What's new

Guide The Complete Ermac Guide

Status
Not open for further replies.

zaf

professor
This will be a complete guide made by the ermac community.
This guide will consist of:
- The basics of ermac
- Explanation of ermac's normals and specials.
- Traps and frame Traps
- Advanced strategies and tech.
- How to fight the cast.
- Tutorial videos.

*** Work in progress, Will be adding stuff daily until completed***
***Although this is posted from Me, "ZAF", I do not take 100% credit for anything posted here under my account. The credit goes to anyone who contributed here or made a video. I might of fixed up a few words here and there and corrected spelling mistakes, but this is by no means all my work. Will post all names of all contributors once the MU's are completed.


_Introduction_

Ermac is mostly known by his zoning game, although when considering his tools, he can also be seen as a well all-round kind of character. He has a somewhat decent projectile, a teleport to keep people spamming projectiles on check, and a weapon to control the spacing: the TKP.

We wouldn't say that Ermac has any impossible match-up. Of course some of them can be more difficult than others, but you will always have a decent fighting chance.

Pros:
Zoning: Ermac has a very unique zoning, which uses TKP, Fireballs, and throws to send the opponent back. The 2 main virtues of TKP are his reach and the fact that it has an active hitbox in the whole space instantly, which means that it can't be dodged, and it doesn't need to travel any distance.
Damage output: Along with Sonya and Rain, Ermac has one of the most feared meterless output, easily getting above 40% without you spending any meter. Therefore, you will only need to use your meter for breaker purposes.
Heavy punishment/comboing oportunities: Due to the "comboing" nature of the TKL, it's not that hard for Ermac to both punish and to get nice combos from weird situations, like from an air to air won jump-punch, or catching someone with a d1 crossup.
Mind Game: Once the opponent understands the properties of TKP, it becomes a move that it's constantly being respected. Therefore, it's not that uncommon to see players holding block a good chunk of the time when they try to get in, drastically reducing their mobility, which Ermac can take HUGE advantage from.

Cons:
Pokes: Ermac's d3 is -2 on hit and his d1 is +1 on hit, so d1 is favored when trying to get out of pressure. Your two main concerns will be that both your pokes are heavily punishable if blocked, and trying to get the best of just a +1 advantage from connecting a d1.
Low and Overhead: Although Ermac has a low hit (F4, very disadvantageous on block) and an overhead (U4, kind of slow) both suffer from the same problem, which is that you can't cancel neither of them into a lift. Besides these two, Ermac has a solid mix-up game, which will be explained afterwards.
Wake-up game: Ermac's every wakeup attack can be havily punished, which kind of limits your chances. Of course you can try for wakeup lifts and getting some combos, but you must always evaluate the risk-reward that you are taking. Wake-up blocking is not so bad neither, because in MK9, unlike SFIV or SCV you won't find that much of godlike okizemes.














BASIC ATTACKS

Back Fist: :r+:fp
Wind Strikes: :l+:fp
Fist Smash: :r+:bp
Psychic Palm: :l+:bp (hold :bp to charge)
Quick Kick: :l+:fk
2-hit Kick: :r+:bk
Low Leg: :u+:bk
Uppercut: :d+:bp
Sweep: :l+:bk
SPECIAL MOVES


Force Ball: :d:l+:bp
Airblast: :d:l+:bp (in air)
Force Port: :d:l+:bk (ground or air)
Force Lift: :d:l+:fp
Hover Slam: :d:d:u :)d:d to cancel)
Force Push: :l:r+:fp
CHAIN KOMBOS


Ermac Rush: :fp,:bp,:fp
Mysterious Mash: :r+:fp,:fp,:bk
Fusion: :l+:fp,:fp,:bk
We Win: :l+:fp,:bp,:r+:fp
Nether Pain: :bp,:bp
Psychic Strikes: :l+:bp,:l+:fp
Lost Souls: :l+:bp,:fp,:r+:bp
Relinquish: :fk,:fk
Surrender: :fk,:fp,:bp
Disoriented: :l+:fk,:bk
Controlled Chaos: :r+:bk,:l+:bp


Ermac Final Patch Notes
• Ermac can no longer true combo 2-in-1 from the last hit of the BP, BP string
• Ermac’s enhanced fireball now correctly costs meter when done from a 2-in-1
• Increased the damage scaling on a lifted opponent
• Fixed a bug where Ermac would occasionally shoot out an invisible fireball
• Slightly increased the recovery frames on a blocked or missed force push

