Mortal Kombat (2011) Matchup Chart

[THTB]

I'm still definitely not convinced about his XRAY being superioir in any way, what you're saying is pretty much what I thought initially when I was playing the demo but later realized it really isn't that effective. How doesn't this apply most of the other XRAYs in the game? For a regular XRAY with armor qualities: you're going to try to land it 1. in a combo 2. when the opponent is moving without blocking 3. or when you interrupt an opponents attack midway the impact animation. For JC's only #3 is going to work and the window for it to work in practice is really short, not longer than most regular mid XRAY window since the animation on whiff is easily to be recognised and obviously a player who knows what he's doing isn't going to fall for it on that situation anymore.

Cage's X-Ray is such a special case because it counters so many things, not limited to projectiles up close and just about all other X-Rays. It's not necessarily superior, but it makes you play significantly different because at times you're going to be hesitant and stop attacking or not want to attack in fear for it. This doesn't really apply to other X-Rays because they all are oftentimes beaten out by other X-Rays or are too slow, and not all X-Rays have armor.

 

[NuSix3]

Cage's X-Ray is such a special case because it counters so many things, not limited to projectiles up close and just about all other X-Rays. It's not necessarily superior, but it makes you play significantly different because at times you're going to be hesitant and stop attacking or not want to attack in fear for it. This doesn't really apply to other X-Rays because they all are oftentimes beaten out by other X-Rays or are too slow, and not all X-Rays have armor.

I think you are all over crediting x-rays waaaaaaay too much. Cyrax, Sub-Zero, Cyber-Sub, Scorpion, Quan-Chi, Kitana, Kabal, Ermac, Sindel and Smoke all guarentee themselves a 30%-plus damage combo just by connecting one special attack without ever needing to blow their special bar (Note that I was only looking at specials that give the player ample time to start a combo). This provides them with infinite opportunities to match Cage's x-ray damage while Cage is stuck with an empty bar spamming force balls.

I'm not discrediting Cage's place in the game or saying any of those characters are better than he is, i'm merely pointing out that his x-ray isn't a game breaking factor.

Now if this f'king lame practice mode actually had a record / playback option for the COM AI we'd already know a lot more about what attacks are safe or not, but unfortunetly we're stuck trying to figure it all out via single player match or having a friend try and counter stuff. Until we know more about that it's going to be really hard to figure out who is better than who.

 

[cosmothehound]

I think you are all over crediting x-rays waaaaaaay too much. Cyrax, Sub-Zero, Cyber-Sub, Scorpion, Quan-Chi, Kitana, Kabal, Ermac, Sindel and Smoke all guarentee themselves a 30%-plus damage combo just by connecting one special attack without ever needing to blow their special bar (Note that I was only looking at specials that give the player ample time to start a combo). This provides them with infinite opportunities to match Cage's x-ray damage while Cage is stuck with an empty bar spamming force balls.

I'm not discrediting Cage's place in the game or saying any of those characters are better than he is, i'm merely pointing out that his x-ray isn't a game breaking factor.

Now if this f'king lame practice mode actually had a record / playback option for the COM AI we'd already know a lot more about what attacks are safe or not, but unfortunetly we're stuck trying to figure it all out via single player match or having a friend try and counter stuff. Until we know more about that it's going to be really hard to figure out who is better than who.

You are completely underrating Cage's X-ray. It completely changes a match if the Cage player is any good. If he reads you one time. Night night, keep your urethra tight cause its about to get punched.

 

[rikana]

Don't. Forget you can do hidden select now on MK so your opponent can't counter pick

May you go in depth about this? I'm curious how it works.

 

[Eazail]

When you press square on the character select screen, there is an option there called hidden select. You select that and your cursor is unvisible. Your opponent doesn't know who you selected

 

[RWDY Nori]

Anybody think Teleport chars have a signicant adv in this game?

 

[Sinister_M]

Anybody think Teleport chars have a signicant adv in this game?

Yup. Too much. And yet some teleports are useless too

 

[noobharvester]

Anybody think Teleport chars have a signicant adv in this game?

Depends on how you play. Once you adjust to the psyche of your opponent they can become a little predictable, although very fast, so train your eyes to hit block fast lol.

 

[Sasuga]

That match-up sheet actually made me realize 1/3 of the cast's name start with an S, lol.

 

[Cozby]

Smoke/Noob is 7-3 at LEAST.

 

[evansgambit]

I think you are all over crediting x-rays waaaaaaay too much. Cyrax, Sub-Zero, Cyber-Sub, Scorpion, Quan-Chi, Kitana, Kabal, Ermac, Sindel and Smoke all guarentee themselves a 30%-plus damage combo just by connecting one special attack without ever needing to blow their special bar (Note that I was only looking at specials that give the player ample time to start a combo). This provides them with infinite opportunities to match Cage's x-ray damage while Cage is stuck with an empty bar spamming force balls.

