Hey guys,
So I've gone through this thread and the combos, and I have to say, doing Boot Down two or three times in a row is impossible for me; it's difficult to get offline, and even more so online. Not that I'm saying it's impossible in general, it just doesn't suit me because I tend to drop it most of the time.
Here are the combos I use regularly in online play with much success:
SPLITS:
1. JP, u+4, u+4, b+14, 4~roll, b+14~ ex neckbite/ex sais --- 38%
2. JP, u+4, u+4, 3 - 2 ~ teleport~ex sais, roll, b+14 ~ neckbite --- 38%
3. JP, u+4, u+4, b+14, 4~roll, b+14 ~ XRAY --- 45%
You can choose not the perform the ex moves and do ordinary ones instead; the damage will be reduced by a percent or two. I like using splits combos the most and they are especially effective against teleporters such as Scorpion, Smoke, Noob Saibot, Ermac and Quan Chi, but also Mileena's own roll. Do away with the JP here obviously, and start with the u+4's. The damage will be reduced to around 35%.
An interesting fact I found out in online combat is that many players will naturally tend to zone when there's a full screen distance or so between you. This is the reason I like performing the ex neckbite at the end of the combo, because it creates distance and offers you a chance to continue punishing your opponent with Mileena's mind games. Wait for them to perform a projectile attack and upon reaction perform a teleport with sais. Teleport is a stun move and many players will try to block your next attack or to get away somehow. After doing the teleport, immediately proceed with u+4.
BONES:
1. JP, 2-3 ~ ex roll, u+4, b+14, 4~roll, b+14 ~ ex neckbite/ex sais --- 40%
2. JP, 2-3 ~ ex roll, u+4, 3-4 ~ teleport~ex sais, roll, b+14, neckbite - 40%
3. JP, 2-3 ~ roll, u+4, b+14 ~ XRAY --- 44%
FRIENDLY KISS:
1. JP, 4-2 ~ teleport ~ ex sais, roll, b+14 ~ neckbite --- 33%
2. JP, 4-2 ~ roll, b+14 ~ neckbite --- 25%
ROLL / TELEPORT PUNISH:
You guys know this already, but just in case if anyone new to Mileena is reading this I will reiterate: use the roll when an opponent tries to jump in/away, does a projectile attack, perform it as a wake-up attack, or when the opponent is just caught unawares:
1. roll, u+4, b+14 ~ dash ~ 1-1-2, neckbite/sais --- 26%
2. roll, u+4, 3-4 ~ teleport ~ ex sais, roll --- 28%
3. roll, u+4, 3-4 ~ teleport ~ sais, roll --- 25%
If the opponent is blocking high consistently in order to prevent you from using the roll, add in b+3 to the mix to get bass high block.
Like the teleport, the roll is a nice way to surprise your opponent if there's space between you. The roll doesn't have full screen range - again, a fact many players seem to be unaware of - so do the roll and you'll end up just an inch away from your opponent who will most likely be blocking in anticipation of your attack. If they block low, do u+4; if they block high, do b+3 and roll again. If you like, you can also just do a d+4 poke, since some players will try to counter your entry with an attack of their own. Again, this is not me claiming that all players will be as easy to fool but many will - even some really good players.
Effective against opponents who like to jump a lot, the teleport leads to similar punishes.
1. teleport ~ sais, roll, b+14 ~ sais/neckbite --- 23%
2. teleport ~ ex sais, roll, b+14 ~ sais/neckbite --- 25%
Using ex sais gives you a little more time to properly perform the roll, which is why I prefer using the enhanced version, though you can perform the punish easily without spending the bar. Using ex teleport is also a possibility and has the same somewhat prolonged effect as do the ex sais. You can do away with the ex moves here in general and go for XRAY after Boot Down, but it will only be a 30%+ combo, which is a waste of bar in my opinion, unless used to finish the match. The same applies to the roll punish.
A decent player will however learn to anticipate your attacks sooner or later, which means it's time to bring out a different strategy. If you like to play a rush down Mileena, after you perform a punish you can use the roll or the teleport to get close to your opponent for wake-ups and punish them anew. Using Splits is also a way to keep your opponents in line - many will crouch block or try to perform an uppercut on you to get you off their back. If you're quick enough, you can use Splits to start a new string.
God, I love Mileena.
Ok, so, to conclude; this is what I find works best for me and does not necessarily mean it will work for someone else. This is a combo thread and I may have gone a bit over the top with my additional elaborations, but in the past weeks I've fought some very nice people who have just started using Mileena and a few asked me for tips. So here they are. I'll be really happy if I helped anyone with this.
Cheers!
