Question about Characters With No Low Strings

[Hex]

From what I've learned about this game, it's important to alternate between overhead strings(to hit low blocking opponents), and Low-starting strings to hit high-blocking opponents.
but Correct me if I'm wrong.

I like to play Smoke, and Rain. I play others, but both of these characters have no Low combos. They have low pokes and sweeps, of course, but nothing else really.

So all you would have to do is block high, and there's no predicting there, right? You can't be hit.
Am I missing something?

 

[TheChad_87]

Smoke's mix-up isn;t in his H/M/L strings. He does have overheads in his 3, d1, 2 string and his EN Tele; but, the majority of his mix-up game comes from Smoke Toward. If you smoke into an opponent's face, they have to start the guessing game. Are you going to throw? or maybe you'll go for the aforementioned string. Or possibly just Away/Teleport. Maybe even do a sweep.
Mix-Up is about mind games just as much as it's about H/M/L ...

Having said that, Smoke is really more of a Counter style character from my experience. He's much better at reacting to the opponent as opposed to leading his own offensive (not to say that he can't). All of his specials come back to this. His teleport works as a punisher. 3, d1, 2 can be chained off of Smoke Bomb, so it's great for punishment as well.
If they gave him good low strings as well, he'd be OP.

 

[Klunker]

All of the characters that don't have mix ups are zoners or punishers.

Characters that do, are rush down characters.

 

[JHCRANE 14]

Smokes sweep is so fast it becomes a 50/50 between sweep(which must be blocked low) and his b2,3 combo( which must me blocked standing.) That is smokes main 50/50 mix up as far as normals go. You can also do grab too which must be broke or crouch netural. So if they try to block the sweep they eat the throw or the b2,3 combo and if they block high for the b2,3 combo or try to break the grab you get the sweep. I know it's not the best mix up in the game, but smoke's sweep is so fast it can be used in this manner.

 

[Hex]

Thanks everyone.
What JHCrane14 said is what I've been doing with Smoke basically. So I'll continue to use the sweep.
I have a few questions:

-Chad:If I were to use Smoke towards for a mix-up, in every scenario, couldn't they just do a cross over jump punch and beat me every time?
And thanks, I'm going to see what I can do with this.

-As for what Klunker said: I've seen people calling Rain(for example) a rushdown character. He has no low-strings. How does this work?
Thanks again everyone. I didn't think this would get any responses.

 

[TheChad_87]

See JHCRANE 14's post.
If you notice them trying the cross-up, sweep. It lowers the hit box.

Rushdown and Mix-Up are not the same thing. Cyrax, Quan Chi, Sheeva, and to a lesser degree, Smoke are all mix-up characters that are not rushdown.
Liu Kang, Mileena, Cyber Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Kabal are a combination of both.
And Jax, Cage, Kung Lao, Raiden, and Sonya are more of your Rushdown characters without much mix-up potential.

I don't think Rain qualifies as mix-up; however, keep in mind that mix-up is NOT just about H/M/Ls ... Cyrax and Cyber Sub-Zero's Bombs contribute to them being mix-up almost as much as any combo string. Mileena's tele-kick and iAS really help her cause for mix-up potential in addition to her H/M/L combo starters. Sheeva has 2 unblockables which are integral to playing her effectively. Her overheads and low grab do help her cause.
Rain does have a TON of specials though, so maybe that's why some people are considering him mix-up-y. I don't have enough experience with him ATM to say one way or another.