You Got CAGED! - The Johnny Cage Matchup Thread

[FatalTragedy]

I got destroyed by probably the first good Reptile I've ever played online. I see what all the fuss is. I was able to punished two blocked elbows, but my rushgame got shutdown each and every time. I fear for the elbow so I get thrown instead. Good player but fucking annoying.

 

[NariTuba]

my 2 cents on the Sektor match-up

5-5 Sektor

A blocked flamethrower is punishable by flashkick. Dash block in and buffer the b,f inputs, release block and hit 4. You should be able to hit them b4 they recover.

Put a forceball on the screen after a knockdown to force them to block allowing you to get closer.

If JC corners Sektor he can stuff all his wakeups with pokes. If Sektor realizes this he will attempt to counter poke and then jump out or straight up jump out in between strings. Be ready to backdash uppercut, or AA d1 if he crosses you over into combo with nut punch finisher to put them back in the corner.

 

[FatalTragedy]

Who do you guys feel JC loses to?

I have the biggest headache right now with Reptile and Kitana. Good Liu Kang player will dominate me, but that's just my piss-poor playing.

 

[Mikemetroid]

Who do you guys feel JC loses to?

Online: Reptile, Kabal, Kano, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, Kitana
Offline: Reptile, Kabal, Sub-Zero.

 

[Asodimazze]

Who do you guys feel JC loses to?

Cyber-Sub - Kitana - Sub-Zero - Noob - Reptile - Skarlet

 

[leek]

Cyber-Sub - Kitana - Sub-Zero - Noob - Reptile - Skarlet

I don't really feel this as being in favor of noob.

On paper it seems that way, but sparring and probably doing 250+ matches against a buddy of mine just showed that all you really have to do is Dashblock~crouch in to avoid clones and try to get the first hit, as all noob can really do with it is break.

Get in, and on wakeup block low to avoid upknee and teleports. If you can read the teleport well enough, obviously block high for a punish.

 

[Asodimazze]

I don't really feel this as being in favor of noob.

On paper it seems that way, but sparring and probably doing 250+ matches against a buddy of mine just showed that all you really have to do is Dashblock~crouch in to avoid clones and try to get the first hit, as all noob can really do with it is break.

Get in, and on wakeup block low to avoid upknee and teleports. If you can read the teleport well enough, obviously block high for a punish.

Thanks, for the tips
Do you think the matchup is in JC's favour?
I have played a lot of matches against various Noob players and managed to win very often: I know how to fight him, but I also "feel" that Noob has the weapons to block/prevent Cage's rushdown if used properly....but maybe it's just a sensation of mine.
I think that almost no one of the Noob players I fought or seen in the tournament videos is able to use him at his full potential.

 

[BeefyLevinson]

Who do you guys feel JC loses to?

I would add Kenshi to the list. It's really tough for me to get in on Kenshi if he knows what he's doing, but I don't know if that speaks more to it being a bad matchup for Johnny or me being scrubby

 

[salvificblood]

After being completely demolished by Foxy Grampa's Cage, all I can say is Johnny Cage must make all his matchups 8-2 once he gets in because Foxy's Cage seems to turn people into walking punchbags, lmao.

How do you guys interrupt Cage once he gets in because I have no idea at the moment. I try to get out with fast pokes or by jumping over and just get hit and then go back to blocking like a complete idiot...

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

After being completely demolished by Foxy Grampa's Cage, all I can say is Johnny Cage must make all his matchups 8-2 once he gets in because Foxy's Cage seems to turn people into walking punchbags, lmao.

How do you guys interrupt Cage once he gets in because I have no idea at the moment. I try to get out with fast pokes or by jumping over and just get hit and then go back to blocking like a complete idiot...

Its totally dependent on the player if you get to poke or jump

Cages 11 stops jumps and f3 stops pokes, its all about timing moves to stop the opponents counters or attempts to escape.

