Kzaoo
Active member
MK9 BASICS GUIDE
Notations
-----Ps3---------Xbox---------Universal
1 = square---------x
2= triangle---------y
3= x---------------a
4= circle-----------b
F=--------------------------->forward
D=---------------------------> down
B=---------------------------> back
U=---------------------------> Up
Glossary
JiP= Jump in punch
JiK= Jump in Kick
NjP= Neutral jump punch
NjK= Neutral jump Kick
Anti air= An attack that hits an opponent out of the air eg. Kung Lao’s spin
Armour= Will absorb all attacks, however, if hit during armour you will still take damage. eg. Rain’s ex roundhouse. Can't absorb more than one hit.
Bait= Doing something to cause a reaction from an opponent to punish it.
Block advantage= You can act before the opponent after a blocked move
Blockstring= A string of moves used whilst the opponent is blocking
Breaker= Will let you escape from a combo, uses 2 bars of meter
Buffering= Inputting an attack during the animation of another attack. Not to be confused with cancelling.
Cancelling= Ending one animation prematurely to start another animation eg. Johnny Cage’s f3, 3 nutpunch
Conditioning= Forcing your opponent to form habits
Dash block= Dashing and cancelling the dash animation with a block. Used for gaining ground quickly.
Disadvantage= The opponent is able to attack you after a move
Disrespect= the opposite of respect.
EX= Enhanced special move. Executed by pressing block at the same time as in last input of the special move. Uses 1 bar of meter
.
Footsies= The mid-range game. Consists of many things such as baiting and pokes.
Frame Traps= Using a move that has positive frames on block and then attacking after it, so if the opponent attacks the will get hit.
Frames= Frames make up the animations of the game. The game runs at 60 frames per second.
Hitbox= The area of an attack
Hurtbox= Where you can get hit
Invincibility= If a move has invincibility it is invulnerable to all attacks except for throws eg. Johnny Cage’s enhanced nutpunch
Jail= You can’t crouch during blockstun
Meter= the X-ray meter, with this you are able to use EX moves, breakers And x-ray moves. Separated into 3 bars.
Mixup= A situation that grants the opponents few choices and if they guess wrong they will get hit. The most basic form of a mixup if a high-low mixup where they have to block either high against an overhead, or low against a low attack.
Oki= Short for okizeme. Mixups used whilst the opponent is waking up.
Overhead/mid= at attack that will hit you if you are crouch blocking, however, it won’t hit you if you’re stand blocking.
Poke= A single attack that is more often than not safe. It is usually used at max range. It can be used to create space, Stuff an opponent’s move, gain the advantage or deal a little damage.
Pressure= Keeping your opponent locked down. Trying to force them to make a mistake and making your opponent go on the defensive making you control the pace of the match.
Respect= Acknowledging the fact that your opponent has the balls to counter what you’re gonna do or the fact that he is able to hit you or carry out what he’s going to do. eg. Not attacking near Kung Lao so you don’t get hit by his spin
String= A combination of moves that combos together
Stuff= Interrupting a move during it's startup animation
Super Armour = Will absorb more than one hit during it's armoured frames.
Tech= it has more than one meaning: Escaping a throw or getting up quickly
Vortex= A combo that leads in to a mixup situation that can be repeated.
Whiff= Missing a move
X-Ray= An attack that uses all of your meter to execute. Does more damage than regular moves and puts the game in a cinematic state.
Zoning= Playing a mid to long range defensive game. This can be done by keeping the opponent out with long range pokes and projectiles and anti airs to limit the opponent’s offensive options
Normals
Your normals each control a limb of the character 1 controls the left arm, 2 controls the right arm, 3 controls the left leg and 4 controls the right leg. Buttons can be combined with directional buttons to come up with different moves. There are universal moves (Although some characters are exception to this).
-d2 (Each character’s uppercuts have different properties, though.)
-b4 (Sweep, every character has one)
-d1 (low poke, quickest moves in the game along with some special moves. Very punishable.)
-d3 (A little bit slower than d1 but still fast, less punishable than d1 but still punishable by the fastest moves in the game)
-d4 (Average speed, however, it has good range and is not punishable on block.)It’s vital to know your normals’ properties and what situation and situations you would use them. As a character specific example I will use Sonya’s d4. It has brilliant range, is safe and allows you to cancel into her Military stance move. Military stance grants further options to allow pressure and mixups. However d4 has it’s weaknesses, it has a large hurtbox so if somebody hits you right at the tip of the move you will get hit. This move can also be used to stuff attacks from good range.
It is very important to analyse all of your moves and the options they grant. Each move has its own uses and it is important to recognize each of them.
Specials
Special moves are unique to each character. There are various types of special moves, all so different that they are difficult to categorize. Basic forms of these are projectiles, parries, unblockables, teleports and melee orientated specials. There are specials that don’t fall into any of these categories, such as Ermac’s telepush, Quan Chi’s trance and Kenshi’s specials.
