Guide - Balanced Kenshi Complete Balanced Guide By Pig of The Hut

[matterovermind]

Awesome video series, Pig - really well done. Possessed it is!

 

[matterovermind]

Awesome video series, Pig - really well done. Possessed it is!

 

[Immortal]

Sorry Pig, you just suck with balanced. Never use overhead slash on block. You're supposed to use the threat of the zoning moves to play footsies, get throws, and catch them with armor. Teleflurry is very risky and should seldom be used, but it does get them if they try to move. You have to range push, karma, and d4 to pester them. Kenshi does whiff recover quickly on rising karma and can use as bait as well as control the air, I don't even think its block punishable from tip range. d4 is amazing with range and only -2 on block.
b32 great safe footsie tool and damage, but the low only really serves to catch neutral crouchers. It's safe so you can block, armor, throw/attack (if they fear armor), or maybe backdash. 42 and 421 are plus 2 and push back, follow up with d4, or run throw, etc.

Alot of this stuff implies you run up to be in range to do. Run up d4 is very fast and will make em want to jump.

Edit: another note, especially if you have some distance, if you're opponent fears armor or a zoning move, you can just start walking backwards. You don't always need to attack, patience.

Sorry but you're just being ignorant at best and sound like a ....scrub.

Also Pig doesn't suck with balanced nor few other players who actually spent xxx hours on this variation alone. Not to mention Kenshi in general.

But feel free to prove us wrong = show us your godlike balanced Kenshi in action? :> Not just make derp posts with nothing to back up your theories.

"Play footsies with Kenshi balanced" You're not talking about MK X here, right?

Half of the cast has better footsies tools and options then Kenshi. You just BLOCK HIM LOW and his options are so limited after that... Throw is the most you can get. While most of the cast can just 50/50 you to death in that range. D4 is great and all but Kenshi in that range is NO THREAT AT ALL. The only thing you have in that range which they should fear is EX RK, which is also the first thing they will bait since it's -17 on block. There is NOTHING TO FEAR from Kenshi in balanced.

4,2,1 starts as a high ffs and isn't really fast, 1 is also a high and has range of... oh wait it HAS NO RANGE. Unless they're crouch blocking so you can get throw of it or "faster" b3 it doesn't lead to anything.

Now take into the account RISK which you're taking to get that throw/b3 of 1 or 4,2,1. Especially with all the pressure 50/50 characters which dream of being up close to you. If you're correct you get some chip of string, 12% of throw and some space to work with. If you're incorrect you eat 30 to 40% combo, corner carry + more pressure where your only decent option is to wake up with EX RK (TOTAL DESTRUCTION ON BLOCK), wake up throw (HIGH RISK / LOW REWARD) or just block next mix up (HIGH RISK / ALMOST ZERO REWARD).

"Use the threat of the zoning moves to play footsies"

What threat exactly? Any sane player who actually know Kenshi MU just laughs at his zoning, because KENSHI ZONING IS A THREAT.... TO HIMSELF. You're more afraid to throw up a TF or far TKS then the opponent is affraid of getting hit by it. ONE whiff and YOU'RE DEAD.

In short:

- you got crappy zoning tools which on whiff are CERTAIN DEATH and on hit lead to very little

- your midscreen game is mediocre at best

- your up close game is abysmal

- you have no mix ups

- all of your special moves (beside EX shoulder) aren't even safe on block

- TKS is EVEN -1 on HIT FFS

- without meter Kenshi is abysmal and dead

- many characters have better zoning then Kenshi, better mid screen and up close game

- RISK/REWARD ratio is ALWAYS in your opponent favor

Balanced Kenshi is crap. Decent for certain MUs and... nothing more in his current state.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Sorry Pig, you just suck with balanced. Never use overhead slash on block. You're supposed to use the threat of the zoning moves to play footsies, get throws, and catch them with armor. Teleflurry is very risky and should seldom be used, but it does get them if they try to move. You have to range push, karma, and d4 to pester them. Kenshi does whiff recover quickly on rising karma and can use as bait as well as control the air, I don't even think its block punishable from tip range. d4 is amazing with range and only -2 on block.
b32 great safe footsie tool and damage, but the low only really serves to catch neutral crouchers. It's safe so you can block, armor, throw/attack (if they fear armor), or maybe backdash. 42 and 421 are plus 2 and push back, follow up with d4, or run throw, etc.

