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Learning Raiden , what are the key things I need to know?

Marlow

Premium Supporter
Premium Supporter
One thing I've been experimenting with is his Standing 3. It's an 11 frame high, shorter range, but it's +3 on block. If your opponent is doing a great job of blocking/respecting after your D1 or D3 hits, you can go for a standing 3 and if it's blocked you can likely catch them with either a B1 or F3, and if it hits you're +6 so you can go for the same mids or a F4. Or you can complete his 32 string which is only -3 on block and +9 on hit.

I haven't had a chance to work on this too much in practice mode, so I don't know how much pushback affects any of these things, but I'm trying to turn it into an additional layer.
 

ExpectFlames

Lord of embers
It is totally lit because it's comboing into db2 midscreen which is the coolest fucking move that raiden has and I love using it. lmao :p

Once I got 355 damage midscreen, but I can't remember what I did lmao
Had to be something ending in fwd4 or fwd2 maybe
 

STB Sgt Reed

Online Warrior
Had to be something ending in fwd4 or fwd2 maybe
No it ended in db2 amped. lol

Cause I was trying every string into that cause like I said, it's his coolest move and I love it. May have been F4 instead of B12 in the previously listed combo. I'd have to go into practice mode again, but I'm at work.
 

ExpectFlames

Lord of embers
One thing I've been experimenting with is his Standing 3. It's an 11 frame high, shorter range, but it's +3 on block. If your opponent is doing a great job of blocking/respecting after your D1 or D3 hits, you can go for a standing 3 and if it's blocked you can likely catch them with either a B1 or F3, and if it hits you're +6 so you can go for the same mids or a F4. Or you can complete his 32 string which is only -3 on block and +9 on hit.

I haven't had a chance to work on this too much in practice mode, so I don't know how much pushback affects any of these things, but I'm trying to turn it into an additional layer.
I've been experiment with fwd 4. Its -6 but forward advancing with a couple less frames of recovery.
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
One thing I've been experimenting with is his Standing 3. It's an 11 frame high, shorter range, but it's +3 on block. If your opponent is doing a great job of blocking/respecting after your D1 or D3 hits, you can go for a standing 3 and if it's blocked you can likely catch them with either a B1 or F3, and if it hits you're +6 so you can go for the same mids or a F4. Or you can complete his 32 string which is only -3 on block and +9 on hit.

I haven't had a chance to work on this too much in practice mode, so I don't know how much pushback affects any of these things, but I'm trying to turn it into an additional layer.
I don’t know if the current patch fixed things. But i don’t use s3 much at all because it used to whiff on crouch blocking opponents. It also has really crap range.
 

Marlow

Premium Supporter
Premium Supporter
I don’t know if the current patch fixed things. But i don’t use s3 much at all because it used to whiff on crouch blocking opponents. It also has really crap range.
Yeah, it really only seemed to connect after a D1, but whiffed at max range D3. I haven't had a chance to test it out on crouch blocking opponents yet. It seems pretty situational, but worth figuring out which situations it does work in.
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
Lmfao, I wish! I'm just learning him Raijin Raiden myself. If anything, I could use tips on what to do with raiden myself.

For example, what is the general strategy up close with Raiden? Staggers into DF2?

Is it safe to cancel into db3 on block?

Does D1 jail into any of his highs on hit?

I have a nice combo tho:
F4 exDb4 B12 exDb2 - Does like 330+ damage.
Raiden’s staggers are lacklustre at best. His best up-close button is F3 which is -6. You can do F3~DF2 when buff is on and you’ll be pushed back at -5, then you can bait out punishes and play to Raiden’s strength (whiff punishing). This opens up F3 itself and you can go into throw or mid. However, once you don’t have buff there is 0 reason for the opponent to respect your staggers since everything is -6/7, F4 is good to throw out at range or after D4 but many people just mash and catch F4 before its active frames.

