Kotal Kahn Video Thread

[Slymind]

I hope you're right, Sly. Time will tell I guess. Until then, I'm going to try to take Totemic as far as it can go because I think it's fairly slept on right now. All the best as you do the same.

Btw, like the 40K profile pic.

Right back at you. I also believe in Totemic, i gotta learn how to use the totem more effectively though.

Raven Guard ftw.

 

[MeSoFoolish]

@Jeffrey Wolf Cool video's bro, i like the commentary. This topic wants to make me play Kahn again. I dropped him in week 2 cause reasons...

What irritated me was what to do after the poke game. Especially in those wonderfull ~145ms ping games. Everything was or too slow or whiffed as hell. Is poke into standing 1 a jail now for Kahn as well? Ill try to upload some footage if i get some matches going tomorrow.

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Totems are tricky, especially Blood because it has so much recovery. I'm happy with how I'm incorporating them as part of my offensive onion (I'm going to make a video about that soon), but I'm sure there are opportunities I'm missing in neutral that I need to read better.

@MeSoFoolish, thanks, glad to hear it. Totally understandable that you'd drop pre patch Kotal--at that point, he was the worst in the game to me. Now though, Totemic is solid. As for jailing, yup. D3 is +13 in hit, so it's pretty easy to jail into 8 frame standing 1 or 11 frame F1 (I prefer the staggers off standing 1). You can also jail into standing 3, which is probably his best option, but it's a frame perfect link, so not the best online. D1 is +10 on hit I believe, so also jails into standing 1. I really need to use D4 more as it has greater pushback and at +16 on hit frame traps into F2 but it always did that. The new hotness really is D3.

 

[chief713]

As for jailing, yup. D3 is +13 in hit, so it's pretty easy to jail into 8 frame standing 1 or 11 frame F1 (I prefer the staggers off standing 1). You can also jail into standing 3, which is probably his best option, but it's a frame perfect link, so not the best online.

Don't forget about S2. It's 9f so you don't have to be frame perfect and it's 0 on block with some nice pushback. 221 isn't terrible either, esp in Totemic

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

I definitely like using 221 midscreen for the meaty Quake and nearly safe totem setups, as well as in the corner for combos or into Quake reset. However, 22 leaves you at -9 and too far to throw (if you're staggering) and 221 leaves you at -7.

12 on the other hand leaves you only at -2 on block and in perfect throw range. Also, 122 leaves you at -6 which allows you to D1 contest combo start mids/lows of all of the following characters: Sub Zero, Scorpion, Kano, Kitana, Skarlet, Kollector, Johnny Cage, Baraka, Cetrion, Kotal Kahn, D’vorah. Of course, many will just go into their own D1 after 122 ends because they know they don't have a fast mid, at which point you can block and take your turn back, or flawless block U2 into a combo if you're godlike (still working on this myself). Lastly, if 122 hits it leads into a max range meaty Quake. The timing is tighter than off of 221, but the fact it's max range means that if the Quake whiffs, you're more likely to go unpunished.

Don't get me wrong, 2/22/221 has it's place! I just think as a go to string after D1 and D3, 122 should be the staple.

Edit: Previously I had said that 34 was the ideal follow up after a D3 on hit, due to it being high damage on hit, +1 after the 3 on block, and 0 after the 4 on block, but 3 doesn't leave you at the right range to throw and while you can mash D1 after 34 to get your turn back, you'll trade with characters who have 6 frame D1s. Because of this and because you have to be frame perfect to get the standing 3 after D3, I think 1/12/122 is actually the all around better go to. Also, you can get 1/12/122 after D1 so you only have to train your brain to do one stagger string after you confirm that you've hit with D1 or D3.

 

[MeSoFoolish]

So here is my very first gameplay of Totemic online. I had a little lab time to remember the buttons. It felt really uncomfortable but i won some of my games incl a 456 combo match ender . I'm going to lab my punishments and the poke game. No F112 on block anymore.

 

[chief713]

I definitely like using 221 midscreen for the meaty Quake and nearly safe totem setups, as well as in the corner for combos or into Quake reset. However, 22 leaves you at -9 and too far to throw (if you're staggering) and 221 leaves you at -7.

I actually stopped doing much quake with 221 cause ppl always delay wakeup lol. And I mostly like it in the corner or as an alternative to 3 when I want pushback on ppl that like to press buttons / don't have good spacing. Really wish 22 wasn't -9 or I'd use it a lot more cause 2 also hits from max range D3 on hit. I generally agree with the reasoning for using 122 tho

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Yeah, if 22 wasn't so negative, it would be great to use as a string that leaves you at neutral with the opponent, kind of like F4 can be. Still, a great string in the corner for sure, and that's good to know about 2 connecting from a max range D3 hit. I'll need to check if standing 1 does the same.

 

[chief713]

S1 doesn't reach from max range D3 hit, which sucks. Just 2, 3 and F1. And as was mentioned, 3 has to be frame perfect. Also, ppl tend to press after F12 because they know F122 is unsafe asf; and maybe I'm trash or the animations are too telegraphed, but I never fool anyone with F1 stagger lol. Ppl have mashed thru that literally every time I've tried it. No BS I actually have more success staggering 22 somehow

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Thanks for the heads-up. Yeah, I only ever use F1/F12/F122 as a punish since I don't see it having much utility beyond that for Totemic. For Ascension the safe knockdown with F14 can be okay for Command Grab setups but that's about it to me.

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Made it to God rank using only Totemic! Man, that felt good =). Also, got to play some fairly well known players along the way.

As I say in the video, I still have a lot to learn, but I hope the matches help anyone grinding Kotal!

