My hot take: Breh, zoning is ASS in Mortal Kombat 1. Who are the anti-zoning zealots who developed and tested this game?
Comments on the characters (as of 11/12)...
Ashrah – mid-range Goddess and most likely the best character on this list. I honestly have nothing witty to say that you have not read or seen about this character already. Ashrah is ideally paired with Sareena to maximize damage output on combos, enable certain conversions, and gain access to full-screen projectiles, which she lacks in light stance. Dark stance is somewhat unexplored and underutilized so there may be further potential to this character.
Liu Kang – the character with the most intuitive and best traditional zoning on this list. The high and low projectiles combined with the low hat result in some effective zoning. However, the real reason that most tournament players place Liu very high on tier lists is because he is as good up close as he is from far away. He has some strong strings and a back throw that launches when you choose Kung Lao as your kameo, which you always should, so the strike / throw mix is one of the best in the game.
Rain – the "premier zoning character" meme lives on. I like Rain with Sub Zero, who complements Rain's zoning, combos, and set play. Unfortunately, Rain's base zoning toolkit is substandard. While Rain God and water stream are serviceable, water stream and water bubble leave more to be desired. In a post Cyrax meta that has affected every aspect of Rain's offense and defense, I believe that this character is worthy of some meaningful buffs, exclusively to water stream and water bubble in order to remain true to the intended "premier zoning character" design.
Reiko – you have to make a decision with Reiko. The dilemma is choosing zoning over damage, in which case Reiko/Kung Lao or Reiko/Stryker is your team, or choosing damage over zoning, in which case Reiko/Darrius is your team. Top tier characters like Ashrah and Liu Kang do not have to choose one over the other. They offer the complete package with their best kameo. Besides, results have indicated that Reiko/Darrius is the best team, which I consider more of a command grab archetype rather than a zoning one.
Shang Tsung – in theory, most of Shang’s match ups, even the hardest ones, should be around 5:5 because of morphing, which is better than ever in this game. In practice, however, I am not convinced that such is the case. I think Shang is very difficult to use because of morphing and constant stance switching. Some of his conversions are also complicated as a ground skull can bounce your opponent toward or away from you, depending where and how exactly the move hits. Speaking of bouncing, I have seen tier lists in which he is placed top 10, but I have also seen tier lists in which he is placed bottom 10. I suppose the jury is still out on this subject. One thing is certain, though. Shang is most definitely a zoning character, with some of the highest meter-less damage in the game.
Sindel – my least familiar character on this list. She seems like a lesser Liu Kang in the sense that she has a slower high and low projectile, inferior strings that are not auto-shimmies, and no additional perks like a launching back throw or exceptional damage output. She does have a solid instant aerial projectile, though. Outside of the infinite combos that keep getting discovered and patched, she seems average to me. A couple of talented players, notably Koisy and Ludi, are placing consistently with Sindel.