Strings that Jail
312: jails after a blocked jp or if the opponent blocks 3 while standing.
F114: jails if opponent blocks F1 while standing.
121: jails if opponent blocks 1 while standing.
22: jails if opponent blocks 2 while standing.
B114: does not jail (no need to actually cause all hits are special highs).
B12: does not jail.
F4B2: does not jail.
33: does not jail.​

Traps and Frame Traps
coming soon

Characters that Punish MAX RANGE TKP
Raiden (Superman)
Freddy (Hellspike)
Ermac (TKP)
Baraka (Blade charge)
Kenshi (EX SC)
Scorpion (EX Hellfire)​


Match Ups

Full screen: From this range there is nothing optimal that you will want to really be doing. It is not the greatest idea to be shooting fireballs at this range as it gives scorpion ample time to just counter with a teleport. Tkp is of no effect at this range either. You need to be keeping yourself closer to scorpion, at least max tkp range. If scorpion wants to instant air teleport, regular teleport or ex teleport, you can get a full combo punish. As he is about to hit you, time a d1~lift. Scorpions may try to run away every now and then to full screen to try and play the hellfire game. Try to just jump the hellfires and teleport punish or jump in and see if you can tks. The counter to doing this, is that scorpion will try and AA you with a spear if they suspect you want to jump a possible hellfire. So try not to become too obvious with your approach as he runs away from you.

Mid screen: This is more or less where you want to be. This is where ermac does spend most of his time. If scorpion has no meter, you can just keep checking him with tkp after tkp. You want to try and just keep him sitting there expecting tkps. This allows you to work on the fact that they are blocking a lot. Use this to dash in and start pressure. When scorpion has meter, you need to be more careful with him. He can take the opportunity to ex-spear right through a tkp. Not only does this give him a punish and damage but he has now has access to his vortex. You really just want to stay in optimal tkp range, where you can just keep pressuring him with it. You will get chip damage and train them to sit there as well. Tkp is more important then using fireball as the fireball will be teleported on more often then so. Tkp not only grabs teleports but is generally the better footsie tool.

Up close: Here is the thing about scorpion up close. His pokes are terrible. D1 on hit is +1 but if it hits you crouching, it is negative. If ever you are hit by a scorpion d1 on your crouch never give him respect. Take this time to do a counter poke of your own or even a blockstring such as 3,1. As for the d3, it is always negative on hit regardless of your position, so like d1 do not respect this move at all. As for his d4, it is 0 neutral on block whether he hits you or not, So treat every d4 on hit like it is on block. Even if scorpion wants to do his fastest normal (standing 3 at 10 frames) after a d1 or d3 on hit you can always beat out that standing 3 with your own 10 frame standing 1. Literally give his pokes zero respect ( except for his d1 on standing hit, this will allow his standing 3 to become 9 frames, you can still interupt this with a d1 or d3). Other then this, the only thing you really need to watch out for is his overhead/low mix up with b2 and f4. Block these and you will usually end up with a punish. B2 is fully punishable. However the f4 can be canceled into takedown rather then a spear to make it safer, but yielding a lot less damage. Don't get too discouraged if a scorpion player is doing this to you and it hits a few times, as the damage is nothing compared to what he can do with a f4~spear. He really does have nothing threatening other than these two normals. If you meet a scorpion who likes to use 1 and 1,1 and 1,1,1 pressure find their tendencies of where they like to stop in between the hits and do a standing 1. Scorpions standing 1 is 12 frames and Ermac's is 10 frames. So for example scorpion player X like to do 1,1 then a 1,1,1. After the initial 1,1 if you do a standing 1 of your own it will come out before his and you get a free punish.

Solution: Do not let him stay at full screen as he does have more and better options then you do. Stay in a safe tkp range where you can just keep checking him with it. Don't become too predictable .As an ex-spear will beat your tkp. Once you have scorpion constantly blocking from being checked with tkp after tkp, take this time to dash in and start your own pressure.