Alot of this stuff implies you run up to be in range to do. Run up d4 is very fast and will make em want to jump.

Edit: another note, especially if you have some distance, if you're opponent fears armor or a zoning move, you can just start walking backwards. You don't always need to attack, patience.

I actually mention every bit of this in the video

The difference is you probably play very poorly talented players and I don't and this shit doesn't fly past round 1 against high level players

What you have just described in a game full of resets,50/50s, vortexes, safe long range footsies is a low mid character's only way to win

And if I suck w him then I'd love to see u play some players in comparrison that I've beaten in tourney

 

[ChatterBox]

Thanks for all three of the videos!

I'm glad you mentioned the bill that is 4d4. An overhead that does 5% into a knockdown that puts Kenshi in a bad spot (no oki game), and starts high so if Kenshi makes the right read and they're crouching they can just poke out.

 

[lionheart21]

Thanks for all of the work that you've put in on Kenshi, @Pig Of The Hut.

 

[Ashenar]

Sorry Pig, you just suck with balanced. Never use overhead slash on block. You're supposed to use the threat of the zoning moves to play footsies, get throws, and catch them with armor. Teleflurry is very risky and should seldom be used, but it does get them if they try to move. You have to range push, karma, and d4 to pester them. Kenshi does whiff recover quickly on rising karma and can use as bait as well as control the air, I don't even think its block punishable from tip range. d4 is amazing with range and only -2 on block.
b32 great safe footsie tool and damage, but the low only really serves to catch neutral crouchers. It's safe so you can block, armor, throw/attack (if they fear armor), or maybe backdash. 42 and 421 are plus 2 and push back, follow up with d4, or run throw, etc.

Alot of this stuff implies you run up to be in range to do. Run up d4 is very fast and will make em want to jump.

Edit: another note, especially if you have some distance, if you're opponent fears armor or a zoning move, you can just start walking backwards. You don't always need to attack, patience.

Back dash...LOL you mean back hop so forward advancing strings from half the cast eat you? Oh you want us to go in at times with b32 yeah that's great not a bad idea but you want the guessing game to be if we armor or not sure that's not bad idea cept when they do block that 1 armored move and all of a sudden you are eating a combo into ether a standing reset with block pressure that you can't escape or put in the corner for the good ole 50/50 town from other characters. Over head slash yeahhh dawg that's good cept when you use it and they just happen to run past it you get bodied for tossing out a 7% move which btw doesn't even trade half the time because its slow. Oh lets say they get hit by TKS still -1 yeah dawg. Lets pester with D4 sure that's actually not a bad idea at all. If you are tossing out whiffed Karma's then you are controlling quarter screen spacing hey guess what whiff that karma on cassie let me know if you live past the first combo she rails you with that leads into her 50/50 game or raiden's 50/50 game.

 

[Ashenar]

Thanks for all three of the videos!

I'm glad you mentioned the bill that is 4d4. An overhead that does 5% into a knockdown that puts Kenshi in a bad spot (no oki game), and starts high so if Kenshi makes the right read and they're crouching they can just poke out.

actually I've seen people just d2 standing 4 half the time anyway. yeah that 14% loss is fun =)

 

[JJV Phoenix]

Great guide as always, Pig. Sucks that this variation has so many issues, but it says a lot about you as a player that you can hold your own with it.

 

[FiercePhil56]

Think we got off on the wrong foot dudes. Pig, you're a great player with the tournament results to prove it. Erybody, I've done these kind of threads many times where I tell you what you already know and am positive about the character. You tell me what I already know and are negative about the character. I play against my brother eminent who plays a good Hollywood cassi, and I do quite well. I think kenshi's armor is a real threat as he also has safe armor. Throwing out rk is a good bait and space control if you have meter, if not, not so much. Low tier or not, the strategies I described have been working really well for me.

