Ask me anything thread.

Critical-Limit

New member
Please limit questions to characters I know a lot about/fight alot.


Characters like that include:

Scorpion
Liu Kang
Kung Lao
Sub-Zero
Ermac
Reptile
Johnny Cage
Jade
Mileena
Cyrax
Noob Saibot
Smoke
Sektor
Sonya
Stryker
Raiden
Kabal
Quan Chi
Skarlet
Rain
Kenshi


You can ask me about other characters too, but info might be limited and response time might be slower because i'd have to educate myself. (which is a win for me and you if I have to research it)


I will also watch a game, or if you play me I will tell you your habits/weaknesses.

And if you want online vs offline advice, I can coordinate that as well. For instance jumping is bad, but it's not as bad online. So my advice might be different depending on the environment we talk about.


I'll make a post about Subzero for YunQ here in a second as an example of what I saw from him.
 
Ames' Scorpion

Punishment:
The first thing you need to get down is punishment. Your combos are lack luster and do very minimal damage. usually only around 20%ish.

You should master these combos for online(offline is different because offline you can do the more precise ones)

B2, Jump kick, Teleport punch. (VERY slight delay) Dash 1,1 Spear, Then jump over Punch, F2, 1, Teleport punch

(This starts the combo with an overhead, and ends with them standing with you getting a FREE attack. whether it's a JiP. or a 50/50. Or pressure or a throw. your choice.)

The low version is:

F4, Spear, Cross-over punch, F2,1 teleport punch.

(Same setup as before but this does alot less damage but keeps the advantage going)

IF you're looking for more damage and a wake up game from F4 use this.

F4, Spear, NJP, Dash B2, Dash Jump kick, Teleport punch, Dash 1,1 Spear. the second spear will make them face plant infront of you. Giving you a possible 50/50. Or you can block if you expect something like raiden superman. Or you can 1,1,1 D1, take down pressure.


you should also know this combo.

2, 1+2, Teleport punch, Dash 1,1 spear. Jump over punch. F2,1 Teleport punch

(Same advantage after telport punch as earlier)

This one has a overhead on the second hit. So once in a while during 1,1,1 pressure, you can do 2, Take down. If you take down alot. They will start blocking low. Then you do 2, 1+2. for that combo.


hitting them out of the air? don't leave it at just airthrow. Unless your scared of them beating you out of the air. cuz airthrow has good priority. If you think someone is gonna jump. Instant jump kick, teleport punch. Dash 1,1, spear, Jump over punch F2,1 teleport punch.


If they jump at you.

In training mode set them to jump. And try D1, Dash D1, teleport punch. Dash 1,1 spear, Jump over punch F2,1 teleport punch.




You also have the option anytime you face plant them or throw them. you can guarantee a EX-hellfire for extra damage because EX-hellfire in these situations prevent them from jumping in time because EX-hellfire hits higher off the ground than regular.



Those are the punishment/combos you should work on. and it's all you really need. You can expand later, but learn those for now.


Pressure/Mix ups:

Ok here are Scorpions pokes.
1 - 0
1,1 - 0
1,1,1 - 0

2 - 0
2,1 - 0

2,1,2 - -21

2,1+2 - -20

3,3,4 - -2

D+1 - -13
D+2 - -1
D+3 - -7

D+4 - 0

F+3 - 0

Takedown - -4



This is on block frame data: If you don't understand it, just know Green means (you guys are on level playing feild) (red means you gotta block after it) Or convert it to take down.


Now look at D1 and D3.

complete and utter shit on block right? (D3 is shit on hit btw) and D1 only gives you +1 on hit.

What you do is when you are hitting someone's block with these moves, and they counter hit you every time?

You convert those pokes into Take down.

So you do D1, Takedown cancel.

or D3, take down cancel.

This will make them scared to poke after pokes. if you keep destroying them with takedowns.

now if they keep blocking. And they block your takedown. then you must block, but your take down is safer on block than D1, and D3. the thing is though. If they SEE takedown, they KNOW they have advantage. D1 and D3 are fast enough, that if they didn't commit to poking back on your blocked poke, it's too late.


So you should mix up the green stuff, and any red stuff you use in that list, occasionally end it with Take down. If it's huge like -20. Use takedown not matter what.

You can use takedown on green stuff also, since the attack is a low. you can make them want to block low alot.

which will open them up to F3, or B2.

F3 is the safe version, and nuetral on block. B2 is unsafe but leads to damage.

When you do 1,1,1.

dont always do all 3. occsionally do only1, or 1,1. because they are waiting for all 3. you can get more chip/meter/possibly open them up. If you're mixing it up.


the -20 stuff I listed there is something you must commit to, and use only when you're really sure they'll fall for it. (After conditioning)


Baiting:
Other ways to anti-air that are safer?

You can always when your at jump distance, Start walking backwards. So when they jump they not only whiff you but you get a year to punish.

did you notice when I would just walk backwards and B2 you out of the air? Unlike doing D1 to anti-air. which has strict timing and half the jump to punish. walk away B2, has the full jump to punish. So it's super easy on reaction. but it requires building distance to do this because if your fighting ermac and he doesn't jump... well you just gave him a chance to start zoning.


After say 1,1,1

intead of jumping over like you normally do.

You can just walk backwards after it. when they whiff with an attack punish with B2, or F4. or walk back and wait for the aerial. If your jumping over me after 1,1,1. And I anti-air you with a aerial attack like jump kick or jump punch(in the air). then you can after 1,1,1 walk back, and hit me out of the sky when I whiff in the air. Or if I don't choose to jump. your still safe and I probably whiffed my poke.


The problem Ames is you rely too much on jump mostly. Jump is a great tool. But you use it TOO much.