Full screen: Ermac vs Reptile when in full screen is pretty much even cause both cannot afford playing to aggressively. Ermac can tp on reaction against Reptile's force balls and spits, and Reptile can lock down Ermac's zoning game with force balls and whiffed dashes. In order for Ermac to win the full screen game, he must be ON POINT with any mistakes Reptile does and punish any spits or force balls with tp.
Mid screen: Reptile wins slightly: Reptile can punish regular TKP's with dash and blocked max ranged TKP's provide Reptile a free whiffed dash and then pressure. He also has armored EX slide. On the other hand though if Ermac blocks one dash, Reptile loses 40% of his life without the use of meter, thrown full screen and Ermac has the projectile advantage.
Up close: Reptile wins slightly again. Reptile's mix ups up close are slightly better than Ermac's. 50/50 mix ups with slide and a safe overhead, plus the lack of armor on Ermac's behalf, make it a bit hard for Ermac to win the up close game. Also iaFB works against Ermac in the particular MU cause on block it leaves Reptile on sweep range where he also has the advantage. Reptile's D4 beats everything Ermac has, except his U4, which i believe is the key of winning the sweep range game. iaFB wont work here, cause you have to anticipate Reptile doing a d4 in order to punish it.
Solutions: Imo in this MU, the Ermac player must be very patient, on point with his punishes, and pretty much abuse throws to quickly send Reptile in the corner and keep him there to control the match from there. He must be careful of EX slide though, which will put Ermac in the corner and pretty much turn around the match in Reptile's favor. U4 must be used with caution, cause if crossed-up, its pretty much a free combo for Reptile.



Full screen: From full screen Ermac and Mileena can trade fireball hits. You can also teleport on reaction to Mileena's fireballs. BUT...when you are full screen against Mileena, it is not always the best idea to be shooting fireballs. She can easily on reaction telekick you. You do not want to be close to mileena, but you do not want to be full screen either. Also when at this range, mileena players will use her roll to close the gap in on you. This also goes under fireballs, so if you can try and bait mileena to roll and dash in and block it.
Mid screen: This is the area you always want to be at against mileena. If you attempt to shoot fireballs at this range, she can not telekick. As she enters the ground from the moves animation, the fireball can hit her and it will stop her telekick. However Mileena can do a roll and this will go under fireballs. So be careful of this. What you really want to be doing at this range is endlessly using TKP. She has no answer for this. She can not use any of her specials, as TKP will grab them all. She has no normals that can hit you either, none of them are fast enough. Mileena will have to start dash blocking her way in towards you. At this point you can keep backing up and just using TKP over and over. To avoid being cornered too easily, as mileena dash blocks her way towards you, go in for a grab. Shoot her the other way and then continue the TKP pressure the other way. You do not always have to go for a grab. You can go for a blockstring. But be careful, as 121 and 312 have gaps that she can poke out of due to her abnormally low hitbow, she will hit you with a d4. This will give her a good amount of frame advantage allowing her to start a blockstring. You can dash in and use F2, Iafb, D4. You can even go for a cross up. However Mileena can make your JIP whiff, by once again lowering her hitbox. What you should be doing against Mileena when you cross up is Jump In Kick. With this, you can link in to a Iafb and hit mileena. Even if she blocks this you will be fine. If you can hit confirm the JIK, go for a teleport as you will get a combo from this.
Up close: Mileena has one of the best d4 in the game and she will constantly be hitting you with this. If you block a D4, an Iafb will beat her next D4 if the player wanted to poke again. Her d4 paired with her d3, can become very annoying pokes. Try to counter poke on block properly and use the frame advantage to just dash away or walk away. There is no need to pressure Mileena with block strings, as I have mentioned they can whiff. Be careful for her high/low mix ups. What I like to do is constantly block low, as the U4 she has is very slow and can be blocked on reaction. Blocking low all the time will make all of her mentionabled pokes always be blocked. Other than her d4 and d3, she will attack low with her b3. Now her b3 can become tricky as she can link this to her EX-Roll which is an overhead. After you have blocked a b3 start blocking high just in case of her ex roll. You really do not need to worry about the 2nd hit of b3 which is b4. Its just another low hit that does not lead into combo, but to knock down. The move is kind of slow, so you should be able to block this on reaction when stand blocking after b3. One of Mileena's other great mix ups is 42 then a d3/d4 or a 42~Ex roll. The mileena player will start poking you after a 42 to train you to do this, then start using the ex roll to blow up your counter pokes. Be careful for this and reactive accordingly.
Solutions: Keep Mileena at Max tkp range, where she can not really do that much. She can not punish TKP. When she starts advancing either back up and continue TKP or go in on her and try to be safe. No need to be risky at this point. Try and stay out of her D4 Range at all cost. What you also want to be doing VS Mileena is attacking her on all of her wake ups with TKP. You can use TKS, but TKP is way way safer. TKP will beat all of her wake ups, so stay a little outside of sweep range, and every time you get a knockdown TKP her. If they want to stay on the ground, TKP will lift her up.