The main problem is that Raijin in theory wants to play lame but he really can’t vs most of the cast. Any character with a decent projectile (johnny, liu, Cassie, Shang, Baraka,etc) can effectively out-zone him because all his projectiles start up very slowly and only BF1 AMP knocks down. You can’t even put buff up after blocking a projectile from Liu (you eat another fireball to the face). So you have to work your way in slowly in order to apply your safer pressure (F3 staggers mentioned above). Unfortunately, buff also doesn’t last very long so you’ll have to find ways to activate it.

Funnily enough. In this game, many of the characters who are good up close also have great projectiles. These characters give Raiden trouble in both variations. If you want to better deal with up close pressure and punish a lot of stuff with discharge, they just zone you out for the rest of the match. If you want to worry less about zoning and use teleport, they can abuse their staggers better since you cannot reversal punish their stuff with discharge.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
But I'm not. Like I've said in my previous post, I'm going by what I've played in this season's league on PC. And from my experience it takes something ridiculous like a full second freeze (I've had one game with such idiotic lag, but only once) in order to miss that punish. Like I've said, I was never spared of it provided opponent knew it's not safe at all.


Ducking third hit instead of blocking everything isn't really what I call "not a special way to block", but eh, that's what I mean.


Yup, because b2 (and its KB) is exactly that, his mixup options. What KB does is skewing risk/reward a bit in Raiden's favour in a scenario when you land b2 through whatever reason, once per match, which can help you with conditioning. Nothing more, nothing less. Just like 121 KB does basically nothing but saves a meter, or like KBs of characters you've mentioned are some extra damage off usual starters (seems like type of KBs you personally prefer). I'm not sure what are we even arguing about.

It's actually even works in your favour if actual KB isn't triggered because opponent tried to block high or wake up (and you've hopefully read that and went with low/bait) because that keeps your amped risk/reward a factor for the next time.


There are so many areas in which Raiden is inferior to those you've mentioned, yet you're saying that they win because of KBs.
I mean, risk/reward is what everything boils down to in FGs, but damage you get off your hits is not the only factor.
But you also said you hardly play online though ^ I don't know how PC plays however. I mean I play on Xbox and Switch, the switch is weird because it has this slowdown yet the game plays normal it's just a little slower online(it's not lag just how the game is) it's weird, offline/locally it plays normal. Xbox most of the time plays smooth except for shitty connections of course, especially if it's a laggy wifi then forget about it. I did read that factually less people play MK 11 for Switch and PC even though they sold well, I guess compared to PS4 and Xbox. This isn't surprising though. But yeah the online definitely makes a difference.

Yeah I just block and counter like most moves that should be or are punishable really.

Yeah, exactly it's literally his best 50/50 option. It's great for that, sadly it's not very good if you're banking on the KB though and honestly I think most Raiden players know not to rely on it. Most of the time I do land the throwing KBs, D2 and 121 however. But the other two are as I said earlier more or less useless in a seriously competitive match. They should change the B2 KB to activating on 2nd time connecting or 3rd time connecting and Superman should just activate in a 10 hit combo or something. Problem solved, it would make him better. And yeah the 121 doesn't do too much damage, where as others do like 30%+ like Geras's neck chop though they nerfed it a little at least...that is literally same % as a freaking FB lol don't know what they were thinking with some of the KB damage. The B2 KB is BIG damage dude lol he leads to some of the games hugest combos but I'm saying it's a shame it's an irrelevant KB because nobody is ever going to connect it in a serious match against a good player. I've literally only connected it against apprentices and noobs online in KL, but once you face someone who knows how to block good luck getting that KB. Not so much arguing just want to get that point across. I do agree with you however that the move is a great 50/50 and conditioning option, in the corner and mixed up with his pressure with pokes, B3 etc, etc

Right but just saying that if you're using B2 as a conditioning tool or 50/50 it's a great move, just don't rely on it for KB damage all I'm saying. And the reward is knockdown, risk on block he gets punished and it has no range as you need to be literally right next to them.

No I'm saying the opposite man lol saying they win NOT because of his KB's, the only ones they've connected on me are the 121, on occasion the throwing one and D2(which everyone connects once you punish a throw attempt which happens often in this game) I'm saying Raiden is a character that's not like say Scorp, Geras or anyone else with like 4 or 5 viable KB's. Like I said earlier, some characters can do 2 in one combo for heavy damage. That will never happen for Raiden, not saying he needs it to win but it sure would help him. So your latter point I agree with, I'm just pointing out that 2 of his 5 KB's suck to put it bluntly and it's a shame one of them is the B2 because it leads to insane damage. I have several combos posted on my channel showing such if you want to see what I mean.

