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Reptile Matchups post MKXL
Maybe Wins
Bo Rai Cho [Any Variation recommended]
(Still early but it feels like Reptile can outzone Bo, and even if he starts to counteract with stomps you just have to avoid one then spit or use some meter on a forceball. Afterwards jump forward or back and feel out your approach. You can safely end combos with spit and then get comfortable in the zoning, if they start to stomp for wakeup full screen start jumping back after your knockdown then plan out the zoning. With Slide enders you can backdash, walk back, then jump back to get your best space against him again and avoid wakeups.)
D'vorah [Nimble recommended]
(Reptile has great advantages when knocking D'vorah down. If you end combos with Klaw you can safely get a slow forceball out then run in for pressure, just be sure to block a small wakeup window slightly after you start running. Also on Klaw knockdowns you can startup Basilisk mode without meter and even throw a slow forceball afterwards.. and this is pretty much before she can really do anything except her puddle on wakeup. You can go Basilisk mode without being hit by Puddle on Klaw Enders, but you may need to hop over a puddle once activated. Combos ending in slide you can create great space by backdashing then throwing a slow forceball sometimes as well)
Goro [Noxious or Nimble recommended]
(The main thing to worry about against Goro is the two hits of armor from his punch walk move. It can be avoided all together if you end combos with slide then backdash, jump back then react to Krush with Reptilian Dash or jump the ground pound. As well as a Klaw ender in which you can throw a fast forceball out then react to Krush with a Reptilian Dash or do a late jb1 on reaction to the punch walk wakeup. You can even use a Klaw ender to get Basilisk meterless out on knockdowns just be sure to jump back right after activation, you may need to punish the punch walk or jump back again to deal with the ground pounds. This also makes Krush much easier to react to.)
Kotal [Deceptive or Nimble recommended]
(Reptile can do pretty great zoning against this character even in Sun God or Blood God. The parry doesn't make that much of a difference because Reptile can put so many different projectiles on screen at different speeds. Ending combos with slide is so great because then you can forward dash and do a deep njp to avoid his Overhead Sword Smash, or play it safe with back dash, walk back slightly and throw a slow forceball. You could end combos with Spit then start up some zoning or even Basilisk mode without meter. Of course he can throw his disc, but he'll have to use meter and doesn't get much out of it from full screen except a way to get in. Kotal can be scary in your face with his stuttered b1 strings and possibly being tick thrown by Sun God or mixed up by War God. Deceptive deals great with War God because you can use the Invisibility after the Kotal does b14 or b122 cancelled into his sword mixup. The Invisibility will eat the hit if it is the mid or low sword, you may be hit by the overhead sword sometimes because there is no gap there, so learn your opponent and use Deceptive defensively and smartly. If they're going overhead every time after b122 you will need to block then punish.)
Leatherface [Nimble recommended]
(I know it's still early but this feels like another character you can setup an obstacle course against while you build meter and take some time to decide when you want to go in. You'll pretty much want to stick to ending combos with spit and then go into Basilisk mode then jump up and back to avoid his wakeups and start throwing out forceballs and spits again.)
Scorpion [Nimble recommended]
(This is a great MU for Nimble because you can end combos with 21 f41~Basilisk then jf4 for free really. It avoids wakeup options and if they block the jump 4 you're really plus especially with Basilisk activated. Block strings while in Basilisk mode should be f41 stutter and f4~slide. If slide ever hits just do the standard convert. {standing 1 walk forward, f412~spit} sometimes do two standing 1's if you opened them up instantly after a f4~slide attempt first.)
Maybe Even
Cassie Cage [Nimble recommended]
(Although Cassie can punish your b34 rather easily, you still have great options against Cassie on knockdown. Combos ending with Klaw are great because you can immediately throw out a slow forceball and then run forward to start pressure, if she does jump over or wakeup with Diving Glow Kick press f2 in reverse to punish her on the other side. You can also safely do spit enders and activate Basilisk. You may have to duck a shot, but you can wait and punish other options. It's good to spit as much as possible in Basilisk mode against her to build meter.)