 

[FiercePhil56]

I do think you guys are downplaying. Pigs video showed alot of things off that you don't want to do, like intentionally having your opponent block a special. Last thing, the threat of a zoning tool is just that, a threat. In order to blow it up they have to block, from close range mind you, or jump giving you the options to do anything else. There's plenty of guessing games there. Kenshi keeps his opponent out doing damage slowly, then catches their mistake with big damage.

 

[Ashenar]

Think we got off on the wrong foot dudes. Pig, you're a great player with the tournament results to prove it. Erybody, I've done these kind of threads many times where I tell you what you already know and am positive about the character. You tell me what I already know and are negative about the character. I play against my brother eminent who plays a good Hollywood cassi, and I do quite well. I think kenshi's armor is a real threat as he also has safe armor. Throwing out rk is a good bait and space control if you have meter, if not, not so much. Low tier or not, the strategies I described have been working really well for me.

When you leave the comfort of your house and place top 32 or better at a major with just balanced then we will believe just how amazing your actual mind games are my friend. Till then continue to mind control your brother with your amazing kenshi powers and remember after every set to shout out....AND I RELEASE YOU! Good Day Sir.

 

[FiercePhil56]

f2 is Kenshi's farthest reaching normal. Mid, 16-18 frames, -7 with pushback. It's pretty safe. Option select into rising karma.

Cassi getaway flip reversal whiffs unless you use it up close

 

[Zabru]

I do think you guys are downplaying. Pigs video showed alot of things off that you don't want to do, like intentionally having your opponent block a special. Last thing, the threat of a zoning tool is just that, a threat. In order to blow it up they have to block, from close range mind you, or jump giving you the options to do anything else. There's plenty of guessing games there. Kenshi keeps his opponent out doing damage slowly, then catches their mistake with big damage.

Your right were all downplaying Kenshi! He caught us guys! Our plan failed... were not gonna get buffs to our awesome footsie tools and -50 zoning/run straight past zoning

Here that guys? They have to block our zoning to blow it up! I see why you wreck your bro if he thinks he has to block your -50 whiff moves. Also lets not forget the big damage we get for keeping people out (yeah remember that from MK9, when you would keep people out?), the whole 9% or amazing meterless that doesn't vortex and was kindly nerfed by NRS.

Damn! Now that I know I can just wait for my opponents to go for a high risk move and just punish- I'm gonna win so many games! Yeah I'm gonna have fun blocking mixups and punishing them cause they are unsafe like erron black's mixups and lets not forget easy to react to. I mean if you can just block low and then high against kenshi and run straight through kenshi's zoning and punish it on whiff you should be able to do the same with everyone else right? Cause balanced?

Also no one else should be able to get more than 14% of a safe armored cause kenshi sucks in every other department (oops there's the downplaying again) he should be exceptional at safe armor. Seriously I feel it's a little fuck you from NRS to me that they named this variant balanced.

Correct me if I'm wrong here. A character that is born to zone should have top 3 zoning but crap for mixups and trouble being aggressive, rushing down and sometimes waking up. So in a game like MKX Kenshi's zoning should be fucking out of this world bullshit broke please nerf murder all the casual crowd that NRS caters to strong, right? Because this game is the most rushdown orientated to date and half the cast can teleport and there is a run option- Kenshi's zoning should be at an all time high to counter this and even better than mk9.

Instead our zoning is a fucking joke. We should get boss mixups or if NRS wants to stay true to the character they should:

Make push have more pushback and more reach when it's EX.
Rk is safe starts quicker and when EX is unsafe but shoots a spirit both ways but for less damage as they are split.
Teleslash is -20 on whiff and when EX is -0 on whiff, plus on block and does more damage
Tele-slice is much faster and recover quicker and when ex is -0 on whiff and if blocked the spirit will have pushback
Xray has half screen pushback on block.
Kano level backdash
Reflect projectiles build more meter and are sent back quicker and kenshi recover quicker.

Thanks in advance NRS

 

[lawgamer]

What are Kenshi's best 1 combos? It's a 9 frame punish normal, but in balanced the best I can do without meter 1,1xxRk~run~1~4,3xxTF = 27%.

