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Strategy MK2 - Punishing specials

MKB

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
In MK2 (and any fighting game), there needs to be an understanding of not only all the matchups, but also an ability to read your opponent, properly punish, and bait them into what you want them to do. This thread is meant to discuss the best base punishers for all characters, then expand with the best character specific BnB punishers.

BASE PUNISHERS
You want your opponent to think twice about trying a specific tactic against you. This is accomplished by inflicting as much pain as possible. Any counter or combo off a failed special attack should almost always equal at least 25% of the opponents total health. Why that total? Because an uppercut, the strongest base attack in the game, is worth about 25%. Landing two of them in a round is half a lifebar! Anything less than that is a waste of time and effort. Not to mention, uppercuts are usually the most consistent source of damage in this instance.
  • Outside of Shang, every single character has at least one special or moveset that can be countered with an uppercut at minimum (unless Shang is dumb enough to fireball up close and you are ducking...).
  • Outside of projectile moves (because no smart player is going to spam when in close) and Lao's whirlwind spin, virtually all special moves can be safely punished with at least an uppercut.
  • Liu, Lao, Kitana, and Mileena all have top tier uppercuts that can hit from just about anywhere on the opposing hitbox.
  • Scorpion, SubZero, and Reptile have top tier roundhouse for jump-ins.
  • Shang, Lao, and Jax have top tier standing high kicks for jump-ins.
COMBO PUNISHERS (non-corner)
Of course we want to be flashy on occasion, and juggles are both fun and important at a high level. Just remember that any combo punish should be at least 26% or its a waste of time and effort. With that said, when uppercuts are not possible, here are some of the most reliable combos that you should ALWAYS look to land with each character off a punish. More complicated combos can be discussed in future threads.

Liu
2xaaHP, flying kick (29.8%)
2xaaHP, bicycle kick (43.47%)

Lao
JK, bullet kick (32.5%)
(if in close) Spin, JK, bullet kick (54.8%)

Cage
JK, shadow kick (32.97%)
(If in close) axe kick launcher, shadow kick (45.39%)

Reptile
Forceball, 2xHP, JK (39.7%)

Sub Zero
Freeze, JK, ground freeze, uppercut (40.98%)

Shang
2x aaHP, 2x skulls (34%)

Kitana
JK, fan toss, JK (52.15%)
Fan raise, JK, fan toss, wave punch (49.05%)

Jax
JK, backbreaker (36.01%)
2xHP, JK, backbreaker (49.67%)
(If in close and opponent grounded) Overhead smash, crossover JK, backbreaker (51.01%)

Mileena
Roll, JK, air sai (43.46%)

Baraka
Blade swipe, JK (36.01%)
Doesn't work on all punishes. Opponent must be high in air. Shredders and uppercuts are more effective.

Scorpion
JK, telepunch, spear, uppercut (54.01%)
(If full screen) spear, spear, uppercut (34.76%)

Raiden
JK, superman (34.77%)
(If in close) Shocker, 2xHP, superman (52.16%)

If you can think of any other simple BnB combos for punish that do more than 25%, please post below.
 
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MKB

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
ded said:
Very useful. I might add some stuff. Back in 2009, I've made one short compilation of punishing some special moves in MKII:
Click to expand...
Awesome! I finally have a useful punish for Baraka outside of uppercut (swipe, JK).
 
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MKB

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
One more thing I would like to add... damage does NOT scale in MK2, so everything seen here in this thread occurs at full value.

@ded is Jax overhead smash guaranteed to hit on a whiff in most cases? Oftentimes the combos you see in videos like this are possible because the second player is voluntarily jumping into the air or not blocking.
 
