finish your combos with F4 when playing against Raiden.

 

[zaf]

I think ermac vs smoke is 6-4 in ermac favour. Metzos.
I'll link you to the matches of me vs KT Smith.
But..... In this MU, if you space properly and be very patient, you do not have to do a single thing.
Smoke does not do chip damage or any damage at all if you are just waiting.
After every blocked smokebomb, pressure him right back with a tkp.
Once you have a life lead, camp him. Camp him HARD. Force him to come to you and make mistakes and take his health away with your biggest situational combo. Almost all combos can be done with double jk, all punishes too!
Do not use a single fireball. It does not matter that he can parry it, the problem is when he parries this, he can use this to get closer after the knockdown.
Any air teleport he uses to come from behind you, can be punished.
Regular smoke towards and smoke away can instantly be punished with TKP during the animations.
EX smoke towards/away can not be tkp, it has invincible frames. So be careful
If you know how to block his blockstrings you only need to be careful for grabs and if you see this then you just have to tech properly.
This is because you just need to stand block, he has a sweep yes, but he cant stop strings and just sweep without being poked back.
The only thing smoke can do in this MU, is try and land a hit and go for the smoke resets. Even then, the resets are not guarenteed.

What do you think.

http://www.twitch.tv/teamsp00ky/b/320899333

Starts at 3:25:00

Dont ask me why i didnt punish those blocked nomads. >_____>
/scrub

 

[Metzos]

zaf, good stuff man. But still i really think that its an even MU between Smoke and Ermac. Both characters cant affort to do ANY mistakes during the match cause if they do, they are screwed. Good work against Kabal also.

 

[Owerbart]

Can someone explain why the vs Kenshi matchup has ANY disadvantage for Ermac? I mean, maybe I didn't play against the best Kenshis, but as far as I seen, once you get your mix-ups together is game over. TKP is a decent punisher. What am I missing?

Cheers.

 

[Metzos]

Can someone explain why the vs Kenshi matchup has ANY disadvantage for Ermac? I mean, maybe I didn't play against the best Kenshis, but as far as I seen, once you get your mix-ups together is game over. TKP is a decent punisher. What am I missing?

Cheers.

1. Armor, which means you cant pressure him DESPITE his big hitbox and his armored moves send you full screen away where Ermac cant compete vs Kenshi. He can either reflect your projectiles, spam telekenetic flurry or the overhead special (cant remember the name). Plus Ermac's teleport is useless in this MU. Also his d3 is one of the best in the game and it lowers Kenshi's hitbox very much, like Ermac's d3.
2. Safe specials for the most part. Shoulder charge cannot be punished, the EX version is at +f on block and Ermac's max range TKP can be punished by Kenshi's EX Shoulder charge, while Ermac cannot punish any of his specials with TKP. So Kenshi's specials are much better than Ermac's in the particular MU.
3. Kenshi has a better rushdown also. F3,2 low combo launcher. B2 frame traps.

In general Ermac is better than Kenshi only in terms of damage, but still Ermac can win the MU if he plays patiently and carefully. Imo this MU is 6-4 in Kenshi's favor. I heard Pig Of The Hut saying that its worse but i dont agree. Perhaps he has something to add.

 

[zaf]

what do you specifically in this mu Metzos? what gives you the most success. do you use a lot of iafb?

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Tapatalk 2

 

[Metzos]

what do you specifically in this mu Metzos? what gives you the most success. do you use a lot of iafb?

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Tapatalk 2

Nothing in particular to be honest. Just dash block to get close to him and finishing all of my combos with F4 to keep him close to me. Other than that its a really laaaaaaaaaaaame MU.

 

[Metzos]

MU chart updated with the latest MU numbers. .5 system removed.

 

[Tokiwartoothxdk]

can someone explain the cyber-sub MU for me? i almost feel it has to be 7-3 in ermac's favor. i see the moves and have played a couple cyber-subs and it seems he cant get in while ermac uses TKP and teleport is punished on reaction with d1~TKS.
Metzos zaf

 

[Axel_Redd]

actually i believe cyber sub has the advantage on the ermac MU. mostly because of the fact that most of ermacs specials leave him stationary, so CSZ's bomb pressure after a knock down is really a problem for him because even if u manage to land a wake up tk push or lift the bomb will end it prematurely and allow CSZ to easily get in once more.

