Match-Up Discussion - Kung Lao Kung Lao Community MU Chart

[Professor Oak]

Back in the Mk9 days you could go to a characters forum and find guides, combo lists, tech, and the all mighty Match up Charts. Fast forward to 2016 and MKXL has some of this, but it's less focused and organized.

Kung Lao is my day one main, so I thought I'd post here first. With the help of other mains and people with knowledge on the match up, I'd like to make a full match up chart for this character and possibly others that lack a mu discussion thread.(if the respective community is willing to help)

Start sounding off below on where he excels, falls short, and is completely average. I have a feeling this will be easy, a lot of Kung Laos matchups feel like 5-5. Thanks guys!

@Eddy Wang @Pan1cMode @ETC Mcfly tag other laos?

 

[Scott The Scot]

Why does everybody on TYM always forget about @A F0xy Grampa in Kung Lao threads lol.

Also, I'd like to remind you that you'll probably need 3 different charts for each variation of Lao vs each variation of every other character lol.

 

[Professor Oak]

Why does everybody on TYM always forget about @A F0xy Grampa in Kung Lao threads lol.

Also, I'd like to remind you that you'll probably need 3 different charts for each variation of Lao vs each variation of every other character lol.

I'm aware, and I didn't forget Foxy, just always struggle to remember his tag because of the "0" instead of the "o" in foxy.

I'm sure the MU charts for this game will be exponentially larger than MK9, but if we start with stand out losing and winning match ups, we can get an idea of the utility of his variations. It can literally do no harm.

 

[Scott The Scot]

I'm aware, and I didn't forget Foxy, just always struggle to remember his tag because of the "0" instead of the "o" in foxy.

I'm sure the MU charts for this game will be exponentially larger than MK9, but if we start with stand out losing and winning match ups, we can get an idea of the utility of his variations. It can literally do no harm.

I usually just type the at symbol, then "A F" and because it's the first 3 characters, because of the space, it'll pop up in a little box

 

[Eddy Wang]

Kung Lao is good overall, there isn't a particular area he excels at at IMO, so all his MUs to some extent are manageable.

KL biggest demon imo are Kitana due the air space control, this limits his mobility considerably which is part of his reliable movement due his slow walkspeed, and any character with a 6 frames button and a 7 frame special specially on hat trick will mostly atempt to poke out of trap pressure or call back, which opens for other options.

While this is a issue, KL in general is a footsie character, a good neutral and spacing is required to play the character at the highest level and he definitely has tools to play it, its just that a good chunk of this strong aspect of his gameplay is mostly crippled by his walkspeed in general.

Just a few of my Hat Trick MU chart

4-6 vs Hellfire/Ninjutsu
4-6 vs Assassin/Royalstorm
4-6 vs Demo
5-5 vs Covert ops
4-6 vs Brawler/Hollywood
4-6 vs Master of Storms
5-5 vs A-list
4-6 vs Shirai Ryu
5-5 vs Ronin
6-4 vs Outlaw
5-5 vs Wargod
5-5 vs Sun God
6-4 vs Blood God
6-4 vs Shotgun
4-6 vs Ermac
5-5 vs Dualist
4-6 vs Dragon Fire/ Flamefist
4-6 vs Tempest/Buzzsaw
6-4 vs Inferno
5-5 vs Thundergod/Displacer
4-6 vs Slasher/Unstopable
4-6 vs Cryomancer
5-5 vs Cyrax

 

[Pan1cMode]

I don't actually use KL, but can comment on how he does against Jacqui. (Lao number is second)

Full Auto:
Buzzsaw: 5-5
Tempest: 6-4
Hattrick: 6-4

Shotgun:
Buzzsaw: 5-5
Tempest: 5-5
Hattrick: 5-5

High Tech
Buzzsaw: 3-7
Tempest: 4-6
Hattrick: 3-7

 

[Eddy Wang]

I don't actually use KL, but can comment on how he does against Jacqui. (Lao number is second)

Full Auto:
Buzzsaw: 5-5
Tempest: 6-4
Hattrick: 6-4

Shotgun:
Buzzsaw: 5-5
Tempest: 5-5
Hattrick: 5-5

High Tech
Buzzsaw: 3-7
Tempest: 4-6
Hattrick: 3-7

Hat Trick might do better than tempest against full auto, since the hat cover more range it conditions zoning better if left out to contest her safe projectiles.

 

[Pan1cMode]

Hat Trick might do better than tempest against full auto, since the hat cover more range it conditions zoning better if left out to contest her safe projectiles.

I can see that, but I still feel full Auto has the advantage in the matchup and tempest is definitely not a 7-3. If you wanted to you could make it 5.5-4.5 but that's splitting hairs at that point.

 

[Eddy Wang]

I can see that, but I still feel full Auto has the advantage in the matchup and tempest is definitely not a 7-3. If you wanted to you could make it 5.5-4.5 but that's splitting hairs at that point.

Yeah, the call back is not as before anymore, now is pretty good even fullscreen, reason why i said, if KL leaves a hat somewhere now ppl need to act cautions since now he combos with the hat anywhere in the screen.

Still Full Auto has slight advantage, but not that much either IMO.

 

[just_2swift]

Learn from this

 

[Professor Oak]

Few of my Buzzsaw MU numbers(King Laos number 2nd):

Kotal: 3-7
Jason(unstoppable and relentless): 4-6
Sub Zero: 4-6
Sonya Blade: 6-4
Kitana: 7-3
Reptile(Nimble): 6-4
Tanya(Kobu and Pyro): 6-4
Ermac(Mystic/Spectral): 7-3
Kung Jin: 5-5
Liu Kang(Flame Fist): 6-4
Shinnok: 6-4
Scorpion(Ninjutsu): 4-6

These are just matchups I've played a lot that stand out. Smoke and Sektor are potential bad matchups and Cassie is another MU I'm learning.

