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Guide - Kotal Kahn The post-patch B1 metagame

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
This patch gave a huge buff to Kotal's pressure with B1.

Here's how.

BASICS OF B1

Previously, you had 114 air throw which is +4 on block.

B1 was a 10f "special" high in that a lot of crouching hitboxes and moves made it whiff. It was effectively 6f and would trade with a perfectly timed 6f normal.

DEALING WITH B1

Now, B1 is a 9f true mid and character who used to low profile it no longer can, nor can you trade with it if you time your 6f normal just right.

This means that after 114 air throw you cannot use a normal to escape the B1.

What about backdashes? I have tested the entire cast bar DLC and have found out that certain characters cannot do a reversal backdash without getting hit by B1 while others can but will be hit by B12. The characters that escape the B1 followup are none.

Those with long backdashes get hit by 2, everyone else by B1.

ARMOURING THROUGH THE B1 STRING FAMILY

Naturally, that means your only other option besides blocking is to armour through.

Why would you armour through? What does Kotal get from doing B1? All variations get to do Sunstone into 114 air throw off of any part of the string which does considerable chip ( 11%+ ) damage and builds a good amount of meter back, allowing it to loop up to 5 times if you don't stop it.

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE METER TO ARMOUR THROUGH

You should armour on reaction to the sunstone. But, if you don't have meter you are forced to interrupt with a very fast normal, the timing is difficult and you may get hit as well as reap barely any reward. If you fail, that's 15% damage you got hit by.

Sun god makes this B1 mixup all the more deadly since he can tick throw after 1, 114 air throw, in between, after B1 etc. His variation is the only one where he forces you to commit to an armour read without giving you a react prompt.

WHAT IF I AM METERLESS AND HAVE NO FAST MOVE OR DON'T WANT TO RISK GETTING HIT BY SUNSTONE?



Expect to get chipped a ton until Kotal runs out of meter. A ton. Over 40%.


CONCLUSION

If you want to escape the B1 string after you block a 114 air throw, you must exclusively armour. If you want to escape the sunstone mixups you must armour or poke them on reaction.

The B1 buff helped Kotal pin down his opponents and force them to respect B1, now he can do a throw, a tick throw, a sword mixup or more. Sun god should be a pure mindfuck with sun choke, War god should be playing tricks with his swords and Blood god should be scaring you with 114 crystal totem into a throw/oh/low.

@Hidan
@Pnut

@Mr Aquaman
@KeyserSoze
@UltraDavid
@RYX
@LeeVanDam
@mkl
@jeffreywolf
@BiPolarExxpress
 
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MsMiharo

Kuff Bano
Using f12 as a safe followup is something to keep in mind. Also vs some characters soul scourge and he new move are safe after certain strings (mostly 114) meaning you can 114 charge and punish their armor attempt or just go for pressure.
 

jozuvloke

Apprentice
I'm gonna 144 air throw the fuck outta everyone now! Lol 114 air throw low poke air throw, then whatever I want! Hahaha!
Pray for the khan's mercy!
 
I don't actually play the game, getting back to it with this patch. I own a XB1 but I only play offline since the netcode is horrible and I need to wait 20 mins per match on a loading screen.
Damn, I wish I had an offline scene this netcode is wack sauce
 

mattnin

Mortal
I don't actually play the game, getting back to it with this patch. I own a XB1 but I only play offline since the netcode is horrible and I need to wait 20 mins per match on a loading screen.
Yea I agree the netcode is balls! but I bet there are a lot of people here who would watch you stream even if you're just working in the lab figuring stuff out!
 

Pnut

Mouth of the Illuminati
Can Kotal OS his B1/CG with B12? I'm trying it and it doesn't seem to work. Way harder than the F1b2 OS.
 

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
Can Kotal OS his B1/CG with B12? I'm trying it and it doesn't seem to work. Way harder than the F1b2 OS.
OS have been removed. But you can hitconfirm B1 itself, it's just difficult to get used to but the cancel window is huge.
 

Pnut

Mouth of the Illuminati
OS have been removed. But you can hitconfirm B1 itself, it's just difficult to get used to but the cancel window is huge.
Paulo said all but the CG's ... maybe kotal's was removed as well because he could do it "technically" in War God ... oh well.
 

Qwark28

Joker waiting room
Paulo said all but the CG's ... maybe kotal's was removed as well because he could do it "technically" in War God ... oh well.
CG one was on hit/block and the example he gave was pokes into command throw, I assume he meant d1 on hit not going into command throw.
 

mattnin

Mortal
This thread highlights Kotal's best buff of this patch in my opinion. The b1 poke is faster and the hitbox of the b12 is noticeably bigger.

What is the best way to practice this b1 metagame? I tried going to the lab with BG Kotal and Reptile and set reptile to a slide reversal and I could only continue b1 after the 114df1 maybe only once out of every ten attempts. While I could blow up reptiles slide, the timing was VERY strict. Does anyone have any tips at all how practice this? I'm a noob in the lab :/
 

Braindead

I want Kronika to step on my face
This is all fun and dandy until you play against a female and your 114 whiffs completely over the crouch blocking opponent...


They gotta fix that shit reeeeally soon.
 
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