Full screen: From full screen both characters have an equal chance of winning, although Sektor can iat Ermac's projectiles to a full combo, so use projectiles when less expected. Sektor's missiles can be tp'ed on reaction for extra pressure, although his hit box allows him to escape 31 pressure, so if you want to go for chip dmg B114 is your best friend. Jp F2 frame traps is also a good option. Dash block to get into TKP and Sektor has nothing from there.
Mid screen: Ermac excels vs Sektor when in TKP range. His TA can be beaten by TKP, even the EX version. Now taking that into account and with good spacing, Ermac pretty much destroys Sektor mid screen.
Up close: Sektor's 6f standing 1 can make things hard for Ermac when up close. Pressure is out of the question, and imo, if you need to end the match you should do it when in mid screen or sweep range, but if things come to a point when you are up close against him, then go for mix ups and baits. Anticipate what he is going to do and punish accordingly. If you have the chance to back dash and let him come to you, do it, without hesitation. iAB helps a lot Ermac in this MU.
Solutions: Try and keep Sektor in sweep and mid screen range where he struggles against Ermac.

Full screen: Ermac can compete very easily against Cyrax when in full screen. Force balls can stop Cyrax from spamming bombs in order to better control Ermac and good dashes can be used to avoid the bombs. Nets can be tp'ed on reaction, or Ermac can simply block the net and use force-ball to check Cyrax.

Mid screen: This is where Ermac shines against almost the entire cast, and Cyrax is not an exception. He has nothing against Ermac when in mid screen. Furthermore he needs to be really careful when he is in Ermac's TKP range, cause TKP beats, pretty much, anything Cyrax has.

Up close: This is where it gets tricky for Ermac. Cyrax has definitely the upper hand when up close, cause of his mix ups and faster normals. Ermac needs to be really patient and act accordingly to what Cyrax does. Counter poking and knowing when to jump out is eseential when fighting Cyrax up close. Cyrax's d1 to saw on block can pretty much work in Ermac's favor here cause it provides a lot of push back, allowing Ermac to get away from Cyrax's pressure. Iab (instant air-blast) works really well in this MU when in sweep range.

Solutions: This is pretty much like the Ermac - Cage MU, only harder. Ermac must keep Cyrax in full and mid screen range and continue checking for the majority of the match. Throws must be utilized whenever Ermac gets a chance. Ermac must also make Cyrax break, in order to stop Cyrax from using his resets which can easily win him the match, so whenever you hit confirm a jp make sure it counts in terms of damage. Cyrax needs bars to get his massive dmg out put and meter drain going, while Ermac on the other hand only needs them for breaker. Spacing and good use of well timed dashes is EXTREMELY important to win this MU.




Full screen: Dash block is your best friend here. You cannot, at all, zone Freddy because of the full screen frame traps he has,the fast recovery of his projectiles and its mix ups. Also tp is out of the question. Ermac must use dash block to get in and apply pressure against Freddy up close.
Mid screen: Freddy is one of the very few who can punish max range TKP, and to make things worse, he can punish it with a full unbreakable combo. On the other hand you can bait HS's with jump in to air-blasts and from there try and close the gap between Ermac and Freddy, so you wont get chipped to death.
Up close: Freddy's big hit box, lack of good down pokes and lack of useful armor make it easy for Ermac. 31 on block does not whiff even when Freddy is crouched which means he has no means of interrupting Ermac's pressure. Also 31 being 0 on block means that Ermac can apply lots amounts of pressure before Freddy can escape him. Throw mix ups help a lot against him in order to lead him in the corner. Attempted down pokes can be dealt with, with iAB and Ermac's superior pokes in general. Sweep range is even because of Freddy's NSS which is very effective for whiff punishing.
Solutions: The key to winning this MU is up close as said above. Freddy has pretty much no way of escaping Ermac's pressure which means Ermac players MUST abuse that once they get in. Also keep in mind that any attempted tp's by Freddy can be punished heavily on reaction for big dmg. Also finishing Ermac's combos with the F4 reset is a must if you want to keep Freddy close to you in order to continue applying pressure to him. B1 throw mix ups work really well against him as well.



