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Kotal right now

Macoomba

Noob
Ehy there guys, I was wondering how is Kotal right now. I don't mean about tier list, I just mean his playstyle. He seems a bit boring, but I never played him on mk11, even if the war god variation was my main on the X. Tell me everything you want about! His buttons, his playstyle, strategy and stuff. Thank you! <3
 

Evil Canadian

G O K U
Premium Supporter
Right now he's meant to be a footsies character but due to his... well everything he isn't terribly good at it. f2 has good range, that's about all I can say. If you were a wargod player there's no b1 equivalent, f2 is a special launcher now that you would never, ever do by itself, no equivalency to most of the sword specials. Sword quake equiv is much better though I guess?
 

Macoomba

Noob
Right now he's meant to be a footsies character but due to his... well everything he isn't terribly good at it. f2 has good range, that's about all I can say. If you were a wargod player there's no b1 equivalent, f2 is a special launcher now that you would never, ever do by itself, no equivalency to most of the sword specials. Sword quake equiv is much better though I guess?
It looks like there is no good point on picking him up.. Because I dont know how much fun he can be :'D
 

DoctorSexual

XBL: DoctorSexual PSN: Osh-Tek
He's perfectly fine against people who don't know what they're doing (80% of players online), but boy oh boy, when you run into that 20% you might as well just put your sticks down.

He feels like a 75% complete character. Missing some required tools to compete at the highest levels. And in my humble opinion he's fundamentally and literally broken against good zoning characters players. At full screen against a strong zoner who knows what they are doing there's nothing besides trying to switch to a different objectively worse variation that you can try. You cant jump projectiles because of his screwed up hitbox, cant counter projectile long term because of his insanely slow to get out fireball, no teleport, no advancing safety.

And yes, he's boring. He has like 2 viable combos and what basically amounts to one (Ill advised to ever use it outside of a combo) launcher out of neutral.
 

John Grizzly

The axe that clears the forest
He was my favorite character by far in MKX, and I am so disappointed with him in MK11. He feels so unfinished. He is not fun at all, in my opinion. I wouldn't waste your time on him until they give him some help. I don't know what they were thinking with Kotal this time around.

Sidenote: the cat morph is fucking stupid
 

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
He does have problems vs zoning chars, totemic does just fine vs those, except probably sonya. You're not supposed to counterzone with his projectile, you didn't either in MKX. Very few chars jump projectiles. No advancing safety? F24 is -7.

Unfinished? Nah. He lacks a mid but that's it. That's literally his main problem, along with hitboxes.

You guys are welcome not to play him but it's clear you haven't put in any time actually trying to make him work without hating him at the same time.
 
Messing around with him in Kasual matches is kind of fun but he has the auto loss matchups.

Few things that dont seem right and need buffs asap:

-His B4 range is surprisingly awful.
-His D2 is possibly the worst in the game, I feel like his wake up U2 should be his natural D2 but w/e
-Sun beam (ascension variation) should have a bit fast start up. There aren't many scenarios where you can get this out safely.
-His command grab throws them too far away to follow up kind of killing momentum. Maybe the amplified version could provide some kind of follow up options?
 

Slymind

Noob
He was my favorite character by far in MKX, and I am so disappointed with him in MK11. He feels so unfinished. He is not fun at all, in my opinion. I wouldn't waste your time on him until they give him some help. I don't know what they were thinking with Kotal this time around.

Sidenote: the cat morph is fucking stupid
It's not that useful of a move, but i love using it anyway.

Anyway, i just want some better mids to punish, people can duck him all day for the most part.
 
Somebody pointed this out on Twitter (don't recall who, a tournament caster i think), but he feels so much better in Kustoms. Like, his totems are amazing. Stacking them up is fun and rewarding, and relative to similar set-up/buff type moves they don't have nearly as much startup/recovery. Unfortunately, going back to playing tournament variations for Kombat League is even more painful knowing that there's a world that exists where you can enjoy Kotal.

