Strategy Meter-building strategies.

[Durango]

I find Sub-Zero to have the slowest meter gain of anyone in the game. It seems that it's a problem not only against players like Cyrax and Smoke who can mash specials to gain it quickly, but also against other characters like Kabal, Johnny Cage, and Quan Chi who continuously use EX moves in their arsenal, then still have enough leftover to use a Breaker. But if you're hit in a string, you're lucky to have enough just to use the Breaker.

Hitting the clone and then just firing Ice Balls seems effective. If your opponent can't teleport, you can use that to buy some time and build a bit before they catch on. It's rare that I use EX moves as Sub-Zero for the sake of being able to use Breaker or X-Ray if I need to escape or finish a fight quickly.

 

[Metalic]

He doesn't build it insanely fast, but he doesn't really need it too much. Sub will almost never use an EX move, EX slide to get out of frame traps etc being the most common scenario. Everything else can be saved for a breaker or X-Ray. 212~clone alone builds like, 1/3rd of a bar. 21,212~clone would be about half a bar. Subs biggest problem isn't really his meter gain, it's that he has a hard time stopping other characters (Kabal, Kitana, Liu Kang.) from gaining meter themselves. Which means you get in, get breakered, and you're back to square one.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

I find Sub-Zero to have the slowest meter gain of anyone in the game. It seems that it's a problem not only against players like Cyrax and Smoke who can mash specials to gain it quickly, but also against other characters like Kabal, Johnny Cage, and Quan Chi who continuously use EX moves in their arsenal, then still have enough leftover to use a Breaker. But if you're hit in a string, you're lucky to have enough just to use the Breaker.

Hitting the clone and then just firing Ice Balls seems effective. If your opponent can't teleport, you can use that to buy some time and build a bit before they catch on. It's rare that I use EX moves as Sub-Zero for the sake of being able to use Breaker or X-Ray if I need to escape or finish a fight quickly.

He actually doesn't really have that bad of a problem. Because he doesn't really get locked down after a block string.
You just have to have tremendous meter management with SZ.

BTW I use exMoves fairly often to tell my opponent to respect my options. Just like sliding people who simply refuse to block low. If you can make someone hesitate you'll get more entries into your offense.
Learn to HC your d4. This will help you build more meter as well. Anywhere but max range... d4 will give you a good chunk of meter back.

Learn to approach with 2,2. I get tons of blocked (2),2,4~clones. at midscreen. I am not sure how much meter that builds... but it is more than zero... and it covers crossup attempts.

 

[Chuckychuck]

He doesn't build it insanely fast, but he doesn't really need it too much. Sub will almost never use an EX move, EX slide to get out of frame traps etc being the most common scenario. Everything else can be saved for a breaker or X-Ray. 212~clone alone builds like, 1/3rd of a bar. 21,212~clone would be about half a bar. Subs biggest problem isn't really his meter gain, it's that he has a hard time stopping other characters (Kabal, Kitana, Liu Kang.) from gaining meter themselves. Which means you get in, get breakered, and you're back to square one.

Until they have their back against the wall