DixieFlatline78
Everyone Has A Path
Let's talk positively for a second. Let's talk about Kung Lao.
People largely consider him to be a low tier character, maybe even bottom five. I'm not at all trying to claim he's the secret dark horse that'll penetrate the S-Tier, but I think people who say Kung Lao is trash are focusing on the wrong aspects of him. He's a solid mid-tier character, and with a few minor quality of life changes he would easily crack the top ten. I think he's a good main for anyone not making a living off E-Sports, especially if you have a secondary pocket character.
He's a high risk, high reward character with extremely strong punishes and good setups.
PROS:
Combos:
Kung Lao's combos have a lot of great benefits. They're high damage, with every touch getting at least 30%, usually more. They offer good corner carry and decent knockdown situations that allow you to go for okizeme, KB setups, or even meaty teleports depending on the situation.
Great Mids:
F4 is a 13-frame mid. It may not have spectacular range, but it's hit confirmable into his highest damage BNB combos, only -3 on block, giving you a decent opportunity to steal your turn back or block a counter poke to retain frame advantage, and gives a great knockdown in case you either don't cancel into spin or they only get hit by the second hit. It's also great combo filler.
F1 is a 10-frame mid with solid range for its speed. It's -5, which isn't amazing, but the follow up f12 has a long enough gap that gives the illusion they can counter poke, making it a good stagger mixup between F12 or F1 Throw. F1,3 is heavily minus but leads to a high-damage combo, so be sure to only use this if it's on a punish or you know they'll counter poke after F1.
B32 is a low, but it's a safe, easy to confirm string that leads to good damage.
Assorted Strings and Normals:
Divekick is a great, fast divekick. It's heavily unsafe, but jump back divekick is great for punishing advancing strings, D4 pokes, and errant jump-ins. Its hitbox is also very strong. I don't think it's at all possible to anti-air this.
34 ends in a low that has excellent range and is only -2 on block. Against people who are playing the footsie game, this can be a very sneaky low to land a good knock down.
21212 has its own section later.
D3 is an excellent low poke, D4 is also pretty good
Z-Hat:
A move that people largely thought was borderline useless on release, Z-Hat ended up being a surprisingly versatile projectile. While the startup is long, the screen real-estate it takes up is both large and unique. It remains active for a long time, so much so that it can even situationally anti-air opponents who have already successfully landed a jump-in attack. KL also has access to some difficult, but strong setups off it. If you manage to connect F4 within a couple frames of them hitting the ground (hint: dashing after the spin can help time it) and cancel into Z-Hat, the move will clip wakeup attacks. Amplifying this allows you to connect a F1 xx Spin for a 20% combo. Gambling on this setup, what would have been a ~33% combo became a 43% setup for the same bar.
If people attempt to roll away from the mixup, canceling Z-Hat and dashing forward can offer a throw punish on forward roll or a F13 or F2 punish on back roll. The second hit of F1 will whiff if your timing is just a little off, but F214 will still connect and give you a KB combo.
Even better if the opponent just does wakeup block you'll have plus frames after the Amp Z-Hat, so you can go for a mixup. These setups can be very hard to pull off, but they're always safe if you don't over commit to the follow up and lead to great punishes. If you aren't able to apply the mixup, you could still just use this to get back into their face.
Fun:
Mortal Kombat 11 seems to have an issue with characters being fairly one-dimensional, but Kung Lao is one of those who actually has a healthy sense of self-expression and versatility. His kit lends itself to conditioning and mind games. He can play solid for most of a set, but suddenly divert from his patterns and turn on the mix machine, stuffing wakeups and landing fat KBs. I find this to be the case with many lower-tier characters in fighting games. They aren't optimized, there isn't a generally accepted way to play them. It's up to the player to find their favorite uses for the moves.
CONS:
F214:
Kung Lao's F21 string does have its uses, but it also has major flaws. The string has decent range, so it works as a whiff punisher, and there's a great Krushing Blow attached to it. However, every hit of this string is punishable on block. Not only that, but at the very tip of the F2, the second hit frequently whiffs, meaning it's not reliable for the use it's advertised for. If I could only have one minor change to this character, it would be for F21 to link at all ranges.
Teleport:
KL's teleport is very telegraphed. It's pretty much useless in neutral, as it's very easy to convert a jab check into a float punish. It gets clipped by projectiles too, so it's unreliable for anti-zoning tools. In Oki situations, it loses to most U3s and trades or loses to many U2s. If the opponent is completely devoid of meter, then applying the mixup can be useful, as the throw offers a great knockdown and crossup setup. If the opponent has the habit of using delayed wakeup, Teleport 4 (WU TANG) can be used to get plus frames. The primary ways I use this are either to bait uppercuts or using the amplified version to fake a desperation teleport to close out the round. It does have uses, but it's not very reliable. And it's not really supposed to be used to threaten in the neutral like Scorpion's. That WU TANG KB is also extremely hard to get.
Meter Hungry:
Kung Lao needs barrrrzzzzz. His meterless combo damage is actually decently high, in the mid 20s, but to do a full combo then do a setup that may get blocked costs both bars. Luckily, he does have a kit to play solidly without meter.
