Tom Brady
Noob
Making this thread to go over the one thing that makes Sub-Zero who he is... The Ice Clone. This thread is also a place to theory craft potential tactics and set ups of any variation.
In MK, I had deep understanding of the game especially Sub-Zero at a very fundamental level. I understood the Ice Clone, it completely fit me and is the perfect complement to me as a player.
Lets go over the theory of the Ice Clone...
The Ice Clone is such a dominant move because it breaks two LAWS (not rules but laws) of fighting games.
1. Footsies -
Im not so arrogant to think that I am this S+ player in any or all areas. As a footsies player I'm probably no better than a B or B+. However, the Ice Clone is to footsies what steroids is to an athlete. If you have B+ footsies and have an Ice Clone you will now appear to have A+ or S footsies. If the main weakness for your opponent to exploit is that they have better footsies than you, they will lose if Sub-Zero is on the screen. This is because the Ice Clone only allows one person to play footsies, you.
Footsies is about controlling space and space control. The Ice Clone allows you to split yourself in two by putting a stationary combo starter on the screen while you are still free to move around. You can put the clone out to control a certain space while you are still free to move around. Your opponent cannot control the space in front of them because of the Ice Clone, this makes the space in front of the opponent constantly controlled by you without you actually being there to assume any risk. You are also manipulating space by constantly cutting off your opponent with almost 0.0% risk to you. The clone can limit you opponents ability to walk back, forward, jump, etc based on where it is placed.
It is impossible to place footsies with the Ice Clone. Sub-Zero can literally walk at opponents and they are hesitant to do anything besides walk back or zone wile running away. This is because they can't stick traditional pokes on screen to keep you out due to the ability Sub-Zero has to put out a 1 frame Ice Clone. I'm not sure if the start up is still 1 frame in MKX, but it is still very fast and most likely still the fastest move in the game. This gives a character that is built for defense the ability to have a POWERFUL offense because you cannot go punch for punch when the character has a move where you cannot punch back.
2. My turn, your turn -
My turn, your turn is a common exchange in fighters. It basically means that after blocking most moves that its now your turn to attack. This is why footsies and baiting is so important in fighters, just because you are using safe attacks, that doesn't always matter or mean smart play in every situation. You still need to be aware of the situation you are putting yourself in after your safe attack is blocked because your opponent can usually now apply pressure, 50/50 mix up, throw attempt, etc after blocking certain safe attacks.
The Ice Clone doesn't just break this, it SHATTERS it. Sub-Zero can attack and if the attack connects he can hit confirm into a combo, if the attack is blocked he can confirm the block and cancel into an Ice Clone. There is no "your turn", you will now sit there and continue to move backwards and guess on which one of the several setups you are now in. You cant just simply jump over the clone, walk back, zone, etc because more than likely there is some setup that can counter your decision as long as the clone is out.
In the corner it gets really bad.. It is literally attack into clone cancel, get checked with an attack into a combo on hit or clone cancel on block, repeat.. You must commit in some way to get out otherwise it loops for eternity as attacks into clone over and over and over.
There is no "your turn" EVER unless you commit and make it your turn which still plays into the Ice Clone. Sub-Zero is not "my turn, your turn" he is "my turn, my turn again, my turn again, and again, and again, etc..". Clone allows you to attack with 0.0% risk of any situation after you attacks are blocked. Attack hits? Easy confirm to combo. Attack gets blocked? Cancel into clone and stay safe while still trapping the opponent.
The Ice Clone limits how the opponent has to fight you. You MUST zone Sub-Zero.. If you cannot zone him then its very hard to beat him. Look at MK9, as easy as it is to break a character like Sub-Zero its even harder to make him bad. You have to work to make him bad. For Sub-Zero to be bad it took POWERFUL zoning + a plethora of SUPER ARMOR + his (and everyone's with the dash nerf) ability to quickly advance needs to get restricted. Take away one factor and Sub-Zero becomes at least high mid, take away two and he becomes bottom of the top 10, take away all three and he becomes nearly broken.
In MKX it doesn't look like Sub-Zero can Ice Clone while in mid air anymore. However, the Clone was buffed in other areas.
1. It looks like it can be a shield to at least one or two projectiles before it shatters. This REALLY helps against zoning, especially if the zoning isn't as ridiculous as MK9.
2. You can throw the clone. HUGE BUFF... Sub-Zero was TERRIBLE as a close out character. He had no real way to chip you out unless he was close. Opponents could make miracles happen even when at a pixel of health. To be able to throw the clone really helps.
3. It appears that you can manually detonate the clone and dame opponents in its proximity. I'm not sure if this is true and if it is true I'm unsure how it will even work. In theory this would be dominant in footsies and corner trapping because the opponent won't be able to move without taking damage from the detonation if you detonate as they attempt to move.