 

[xKhaoTik]

Lol kitana doesn't beat him that bad

 

[conqueror]

Few of my Buzzsaw MU numbers(King Laos number 2nd):

Kotal: 3-7
Jason(unstoppable and relentless): 4-6
Sub Zero: 4-6
Sonya Blade: 6-4
Kitana: 7-3
Reptile(Nimble): 6-4
Tanya(Kobu and Pyro): 6-4
Ermac(Mystic/Spectral): 7-3
Kung Jin: 5-5
Liu Kang(Flame Fist): 6-4
Shinnok: 6-4
Scorpion(Ninjutsu): 4-6

These are just matchups I've played a lot that stand out. Smoke and Sektor are potential bad matchups and Cassie is another MU I'm learning.

i agree with the kotal
but kubu is more like 4-6 and not 6-4

 

[Professor Oak]

Lol kitana doesn't beat him that bad

I've honestly only played one Kitana since the update and it felt awful. 6-4?

i agree with the kotal
but kubu is more like 4-6 and not 6-4

You have experience from the Lao side or the Tanya side? Interested in why you think he beats her. I can see it being 5-5

 

[Professor Oak]

I played about 30-45 games against a decent Bo Rai Cho today and I feel that Kung Lao rules that match up. At least 6-4 in Laos favor.

 

[conqueror]

I've honestly only played one Kitana since the update and it felt awful. 6-4?


You have experience from the Lao side or the Tanya side? Interested in why you think he beats her. I can see it being 5-5

i havent played with her (kubu) lately but lao pretty much has better tools in most situations
much better anti-air
much better jump attacks
more and or even better mids
much safer close up
much better projectile
same or even better air game
same or even better pressure game
etc...
pretty much lao wins most or all aspects of the fight against her

 

[xSamuel]

I've never thought the Kitana/Lao MU was really that bad. You have to submit to her pace of play full screen because you will get blown up for doing typical Lao shenanigans. Other than that I thought it was a pretty fair and manageable MU, at least for Tempest. I'd say 5-5 before the patch but idk now with her changes

 

[Eddy Wang]

What Lao has now is better punishing normals, now he punishes real hard on any variation with B1, he can punish almost everything now.

 

[TheGangstaFace]

With the fact that my 2 favorite characters got the nerf hammer, I haven't been playing as much since the patch. I can comfortably say though that Buzzsaw 6-4's Drunken Master. He doesn't 7-3 him imo because of the Torpedo he gets when drunk, invincibility, and we all know how Lao does under intense pressure lol. But for the most part he can get zoned out pretty good and easy punishes on him

 

[xAnxiety]

So this one is just off the top of my head, been playing Buzz saw Lao since patch launched so feel free to blow me up i can add spoilers with explanations later.

Spoiler: Alien (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Cassie (5.5-4.5)

Overall you guys have the same game plan, get to the corner and start unleashing hell, while I feel the stamina nerfs did kinda fuck cassie over, she's still really good, you need to be able to establish a strong neutral and blow her up for attempting to run in. her f1 has nice range but you can space her out and either throw a low hat or a string to punish it, always be weary of ex nut punch/ ex take down, and youll do fine.

Spoiler: D'vorah SQ (5-5) Brood mother (5.5-4.5) Venomous (4.5-5.5)*

ah, my former main (RIP). This is an interesting matchup being that D'vorah will ALWAYS out footsie you, she has some of the best footsie tools in the game. Swarm Queen you're more free to press buttons if they attempt to puddle after the nerfs. Also backdashing vs SQ isnt a terrible option after stamina nerfs being that they only have one chance to read that you'll backdash.
Venomous I think gives lao the most problems being that you really dont have an answer to her when she's mixing you, the restand really gives us lots of problems, but it is a lot easier to punish her with the b1 buffs.

Brood Mother is an interesting matchup being that you are one of few characters really able to blow up some of her setups, if you see that she's doing crawler you are free to back dash and iadk for a free punish, that leave the projectile being your only real worry which you can freely poke out of (being she doesnt cancel after f112, its still a bit plus)

Spoiler: Ermac (4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Erron Black (6-4)

to be added

Spoiler: Ferra Torr (5-5?)

help pls

Spoiler: Goro (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Jacqui (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Jason (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Jax (6-4)

to be added

Spoiler: Johnny (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Kano (4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Kenshi (6-4)

to be added

Spoiler: Kitana (4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Kotal (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Kung Jin (5.5-4.5 possible 6-4)

to be added

Spoiler: Leatherface(5-5) (6-4 butcher)

to be added

Spoiler: Liu Kang (4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Mileena (4.5-5.5)

to be added

Spoiler: Predator(5.5-4.5)

to be added

Spoiler: Quan (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Raiden (4.5-5.5)

to be added

Spoiler: Reptile (5.5-4.5)

to be added

Spoiler: Scorpion (5-5) (Ninjitsu 4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Shinnok (4-6)

to be added

Spoiler: Sonya (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Sub (4-6) (Cryo 5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Takeda (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Tanya (5-5)

to be added

Spoiler: Tremor (4.5-5.5

to be added

Spoiler: Triborg (5-5) (Smoke 4-6) (Sektor 4.5-5.5)

to be added

CURRENTLY DONE: Cassie, D'vorah

 

[Yer_Da]

I don't play Lao but with the characters I do play -

Every Lao variation beats every Reptile variation 6-4, he beats Drunken Master 7-3 and Dragons Breath/Bartitsu is a 6-4 in Lao's favour.

 

[just_2swift]

Playing mk9. Lao is a blast