Difficult Match-Ups
Geras can beat 90% of his setups and can apply F212 for free, Jade is extremely difficult to get in on when Glow is active, Jacqui can easily blow up his neutral. Kung Lao has his share of really difficult matchups, which is why it may be beneficial to have a pocket character who at least competes well. I feel like Johnny Cage or Liu Kang can cover his bad matchups.
Outclassed:
This is my actual number one problem with MK11, but he's another victim of the "Why play this character when you can play this character?" Scorpion fits a similar archetype, but with comparable damage (better with buff), better range, better staggers, better teleport, actual mixups. Realistically, the only reason to play Kung Lao is because you like him.
No Buzzsaw or GKL in tournament variations:
These moves are actually really neat and it's a shame we got the Orbiting Hat instead. Speaking of which...
Orbiting Hat:
I don't really have to say anything about this, do I? Extremely meter intensive, -7, limited uses, removes certain strings while active. It can keep KL safe, but if you keep using orbiting hat to make F21 and F13 safe and lose the round because you have no meter, that's your own fault.
Omega Hat:
This is the worst special move in the game.
FAKE CONS:
F21212
This string starts with three highs that don't jail. People see that this string is +1 on block and that's all they see. Nevermind that this is a 9-frame punisher that leads to 33%, nevermind that you can jail into this off D3, nevermind that the first two hits have surprisingly long range, a receded hurt box, and low whiff recovery, and can be confirmed into Amp Spin for 31%, or that finishing the string when the hat comes back is uninterruptable. If the full string was -2, nobody would complain about it.
Honestly, I'm sort of glad this string works this way. If 21212 jailed, it's all KL players would be doing. Besides, what does being +1 point blank truly offer you? A chance to D1 them first? People poke all the time when they're -1.
Dive Kick KB
Why don't you try going for knockdown pressure first instead of jumping around like a dumbass hoping they'll wakeup attack? This is a great KB for capitalizing on conditioning, and it's not one that you can just get because you want it at the time.
CONCLUSION
If one were to rank the starting roster in five tiers of five characters, Kung Lao would probably end up in the fourth tier, perhaps higher depending on how the other mid-tier characters develop. He's a pretty solid character overall, and unfairly disregarded. He doesn't have much in the way of exceptionally strong or abuseable tools, and he can't just throw out his moves with reckless abandon. He requires you to play solid, which is the worst thing that could ever possibly happen. WHERE'S HIS OVERHEAD, BOON!? THAT'S THE ONLY WAY A CHARACTER CAN BE GOOD, BOON
People largely consider him to be a low tier character, maybe even bottom five. I'm not at all trying to claim he's the secret dark horse that'll penetrate the S-Tier, but I think people who say Kung Lao is trash are focusing on the wrong aspects of him. He's a solid mid-tier character, and with a few minor quality of life changes he would easily crack the top ten. I think he's a good main for anyone not making a living off E-Sports, especially if you have a secondary pocket character.
He's a high risk, high reward character with extremely strong punishes and good setups.
PROS:
Combos:
Kung Lao's combos have a lot of great benefits. They're high damage, with every touch getting at least 30%, usually more. They offer good corner carry and decent knockdown situations that allow you to go for okizeme, KB setups, or even meaty teleports depending on the situation.
Great Mids:
F4 is a 13-frame mid. It may not have spectacular range, but it's hit confirmable into his highest damage BNB combos, only -3 on block, giving you a decent opportunity to steal your turn back or block a counter poke to retain frame advantage, and gives a great knockdown in case you either don't cancel into spin or they only get hit by the second hit. It's also great combo filler.
F1 is a 10-frame mid with solid range for its speed. It's -5, which isn't amazing, but the follow up f12 has a long enough gap that gives the illusion they can counter poke, making it a good stagger mixup between F12 or F1 Throw. F1,3 is heavily minus but leads to a high-damage combo, so be sure to only use this if it's on a punish or you know they'll counter poke after F1.
B32 is a low, but it's a safe, easy to confirm string that leads to good damage.
Assorted Strings and Normals:
Divekick is a great, fast divekick. It's heavily unsafe, but jump back divekick is great for punishing advancing strings, D4 pokes, and errant jump-ins. Its hitbox is also very strong. I don't think it's at all possible to anti-air this.
34 ends in a low that has excellent range and is only -2 on block. Against people who are playing the footsie game, this can be a very sneaky low to land a good knock down.
21212 has its own section later.
D3 is an excellent low poke, D4 is also pretty good
Z-Hat:
A move that people largely thought was borderline useless on release, Z-Hat ended up being a surprisingly versatile projectile. While the startup is long, the screen real-estate it takes up is both large and unique. It remains active for a long time, so much so that it can even situationally anti-air opponents who have already successfully landed a jump-in attack. KL also has access to some difficult, but strong setups off it. If you manage to connect F4 within a couple frames of them hitting the ground (hint: dashing after the spin can help time it) and cancel into Z-Hat, the move will clip wakeup attacks. Amplifying this allows you to connect a F1 xx Spin for a 20% combo. Gambling on this setup, what would have been a ~33% combo became a 43% setup for the same bar.