I'm not discrediting Cage's place in the game or saying any of those characters are better than he is, i'm merely pointing out that his x-ray isn't a game breaking factor.

Firstly, I'd like to add, that whether or not Cage's X-Ray is a game changer, is more to do with you and your opponent's tendencies, as opposed to the match up. That means you have to know how your opponent plays, and they have to know how you play. Of course this would be negated, if you have fast reflexes, and can activate in lesser frames.

Now, I don't mean any disrespect, but the stated characters can not match Cage's X-Ray damage without meter. This is because the X-Ray puts the opponent in a pop up juggle state and it also has the ability to dash cancell at the end. So, in essence, the X-Ray is a guarranteed 48% or higher, depending on the skill or juggle combo used. If you land the X-Ray near or close to the corner, or the follow up juggle combo carrys them to the corner, it's easilly 55%+

I would agree that X-Rays having armour can just plow through attacks, and in that way, can be used in a similar manner to Cage. Though they take damage, and Cage's does not. The implication here, is that with low health, Cage won't die, where other X-Rays will.

Having said that, I think the most powerful thing about Cage's X-Ray is the startup. Other X-Rays you can see coming. That and then, the fact that it counters almost everything. The hugh damage also makes it scary. I would say that the threat of the X-Ray is more powerful than the X-Ray. Cage could use it at the end of any of his strings, to catch them on the counter. It's great as a negative frame trap. I think for 48% damage, you really have to bait it out, or make him use meter.

 

[Konqrr]

@THTB, you should make this chart available to edit or download so we can plug in our own numbers for shits and giggles.

 

[Zebster]

@THTB, you should make this chart available to edit or download so we can plug in our own numbers for shits and giggles.

Here's a makeshift one using paint to use until THTB makes a legitimately editable one:

 

[ChaseRLewis]

Here's an Excel Version

Matchup Chart

Already sums the matchups for each character for you and easier than paint if you have excel : P

 

[D. R.]

I come here to see if any matchup knowledge is floating around and all I find is basically talk of Tekken, SF, and JC's X-Ray. Lol Numbers people, throw them out!

As for Tekken, I play the hell out of Tekken competitively and it is one of the most balanced games out to date. There are NO MATCHUPS in T6, so please do not speak out your asses and say there is if you don't play the game. That's what turns me off from SF are specific match up bs. Sure, in Tekken some characters have better tools then others, but by no means will a top tier character completely shut out a low tier character. That's left to the players and their knowledge of the game. *VENT*

Back to MK. I main Noob as I'm sure you all can tell. Post patch, I feel he has no truly bad matchups.

Except Raiden. 2-8, in thunder queers favor. Noob's projectiles have too much recovery. One teleport and I'm losing 30%+ from a good Raiden player with minimual risk. Also, bye bye to Noob's fantastic corner game; teleport has that covered. He's forced to revolve his gameplan around Raiden's teleport. Not fun at all.

Kitana is also a bad matchup due to a random glitch that causes Noobs back+214 combo to be blocked after the first hit, totally taking away from his newfound ability to set blackhole traps after the combo. Wtf NRS? Noob's stuck with just taking his damage instead and zoning, which Kitana has as well. 4-6, Kitana til another patch.

Smoke for obvious reasons. 3-7. Noob can't zone for free due to shake, so he's left using strings, baiting shake to punish with a teleport, which is unsafe if timed wrong, and lots of grabs, which can be EN shaked.

Subz and Cyrax are 4-6 matchups. Simply put, Noob can't trade projectiles.

Jade, 4-6. The untapped potential of the green glow owns Noob's zoning. He's forced to fight more aggressive, which isn't in his favor.

Now, he does have great matchups against the rushdown based characters, don't get me wrong.

NW, JC, Liu, Sonya, Baraka, are 7-3 Noob. They have limited answers to his zoning and may have to burn meter to get in easier. Fine by me.

More will come when I feel like it. Just wanted to start something quick. Thoughts? More from you guys? Lets get this going and be productive about it with legit arguments, not bs like "but my friends Jax is unbeatable! Jax is top tier!"

 

[ChaseRLewis]

People need to stop saying there isn't matchups in tekken there is ... if your not playing to the matchup your probably not maximizing your effectiveness. The fact that you have to counter different tools with different moves alone should change in some way how you play the matchup. It isn't the same a SF but it exists.

T6 an example is how many of the lower tiers have their worst matchup being steve fox even though there are higher tiered characters than fox. His b+1 and general poking game shut down many characters who don't have "lol panic move that defies traditional 3d gameplay!". In exchange people with those type of panic moves often spam them a bit more liberally against fox because his natural lifters are the slowest in the game, meaning he can't even lift punish aforementioned moves. This is an example to playing to the matchup spam move X more because character Y has more difficulty with move X compared to other characters.
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Agree with Kitana vs Noob but i don't think it will change even when they fix your string to be honest. air EX fan freely punishes tackle into 45% combo to easily. Means at anything but absolute full screen you can't throw your shadows and your upclose mixup is definately sub-par.