Sub-Zero has multiple variations that will surely change up his play style from MU to MU, looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
In MK, I had deep understanding of the game especially Sub-Zero at a very fundamental level. I understood the Ice Clone, it completely fit me and is the perfect complement to me as a player.
Lets go over the theory of the Ice Clone...
The Ice Clone is such a dominant move because it breaks two LAWS (not rules but laws) of fighting games.
1. Footsies -
Im not so arrogant to think that I am this S+ player in any or all areas. As a footsies player I'm probably no better than a B or B+. However, the Ice Clone is to footsies what steroids is to an athlete. If you have B+ footsies and have an Ice Clone you will now appear to have A+ or S footsies. If the main weakness for your opponent to exploit is that they have better footsies than you, they will lose if Sub-Zero is on the screen. This is because the Ice Clone only allows one person to play footsies, you.
Footsies is about controlling space and space control. The Ice Clone allows you to split yourself in two by putting a stationary combo starter on the screen while you are still free to move around. You can put the clone out to control a certain space while you are still free to move around. Your opponent cannot control the space in front of them because of the Ice Clone, this makes the space in front of the opponent constantly controlled by you without you actually being there to assume any risk. You are also manipulating space by constantly cutting off your opponent with almost 0.0% risk to you. The clone can limit you opponents ability to walk back, forward, jump, etc based on where it is placed.
It is impossible to place footsies with the Ice Clone. Sub-Zero can literally walk at opponents and they are hesitant to do anything besides walk back or zone wile running away. This is because they can't stick traditional pokes on screen to keep you out due to the ability Sub-Zero has to put out a 1 frame Ice Clone. I'm not sure if the start up is still 1 frame in MKX, but it is still very fast and most likely still the fastest move in the game. This gives a character that is built for defense the ability to have a POWERFUL offense because you cannot go punch for punch when the character has a move where you cannot punch back.
2. My turn, your turn -
My turn, your turn is a common exchange in fighters. It basically means that after blocking most moves that its now your turn to attack. This is why footsies and baiting is so important in fighters, just because you are using safe attacks, that doesn't always matter or mean smart play in every situation. You still need to be aware of the situation you are putting yourself in after your safe attack is blocked because your opponent can usually now apply pressure, 50/50 mix up, throw attempt, etc after blocking certain safe attacks.
The Ice Clone doesn't just break this, it SHATTERS it. Sub-Zero can attack and if the attack connects he can hit confirm into a combo, if the attack is blocked he can confirm the block and cancel into an Ice Clone. There is no "your turn", you will now sit there and continue to move backwards and guess on which one of the several setups you are now in. You cant just simply jump over the clone, walk back, zone, etc because more than likely there is some setup that can counter your decision as long as the clone is out.
In the corner it gets really bad.. It is literally attack into clone cancel, get checked with an attack into a combo on hit or clone cancel on block, repeat.. You must commit in some way to get out otherwise it loops for eternity as attacks into clone over and over and over.
There is no "your turn" EVER unless you commit and make it your turn which still plays into the Ice Clone. Sub-Zero is not "my turn, your turn" he is "my turn, my turn again, my turn again, and again, and again, etc..". Clone allows you to attack with 0.0% risk of any situation after you attacks are blocked. Attack hits? Easy confirm to combo. Attack gets blocked? Cancel into clone and stay safe while still trapping the opponent.
The Ice Clone limits how the opponent has to fight you. You MUST zone Sub-Zero.. If you cannot zone him then its very hard to beat him. Look at MK9, as easy as it is to break a character like Sub-Zero its even harder to make him bad. You have to work to make him bad. For Sub-Zero to be bad it took POWERFUL zoning + a plethora of SUPER ARMOR + his (and everyone's with the dash nerf) ability to quickly advance needs to get restricted. Take away one factor and Sub-Zero becomes at least high mid, take away two and he becomes bottom of the top 10, take away all three and he becomes nearly broken.
In MKX it doesn't look like Sub-Zero can Ice Clone while in mid air anymore. However, the Clone was buffed in other areas.
1. It looks like it can be a shield to at least one or two projectiles before it shatters. This REALLY helps against zoning, especially if the zoning isn't as ridiculous as MK9.
2. You can throw the clone. HUGE BUFF... Sub-Zero was TERRIBLE as a close out character. He had no real way to chip you out unless he was close. Opponents could make miracles happen even when at a pixel of health. To be able to throw the clone really helps.
3. It appears that you can manually detonate the clone and dame opponents in its proximity. I'm not sure if this is true and if it is true I'm unsure how it will even work. In theory this would be dominant in footsies and corner trapping because the opponent won't be able to move without taking damage from the detonation if you detonate as they attempt to move.
Sub-Zero has multiple variations that will surely change up his play style from MU to MU, looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
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