My Black Manta Matchup Chart: Draft One

[Chernyy Volk]

For sure Idk if the manta I played knew all the tech or knew the canary mu anyway so it will be good for me. He was pretty good though it wasn't like he was sum ranked candy wrapper lol but hopefully we can play today

I'm down. I'm currently working that broke and jobless swag ATM. You can add me on PSN, ChernyyVolkFGC.

 

[honeybooboo]

Can you explain the atrocitous mu.
Surprisingly there are hardly any online on xbone

 

[Kooron Nation]

How do you figure Manta beats Cold? Cold's zoning vs Manta is pretty safe, and his crazy d2 helps a lot in getting around Manta's aerial presence and teleport unless he's using a perfectly spaced j3. I feel like Cold has ample opportunity to build resources and set up level 2.

How do you think Manta deals with trait easily though? Like I guess he can avoid getting caught in it because his mobility is okay, but it seems like nothing Manta has can really stop Cold from getting going and then looping the snow globe and building bar unless Cold makes a big mistake.

Well yes he can put out the trap but he can't just sit there and charge trait since you can check him with a very fast special move (shark attack), the mb rockets and even normal rockets at certain ranges can get him, and even laser at certain ranges can tag him.
For this match up I think you have to play very grounded and try not to do so much trait/flight stuff.
Maybe he doesn't beat cold, but cold doesn't beat him either, it's a 5-5 I'd say

 

[Kooron Nation]

He doesn’t beat her, it’s 5-5, just in my opinion though. It’s a hard matchup for catwoman for sure , CW player needs to stop jumping and use her other footsie tools more . I just think manta makes abusive catwoman players play more patiently

The thing is, I would argue he has better footsies in the neutral, that b1 and F2 are great.
And in the corner if he's staggering things into laser it's really difficult to stop him, you can only just punish regular laser if he's too close with b2 catdash, which if you don't get the punish (and it's tight) is a full combo punish.
Might be a 5-5, but it seems slightly in his favour, even Sonic put up a status saying Manta "regulates/normalises" CatWoman, which I would assume mean he beats her or at least does very well

 

[EntropicByDesign]

Just throwing a thought out there.. I see several people mentioning using good d2s to seat Manta out of the air..

This is WAY harder than it sounds. Hs j3's Hitbox is crazy and he can float back j3 or space regular j3's carefully and any d2 you stick out will get punished. Additionally he can do his instant j3 cancel stuff from a safe distance and end up +. Manta doesn't jump at you. It's not quite a Catwoman situation, but it's in the same vein, he jumps at an area of the screen well in front of you. I'm continually surprised by the range and angle his j3 lands at.

 

[mistaRONJON]

Blue Beetle, Red Hood, Supergirl, and Ivy have to be the hardest evens because the footsie and neutral game being played is utterly ridiculous when it comes to these MUs. For me, the thing that saves Manta in most of these is IA rockets and mbdb2 considering you don't whiff and have the opponent conditioned.. That's not always the case tho

 

[Rex24]

The thing is, I would argue he has better footsies in the neutral, that b1 and F2 are great.
And in the corner if he's staggering things into laser it's really difficult to stop him, you can only just punish regular laser if he's too close with b2 catdash, which if you don't get the punish (and it's tight) is a full combo punish.
Might be a 5-5, but it seems slightly in his favour, even Sonic put up a status saying Manta "regulates/normalises" CatWoman, which I would assume mean he beats her or at least does very well

I see your point and I also see how greatly he regulates neutral and controls space. Why I say it’s 5-5 is, manta has to come at you at some point and the moment you have a life lead,(and being a C.W player you will have life lead a lot ), manta has to come to you. With catwoman staggers and pressure , up close game is a win win for C.W but she does lose in the neutral that’s why I say it’s 5-5, maybe a hard 5-5, but not as bad as pre patch captain cold for example . Again just my opinions gained from personal experiences, so not indisputable at all.
Also a lot of people don’t punish his whiffed air shenanigans and harpoon guns, a cat dash punishes those moves

 

[xKhaoTik]

How does the ivy MU go about?

