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Mortal Kombat – Johnny Cage
PlayStation Vita
Johnny Cage by tectactoe
Version: 1.3 | Updated: 08/18/11
============================================================================== Mortal Kombat (2011) for XBOX 360 and PS3 - Johnny Cage Fighting Guide/FAQ ============================================================================== MBMMMBM8MMMMMMaMMZM0MMM This game was rated M (Mature 17+) by the M ; r X MM M . M Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) M2WMZMM0M0MMMMXMMSMMM0M for the following reasons: M : M M MM r0MM M - Blood and Gore (depictions of blood or the M rX MMMMMMM M mutilation of body parts) M MMMMMMM MMBWWWMM M M MMMWWWMM iMWWWWMM M - Intense Violence (graphic and realistic looking M MMBWWMM2 M@Z2MWMW M depictions of physical conflict; may involve M MMB@Z0MM M@M M@MM M extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons M iM@@M MMM@WM BMWM2 M and depictions of human injury and death) M MMWM SM@BBM MWMM M M MWMM MMWWMM MMMM.M - Partial Nudity (brief and/or mild depictions M MM@M MMMMM , M of nudity) M BMMMM M M M - Strong Language (explicit and/or frequent use M MB28SZ0Z@M;@MZSSMM8 M of profanity) M 8: MMXX@MM XBM828aM0M M M X0 M0 M MrMMSMWBM8MM2MMXMMSMMZM +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | This FAQ is... | | version 1.3 | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ + Version 0.1 - Started writing the FAQ. Not much information. + Version 0.6 - Big revisions and additions. Over halfway. + Version 0.8 - More additions, almost ready for release. + Version 1.0 - Ready for release. Story still needs to be added. Moves and combos are up, though! + Version 1.1 - Added the "Advanced Techniques" section. Still need to add the story information one day. + Version 1.2 - Added the Scorpion match up info that was missing. Also updated a few other match ups. + Version 1.3 - Added a story bit and some trivia. Fixed some errors. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / I. Introduction (int01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Mortal Kombat is a game that needs no introduction. And if you truly didn't | know what MK was, I doubt you'd open MY guide, expecting to learn about it. | So I'm not going to bore you with an introduction to Mortal Kombat's story and what it's all about - if you want to know, then you'll play the story mode in this game. You opened my guide to learn about JOHNNY FUCKING CAGE, didn't you? Well, I suppose I should give you at least a little background about Johnny since it is HIS guide, right? I'm sure no one will read this, but for those of you who will, here. I hope you're happy. ___________________________ __/ About Johnny Cage (int02) \__________________________________________ Real name: John Carlton Age: 29 (as of original MK story) Height: 6'0" (1.83 m) Weight: 190 lbs (86 kg) Alliance: Earthrealm Alignment: Good I'm not going to copy and paste a Johnny Cage story or introduction that I found from the web. So I'll just give you my quick little version of it, to give you the jist of things. Johnny "Cage" Carlton is a movie star who stars in films focus on action packed fighting scenes. Many of the movie critics and fans believe that Johnny is a fraud and that most of his impressive moves from his movies are due to camera work and special effects. However, Johnny actually IS a very skilled and proficient Karate fighter. He enters into the tournament of Mortal Kombat to prove to the critics as well as the rest of the world that he really DOES know how to fight and can whoop some serious ass. Aside from being a master of Karate and a few other skilled fighting styles, Johnny has supernatural powers, allowing him to harness energy and perform attacks with amounts of finesse and strength that no regular human could imagine. This is what makes him glow green at times. Johnny is the only original member of the MK crew that doesn't have prior ties to any of the other members. And while he may seems cocky, arrogant, and slap-stickish at times, he ends up being one of the best protecters of Earthrealm and he is always loyal to his alignment. Johnny Cage random trivia: + He was originally based off of Jean Claude Van Damme + Van Damme's outfit in the movie "Bloodsport" is very similar to a few of Cage's outfits + Johnny Cage's nut punch move did not effect female fighters in the first few iterations of the game. (MK, MK2, MK4, or MKG). + Johnny's most famous fatality is his uppercut decapitation. + Johnny's name was actually going to be "Michael Grimm" but it was changed during MK's production. + If you change the "c" in Cage to a "k" (like Mortal Kombat does for everything else), you get KAGE, which is the japanese word for "shadow" - the basis of many of Johnny's signature moves. *thank you to mortal kombat wikia for this trivia information* _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / II. Table of Contents (tab01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Here is a simple table of contents. To easily skip to a section in the FAQ, | press ctrl + F on your keyboard and search for the 'five character code' | next to the title of each section. I. Introduction (int01) About Johnny Cage (int02) II. Table of Contents (tab01) III. Contact/Questions (que01) IV. Controls (con01) Button key (con02) Other notation (con03) My combo notation (con04) V. Frame Data (fra01) What are frames? (fra02) VI. Johnny's Moves (mov01) Basic attacks (mov02) Special moves (mov03) Enhanced specials (mov04) Simple strings (mov05) Tag combos (mov06) Johnny's X-Ray (mov07) Fatalities (mov08) VII. The Advanced Combos (adv01) Starters (adv02) Mid-screen combos (adv03) Corner only combos (adv04) X-Ray combos (adv05) Anti Air Jump Punch combos (adv06) Deep Jump Kick combos (adv07) d+1 Anti Air combos (adv08) VIII. Advanced Techniques (tec01) Poking (tec02) Using d+1 (tec03) Frame Traps (tec04) Using EN Low Force Ball (tec05) IX. Match-ups/Strategy (mat00) Basic strategy (mat01) X. Special Thanks, etc. (spe01) _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / III. Contact/Questions (que01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | If you have anything you feel should be added to this FAQ, feel free to | shoot me an e-mail and I will give you credit for your addition (as long as | I feel that it really needs to be added to this FAQ). My e-mail address is: tectactoe(at)gmail(dot)com Also, any mistakes or errors you find (whether they are gameplay based or spelling/grammar related), feel free to let me know. I really appreciate the help! Please do not e-mail me junk. That would make me very upset. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / IV. Controls (con01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | The controls of Mortal Kombat are very simple, in that each button pertains | to a certain command. It's been like this for years, and that format is | still relevent today. Here is an outline of the controls: *NOTE* I use a "general" control scheme so that this guide may be used for both XBox 360 users and PS3 users alike. Instead of using A, B, X, Y, or Square, X, Circle, Triangle, I use 1, 2, 3, 4. If you've been to any of the message boards, I'm sure you've seen this already. In case you haven't, here is a handy little key for you to use: ____________________ __/ Button Key (con02) \_________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Notation Command XBox 360 PS3 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Front Punch X Square 2 Back Punch Y Triangle 3 Front Kick A X 4 Back Kick B Circle BL Block Right Trigger R2 TH Throw Right Bumper R1 *Throws can also be done by pressing 1+3* TAG Tag/Switch Partner Left Bumper L1 *Tags can also be done by pressing 2+4* SS Switch Stance Left Trigger L2 X X-Ray RT + LT R2 + L2 ________________________ __/ Other Notation (con03) \_____________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Notation Command How to Execute ------------------------------------------------------------------- jip Jump In Punch Jump in towards your opponent then punch with either 1 or 2. njp Neutral Jump Punch Jump straight up and punch your opponent with either 1 or 2. If done correctly, they will pop up in the air. AA jp Anti-air jump punch This is performed when you and your opponent both jump in the air and you use either 1 or 2 to punch them down. NOTE: you must be jumping towards the opponent for this, not just straight up in the air, other- wise you'll be doing a njp. jk Jump Kick Jump towards the opponent and use either 3 or 4 to kick. >> Dash Towards Hit the D-Pad/stick towards your opponent twice. << Dash Back Hit the D-Pad/stick away from your opponent twice. f Foward Hit the D-Pad/stick towards your opponent. b Back Hit the D-Pad/stick away from your opponent. u Up Hit up on the D-Pad/stick. d Down Hit down on the D-Pad/stick. + Simultaneously Hit these buttons at the same time. For example, "1+2" would mean you must hit buttons 1 and 2 at the same time. ~ Cancel into This is used for connecting special moves to combos. For example, "44~nut punch" would mean you have to hit button 4 two times and then IMMEDIATELY after, input the button combo for nut punch (b,d1). We will discuss this in further detail later on. ( ) This or That Sometimes I will place two combos or strings inside parenthesis. This means either one will work (one or the other, NOT both). Usually it's your opponents situation that will decide which one you should used. This is discussed in more detail later on. EN "Enhanced" attack When you see "EN" in front of a special attack's name, it means you should perform the "enhanced version" of that attack, which requires one bar of super meter. Super meters and enhanced attacks will be discussed later in the guide. ___________________________ __/ My