Full screen: Ermac wins. This is the place Ermac wants to be against Cage pretty much. His projectiles suck and he has no way at all to punish Ermac's projectiles, besides EX SK, which isnt worth it imo because he will need the bars for either 13 EX FB frame-traps, or for breakers. So this means free meter and chip damage for Ermac. Also Cage's projectiles are very slow and can be tp'ed easily by Ermac. He can even dash d3 them and TKP him, if he is in range.
Mid screen: Ermac wins again. Max ranged TKP cannot be punished at all by JC. Regular can be though, so the Ermac player must be cautious and not throw them out consistently.
Up close: Johnny Cage wins. The F3 pressure and mix ups, provide Cage with an exceptional chip damage and pressure making Ermac struggle against him up close. On the other hand though, F3 EX force ball frame traps do not work against Ermac, cause of his hit box and 13 EX force ball frame traps can be countered by simply getting hit by 3. After that, the EX force will completely whiff and JC can be punished with a full combo from Ermac. When in sweep range utilization of iaFB's, F4, D4 and U4 is a must strategy in order to keep Cage out. Up close, Ermac's d3 lowers his hit box completely making Cage's F3 whiff against him. This is the way to keep Cage out. Use of throws is extremely advised for this MU. You need to have JC at full screen all times and try and keep him there for the majority of the match. Also ALL blocked down pokes must be punished with D3, which provides Ermac with a +5f adv on crouching opponents.
Solutions: Cage must be kept at mid screen to full screen for the majority of the match, where he has nothing against Ermac and Ermac can check him with TKP's and projectiles. You just have to be careful of any random EX SK's. When up close, Ermac must utilize his d3 in order to keep Cage out and capitalize on any mistakes Cage does with big damage.


 
Last edited:

zaf

professor

Full Screen: It's even, Liu Kang and Ermac trade projectiles. Liu Kang's projectiles recover pretty fast so if you want to teleport, you have to anticipate it. At this distance, you can trade if you have the life lead but it's best to try and close the distance to about 2 jumps away from your opponent. Using D3 under Liu Kang's high projectiles closes the distance fast.

Mid Screen: This is where Ermac has advantage, you can do force push and Liu Kang can't punish it. Most rush down Liu Kang players will try to close the distance by doing f12, you counter this by doing d4. Do NOT jump back if Liu Kang blocks a force push, the "2" in the f12 will land and Liu Kang can link that into a b312. You want to force push then d4. When the d4 lands, you have advantage, this means you should go up and grab him. Do this a couple times and the Liu Kang player will try and counter your grab by either jumping or ducking. After about 2 - 3 grabs, this is when you dash forward and do some 31 pressure. If the 31 hits him in the air (as he's trying to jump out of your grab), you can continue it into a combo by doing 31, 3 lift, dash forward b12f1, dash forward and force push. Instant air blasts can be good if timed right but sometimes if you do it too late, Liu Kang's f12 can hit you.

Close-Up: Don't force push, Liu Kang can punish you with f12. Ok Liu Kang has a slight advantage in close range, it all depends on how good the Liu Kang player is. But because of Liu Kang's giant hitbox, Ermac can successfully do 31 without any worries. Ermac has f4, 121, 312, f2, instant air blast, grab, and b114. And because Ermac's 31 doesn't wiff, it's super easy to get out of Liu Kang's pressure. If you land a d1, just follow it up with a 31 or 312 or 312 lift or 312 *pause* d1 lift or 312 jump over punch then teleport (people duck about 85% of the time after the teleport, which gives you more free pressure).


