Question - Kotal Kahn Questions from someone who wants to pick up Kotal Kahn.

[Eldriken]

I wanna know who decided to give the man a 9

Not everyone can punish the 50/50's consistently, it's almost as bad as trying to punish a fully blocked exnutpunch. And I don't know how a character with some of the best pokes, a 9 frame mid that can be cancelled into 50/50 at 3 different spots, a nasty jump in, very good anti air and very good pressure won't do very well against high level players. I can definitely see a day one kotal beating high level players

Uh, where did I say he won't do very well against high level players? I was saying that Kotal frees up newbs/scrubs because of how much of a pick up and play character he is. Pitted against a high level player who knows the MU, it looks a lot less convincing. The Kotal player actually has to use their head instead of going auto-pilot. =|

I also said "chances are, you get a free punish" when talking about blocking his db1/db2. I even said to take it into the lab to see what your character can do about it since the block stun is iffy. I never claimed that everyone could do something about it.

 

[omooba]

Uh, where did I say he won't do very well against high level players? I was saying that Kotal frees up newbs/scrubs because of how much of a pick up and play character he is. Pitted against a high level player who knows the MU, it looks a lot less convincing. The Kotal player actually has to use their head instead of going auto-pilot. =|

I also said "chances are, you get a free punish" when talking about blocking his db1/db2. I even said to take it into the lab to see what your character can do about it since the block stun is iffy. I never claimed that everyone could do it.

Aight my bad. Downplay senses went off

 

[GAV]

I main Shaolin KJ and was planning on adding smoke as a secondary but the nerfs made me so annoyed I dropped him... Kotal is someone I've always wanted to pick up and I finally have the time. So I'm wondering, which variation to start with? Along with any other general pointers from Kotal mains willing to help me out.

Yes, anything to lessen Kung Jin play...

Tech - before using F2 or B1 in any combo, you have to let the controller go neutral. Once you get this down, you can extend combos further.

I play Sun God and here are a few of my favorite combos...

J1 <neutral> F2 EXSlam <neutral> F2 21Sun Throw

(EXSlam - DF1Rtrigger, Sun Throw - DB2) (Also, you can skip the last F2, but then you have to wait for them to fall a bit before inputting the 21Sun Throw.)

B122SunThrow (seems to simple, but key for getting decent damage on blocked punishes.)

B14EXSun Disc D1B2 (This one only uses one bar and gets you to 40% because it ends in the Sun Throw. It works well with the one above it because it creates a mixup.)

F34EXSun Disc EXSlam <neutral> F2 21Sun Throw (Uses 2 bars, but does over 50%. Its best used on wake-up when they have no meter or after a J1 when you're behind and have to bars to kill.)

Lastly, mindset...

Do not see projectiles as obstacles. They are free opportunities to spike your damage with a parry. Recognize that you want to get in, but it doesn't have to happen immediately. Time is on your side, so be patient. You will make the most of opportunities if you keep a clear head. Patient pressure is the key with Kotal.

 

[Wolverine32]

Aight my bad. Downplay senses went off

Down play is for the Johnny Cage threads lol

 

[Eldriken]

Aight my bad. Downplay senses went off

Haha. It's alright. I don't downplay Kotal at all, man. I think Kotal is one of the most solid characters in the entire game. I consider him to be very well balanced in that regard. He's a great character to pick up if you're new to the game and want to learn it. He offers all the right tools to get someone familiar with the game.

 

[Wolverine32]

Yes, anything to lessen Kung Jin play...

Tech - before using F2 or B1 in any combo, you have to let the controller go neutral. Once you get this down, you can extend combos further.

I play Sun God and here are a few of my favorite combos...

J1 <neutral> F2 EXSlam <neutral> F2 21Sun Throw

(EXSlam - DF1Rtrigger, Sun Throw - DB2) (Also, you can skip the last F2, but then you have to wait for them to fall a bit before inputting the 21Sun Throw.)

B122SunThrow (seems to simple, but key for getting decent damage on blocked punishes.)

B14EXSun Disc D1B2 (This one only uses one bar and gets you to 40% because it ends in the Sun Throw. It works well with the one above it because it creates a mixup.)

F34EXSun Disc EXSlam <neutral> F2 21Sun Throw (Uses 2 bars, but does over 50%. Its best used on wake-up when they have no meter or after a J1 when you're behind and have to bars to kill.)

Lastly, mindset...

Do not see projectiles as obstacles. They are free opportunities to spike your damage with a parry. Recognize that you want to get in, but it doesn't have to happen immediately. Time is on your side, so be patient. You will make the most of opportunities if you keep a clear head. Patient pressure is the key with Kotal.

Awesome stuff man, I'll check into this when I get back to my Xbox. I will definitely see what I can do with some of your combos, some combos I've never seen or tried up there that look cool! Thanks dude.

 

[GAV]

Awesome stuff man, I'll check into this when I get back to my Xbox. I will definitely see what I can do with some of your combos, some combos I've never seen or tried up there that look cool! Thanks dude.

NP. If you have trouble, hit me up on XBL.

 

[Baconlord]

J1 <neutral> F2 EXSlam <neutral> F2 21Sun Throw

Everytime someone writes a combo that starts with a jump in god kills a kitten

 

[SoapBar]

Patience is key. Kotal outdamages his opponent 90% of the time, so all you need to do is get in and open them up once to turn a game around (if you're getting zoned/kept out, that is).

Take his parry into the lab and learn how to deal with various zoning strats. His EX Sunstone also now has projectile-absorbing properties as of the XL patch.

 

[Hellbringer]

add me bro i play on xbl

 

[GAV]

Everytime someone writes a combo that starts with a jump in god kills a kitten

That kind of antiquated outlook is what keeps new MK tech hidden.

He has the longest jump and the best J1 in the game. You can go forward or back with it. Its probably better by itself than any special move in the game.