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Matches using Kotal's third variation:

 

[MagicMan357]

The kotal forums are legit the best

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Title is self explanatory. Hope it helps!

 

[Ozzy_K]

Title is self explanatory. Hope it helps!

Awesome guide, man.
I've started to play Kotal in KL and couldn't win a single match with him, I was like 0-16 before I returned to my main. With this guide I'm ready to try to improve my game with him. I hope he gets buffed in the upcoming patch, so he's even more viable.

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

@Ozzy_K, glad to hear it helped. It would certainly be nice if NRS sped up his blood totem and sunlight so there were more setup opportunities, but since they recently patched him some, not sure if they will again beyond the moves that the 3rd Variation is getting. Thankfully, I think Totemic is 5-5 or better against most of the cast and even the matches that are harder for him, like Liu Kang, Geras, and Scorpion, I'm starting to figure out ways around, so I think there's a lot of hope for the Kotal nation.

Should be posting Part 2 later today and then a video where I show off some of his winning match ups!

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Part 2 is up!

 

[MeSoFoolish]

Part 2 is up!

You make great video's mister. I'd love to get my ass whooped by your Kotal, but you sound like you are from NA so that would be late games for one of us.

Anyways, the 3th variation looks hella boring to me tbh. But kinda expected without any moves besides 3 totems and some amped projectiles left.
Even with damage totems up the damage doesn't give me the satisfaction Blood God gave me in MKX.

For example:
B22-34-DF2amp

No totem = 284.23
1 totem = 341.08
2 totems = 397.92
3 totems = 454.77

Yes even with 1 totem the damage is pretty good but how likely is it you are gonna hit this? I will probably stack up totems the entire round after hitting F34's, F4's. But at the time i can cash out the potential damage the round is basically already over or not far from over. And after seeing your guides i reallllly wanna end my kombo's in cat.

 

[MeSoFoolish]

Just to stay on-topic i recorded some totemic matches in quickplay before the patch. The opponents were bad so more critique i can give to myself.

• I never hit confirm B22 into full combo.
• Too much F1(12) instead of F2(4) (bit of a habit after a season of Nightwolf)
• When i do F24 on block i end it in F243 wayyyy to often.
• Close OKI i do 100% F34, lot of success but its all i do.
• Too much sun after a knockdown instead of pressure. Or sun when its not safe.
• Maybe learn a corner combo? lol.

Im exciting for buffed Kotal!

 

[Slymind]

The kotal forums are legit the best

The players are a reflection of their characters, thats why JC mains are extremely obnoxious.

We Kotal mains are noble and dignified individuals.

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

You make great video's mister. I'd love to get my ass whooped by your Kotal, but you sound like you are from NA so that would be late games for one of us.

Anyways, the 3th variation looks hella boring to me tbh. But kinda expected without any moves besides 3 totems and some amped projectiles left.
Even with damage totems up the damage doesn't give me the satisfaction Blood God gave me in MKX.

For example:
B22-34-DF2amp

No totem = 284.23
1 totem = 341.08
2 totems = 397.92
3 totems = 454.77

Yes even with 1 totem the damage is pretty good but how likely is it you are gonna hit this? I will probably stack up totems the entire round after hitting F34's, F4's. But at the time i can cash out the potential damage the round is basically already over or not far from over. And after seeing your guides i reallllly wanna end my kombo's in cat.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm NA, so matches likely would be late, but feel free to add me on PS4: Jeffrey--Wolf

As for variation 3, Buluc, to me, it's main benefit is being able to end F24 and F12 even safer than Cat using Amplified Disc which is only -1 with great pushback. The downside is, you can see it coming and can flawless block the gap unlike Cat, so better in some ways, worse in others. Also, being able to do 30%+ damage unbreakable off of now sped up F2 combos is pretty darn nice. I'll very likely make a video about it soon.

Personally, I'll likely stick with Totemic for better maneuverability and oki, but I'm sure there will end up being some solid Buluc players as the character can do some cool stuff. That is if buffed Ascension players don't take over everything =)

 

[Ram]

Kombat playing pre-patch (!) Kotal

 

[Qwark28]

I have a couple hours of footage here, haven't been posted my gameplay here lately.

 

[MeSoFoolish]

Two sets of Totemic game play from this afternoon.

I really took benefit from the Totemic guides videos from @Jeffrey Wolf . I think I managed my Cat OKI really well. The game I got bodied by the Liu Kang I just was to impatient on his zoning. And omg never ever try to interrupt F43U3 with 140MS ping! Any feedback will help, thanks in advance!!

 

[Jeffrey Wolf]

Glad to hear my videos helped, and nice job mixing up your oki, from F2 pressure, to F3, to dash up throw, to Slam!

Some things I'd recommend:

• You were going for F122 as a punish even after you'd used the KB. After the patch, it's best to do 221 launcher into combo.
• After a 122 you're at the perfect spacing for a meaty Slam, you don't have to dash forward first (unless you were doing it as a mix up).
• Try working on hit confirming after 12 so you can get a Cat ender.
• After Amplified Slam you're at +10, so no need to back off--it's still your turn.
• If you want to throw the opponent after a Cat knockdown, practice doing doing a single wave dash (i.e. FF, briefly tap block, F) as that will cover the ground to get you into a throw range faster.

And a note for future games:
- Be wary using Cat in neutral too much or at the end of strings against characters like Liu and Scorpion since they can punish it. That said, if you notice that the opponent doesn't know how to punish, like in these matches, you can be freer with it, like you were.

Again though, nicely done, especially beating Scorpion--that's a tough MU for Totemic!