Combo Notation (con04) \__________________________________________ In the upcoming sections, you may see my combo notation. Everybody's is a little bit different. I will explain mine so that you know what's going on. It's not difficult at all. Remember, I will list out the combo in it's entirety, but I will also include a collection of them in this shorter "combo notation" so that it consolidates to a nice, small area. Instead of actual buttons, I use 1, 2, 3, 4. These all correspond to a certain punch or kick button. Please see the above section for a key explaining this. I also use f, b, u, d instead of forward, back, up, down. Remember, forward and back are relative to your position vs your opponent. If you're on the left side, then f = right. However, if you're on the right side, f = left. Forward is TOWARDS your opponent, and back is AWAY from your opponent. Commas represent a new attack string or special. When there's no comma in between buttons, that means it's all part of the same string. When you see a tilde (~), that means you "cancel" the first move into the second move. Here's a full out example of everything: jip 21f+2, >> 2, >> 2, >> 44~nutpunch So when you see this, you first perform a jump in punch. Jump towards your opponent and hit either 1 or 2, then immediately start with the combo. You must do it quick enough so that the combo links with the jump in punch. After you land the jump in punch, you then hit button 2, button 1, then foward and button 2 at the same time. You've completed the 21f+2 combo now. The arrows (>>) tell you to dash forward and then hit 2 to punch your opponent in the air (juggle). Then, dash and hit 2 again. Lastly, dash one more time and hit 4 twice, and IMMEDIATELY after you hit 44, start pressing the nut punch button combo, which is back, down and 1 (bd+1). In other words, you would hit 4 4 b d+1 all in a row. This would nail the 44 and Johnny would execute a nut punch immediately after. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / V. Frame Data (fra01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Frame data is somewhat of an "expert" knowledge type of thing. I suggest | you only pay attention to and learn about frame data if you plan on playing | MK at a highly competitive level. Otherwise, the information isn't very helpful and will only waste your time. __________________________ __/ What are frames? (fra02) \___________________________________________ So now you're probably wondering what a "frame" is. Video games are nothing more than a "collection" of frames. Think of a flip book. You draw a little doodle on a series of pages, each one a little different than the previous one, then when you quickly flip through the pages, you see a "movie", what appears to be a moving image. Mortal Kombat works the same way. Each time you see something happen in the game, you're really seeing a series of "frames". Each character's moves take a certain number of FRAMES to complete. In Mortal Kombat's case - it runs at 60 frames per second (fps), and so if something takes 30 frames, it would take half a second to complete. Most moves can also be split up into frame sections - startup, active, and recovery. Startup is the time from when the game reads the button input to when the attack actually hits the opponent. Active takes place when the attack is actually in effect, damaging the opponent. Recovery is how long you must wait before you can attack again, after using an attack. This may differ depending on whether your attack was blocked/dodged or not. Here are some terms regarding frames that you might hear, and a brief explaination of what they mean. I'm no "frame expert" so if you need a more detailed description, you might want to look elsewhere, but this is a good place to start and just get your head wrapped around it: + Frame Advantage (or simply "advantage"): when attacks connect, whether they are blocked or not, each character will have a recovery time. Certain attacks leave you at an advantage over your oppenent. For example, when Johnny connects with f+32, he is at a slight frame advantage in recovery over the opponent, so you can continute to attack - the only way for the foe to escape is to jump out of it or perform a very quick attack before Johnny's attack gets executed... This is usally done with a poke (d+1, d+3, etc). For more on this, read a few paragraphs down, "Frame Trap". + Invincible Frames: certain attacks (usually wake-ups or enhanced specials) have certain frames during the attack in which the attacking player can not be hurt or knocked out of the attack. ==================================================================== FOR MORE DETAILED/COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT JOHNNYS FRAME TRAPS AND SUCH, PLEASE REFER TO THE "ADVANCED TECHNIQUES" SECTION, LATER IN THE GUIDE. THIS IS JUST A BASIC LOOK AT FRAME ADVANTAGES/TRAPS! ==================================================================== + Frame Trap: this is one of Johnny's specialties... or at least some- thing he's infamous for. A frame trap is when you have an attack that recovers faster than the opponent, therefore giving you an advantage and letting you execute another fast attack that will more than likely beat out the opponents attack attempt. Depending on the actual frame advantage, certain frame traps can be "poked" out of (d+1 or d+3) because these moves for many players are only 6-8 frames, and some of them can be jumped out of. For example, Johnny's f+3, 2 attack leaves him at an advantage, both on block AND on hit. So whether you hit a blocking opponent or some- one who's NOT blocking, you will "recover" and be able to attack again before they recover and can do anything. d+3 takes SEVEN frames to connect, which is very fast. Many recoveries takes 8+ frames, which obviously will mean you can attack before they can do anything. You'll notice now why many d+1 and d+3 attacks can poke out of a trap, since they are also very fast. Keep in mind, this doesn't mean that ANY attack over 7 frames will not beat out Johnny's f+3, 2... why? The answer is HUMAN REFLEXES. Johnny's attack may have 7 execution frames and let's say a characters block stun is 8 execution frames. That's a ONE frame difference - one sixtieth of a second. So for frame traps to be as deadly as they can be, the Johnny play must have damn good reflexes. (You must remember, too, to account for the reflexes of the person trying to escape. If both people have equal reflexes, then there are not many attacks that can poke out of Johnny's string, other than some d+1's and jumping back). From now on when I talk about advantages and frame traps, etc, I will not explain it in detail, I will only refrence it. ==================================================================== FOR MORE DETAILED/COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT JOHNNYS FRAME TRAPS AND SUCH, PLEASE REFER TO THE "ADVANCED TECHNIQUES" SECTION, LATER IN THE GUIDE. THIS IS JUST A BASIC LOOK AT FRAME ADVANTAGES/TRAPS! ==================================================================== Moving on... Johnny's uppercut has 7 starup frames, meaning it takes 7 frames to hit the opponent from the time you press d+2. That is roughly equal to 0.12 seconds which is just barely more than a tenth of a second - Johnny Cage has one of the faster uppercuts in the game (actually, it might be THE fastest). Also, his Shadow Kick special has 8 starup frames, the third fastest regular special in the game. Only Raiden's superman and Kung Lao's spin are faster. I do not have frame data for all of Johnny's attacks. You can visit the site www.testyourmight.com and look under Johnny Cage's forum for frame data that someone else has compiled. I might ask them one day if I can put it in my guide and give them proper credit. We'll see. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / VI. Johnny's Moves (mov01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Here is a list of Johnny's basic moves and combos. Note that these are the | moves already listed in the game when you pause a match and go to "Move | List", however I'll also throw in the damage and any other special notes about the specific attack. _______________________ __/ Basic Attacks (mov02) \______________________________________________ KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES 1 3% Hits HIGH. 2 5% Hits HIGH. 3 7% Hits HIGH. 4 5% Hits HIGH. d+2 12% Classic uppercut. Johnny has one of the fastest uppercuts in the game. So fast that it's one of his best anti air tools for preventing cross ups. Whenever a foe tries to jump over you, don't be afraid to uppercut. It's super fast and has a nice sized hit box. Hits HIGH. d+1 2% One of Johnny's best pokes. Use it for opponents jumping at you or just for a nice poke after landing an attack that gives you advantage. Hits HIGH. d+3 1% Another decent poke because of it's speed and because it hits LOW. Good to use after someone blocks a string that leaves Johnny at an advantage. d+4 3% Much slower than Johnny's d+3 poke but it does 2% more damage and has a bit longer range. Good for people jumping towards/near you. Hits LOW. nj, 1 or 2 5% NJP's are explained in more detail in the "other notation" section above. Hits OVERHEAD. b+4 7% Johnny also has a very fast sweep that is good to use after a blocked attack string or just any kind of combo mix up in general. Johnny is at a frame advantage when his sweep is blocked. Like all sweeps, it hits LOW. b+2 varied You can "charge" this attack by holding down 2 after the start up begins. Depending on how long you charge it, the damage will increase from: 3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, and 11%. At max charge, the attack will render as an unblockable (it hits opponents who are blocking). All versions hit MID. Full charge