Shang Tsung help

[RamenO]

A lot of these Shang Tsung threads are pretty old and outdated. I also haven't seen a single frame data post on this guy, unlike some of the other forums. Does anyone know where to get the statistical run down on this guy? I feel like all his normals are incredibly slow, and with a slow uppercut and sweep it's hard to get people off you.

I also have no idea what his wake-up options are, aside from Soul Steal, but I feel this is a gamble since it lunges you forward and overall just puts the enemy at status-quo to continue rushdown or turtle until the morph runs out. I believe I read his close ground skull was nerfed, so a majority of the Silent cast with Brady isn't reliable(as he says to use that a lot, especially vs. Raiden for the tracking properties).

With the slow uppercut as well, I feel his AA options are limited. What do most Shang users typically use to keep people out?

 

[Klunker]

I do agree. I've picked him up recently because of his ability to control the match. But I just feel that his combos, uppercut, sweep are really slow compared to most other characters. Especially his uppercut.. that thing comes out so slow. But it makes up for the fact that if you get caught in any string, you're taking MINIMUM 35 damage. So I guess that's how they balanced him.

 

[GERNBURGS]

^Exactly, I've been trying to use Shang Tsung from the beginning, but you have to come to grips with the fact that he's going to get pressured, the only thing you can do with any reliability to stop pressure on wake up is EX Soul Steal because it has one hit of armor.

His ground balls DO have invincible frames when done as a wake-up attack, but they don't last nearly long enough to truly get you out of pressure, the active frames of normals easily hit Shang as soon as the invulnerable start-up frames end. For example, a close ground ball rarely ever even makes it onto the screen before you're hit out of it, basically it beats nothing if they are attacking with a string as you're rising, you will just get combo-ed and knocked down again...

When I use Shang, I definitely find myself blocking a lot, but Shang is a very good counter-striker. If they get overly aggressive and try to abare out of a small disadvantage ("abare" is a Japanese word for attacking out of disadvantage), try to interrupt them with F+4,3,4, d/b 4, d/f 4, EX ground ball (ground ball series), back-dash Soul Steal or 1,2,2 will take over 1/3 of their health away. With Shang, I hunt for those situations where I think they'll try to strike out of a small or medium disadvantage and really hammer them for it.

On their wake-up, Shang can mix-up with F+3,4 into ground ball series, or B+2,BB+1, which gives you an overhead into normal fireball for another knockdown. However, invulnerable wake-up attacks will put a damper in this. But you can ALWAYS check them with a ground ball as they wake up for safe pressure and chip or pin them in place with a well-timed normal fireball or EX fireball.

I so rarely use his X-Ray it's not even funny. I say always save your meter for a breaker or EX ground balls.

 

[RamenO]

Well, since it has been raining pretty hard today and class was essentially canceled, I spent the better part of the day playing Shang online. Even netted a win against some thousand win Mileena player. Was pretty satisfying.

Anyway, I think I may have answered some of my own questions. Even though most of Shang's normals are slow, his B1, 2, 1, 4 combo is godlike. You can cancel the B1, 2, 1 into close ground skull to make it safe, the last 1 is an overhead, and the beginning B1 comes out FAST. I think this might be his go to combo up close versus rush down characters where you spot even the slightest opening. It's good, damn good, and if it hits with the close ground skull, you can rinse into the generic BnB ground skull step ladder combo.

His F2 is also incredibly fast and has a decent'ish hit box. I've had mixed results using it as an anti-air, but it damn sure beats trying to guess his old man uppercut.

Thought I'd share what little I found so far.