I’ve only played one Manta so I was basically just going based on impulse

 

[jcbowie]

Well yes he can put out the trap but he can't just sit there and charge trait since you can check him with a very fast special move (shark attack), the mb rockets and even normal rockets at certain ranges can get him, and even laser at certain ranges can tag him.
For this match up I think you have to play very grounded and try not to do so much trait/flight stuff.
Maybe he doesn't beat cold, but cold doesn't beat him either, it's a 5-5 I'd say

Oh I agree, I don't think it's in Cold's favor, 5-5 sounds right. I think it's intensely momentum based too, if Cold gets his trait rolling or if Manta can get in and maintain pressure then both are hard to escape.

 

[mistaRONJON]

How does the ivy MU go about?

I’ve only played one Manta so I was basically just going based on impulse

I recently played this MU for a set (18 matches) and at first it was great. I had came in as Manta super hot with b11 checks and ia mb rockets into b22 pressure. After a about 7 games that got old very fast and the matches became much more longer because I can't just float over Ivy without eating a mb b3. She will eventually start to bait then counter pressure at range keeping manta away at all cost and locking him down. I don't think it really matters if I play a very aggressive Manta pressure or a very patient Manta strategy. Either way, Ivy is equipped to handle the pressure midscreen until she gets cornered. Basically, Manta doesn't have enough mixup potential to threaten Ivy midscreen so he has to f213 his way to close the space. Predictable.

 

[xKhaoTik]

I recently played this MU for a set (18 matches) and at first it was great. I had came in as Manta super hot with b11 checks and ia mb rockets into b22 pressure. After a about 7 games that got old very fast and the matches became much more longer because I can't just float over Ivy without eating a mb b3. She will eventually start to bait then counter pressure at range keeping manta away at all cost and locking him down. I don't think it really matters if I play a very aggressive Manta pressure or a very patient Manta strategy. Either way, Ivy is equipped to handle the pressure midscreen until she gets cornered. Basically, Manta doesn't have enough mixup potential to threaten Ivy midscreen so he has to f213 his way to close the space. Predictable.

How does he fair against the zoning...if there is any?

Who wins the footsie and neutral game?

I can see Ivy dying in the corner tho.


Are you on PS4?

 

[Invincible Salads]

manta beats brainiac....

 

[DavesHotnJuicy]

How does he fair against the zoning...if there is any?

Who wins the footsie and neutral game?

I can see Ivy dying in the corner tho.


Are you on PS4?

She def dies in the corner lmao. But it’s not that bad midscreen.

 

[Vigilante24]

Oh I agree, I don't think it's in Cold's favor, 5-5 sounds right. I think it's intensely momentum based too, if Cold gets his trait rolling or if Manta can get in and maintain pressure then both are hard to escape.

So I wasn't crazy for thinking this MU was most definitely not a 7-3. Good to know.

 

[mistaRONJON]

How does he fair against the zoning...if there is any?

Who wins the footsie and neutral game?

I can see Ivy dying in the corner tho.


Are you on PS4?

OK, so the guy I played was good but I could tell he didn't understand the MU fully until about game 7 of 18.

Ivy's b12, b2d2 and 21 kept me on guard whenever I got in sweep range. She would get checked all day in footsie range by Manta's d1xx and b11xx so eventually it turns into an armor stuffing b3/f3 fest until Ivy is out of meter then it's back to midscreen keep away/yoshi shenanigans smh... Because of her zoning and Manta's lack thereof, he remains grounded for most of the match which restricts his already "limited" mixup potential and makes his approach non-threatening.

Personally, that's why Manta has to suffocate characters with obnoxious flight cancel, rocket pressure, etc. otherwise he's just only good at poking you to death.

Nah, I'm on Xb tho...