 

[zaf]

Its an even match up id say. One of my training parters uses csz. So i play this mu a lot. LolingOctopus
J360
Csz has great mobility. He can do instant air dive kicks after blocked tkps to get in closer. He can use them to go over fireballs. He can use them to whiff punish normals. He can also do normals and cross you up with instant air dive kicks which blow up cross over aa like d1. You can block cross up dive kicks but once you get trained to block he gets free junp ins. Same thing applies to normal jump in mix ups with dive kick and jip. Also with dive kick he can do a block string, and if you attempt to counter poke after it with a d1 or d3 this geta blown up by dive kick. So you see his dive kick is really useful and has great mobility, the same mobility it gives kung lao. Also with properly spaced ex dive kicks he gets a lot of frame adv.

Ermac also has alot of similar strategies with his iafb that are similar to how csz uses dive kick. So he does not get dominated. they kinda balance out.

Bombs can cause ermac problems because of how csz can trap you with them after knockdowns with dive kicks. Try and react to close ones with tech rolls and far ones by staying on the ground. You really just need to know how all his traps work. However with proper usage of b2 cancels to dash out and in and to give ermac better mobility, the bombs do not become a threat mid screen play. You can catch csz sometime when he is bombing with a b2 cancel dash forward tkp.

That's just for starters on why i think this is 5-5. Only reason id say ermac wins this mu is because he heavily wins in the damage factor. Even with csz traps and set ups. Ermacs damage is static while csz damage is dynamic depending on his mix ups and trap play

 

[LolingOctopus]

while yes me and zaf do run this MU often, you also have to consider I am far from being known as Mr.Freeze. I feel like it is a 5-5 but I am not convinced yet and need more time/training in this MU to come to a solid conclusion. My feeling though, 5-5

 

[NYCj360]

Its an even match up id say. One of my training parters uses csz. So i play this mu a lot. LolingOctopus
J360
Csz has great mobility. He can do instant air dive kicks after blocked tkps to get in closer. He can use them to go over fireballs. He can use them to whiff punish normals. He can also do normals and cross you up with instant air dive kicks which blow up cross over aa like d1. You can block cross up dive kicks but once you get trained to block he gets free junp ins. Same thing applies to normal jump in mix ups with dive kick and jip. Also with dive kick he can do a block string, and if you attempt to counter poke after it with a d1 or d3 this geta blown up by dive kick. So you see his dive kick is really useful and has great mobility, the same mobility it gives kung lao. Also with properly spaced ex dive kicks he gets a lot of frame adv.

Ermac also has alot of similar strategies with his iafb that are similar to how csz uses dive kick. So he does not get dominated. they kinda balance out.

Bombs can cause ermac problems because of how csz can trap you with them after knockdowns with dive kicks. Try and react to close ones with tech rolls and far ones by staying on the ground. You really just need to know how all his traps work. However with proper usage of b2 cancels to dash out and in and to give ermac better mobility, the bombs do not become a threat mid screen play. You can catch csz sometime when he is bombing with a b2 cancel dash forward tkp.

That's just for starters on why i think this is 5-5. Only reason id say ermac wins this mu is because he heavily wins in the damage factor. Even with csz traps and set ups. Ermacs damage is static while csz damage is dynamic depending on his mix ups and trap play

100% truth. whole heartedly agreed zaf

 

[Axel_Redd]

the way i'd put it tho, the match starts out at 5-5, once CSZ gets in tho and starts layin down those bombs, it turns to 6-4 Sub's favor.

 

[Tokiwartoothxdk]

i guess the cyber subs ive played dont know the match up well lol

 

[zaf]

Id agree, but at the same time when ermac gets the life lead he has to do nothing. Literally just walk back, space well and set up csz. Csz has to approach so you can then just pick apart their approach. Ermac with the life lead makes this 6 4. Which balances back to 5 5

 

[Clayman]

Maybe i've missed smth, but how the hell mileena loses to ermac?