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Match-up Discussion MK2 Sub Zero VS Kitana

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
VS


Rules of this discussion:
  • You may contribute anything that will further the interest and understanding of the matchup. This includes strategies, videos, combos, etc.
  • Feel free to answer the default questions posed in the first reply, though you are not required to do so.
  • Please keep the discussion focused on the two characters in question.
 

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
Kitana doesn't have too many matchup problems, but surprisingly this is one of them. Sub Zero's playstyle benefits him very much in this match.

Kitana does well up close in most games, but it's very tough to get in close on Subby because of his superior aa defenses. If Kitana does jump in, she needs to be ready to cancel it out with an air fan in order to avoid the potential aaRH. IAF works much better in this matchup. Walking in is highly advised, however Kitana needs to be wary of the slide and ground freeze in this case. Anticipate the attacks and then jump in for a punish. Once in close, stay in close with the CQC game. If you are playing a chronic Sub-turtler, get a life lead and then back away; forcing the opponent to play offense. Do not be afraid to win this match via the time limit. A win is a win no matter how you slice it.

Subby has to play defensively here. Keep Kitana at bay or right outside sweep range and try to get her jumping in for a counter by baiting ice ball tosses. Always have the ground freeze ready to go when she lands and use the slide when she is walking in, but abuse of the slide will lead to an uppercut or worse if anticipated. It goes without saying, but don't jump in against Kitana unless you want to lose or you are confident a fan raise is not being buffered.

Kitana has the edge, but she needs to work for it here. She takes it 6-4, but if she can toss IAF it may be 7-3.
  • Best ways to bait a jump with both players?
  • Best way to crack Subby's defenses?
  • Should Sub try to be aggressive or just play a waiting game?
 

Sub0's-Icy-Balls

Frozen Death (ANTI-TIERIST)
Good points, I enjoy this match a lot, the only issue as you said was a Kitana that gets the health advantage and forces me to attack. Even then I would much rather go on the offensive against Kitana than Baraka/Raiden/ect, you just have to confuse her and get her to jump, lots of fake ice/ ground freeze/ slides usually does the trick. And forget about defense, Sub is so hard to get in on when the clock is ticking and you don't have a health advantage. Kitana is one of the easiest characters to round house out of the air in my opinion, even with lag I can usually knock her out 9 out of 10 times.
I'm going to disagree and say it's 5-5, unless IAF are involved, then it's 7-3
 

mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
Blue ninja vs blue ninja. Classic!
Smart Sub-Zeros can give Kitana some trouble. But if Subz can't anti-air and play keep away, he is dead fast.

SUB-ZERO
Definitely need to turtle this match to win. Baiting and anti-airing are extremely vital to come out on top here. All jump-ins should be anti-air roundhoused by Subz. A good baiting play is throwing 2 freezes and then doing a floor ice. Sub-Zero doesn't have a lot of options in this match other than to stay away from Kitana's mad CQC and sweep, and counter whatever she does. The slide is a good play but it gets punished if you become predictable. Still, with aaRHs, floor ice, and slides, Sub-Zero can be very hard for Kitana to get near to. If Kitana is using IAF throws, throw lots of freezes, coz your freeze will hit her, but the fan will go over Subby's head.

KITANA
You want to be aggressive, though you have to gauge the level of the Subz you're playing. If your first jump-in is anti-aired, then you have to be sneakier. IAFs are very ineffective in this match because your fan goes over Sub's head, while you still get froze. Also, the threat of slides/floor ices makes it hard to bait and buffer IAF raises. Jump punches are harder to anti-air, use them when you jump-in. Best tactic is to just track Sub-Zero down relentlessly by foot. You can usually land a sweep, and then get in and mix up fan swipes, punches, elbows etc. Or he runs into a corner, and that's just Christmas come-early for Kitana! Square waves are great, just be sure to start them from within sweep distance, or Sub can duck and uppercut them on the way down.

Kitana isn't OP enough to destroy Sub-Zero, but she still wins if played well.
7-3 for Kitana, but she will need to work hard for each victory.