Ermac [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(This can be a tough character for Reptile because you can't freely throw forceballs in neutral without huge risks. This is one of those matchups where blocking "can" be a good thing, but be sure to punish gaps in the pressure with armored moves. Block right or respect a teleport with a block and you can full combo punish.)
Erron Black [Any Variation recommended]
(Slide, forward dash, njp, does not get hit by any wakeups if timed correctly. This is one of the best things about the matchup......
Ferra/Torr [Nimble or Deceptive recommended]
(This definitely isn't a character you want in the close range. However, it isn't easy to zone him out especially in Vicious. Really your best option is to knock him down and get back into comfortable spaces like mid, mid-far, and far. If you end combos with slide you can backdash, then jump back and avoid all wakeups. This also puts you in a decent space. If you end combos with Klaw and want to use meter you safely throw the Creeping Slimeball and then jump forward sometimes with a deep jf3 but always avoids all wakeups. Jumping forward in general just becomes such a great option with the Creeping Slimeball being out.)
Jacqui [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(With most of Jacqui's normals being short, Reptile plays better footsies. The damage output is no where near Jacqui's so Reptile will have to get a lot more openings in order to win the match. She can't really outzone you in Full Auto because of Slippery Slide. Ending combos with 21 f41~fast forceball is the absolute best for knockdowns. It covers so many options and typically Jacqui players like to tech roll and wakeup with shots, this will get blown up as well as anything else just low block. Back dash then block for slide Enders and you're super covered on her options as well.)
Jason [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(At first glance you may want to outzone Jason. Slasher will give you some issues in the zoning war, especially with recent buffs, but it's still worth a try. Combos ending with Klaw are great for a couple of reasons. You can throw a meterless slow forceball out after a Klaw ender and still be able to block Temple Slam or if they teleport you can start pressure on them. Putting meter on the slow forceball gives you the option to freely Reptilian Dash and make many things happen in your favor no matter what you do. Combos ending with Slide make it to where you can backdash and step back slightly to be safe from wakeups and also be standing in one of the best spaces for fighting him. One of the scariest things about Jason is he can full combo punish your b34 if he knows the glitch.)
Johnny Cage [Any Variation recommended]
(This is definitely a character you want to keep at a distance, not necessarily because you can outzone him, but because he is possibly the best pressure character in the game. You have to be careful of his wakeups after a Klaw ender, you can either spit or activate poison gas, but then you must duck incase of the Eclipse kick wakeup window. You can also use meter and do Creeping Slimeball after a Klaw ender, but remember you should first duck for the Eclipse kick wakeup window, after this you can run in to start pressure. It may be smartest to end combos with spit to keep Johnny at a distance, just play smart as they start to get frustrated and Eclipse Kick from nearly full screen. You'll need to respect that occasionally, and not just spit and throw forceballs against them the whole time. One of the best Nimble options is to end combos with 21 f41~Basilisk and then duck the wakeup window before you start pressure. Any combos you end with slide you can also just backdash and duck the wakeup window as well. This puts you at one of the better spots you'll want to stand when fighting Johnny anyway.)
Kenshi [Any Variation recommended]
(For Kenshi it really does matter what variation you will be facing. Most seem to be comfortable using Balanced against Reptile. Regardless, this is a character you want to get close to and utilize the forceball knockdowns. Every Klaw Ended knockdown you will be able to freely get a slow forceball out, just make sure to duck the wakeup window incase of teleflurry. You could also do ender 21 f412~fast forceball which works great for Kenshi. Tele-Flurry comes out so fast, but you trade well. NJP the teleport option. Trades with Tele-Toss in Reptile's favor by 2%. So basically work your way in just like everyone else one step and duck at a time as you stand to block overhead zoning on reaction.)
Kitana [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(Rule #1 Do not jump! Why would you jump... Contain yourself and keep your feet on the damn ground. You can slide or slippery slide under fans as long as you time it right, but better yet Reptile is one of the few characters who can punish the fan from close range. Kitana players still do a block string into the fan and from close range this is an easy Slide or Reptilian Dash punish. She is one of the characters you can end combos in Klaw and safely get a slow forceball out, but you need to block the wakeup window and try to hold down and release block if they wakeup with a fan because they are highs unless she puts meter on them. If the opponent is commonly waking up throwing a fan change your ender to f412~fast forceball. If the Kitana player only wants to play the zoning war and you have the life lead, feel free to keep trading with spits as fans don't knock you down unless you break Rule #1. They will either eventually come in or just lose the round willingly, trust me I've done it several times.)