 

[gibster13]

i shall still play balanced Great guide

 

[gibster13]

Some of my match footage. I need help ;-; Pig ?

 

[Immortal]

Some of my match footage. I need help ;-; Pig ?

That Kitana player was so bad.. it was painful to watch. Firstly you're often not ending your combos which is always a bad thing. You're abusing TF (again it's -53 on whiff) which will lead to certain death with better opponents.

You're just playing zoning (which is fine vs scrub Kitana players) - no run up grab, or run up 1 into grab (or b32) or even b32, tks (thou this isn't even a string but once in a while its ok to do it). You need to mix things up a bit. Balanced Kenshi in current state cannot win with opponents who know the MU / on higher level with just zoning.

 

[gibster13]

That Kitana player was so bad.. it was painful to watch. Firstly you're often not ending your combos which is always a bad thing. You're abusing TF (again it's -53 on whiff) which will lead to certain death with better opponents.

You're just playing zoning (which is fine vs scrub Kitana players) - no run up grab, or run up 1 into grab (or b32) or even b32, tks (thou this isn't even a string but once in a while its ok to do it). You need to mix things up a bit. Balanced Kenshi in current state cannot win with opponents who know the MU / on higher level with just zoning.

Reason I was ending some combos was 1) pad doesn't do bf inputs sometimes ;-; 2) lag

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Reason I was ending some combos was 1) pad doesn't do bf inputs sometimes ;-; 2) lag

Horror of the ps4 pad

 

[ismael4790]

Great guide Pig!
I also use possessed, but I like much more balanced style. Hope nrs watches your guide and takes into account everything you pointed out, to make this variation viable.

 

[MK2D]

What's really ironic is how a variation called "Balanced" is so...unbalanced. Kinda sad and disappointing as I really wanted to give this one a good go. I did well with it in the latest Invasion at least lol.

NRS should really address this in a future patch.

 

[ismael4790]

What's really ironic is how a variation called "Balanced" is so...unbalanced. Kinda sad and disappointing as I really wanted to give this one a good go. I did well with it in the latest Invasion at least lol.

NRS should really address this in a future patch if they haven't already.

In 6 hours we will see if Balanced becomes actually balanced

 

[MK2D]

In 6 hours we will see if Balanced becomes actually balanced

Well looks like the patch didn't solve much at all for Balanced -

• Kenshi - Down+FK now hits low
• Kenshi - Fixed a bug that was causing FP,FP,FP to sometimes be more negative on hit on ducking opponents
• Kenshi (Balanced) - Removed 10 frames of whiff recovery from Tele-Flurry & Tele-Beat down
• Kenshi (Kenjutsu) - Removed 5 frames of whiff recovery from Tele-Toss & Tele-Strike
• Kenshi (Kenjutsu) - Away+BP now low crushes and has more pushback on block
• Kenshi )Kenjutsu) – Removed gap in the fp, fp, fp string

http://community.wbgames.com/t5/Latest-Updates/Patch-Notes-8-31-2015/ba-p/756091

Has anyone posted the video to NRS/Boon's attention?

It looks like SZ and Reptile got much more love with this patch.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Well looks like the patch didn't solve much at all for Balanced -

• Kenshi - Down+FK now hits low
• Kenshi - Fixed a bug that was causing FP,FP,FP to sometimes be more negative on hit on ducking opponents
• Kenshi (Balanced) - Removed 10 frames of whiff recovery from Tele-Flurry & Tele-Beat down
• Kenshi (Kenjutsu) - Removed 5 frames of whiff recovery from Tele-Toss & Tele-Strike
• Kenshi (Kenjutsu) - Away+BP now low crushes and has more pushback on block
• Kenshi )Kenjutsu) – Removed gap in the fp, fp, fp string

http://community.wbgames.com/t5/Latest-Updates/Patch-Notes-8-31-2015/ba-p/756091

Has anyone posted the video to NRS/Boon's attention?

It looks like SZ and Reptile got much more love with this patch.

-53 to -43 is like a 320 pound man losing 15 lbs and thinking he's skinny and everything is ok