Kung Lao Competitive Discussion

[DDTECH]

If you folks find better, please write 'em down!
And I we need an official combo thread by someone committed to editing it!

Plus 1

 

[Drew9795]

Im not sure how to feel about the character. He has no high low mixups and his normal frame data is kind of dog shit. Plus you can duck and interrupt his 21212 string. also his kbs are all tied to unsafe shit

 

[honeybooboo]

How tight is f1 link after hat orbit?

 

[RexyWrecks]

How tight is f1 link after hat orbit?

Very. You’re better off using 12 or 2. If you’re trying to confirm off a d4 into orb hat, then you must use the f1 link.

 

[kingjack21]

So far Lao feels natural to me. My bnb has been 2121 db1 f1 df1 j3 d4. I havent gotten much lab time since i was playing story mode but ill get into it after work this week. That link from db1 to f1 is super tight

I don't really db1 in combos... Its expensive...
Why don't you use this combo 2121 df1 F21 df1 amp j3 d4
You get to keep a bar of defensive meter

 

[honeybooboo]

I cant seem to get the 2121 chain fist part on stick unless i mash it out. Im piano keying it too. If i mash it out, it makes it impossible to cancel into spin... Any tips?

 

[honeybooboo]

Very. You’re better off using 12 or 2. If you’re trying to confirm off a d4 into orb hat, then you must use the f1 link.

Sometimes s1 or s2 wiffs

 

[Drew9795]

Anyone else having trouble hit confirming 21212 online but in training mode it works fine? I can hit confirm it into the 4 ender but when i try to spin it doesn't come out

 

[Professor Oak]

Planning to make a big edit in the morning with my finds. I think Lao may be really good, honestly. He has great Oki at the least.

 

[honeybooboo]

Anyone else having trouble hit confirming 21212 online but in training mode it works fine? I can hit confirm it into the 4 ender but when i try to spin it doesn't come out

I am, but i think its mainly because im playing stick

 

[Drew9795]

I am, but i think its mainly because im playing stick

I play on pad. I can get the 21212 string to come out but not special cancel. In training mode I can late cancel/hit confirm it but not online.


Edit: yeah I'm thinking it might be bugged or something. It must have something to do with the tournament variation being different from the character customization preset,

 

[DDTECH]

Played online alittle. Lao is super unsafe when his shit is blocked.. its kindof annoying.

Can we get a break down.. Does this shit that we upgrade and customize transfer into the online world?

 

[Drew9795]

Played online alittle. Lao is super unsafe when his shit is blocked.. its kindof annoying.

Can we get a break down.. Does this shit that we upgrade and customize transfer into the online world?

Told you bro. Once people find out his gimmick and start mashing low pokes or d2 it's over. I'm going to start experimenting with some of his safer strings that have push back, so that I can get some whiff punishes going.

 

[Death By Nines]

Impressions from a veteran Lao player after two days:

PROS

- He hits hard anywhere on screen. Very good at turning stray hits into above average damage. Crazy corner damage.

- Great whiff punisher with F21 and F1.

- Has a pretty buff D4 that low profiles a lot of stuff and has decent reach. Reminds of Johnny Cage's D4 from MKX. Good for annoying opponents.

- Has a teleport, which is valuable in this game.

- Okay projectile. Won't win any projectile wars but it's nice to have the option.

- Can play the footsie game somewhat well, but this brings me to the next bit.

- It's Kung Lao.

CONS

- Pretty much any of the strings you'd want to in mid-range are unsafe and punishable. F21 is -13, so unless you are 100% sure you're going to hit I'd keep this a whiff punisher tool and not a whole lot else. This leaves F1 as pretty much his best advancing mid with safe follow-ups. F13 is unsafe but usually leaves you far enough that most characters can't effectively punish (in my experience so far at least).

- 21212. His only plus string at +1. However, this is nowhere near as good as similar moves in MK9 and MKX. The first three hits are HIGH. You may get away with doing this a few times but once your opponent gets wise to it that's an easy D2 Krushing Blow into minimum 40% of your life. I'm probably missing something, but use this as your own peril.

- Orbiting Hat is a meter hog for some inexplicable reason.

- All Spectral Lao follow-ups are unsafe. Good combos with the 2 pop-up though.

That's all I've got right now. He's fun and will take some experience to really get what his gameplan is. All I know is so far he's not as immediately effective as say, Liu Kang.

 

[MrMiketastic]

Where my Lao mains at? Im struggling.

So far, this is the only stuff Ive found.

Since orbiting hat uses a bar of offense and defense, I choose to not use it in combos unless in the corner. Instead, Ive been ending combos in Monk Dunk then setting up Orbiting Hat.

Combos:
F21spin, 12, f12
F21spin, 12, f4orbiting hat(this is an option, will beat all wake ups as well as getting an extra % in damage. ~21%-~22%

Anyone care to revise this or help me lab this char?

I labbed him a bit and I noticed that orbiting hat isn't that bad of a choice to use in combos. In fact, I think it might be a better choice over spin when you're doing 21212 because it actually scales less, surprisingly.

