Question - Sub-Zero How do I beat Sub Zero?

[Scott The Scot]

What kind of scrubby-ass Sub-Zeros have you been playing? Lol. A smart Sub-Zero would walk himself into a corner just to do an ex slide and it's good night and good luck.

So yeah, you shouldn't be very happy about cornering Sub-Zero.

What kind of scrubby ass Sub Zero have you been playing if they just do a raw slide without any conditioning of the overhead? I'm sending a signal by constantly blocking low to deter them from doing a raw slide. Pfft... Raw slide... Gtfo Braindead lol. If the Sub player hits you with a raw slide then you deserve to be put in the corner for getting read like a book, that shit should be blocked and dealt with accordingly.

Plus, Subs corner game isn't that strong anymore. Still strong, but respected too much sometimes.

 

[tatterbug4]

I have trouble too. When the clone is gonna you have like a 2 second gap to hit him then it comes out. All they do is clone and ice ball repeatedly. All it does is slow down the game really it does no chip. All I can say is be very patient or pick a variant that will help

 

[Scott The Scot]

I have trouble too. When the clone is gonna you have like a 2 second gap to hit him then it comes out. All they do is clone and ice ball repeatedly. All it does is slow down the game really it does no chip. All I can say is be very patient or pick a variant that will help

Summoner Quan Chi I have found to be very very effective at dealing with this.

 

[Knoterror]

Use a character with fast advancing armored reversals. Congratulations, you've completely changed the meta.

 

[Sulfur]

He has no way to get chip damage from full screen unless he throws a clone, so it's pretty safe to sit full screen and make him come at you.
Most subs online are pretty bad, you just gotta block their full screen ice balls and they'll come to you and do something dumb.

 

[Deleted member 9158]

Play patiently, and bait mistakes.

 

[BoromiRofGeo]

you cant.
take sub zero to win sub zero.
when sub zero is nerfed change to un sub zero.
then win nerfed subzero with whoever is not sub zero.

 

[QUAN-FUSION]

What kind of scrubby ass Sub Zero have you been playing if they just do a raw slide without any conditioning of the overhead? I'm sending a signal by constantly blocking low to deter them from doing a raw slide. Pfft... Raw slide... Gtfo Braindead lol. If the Sub player hits you with a raw slide then you deserve to be put in the corner for getting read like a book, that shit should be blocked and dealt with accordingly.

Plus, Subs corner game isn't that strong anymore. Still strong, but respected too much sometimes.

Umm.. They can armour slide as soon as you move.

 

[Scott The Scot]

Umm.. They can armour slide as soon as you move.

Umm... It's called baiting it out. This is just the neutral game. You have to make a read. That's how you play the game. If you bait it out then punish it and do that consistently then the Sub Zero will probably respect you and stop doing it. Sub Zero is not an unbeatable character with unlimited options. His slide doesn't leave him at any sort of advantage so that's a risk he has to take, if it doesn't pay off he loses health and the opponent can sit back and force Sub Zero to come in to him because he can't do jackshit at fullscreen with a life loss. So he has to come in and take more risks! Then you're playing the game up-close from there, the OP is trying to deal with a lame Sub Zero who is getting a life lead and staying back in defensive mode - I was giving a strategy to force him out of his defense.

 

[chemicalNova]

I was about to post this exact same thread, so thanks for saving me the time. I face way more cryomancer than grandmaster, and I can't even beat cryomancer.

I play cassie and sonya and I like to poke a lot. I can't poke fucking shit against sub zero because his overhead is amazing. I'm the type of player that likes to spend a lot of time on the ground spacing with my strings, and poking. Can I not do this against sub zero? it sure seems like I can't.

It seems like his moves have great hurt boxes, but I can't hit him. His overhead (obviously), slide is amazing, way better than MK9, and his low string is good.

He rushes me down. Fucking Sub Zero, a character that is designed to turtle with iceball trades, rushes me down and I always seem to guess wrong against his moves.

It kinda sucks when online Scorpions and Sub Zeroes are the most popular characters, and they also seem to be the cheesiest.

Space your divekicks over the clone. You would be amazed how easy it is to divekick over a clone into a Sub Zero that is prepping an ice ball.

You can divekick into full 213 xx <combo here>. I go into MS with Covert Ops or choose a random mixup in another. The important part is landing the kick. Once you learn to space that divekick trajectory over the clone you'll never have an issue with it again.

Also: Sonya wins out on reversal trading of projectiles at full screen. If you block an ice ball, immediately trade (making sure its a reversal window) and you'll be able to block the incoming ice ball while the SZ player eats your projectile.

 

[tatterbug4]

Summoner Quan Chi I have found to be very very effective at dealing with this.

I play reptile and cassie

 

[exflyingbooty]

I play reptile and cassie

spec ops is really fun for this especially ex-rocket

 

[tatterbug4]

spec ops is really fun for this especially ex-rocket

I haven't developed a game plan with spec ops yet I love holly wood

 

[MK_GDROM]

I've spent a good amount of time finding and playing Sub Zero players.
I've also tried every setup in training mode, trying to figure out what to do against him.