Kitana vs Jax is a 7-3 he can't deal with my zoning which deals way to much damage and he's free on wakeup to my d3 which if he reversals causes them to whiff into a 48% dmg punisher. Addin my mid-range game also dominates him he just sits there and cries.

Kitana vs Shang 5-5 used to think this was in shang's favor till i stepped up my rushdown game. Shang's zoning beats kitana's pretty readily and ex fan doesn't answer this like it does in some matchups. This forces me to work my way in but the benefit of this is that my mid-range and close game are superior to his own. instant air EX square boost can get you in on reaction for little dmg and put you in a pressure scenario because his wake-up is pretty free.

Kitana vs Sub 5-5 used to think this went to sub but than i found out kitana can completely shut down sub's wake-up game by doing a meaty j.K. If he slides i can immediately land into ex fan for a 45% punisher, or if he clones he gets kicked in the face and i get to setup the same scenario again. If he blocks i'm at enough advantage to at least go for d3 or throw. His ice blast is punishable by ex fan at certain ranges if ne isn't properly spaced. Also kitana has projectile advantage against normal ice blast at absolute full screen with iAF his only way to counter this is to move forward or spend ex meter on ex freeze. This matchup is either 5-5 or 5.5-4.5 sub.

Kitana vs Smoke 6-4 Smoke's lack of a mid-range game forces him to rely on smoke-bomb which kitana has answers to at mid-range on reaction. Kitana severely out damage smoke. All smoke has in this matchup are projectile counters that a good kitana can render useless by not using because she doesn't need them to have the advantage vs smoke.

Kitana vs Raiden 4-6 or 5-5 not sure yet. Raiden's teleport gives her fits because she cannot get a lifter punish let me riiterate CANNOT. Her frame data is too slow to get more than a 2% dmg d1 as a punish. Saving grace is she can do huge punishes on him and really nothing he has is safe other than teleport spam. Also even though i'm saying she can't get a true punishment on teleport she can setup stuff because he is at major disadvantage making him have to guess. It's really a matchup where neither can do a whole lot because the other has answers but raiden has a slight advantage through teleport and armor.

Kitana vs Lao 5-5 Kitana hurts Lao to easily on all his specials because of her reach and she is the highest dmg character in the game. His teleport is annoying but unlike other teleports it doesn't guarantee a punish because it's so slow so she does get to use her fans somewhat, also divekick isn't an amazing option against air fan because kitana can mindgame the height to catch you resulting in huge unbreakable damage on lao. Results in a more footsie oriented battle where lao has to restrict himself a bit in fear of getting punished because if he gets read that's 40%+. Lao is still lao though so 5-5 seems reasonable from my experience.

I hear kano has a 6-4 or 7-3 against kitana but konqrr would have to explain that one. Also theoryfighter says she's disadvantaged against Kabal. He's better upclose than she is and as long as he sticks to instant air fireballs he can make life very hard on kitana, but again konqrr would be better to explain that matchup.

 

[Konqrr]

Kitana is also a bad matchup due to a random glitch that causes Noobs back+214 combo to be blocked after the first hit, totally taking away from his newfound ability to set blackhole traps after the combo. Wtf NRS? Noob's stuck with just taking his damage instead and zoning, which Kitana has as well. 4-6, Kitana til another patch.

NW, JC, Liu, Sonya, Baraka, are 7-3 Noob. They have limited answers to his zoning and may have to burn meter to get in easier. Fine by me.

Like Chase said, the Kitana vs Noob match isn't 6-4 because your combo doesn't work on her... it's because 3/4 screen or closer she jumps over your shadow tackle and gets a free 45% combo.

A 7-3 matchup is one character shutting down the tools of another rendering them near useless like Kitana vs Jax is. Please explain why Nightwolf, Cage, and Liu have virtually no options. I can see how it is hard for them to get in unless they have meter, but once they do get it, it is very hard to get them out! I'd say for sure that the cage/liu match vs noob is 6-4 noob, but not nightwolf. I don't main Noob so I can't say for sure, but I would just like to hear your reasoning behind it.

Kitana vs Lao 5-5 Kitana hurts Lao to easily on all his specials because of her reach and she is the highest dmg character in the game. His teleport is annoying but unlike other teleports it doesn't guarantee a punish because it's so slow so she does get to use her fans somewhat, also divekick isn't an amazing option against air fan because kitana can mindgame the height to catch you resulting in huge unbreakable damage on lao. Results in a more footsie oriented battle where lao has to restrict himself a bit in fear of getting punished because if he gets read that's 40%+. Lao is still lao though so 5-5 seems reasonable from my experience.