Funny thing, I've actually got a video that sort of uses those combos you put down. I hope this helps. It's a 29-30% with a splat in the end.

Combo:
F21 xx df1, f4, db1, f12

*I could be wrong about the last string. Kinda forgot the notation but I remember it through muscle memory. LOL

VID (BELOW):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1120744195700903937

 

[beep_ima_sheep]

Just a rambling of thoughts so far:

I've always loved Lao and determined to make him work in this game. I definitely feel that most of the stuff I can get away with now is just gimmicky and once people wise up to it it'll no longer be viable.

Movement feels slower or stiffer in this game, which really seems to make dive kick a lot more valuable. Solid for punishing projectiles and jumpy opponents.

21212 just leads to uppercut city so I strictly use it for punishes, which is unfortunate.

The F1 link on a grounded DB1 is quite difficult to me. It sounds like S2 is easier but also whiffs inconsistently?

Sometimes I'll throw out F4~DB1 and if it catches them it leads to huge damage:

F4~DB1, F4~DF1mb, (walk forward a bit) 21~DF1, F12. Can replace F12 with ji3, D4.

I have a real tough time opening people up since no overheads so a lot of my damage comes from low poke~throw. F21 gets me blown up if I don't spend two bars just to put me at -7. Going to try F1 more.

No idea what to really do with his one low starter combo. Punishable and interruptible. I just throw it out on occasion with a DB1 cancel.

Going to experiment more with DB1 into tele set ups.

D2 Krushing Blow Combo: D2 KB, walk a bit forward, 21~DF1, ji3, D4

My general play style has been to keep my distance a bit and try to whiff punish and jump punish but this just doesn't feel like the pressure god he's been in the past. Difficult to open people up, but when you do he hits like a truck.

 

[LightsOut452]

I definitely feel that most of the stuff I can get away with now is just gimmicky and once people wise up to it it'll no longer be viable.

I completely agree with this statement, that is exactly what I was thinking on day 1

Sometimes I'll throw out F4~DB1 and if it catches them it leads to huge damage:

sounds interesting, I always thought F4 was kinda too slow, gonna try that on real opponents

 

[LightsOut452]

Honestly, if they just made his main strings a little more safe - Lao would be perfect in this game

 

[DDTECH]

There's so much new shit in this game though to learn.
There's a high for lao, do the fucken "hop" and Y, its a overhead to open up a string, tiny window, but I've connected his fist fury shit to it.

I agree that he right now, can be one of the most dangerous rounded fights in the game, but he is SERVERLY unsafe in online game play. Play a decent Kabal player and you're gonna catch that smoke, real fast. I've been playing the game nonstop, and my wife is awesome for understanding as i work 14 hour days, and come home, shower / eat and study this game.

This game is very much harder to rip on then XL, lao's counters and pushes to the corner and punishers were much easier and longer in MKXL, in this game, there's alot of tech and planning that will need to go into stringing bigger combos together, i've yet to feel comfortable with him.. His combos are good, but I've yet to get that TEMPEST feel like i did in MKX, lao's negetive on almost every fucken thing he does lol

 

[DDTECH]

How tight is f1 link after hat orbit?

You're not connecting it 8/10 times online, Big facts. Thats not shit talking, thats just plain facts. In pratice you'll be fine, but online game play its time to start looking at his basic bitch openers to do anything vs anyone online.. and as people get better and learn more shit.. watch out lol

 

[Matador Fiend]

Db1 is +12 and f1 is 10f iirc so its a 2f link. Maybe its character specific, but i can consistently link s2 after db1 on raiden without whiffing (thats who i used as target practice last night). S1 seems to whiff on everyone


Can lao not special cancel his tele on any strings?

 

[RexyWrecks]

Db1 is +12 and f1 is 10f iirc so its a 2f link. Maybe its character specific, but i can consistently link s2 after db1 on raiden without whiffing (thats who i used as target practice last night). S1 seems to whiff on everyone


Can lao not special cancel his tele on any strings?

He can. His teleport cancels are hard to time. Most of them can only be canceled very late in the string. Turn on frame data and try canceling the teleport.. if you successfully cancel the string into tele, your cancel adv should show up in the frame data box.

In regards to S2/S1/F1 link, the timing is very strict. S1/S2 may whiff on small hit box chars like Jacqui. She is a good character to try your bnbs on.

 

[RexyWrecks]

You're not connecting it 8/10 times online, Big facts. Thats not shit talking, thats just plain facts. In pratice you'll be fine, but online game play its time to start looking at his basic bitch openers to do anything vs anyone online.. and as people get better and learn more shit.. watch out lol

Yea, you’re right. IMO he needs more hit adv on his orbiting hat.

 

[RexyWrecks]

Has anyone found any use for omega hat? You can combo off of sweep and 34 with regular hat.. just wondering if anyone has found any use for omega hat yet.

 

[HiddenSelectCounterPick]

Im trying Lao out this time around, this is what I got so far.