If people attempt to roll away from the mixup, canceling Z-Hat and dashing forward can offer a throw punish on forward roll or a F13 or F2 punish on back roll. The second hit of F1 will whiff if your timing is just a little off, but F214 will still connect and give you a KB combo.
Even better if the opponent just does wakeup block you'll have plus frames after the Amp Z-Hat, so you can go for a mixup. These setups can be very hard to pull off, but they're always safe if you don't over commit to the follow up and lead to great punishes. If you aren't able to apply the mixup, you could still just use this to get back into their face.
Fun:
Mortal Kombat 11 seems to have an issue with characters being fairly one-dimensional, but Kung Lao is one of those who actually has a healthy sense of self-expression and versatility. His kit lends itself to conditioning and mind games. He can play solid for most of a set, but suddenly divert from his patterns and turn on the mix machine, stuffing wakeups and landing fat KBs. I find this to be the case with many lower-tier characters in fighting games. They aren't optimized, there isn't a generally accepted way to play them. It's up to the player to find their favorite uses for the moves.
CONS:
F214:
Kung Lao's F21 string does have its uses, but it also has major flaws. The string has decent range, so it works as a whiff punisher, and there's a great Krushing Blow attached to it. However, every hit of this string is punishable on block. Not only that, but at the very tip of the F2, the second hit frequently whiffs, meaning it's not reliable for the use it's advertised for. If I could only have one minor change to this character, it would be for F21 to link at all ranges.
Teleport:
KL's teleport is very telegraphed. It's pretty much useless in neutral, as it's very easy to convert a jab check into a float punish. It gets clipped by projectiles too, so it's unreliable for anti-zoning tools. In Oki situations, it loses to most U3s and trades or loses to many U2s. If the opponent is completely devoid of meter, then applying the mixup can be useful, as the throw offers a great knockdown and crossup setup. If the opponent has the habit of using delayed wakeup, Teleport 4 (WU TANG) can be used to get plus frames. The primary ways I use this are either to bait uppercuts or using the amplified version to fake a desperation teleport to close out the round. It does have uses, but it's not very reliable. And it's not really supposed to be used to threaten in the neutral like Scorpion's. That WU TANG KB is also extremely hard to get.
Meter Hungry:
Kung Lao needs barrrrzzzzz. His meterless combo damage is actually decently high, in the mid 20s, but to do a full combo then do a setup that may get blocked costs both bars. Luckily, he does have a kit to play solidly without meter.
Difficult Match-Ups
Geras can beat 90% of his setups and can apply F212 for free, Jade is extremely difficult to get in on when Glow is active, Jacqui can easily blow up his neutral. Kung Lao has his share of really difficult matchups, which is why it may be beneficial to have a pocket character who at least competes well. I feel like Johnny Cage or Liu Kang can cover his bad matchups.
Outclassed:
This is my actual number one problem with MK11, but he's another victim of the "Why play this character when you can play this character?" Scorpion fits a similar archetype, but with comparable damage (better with buff), better range, better staggers, better teleport, actual mixups. Realistically, the only reason to play Kung Lao is because you like him.
No Buzzsaw or GKL in tournament variations:
These moves are actually really neat and it's a shame we got the Orbiting Hat instead. Speaking of which...
Orbiting Hat:
I don't really have to say anything about this, do I? Extremely meter intensive, -7, limited uses, removes certain strings while active. It can keep KL safe, but if you keep using orbiting hat to make F21 and F13 safe and lose the round because you have no meter, that's your own fault.
Omega Hat:
This is the worst special move in the game.
FAKE CONS:
F21212
This string starts with three highs that don't jail. People see that this string is +1 on block and that's all they see. Nevermind that this is a 9-frame punisher that leads to 33%, nevermind that you can jail into this off D3, nevermind that the first two hits have surprisingly long range, a receded hurt box, and low whiff recovery, and can be confirmed into Amp Spin for 31%, or that finishing the string when the hat comes back is uninterruptable. If the full string was -2, nobody would complain about it.
Honestly, I'm sort of glad this string works this way. If 21212 jailed, it's all KL players would be doing. Besides, what does being +1 point blank truly offer you? A chance to D1 them first? People poke all the time when they're -1.
Dive Kick KB
Why don't you try going for knockdown pressure first instead of jumping around like a dumbass hoping they'll wakeup attack? This is a great KB for capitalizing on conditioning, and it's not one that you can just get because you want it at the time.
CONCLUSION
If one were to rank the starting roster in five tiers of five characters, Kung Lao would probably end up in the fourth tier, perhaps higher depending on how the other mid-tier characters develop. He's a pretty solid character overall, and unfairly disregarded. He doesn't have much in the way of exceptionally strong or abuseable tools, and he can't just throw out his moves with reckless abandon. He requires you to play solid, which is the worst thing that could ever possibly happen. WHERE'S HIS OVERHEAD, BOON!? THAT'S THE ONLY WAY A CHARACTER CAN BE GOOD, BOON
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