Who does Scorpion lose to?

[LawAbidingCitizen]

Erron Black is a good counter to Scorpion. Erron bullies him up close with better pokes and dominate buttons. (B+2).

Scud Shot eliminates Spear and his Spear can be punished by F+4 from most ranges which also sets up a devastating F+4 crushing blow on oki.

Basically Scorpion will try to run away from Erron, but he will eventually have to come in and fight which is where the MU is tough for him.

How do you feel about Shang (Warlock) vs Scorpion (Reborn).
Is It in Scorpions favor, Even or in Shang's favor?

I would really like your opinion on this matchup, it is definitely one I struggle with quite often as a Shang main.

 

[4x4lo8o]

Use Jade.

Yup, that's who I was trying to main

 

[LawAbidingCitizen]

In my experience I believe it really depends on how good the Scorpion's footsie is. Scorpion that can space themselves perfectly through the entire match absolutely destroys most characters: Zoners(Shang), Rushdown (Jacqui), Footsie(Johnny/Kitana).
But a Scorpion who doesn't have the best Footsie and slips up on proper spacing can be hard countries by almost anyone on the roster in the right hands.
I have a hard time excepting any matchup as a bad MU because there is always a way to adapt to your opponent (Tech, switching gears etc) and make it even.
For a matchup to be Bad it has to be completely one sided in every way(nearly every strength and tool is useless in the MU) in MK11 this is basically nonexistent aside from a few exceptions.
What I encounter more are what i'd call Hard MU's not Bad MU's.
For example:
Jacqui has better damage, pressure, mix and oki than Shang and can pretty much dominate once in close and Shang likes to play keepaway but she can force him to deal with close up skirmishes very often but if Shang Spaces correctly he can keep her out of her B2/BF2 range and effectively zone her out and when she does get in he does have some excellent get off tools that can create guess (B3xxDB1/B3D4/B3U4xxDB1/D4/112)

I honestly feel the Scorpion matchup is in Scorps favor because he has better tools almost everywhere and Shang's zoning is practically nonexistent in that matchup but I asked for a pro opinion above because I realize there may be a different way to deal with the matchup than I have tried.

I made it to God Tier with only Shang used on Kombat League. I did this because I wanted to learn the matchups and find ways to deal with them no matter the odds. In a FT2 environment I don't feel its wise to counterpick after a loss since your opponent can counterpick right back for the win and you don't have any wiggle room to download your opponent in a sufficient way. So I just stick with my main and adapt to the best of my ability, along with labbing the matchup I've had more success than switching characters.

 

[Juggs]

I got less trouble vs Liu Kang as Reborn but it's still hard.

Sonya, Baraka, Jacqui, Erron Black and Sub Zero are the worst for me.
Honorable mentions go to Cassie and Jax.

I don't think the Sub Zero matchup is hard for Scorpion though, just for me as I'm unable to block the overhead on reaction. Also I'd probably do a ton better against Erron if I had the fuzzy guard on deck.

Yeah I think another thing is that people are assuming the MU is Reborn Scorpion. Searing Rage is used a lot and the MU’s are definitely different compared to Reborn. It’s not like characters like Jacqui where one variation is used 99% of the time.

 

[Hor_PeT]

Yeah I think another thing is that people are assuming the MU is Reborn Scorpion. Searing Rage is used a lot and the MU’s are definitely different compared to Reborn. It’s not like characters like Jacqui where one variation is used 99% of the time.

In MK11 people usually forget about the variation system as most of the characters have 1 competitive variations.

Can you tell me match ups where Searing Rage is better than Reborn?
I can hardly find any where there is an obvious favor for Searing Rage over Reborn.

Especially against the difficult match ups where it could matter.

I still like Searing Rage more than Reborn with the current properties (or any "vanilla Scorpion" over Reborn) but I am waiting for a balance patch where I can use a balanced tele cancel as well.
SR tools might not add too much to the character in certain situations. Even 1-2 cancel / match can add more than SR tools.
But I do not underestimate the fear factor of F32, extra damage and pressure possibility with 21 2+4 and burning spear when I could just watch the opponent from full screen. And DS can be really helpful too to close the rounds. Small things can add up.

Reborn on the other hand can manage the neutral situations better even without tele cancel mixup.
Where SR needs to take risks Reborn does not really (e.g. B2/F3 xx tele cancels) which is huge. Not mentioning positioning (away cancel, normal cancel on whiff punish read but safer than regular tele - now not just safe but mixup lol).
That's a good variation - he does not even need that crazy recovery to be superior.
He is much closer to my playstyle than SR but I just can not resist pulling "free wins" with few offensive cancels in intense moments (same as MKX but in MKX it was more fair) which ruins my satisfaction lol. And I play for fun.

