Teach me how to defend/block better.

[DHERO]

Not sure how to approach defense in this game. I typically come from a Street Fighter 5 background (played Injustice 1/2 very casually). There are clearly some similarities when it comes to defense because they are both fighting games: Blocking and Checking.

SF has blocking integrated into walking (micro-step downback/walk back). MK has a block button. This difference makes me feel like a sitting duck. I'm not sure how I should be approaching this.

1. I haven't really experimented, but are there any differences between HOLDING block and TAPPING block during strings?

2. Are there common scenarios in which I know I should be blocking?

3. I keep hearing about D1 checks. How am I supposed to be using it effectively? What should I be doing to defend against it?

Any other comments/advice for defense/blocking?

 

[CrimsonShadow]

It's honestly pretty similar -- other than proximity blocking which is a big difference from some 2D games. Hold block when you expect that the opponent will attack you, rather than holding/walking back when you expect to have to block.

The point of a check is when you have an option in-close to do something (i.e. you're in your opponent's face, and not stuck in blockstun/hitsun), and your opponent is also able to attack you at the same time. d3/d1 are usually close-range moves that come out very quickly -- so that idea is that if your opponent is using a move that has a longer startup (which most people's mid-hitting BnB combo starters usually do), you can 'beat' them by hitting them first with the d1/d3 (poke). If you land it you're at advantage, and then you can follow up with whatever you like.

To counter this on your end, you have a few options: 1) poke them before they poke you. 2) If they're poking repeatedly, block their poke and poke back, or attack, or throw them before they poke again. 3) You can also just walk back and let their poke whiff, and then attack them immediately. 4) Or neutral jump/short hop attack depending on the frames involved (you need to be able to jump early enough for their poke to whiff underneath you once you're in the air.

The easiest way to get the flow of defense is honestly just to watch some high-level gameplay and see what people do. Observe when they block and when they poke. Plenty of things will become obvious that are harder to visualize from words alone.

 

[DHERO]

Thanks @CrimsonShadow, that was extremely helpful. I'll work on it.

 

[Jynks]

Coming from SF style "back to auto block" to MK can be jaring... once you get into it there seems to be little issue imo. Some arguments can be made for it being better maybe. Particularly with charge characters.

Basically it is all about frame data. "checks" and poke are much like SF... you are just trying to hit them before their move comes out.

The real issue is MK Blocking for a SF player is how it "stops" everything. In SF you walk back and block but in MK you stand still.. on the plus side you can stand still... but really what that moves the game towards is a need to know your own and maybe your opponents frames. As you want to poke them when out of block stun before their string starters come out. Go into training mode and find your fastest normals... that is a good start.

There is no real "press vs hold" stuff in general.... but in MK11 they have introduced FLAWLESS BLOCK.. this is a "tap" situation. If you tap block at the very moment they hit you, there is a sound and some text that tells you that you have done a flawless block... this allows you to do a few things, even leading to full combo punishers. It can be hard to FB but there is a trick you can lab. When you are blocking a string, you can hold block, then release and tap on the string hits. I find this easier to do as you never know when a normal is coming but the 2nd or 3rd hit in a string if something you can know.. assuming you know what jails and what doesn't

There are detailed tutorials on all this in the game under ADVANCED. Try them out and read them instead of skipping the text to get to the inputs!! haha

 

[Cheesus]

@DHERO

First I would recommend trying to replicate the same caution that you have in SF in MK. In SF if you mind is blank and you dont know what to do, you never stand in idle, you hold down back, in MK, hold down and block. If you need to walk forward, let go of block, walk, then go back to down block. What will feel different is letting go of block to walk back and being vulnerable, whereas in SF you're automatically protected with auto block (as long as its not a low).