Yeah, it really only seemed to connect after a D1, but whiffed at max range D3. I haven't had a chance to test it out on crouch blocking opponents yet. It seems pretty situational, but worth figuring out which situations it does work in.
Yeah it's a shame his staggers aren't as effective as say Scorp's that's braindead. Literally other day needed one more dot of damage before getting a wake up neutral kick to finish him off, but dude was coming back literally just F3, F3, F3 I'm like ok I can't poke out of this shit? lol I think some of the staggers in this game are stupid OP at times while other characters simply lackluster.
 

SparkySanders

Unga bunga dude
I got 355 midscreen from ji2 f4 db4amp f3 12 bf3 I believe..

Does anyone have optimal corner combos? I was able to get 37% with TW with one bar and I can’t seem to figure out the optimal corner combos for raijin
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
I got 355 midscreen from ji2 f4 db4amp f3 12 bf3 I believe..

Does anyone have optimal corner combos? I was able to get 37% with TW with one bar and I can’t seem to figure out the optimal corner combos for raijin
I got two in the corner but I would say you have to be more near the corner pushing them into it rather than flat out in the corner, though I would say the one finishing the uppercut can be done in the corner as that's easier to hit confirm given the angle.

I don't play Rajin but in TW btw. However these cost 2 bars but still good damage as both are above 37%.

Near Corner(jump in 2, B3, 1~DB2 Amp, deep Jump kick, F4~DB2 Amp, Jump kick ~Superman(BF3) this combo will do 40%. The reason this has to be done in/near the corner is due to the JK, it pushes you back farther compared to the jumping 1 or 2(punches) but if you can connect it you get more damage.

HIs other one is literally the same thing but instead of ending it with Superman, end it with an uppercut and he gets 41% from 2 bars.

He also has a mid I've found about a month ago or so that does 38% in TW, as oppose to his average ones that do 30-35% midscreen.
 

SparkySanders

Unga bunga dude
Thanks @MKF30
Yeah I’ve done those two bar combos with TW before but most of the time I like keeping combos to 1 bar for the next opportunity.

If I remember correctly ji4 f4 db2amp f3 db2amp ji3 bf3 gives you 42% mid but the gravity scaling makes the last superman hard to hit.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Thanks @MKF30
Yeah I’ve done those two bar combos with TW before but most of the time I like keeping combos to 1 bar for the next opportunity.

If I remember correctly ji4 f4 db2amp f3 db2amp ji3 bf3 gives you 42% mid but the gravity scaling makes the last superman hard to hit.
Yeah sometimes also the combo I listed will do 42 depending on who it's on I've noticed certain characters is scales less for some reason, not sure why. Like I did the same combo to some of the females and winds up being more damage than some guys. But yeah if you want decent damage I would use the 2 bars, one bar is alright but that's one of the few good things he has in TW is pretty easy damage
 
I got 355 midscreen from ji2 f4 db4amp f3 12 bf3 I believe..

Does anyone have optimal corner combos? I was able to get 37% with TW with one bar and I can’t seem to figure out the optimal corner combos for raijin
Mid Screen (Female OK)
f4~db4, f2, 12~db2 = 345 dmg 1 bar
f4~db4, f2, 12~fly = 335 dmg 1 bar and corner carry

Mid Screen Only (Men Only)
b31~db4amp*, f2, 12~db2 = 339 dmg (fly for girls, 329)
* this will not launch in the corner, so Thunder Wave has the edge here off low starter
Being 3/4 towards the corner is also possible, just needs room for the db4amp to launch off b31

Corner (Female OK)
f4~db4amp, f3, 243~db2 = 364dmg 1 bar (390 2 bars)
f4~db4amp, f3, 243~df2 = 343dmg 1 bar

Is it safe to cancel into db3 on block?
Nope, never do this.