takes about 64 frames, which is about one second. Charge-up can be cancelled by dashing. f+2 5%,9% Two hits with the elbow. Both elbows will hit HIGH. b+3 5% Excellent pop-up combo starter. It has a decent start up time (11 frames) and upon hit, it will pop the opponent straight up, opening the door for many combos. Hits HIGH. This move is fairly safe on block but can still be punished by other safe and fast special attacks and uppercuts. f+3 3% Sends a knee lunging towards the opponent. This is a very important attack that will lead to one of Johnny's best "frame traps". Remember this one! Safe on block. f+4 9% One of Johnny's slowest normals on start up. However it hits OVERHEAD and pops the opponent up, so you'll be using it often as a combo starter. You can link it after a jump in punch. If this attack is blocked, Johnny is left at a frame advantage. f+TH 12% Unblockable throw. Hits "5" times for a total of 12% damage. Will hit opponents who are crouch blocking, however it will MISS opponents who are crouching WITHOUT blocking which will leave Johnny open to be comboed. This throw finishes with the opponent in front of you. TH or b+TH 12% Same as above, but it finishes with the opponent behind you. _______________________ __/ Special Moves (mov03) \______________________________________________ KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES b, f, 4 8% Shadow Kick. Johnny's most vintage attack. This special is extrememly fast and travels about half screen. Can be used to hit any opponent who is jumping in at you before they hit the ground. Also used to keep daring foes in check. Hits HIGH and this attack can be crouched. If Shadow Kick is blocked or crouched, the recovery is very slow and Johnny will most likely eat a full combo. This also serves as a good WAKE-UP attack that has invincibility frames on start-up and pushes back opponents trying to pressure. d, b, 3 9% Flip Kick. Johnny's best anti-air special. Very quick start-up and a surprisingly quick recover. Hits HIGH. If blocked, Johnny will only eat the fastest uppercuts and specials. It's much harder to punish will a full combo than his Shadow Kick. This one is also a great wake-up attack. d, f, 2 8% Low Forceball. Johnny shoots a green ball across the screen, hits HIGH and maintains a reasonably low arch. The start up is pretty slow and the ball doesn't move very fast either. But this is really the only non enhanced option he has during a projectile war. d, b, 2 8% High Forceball. Hits HIGH. Same as above, except it archs much higher. Good for hitting opponents jumping at the opposite side of the screen. Can also be used after a Low Forceball to hit someone trying to jump over it. b, d, 1 11% Nut Punch. Decent start-up time. Even though it's a nut punch, it still hits HIGH. If blocked, the recovery time is long and Johnny will eat a full combo. If it hits, however, this attack is GREAT and so it will be used often to end combos. It does good damage and it leaves the opponent STANDING, meaning that they can not use any kind of wake up attack so Johnny can keep up the pressure! Johnny Cage is best up close and so this becomes an important tool and will allow you to keep pressuring an opponent without having to worry about invincible wake up attacks after a typical knockdown. ___________________________ __/ Enhanced Specials (mov04) \__________________________________________ KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES b, f, 4+BL 12% Eclipse Kick. Johnny's Shadow kick now gives him a red glow. This move will travel the ENTIRE length of the screen and has armor, meaning he can be hit with a projectile and the attack will not be interrupted. However, he will still take the damage. Can be punished the same way as the regular Shadow Kick. The Eclipse Kick is Johnny's best tool for "closing the gap". If an opponent is trying to stay on the opposite end of the screen and spam projectiles at you, unleash an Eclipse Kick right after they throw out a projectile to zip through it, knock them down, and close that gap. Unlike the original Shadow Kick, the Eclipse Kick will hit crouchers who are not blocking. d, b, 3+BL 5%,4%,4%,4% Ultra Flip Kick. Again, the enhanced version of this move turns Johnny red instead of green. He performs the original Flip Kick, and if it connects he will follow up with a rising elbow attack that hits three times. He will still follow up with the elbow even if the flip is blocked as long as it makes contact with the enemy. This is a nice, high-damage add on to many combos, though it may be argued that the nut punch is still better because it leaves the opponent standing. All four hits are HIGH. If the attack is starting from the very edge of the opponents hit box (meaning you nearly missed connecting the attack, but you barely squeaked it in), then there is a chance that the last three hits may not ALL connect. Oftentimes, only one or two of them will hit if the Flip Kick connects too late. d, f, 2+BL 4%,8% Double Low Force Ball. When executed, Johnny sends out two force balls back to back. The first one is the original Low Forceball and the second one is a ball that travels straight across. Performing this move when up close to an opponent will leave Johnny at a fairly large advantage on block. Both force balls will hit HIGH. Johnny's EN low forceball can be used to trap an opponent from any of Johnny's combo strings. For more information about this, see the "Advanced Tech- niques" section later in this FAQ. (PS - thanks to jono for that info). d, b, 2+BL 4%,8% Double High Force Ball. Same as above except the first ball sent out is the high arching ball of the regular High Force Ball, and the second one is once again the ball that travels straight across. At medium ranges, this attack is nearly impossible to dodge and must be blocked. Once again, both force balls hit HIGH. b, d, 1+BL 15% Nutcracker. Johnny's enhanced version of the nut punch has slightly longer range than the original, and thus can be linked to certain combos in which the orignial would not normally work. Base damage is 4% higher, but when added to a long combo, damage scaling (usually) reduces this to a mere 1% damage increase, meaning it's more than likely not worth wasting one bar of meter on the enhanced nut punch for extra damage. The only justifiable time would be in much smaller combos or strings, or if you absolutely need that extra range for a specific combo, but there are usually ways to avoid this (different, better combos, etc). This move hits HIGH, and it includes a few invincible frames. ________________________ __/ Simple Strings (mov05) \_____________________________________________ KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES 1, 1 3%,3% Two quick hits. Both HIGH. Use for juggles and in traps - Johnny is left at advantage on block. 1, 1, 1 3%,3%,5% Three hits, very fast attack. All hits are HIGH. 1, 1, f+1 3%,3%,6% A bit slower than the previous attack but it hits for 1% more damage. All hits are HIGH. 1, 1, 4 3%,3%,8% All hits are HIGH. This one is a good combo to link into a nut punch when juggling in the corner. 1, 3, 2 3%,5%,8% Three hits, first one is HIGH, last two are MID. When this connects, you have a frame advantage. 2, 1, f+2 5%,3%,8% Get used to this attack, you will be using it very often. First two hits are HIGH, last one is an OVERHEAD that pops the opponent up. Great combo link and/or starter. First two hits come out reasonably quick. This string is also fairly safe on block. 2, 1, b+4 5%,3%,5% First two hits are HIGH, the last one hits LOW. When you are going for a 21f+2 and you notice the opponent is blocking, on reaction you can hit b+4 after the 21 instead of f+2 and hit them with a low. Unfortunately you can not link any moves to this string. f+3, 2 3%,7% Both hits are HIGH. This attack is a great attack that leaves Johnny at an advantage on hit AND on block. This is the most used "frame trap" attack from Johnny Cage and rightfully so. Upon block or hit, your opponents only choice is to jump away. This move just comes out faster than your opponents recovery and/or block stun that you can repeat it until they get hit by it, with which you can keep it going, until they jump out of the trap. More information about this can be found in the "Frames" section of this guide, as well as the "Advanced Techniques" section. 4, 4 5%, 7% You will be using this very often in the middle of juggles, usually linked into a special. Hits HIGH, safe on block. Also, upon hit, you are granted a safe jump, meaning you can start a jip either linked to a f+4 combo or any other starter of your choice. You many also attempt a free throw. f+3, 3 3%,3%,6% Nice, quick poke string. Can be linked into a special like nut punch or flip kick. This is also one of Johnny's best pokes and I believe he is at an advantage upon block. Hits three times and all hits are HIGH. f+3, 3, b+3 3%,3%,6%,4% I love this string. Just an add-on to the combo above. As before, the first three hits are HIGH but the last b+3 is an OVERHEAD. Very fast string that leaves Johnny at advantage on hit. ____________________ __/ Tag Combos (mov06) \_________________________________________________ You can only use these combos during a tag match (2 vs 2) with a parter who has not yet been knocked out. KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES 1, 3, TAG varies Damage/hit range depends on partner. 