MK11 SHANG TSUNG Match Up Thread

[LawAbidingCitizen]

Sonya is a terrible match up too.

Her zoning is much better than ours, and up close she's just insane.

Its probably a bad MU but I turn it into my favor by using frame traps:
112 xx Soulsteal then when they respect that I get to do more frame traps.

But the biggest thing is turning into her stealing her soul and then doing more damage than her and giving her a taste of her own medicine. I hate Sonya but love using her against herself the going back to having longer footsie range

 

[SaSSolino]

Am I doing something wrong or Liu Kang and Sub Zero can outzone us? Cuz that felt bad.

 

[Stevie Steelz]

Am I doing something wrong or Liu Kang and Sub Zero can outzone us? Cuz that felt bad.

Yes, you might be doing something wrong against Sub-Zero, lol. Try to make sure you duck under his ice balls then try to punish with corpse drop, and if he uses Dead of Winter variation, be sure to block the EX one. If you can knock him down with a corpse drop from the distance, use a flaming skull (ex if you have to) to catch him while he’s waking up; most likely he’ll have to block, then drop another corpse on him. If he tries to use the air axe, use ground eruption or corpse drop to knock him out of the sky. When he gets in, prepare to block slides when he’s in range; slides and overhead axe are combo punishable.

As far as Liu, he’s pretty difficult because he has a high and low fireball, plus he can get in real fast with the flying kick and avoid your corpse drop while possibly KB’ing you. In that match, I try not to rely on zoning to beat him. It is tough though.

 

[SaSSolino]

Yes, you might be doing something wrong against Sub-Zero, lol. Try to make sure you duck under his ice balls then try to punish with corpse drop, and if he uses Dead of Winter variation, be sure to block the EX one. If you can knock him down with a corpse drop from the distance, use a flaming skull (ex if you have to) to catch him while he’s waking up; most likely he’ll have to block, then drop another corpse on him. If he tries to use the air axe, use ground eruption or corpse drop to knock him out of the sky. When he gets in, prepare to block slides when he’s in range; slides and overhead axe are combo punishable.

As far as Liu, he’s pretty difficult because he has a high and low fireball, plus he can get in real fast with the flying kick and avoid your corpse drop while possibly KB’ing you. In that match, I try not to rely on zoning to beat him. It is tough though.

Oh yeah, Sub's "zoning" variation isn't a problem. EX ice balls are the issue for me.

 

[GazelleExcess]

I feel like kollektor could be a Bad MU for Shang. Trading with bola into teleport.

 

[Circus]

I feel shang does well vs Kano and kotal

Although that’s kind of a given lol

Default Good Matchups:
D'Vorah
Frost
Kano
Kollector
Kotal Kahn

If any of these are untrue, THEN I'd suggest it's worth discussing.

I feel like this has become a meme at this point. Everyone feels like they beat Kano just because he's low tier.

Kano doesn't shine in many matchups, but characters that rely on straight fireballs with recovery like Shang, Noob, and Frost definitely have to rethink their game against him.

Kano does VERY well against Shang Tsung. I'm even tempted to say that he's slightly favored in the matchup, but I'd honestly say it's even at worst for Kano. I would absolutely love for someone to explain to me why they think otherwise. "It's Kano, so yeah" won't cut it for this time.

1. F3 could literally be done on reaction at certain ranges to deal with straight fireball
2. Rising Skulls could be punished by Black Dragon Ball on Flawless Block every single time
3. From full screen, Kano wins the fireball war with his knives
4. With the life lead, Shang has to approach Kano
5. Shang's wakeups are so mediocre that he has to deal with the full force of Kano's oki

 

[hemanhulkamania]

Shang does well against Ermac, Smoke, Reptile, Rain, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Noob.