Full Screen - The full screen game is pretty much even. With lao having a slight advantage, being that both can teleport on reaction to projectiles. However, lao doesn't need meter to combo off of his teleport. So what you want to do here is use projectiles at random times so the lao player cannot read you and be careful of his teleport(I will discuss how to punish teleport, blocked dive kick...etc at the end of the spacing discussion). Also, you can teleport on reaction to his hats. This is a good tool to keep the lao player in check, so they don't always feel as if they can throw hats at you from full screen for free. Be careful however, sometimes lao players can bait you using a standing 2. As the animation looks similar to a low hat. Same goes for ermac, he can bait Lao with stance-switchs and whiffed strings. If you land the teleport you recieve a free cross-up/ pressure mix-up. 312 is not a string that you want to use in this match-up because lao can easily duck it and full combo you. b114 is the string of choice after you land a teleport then cross up. Mainly because it builds alot of meter and is useful for mix-ups. B1 throw mix-ups are good, but watch out for the spin and the 7 frame jab. Keep in mind other mix-up options B1 to a F4/throw mix-up..etc. Try to be as unpredictable as you can with these so you dont get a random spin or 7 frame-jab. Always keep that spin and teleport in the back of you mind.
Mid Screen - This is the situation in which Ermac excels. Ermacs projectile shouldn't be used here, mainly because lao can easily jump over it with a full combo punish. Same with Lao, except ermac punishes much harder :). Max range TKP is the way to go. This eliminates Laos JIP/DK/Teleport mix-up. If lao leaves the ground(as lao players often do) do the TKP whether he goes for a JIP, TP, or DK the TKP will tag him. This will push him full screen, at the same time give you time to dash in to be at max TKP range again.(watch out for wake-up Teleport) A blocked TKP from max range cannot be punished by lao. Except for a f3 roll. However, if spaced at max range and the lao player tries to roll in. A simple walk back or neutral jump punch and it will whiff for a full combo punish. If Lao does tag you with the F3 roll, you have time to block it and the potential follow up . Lao can only throw a hat, spin or teleport out of it. All of which can be punished heavily by Ermac.(be weary of a throw or a cross-up). This is the job of the ermac player to read and punish accordingly. A blocked hat or spin=HUGE damage. You goal mid-screen is to bully Lao with the TKP. Make him afraid to jump, TP or DK. This eliminates alot of laos options. You want lao to be constantly blocking. After you have conditioned Lao with this. A new game begins. Lao will be expecting TKPs and be blocking, picking his moment to get in. At this point you can dash in for a throw, a F4, F2/mix-up game(watch for spin). This adds a new dynamic to the match and switches momentum into your favor and now keeps the Lao player guessing. Also, at this point most lao players will be afraid to leave the ground(keep this in mind for this next tip). You can now JIP and IAB to bait a spin for a HUGE punish(as he won't be trying to jump). Do this sparingly, and only after the conditioning. Be sure to read your opponent and condition them before trying this.
Up Close - Lao has the advantage in this situation, with his fast strings that hit Ermac crouch blocking because of his large hit-box. Not by much though. Your goal here is to get Lao away from you to continue your mid screen game. It isn't as hard to get lao away from you as cage or kabal. His strings have a ton of holes. Just be patient and careful of the spin. Keep this in mind as well, lao players often perform 1121/21/21212/pressure. You can neutral duck the first hit of these strings and full combo punish the 21212 string on block. If you see lao finish a 1121 or stagger it or do just a 21 . WIth the neutral duck idea in mind. If the Lao player decides to follow up with another string it gives you a lot of time and a great opportunity to d1 poke to get out of pressure, consider D1 to a throw to get him away as well. Or the now infamous D1 lift :). That is extremly unsafe however, but can work in the correct situation.(If you expect a counter poke) You can uppercut the follow-up string as well to send lao mid screen(use this sparringly as it can be baited). Read your opponnent accordingly.(dont just mash it) Also, laos pokes are terrible, much like ermacs (IMO). So if you block a d3 or d1 from him and he tries to follow-up with 1121 or 21 pressure, you can still neutral duck the first hit of the string and uppercut or counter poke.(WATCH OUT FOR RANDOM SPIN OR LOW HAT). Also watch out for the under used b333 from Lao, this is rather unsafe and not used to often by Lao players. Be patient and wait for your moment. Do your best to not let Lao cross you up. You can check Lao with an anti cross-up D1 to lift for big damage, or D3 to lower your hit-box and make his cross-up punch whiff and apply your own pressure.(Watch out for cross over kicks and react accordingly)Lao is not as scary as people think he is up-close- He has a very basic pressure game, that seems intense, but really isn't. Lots of holes, just look for them and be patient.
Punishes
Punishes for blocked or whiffed moves-These combos are my personal preference. You do what suits your preference.
Blocked Spin/EX Spin=30-45 percent damage. The quickest, easiest and most efficent way to punish a blocked spin is to dash up and 31 lift, jump kick teleport, dash 22 TKP/f4 mix-up. Depending on how the Ex Spin hits you, you might not be able to dash in and 31, and have to settle with a straight lift.

Blocked Dive Kick=40-55 percent damage. Go to practice mode to work on the timing of this. As Lao is landing from his blocked Dive Kick. B114 to lift, Jump Kick Teleport, dash 12 TKP/F4 mix-up. You can also, Charge B2 as Lao is Landing from his blocked Dive Kick and hit him with a half charged B2 to B1 LIFt, Jump Kick Teleport, dash 22 TKP/F4 mix-up. Either way you choose, HUGE damage.