2, 1, TAG varies Damage/hit range depends on partner. f+3, 3, TAG varies Damage/hit range depends on partner. The following moves have the same button command for each player and cost one bar of meter to use. d, b, TAG 4%,8% Johnny appears on screen and does his Double Low Force Ball attack and then steps out. Both force balls, like his actual attack, hit HIGH. d, f, TAG 12% Johnny immediately comes in from the side of the screen with his Eclipse Kick that hits the opponent HIGH. He will remain the active fighter after this move is performs, regardless of whether it hits or not. ________________________ __/ Johnny's X-Ray (mov07) \_____________________________________________ KEYSTROKE DAMAGE NOTES LT + RT 37% For a full description of how the (L1 + R1) X-Ray connects, read the section below. His X-Ray attack ends with a bounce, meaning you can dash in and continue a combo. This will be discussed in the following "combo" section of the guide. To perform Johnny's X-Ray attack (just like everyone else), you must have a completely full super meter (three bars) and hit LT + RT (L2 + R2). Johnny's X-Ray, however, is unlike anybody else's. His X-Ray is a "PARRY" which means that it is actually a counter maneuver. When you execute his X-Ray, he will taunt the opponent by leaning in, saying "Come on" and he will glow slightly green. This lasts for about 2 seconds. If Johnny gets hit by any opponents attack that contains contact (meaning, attacks in which the opponent physically touches Johnny's body), Johnny will not take damage, rather the opponent will be caught in the trap and Johnny will go on to perform the rest of the X-Ray attack on the foe. The X-Ray only parries moves that physically touch Johnny - so if the opponent is on the opposite side of the screen, they can throw projectiles and they will NOT get caught in the X-Ray! However, when an opponent launches a projectile while they are standing right next to Johnny, the hit box will consider this "physically touching" and they will be caught in the X-Ray. Even if the opponent jumps over and hits Johnny Cage from the back (while he is facing the opposite direction), they will STILL be caught in the X-Ray, as long as it's still in its active state. Johnny's X-Ray will parry nearly any physical move (I have yet to find one myself that will take priority over his X-Ray - if you know of one, please let me know). Johnny's X-Ray will even parry OTHER X-Rays (for example, Lui Kangs, Sonyas, Mileenas, to name just a few). THIS BEING SAID - Johnny's X-Ray is EXTREMELY powerful and can change the pace of the game. Surely your opponent knows what it is capable of and once they see you have a full super meter, they will be reluctant to hit you for fear of caughting caught by your X-Ray. With them being hesitant to hit you, this will give you a nice chance to rush them down and keep up the pressure. When you feel like they are going to hit back, launch the X-Ray and hopefully you've trapped them. ____________________ __/ Fatalities (mov08) \_________________________________________________ I'm sure I don't need to explain this to you guys by now, but Fatalities are "finishing" moving you can perform when you beat completely beat your opponent and win the match. The foe will stand there dizzy and the announcer with say "FINISH HIM/HER!" From this point, you must stand in a certain range (distance) from the dizzy opponent and input a button combination. If done correctly, the lights will dim, music will play, and you'll give your opponent what they have coming to them. Babalities show the lighter side of the opponent, and instead of killing them, you turn them into a baby. They are performed the same way as fatalities. I've heard that to perform babalities, however, you can not have blocked an enemy attack in the winning round. If someone could confirm this and let me know, that would be great. Stage fatalities are fatalities that can be performed only on certain fighting stages. The stages that include special fatalities are: The Pit, Hell, Deadpool, Subway, The Living Forest, and The Street. Here is a list/explaination of the "distances" you must stand at when performing finishers: - Close: right next to the opponent (touching them) - Sweep: stand anywhere within the farthest place you can successfully land a sweep attack on the opponent (basically one step away from touching them is fine) - Jump: Stand at one jump distance away from your opponent. Stand next to them and jump back. If that doesn't work, add a small step backwards after the jump and you should be good. Fatality 1: f, f, b, d, 3 (close) Johnny uppercuts the opponents head off, then rips their body in half at the waist. As he slams the torso onto the ground, the head bounces up and Johnny grabs it and holds it up in the air. Fatality 2: d, f, d, f, 4 (sweep) Johnny karate chops the opponents head in half, then pulls an awards trophy out from behind his back and slams it into the opponent's neck while saying, "...and the award goes to!" After this, the life- less body remains standing, so Johnny lightly pushes it over and looks through the fourth wall for approval. Stage: d, b, f, BL (close) The animation depends on the stage. The Pit: uppercut the opponent into a bed of spikes below. Hell: slam your opponents face into molten lava until a skull remains. Deadpool: uppercut the opponent into an acid pool and watch their skin deteriorate. Subway: my personal favorite. smash your opponents head again a train that's dashing by, then throw them in front of a speeding train coming from the opposite side. The Living Forest: throw your opponent into the mouth of a living tree and watch it eat everything but their legs. The Street: set your opponent in the middle of the street and watch them get decapitated by a speeding car. Babality: f, b, f, 4 (jump) Babality animations depend on the character it is performed on. Each character's animation is the same, no matter who performs the babality on them. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / VII. The Advanced Combos (adv01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Well, here's the section that I'm sure many of you are looking for. I start | off explaining the combo starters. Then I list some BnB's. This stands for | "Bread and Butter" - these are the combos that are fairly simple to pull off and will net you a decent amount of damage. The rest of the combos are sorted by starter and then by damage. At the end is a nice, concise list of ALL the combos in shorter notation, for reference. In the "Controls" section of this FAQ, there are details about the notation in case you are confused. *PLEASE NOTE: all combos can be "added onto" by beginning each one with a jump in punch and then linking it to the rest of the combo. I did not include those jump in punches, but I recommend going for them as often as you can, since they add 2-3% and can be a segway into certain combos. If a jip gets blocked, you can always go for the throw* __________________ __/ Starters (adv02) \___________________________________________________ Starters are just that - the move that STARTS a combo. Johnny has a nice selection to chose from, and many combos can come from each starter. Here is a short list of Johnny's starters: 2, 1, f+2 You'll be using this alot. Last hit is an overhead so it's nice to keep crouch blockers on their toes. The first two hits (2, 1) can be hit confirmed and made into something else upon block. (For example, if you start with the (2, 1) and the opponent is blocking high, you can try a sweep instead of the f+2. The string is safe on block. f+4 This is Johnny's slowest starter, but it is an overhead (hits crouch blockers) and pops up the opponent higher than the previous starter. This one actually puts Johnny at an advantage when blocked, however it is slow enough that opponents may be able to poke you out of it upon reaction. I recommend linking to this one with a confirmed jump in punch first, if possible. b+3 Another pop up, only this one hits high and is not an overhead. It can take the place of f+4 in many of Johnny's combos. Although it's not an overhead, it executes much faster and therefore might be better to use if you catch an opponent not blocking high. f+3, 3 and f+3, 2 Most people might not consider these as "starters" since the combos that amount from them usually don't hit for more than 20%, but I believe they are very vital to Johnny's success. f+3, 3 is a nice quick poke that can be followed up with a special such as shadow kick if you catch the opponent out of block (this is a nice way to get them to the corner). Or you can link on a b+3 at the end which is an overhead - good for crouchers. f+3, 2 is Johnny's best and most used frame trap string. Upon block OR hit, Johnny is at an advantage. So if you perform the f+3, 2 and they block, you can hit them with it again since you'll recover faster than their block stun. If you hit them, you'll still recover faster than they will, so you can hit them with it again. Over and over (if you time it correctly). Basically the only way out is to jump back. A few extremely fast specials may be able to break out (EX spin, EX superman) but I haven't tested this yet. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FRAME TRAP/STRING IN THE "ADVANCED TECHNIQUES" SECTION OF THE GUIDE! ___________________________ __/ Mid-screen combos (adv03) \__________________________________________ f+3 3~(flip kick or shadow kick or nut punch) As mentioned above, f+3, 3 is a nice poke string, and upon hit, you can choose to cancel into any one of Johnny's specials. Shadow Kick is good if you are trying to get your opponent to the corner, and since it does the same damage as Flip Kick, plus it pushes them back farther, I see no reason to use Flip Kick upon hit. You can use Nut Punch for 2% more damage, and it will leave them standing so you can keep the pressure going without the worry of a wake-up attack. Damage with flip kick: 19% Damage with shadow kick: 19% Damage with nut punch: 21% f+3 2~(shadow kick or flip kick or nut punch) And here's Johnny's frame trap starter. If you have the reaction and timing down, you can trap your opponent in the f+3, 2 string and hit them over and over with it, and their only option is basically to jump away. If you're hitting them with the string and you think they might escape soon, you can hit them with one of these combos to finish it off. Once again, the Shadow Kick is a nice option to push them to the corner and the Nut Punch is good for more damage and keeping them standing. Your choice. Damage with shadow kick: 16% Damage with flip kick: 17% Damage with nut punch: 19% 2 1 f+2, >> 4 4~(flip kick or EN flip kick) Many people consider this to be one of Johnny's BnB's. It's pretty simple and hits for decent damage. A few people just picking up Johnny may have a few problems with linking this combo, so here are some tips to help out: Some people have trouble linking the 44 after the 21f+2 launch. My advice is to dash as SOON as you can after the launch, and make sure you've completed the entire length of the dash before hitting 44. Many times people will try and connect the 44 during the middle of the dash and will come up way too short. If you hit the 44, the Flip Kick is guaranteed. Damage with flip kick: 29% Damage with EN flip kick: 33% 2 1 f+2, >> f+3~(nut punch or EN nut punch) This combo is great because it's easy and it leaves the opponent in a standing position, taking away their wake-up game and allowing you to keep the pressure on, just like all nut punch combos. Some people have trouble hitting the f+3 after a dash. Think of it as though you're hitting foward THREE times, and on the last one, you hit button 3 along with it. Usually works for me. Remember, you must input the nut punch combo (bd+1) immediately after you press f+3. Damage: 25% Damage with EN nut punch: 27% 2 1 f+2, >> 4 4~EN nut punch Here's a combo that must be done with an EN nut punch, since the regular nut punch does not have enough range. This is a nice combo to use if you don't mind spending one bar of meter on it, and the foe will be left standing, just where you want them. Damage: 32% (f+4 or b+3), >> 2 1, >> 2 1~nut punch Here is a decent combo. I believe you can link in another dash 21 before you end it, but the timing is pretty strict, and there are other combos that deal more damage and are easlier to land (IMO) so you probably won't be doing this combo too often. Damage with b+3: 25% Damage with f+4: 28% Damage with b+3 and EN nut punch: 27% Damage with f+4 and EN nut punch: 30% (f+4 or b+3), >> 2 1 f+2, >> 4 4~(flip kick or EN flip kick) You may recognize this as an extension of one of Johnny's BnB's (and I guess you could consider this it's own BnB). If you can, go for the f+4 starter since it does more damage, but if your opponent keeps poking you out of it, then you better go with b+3. You can try to hit a jump in punch, and if you land it, then go for the f+4. Its actually possible to dash and start the 21f+2 TOO soon, and Johnny will miss the launch because you did it too fast. Basically, after you hit the starter, dash forward and perform the 21f+2 when the opponent is about at the level of Johnny's neck - this is how I judge it. Based on your reaction time, you might need to start it a little sooner. Your best bet it to take it into practice mode to get the timing down. Damage with b+3: 31% Damage with f+4: 34% Damage with b+3 and EN flip kick: 35% Damage with f+4 and EN flip kick: 37% (f+4 or b+3), >> 2 1 f+2, >> f+3~(nut punch or EN nut punch) Once again we are extending a simpler Johnny combo by adding another launcher to the front. Same rules apply as always, go for the f+4 if you have the opening or hit a jump in punch, use the b+3 if you have a quick, poke-happy opponent. Damage with b+3: 27% Damage with f+4: 30% Damage with b+3 and EN nut punch: 30% Damage with f+4 and EN nut punch: 32% (f+4 or b+3), >> 2, >> 2, >> 2, >> 4 4~(nut punch or EN nut punch) Another great combo that leaves them standing. The tricky part is the dash 2's... Oftentimes you may find that you're hitting f+2 instead of dashing and hitting a plain 2. To overcome this, you might try exaggerating dashing a bit early and hitting 2 immediately after you have pressed forward twice. So literally, after hitting the launcher, press FORWARD, FOWARD, 2 as quickly as you can while making sure to quickly tap each button and do NOT hold them down for longer than you have to. Practice mode is your friend on this one, and it's not as hard as it may seem at first. If you're having trouble juggling out three of the in air 2's, you can always take one (or even two) of them out. This will lessen the damage obviously, but if it's much more reliable for you, then it may be the smarter decision. This is probably my favorite combo because once you get the hang of the juggling, its easy and hits for nice damage, all with a simple b+3 or f+4 starter. Damage with b+3: 31% Damage with f+4: 34% Damage with b+3 and EN nut punch: 34% Damage with f+4 and EN nut punch: 36% Damage with b+3 and only two >> 2's: 29% Damage with f+4 and only two >> 2's: 32% Damage with b+3, only two >> 2's, and EN nut punch: 32% Damage with f+4, only two >> 2;s, and EN nut punch: 34% Damage with b+3 and only one >> 2: 27% Damage with f+4 and only one >> 2: 29% Damage with b+3, only one >> 2, and EN nut punch: 29% Damage with f+4, only one >> 2, and EN nut punch: 32% (f+4 or b+3), >> 2 1 f+2, >> 4 4~EN nut punch Another combo that must be done with the EN version of the nut punch because the regular one will not reach. Good combo for one meter, especially if you manage to land the f+4. Damage with b+3: 34% Damage with f+4: 37% ____________________________ __/ Corner only combos (adv04) \_________________________________________ 2 1 f+2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 4~(flip kick or EN flip kick) I would only recommend this corner combo if, for some strange reason, you can't pull of a nut punch. Doing this exact same combo with a nut punch instead of a flip kick does the same damage, but a nut punch leaves the opponent standing. Stay away from this unless you really do have trouble connecting the nut punch. Damage: 40% Damage with EN flip kick: 42% 2 1 f+2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 4~(nut punch or EN nut punch) This is corner BnB number one. You'll be using this attack ALOT in the corner. I would recommend doing the combo below instead of this one, but I know many people have trouble with 114~nut punch, so here is an alternative using 44~nut punch, which is easier to land in my opinion. Damage: 40% Damage with EN nut punch: 42% 2 1 f+2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 1 4~(nut punch or EN nut punch) THE best corner BnB, meterless, in my opinion. Don't bother using the enhanced nut punch, it only adds 1% damage and isn't worth the meter. Practice this combo, you will use it OFTEN. Cage is DANGEROUS in the corner, and this is one reason why. Damage: 41% Damage with EN nut punch: 42% X-Ray, >> b+3, >> b+3, 2, 2, 2, 4 4~nut punch There are other corner X-Ray combos around, but in my honest opinion, this one tops them all. Damage: 54% ______________________ __/ X-Ray combos (adv05) \_______________________________________________ X-Ray, >> b+3, >> 2, >> 2, >> 4 4~nut punch Here's an option for an X-Ray combo, but most likely, you'll be doing the one listed below. It hits for 1% more damage and, in my opinion, is easier to land. However, I'm sure there are a few people who will have an easier time landing this one, so I put it here just in case. Damage: 51% X-Ray, >> b+3, >> 2 1 f+2, >> 4 4~flip kick The X-Ray BnB. Every time you land an X-Ray you should be going for this combo, unless you are in the corner (then do the one listed below). Since the X-Ray pops the opponent up high enough to dash and hit the b+3, you have quite a few options for after X-Ray combos, but this is the highest-damage combo that is still pretty easy to land. Damage: 52% (CORNER ONLY): X-Ray, >> b+3, >> b+3, 2, 2, 2, 4 4~nut punch This is the corner X-Ray BnB... I believe it might be possible to land another 2 before the 44, but I haven't been able to do it, and so even if it COULD happen, it's not very reliable. Damage: 54% ____________________________________ __/ Anti-Air Jump Punch combos (adv06) \_________________________________ These are special combos that can only be done after "ANTI-AIR JUMP PUNCHES" - what are they, you ask? An anti-air jump punch is when you and your opponent are both in the air and you simply press 1 or 2 to punch them, and they go flying back. (NOTE: you must be jumping towards the opponent, not straight up in the air, or else you'll just be doing a njp). Anti-air jump punches (AAjp for short) usually just end at that. But, if you're smart about it, you can tack on another 15-20% damage by reacting quickly, and every percent is worth it when you're fighting an expert. All these combos start with an AAjp, and you must quickly dash foward after you hit the ground to continue the combo. Here we go: AAjp, >> 44~(shadow kick or flip kick or nut punch) The simplest form of the AAjp combos. I would suggest only using this combo if you absolutely can not execute the one below. And if you are having trouble and you must use this combo, the best choice is of course the nut punch - leaves them standing and does the most damage. I would only say, use the shadow kick if you are trying to get them to the corner. NOTE: for the nut punch version of this combo, you must wait as long as possible to hit the 44, or else the nut punch will miss. Do not use enhanced specials on this, not worth it. Damage w/ shadow kick: 14% Damage w/ flip kick: 15% Damage w/ nut punch: 16% AAjp, >> 2, >> 2, >> 44~nut punch I recommend you use this one basically all of the time. You CAN link another >> 2 into the combo, however the window is VERY tight and it only adds 1% damage, so it is not recommended at all. You can also use EN nut punch, but as well, it only adds 