He has an absolute brickwall (ice clone) that no zoning goes through, that gives him a free combo the moment you touch it. This means that Sub Zero cannot be rushed down, he'll win that game.
He has an absolute projectile with it (ice ball), that wins every tade and gains him a combo every time he wins that trade.
Coupled up with Ice Clone, this means that Sub Zero cannot be zoned. He'll win the zoning game unless you can teleport. Even then, there are no safe teleports and he can just move past his clone on reaction. So he wins that game.

Cannot be zoned. Cannot be rushed down. Overhead, low, both leading to pretty decent damage.
I find him really hard to beat. In MK9 you could hit him with projectiles through the clone at least.

So, the question stands.
How do I beat Sub Zero?

Cybernetic Kano EX knives will go through the clone, shatter it, and then hit him. Never trade with ice ball, that's always a bad idea. You can neutral duck the regular version, but not the EX. If you see him EX the Iceball, block that. EX Iceball will beat just about every projectile, and to my knowledge you cannot low profile it. I don't know what character you are using at the moment, but you just really need to go into training mode, and practice blocking his overhead, overhead string (I think it's 2,2, or back 2, 2. When he puts you in the corner he will either go for that overhead I told you, or he will go for back 3, 3, and cancel that into clone. It is up to you to not get flustered and try to mash on reaction. Learn what the fast starters you have are, and punish him for hitting you on block if he is negative. I think Slide is 9 frames, so you have to be careful, and try to think like you are the Sub-Zero player.

A problem I have, that a lot of other players have, is that we are more focused on what our character is doing/trying to do than our opponent, and they end up hitting us with things we could have punished or blocked. He isn't really that big of a threat till he gets you in the corner. Just make sure you aren't getting afraid of him and backing yourself into the corner, or you are making his job 500 times easier. Hopefully this advice helped, or will help you in the future, and good luck with your Sub-Zero slaying.

 

[exflyingbooty]

I haven't developed a game plan with spec ops yet I love holly wood

Yeah, i'd look into spec ops especially for the sub-zero move
No point having rush down tools if your only option is ex-gunshots

 

[Scott The Scot]

I play reptile and cassie

I haven't developed a game plan with spec ops yet I love holly wood

Dude if you're not playing Spec Ops then you are missing out. Overhead and low rockets. And Sub Zero doesn't get to just do as he pleases all the time. He has to respect the rocket when it's out.

As for Hollywood, yeah like a lot of characters she just has to play his game. Which sucks.

 

[SakuraMadoi]

I pick Piercing Mileena

Ball roll beats his annoying wake-up slide, throw sais at his clone and low sais at his shins and fuck that shit up so Kuai cannot walk anymore and then ball roll under his freeze ball and if that fails then tele-kick for brutality

(this whole post was my strategy and satire at the same time)

 

[tatterbug4]

Dude if you're not playing Spec Ops then you are missing out. Overhead and low rockets. And Sub Zero doesn't get to just do as he pleases all the time. He has to respect the rocket when it's out.

As for Hollywood, yeah like a lot of characters she just has to play his game. Which sucks.

Yeah I know spec ops is probably better but I just like Hollywood. I'll start getting on training with it today

 

[Odyessus]

I pick Piercing Mileena

Ball roll beats his annoying wake-up slide, throw sais at his clone and low sais at his shins and fuck that shit up so Kuai cannot walk anymore and then ball roll under his freeze ball and if that fails then tele-kick for brutality

(this whole post was my strategy and satire at the same time)

I'm a grandmaster user. Here are the best ways to whoop sub.

1. Bait Sub into sliding. Just walk or run towards him with full intentions of down blocking as soon as he moves. So many subs are slide happy. Easy punish.

2. If you knock sub down and are close enough to run and get to him as soon as he gets up, start a combo. He will ice clone and it won't go off.

3. The slide only does minimal damage and he won't be comboing off it. Letting sub control the speed of the fight is a huge mistake. Sub likes to pause the fight shot the ice ball to see if you think throwing a projectile at the clone is a good idea and then rush in and try to create a 50/50 situation.

2.Njp a lot when your mid screen. A good sub will cross you over and mix up b2 to a combo or b33,ex ice ball combo(push to corner). Mid screen sub will try and jump over your head a lot. If you njp he will be punished.

3. If your in the corner wait for him to rush in and try b33 or ice clone. Bust through that with an armored combo starter. He's a sitting duck when he rushes in for those.

4. Smart subs try to d4 start every match. Super quick almost always gets the first hit. Back up and let sub slide into you like a dummy.

 

[Cassandra Cage]

Git Good

 

[AK Harold]

@GLoRToR hit me up on steam when you see me, if you want to know how to handle him with your current roster. I can break it down for you and see what you are missing in the matchup.

 

[LiangHuBBB]

 

[Audit]

non-lackey or

I think even Lackey is a good matchup, but Vicious is better.

 

[GLoRToR]

@GLoRToR hit me up on steam when you see me, if you want to know how to handle him with your current roster. I can break it down for you and see what you are missing in the matchup.

Exam weeks, will have to be a bit later but I'll take you up on that.

 

[The_Furax]

Simple! Just pick Martian Manhunter.