 

[Stevie Steelz]

Shao Khan is a problem for me because he’s able to get in faster than I can react to. Then it’s hard to get him off of me.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

I can say he shits on D'Vorah pretty hard from just about every point on screen. She can't win a zoning war unless he just really fucks up bad, so she has to try to slowly work her way in against his zoning. She's useless from outside her f2 range and she doesn't want to be within his b3 range, so really she has to sit right in the danger zone of his db1, which she is utterly unable to punish on block unless the 2nd or 3rd hits whiff. If she can work her way in past his straight skulls, up skulls, and sky corpses, and if he doesn't just frame-trap her with his massive f2, and if she can somehow open him, she can get a max of 19% 1-bar, though usually a 9% string into db4. And then she has to do it again, and again, and again. If she makes a single mistake, she's eating 30%+ and being sent full-screen to do it all again.

She can't risk a non-amplified db4 due to his massive punish game, and she needs to have strepsiptera out to cover her ass, so her entire game-plan has to change to accommodate specific meter-management. She also can't risk contesting her negative frames with d1~db4, as Shang will win all such trades into 30%+, so anytime he blocks her pressure, her turn is over and she has to eat his mixups and frame traps until he makes some sort of mistake she can capitalize on. If he doesn't make a mistake, it's very difficult for her to ever get her turn back.

Due to how new he is, I'll put it at 6/4 Shang, but I could see this easily being an 7/3. It's pretty insane.

 

[Stevie Steelz]

Overall, I think I’m gonna bench Shang and go back to my mains until the next Nightwolf comes out lol. Maybe I’ll enjoy playing him more.

 

[TakeAChance]

What's the verdict against Noob? I find his ghostball seems to be very effective from full screen distance and he has far quicker advancing normals in the mid range game.

Just curious.

 

[TheDylbot]

Cassie & Sonya are a problem IMO. Only real workarounds I've found are that corpse drop trades better in the zone war v Sonya, and to keep cassie at a bit beyond mid range for far ground skulls. Still, bad MUs for shang I think.

 

[Marinjuana]

Just make sure you guys are reversal soul stealing Cassie's gun shot

 

[legion666]

Just make sure you guys are reversal soul stealing Cassie's gun shot

At max Soul Steal range you are better of reversal far Ground Eruption punish her gun shot)

 

[legion666]

I think that Cassie MU is even

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

I think that Cassie MU is even

I think so too.
I seen Noble Raptor(Cassie) vs WoundCowboy (Shang) and the FT10 was pretty even. Noon dominated in any way.

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

Cassie & Sonya are a problem IMO. Only real workarounds I've found are that corpse drop trades better in the zone war v Sonya, and to keep cassie at a bit beyond mid range for far ground skulls. Still, bad MUs for shang I think.

I think its even:

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

I love Shang don't get me wrong but I don't feel he is S Tier with what is known currently.
He is very punishable by many but I think he is around A to Mid tier. He is definitely good and his potential is through the roof having soulsteal and great zoning and amazing range. Just he isn't a dirty character and I feel he is honest.
Once the honeymoon phase is over I'm sure he will be placed in S/A only to drop to A- to Mid Tier once everyone finds more counters and hitbox issues.

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

I feel like this has become a meme at this point. Everyone feels like they beat Kano just because he's low tier.

Kano doesn't shine in many matchups, but characters that rely on straight fireballs with recovery like Shang, Noob, and Frost definitely have to rethink their game against him.

Kano does VERY well against Shang Tsung. I'm even tempted to say that he's slightly favored in the matchup, but I'd honestly say it's even at worst for Kano. I would absolutely love for someone to explain to me why they think otherwise. "It's Kano, so yeah" won't cut it for this time.

1. F3 could literally be done on reaction at certain ranges to deal with straight fireball
2. Rising Skulls could be punished by Black Dragon Ball on Flawless Block every single time
3. From full screen, Kano wins the fireball war with his knives
4. With the life lead, Shang has to approach Kano
5. Shang's wakeups are so mediocre that he has to deal with the full force of Kano's oki

Yeah it's even or in kanos favor. I think they just need to play better kanos not the maniacs online.