 

[OutworldKeith]

Yup, that's who I was trying to main

I play Scorpion, Jade, & Liu Kang.

That’s just a bad MU for Jade. He shuts her down completely. Even against SR it’s a hard MU.

 

[craftycheese]

any tips how to fight scorpion as sub zero ? variation with ex freeze and shoulder

So I don't remember a lot of the strings/or special I do this to, but I believe it's the twirling spear shit. I block it and do shoulder to punish. I have no idea, or really check, if it's a real punish or if the scorpions always try to push buttons after I block it.

Another thing you can do is if you notice that the scorpion does spear or you can read that he is going to spear, you can ex ice ball to destroy the spear and freeze him.

If you ever get him in the corner or knock him down up close, ive found that you can hit or grab him out of the teleport attempts he would do on wake up, so I would keep that in mind.

Other than that, he's going to teleport, but you should be able to kinda feel when he is or try to bait it out. And more often than not, if they had meter, thell enhance it. Block it and punish with 1,2 iceball combo starter.

Scorpion is like Ken in SF. No matter how good the Ken, he's going to dp, whether he should or not. You just have to make him pay when shouldn't have dp'd

 

[GLoRToR]

The mid range control isn’t as effective with characters with good mids to counterpoke with.

Which is why it's a hard matchup.
You have to win the neutral.
But not having instant upper hand doesn't immediately mean the matchup is bad, man.

Jacqui for example can dominate him once she blocks anything from him. You can’t run away all day. He ain’t Cetrion lol.

You don't need five different projectiles to play a ranged neutral.
You underestimate how hard Scorpion punishes short range if you think he loses to Jacqui.
Half his gameplan is moving out of range and blowing up characters like Jacqui. The other half is making them commit to scenarios he can blow up.
Jacqui is typically the kind of character that rewards aggressive play and punishes poor movement. For the longest time, I thought Jade lost to her, then I started to backdash b2xxExglaive and it was suddenly a game of "stop pressing buttons or I'll press buttons too".

 

[Hor_PeT]

Which is why it's a hard matchup.
You have to win the neutral.
But not having instant upper hand doesn't immediately mean the matchup is bad, man.


You don't need five different projectiles to play a ranged neutral.
You underestimate how hard Scorpion punishes short range if you think he loses to Jacqui.
Half his gameplan is moving out of range and blowing up characters like Jacqui. The other half is making them commit to scenarios he can blow up.
Jacqui is typically the kind of character that rewards aggressive play and punishes poor movement. For the longest time, I thought Jade lost to her, then I started to backdash b2xxExglaive and it was suddenly a game of "stop pressing buttons or I'll press buttons too".

Please let me know if you bought the game in PS and we can play.
I will even try to play with Cassie but meh I hate chasing people - especially Jade.

I played a Jade recently with Scorpion and it was close (it was Kasual but he left after 2 games when I wanted to switch to Cassie). She is definitely not free even with Scorpion to me at least.

 

[Eh SnOwY]

Play geras

fast d1 punish teles for 40%

 

[OutworldKeith]

Which is why it's a hard matchup.
You have to win the neutral.
But not having instant upper hand doesn't immediately mean the matchup is bad, man.


You don't need five different projectiles to play a ranged neutral.
You underestimate how hard Scorpion punishes short range if you think he loses to Jacqui.
Half his gameplan is moving out of range and blowing up characters like Jacqui. The other half is making them commit to scenarios he can blow up.
Jacqui is typically the kind of character that rewards aggressive play and punishes poor movement. For the longest time, I thought Jade lost to her, then I started to backdash b2xxExglaive and it was suddenly a game of "stop pressing buttons or I'll press buttons too".

Jade has way better tools to keep Jacqui out. Not really a good comparison. You know how you she still dominates Jade on the inside? She does the same to Scorpion, except he doesn’t zoning tools to play keep away. That hit and run styles doesn’t work well against Jacqui because she’s too good up close.

In the mid range it’s a stalemate. Neither has advantage. The problem is he has to get in her face to get damage, & that’s where where she dominates. His best option up close is d4. You cannot shimmy her in most cases. She takes away all of his best moves. She hits just as hard as him if not harder.

She clearly has the advantage vs Scorpion.

 

[AbeW]

This washed up scorpion is hard to deal with eh? I guess you've never fought hellfire scorpions in MKX. A grand load of scrublords talking about scorpion troubles on a scrubby game way too many times.

