Question - Ravenous Ravenous Mileena Questions

[Juxtapose]

Hey all,

I've been playing the game since launch, Mileena (Ravenous) is my main, and I'm looking to start leveling up my game.

I don't get to go to competitive tournaments, so typically it's just me against the AI and rarely against my friends offline. I haven't gone online with the game yet since I know it's a very different laggy beast, and like Mortal Kombat (2011) I don't expect to learn anything properly there.

Right now, I'm focusing on the Hard AI, both Single Fights and Klassic Tower, and I've got several questions I'm hoping you can help with.

Also note I'm playing on the PC version, so sadly last week's patch isn't in this version yet, and I'm also using a Hori Gem Ex Pad.

1) Low Pounce. I haven't found a solid use for this yet since the AI doesn't usually just crouch turtle there, and I find High Pounce crazy effective as an ender. What's the proper application for Low Pounce?

2) I've seen other people complain that they have issues with the game and simple back, forward motions, and I've experienced this as well. Usually with zoning after I complete a successful extended High Pounce to set up distance. Any trick to back, forward in this game; seems far less consistent than in the last game.

3) I have not noticed this in Single Fight, but in Klassic Tower it seems the AI is sometimes countering based on input reading, an old Midway AI trick that I also don't recall from the last game. With it re-actively blocking mix ups I do, this can give me a harder time opening my opponent up. Any suggestions on this?

4) Any suggestions on Corrupted Shinnok, his patterns and such? I can beat him, but it usually takes me three to five tries on this difficulty and I want to eliminate that.

5) Wake ups are, of course, very different than last game, and it seems unless you have metre for armour, the attacker is definitely favoured. So without metre for an EX Ball Roll, what are some good wake up options? Low pokes the AI seems to perfectly block and punish. Same with throws.

Right now, I only have one primary combo for higher damage, and it usually does 28% to 30% depending. It's F2,3, roll, NJP, High Pounce full extended. I've found 1,2,3, roll tends to work better against the Hard AI since it's faster, and I'm starting to adjust that.

There's no question to me too that I simply need to practice more and hit Training to learn more combos and to improve my execution, footsies, and reads, and I'm hoping answers to the above will also help.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Survivor94]

1) You use Low Pounce to end combos and you can make some mix-ups, for example instead of doing 2,1 you can do 2,Low Pounce to trick the opponent, because the 2 in this string is low, so if you make the opponent respect the low you can do Low Pounce instead of 2. But since you're playing with the AI this won't be effective.

2) Yeah some people have trouble with Back and Forward motions, the only trick is to tap Back and Forward separately, not slide the finger, that's how I do in the Dualshock 4 controller so you need to make some tests on your controller to see if this helps.

3) I feel like the AI cheats some times too lol, you can try to react and do Ball roll on some mistake the oppoent does, and use some different strings to try to open the opponent, and I usually use f44 a lot.

4) I don't have any hints for Corrupted Shinnok sorry, I'm playing mostly online now, so there's a long time I don't fight against him.

5) In this situation I usually block or do Ball roll if I'm sure the opponent won't block, it's risky but works depending on the situation. Against the AI you better just block and try to get out off pressure.

I'll post here my main combo that I do with Mileena in Ravenous variation if you want to check it out:
2,1 Ball Roll, b34 Air sai, f23 Low Pounce (with extensions)

You can use other endings like High Pounce or b1,2,1+3, but Low Pounce is good because you can choose the side you want to stay in the end of the combo, depending on the extensions. Using the b1,2,1+3 bite string you can heal yourself, and High Pounce with extensions to keep a distance if you want depending in the situation.

Hope it helps man.

 

[Juxtapose]

1) You use Low Pounce to end combos and you can make some mix-ups, for example instead of doing 2,1 you can do 2,Low Pounce to trick the opponent, because the 2 in this string is low, so if you make the opponent respect the low you can do Low Pounce instead of 2. But since you're playing with the AI this won't be effective.