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ded

ded

Elder God
Everything in the video has been tested with P2 holding block. It's been ages since I've played vs MKII, but for Jax explicitly i remember sometimes you had to take a mini step forward + HP, otherwise it would just be normal High Punch instead overhead smash.

edit: same applies to axe kick launcher with cage
 
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ded

ded

Elder God
Got some free time to mess up with MKII and these might be good to add if you want @MKB :

Liu Kang:
  1. (mid) - aaHPx2 (or Death Punch), Bike Kick (often aaLK if Bike Kick catches them high) (44% - If LK is added it's 60%) (if max death punch 58% or 74%)
  2. (mid) - Grounded Bike Kick, Forward+Low Kick or Flying Kick - yes, it's unblockable if done fast enough (46%)
  3. (near corner) - JP, AFB, SUJK/JP, AFB, LK (73% or 64%)
  4. (near corner) - aaHP, JP AFB, SUJK, AFB, LK (80%)
Kung Lao:
  1. (mid) - Death Punch, Hat Thow (42% if max death punch)
  2. (mid) - aaHPx2, JP, Div Kick (40%)
  3. (near corner) - JP, Div Kick, SUJK, Div Kick (62%)
Cage:
  1. (mid) Death Punch, Shadow Kick (46% if max death punch)
  2. (mid) aaHP, JP, Shadow Kick (36%)
  3. (corner) Axe Kick, RH, HK (51%)
  4. (corner) Axe Kick/JK, Nut Punch, Corner LP/HP trap inf
Reptile:
  1. (mid) Forceball, aaHPx2, JK (40%)
  2. (mid) Forceball, RH, LK (45%)
  3. (mid) Death Punch, Acid Spit (37% if max death punch)
Sub-Zero:
  1. JK, Ground Freeze, JK, LK (48%)
  2. (near corner), aaHPx2, Ground Freeze, RH, HK/LK (52% or 49%)
  3. It's possible to get grounded unblockable freeze after some special moves. You can just move the opponent if near corner and do RH inf or LP/aaHP trap inf
Shang Tsung:
  1. aaHPx2, Double Fireball (37%)
Kitana:
  1. (mid) aaHPx2, JK, Air Fan (49%)
  2. (anywhere) Fan Lift, Low Air Fan, Fan Lift inf or into 100% combo
Jax:
  1. (If in close and opponent grounded) Overhead smash, JK, Gotcha (59%)
  2. (mid) aaHP, JK, Air Grab (43%)
  3. (mid) Death Punch, Wave, Ground Pound (having difficult time to test it fully if ground pound is escapable)
  4. (corner/near corner) Overhead smash, corner trap LP/HP inf
Mileena:
  1. (mid) JK, Roll, Teleport Kick (only vs Jax and Lao) (49%)
  2. (mid) JK, Roll, JP, Air Sai (against big characters) (54%)
  3. (mid) aaHP, JP/JK, Air Sai (31% or 37%)
  4. (near corner) aaHPx2, Roll,, SUJK, Air Sai (61%)
  5. (near coner) Death Punch, Roll, JK, Air Sai (71% if max death punch)
  6. P1 has advantage if roll hits in left corner and P2 in right corner that would allow crazy easy juggles aaHpx2, Roll - aaHpx2, Roll, HK, HK. Inf is possible, but i don't think someone will ever try this in a vs match
Baraka:
  1. (mid) Death Punch, Blade Spark (42%)
  2. (mid) aaHP, Blade Fury (32%)
  3. (near corner) aaHP, JK, Blade Furry (48%)
  4. (near corner) aaHP, Blade Swipe x 2, LK/HK (63% or 67%)
Scorpion:
  1. (mid) aaHPx2, Teleport Punch, Spear, Spear (risky), Uppercut (57%)
  2. Death Punch, Teleport Punch, Spear, Spear (risky), Uppercut (70% if max death punch)
  3. (corner or near corner) aaHP, (sometimes JP) Spear, RH, LK (or RH inf if possible)
*Scorpion cannot do LP/HP corner trap inf after Spear due to pushback

Raiden:
  1. aaHP (sometimes aaHPx2), JK, Torpedo (42% or 48% if there is second HP)
  2. Shock Grab, Uppercut/RH (45% or 41%)
  3. You can get unblockable RH inf or corner LP/HP trap after Shock Grab in corner, although very risky
*Just fun trivia - Sega Saturn MKII: Shock Grab is unblockable and cannot be ducked, so it's literally an inf
 
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MKB

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
ded said:
Got some free time to mess up with MKII and these might be good to add if you want @MKB :

