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MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Mashing out pokes after getting massive hit advantage on D3 is the absolute worst way to continue pressure. Consult Whale’s post on jailing. Those are far superior options you should be using in order to get more hit advantage. At the very minimum you should be going into F3 which has more hit advantage than D3 and can jail into Raiden’s offense, instead of doing for D3 again which doesn’t do much and when you get blocked your opponent can easily poke back. Not to say F3 doesn’t render to vulnerable to poking, but when you compare the 2 moves:
F3: jails from D3, +15 on hit, -6 on block
D3: jails from D3, +11, -3 on block
we should choose the one with the better hit advantage to confirm into after we get our turn.


I haven’t seen you block in those videos you posted but whatever. Yes blocking opens you up to throws, but you should also be mixing it up with delayed WU, which can make those throws whiff and you can full combo punish. It is also about the risk:reward of doing so.
BLOCKING ON WU:
Risk: eat throw 14% into knockdown and guess again
Reward: at minimum take turn back if they do something that’s safe; at most full combo punish into your OKI and positioning if they do something unsafe.
Not telling you that blocking is the best. However you should be noticing that your opponent wasn’t really going for throws and was trying to meaty you with strings. In that case jumping was extremely high risk because you can easily eat full combos back into knockdown where you have to guess again. Mix up your options on wake up to stay unpredictable, regardless of your perception of your opponent. If you open your tendencies up like a book then even the weakest player will catch on and destroy you.


You didn’t show it in the videos so I can’t and won’t comment. I already said that


If you want to zone and stay away, BF3 is your best knockdown midscreen. It pushes the opponent to the corner (Gives you more space to back up and zone) AND every time you are guaranteed a free far lightning strike check (good for zoning). F32 grants more hit advantage yes, but in the process of doing air BF3 to position yourself you have effectively wasted those 44 frames (BF3 in the air is 18 startup and 44 recovery, so 62 frames in total) and end up at -18 at full screen, enough for any character who knows this to throw out a full screen move to check you as you land. Given the knock down you get from F32 you should be using those frames to pressure or re-position using something that’s safer, but in that case doing a full combo into BF3 ender both does more damage and gives you better positioning anyway.


No I’m not talking about you stopping the combo. I’m talking about you not hit-confirming and just doing yolo DB2 on block which is a death sentence. You catch your opponents because they let go of block. When they did actually block the whole thing they didn’t duck the last hit of DB2 so they couldn’t punish. Always always hit confirm and don’t do yolo stuff. It may work sometimes but patient players can wait for that and punish you big time because you are essentially killing yourself for them.


Like I said. The reason you go for combos isn’t just about the damage, but the positioning and OKI it grants you, which BF3 grants much better than D2. Sure if you complain about lag then you can default to worse options but in the end you’re hurting yourself. D2 doesn’t push them full screen so you will have to reposition after your knock down in order to gain a safe distance to zone. It’s true that as long as it works then it’s fine, but there are better options out there that work just as well.


I never said anything about Jade punishing you. I said that making reads from full screen with a move that starts up in 21 frames (reactable even without factoring in travel time) is not good. Unlike characters like Johnny and Jade or Liu their kicks start up very quickly at an unreactable speed and travel across the screen quickly, so it will be easier for them to make reads like yours and get results. BF3 is too slow and risky for that. Not saying you can’t use it, just use it sparingly.


True. However you must realise that in certain situations there are definitively better options to use in comparison to what you were doing. I’m just pointing that out to you. You may choose not to use them but I notice that sometimes your options go against the current game plan of what you’re doing in the match. Things like doing F32 and then repositioning with air BF3 is counter-intuitive when doing B12~BF3 both does more damage, gives you better positioning and gives you a free projectile check. Again, you don’t have to do it, but that’s my feedback.
I know he has jails, staggers with 3,F3 etc but I don't always need that. Plus this game is kind of gimmicky with that stuff I personally feel I can play better than that. NRS said prior to launch they don't want 5050's those staggers, jails etc lead to 50/50s....but I never just mash D3, if I do it there's a tactic behind it and it's a known tactic that everyone uses in this game that you poke into throws, I've seen everyone use this tactic since day one even the pros use it. The way throws are so good in this game it's really a nobrainer. It depends on who they are if they can poke back or not, most pokes in this game are good but some are better than others like Kano's and Scorps for example are insanely fast....