Kitana vs Lao is 6-4. He has a very hard time getting in safely. She punishes him very hard. She gets a free 2~fan combo (unless he does a 3 immediately) or backdash into fan lift for free on teleport. I haven't tested this yet, but I think she even gets a free f21 BnB after backdashing out of his EX teleport. You wait until he comes up the second time, backdash and time the f21 right when he lands. If Kung Lao can't block right when he lands then this punisher is free and he just wasted meter to lose half of his lifebar. Only real annoyances against Kung Lao are that she can't punish 21212 or 21212~low hat and the roll and roll~low hat are stupid.

I don't have much time today, but I will write up a matchup on Kano and Kabal.

 

[ChaseRLewis]

Kitana vs Lao is 6-4. He has a very hard time getting in safely. She punishes him very hard. She gets a free 2~fan combo (unless he does a 3 immediately) or backdash into fan lift for free on teleport. I haven't tested this yet, but I think she even gets a free f21 BnB after backdashing out of his EX teleport. You wait until he comes up the second time, backdash and time the f21 right when he lands. If Kung Lao can't block right when he lands then this punisher is free and he just wasted meter to lose half of his lifebar. Only real annoyances against Kung Lao are that she can't punish 21212 or 21212~low hat and the roll and roll~low hat are stupid.

I can see 6-4 if she can get a good punish on EX tele, interesting gonna have to try that out.

 

[MKK hanzo]

Like Chase said, the Kitana vs Noob match isn't 6-4 because your combo doesn't work on her... it's because 3/4 screen or closer she jumps over your shadow tackle and gets a free 45% combo.

A 7-3 matchup is one character shutting down the tools of another rendering them near useless like Kitana vs Jax is. Please explain why Nightwolf, Cage, and Liu have virtually no options. I can see how it is hard for them to get in unless they have meter, but once they do get it, it is very hard to get them out! I'd say for sure that the cage/liu match vs noob is 6-4 noob, but not nightwolf. I don't main Noob so I can't say for sure, but I would just like to hear your reasoning behind it.



Kitana vs Lao is 6-4. He has a very hard time getting in safely. She punishes him very hard. She gets a free 2~fan combo (unless he does a 3 immediately) or backdash into fan lift for free on teleport. I haven't tested this yet, but I think she even gets a free f21 BnB after backdashing out of his EX teleport. You wait until he comes up the second time, backdash and time the f21 right when he lands. If Kung Lao can't block right when he lands then this punisher is free and he just wasted meter to lose half of his lifebar. Only real annoyances against Kung Lao are that she can't punish 21212 or 21212~low hat and the roll and roll~low hat are stupid.

I don't have much time today, but I will write up a matchup on Kano and Kabal.

Awesome post Kelly.I wouldbe on the lookout cause Im looking for Kabal to shit on a friends Kitana. Instant Ir Fireball could be of any use?

 

[THTB]

I just need to know who would be willing to help keep the numbers updated. I'll open up the matchup chart so that it can be editted by more people. Just lemme know your GMail account, and I'll add you to the permissions list.

 

[Bidu]

Cage's X-Ray is such a special case because it counters so many things, not limited to projectiles up close and just about all other X-Rays. It's not necessarily superior, but it makes you play significantly different because at times you're going to be hesitant and stop attacking or not want to attack in fear for it. This doesn't really apply to other X-Rays because they all are oftentimes beaten out by other X-Rays or are too slow, and not all X-Rays have armor.

Could you clarify what kind of moves, besides normals, Johnny's X-Ray can counter? Does it counter Sub-Zero's slide, for instance?

 

[THTB]

It can counter any physical attack, and, if I'm not mistaken, can counter projectiles if done too close.

 

[Konqrr]

Cage's Xray counters EVERYTHING if you are close to him. Even if you threw noob's black hole from half screen, then jumped close to Cage not pressing a button. Once the black hole touched the ground (as long as cage's xray is still active), he would hit you. This happened to me LOL

Updated Matchup Chart with formulas in the bottom part of the grid that update automatically as you put numbers in the top half of the grid. Also added a rank row to automatically assign rank once the grid gets populated.

http://www.easy-share.com/1916376769/MK9_matchup_ext.xlsx

I still need to lock cells that have formulas in them. I will do that when I have more time.

Awesome post Kelly.I wouldbe on the lookout cause Im looking for Kabal to shit on a friends Kitana. Instant Ir Fireball could be of any use?

You mean Kabal's iAFB or Kitana's iAF?

 

[THTB]

Omg...guys use Mediafire for uploading LMAO!

 

[Robotic]

D.R. is right: This thread has ENORMOUS potential. Hopefully it won't get derailed.