Another contribution from me. Any questions feel free.
Corner Traps
Runjabs in the corner are one of the things some people argue about possibly banning in offline tournaments. When used correctly, they can seal a win… especially when playing online and lag is present. The proper way to corner jab is the double method (LPLP, run/block cancel and repeat) with the tip of your fists hitting just enough of the opponent to cause chip or open damage. If you stand too close and your opponent doesn’t hold back, you will probably throw them out of the corner and the positions have switched. For some reason, you will find that sometimes you can be just close enough to be able to throw but not do a knee and also vice versa. This is a weird thing that I can't explain, just keep close enough to mix up with a knee if you want to and don't intend to try the jab infinite.
Keep in mind that if you cancel your jabs with block instead of run (which sometimes seems slower) you can avoid an escape-type move from a player using a character like Kabal or Stryker, and punish them to keep them locked down.
If the opponent tries to jump out of the corner and is caught in midair, it’s likely that both of your LPs will connect and cause pushback. Immediately try to sweep after this as it’s a great wakeup strategy and won’t push you much further back if they block the sweep.
Advanced Corner Traps
Like rushing, corner traps require more mixing up than your usual strategies. The reason for this is because one mistake and your opponent can escape or you could even blow an opportunity altogether. Here are some great tips provided with different scenarios so you can maximize your efforts to keep an opponent locked down in the corner.
Double Jabs – repeatedly tap LPLP cancel.
- When jabbing a blocking opponent, roundhouses DO NOT PUSHBACK, uppercuts DO. Mix up your jabs with random uppercuts, RHs, and knee combos as much as you can.
- Try to incorporate zoning as a staple in your corner traps. If you are about jump distance (mid screen) away from your opponent in the corner, use this space as a buffer against their escape attempts. A lot of times an opponent will anticipate you to rush in right away for corner jabs, so if you run in and back up right away it’s possible to catch them trying to jump over you. If this happens, capitalize with anti air HP/RH or whatever you can get. This is a great strategy to contribute in advancing your mind games in the corner.
Air Catcher (AC for short) – LP cancel, uppercut/RH/SUJK/special move. (example: USub…LP to freeze)
- You can do this anywhere on the stage, not just the corner. This is a great tactic to use against people that avoid close combat and like to jump away/over. These players often try to jump out of the corner or jump backward to kick/jump punch starter you. The worst case scenario if you try to LP cancel uppercut (or any other AC) and they aren’t jumping away is that you get the chip damage and they’re still in the corner anyway.
NOTE ABOUT CORNER UPPERCUTS - If you go for a LP cancel to uppercut, remember that you can just do the LP and keep ducking to see what happens. If you caught the opponent then uppercut them right away, but if you didn't then you can remain ducking and see if they attempt an uppercut of their own...in that case, uppercut their uppercut. Neat huh? You can do this anywhere else on the stage too.(happens in the video below)
VIDEO EXAMPLE (go to 1:00):
But likewise, be careful with special moves as you can be punished if you miss something like a LP to spin with Kabal while they hold block. For something like that, be sure in that split second that you caught them with the LP and buffer the move to prevent a slip up in case you don’t get them with the LP. Example: With Kabal do LP + B, then F but DON'T push LK until you are sure you caught them with the LP. This will ensure you don't get your spin blocked.
These advanced traps can look pretty cool and do great damage when pulled off correctly, but some of them can be really risky and not worth the effort against better players.
. It's very fun to do, When I have Kabal or Sub and I connect a containement, I always push to the corner then infinite even if a simple uppercut would kill them. It's one of my favorite aspect of UMK3.
