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Is Baraka considered low tier now?

DJT was the best dedicate Baraka main at one point and he completely drops him in favor of Nightwolf. Maybe someone who knows him can personally ask him that question.
 

SonBearku

#NerfRaiden
DJT was the best dedicate Baraka main at one point and he completely drops him in favor of Nightwolf. Maybe someone who knows him can personally ask him that question.
I did the same thing. Mained baraka until nightwolf dropped and switched. Nightwolf plays the same as baraka but does it all better. Baraka is still a very solid character though imo
 

1man3letters

Alpha Tarkatan - Moderator
Moderator
So to again repeat what's been said.
No baraka us not low tier.

He just has a few matches he gets bopped in, shang warlock, jade emerald defender, frost in general worse of all them being cetrion.
skarlet gives him aswell trouble
bone picker/berserker fight these losing mu's better than maurader imo

If only we had kotald wave dash :(
 

Espio

Kokomo
Baraka isn't low tier, but he is not top ten or anything like that. There's too much extreme slanting of characters. Just because they aren't top tier or seen a lot doesn't automatically translate to low tier. Baraka mains drop Baraka for Nightwolf because Nightwolf deals better with zoning and can dash around the board much quicker, they play similarly. That's the simple truth.

Berzerker remains shadowy because 98% of people who use Berzerker play it totally wrong and then declare it trash which belies a lack of self reflection more so than actual character flaws. I don't believe Berzerker loses to many characters least of all Jade. I don't think Baraka beats a lot of characters, I think he does have a lot of 5-5's though that buoys him. The unbreakable damage and corner carry really helps Baraka in certain match ups where people want to play keep away but one mistake puts them in the corner where they have to guess and get throw shimmied or punished for trying to poke at the wrong times.
 

1man3letters

Alpha Tarkatan - Moderator
Moderator
Baraka isn't low tier, but he is not top ten or anything like that. There's too much extreme slanting of characters. Just because they aren't top tier or seen a lot doesn't automatically translate to low tier. Baraka mains drop Baraka for Nightwolf because Nightwolf deals better with zoning and can dash around the board much quicker, they play similarly. That's the simple truth.

Berzerker remains shadowy because 98% of people who use Berzerker play it totally wrong and then declare it trash which belies a lack of self reflection more so than actual character flaws. I don't believe Berzerker loses to many characters least of all Jade. I don't think Baraka beats a lot of characters, I think he does have a lot of 5-5's though that buoys him. The unbreakable damage and corner carry really helps Baraka in certain match ups where people want to play keep away but one mistake puts them in the corner where they have to guess and get throw shimmied or punished for trying to poke at the wrong times.
That you or say anything like that, I'd easily see a arguement for him to be 10th, if not 11-13th but just my opinion

Have to disagree on jade (emerald anyway) statement, know you mentioned how you didn't see It before and if u Dont you don't, not trying to convince anyone, just my opinion some agree some dont. No big deal
 

Second Saint

A man with too many names.
Tw33dy had explicitly said he wasn't going to use Baraka. He used to get kinda mad about people constantly coming in his stream and asking why he wasn't using Baraka.
 
Playing Baraka is a labor of love. While I've changed my mind on the effectiveness of Berserker, i think its alright, or is at least more fun/rewarding to play than maurader, I'd love to hear a single match up that is in Baraka's favor. Maaaaaaybe Shao Kahn? 5-5's across half the board do not cut it in MK11. This character is bottom 5. I have to outplay my opponent every single time. Apart from damage in V1 and maaaaaaybe restand in the corner with bf4 in V3 this character has zero dirt. And ending a combo in anything but db3 puts my opponent at a range that is disadvantage to me. There is not a single viable reason to play Baraka in a tournament.
 

Ck AeroVoid

Mk Casual, KI God
Playing Baraka is a labor of love. While I've changed my mind on the effectiveness of Berserker, i think its alright, or is at least more fun/rewarding to play than maurader, I'd love to hear a single match up that is in Baraka's favor. Maaaaaaybe Shao Kahn? 5-5's across half the board do not cut it in MK11. This character is bottom 5. I have to outplay my opponent every single time. Apart from damage in V1 and maaaaaaybe restand in the corner with bf4 in V3 this character has zero dirt. And ending a combo in anything but db3 puts my opponent at a range that is disadvantage to me. There is not a single viable reason to play Baraka in a tournament.
Honestly, every Baraka v3 match I have played, was a win. I have played MANY PEOPLE (Over 200) of many levels mostly ranked.

This is Why ALL
"X IS TOURNAMENT VIABLE" Arguments are COMPLETE BS 90% OF THE TIME.
the Only person who beat me was @Kindred before v3 was even a thing

And his sparks are a great way to "stun" your opponent, then back toward A (3?)
 
Honestly, every Baraka v3 match I have played, was a win. I have played MANY PEOPLE (Over 200) of many levels mostly ranked.

This is Why ALL
"X IS TOURNAMENT VIABLE" Arguments are COMPLETE BS 90% OF THE TIME.
the Only person who beat me was @Kindred before v3 was even a thing

And his sparks are a great way to "stun" your opponent, then back toward A (3?)
bf 3 is punishable. Would love, LOVE to see your ranked games with a over 200 win rate with V3 Baraka. Please post. I am a downplayer SOB but i do love Baraka.
 

JJParker

Noob
I'm only a slightly above average player but looking at the roster I don't see Baraka having many winning match ups. I think he is almost a perfectly balanced character but he doesn't have any cheap ways of opening people up like most of the cast do. To do well with Baraka your fundamentals have to be perfect for the whole match which is why we don't see him at tournaments much. He is solid but lacks all the cheap stuff so I would have him in the lower third of characters.
 

Gooberking

FGC Cannon Fodder
I've been using V1 a little lately. Mostly because I thought he might force me to concentrate on spacing and deliberate buttons vs zoning people down to manageable life levels.

I think he is super fun. I played a Scorpion for awhile last night. First time I felt like I wasn't forced into a disadvantage. He tends to force you into playing a very specific way, but unlike my other characters, Baraka can play that game. And if they lose a poke/stagger war then he can consistently do real damage to match or best anything they can do. He has about 3 KB's in V1 that I was very likely to get, and it felt very doable to walk back and punish over commits which I've struggled to do before.

I may have to keep him around for fights where I can't run away.
 

Syzoth

The last Saurian from Zaterra - Syzoth - Reptile
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Berzerker remains shadowy because 98% of people who use Berzerker play it totally wrong and then declare it trash which belies a lack of self reflection more so than actual character flaws. I don't believe Berzerker loses to many characters least of all Jade. I don't think Baraka beats a lot of characters, I think he does have a lot of 5-5's though that buoys him. The unbreakable damage and corner carry really helps Baraka in certain match ups where people want to play keep away but one mistake puts them in the corner where they have to guess and get throw shimmied or punished for trying to poke at the wrong times.
Could you go into detail about how you think Berserker should be played? I'm interested in playing the variation better but have plataeud really hard.

Please assume the only variation in Baraka I'm interested in is Berserker because that's the case.

I'm trying to learn characters least represented variations.
 

Espio

Kokomo
Could you go into detail about how you think Berserker should be played? I'm interested in playing the variation better but have plataeud really hard.

Please assume the only variation in Baraka I'm interested in is Berserker because that's the case.

I'm trying to learn characters least represented variations.
I'll make a thread this weekend and tag you in it because I've gotten some requests on this and then that way it will be visible to others too :).