2) Yeah some people have trouble with Back and Forward motions, the only trick is to tap Back and Forward separately, not slide the finger, that's how I do in the Dualshock 4 controller so you need to make some tests on your controller to see if this helps.

3) I feel like the AI cheats some times too lol, you can try to react and do Ball roll on some mistake the oppoent does, and use some different strings to try to open the opponent, and I usually use f44 a lot.

4) I don't have any hints for Corrupted Shinnok sorry, I'm playing mostly online now, so there's a long time I don't fight against him.

5) In this situation I usually block or do Ball roll if I'm sure the opponent won't block, it's risky but works depending on the situation. Against the AI you better just block and try to get out off pressure.

I'll post here my main combo that I do with Mileena in Ravenous variation if you want to check it out:
2,1 Ball Roll, b34 Air sai, f23 Low Pounce (with extensions)

You can use other endings like High Pounce or b1,2,1+3, but Low Pounce is good because you can choose the side you want to stay in the end of the combo, depending on the extensions. Using the b1,2,1+3 bite string you can heal yourself, and High Pounce with extensions to keep a distance if you want depending in the situation.

Hope it helps man.

Firstly, thank you kindly for the reply! Much appreciated!

1) Yeah, some of the mind game tricks I'd use won't work against the Hard AI, but I see your point. Basically cancel into Low Pounce to hit low when the string would normally hit high, as an example. Would that still work if the opponent is stand blocking though? Wouldn't the Low Pounce whiff?

In terms of using Low Pounce as an ender, basically, it can be used in place of High Pounce then? I've tried a few times, and sometimes I can get it to connect, other times it completely whiffs, and I've found High Pounce much more reliable. Perhaps the recent patch that the PC version doesn't have yet adjusts this?

2) Cool, I'll keep working on my execution then!

3) Yeah, I've been playing Mortal Kombat since the first game launched in arcades back in '92, and to a lesser degree, I feel I'm playing against that kind of AI again! The sad part is, if I'm right, that'll mean you really can't play against it a lot like you play a person, which is a shame. In Mortal Kombat (2011), I felt you mainly could, so Arcade Ladder runs on Expert were always good practice that way.

I haven't used f4,4 a lot. You usually follow that up with a Teleport, Air Sai?

4) No worries. Most bosses like this have patterns, though Corrupted Shinnok seems more mobile than the usual klassic MK boss. I'll simply need to keep at it and try to figure him out better. Of course if anyone else reading this had advise, please share!

5) Yeah, against the Hard AI, wake up Ball Rolls without metre usually result in a blow up. Not always, but often enough where it's too risky I find. With metre, against all but uncorrupted Shinnok this seems to work though, but of course I won't always have metre. I'll work on my Block game then, though it seems the AI "reads" this too and will intentionally hit high instantly if you wake up crouch blocking, or hit low if you stand block. I've tried Back Dashing and that also didn't work well. In the tutorial you learn you can hit a face button at the right time to kind of roll away from the opponent. Any idea how well that works? I've never really used it and honestly don't see anyone ever using it, so I'm guessing it's not so good.


And thanks for the combo share, I'll test it out later tonight! In Training, I was often able to end combos with B1,2, 1+3, but I can't get it to consistently connect in actual matches. Again, perhaps this is adjusted in the patch.

 

[Andnyal_]

Low pounce can also be used as a reset at the end of s combo if you don't extend it and A basic bnb is f343, teleport into air sai, run, f23,ball roll, f23, low pounce or high pounce they both do the same amount is a no meter 42%

 

[Andnyal_]

Or you can end it in the quick taste combo to heal yourself we needed especially against a noxious reptile don't know how many times the heal saved me from being killed by the damage over time

 

[Juxtapose]

Low pounce can also be used as a reset at the end of s combo if you don't extend it and A basic bnb is f343, teleport into air sai, run, f23,ball roll, f23, low pounce or high pounce they both do the same amount is a no meter 42%

Thanks, I'll also give this combo a whirl later. I haven't used F343 much since I found it slower and I get punished more.