I have in some matches but I have so many not even sure how much I did but I have done it in the past, I just prefer to zone play more defensive. Some of those options I've found to not be so advantageous especially against certain characters and connections though appreciate the advice.

I don't know about "destroying me" lol I mean out of everyone so far I've played nobody has ever really done that regardless if I win or lose but like I was saying earlier honestly, while I always try to improve I use what my opponent is weak to and this is key to winning. What may work on one player won't work on another and this I know from years of FG experience regardless of the game, some are simply smarter, better adapting than others. I'm not the best player in this game or anything but I'm far from the worst either, most of the time I'm good enough to compete though on a decent day. So far every KL season I have used Raiden and Jade to get Demi God, not an easy task let me tell ya. I'm just waiting for Fujin, hopefully he'll be better than Raiden. Fujin is the God of Wind.

But yeah I block on WU just not often and in those vids remember those are also very old(the switch ones) I'll be uploading some newer ones soon and I only have a few days a week to really have hours to play which cuts my practice time, you know life gets in the way it happens as we get older shrugs

Yeah I know his Superman is great for that but if they block it he eats major damage so I only use it wisely, you can't just spam it or he'll get severly punished. But of course, it's been that way since always with Raiden's Superman. That's one reason why it's great it also works great as an IA AA example taking out KL in the air a lot because KL players love to jump.

Oh yes that well it's a risk vs reward gig, me deciding to do SC on block because you'd be surprised how often I catch people off guard with that especially when mix it up with D3, D1 into throws, or D3 into B2 when mixed up with D3~as you say yolo SC that's a low into a high, it's impossible to guess right 100% of the time, that's why I mix it up which you probably noticed, I don't just do all highs or lows etc I mean well for what Raiden has to work with anyway. If I'm winning big or have a round under my belt I admit I will play more risky, because I can afford to but I don't always do it.

Right I get that but again I'm not a oki type of player, sometimes I'll be more aggressive on top of my opponent but I just tend to personally do better when I zone and play the "catch me" game with teleports but if that works for you that's awesome you should show me sometime

You mentioned Jade's kick as in her nitro kick which she can punish people if she's at the right distance but I was just pointing out that if Raiden does Superman next to her it's impossible for her to counter him with that or any move, Cage's has a bit more range if I'm not mistaken however a lot of times though if I'm playing a Cage or Jade with Raiden and whiff that, I'll duck immediately because he punishes their kicks well anyone really by anticipating it. But yeah I know that, that's why I use it sparingly or if I know I'll be safe from counter attack. My best asset to MK is zoning no doubt, it did well for me in MK 9, I2 and in this game for sure. As you can probably tell I'm not a rushdown or player to take chances with fancy hit confirm combos especially online, I'd rather play it safe and win than be flashy tbh.

I understand that and that's fine, the main reason I don't always use B12 into etc is if it whiffs he gets punished that and F32 is a hard knockdown which benefits me to reset myself, back up if I want or teleport etc but I see what you're saying, I think for my particular playstyle it benefits. One other thing I do more often now if they whiff or have an opening for me I F4 into SC which is also great for punishing, you can F3 or F4 into teleport to mix up pressure with throws, B2 etc as well.

But appreciate the feedback, though I definitely would like to see how you play sometime since you are afterall one of the more active posters on this forum just out of curiosity and I'm sure we'd all like to see your playstyle as well.

Ok then, well I pretty much have my own routine depending on the particular situation that I do depending on how my opponent plays as well which is important but I'm always working on improving my game by trying new things. But I definitely look forward to seeing some gameplay from you for sure, very curious to see.

The noises from you holding it, the way it zoomed, and the reflection in your Switch screen.
Ahh you pay attention to detail.
 
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Okay folks, today I uploaded the 2nd part of my Raiden Truth and Light ranked matches from a few weeks ago. Over 1 hour and 20 minutes worth of beatdowns. Enjoy, and as always let me know what you think! Peace!


Added a classic UMK intro to get people hyped lol.
 