Kung Jin [Any Variation recommended]
(Honestly Nimble is pretty fun against KJ because you can end combos with Klaw and get a free meterless Basilisk activation, you still have to duck the wakeup window in case they wakeup fly kick, but if they wakeup Chakram you'll need to react by jumping forward then punish. Of course another thing is slide Enders you can backdash then jump forward to setup a great situation while still avoiding wakeups. You'll want to stay mid to mid-close on KJ, but he does just as well at this range. He's a pretty well rounded character just like Reptile. This match should feel even, it's just kind of about who hits who first, so do your best to be the aggressor, and don't get too caught up in his zoning. Remember you can still flip towards him is he starts getting to confident.)
Predator
(Like Kitana you typically do not want to take the risk of jumping and being hit by a disc. Stay grounded and utilize forceball on knockdowns. The best is 21 f41~slow forceball because Predator's major wakeup is very slow. You can actually react to if they tech roll or not, and if they do you should run up and block the window, but if not it is safe to start up f4 because at this point even if he does wakeup the forceball and f4 collision will break the armor. If they block you just got free pressure again so it's great.)
Quan Chi
Raiden
Shinnok
Takeda
Tanya
Tremor
Maybe Difficult
Alien
Liu Kang
Jax [Deceptive or Noxious recommended]
(This matchup has many reasons why it's tough from pretty much anywhere on screen. Klaw swipe spit or creeping Slimeball duck wakeup window. Slide back dash jump back.
Kung Lao
Kano
Triborg
Difficult
Sub-Zero
Mileena
Still transferring my notes.
Guys come watch my stream sometime!
www.Twitch.tv/OFIDYAN
Maybe Wins
Bo Rai Cho [Any Variation recommended]
(Still early but it feels like Reptile can outzone Bo, and even if he starts to counteract with stomps you just have to avoid one then spit or use some meter on a forceball. Afterwards jump forward or back and feel out your approach. You can safely end combos with spit and then get comfortable in the zoning, if they start to stomp for wakeup full screen start jumping back after your knockdown then plan out the zoning. With Slide enders you can backdash, walk back, then jump back to get your best space against him again and avoid wakeups.)
D'vorah [Nimble recommended]
(Reptile has great advantages when knocking D'vorah down. If you end combos with Klaw you can safely get a slow forceball out then run in for pressure, just be sure to block a small wakeup window slightly after you start running. Also on Klaw knockdowns you can startup Basilisk mode without meter and even throw a slow forceball afterwards.. and this is pretty much before she can really do anything except her puddle on wakeup. You can go Basilisk mode without being hit by Puddle on Klaw Enders, but you may need to hop over a puddle once activated. Combos ending in slide you can create great space by backdashing then throwing a slow forceball sometimes as well)
Goro [Noxious or Nimble recommended]
(The main thing to worry about against Goro is the two hits of armor from his punch walk move. It can be avoided all together if you end combos with slide then backdash, jump back then react to Krush with Reptilian Dash or jump the ground pound. As well as a Klaw ender in which you can throw a fast forceball out then react to Krush with a Reptilian Dash or do a late jb1 on reaction to the punch walk wakeup. You can even use a Klaw ender to get Basilisk meterless out on knockdowns just be sure to jump back right after activation, you may need to punish the punch walk or jump back again to deal with the ground pounds. This also makes Krush much easier to react to.)