Sadly, Quick Taste doesn't heal yet since I'm on the PC version. It'll likely be another week for that patch to reach the PC.

 

[Andnyal_]

Thanks, I'll also give this combo a whirl later. I haven't used F343 much since I found it slower and I get punished more.

Sadly, Quick Taste doesn't heal yet since I'm on the PC version. It'll likely be another week for that patch to reach the PC.

Wow that's messed up

 

[Juxtapose]

Wow that's messed up

Yeah, that's been standard with the PC version. Typically, we get all the patches, as well as PC-specific fixes, the day a new DLC character launches.

I heard rumour it's because they actually but the character into the game with this patch, and with the PC version there's a chance people will crack and unlock it prior to launch, but I can't say for sure.

The PC version is presently missing the patch from last week, and also another small hot fix patch where stuff was adjusted to Ferra/Torr.

 

[Survivor94]

1) Yeah, some of the mind game tricks I'd use won't work against the Hard AI, but I see your point. Basically cancel into Low Pounce to hit low when the string would normally hit high, as an example. Would that still work if the opponent is stand blocking though? Wouldn't the Low Pounce whiff?

Yes the Low Pounce will whiff in this case.

In terms of using Low Pounce as an ender, basically, it can be used in place of High Pounce then?

Yes, It's very useful as an ender because you can switch sides and prevent yourself for being locked in the wall, but the damage in the combo will be the same as Hight Pounce, so I suggest you practice these enders so you can use when you fell is necessary.

I haven't used f4,4 a lot. You usually follow that up with a Teleport, Air Sai?

I use it to keep the pressure going on, and after a combo, when the opponent is on the ground, but you must be careful with the wakeups of your opponent in this situation.

In the tutorial you learn you can hit a face button at the right time to kind of roll away from the opponent. Any idea how well that works? I've never really used it and honestly don't see anyone ever using it, so I'm guessing it's not so good.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention this, you should use it when is possible, I consider this a good option if you don't have any meter for a wakeup for example.

 

[Juxtapose]

@Survivor94 Again, thanks for the tips; really appreciate it! I'll start toying around with F4,4 and face button wake ups then and see how they work for me.

For roughly the last hour, I've been toying with the combo you suggested above (2,1, Ball Roll, etc.), and I can basically get half of it at this point. I've gotten the timing of the Air Sai down pretty good (I did have to adjust how I input the back forwards motion for it), but I find the 3 in the final F2,3 always whiffs, and the F2 doesn't always connect either. The timing as the opponent falls doesn't seem good for a run cancel though.

Any trick to the timing here, or perhaps a different ender I can throw in, even if it's a bit less damage (that's how I learned with MK9 years ago. If I couldn't do a combo, I'd figure out a lesser way to "do" it while I kept working on the proper way until I got it. That way I still got to practice the muscle memory of the beginning of the combo in matches. Kind of like learning it piece by piece).

@Andnyal_ I'm having a similar snag with your respective combo where the Air Sai always whiffs; the opponent is always just below it.

 

[Juxtapose]

@Survivor94 Just want to let you know I was toying around in Training for the last bit, and have finally been able to pull of your main Ravenous combo [2,1 Ball Roll, b34 Air sai, f23 Low Pounce (with extensions)].

Looks like I was correct, and I needed to wait for the June 23rd patch to hit the PC version (we got it with the Predator patch this past Tuesday). Took some practice to get the timing down, and I'm still working on timing consistency, but that'll come with repetition and muscle memory. I have changed out Low Pounce for High Pounce though, as I find it hits better.

Think I'll start doing Normal Klassic Tower runs to work on this, before jumping to hard. Consistent 32% damage is very good!

 

[Juxtapose]

I've been spending some time in training, and I've learned these:

Now I just need to work on performing them more consistently.

 

[Juxtapose]

Still learning and improving .