Enhanced special moves are “buffed up versions” of special moves that cost one bar of meter. It’s important to use these wisely as they use meter and meter is one of the most important tools in this game. It’s not a good idea to use one of these as soon as you get a bar of meter because it’s not guaranteed that they will hit and it isn’t a good idea to use these randomly either as it’s pretty much the same as throwing your meter at of the window. A good use of meter would be when you’re trying to keep your opponent out with Sektor’s missiles but they keep ducking underneath them and not blocking to not get chipped out, throwing in an EX missile to hit the whilst they’re crouching would make them respect your missiles in fear of getting hit.
They all have different purposes and different properties. It’s important to use them in the most effective ways and recognize when they need to be used and their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Ermac’s telepush is a really punishable upclose however at midrange it is safe and it is really good for punishing people’s mistakes and spacing. It’s also really effective for just keeping your opponent in check, making them respect it and make them block more in fear of getting hit by it.
Special moves are also good for making your strings safe. You can cancel most strings in the game to most special moves. If it hits it will combo almost all the time if the special cancelled is not cancelled on the last hit of the string. For example Scorpion’s 1,1,1 spear will not combo as the last 1 is the last hit of the string, however 1,1 spear will combo as the string has not been completed in full. This has various advantages to it and opens up various options. For example Kabal has a few options after a string. He can use either his overhead hooks to hit you if you crouch block, his low groundsaw to hit you if you stand block, a nomad dash if you attack after this or a nomad dash cancel to get more pressure.
Defence
Blocking is probably one of the most important things in the game. It is one of the first things you should learn because if you don’t, you will practically be giving your opponent a free win.
Blocking is different in this game to others, whether you stand block or crouch block depends on the matchup. For example against Liu Kang you should always block low and react high at close range, however against smoke you should always block high at close range. Why, you ask? Because Liu Kang’s b312 is a low hitting launcher and Liu Kang players tend to use it a lot because it is a good pressure tool and Liu doesn’t have any overhead starters (that you can’t react to) that lead in to a bnb. Smoke, on the other hand, has an overhead the he can hit confirm into big damage. This is why it is important to know the properties of other character’s strings.
Anti airing is another thing that is really important to learn. If somebody gets a successful jip on you (blocked or not) they have the advantage. They either get a free jip or free pressure, either way you want to prevent this. You can do this by anti airing. This is also good because it is basically free damage for you. Universal anti-air options are uppercuts (except for maybe Shang Tsung, his uppercut is too slow) but they aren’t always the best option. Some characters can get really good damage off of an anti air so it is best to experiment with what your character can do
Notations
-----Ps3---------Xbox---------Universal
1 = square---------x
2= triangle---------y
3= x---------------a
4= circle-----------b
F=--------------------------->forward
D=---------------------------> down
B=---------------------------> back
U=---------------------------> Up
Glossary
JiP= Jump in punch
JiK= Jump in Kick
NjP= Neutral jump punch
NjK= Neutral jump Kick
Anti air= An attack that hits an opponent out of the air eg. Kung Lao’s spin
Armour= Will absorb all attacks, however, if hit during armour you will still take damage. eg. Rain’s ex roundhouse. Can't absorb more than one hit.
Bait= Doing something to cause a reaction from an opponent to punish it.
Block advantage= You can act before the opponent after a blocked move
Blockstring= A string of moves used whilst the opponent is blocking
Breaker= Will let you escape from a combo, uses 2 bars of meter
Buffering= Inputting an attack during the animation of another attack. Not to be confused with cancelling.
Cancelling= Ending one animation prematurely to start another animation eg. Johnny Cage’s f3, 3 nutpunch
Conditioning= Forcing your opponent to form habits
Dash block= Dashing and cancelling the dash animation with a block. Used for gaining ground quickly.
Disadvantage= The opponent is able to attack you after a move
Disrespect= the opposite of respect.
EX= Enhanced special move. Executed by pressing block at the same time as in last input of the special move. Uses 1 bar of meter
.
Footsies= The mid-range game. Consists of many things such as baiting and pokes.
Frame Traps= Using a move that has positive frames on block and then attacking after it, so if the opponent attacks the will get hit.
Frames= Frames make up the animations of the game. The game runs at 60 frames per second.
Hitbox= The area of an attack
Hurtbox= Where you can get hit
Invincibility= If a move has invincibility it is invulnerable to all attacks except for throws eg. Johnny Cage’s enhanced nutpunch
Jail= You can’t crouch during blockstun
Meter= the X-ray meter, with this you are able to use EX moves, breakers And x-ray moves. Separated into 3 bars.
Mixup= A situation that grants the opponents few choices and if they guess wrong they will get hit. The most basic form of a mixup if a high-low mixup where they have to block either high against an overhead, or low against a low attack.
Oki= Short for okizeme. Mixups used whilst the opponent is waking up.
Overhead/mid= at attack that will hit you if you are crouch blocking, however, it won’t hit you if you’re stand blocking.
Poke= A single attack that is more often than not safe. It is usually used at max range. It can be used to create space, Stuff an opponent’s move, gain the advantage or deal a little damage.