Kotal [Deceptive or Nimble recommended]
(Reptile can do pretty great zoning against this character even in Sun God or Blood God. The parry doesn't make that much of a difference because Reptile can put so many different projectiles on screen at different speeds. Ending combos with slide is so great because then you can forward dash and do a deep njp to avoid his Overhead Sword Smash, or play it safe with back dash, walk back slightly and throw a slow forceball. You could end combos with Spit then start up some zoning or even Basilisk mode without meter. Of course he can throw his disc, but he'll have to use meter and doesn't get much out of it from full screen except a way to get in. Kotal can be scary in your face with his stuttered b1 strings and possibly being tick thrown by Sun God or mixed up by War God. Deceptive deals great with War God because you can use the Invisibility after the Kotal does b14 or b122 cancelled into his sword mixup. The Invisibility will eat the hit if it is the mid or low sword, you may be hit by the overhead sword sometimes because there is no gap there, so learn your opponent and use Deceptive defensively and smartly. If they're going overhead every time after b122 you will need to block then punish.)
Leatherface [Nimble recommended]
(I know it's still early but this feels like another character you can setup an obstacle course against while you build meter and take some time to decide when you want to go in. You'll pretty much want to stick to ending combos with spit and then go into Basilisk mode then jump up and back to avoid his wakeups and start throwing out forceballs and spits again.)
Scorpion [Nimble recommended]
(This is a great MU for Nimble because you can end combos with 21 f41~Basilisk then jf4 for free really. It avoids wakeup options and if they block the jump 4 you're really plus especially with Basilisk activated. Block strings while in Basilisk mode should be f41 stutter and f4~slide. If slide ever hits just do the standard convert. {standing 1 walk forward, f412~spit} sometimes do two standing 1's if you opened them up instantly after a f4~slide attempt first.)
Maybe Even
Cassie Cage [Nimble recommended]
(Although Cassie can punish your b34 rather easily, you still have great options against Cassie on knockdown. Combos ending with Klaw are great because you can immediately throw out a slow forceball and then run forward to start pressure, if she does jump over or wakeup with Diving Glow Kick press f2 in reverse to punish her on the other side. You can also safely do spit enders and activate Basilisk. You may have to duck a shot, but you can wait and punish other options. It's good to spit as much as possible in Basilisk mode against her to build meter.)
Ermac [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(This can be a tough character for Reptile because you can't freely throw forceballs in neutral without huge risks. This is one of those matchups where blocking "can" be a good thing, but be sure to punish gaps in the pressure with armored moves. Block right or respect a teleport with a block and you can full combo punish.)
Erron Black [Any Variation recommended]
(Slide, forward dash, njp, does not get hit by any wakeups if timed correctly. This is one of the best things about the matchup......
Ferra/Torr [Nimble or Deceptive recommended]
(This definitely isn't a character you want in the close range. However, it isn't easy to zone him out especially in Vicious. Really your best option is to knock him down and get back into comfortable spaces like mid, mid-far, and far. If you end combos with slide you can backdash, then jump back and avoid all wakeups. This also puts you in a decent space. If you end combos with Klaw and want to use meter you safely throw the Creeping Slimeball and then jump forward sometimes with a deep jf3 but always avoids all wakeups. Jumping forward in general just becomes such a great option with the Creeping Slimeball being out.)
Jacqui [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(With most of Jacqui's normals being short, Reptile plays better footsies. The damage output is no where near Jacqui's so Reptile will have to get a lot more openings in order to win the match. She can't really outzone you in Full Auto because of Slippery Slide. Ending combos with 21 f41~fast forceball is the absolute best for knockdowns. It covers so many options and typically Jacqui players like to tech roll and wakeup with shots, this will get blown up as well as anything else just low block. Back dash then block for slide Enders and you're super covered on her options as well.)
Jason [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(At first glance you may want to outzone Jason. Slasher will give you some issues in the zoning war, especially with recent buffs, but it's still worth a try. Combos ending with Klaw are great for a couple of reasons. You can throw a meterless slow forceball out after a Klaw ender and still be able to block Temple Slam or if they teleport you can start pressure on them. Putting meter on the slow forceball gives you the option to freely Reptilian Dash and make many things happen in your favor no matter what you do. Combos ending with Slide make it to where you can backdash and step back slightly to be safe from wakeups and also be standing in one of the best spaces for fighting him. One of the scariest things about Jason is he can full combo punish your b34 if he knows the glitch.)