Liu Kang:
  1. (mid) - Death Punch, Bike Kick (often aaLK if Bike Kick catches them high)
  2. (mid) - Grounded Bike Kick, Forward+Low Kick or Flying Kick - yes, it's unblockable if done fast enough
  3. (near corner) - JP, AFB, SUJK/JP, AFB, LK
  4. (near corner) - aaHP, JP AFB, SUJK, AFB, LK
Kung Lao:
  1. (mid) - Death Punch, Hat Thow
  2. (mid) - aaHPx2, JP, Div Kick
  3. (near corner) - JP, Div Kick, SUJK, Div Kick
Cage:
  1. (mid) Death Punch, Shadow Kick
  2. (mid) aaHP, JP, Shadow Kick
  3. (corner) Axe Kick, RH, HK
  4. (corner) Axe Kick/JK, Nut Punch, Corner LP/aaHP trap inf
Reptile:
  1. (mid) Forceball, aaHPx2, JK
  2. (mid) Forceball, RH, LK
  3. (mid) Death Punch, Acid Spit
Sub-Zero:
  1. JK, Ground Freeze, JK, LK
  2. (near corner), aaHPx2, Ground Freeze, RH, HK/LK
  3. It's possible to get grounded unblockable freeze after some special moves. You can just move the opponent if near corner and do RH inf or LP/aaHP trap inf
Shang Tsung:
1. aaHPx2, Double Fireball

Kitana:
  1. (mid) aaHPx2, JK, Air Fan
  2. (anywhere) Fan Lift, Low Air Fan, Fan Lift inf or into 100% combo
Jax:
  1. (If in close and opponent grounded) Overhead smash, JK, Gotcha
  2. (mid) aaHP, JK, Air Grab
  3. (mid) Death Punch, Wave, Ground Pound (having difficult time to test it fully if ground pound is escapable)
  4. (corner/near corner) Overhead smash, corner trap LP/HP inf
Mileena:
  1. (mid) JK, Roll, Teleport Kick (only vs Jax and Lao)
  2. (mid) JK, Roll, JP, Air Sai (against big characters)
  3. (mid) aaHP, JP/JK, Air Sai
  4. (near corner) aaHPx2, Roll,, SUJK, Air Sai
  5. (near coner) Death Punch, Roll, JK, Air Sai
  6. P1 has advantage if roll hits in left corner and P2 in right corner that would allow crazy easy juggles aaHpx2, Roll - aaHpx2, Roll, HK, HK. Inf is possible, but i don't think someone will ever try this in a vs match
Baraka:
  1. (mid) Death Punch, Blade Spark
  2. (mid) aaHP, Blade Fury
  3. (near corner) aaHP, JK, Blade Furry
  4. (near corner) aaHP, Blade Swipe x 2, LK/HK
Scorpion:
  1. (mid) aaHPx2, Teleport Punch, Spear, Spear (risky), Uppercut
  2. Death Punch, Teleport Punch, Spear, Spear (risky), Uppercut
  3. (corner or near corner) aaHP, (sometimes JP) Spear, RH, LK (or RH inf if possible)
*Scorpion cannot do LP/HP corner trap inf after Spear due to pushback

Raiden:
  1. aaHP (sometimes aaHPx2), JK, Torpedo
  2. Shock Grab, Uppercut/RH
  3. You can get unblockable RH inf or corner LP/HP trap after Shock Grab in corner, although very risky
*Just fun trivia - Sega Saturn MKII: Shock Grab is unblockable and cannot be ducked, so it's literally an inf
Click to expand...
These are wonderful, thank you. Now I just have to figure out the damage output for all of them, lol.

For now I am focusing on simple punishes over 25% that aren't in a corner. Those ones are obviously a little tougher to pull off. We can move a lot of the tougher stuff to a separate thread.
 
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ded

ded

Elder God
I tried to use MKII+ for some damage, but it has different scaling than MKII R3.1/2, but i can add the damage.

edit: I added the damage now.

i agree that some are little specific, but those are not that hard really to pull of. i did probably 95% of the above punishers while playing vs CPU:
 
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