Pressure= Keeping your opponent locked down. Trying to force them to make a mistake and making your opponent go on the defensive making you control the pace of the match.
Respect= Acknowledging the fact that your opponent has the balls to counter what you’re gonna do or the fact that he is able to hit you or carry out what he’s going to do. eg. Not attacking near Kung Lao so you don’t get hit by his spin
String= A combination of moves that combos together
Stuff= Interrupting a move during it's startup animation
Super Armour = Will absorb more than one hit during it's armoured frames.
Tech= it has more than one meaning: Escaping a throw or getting up quickly
Vortex= A combo that leads in to a mixup situation that can be repeated.
Whiff= Missing a move
X-Ray= An attack that uses all of your meter to execute. Does more damage than regular moves and puts the game in a cinematic state.
Zoning= Playing a mid to long range defensive game. This can be done by keeping the opponent out with long range pokes and projectiles and anti airs to limit the opponent’s offensive options
Normals
Your normals each control a limb of the character 1 controls the left arm, 2 controls the right arm, 3 controls the left leg and 4 controls the right leg. Buttons can be combined with directional buttons to come up with different moves. There are universal moves (Although some characters are exception to this).
-d2 (Each character’s uppercuts have different properties, though.)
-b4 (Sweep, every character has one)
-d1 (low poke, quickest moves in the game along with some special moves. Very punishable.)
-d3 (A little bit slower than d1 but still fast, less punishable than d1 but still punishable by the fastest moves in the game)
-d4 (Average speed, however, it has good range and is not punishable on block.)It’s vital to know your normals’ properties and what situation and situations you would use them. As a character specific example I will use Sonya’s d4. It has brilliant range, is safe and allows you to cancel into her Military stance move. Military stance grants further options to allow pressure and mixups. However d4 has it’s weaknesses, it has a large hurtbox so if somebody hits you right at the tip of the move you will get hit. This move can also be used to stuff attacks from good range.
It is very important to analyse all of your moves and the options they grant. Each move has its own uses and it is important to recognize each of them.
Specials
Special moves are unique to each character. There are various types of special moves, all so different that they are difficult to categorize. Basic forms of these are projectiles, parries, unblockables, teleports and melee orientated specials. There are specials that don’t fall into any of these categories, such as Ermac’s telepush, Quan Chi’s trance and Kenshi’s specials.
Enhanced special moves are “buffed up versions” of special moves that cost one bar of meter. It’s important to use these wisely as they use meter and meter is one of the most important tools in this game. It’s not a good idea to use one of these as soon as you get a bar of meter because it’s not guaranteed that they will hit and it isn’t a good idea to use these randomly either as it’s pretty much the same as throwing your meter at of the window. A good use of meter would be when you’re trying to keep your opponent out with Sektor’s missiles but they keep ducking underneath them and not blocking to not get chipped out, throwing in an EX missile to hit the whilst they’re crouching would make them respect your missiles in fear of getting hit.
They all have different purposes and different properties. It’s important to use them in the most effective ways and recognize when they need to be used and their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Ermac’s telepush is a really punishable upclose however at midrange it is safe and it is really good for punishing people’s mistakes and spacing. It’s also really effective for just keeping your opponent in check, making them respect it and make them block more in fear of getting hit by it.
Special moves are also good for making your strings safe. You can cancel most strings in the game to most special moves. If it hits it will combo almost all the time if the special cancelled is not cancelled on the last hit of the string. For example Scorpion’s 1,1,1 spear will not combo as the last 1 is the last hit of the string, however 1,1 spear will combo as the string has not been completed in full. This has various advantages to it and opens up various options. For example Kabal has a few options after a string. He can use either his overhead hooks to hit you if you crouch block, his low groundsaw to hit you if you stand block, a nomad dash if you attack after this or a nomad dash cancel to get more pressure.
Defence
Blocking is probably one of the most important things in the game. It is one of the first things you should learn because if you don’t, you will practically be giving your opponent a free win.
Blocking is different in this game to others, whether you stand block or crouch block depends on the matchup. For example against Liu Kang you should always block low and react high at close range, however against smoke you should always block high at close range. Why, you ask? Because Liu Kang’s b312 is a low hitting launcher and Liu Kang players tend to use it a lot because it is a good pressure tool and Liu doesn’t have any overhead starters (that you can’t react to) that lead in to a bnb. Smoke, on the other hand, has an overhead the he can hit confirm into big damage. This is why it is important to know the properties of other character’s strings.
Anti airing is another thing that is really important to learn. If somebody gets a successful jip on you (blocked or not) they have the advantage. They either get a free jip or free pressure, either way you want to prevent this. You can do this by anti airing. This is also good because it is basically free damage for you. Universal anti-air options are uppercuts (except for maybe Shang Tsung, his uppercut is too slow) but they aren’t always the best option. Some characters can get really good damage off of an anti air so it is best to experiment with what your character can do
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made you feel like shit for a second huh?