Johnny Cage [Any Variation recommended]
(This is definitely a character you want to keep at a distance, not necessarily because you can outzone him, but because he is possibly the best pressure character in the game. You have to be careful of his wakeups after a Klaw ender, you can either spit or activate poison gas, but then you must duck incase of the Eclipse kick wakeup window. You can also use meter and do Creeping Slimeball after a Klaw ender, but remember you should first duck for the Eclipse kick wakeup window, after this you can run in to start pressure. It may be smartest to end combos with spit to keep Johnny at a distance, just play smart as they start to get frustrated and Eclipse Kick from nearly full screen. You'll need to respect that occasionally, and not just spit and throw forceballs against them the whole time. One of the best Nimble options is to end combos with 21 f41~Basilisk and then duck the wakeup window before you start pressure. Any combos you end with slide you can also just backdash and duck the wakeup window as well. This puts you at one of the better spots you'll want to stand when fighting Johnny anyway.)
Kenshi [Any Variation recommended]
(For Kenshi it really does matter what variation you will be facing. Most seem to be comfortable using Balanced against Reptile. Regardless, this is a character you want to get close to and utilize the forceball knockdowns. Every Klaw Ended knockdown you will be able to freely get a slow forceball out, just make sure to duck the wakeup window incase of teleflurry. You could also do ender 21 f412~fast forceball which works great for Kenshi. Tele-Flurry comes out so fast, but you trade well. NJP the teleport option. Trades with Tele-Toss in Reptile's favor by 2%. So basically work your way in just like everyone else one step and duck at a time as you stand to block overhead zoning on reaction.)
Kitana [Noxious or Deceptive recommended]
(Rule #1 Do not jump! Why would you jump... Contain yourself and keep your feet on the damn ground. You can slide or slippery slide under fans as long as you time it right, but better yet Reptile is one of the few characters who can punish the fan from close range. Kitana players still do a block string into the fan and from close range this is an easy Slide or Reptilian Dash punish. She is one of the characters you can end combos in Klaw and safely get a slow forceball out, but you need to block the wakeup window and try to hold down and release block if they wakeup with a fan because they are highs unless she puts meter on them. If the opponent is commonly waking up throwing a fan change your ender to f412~fast forceball. If the Kitana player only wants to play the zoning war and you have the life lead, feel free to keep trading with spits as fans don't knock you down unless you break Rule #1. They will either eventually come in or just lose the round willingly, trust me I've done it several times.)
Kung Jin [Any Variation recommended]
(Honestly Nimble is pretty fun against KJ because you can end combos with Klaw and get a free meterless Basilisk activation, you still have to duck the wakeup window in case they wakeup fly kick, but if they wakeup Chakram you'll need to react by jumping forward then punish. Of course another thing is slide Enders you can backdash then jump forward to setup a great situation while still avoiding wakeups. You'll want to stay mid to mid-close on KJ, but he does just as well at this range. He's a pretty well rounded character just like Reptile. This match should feel even, it's just kind of about who hits who first, so do your best to be the aggressor, and don't get too caught up in his zoning. Remember you can still flip towards him is he starts getting to confident.)
Predator
(Like Kitana you typically do not want to take the risk of jumping and being hit by a disc. Stay grounded and utilize forceball on knockdowns. The best is 21 f41~slow forceball because Predator's major wakeup is very slow. You can actually react to if they tech roll or not, and if they do you should run up and block the window, but if not it is safe to start up f4 because at this point even if he does wakeup the forceball and f4 collision will break the armor. If they block you just got free pressure again so it's great.)
Quan Chi
Raiden
Shinnok
Takeda
Tanya
Tremor
Maybe Difficult
Alien
Liu Kang
Jax [Deceptive or Noxious recommended]
(This matchup has many reasons why it's tough from pretty much anywhere on screen. Klaw swipe spit or creeping Slimeball duck wakeup window. Slide back dash jump back.
Kung Lao
Kano
Triborg
Difficult
Sub-Zero
Mileena
Still transferring my notes.
Guys come watch my stream sometime!
www.Twitch.tv/OFIDYAN