 

[RWDY Nori]

I watched JOP vs Chris G in Evo top 8 about 10 times already, and I just don't see why Reptile beats him still. Is it fear of the elbow? Maybe you guys who have been maining JC longer can educate me

 

[EGP Awesomo]

Watch JOP vs ChrisG again and youll notice he never does F3, 3 EX-Fb. And thats because of reptiles stooooopid hitbox

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

Reptiles hitbox screws up any meter frame traps, makes you rely more on D4 and means that its near enough pointless using F33.

On top of that he has forceballs and acid spit

 

[leek]

Thanks, for the tips
Do you think the matchup is in JC's favour?
I have played a lot of matches against various Noob players and managed to win very often: I know how to fight him, but I also "feel" that Noob has the weapons to block/prevent Cage's rushdown if used properly....but maybe it's just a sensation of mine.
I think that almost no one of the Noob players I fought or seen in the tournament videos is able to use him at his full potential.

I agree with all. I would actually place it at maybe 5-5 or 5.5-4.5 Cage ADV, because if you can keep cage out with extremely well timed clones then it's obviously chip zoning to death(until red shadow), but, if you get in with Cage it's GAME. Noob has almost nothing to stop the rushdown with no armor moves, slow specials, an 8-9 frame jab, and no way of just keeping Cage out forever.

But, I feel like there's someone lurking around the corner in the shadows..waiting to pull out his amazing Noob Saibot combos and crazy mind games, multiplied from what we've seen. So this matchup is really only based on the average noob player(note: not online.).

 

[GNG Iniquity]

Rain

So, I played Pig of the Hut's Rain just a few minutes ago, went about 8-10 rounds with him. Now, my Cage is by no means that great, I'm still working on him; but from what I can gather this is a somewhat difficult matchup for Cage. Geyser kick kept my crossups in check, and when Rain has meter, the EX super kick with armor gets Cage right off with ease into a nice little combo. Now, to be fair, this is the first Rain that I've played that's actually been good, very good at that.

Anyways, let's hear some thoughts on this!

 

[salvificblood]

I have been a dedicated Kabal player since the game was released, and I decided that Johnny Cage would be my second character. I know that there are favorable match-ups like in Kabal's case Kang and Kitana are a hard match-ups for him. But I think Cage has one of the worst match-ups in the game, and it's Sub-Zero. I honestly think its an 8-2 match-up even with the shadow kick buff, mainly due to ice clone. This match-up is comparable to Sagat v Zangief in vanilla SF4.

If anyone has any advice on how to deal with Sub-Zero that would be appreciated.

It's really not. Foxy grampa's Cage and Sonya, to be honest, get by the clone easily. His method is counting to 3 when he sees the clone come out and then attacking. It does work, trust me. Once you get in on Sub-Zero, he has zero "get off me" moves (that might change with ex slide getting armour in the next patch), so it's really difficult for him to get out of pressure.

The matchup is more of a 5-5. It's really patient and depends a lot on who gets the lifelead and I would say Cage has an easier time getting the lifelead because he can ex shadow kick on reaction to an iceball. Sub needs to build meter with clones and iceball to have enough for breaker, too, so it's not really that bad for Cage. Just get a lifelead and make him come to you. What can Sub really do? If he slides randomly it's super risky and if he approaches with 22, your normals are faster so you can jump all over him for any small mistake.

 

[RWDY Nori]

Can't cage use F3, 2?

 

[RWDY Nori]

Rain

So, I played Pig of the Hut's Rain just a few minutes ago, went about 8-10 rounds with him. Now, my Cage is by no means that great, I'm still working on him; but from what I can gather this is a somewhat difficult matchup for Cage. Geyser kick kept my crossups in check, and when Rain has meter, the EX super kick with armor gets Cage right off with ease into a nice little combo. Now, to be fair, this is the first Rain that I've played that's actually been good, very good at that.

Anyways, let's hear some thoughts on this!