I want you to try back dashing/walking backwards when your scorpion (once in a while) instead of only jumping.

you also have to read.

you play your character, but you don't play your opponent.

When I jump kicked you out of the sky 9 times in a row, after a certain string, pay attention to when I do that. And next time NJP after that string you do to me. OR walk backwards.


I got more to add but this is gonna take a while. I'm gonna hit up YunQ in the next post a bit and come back to you.
 
NO problem. And thank you kindly buddy. It's very much appreciated.

so Ames,

Did you read my thread about the ground game?

You need to bait things from me by walking back and forth out of my danger zone. once you bait me to do something. Then use F4 spear or B2. Takedown has great approaching range, so if you bait you can use that too.
 
You don't know shiz about The Red Messiah

actually I do, Someone in my crew uses him all the time.

So I know alot about him. and because I listend to a broadcast with pros, and looked at frame data. I know alot about sektor matchups. That I don't even play. Like my friend Derrick plays cage and Ryan plays Sektor, and I know the Cage vs Sektor matches from watching that shit unfold.

Any good advance strategies for ermac?

yeah I'll get to you after subzero.





I was gonna t ype all this shit yesterday but TRMK went down and wouldn't work.

I'll catch up later today if not tomorrow.
 
How can I get Mileena to perform a fatally on Gamespy? Hell I get fatalitied all the time because of it.... Why not return the favor?
 
What is a good way to deal with Nightwolf players?
Tell me your usual characters.


but you basically have to respect his shoulder wake up. By occasionally naked ducking and punishing his charge.

Once he notices you respect his shoulder charge.

he'll start using lighting.

Jump for that.

the entire annoying part about nightwolf is the shoulder dash.


D4 rapes him. IF you spam that, It makes you ducking and you'll beat his shoulder dash, and give yourself huge advantage. After a successful D4, do your fastest normal following up. Once he's scared of your D4's. He'll start low blocking when you're near him ect ect. And that's when your game opens up.


If you have specific problems explain.

But I can do alot better if you tell me your main.


How can I get Mileena to perform a fatally on Gamespy? Hell I get fatalitied all the time because of it.... Why not return the favor?

Well first you must defeat Gamespy to perform a fatality.

Best way to do that is, to do the paperwork to start a business.

Take out a loan, and compete against Gamespy, with your own bad ass Servers.

thus putting them into bankruptcy.
 
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Anyway, what's a nice strategy to use against Kung Lao with Strikie?
 
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Anyway, what's a nice strategy to use against Kung Lao with Strikie?

Let's be serious here...

you don't really play this game anymore.

I usually use Sektor, or Shang

Ok with Sektor,

When you realize he's spamming shoulder. Since Sektor has a 6 frame combo launcher.

What you gotta do is. Duck his charge w/o blocking.

then the second you confirm he's beside you. Instantly stand and do 1,2,B1 --> combo of choice.

Once you blow up all his shoulder charges with a full combo.

trust me lol he'll stop doing it or lose.


if he does thunder. Jump, and close distance.


don't jump at him much, he has a really quick and good anti-air jab and he can do quite a bit of damage off of it.

Most of his strings are overheads, toward the end. So block low first, then change to high as he attacks.



one of his pressure strings is B3,1,2. Where he like foot stomps you, then belly stabs you with a green dagger. Then uppercuts? What he'll do is just the first couple hits. and not the last one. Since you're waiting for the last hit. He'll get another round of free pressure if you respect 2 too hard. Making the right read on this is on you. As the pattern depends on the opponent.


Respect his wake ups. that shoulder charge gets out of crossup jumps. and beats out your pressure.

go at him like you're going at him hard. Then naked duck just as he's able to doa wake up. to punish it.

Once you think he's scared of your naked duck, then you can pressure him as you like.

don't try to zone him with straight missiles. He can reflect them back at you, or absorb them for HP.
 
Know any good strategies against Noob Saibot and Smoke, using Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Rain and Shang Tsung.
 
Know any good strategies against Noob Saibot and Smoke, using Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Rain and Shang Tsung.

If you're fighting against Noob Saibot as Subzero.

Assuming the Noob knows what he's doing it's gonna be hard to get a trade on him with your iceball. Because noob can bait an iceball. once he blocks one he can shoot a clone and block the next one in time at 2/3rds of the screen.

When you're full screen. Jump over his first clone. Then dash immediately once you land. Then block his 50/50. If you guess wrong, you get pushed back a little bit and have to start over. If you guess this part right. You can either jump over his next clone/slide. But if he thinks you're gonna do that he'll upknee most likely. If you think he's gonna upknee. you can do 1 of 2 things.

throw out an iceball. If he throws out a upknee. You win. You can dash in and D4, him inbetween upknees. And get advantage to start pressure.


another choice he has you have to be weary of.

Sometimes he'll wait for your jump at full screen. Which he can on reaction punish it as long as he isn't comitted to anything. So it becomes a guessing game. If he doesn't throw a clone and walks backwards trying to bait your jump. you can just Dash block in pretty safely. You should catch up faster than he can back up. And you'd want him in the corner anyways.

eventually he's gonna have to throw a projectile if he doesn't think you're gonna jump.


Your X-ray is very useful in this match up. You can use the threat of it. To make him scared to throw projectiles midscreen. Which gives you more chances to get in on him for just having the threat there. If he doesn't respect your X-ray, keep hitting him with it til he does. You meter in this matchup is best used for breakers/X-ray. Noob's combo damage is low mid-screen as long as you know how to avoid portal gimmicks. So it's most ofthe time not worth breaking.

Can you tell me some of your subzero pressure tactics? gimmicks? ect that you use?
 
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