Blocked Low Hat=35-42 percent damage. The timing for this is critical, as you don't have much time to react on a blocked low hat. You don't want to get punished for a blocked lift trying to punish the Low Hat. If the low hat is blocked it is possible to 12 Lift, Jump Kick Teleport, dash 22 TKP/F4 mix-up.
212121 on block(If the Lao doesn't cancel into teleport). Lao players often link this to a Low Hat or Teleport to make this string "safer". However if they do not cancel the string. You can easily 12 Lift, Jump Kick Teleport, dash 22 TKP/ F4 mix-up.

Teleport=30-50 percent damage. There are many ways to punish Lao's Teleport. I will go over a few. You can time a D1 to a lift and finish the combo accordingly. Or you can back dash the Teleport to a Lift. However, when you try and D1 a Teleport Lao has the option to Teleport 2 and hit you with an overhead that will stuff your D1. So be careful when doing this. The most effective and safe way to punish a standard Teleport IMO. Is to uppercut to a Lift and finish your combo using your favorite method. This route ensures that you will not get hit with an overhead, an instant 3 or any of the Teleport mix-ups. It is very easy to gain a lift after the uppercut, no matter which orientation you hit Lao in his Teleport. Even if you don't get the lift, you still got the uppercut, Lao is mid-screen and there is no risk in getting caught up in Lao's Teleport mix-ups.

Ex Teleport=30-40 percent damage. This one can be a bit tricky to punish considering the Lao Armor enhancement tech that has been discovered. However, if a Lao player does a standard EX teleport to a drop in 3 or instant 3. Just back dash, and wait for Lao to be dropping down and execute a Lift. However, if the Lao player does the armor enhancement tech. Ermacs lift can be stuffed and full combo punished. This is up to the Ermac player to read and react accordingly. You can also, D3 to lower your hit-box and avoid the pressure. This can also be unsafe as well. It seems that the safest way to approach this is to just walk back to space yourself to mid-screen as he is teleporting, avoiding any mix-up confrontation and let Lao use his meter. It is up to you and what fits your play style better.



Full screen: In my opinion its pretty even at Full screen. Ermac can not shoot fireballs because of reflect into Lightning. Fireballs are generally not used a lot in this match up. Nightwolf can use his fireball at full screen but with a long start up of 37 frames and a long duration in general ermac can teleport on this, so its not likely Nightwolf should be shooting a lot of arrows. If Nightwolf uses a Lightning from full screen do not ground teleport this, instead do an air teleport or just jump it on reaction. If you jump it at certain ranges you will get a full combo punish on Nightwolf. HIs ex-lightning is fast so be careful for it, it also launches into a combo.

Mid screen: Generally this is where most of the game will be played. Not much is going on full screen and close up they generally have the same problems. Try not to dash too much in mid screen. Dashing and d3 under arrows and dash blocking in general stops you from punishing shoulder. If you dash backwards or forwards and hold down(without blocking), you are placed in an akward crouching animation for a few frames in which shoulder will actually hit you. If you are dashing and d3'ing mid screen, when NW does a shoulder you will simply hit his shoulder with d3 instead of full combo punish. Dash blocking allows Nw to hit you on block with shoulder where you also miss a full combo punish. It's better to just walk around and space yourself. Tkp gets punished at mid screen, so use it to punish movement and whiff punish, dont check NW with it.Iafb works great outside sweep range and inside, NW cant do much about it, just try not to do too many consecutive ones as a well spaced shoulder will beat it out. NW can use b2, b1, f2 and f3 in this range. F2 will whiff on crouch, and crouch block. B2 and b1 will hit ermac crouch or crouch block, but both are slow moves. B2 is 19 frames start up and b1 is 22. Although they will hit you, you can interupt them with d3. D3 lowers your hitbox to avoid the normals, and it is significantly faster. F3 will hit you and it is only 11 start up frames so dont try to contest this with a d3. The NW player can check you with Ex Shoulder because you are crouching low a lot to bait shoulders. Just make sure to block these