1% damage, which is not enough to warrant using one bar of meter. Damage: 21% _______________________________ __/ Deep Jump Kick combos (adv07) \______________________________________ So, now what is a "DEEP" Jump Kick? Well, a regular jump kick is when you jump towards your opponent and press 3 or 4 to kick them. A "deep" jump kick is when you wait until you've almost landed from the jump to hit 3 or 4, rather than pressing it at the crest of your jump like normal. This is a nice tactic for taking out opponents who are getting up after being knocked down. Johnny can actually perform a few combos from his deep jump kicks, making them more worthwhile. Deep jump kick, >> 4 4~shadow kick The one (and basically only) deep jk you'll want to do if you don't want to use meter. Good for pushing the opponent towards the corner. Damage: 22% Deep jump kick, >> 4 4~EN nut punch If you don't mind spending meter, here's a good way to get decent damage off of a simple deep jk. If you want to do this combo, you MUST use EN nut punch, as the regular one will not reach. Damage: 27% _____________________________ __/ d+1 anti-air combos (adv08) \________________________________________ Lastly we have the anti-air d+1 combos. (In case you weren't sure, when I say d+1, I am simply referring to holding down and pressing button 1, which is Johnny's best poke, or quick jab). Johnny's d+1 is a very fast poke and can be used as an ANTI-AIR, when an opponent is next to you and tries to jump over you - you can hit them with a d+1 if you are fast enough, at the start of their jump, or you can hit them on their way down, although you right getting hit by a quicker or out- of-hitbox attack. When done successfully, the d+1 will actually leave the opponent in the air for a juggle. You must act very quickly, though, after the d+1 lands. Note than you can not perform these combos when the opponent is on the ground. Most importantly, you must learn the timing of when to hit the d+1. The best advice I can give you, is to hit when the opponent is just past Johnny's head while crouching. MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE D+1 POKE CAN BE FOUND IN THE "ADVANCED TECHNIQUES" SECTION OF THE FAQ. And remember, after you get the d+1 to hit, you must IMMEDIATELY dash and continue the combo. These are probably some of the most difficult combos to get down, but they can be the most rewarding once you finally do, since it's a good way to handle opponents you like to jump and cross up too much. d+1, >> 1, >> 1 1, >> 4 4~nut punch Probably the easier of the two main d+1 combos, timing-wise. If you do a 11 after the first dash instead of just a single 1, the damage will actually LESSEN by 1%, due to scaling. Not worth using a meter for EN nut punch. Damage: 24% d+1, >> 2, >> 2, >> 4 4~nut punch This is the better of the two main d+1 combos, damage-wise. You can also squeeze another >> 2 in there, but the timing window becomes VERY tight, and it only adds 2% damage. To me, not worth the inconsistancy. Not worth using a meter for EN nut punch. Damage: 25% _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / VIII. Advanced Techniques (tec01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Here's the section where we will get down to the nitty-gritty of some more | advanced methods and techniques of the MK universe. Please contact me if you | think I should add a certain technique to this section and I'll do what I can to add it in. ________________ __/ Poking (adv02) \_____________________________________________________ The "poking" techniques is just like it sounds - poking your opponent with quick jabs, kicks, or other very fast attacks. The poke technique isn't used to pile on massive damage, rather they are more used because of their quick speed. Pokes are good for interrupting opponents trying to attack, and since pokes are usually only 6-7 frames, they will interrupt more attacks than you might think. Pokes may also give you a frame advantage, which can be used to safely engage a new string. Lastly, pokes give you space - a little room to breathe so that your opponent can't immediately put you into a throw or other close attack, giving you a chance to get out. Johnny has a nice variety of "pokes" (keep in mind, the usefulness of these is somewhat subjective, so I'll do my best to explain what I can). Here's a a little list of the pokes you may use: d+1: Johnny's overall best poke for a number of reasons. We'll talk about d+1 in more detail later on in this section. d+3: Very fast, low poke. Good for keeping the opponent away. This will not leave you at an advantage on block, however. f+3: Quick, high knee. Advantage on hit and also on block. Can be hit confirmed into f+3, 2 or f+3, 3. f+3, 3: Quick knee along with two quick kicks to the face. Easy to hit confirm into a special of choice (nut punch is the best) or link to a f+3, 3, b+3 if the opponent is blocking low, since the last b+3 will be an overhead hit. 1, 1: Quick string to use for standing opponents only. This one will grant you a slight advantage on block. You can also use a plain 1 or 2 to poke opponents up high, but there really aren't any advantages to using these over one of the pokes listed above. Pokes play a big role in making "advantaged" block strings safe, and will sometimes allow you to continue attacking, or go into a new string. Here's an example: Johnny's f+3, 2 leaves you at an advantage on block. So after this attack, you may choose to go for a d+1 poke. Since the initial attack left you with a 2 frame advantage and the d+1 poke takes only 6 frames to execute, this severely takes away your opponents options. They can jump out, if timed right. If they keep blocking, unfortunately the d+1 will not hit low, but it will allow you to keep attacking with quick 6 or 7 frame strings since you still have a slight advantage. If the opponent were to try and attack after they are hit with the f+3, 2, your d+1 will most likely poke them out of the attack since it will give you such a large advantage. Only the fastest attacks will break this (including other pokes) and much of it depends on you and your opponent's reflexes. This topic will be discussed more in the next section, "Frame Traps". So you can see how important pokes are - they may not hit for a lot of damage, but they are so quick that you can use them to set yourself up for a new string or attack. The following section will go into more detail about Johnny's most versatile poke, d+1. ___________________ __/ Using d+1 (adv03) \__________________________________________________ Johnny's d+1 is, in my opinion, his best poke. With only 6 start-up frames, it is very quick, leaves you space, and give you a small window, allowing you to follow up with another quick string. The d+1 can be used to take advantage of blocked strings, allowing you to continue pressure while being able to interrupt most (not all) attacks and tactics. For information about this, read the above "Pokes" section. This poke can be worked into many of those strings, not just f+3, 2. Any string that leaves Johnny at an advantage could benefit from following up with d+1, and then following up with another quick string. Now we are starting to get into frame traps, which will be discussed in the following section (aptly titled, "Frame Traps"). One of the nice things about d+1, too, is that you're obviously crouching when you execute, so some of the opponents high attacks, though they may have (somehow) gotten it off faster, will miss anyway and you'll poke out with the d+1. Most overhead attacks are too slow and will most definitely be poked out. The last and one of the most useful things to use d+1 for - ANTI AIR. Yes, this is a nice tool for opponents jumping at you or over you, trying to cross you up. Normally, an uppercut is a nice, easy anti-cross up tool. But if you want to get the most bang for your buck, learn the d+1 anti-cross up and you'll be happy you did. When your opponent tries jumping over you, as they begin descending on your opposite side, you can hit them with a d+1. The hardest part is getting the timing down. You must execute as the opponent is just sailing past Johnny's eyes while he is crouching (this is a bad description, I know, so take this one into Practice mode and get a feel for it yourself). If you've done it correctly, your opponent will be knocked out of the air! So why would you choose d+1 over an uppercut, when an uppercut does way more damage and is easier to pull off? Simple: juggling potential. When you anti-air or anti-cross up with d+1, your opponent is left afloat in the air for a split second - enough time for you to juggle if you can react fast enough. You must be quick about it - as soon as you knock them out of the air with d+1, you must dash towards them and continue the juggle! It may be hard to execute at first, but practice, practice, practice! Trust me, it's much nicer to get 24-25% from an attempted cross up than just 12%. *NOTE: I've heard some people are having trouble with the anti-cross up d+1 because Johnny is facing the wrong direction. You may have to move slightly in the direction of where your opponent will be for this to work. It's literally just tapping the pad in the new direction. IE, if the opponent is on your left and jumping over to you the right, you may ever-so-slightly tap right on the D-Pad, then immediately crouch for your d+1 anti air. Like I said, this is hard to execute at first, but if you manage to pull it off consistantly, it will be a great tool for you to have.