Marlow

Premium Supporter
Premium Supporter
Set up was 243>db4 ex (far)> dash f2. F4 into bubble was setting up 243 to jail
How many wake up options does 243 DB4 Amp (Far) cover? Just curious what happens if the opponent were to wake up and block, or wake up and roll. Would the roll still get clipped by the dash F2/F4?
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Was messing around with Truth and Light today in single player modes, damn I totally forgot they ditched his Superman for jo push. Maybe they can buff that move in the future? I think that would help him a lot in that variation.
 

Nevan_PTF

All your mains belong to me!
Hey fellas! Find below some matches from KL, today, I done more games, but the way I recorded at first didn't went well and wasn't able to fit them into a video properly.

vs Kano

vs Sub-Zero

vs Sub-Zero(runback)

vs Scorpion

vs Joker


At the moment, by biggest issues, matchup wise, are vs Sub-Zero, I really need to lab what I can do and need more games to get used to duck ice ball and block a slide in time. Got clipped a lot by slides, which I could've punished easily.

Things I'm liking about my gameplay:
  • I'm feeling confident to go for midscreen combos from DB4(AMP);
  • using more buttons like F2 in the neutral;
  • getting better at hitconfirms;
  • capability to adapt, for example, the 2nd set vs Sub-Zero I was able to play better;
Things I need to improve:
  • better hitconfirms into combos;
  • better assessment of a specific situation, for example, better punishment - less 1,2 and more 2,4(when appropriate);
  • better pressure while being + frames, like F2/F3, I used D1 after a F3 on hit too much;
  • better usage of jailing to continue pressure;
  • more hitconfirms into BF3/DB4(AMP) midscreen;
  • better awareness of meter and Fatal Blow availability, again the I had the runback vs that Sub-Zero if I ended the game with B1,2 xx FB;
I'm getting more confortable with the game and Raiden, having lots of fun and achieved Master rank in the KL! Like this I'm pushing my goal for Demi-God this season.

Tell me things guys! Tyvm

PS: Can I improve the video quality of the clips I record on PS4?
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
You’re very impatient. Always doing something off pokes on block. Which would be fine (I do that a lot too) but you haven’t established any threat yet. What I mean is the opponent has no reason to respect your pokes on block. Try doing poke~DF2/poke~DB3, DF2 option is fake but useful since you can push ppl away. Once you mix in these things you will find it easier to disrespect after a blocked poke and go for your mids. This cost you the second game of the set because the Kano read you were going to mash after F32 and did fatal blow to counter.
Remember to always punish straight ball with 12, I see you going for D1 and as a result you’re dropping a lot of damage.

vs Sub-Zero
Same problem as mentioned VS Kano. However sometimes I see you hesitate when you actually land a poke on hit instead of going for mids/throw/jailing high. For example you landed a D4 and sat there and waited until you lost all your advantage before trying to go in. I usually always try to follow up with a F4 after D4 on hit because 9 out of 10 people try to disrespect your 19f mid that essentially jails from D4. So perhaps work on confirming pokes on hit into Raiden’s strong strike/throw mix. Raiden has the luxury of not one but 2 11f mids that jail off D3, so you can work those into your muscle memory for when pokes hit.
Another thing I noticed is your tendency to follow up plus frames with D1 (of which you mentioned). You should be using the aforementioned 11f mids for their better range and potential to hit confirm into combo. You like to use D1 after F2/F3 and even U3 on wake up, but it often misses and you end up eating slides. I think B12 and F3 both reach after U3 on hit no problem without dashing, so you can enforce your mids immediately after waking up.
You were also struggling against the ice balls and ice axes, which I will admit I do too. Perhaps try to be more conscious of when he jumps so you can DB2 and snatch him out of the air. Establishing this air control is good since you can make them scared to jump, and any DB2 on hit gives you a whopping 51f advantage, enough to set up QC or do DB4 projectile that will hit them on wake up which in turn sets up your own zoning (though you can’t zone SZ, since every trade is in his favour, but at least you get to do something).
Remember to punish slides with B12 since 12 doesn’t reach. I see you going for D1 again and it even whiffs so you need to remember what you should use to punish certain moves (Which is good that you mentioned it yourself :) )
I think it’s good that you’re doing 12~DB3 for the +3, but unfortunately your F3 often doesn’t quite reach afterwards, maybe consider doing a small micro dash before F3.

