Breakthrough Was Jax really that bad?

[Insuperable]

Throughout MK9's history, Jax has been to the top and the bottom of the tier list. From bottom 5, to top 5 after buffs, to an oblivion.

What says you, TYM?

I personally believe he's top 10.

Low 8 frame starter:
Amazing for counterpokes
Can be canceled into either a grab to high hitbox characters or ex overhead against any low trying to punish
Infinite in the corner only broken by human error and breaker
30%+ unbreakable damage midscreen and corner
He has purple pants

 

[xInfra Deadx]

 

[Zyphox]

Jax is bane tier dawg, or is bane jax tier.......dawg?

 

[HGTV Soapboxfan]

 

[Gesture Required Ahead]

He's k.

 

[GamerBlake90]

My personal history with Jax - including Tyrant's Jax - answers your question with a resounding, "Hell no."

That match, in addition to one other from FR 16, left me feeling emo for God knows how fucking long.

You should also mention that the ability to dash-cancel ground pounds can cause players to question themselves when approaching Jax.

 

[STB Shujinkydink]

I can only beat him with quan and freddy. hes very balanced imo but not top 5

 

[CrimsonShadow]

Jax had holes and issues that are abusable by a lot of the cast.. When you're playing against someone who plays one of those characters and knows what to do, you are reduced to using about 7% of your moveset midscreen. F4 is great, but it also whiffs on any move with a hitbox that leaves the ground.

A bad character? Not at all. But it takes a beast of a player to be able to use this character and hang with players of top characters that know the MU.

 

[CD jr]

top 15 at best.

 

[NurzBenny]

My main, how I miss him so. A dirty character in a game that over time got filthier and filthier. From "a perfect character" as @Tom Brady once called him to, merely really good in a cast full of some great (dumb/broken?) characters.---EDIT---Does anyone remember which match vid it was where Tom was doing commentary and kept going on and on about how Jax was actually perfect and couldn't be out zoned, out rushed down etc . . . thats what actually made me pick him up

 

[Insuperable]

top 15 at best.

We have reached an in-between . I'll take it!

 

[Mikemetroid]

definitely top 15, you're a fool to think otherwise.

 

[xKhaoTik]

Who thought he was bad? He's probably top 10. Definitely top 15.

 

[CD jr]

My main, how I miss him so. A dirty character in a game that over time got filthier and filthier. From "a perfect character" as @Tom Brady once called him to, merely really good in a cast full of some great (dumb/broken?) characters.---EDIT---Does anyone remember which match vid it was where Tom was doing commentary and kept going on and on about how Jax was actually perfect and couldn't be out zoned, out rushed down etc . . . thats what actually made me pick him up

what a fool that man was. i knew about jax holes since the beginning people just didnt wanna hit the lab back then

 

[CD jr]

Who thought he was bad? He's probably top 10. Definitely top 15.

no way in this reality is jax top 10

 

[xKhaoTik]

no way in this reality is jax top 10

You may be right. You understand him better than all of us. What's stopping him?

 

[CD jr]

characters better than jax. kabal kenshi, sonya, cyrax, freddy, cage, lao, kitana, skarlet, smoke. characters equal to jax are kang reptile shang quan sektor maybe ermac

 

[CD jr]

with that being said if best string didnt whiff on low hitbox characters and stages were all the same size as the pit jax wouldve been EASILY top 3 or probably the best in the game. funny how 2 little things like that can make such a difference. why we talking about mk? whens injustice?

 

[NurzBenny]

what a fool that man was. i knew about jax holes since the beginning people just didnt wanna hit the lab back then

hyperbole was at an all time high. But after the buffs Jax did look meeeaaan

 

[CD jr]

they shouldve made f3 combo into gotcha grab

 

[zaf]

they shouldve made f3 combo into gotcha grab

i love that you post when it is about jax or rain XD <3manny

 

[Insuperable]

with that being said if best string didnt whiff on low hitbox characters and stages were all the same size as the pit jax wouldve been EASILY top 3 or probably the best in the game. funny how 2 little things like that can make such a difference. why we talking about mk? whens injustice?

Stopp. You love Mortal Kombat

 

[THTB]

I don't see how he'd even be top 10, but top 15 definitely. Like CDjr said, his best string whiffing on characters can really limit him vs certain characters. Not to mention, his bigger damage options midscreen can be situational/read-heavy at times, or come from major punish windows. In a game where characters are converting at least 11f stuff into 30-40%, that's going to be an issue.

 

[ColeTrain]

Jax is a beast hands down. Better zoners and low hitbox characters exploit him yes, but those videos you guys posted are proof that with dedication and luck you ca win

 

[STRYKIE]

After his frame data was posted and people were able to break down where his holes are, I don't see the bells and whistles of his up-close game anymore. And I don't just say that as a Sektor player, my opinion wasn't much different if I used Kenshi or Scorpion against him either.

That all said, it seems there's always gonna be people that cling onto "F413 has random advantage, his wave is the fastest recovering projectile in the game" etc. Both of which were literally debunked years ago.

I don't think he was overrated per se, but perhaps misunderstood/misused as the game evolved. Rushdown-Jax is almost as antiquated as the notion that he beats Kabal.