Geyser kick is great, but Rain can be beaten. I feel this matchup is 5-5, as Rain has no real ways of keeping Cage out. He has to take risks. Plus Cage's normals are better overall also. W/armor moves (like Raiden's EX Shock, for example) and you see them have meter, start D1/D3 to beat out the armor. It's very annoying, but it does work. I treat this like most of JC's matchups, your pokes have to really be on point


Any advice for Cyrax? I've never fought a good Cyrax and don't really know what to look for. The Cyrax player I play only knows how to do the 70% combos.

 

[Fatality_check]

It's really not. Foxy grampa's Cage and Sonya, to be honest, get by the clone easily. His method is counting to 3 when he sees the clone come out and then attacking. It does work, trust me. Once you get in on Sub-Zero, he has zero "get off me" moves (that might change with ex slide getting armour in the next patch), so it's really difficult for him to get out of pressure.

The matchup is more of a 5-5. It's really patient and depends a lot on who gets the lifelead and I would say Cage has an easier time getting the lifelead because he can ex shadow kick on reaction to an iceball. Sub needs to build meter with clones and iceball to have enough for breaker, too, so it's not really that bad for Cage. Just get a lifelead and make him come to you. What can Sub really do? If he slides randomly it's super risky and if he approaches with 22, your normals are faster so you can jump all over him for any small mistake.

I'll second that. I've faced Foxy a few times and it's pretty tough with sub. As you said, he's not the best with "get off me" moves so when Cage is on you, it's tough. Being patient and careful with your moves is definitely important.

 

[Fenro]

some data ive cathered against playing a competive kano player. if kano is using pressure string to choke/upball, if you sniff out the choke you can use nut punch to counter it because the choke wiffs it and you get a favorable standing.

 

[Name v.5.0]

I know this is an old thread now, but I had to add this in. The matchup against Kitana is more like 3-7. She may be JC's hardest match up. She can zone the hell out of JC, and he can't lock her down what so ever. I occasionally play against a guy who mains Kitana. He's very very good. All he does is back pedal and throw fans and then when I get close he square waves out of trouble and repeats. EX Shadow Kick gets you a little damage, but he will always escape. There's just no beating her. The only way I ever win is if he makes a mistake. That rarely happens. I HATE Kitana.

 

[RWDY Nori]

Yes, I agree Kitana is sort of frustrating for JC as well.

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

To beat Kitana you just have to be patient, sit on the other side of the screen and duck, nutpunch under some fans but not all of them, get the life lead and wait till she has to come to you, try to beat out her D1 with ur F32 once shes in shes pretty much dead, 11 will stop any square wave attempt.

You can punish her iAF too, just duck under it, as shes coming back down to the ground you have enough time to anti air her as well. This obviously only works if she does it close.

Another thing, dont jump. Even if you feel tempted to, dont do it. Unless its a crossover/you're feeling badass enough to jump over some ground fans

 

[RWDY Nori]

I'm prepared to get laughed at for this: How do you beat Quan Chi? I don't understand his strings on what to punish. Do you just sit there and wait for teleport all day? I have to be doing something wrong

 

[Playpal]

From my matches with admiral augustus, quan chi can be deadly. Main strings are B3 1+2, which hits low then overhead. It's very easy to block this string, but it is safe on block. He has another string that starts mid then hits low, you've probably seen it, where the string ends with him smashing a skull to your gut. What you want to do is to block low pretty much all the time, most likely he will connect his strings with mind control which is very punishable. So long as you know his mixups, quan chi becomes very easy.

But there's also the dreaded U4, which hits overhead and can be linked into mind control. If they start using this, be prepared to block high. It's unlikely they'll use this twice in a row because they'll assume you'll be blocking high the second time around. The good thing is that when using U4 it needs to be committed to mind control, there's no hit confirming.

Quan chi's rushdown is inferior to johnny cage's, and he has no "get off me" moves at all. You can snuff out the teleport easily, especially on wakeup where all you need to do is cross over and low poke. Eventually he'll learn that he'll have to poke back or eat JC's ridiculous strings.

Also try not to get caught in the rune trap.