vs Sub-Zero(runback)
I absolutely agree you did play better. You’re punishing slides more readily with B12, but not hitconfirming into DB4 AMP is an issue. You were also off on the timing for those first few slides. Thankfully the opponent wasn’t blocking and you still got the hit but tidying up timing is still important to look into.
I noticed that you’re jumping a lot at ranges you’re not supposed to, and hence getting clipped by ice balls and such. Unfortunately the Thunder God is blessed with a terrible jump so it’s easy to get anti-aired. It’s also dangerous enough to jump against SZ precisely because you will get clipped by ice ball. Just stick to crouch-walking to be safe. If you’re confident in your wave dashing you can try wave dashing into D3 (or any crouch normal that recovers quickly) to move in under high projectiles. You may even consider doing a high up air BF3 to reposition (it’s super unsafe though), since I find that you often trade corners with SZ and all that progress you got walking him down is wasted.
Like you said, the big takeaway is the hit confirming, since you’ve left a lot of damage on the table by not going for DB4 AMP even once. Raijin does decent unbreakable damage because you can do B12~DB4 AMP, F4 for like 21%, force the breakaway and you’re still plus after that.

vs Scorpion
I think you did well. You have the optimal midscreen combo down which is better than what I can manage. You can do starter~DB4 AMP, F3, 243~DB2 in the corner for better damage and that all important +51 hit advantage. Note that the above combo route doesn’t work for 243 (Due to gravity) and B31 (DB4 AMP doesn’t connect after B31, just do B3 but beware as it is unsafe)
These kinds of opponents usually hand themselves to you on a platter. So playing it patient and letting him kill himself is good.
I notice you were trying hard to meaty with D1, if you’re reading that they aren’t going to block, F3 would be a better meaty to time and you get better hit advantage. If you’re really going for it you can even do B12 and hit confirm into damage and more oki. However, note that B12 is heavily punishable by delay wake up so I usually stick to F3 due to better recovery.

Refer to my post on the MU discussion thread for my thoughts on the V1 Joker MU, keep in mind that we can punish both F142 and F14~BF2 options when we have discharge. The meaty timings I already mentioned above. I think you kind of froze up a bit with the low shot. Remember we can shut that down with DB4 easily. You had a few whiff punishes that were on point but you weren’t ready to commit. Remember not to get too flustered with zoning and work your way in. Jumping is very dangerous for Raiden.

Few things to note:
  • idk if you’re coming from another character, but you seem to like your D1 a lot, but Raiden’s best poke is arguably D3, 8f and good reach and good advantage. Not to say D1 isn’t good, but you try to use it at ranges where it whiffs, so consider using D3 in those cases, or better yet, your mids.
  • Always remember to hit confirm and block confirm. I‘m not perfect but everyone needs to do this with Raijin, we get a lot of reward if we master this skill
  • Use discharge more liberally. It’s actually a 6f sweep distance mid that has an 8f AMP extension that goes half screen, can anti air too. Use it and regain control of the mid range where we thrive.
That’s my 2 cents, take of it what you will.
 

Nevan_PTF

All your mains belong to me!
That's was pretty thorough man, ty!

I agree with what you said and using so much D1 is really something I need to get rid.

Day by day I feel like I'm improving and getting better.

I will apply the suggestions you gave.

Thank you for the time you put into your feedback man. Really appreciate it!
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
That's was pretty thorough man, ty!

I agree with what you said and using so much D1 is really something I need to get rid.

Day by day I feel like I'm improving and getting better.

I will apply the suggestions you gave.

Thank you for the time you put into your feedback man. Really appreciate it!
Anytime :) I just found out that I could do the mid screen optimal combos too :p
 

Nevan_PTF

All your mains belong to me!
It's a matter of just going for it, I was really afraid, that's why I do DF2 so much. Need to get that DB4 more often.

Keep it up man! It's feels good one you land it!
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
Pretty good matches from Reiko. The Skarlet match shows how the far teleport nerf has benefitted us, since we can walk zoners down much easier when they only have 1 chance to teleport out.
 

Mandolore1123

Man of Science Who Wields the Living Lightning
TW VS the Spins. I'd personally go Raijin with this MU because we can contest diagonal saw with summon lightning and we can match his damage. We also get safer options up close and set up more opportunities to whiff punish Kabal. PI choked in the 2nd last game and went to superman instead of storm cell which cost him the game :(