 

[TotteryManx]

How do you all feel about the Kabal match up so far? I played against someone that knew what they were doing today and whew was it rough. His air projectile would trade with my up skulls and he can chuck projectiles full screen as well. His b1 has great range and a faster start up than Shangs f2. It was a struggle.

Though, I will admit there was something funky about that long set. At one point in time I did f242 with Kabal in the corner and I was mashing b3 for a follow up and I was grabbed like I wasn't doing anything or plus on block lol. I also tech rolled behind him at one point and teleported back in front of him to eat a b1 combo. This game is wonky at times.

 

[OutworldKeith]

Scorpion bones him.

 

[SaSSolino]

I love Shang don't get me wrong but I don't feel he is S Tier with what is known currently.
He is very punishable by many but I think he is around A to Mid tier. He is definitely good and his potential is through the roof having soulsteal and great zoning and amazing range. Just he isn't a dirty character and I feel he is honest.
Once the honeymoon phase is over I'm sure he will be placed in S/A only to drop to A- to Mid Tier once everyone finds more counters and hitbox issues.

Yeah, I think Shang's kit is very good and on paper could be a high to top tier. The problem is that a lot of characters straight up remove that as a factor: Geras, Sonya, Scorpion, Erron, etc.

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

How do you all feel about the Kabal match up so far? I played against someone that knew what they were doing today and whew was it rough. His air projectile would trade with my up skulls and he can chuck projectiles full screen as well. His b1 has great range and a faster start up than Shangs f2. It was a struggle.

Though, I will admit there was something funky about that long set. At one point in time I did f242 with Kabal in the corner and I was mashing b3 for a follow up and I was grabbed like I wasn't doing anything or plus on block lol. I also tech rolled behind him at one point and teleported back in front of him to eat a b1 combo. This game is wonky at times.

I think its pretty even. Kabal can't really punish his 112 soulsteal frame trap other than the FB gap but it allows Shang to setup more respected pressure after conditioning like F242/F243 KB.
But he is pretty safe using Ground Skulls which is normally punished vs Geras, Liu, Jacqui, Jax, Sub, Scorpion, Raiden, Cetrion and I think Cassie and Noob.
He also has Soulsteal to gain advantage and Corpse Drop is plus when placed right(+5) allowing Ground Skulls and when switching into Kabal you get his tools with more damage 9 seconds if amped and you can control when to change back by doing a combo into knockdown or holding block till you are ready.

Then Kabals mix is fuzzy guardable and has a 5f window on F224/F22xxlowbuzz.

 

[legion666]

I think its pretty even. Kabal can't really punish his 112 soulsteal frame trap other than the FB gap but it allows Shang to setup more respected pressure after conditioning like F242/F243 KB.
But he is pretty safe using Ground Skulls which is normally punished vs Geras, Liu, Jacqui, Jax, Sub, Scorpion, Raiden, Cetrion and I think Cassie and Noob.
He also has Soulsteal to gain advantage and Corpse Drop is plus when placed right(+5) allowing Ground Skulls and when switching into Kabal you get his tools with more damage 9 seconds if amped and you can control when to change back by doing a combo into knockdown or holding block till you are ready.

Then Kabals mix is fuzzy guardable and has a 5f window on F224/F22xxlowbuzz.

What do you mean by Corpse being +5 if placed right?
And what do Scorpion, Raiden, Cassie, and Noob punish Ground Eruption with? Dashing through the second skull?

 

[kcd117]

I don’t think Sonya is unfavorable. It seems like a 5-5 to me. Whoever has the lifelead controls the matchup, Shang has better neutral but Sonya has 50% 50/50s to fraud anyone out so she is always a threat.

And imo Shang beats Kano. I play both characters, and I know that Shang has an answer to everything Kano can do, and even tho Kano also has an answer to everything Shang can do, Shang’s are safer and more damaging. The ground skulls punish depends on the distance and Shang is one of the few characters that can reliably punish F3 into fullcombo everytime he blocks it, so I don’t think any of this is game changing.