I totally get the "sitting duck" feeling you described. I'm an MK 'convert' myself. I played the hell out of SF4 then switched over to MK9 and what helped me was to play matches vs the AI on hard or hardest with only the block button and tried to run out the clock. It's not the most fun thing and its a little wack, but try it a few times. If you run out the clock, you win. What you will find is that since you're isolating block, thats the only thing your mind has to work on, so you will improve quickly. I did this in SF too when I started to learn and it helped immensely in both.

To your questions:

1. Most of the time you will be holding block, but if you try to Flawless Block after a gap in a string, you will be tapping and releasing block to do the u2/u3 punish. It kinda feels like an option select. Note that you cannot do an u2 or u3 after a Flawless Block if you are still holding the block button.

Go to this link and pick out a string with a gap and record it in training mode. You will hold block until the gap, release block, and press it again about a frame or 2 before the next hit in the string connects.

https://testyourmight.com/threads/list-of-all-gaps-in-characters-kombo-strings.69441/

2. If you are at frame disadvantage, you should be blocking 90% of the time, since there are no invincible special moves or moves that have instant armor. Keep in mind as you wake up, the u3 is fully invincible, but you have to be knocked down first, and the Fatal Blow's armor starts around frame 5 or so.

3. d1 and d3 are like mini hit-confirms. If they are doing it to you, block it and they are always at disadvantage so now its your turn. If you do one and it gets blocked you should block, if it hits, then its now your turn with double digit frame advantage. There are no links so nothing will combo no matter how high your advantage is, but now you can do a standing low attack (usually b3) or maybe even an overhead if you have enough advantage so there's no gap for them to counter poke you. Btw, if you go for a down poke, always hold block right after you press the button, if they block it, you dont have to do anything else, youre already blocking (kinda like holding down/back whenever you do a crouching attack in SF), if your poke hits, let go of block and take advantage of their frame disadvantage. I hope some of this helps.

 

[DHERO]

These are all wonderful and thorough explanations. I really appreciate it @Jynks and @Cheesus!

I guess it's the flow and transitioning from blocking to attacking. It doesn't feel "smooth" to me yet.

 

[GLoRToR]

On the flipside there is such a thing as blocking too much.
I find myself blocking too much and not moving enough. Been working on my backdash/backwalk and forward walk.

 

[DragonofDadashov24]

I always thought that MK has the best blocking system. Nothing better than having a separate block button so that you don’t get cross uped to death in the corner like in Injustice.
Opinions I think

 

[DHERO]

On the flipside there is such a thing as blocking too much.
I find myself blocking too much and not moving enough. Been working on my backdash/backwalk and forward walk.

I think this is exactly why I feel like a sitting duck. I walk a little and then my brain goes "block here, k unblock, move forward, block." It hasn't been instinctual for me yet lol.

I always thought that MK has the best blocking system. Nothing better than having a separate block button so that you don’t get cross uped to death in the corner like in Injustice.
Opinions I think

Injustice felt more natural to me. That corner situation isn't that bad, you tend to get out of the corner if they go for a crossup, blocked or not.

 

[GLoRToR]

I think this is exactly why I feel like a sitting duck. I walk a little and then my brain goes "block here, k unblock, move forward, block." It hasn't been instinctual for me yet lol.

Game is hard. We need ward.

 

[DivineImpalerX]

You should play some games when you run into a Problem go into Practice Mode activate the Frame Data Display and you can see when you should attack and when you should block.

 

[MK2D]

My biggest issue is playing on a projector with 67ms input lag, best case. Made the tutorials a bit tougher than they need to be. I’m really enjoying the game on PS4, but like MKX have a feeling I’ll do better on PC with a monitor once it’s patched up well.

 

[Name v.5.0]

I always thought that MK has the best blocking system. Nothing better than having a separate block button so that you don’t get cross uped to death in the corner like in Injustice.
Opinions I think

This is a big reason I quit IJ2 and won't ever play another game with back to block. It's cheap as fuck.

 

[ZeroSymbolic]

I’m trying to learn how to do better pressure and rush down. If you got PS4 we can mutually practice.