Edit: ALSO the fact that Cat and Air Cat takes two separate slots really blows my mind. That's just so excessive to me! You should get both!
 
Don't matter how you want to slice this cake, the cake is filled with nothing but baking powder and other inedible materials and is thus a flan cake. He's an incomplete character, filled with so many issues that it's not funny.
 
Somebody pointed this out on Twitter (don't recall who, a tournament caster i think), but he feels so much better in Kustoms. Like, his totems are amazing. Stacking them up is fun and rewarding, and relative to similar set-up/buff type moves they don't have nearly as much startup/recovery. Unfortunately, going back to playing tournament variations for Kombat League is even more painful knowing that there's a world that exists where you can enjoy Kotal.

Edit: ALSO the fact that Cat and Air Cat takes two separate slots really blows my mind. That's just so excessive to me! You should get both!
His totems aren't that better either. Other than the throw (Sun God command grab), his MKX F2 (Kahn Cut,) and his Sword machete cut thing int he totemic variation, he isn't that good.
 

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
the rank 1 guy on PC has a 90% winrate on Kotal, hes super strong. the character is hella good
Just because he bends you over doesn't mean he's good. Maybe learn how to jump command grabs first.
His totems aren't that better either. Other than the throw (Sun God command grab), his MKX F2 (Kahn Cut,) and his Sword machete cut thing int he totemic variation, he isn't that good.
Damage totem is one of the best moves in the game.
 

Eh SnOwY

PC FGC
Just because he bends you over doesn't mean he's good. Maybe learn how to jump command grabs first.
Damage totem is one of the best moves in the game.
when i jump i get hit by F1 string into krush

honestly id rather fight jacqui close than kotal

idk why his cmd grab has such a simple input compared to rest of the cast

i think characters with cmd grabs are super underrated
 

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
when i jump i get hit by F1 string into krush

honestly id rather fight jacqui close than kotal

idk why his cmd grab has such a simple input compared to rest of the cast

i think characters with cmd grabs are super underrated
F122 krushes on counterhit or punish. You're not being krushed for jumping but for pressing buttons.
 

thlityoursloat

kick kick
when i jump i get hit by F1 string into krush

honestly id rather fight jacqui close than kotal

idk why his cmd grab has such a simple input compared to rest of the cast

i think characters with cmd grabs are super underrated
f122 is also like.. really negative.
 

Eh SnOwY

PC FGC
F122 krushes on counterhit or punish. You're not being krushed for jumping but for pressing buttons.

yeah my mistake, but when i jump i also get d1'd from the air into a juggle, its just obnoxious

maybe theres a specific strat against these characters i dont know about
 

TakeAChance

TYM White Knight
yeah my mistake, but when i jump i also get d1'd from the air into a juggle, its just obnoxious

maybe theres a specific strat against these characters i dont know about
Just duck the command grab. Everything he has up close other than f3 takes an eternity or is a high. IF you read command grab, duck and blow his ass up for 30+ with the KB uppercut. Worse comes to worse, you will just take another d1 mash.
 

Wetdoba

All too easy...
Just duck the command grab. Everything he has up close other than f3 takes an eternity or is a high. IF you read command grab, duck and blow his ass up for 30+ with the KB uppercut. Worse comes to worse, you will just take another d1 mash.
His command grab is a mid so this is all false
 

DrFolmer

AKA Uncle Kano
His command grab is one of the few pros he has. You never mess up the inputs, deals a lot of damage. I wouldnt mind his slow strings if his fundamental kit was better. He should have really solid pokes and a d2 actually worth something. His d4 is slow as hell, and a character like Kotal should have fast pokes with high hit advantage to compensate his slower combo strings.

He's like footsie/grabbler hybrid. His grab game could be absolutely amazing if he didnt side switch on cmd grab.

But then again, you might as well just play New Era Geras instead LOL