 

[GLoRToR]

Please let me know if you bought the game in PS and we can play.
I will even try to play with Cassie but meh I hate chasing people - especially Jade.

I played a Jade recently with Scorpion and it was close (it was Kasual but he left after 2 games when I wanted to switch to Cassie). She is definitely not free even with Scorpion to me at least.

I will never own a ps I'm afraid.

 

[GLoRToR]

Jade has way better tools to keep Jacqui out. Not really a good comparison. You know how you she still dominates Jade on the inside? She does the same to Scorpion, except he doesn’t zoning tools to play keep away. That hit and run styles doesn’t work well against Jacqui because she’s too good up close.

In the mid range it’s a stalemate. Neither has advantage. The problem is he has to get in her face to get damage, & that’s where where she dominates. His best option up close is d4. You cannot shimmy her in most cases. She takes away all of his best moves. She hits just as hard as him if not harder.

She clearly has the advantage vs Scorpion.

Look, everyone's best option is D4 when a rushdown character is in your face and you're a zoner. His D4 is +19 on hit.

 

[Moms4lif3]

I use Thin Ice mostly at the moment and I feel like he is a really solid pick against scorpion, especially the usual online scorpion. Reasons are:

Slide punishes spear at a lot of ranges
Good answers for his pokes
B1 solid neutral tool against Scorpion footsies
B2 for max range jump kicks
Ice ball can keep them from jumping around (u need to use it sparingly tho, good scorpions can actually react)
12 and 21 have 8 frame startup so they are reliable punishes, and 21 can be hitconfirmed pretty easily if you’re not sure if u hit the punish window

Basically you can play pretty safe against scorpion, unless the scorpion player is very patient too it is a fairly even matchup I feel.

Most online scorpions aren’t patient tho. Ggs.

 

[Moms4lif3]

Thin ice is better just for the slide. They'll respect it and restrain themselves. Plus, you need it to counter their spear.
Block their teleports too and have fun with their mental shutdown.

Yup, spear is a free punish from like 50-60% of the screen. I love when scorpions throw random spears at me <3

 

[OutworldKeith]

Look, everyone's best option is D4 when a rushdown character is in your face and you're a zoner. His D4 is +19 on hit.

Doesn’t matter that’s is not +19. You’re theory fighting. I’m speaking from XP.

 

[GLoRToR]

Doesn’t matter that’s is not +19. You’re theory fighting. I’m speaking from XP.

Okay.

 

[ZeroSymbolic]

The quick and easy answer to the OP: Scorpion loses to his own bad decisions.

 

[Bruno-NeoSpace]

Why would LK be zoning? Lol

He can’t really use spear, Fly kick punishes on block. He can’t run away from LK all day. At some point he has to come in to try and get damage.

Why would he zone? 50% of the game plan of Liu Kang is zoning. Kang shines at long range and short range. U take off the long range and now he gotta play the mid and short range. Scorpion is as good as Kang in the short range and he is a BEAST in the mid range.

Just because you can't spam Spears in that MU doesn't mean it's 5-5 or Kang wins. You gotta use your spear at fullscreen so flying kick can't punish you.

Please, don't tell you're trying to play the hit and run game in that MU.... Lmaaaoooo

 

[trufenix]

Scorpion is free to the block button. Is anything safe?

 

[skahwt]

It’s been stated already, but Baraka is your man. I don’t think Baraka wins the matchup but his damage will make Scorp hesitant after a couple 40% punishes. Use the 122 Krushing Blow to make a statement. Baraka’s also a good pick up and play character.

 

[Tanya-Fan-28]

7/10 my Cetrion if they don't use Reborn

 

[OutworldKeith]

Why would he zone? 50% of the game plan of Liu Kang is zoning. Kang shines at long range and short range. U take off the long range and now he gotta play the mid and short range. Scorpion is as good as Kang in the short range and he is a BEAST in the mid range.

Just because you can't spam Spears in that MU doesn't mean it's 5-5 or Kang wins. You gotta use your spear at fullscreen so flying kick can't punish you.

Please, don't tell you're trying to play the hit and run game in that MU.... Lmaaaoooo

I play LK...50% of his plan isn’t zoning. It’s get in, pressure with staggers and tick throws.

He has to get in LK face for damage and that’s where he beats him. In some cases you can space him really well, but as long as he isn’t reckless he’s good. Scorpion isn’t good as LK up close. Do you even play this game?

 

[xKMMx]

Who does he lose to ? Me 10 out of 10 times