Up close : The mix up with f3 is either just doing the first hit into a mix up( Such as f3 stop grab, f3 into another f3. Think of it like cage f3), or doing the entire string which is f312 and 0 on block. If you are playing a nw who likes to stop at f3 into mix ups, know that f3 is -4 on block. Now because of the slow start up on most of NW normals, you can actually do a blockstring of your own after each f3 and beat out his next follow up. If you want to do a standing 1 after he does a f3, your standing 1 will come out at 6 frames instead of 10. Your 31 will come out on frame 8. So performing a blockstring of your own is much better then just doing a d1 or d3 to stop NW during his F3 pressure. His fastest normal is standing 1 at 9 frames, and you will still beat this out with a standing 1 or 3 of your own. NW can also do a f3 and just stop there into a crouch block if he suspects you are just going to do a d1/d3. He can use this to set up counter pokes, which is another good reason to do a block string instead. Remember that after F3 he is not completely punishable, so a d1 or d3 wont really do a ll that much. You are performing a blockstring for much better pressure instead and only when you suspect this player of doing f3 mix ups. If the NW player instead likes to go for the entire string just know that he can cancel into a special after f31. Other then that, if he finishes an entire block string know that most of them are really negative. Most block strings will be finished with either a axe swing or a shoulder to make them safe. If NW uses b221 or 1221 this creates a lot of pushback on block and sets up for whiff punishes for NW. React to how the NW player likes to play at this range and if he likes shoulders after the pushback block strings just crouch and punish. His d1 is always negative on hit, -5 standing and -7 on crouch hit so never respect his d1 on block or hit you can poke back or start a block string.

Solution: Most of the match up is taking place mid screen. Don't check Nw with TKP, he can punish this. Instead just react to what the NW player does. Provoke him to use shoulders and punish them. If the NW suspects you of baiting shoulders, watch out for jump ins, ex shoulder and lighting.Punish his advancing normals with d3. Up close adapt to how the Nw player likes to play. If it is all mix ups, just attack in between f3. If he likes using block strings with push back, adapt to that and punish shoulders after these strings as well. If you are beating out his shoulders after these set ups, treat his other follow ups as you would spacing out mid screen since this is essentially what these strings are doing, placing both characters sweep range.






Full screen: Quan Chi's fast projectile has a very good recovery so tp's are to be done only when a projectile is anticipated. Dash d3 works really well here. Also you can heavily punish QC's sky drop if he attempts to close the distance between you and himself, by dashing forward or backwards.
Mid screen: Quan Chi struggles very much against Ermac when in mid screen. Runes are not fast enough vs Ermac's TKP and in general his TKP beats everything he does on reaction. Sky drop is useless, simply because, he grabs QC from inside the ground. Blocked trances can be punished by full combo with dashing and then lift. What was said for Sky drop when in full screen applies for mid screen as well.
Up close: Ermac's normals are faster than anything QC has. Take advantage of that. When in sweep range iAB works wonders against anything he has. Attempted F12's QC does to close the distance, can be interrupted with d3's or even 12 lift for a full combo. Also Ermac's superior down pokes pretty much win for him the close up game. Since he has a low hit box go for B114 or B1 throw mix ups. Just be careful of uppercuts.
Solutions: Make QC use breaker. Without meter he is not a threat at all against Ermac. When a jp is successful use Ermac's most damaging combos to force QC to break. If he doesnt 56% of his life is gone, he is throw full screen again, and Ermac has the TKP and projectile war advantage. If you trap him in the corner, keep him there. The only way he can escape is by dash blocking and when he comes at sweep range he has to be extra careful of what he does and that can give Ermac the edge he needs to continue pressuring him.






Advanced Strategies and Tech



Ermac's vortex - After a Slight Charged B2 hits, it can be linked into a teleport, which will hit and allows for a Jump in Punch. This can be repeated. You can then go for a full charge and combo into it.



Teleport In the corner, that keeps opponent in the corner - When performed close enough to the corner, a teleport will work like it did in the UMK3 Days. It will come from the same side you are standing on. This can be used to keep your opponent in the corner while still taking decent damage.
Corner Reset - Ermac does have a standing reset, but only in the corner. At the right height and gravity it seems, if you perform a B2B1 and time a D3 you will pick them back up. You will be -1, however it is the element of surprise that is on your side with this tech.
The following video showcases, both the teleport in the corner, along with the reset.



The Bermuda Triangle - While you can do the teleport in the corner in the video above, there is another alternative to using teleports in the corner and going on the opposite side of the opponent. To do this, after the TKS perform a jump and it will automatically place you on the other side. You WILL need to buffer your teleport in the other direction since you have switched sides.



The red storms reset - Another option you have when you are coming close to the corner. Use B12F1 to take them the rest of the way. The reason why there is a JIP after the teleport is for more damage and it easily make more B12F1's( x2) possible followed up by a F4 to reset the opponent. Putting the dummy on "jump" they still get hit with the grab as long as it is precisely timed.




Tutorials

This following video showcases how to land ermac's double teleport combos.

 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.