* Here are the two combos you'll want to use for your d+1 juggles. I suggest using whichever one you can land more consistantly. (A good way to test this out it to go into Practice mode and set the AI mode to "jump", then crouch next to them and practice your anti-air d+1 timing there. Of course things are different and more intense during a real fight, but this will help you with the timing and juggle execution). d+1, >> 1, >> 1 1, >> 4 4~nut punch Probably the easier of the two main d+1 combos, timing-wise. If you do a 11 after the first dash instead of just a single 1, the damage will actually LESSEN by 1%, due to scaling. Not worth using a meter for EN nut punch. Damage: 24% d+1, >> 2, >> 2, >> 4 4~nut punch This is the better of the two main d+1 combos, damage-wise. You can also squeeze another >> 2 in there, but the timing window becomes VERY tight, and it only adds 2% damage. To me, not worth the inconsistancy. Not worth using a meter for EN nut punch. Damage: 25% Get to know these combos - they can severly increase your game and will definitely make your opponent think twice about trying to cross you up next time. One thing you should be aware of, however: If you time the d+1 correctly, you can usually knock your opponent out of the air if he/she was attempting a jump in punch - but if your opponent crosses over and goes for a jump kick, they will most likely hit you. Nevertheless, jump kick damage isn't severe and it's worth a shot to go for the d+1 and try to get a 25% combo out of it - 95% of the time, they are going for a cross up punch, and not a kick anyway. Just something to be aware of. _____________________ __/ Frame Traps (adv04) \________________________________________________ Okay, so I've you've read any part of my guide, chances are you heard me mention "frame traps". And if you read the "Frames" section near the top of the guide, then you already have a little introduction to what they are. This section will provide a little more information about frame traps and some of Johnny's best ones. FIRST OF ALL, HERE ARE SOME RULES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FRAME TRAPS AND THE LIKE: (1) Frame traps are NOT the same thing as infinites. Just because you land one hit, it doesn't mean you're going to 100% the opponent. (2) Do not expect frame traps to be fool proof and work every single time. You must take into account HUMAN ERROR AND REFLEXES (I have mentioned this previously). For frame traps to work as intended, you must have pinpoint accuracy and cat like reflexes - which is not likely every single time. But remember, you must account for your opponents reflexes, too. So really, for frame traps to work, you must have better reflexes than your opponent... sort of. Which brings me to the third rule: (3) Nothing is definite - there's always an exception. Frame traps will work in certain scenerios and stuff many attacks - but there ARE attacks that will escape it, due to a combination of attack start-up speeds and, again, human reflexes. (4) I'm not here to tell you exactly how to do frame traps and which ones to do. They are dependent upon many things, and so you must adjust your execution as YOU see fit. My job is to just give you the basic info and let you run with it from there. Frame traps work like this: Every time you do an attack, whether the opponent is blocking or not, both of you guys will have a "recovery" time. You will have a recovery time after attacking before you can attack again. Your opponent, if hit, will have to recover from the hit before he/she can attack, as well. If they block, they will enter "block stun" which is basically the same thing - they have a certain recovery time before they can attack again. Your recovery time after attacking can depend on whether or not your first attack successful hit them, or they blocked it. In Johnny Cage's case, many of his strings and attacks give him an advantage, either upon hit, block, or sometimes both. This means that Johnny will recover in LESS frames than his opponent. For an actual example: let's say you're playing as Johnny Cage and you toss out a f+3, 2 (his best frame trap string). If the opponent blocks, you will recover from the attack BEFORE your opponent recovers from the block stun. This advantage may only be one or two frames - very small fractions of a second. Which is why you may choose to follow up a blocked f+3, 2 with a d+1 poke. The d+1 will have you ducking and only has 6 start up frames. So if you execute this perfectly, you leave your opponent a very small, 4-5 frame window to escape from your poke. If they were to try and attack after the blocked f+3, 2, since they only have a 4-5 frame opening, you will poke them out of MOST attacks. If they keep blocking through the d+1 poke, you are still at slight advantage, so if you think they're going to keep blocking, immediately stand up and hit them with a 1, 1 string. If you guess right and they DO keep blocking, the 1, 1 string also leaves you at an advantage when blocked, so now you can attempt a throw and it will be a definite connect if timed correctly. Now the great thing about Johnny's f+3, 2 is that he is also left at an advantage when the attack hits. So lets say you throw out a f+3, 2 and it hits - if you can "hit confirm" it (meaning, you can react quick enough and notice that you've hit them without blocking), then you can quickly like a nut punch after it. When Johnny's nut punch hits, he once again has an advantage. And while you can not truly link a combo after a landed nut punch, you can step forward and begin another string since you have an advantage. You may choose to go for a d+1 or a 1,1 or a f+3, 3, or another f+3, 2. Landing a nut punch also gives you the opportunity to go for a cross up jump punch. If it hits, continue with an f+4, >> 21f+2, >> f+3~nut punch, and then start it all over again. If the jump punch gets blocked, your first and probably best option would be to go for a throw as it is nearly guaranteed here. Your second option, if you can't hit confirm fast enough on the jump in punch, would be to link the f+4 anyway, and if the f+4 is blocked, you have a small advantage. From there, you can either d+1 and continue to either try for another f+3, 2 or a 1, 1 or something else. If the f+3, 2 hits, link the nut punch and go from there. If the 1, 1 hits, you can try starting up another f+3, 2, going into nut punch on hit, and d+1 on block. If the 1, 1 is blocked, attempt a throw or go back to d+1. As you can see, there are MANY different frame trap options. The success of them depends on you and your opponent's skill, as well as the attacks them- selves. Like I said before, frame traps are not 100% guaranteed to work and completely stop your opponent. But, by getting to know them and perfecting their execution, you'll find that you can stop many attacks and open up opportunities for bigger combos this way. Also, working through all of these block strings is a good way to build up your meter. One of the easiest and most simple frame trap strings is: f+3, 2, d+1, repeat Upon block, just keep repeating. The only way out is if the opponent has a 5 or 6 frame attack (assuming you have perfect execution), and if they get hit by the f+3, 2, then link a nut punch and proceed to use one of the post nut punch methods mentioned a few paragraphs up. Frame traps will come in time and you will begin to invent your own strings and traps as you see fit. The strings you want to use in frame traps are the ones that leave Johnny at an advantage. These strings are listed in the "Simple strings" section near the top of he FAQ - look under the "NOTES" for each string - if it says it leaves Johnny at an advantage, then it can be used for frame traps. To make it simple for you, the ones you'll most likely end up using the most are (f+3, 2), (f+3, 3), (d+1), and (1, 1). Blocked sweeps also leave Cage with an advantage, and can be followed up with a d+1 for safety. I've already said it but I'll say it again: nothing is definite. There are moves that exist that WILL break out of these traps, and some of it may also have to do with your execution. Do not get discourage, and do not just assume that you can win with frame trapping. Do not run around the whole match just trying to frame trap. It will not work - you will get a feel for when it is safe to attempt them and when you should just go for something else. But approaching like a fool and attempting f+3, 2 the entire match is not a good way of trying to win - anyone who knows what they are doing will certainly let you have it. Lastly, a big part of frame traps are EN low force balls - since they play a big roll in many different aspects, I gave them their own section. Please see the section below: _________________________________ __/ Using EN Low Force Ball (tec05) \____________________________________ Hopefully you read the previous section, and now you know how frame traps work. You should know about frame advantages and all that stuff. If you don't, then you should go back and read the section above. Once you've got a nice grasp of the concepts, you're ready for this part: The EN Low Force Ball gives you a big advantage when it's blocked up close. And since it's a special move, you can link it to the end of Johnny's block strings to make them safe and give you an advantage, to where you can attempt another trap string or something. For example, say you are going for 21f+2, but you notice the opponent is blocking high after the first hit. Your first option would be to change the f+2 to b+4 on reaction (so, perform 21b+4), and the b+4 hits low and gets them out of block. But it can't be linked and it's only worth 5% damage. Instead, if they're blocking high and you can catch it on reaction, switch to a 21~EN low force ball. When they block the EN low force ball, you'll have a big frame advantage and you can dash forward and attempt a d+1 poke, f+3, 2, or f+3, 3, or 1, 1, and then carry on with your preferred frame trap method of choice. Remember, you can link EN low force ball to the end of f+3, 2 and f+3, 3, and even f+3, 3, b+3 to mix it up and give yourself a pretty big advanage. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / IX. Match-ups/Strategy (mat00) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | This section will discuss specific tactics for dealing with each member of | the cast. Obviously certain characters are used more than others, so there | will be more detailed strategies for them in most cases. If you feel that I've missed an important bit of information regarding a certain character match-up, or you have your own strategy/input that isn't listed in my FAQ, please feel free to e-mail it to me so I can add it, and I will credit you for it. I will need someone to give me a Kratos strategy since I don't have the PS3 version. *PLEASE NOTE: This is the first section in which I mention a tactic called "Dash Blocking", so I will explain what it is. Very simple, and it's just like it sounds - dash, then block. The trick is to basically cancel the end of your dash into a block, so you quickly zip forward and immediately begin blocking to avoid taking hits. This is the basic tactic for getting close to projectile spammers. _________________________________________ __/ Basic Strategy, playing as Cage (mat01) \____________________________ In case you haven't figured it out by now, Johnny Cage's main stratgy is RUSHDOWN. He is (or, rather, CAN be) nearly unstoppable if he gets in close to an opponent. His attacks are quick and he has many chances to take frame advantages - make sure you use them. Do whatever you can to keep pressure on the opponent. Here are a few basic tips and tricks to help out: - End combos in nut punch if you can. This takes away your opponents ability to perform a wake-up attack, allowing you to stay close with- out too much worry. - If you DO end a combo/string with the opponent getting knocked down, move in and be prepared to block the wake-up, then punish if you are successful. It helps by knowing your opponent's possible wake up options. Liu Kang can wake up with a low fireball or a diving kick - one hits high, one hits low. Since the diving kick is faster, it's best to block high, then crouch upon reaction if you see him coming out with a low fireball. This stuff will come in time. - Learn your pokes and make sure you can poke your opponents out of the air and any kind of trap strings they may try to get you in. Johnny's d+1 works wonders. - Johnny suffers from mid to far range (especially far) because his projectile is very slow and easy to react to. It's best to save the forceballs for jumping or turtling opponents. - Your best tool for "closing the gap" is Johnny's Enhanced Shadow Kick. Every now and then you'll run into an opponent who tries to keep their distance from you and stay far away, throwing projectiles (and in reality, this is the best strategy against Cage). Johnny's Enhanced Shadow Kick goes full screen and has armor, meaning it will absorb an enemies attack without ruining the Shadow Kick. So if your opponent is spamming knives across the screen, wait until he lets one go and hit them with the EN shadow kick. It will hit them, plus it will close that gap and put you close to them - exactly where you want to be. Keep in mind, though, that Johnny still take the damage from the projectle. ________________ __/ Baraka (mat02) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 3/10 Not too bad of a match up here, should be easy to beat. Baraka has a few quick specials, as well as some trap potentials, but Johnny is just a bit faster, giving him the edge in almost every scenario. Be on the look out for the Baraka lunging his blades forward, that attack is hard to react to. Also, since you'll be jumping in a lot and keeping things close quarters, you're bound to see a ton of "Chop Chop" - learn to block this move, then attack upon recovery. The hard part is making sure the attack is in the recovery phase and is still not active. You shouldn't have too much trouble, like I said - just keep an eye out for the blade lunge and the chop chop. Baraka's projectile is hella slow, so he'll be looking to fight a CQB with you as well, and with Cage's speed, it should be no contest. ________________________ __/ Cyber Sub-Zero (mat03) \_____________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 Your biggest problem with CSZ will be his Ice Parry. Since Cage's game is mostly punching the opponent and beating them down up close, your likely to run into someone who will spam the Ice Parry. The best way to handle this is to sweep. Act just like the AI from all the 2-D mortal kombat games - jump in and sweep, jump over and sweep. After sweeping them out of the parry a few times, they will be less likely to throw it out there. The d+1 is also a viable option. If I'm not mistaken, his parry is quick enough to interrupt some of Cage's traps, so if you're playing against a good CSZ who knows what they are doing, I would avoid doing too many of these. Luckily, many of CSZ's strings are slow, and so if you block them, you'll have access to a full combo of your choice. If he starts getting trigger happy with ice balls from across the screen, surprise him with enhanced shadow kick. Lastly, watch out for the slide. It's CSZ fastest moving special move besides the ice parry and it hits LOW, so when you're at a jump distance, always block low! The slide has an incredibly long recovery time when it's blocked, so you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by blocking low. _______________ __/ Cyrax (mat04) \______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 Now this can be a very tough match-up no matter who you are, and a lot of it has to do with how well your opponents knows Cyrax. If you hesitate and let Cyrax start up with his bomb trap shenanigans, he could easily steal the match from under your nose. The best thing to do against Cyrax is be aggressive. Be on the attack. Dash block often to avoid getting trapped by the net, or use your EN shadow kick to get it. Cyrax doesn't have many good tools for getting some- one off of him. You'll need to keep an eye out for the chest blade attack. It CAN work as an anti-air if he puts it out in time. However, if it's blocked, you can unleash a full combo. As for the bombs he throws out, they are very easy to react to, so when you see him toss one, punish him if you are close enough, or move in closer! Cyrax's teleport is easy to spot on reaction, so you shouldn't have any troubles there. When he teleports, jump at him and attack. It's not wise to sit and block against Cyrax because he will continue to lay on pressure and you could get caught in his command grab which is awful. _______________ __/ Ermac (mat05) \______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4.5/10 You know, I used to think this match-up was pretty hard, but Ermac doesn't scare me anymore. You'll be dash blocking quite a bit to get in close. Do whatever you can to avoid jumping in at him - each time you jump at him, you risk being caught in the Forec Lift, which can lead to a 30+% combo very easily. His Force Push also has insane range, so watch out for that and just re- member to dash block all the time. Once you get in close, start shredding him up. Johnny is way faster than Ermac, so if you start pressuring him, he's in trouble. End your combos in a nut punch, since any knockdown can lead to a wake-up force lift. If you DO knock him down, then obviously be on the lookout for that. His teleport is pretty easy to block on reaction and then punish it accordingly. ______________ __/ Jade (mat06) \_______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 I haven't fought too many Jades, so I can't give much insight on this match up, but I know I've never had too much trouble with the few Jades I have played against. Look out for the quick shadow kick (much like Johnny's!) and the staff pokes. Her boomerangs are easy to react to (block low when you see them) and you should be able to jump away from the overhead staff smash. If you are quick enough, you can flip kick her out of it. Her projectile flash special isn't a big threat since Johnny doesn't rely on his forceballs to win matches. _____________ __/ Jax (mat07) \________________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 Jax use to be a bum in my eyes, but you've gotta show him some respect now. In the right hands, Jax can be very dangerous. You must keep an eye out for his grabs. If you're blocking low, watch out for the over head elbow smash. His ground pounds, though unblockable, are very slow and easy to react to. However, given the last patch, he can cancel out of them now, so if you jump in to punish a ground pound, watch out for a trap instead! If you find yourselves jumping in the air, try your best to kick or punch him down ASAP, since he will try and hit you with his jump kick air grab. Also, watch out for his X-Ray - unblockable grab worth 41% damage! You must jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. If you happen to have a full meter also, you can use YOUR X-Ray and parry Jax's X-Ray. __________________________________ __/ Johnny Cage mirror match (mat08) \___________________________________ Difficulty: 6/10 Johnny is a tough character to mirror with. Luckily for you, you'll know\ all the tricks he has up his sleeve. From longer distances, crouch the shadow kicks for an easy punish (block to be safe, since the EN shadow kick hits crouchers). The best plan here is to outwit the enemy Cage and attack when you get the chance. It's a battle of execution - whoever makes the most mistakes will lose. Take every opportunity you can to punish hard, but make sure you don't whiff, or you could be eating some painful combos yourself. _______________ __/ Kabal (mat09) \______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 7/10 Seriously, I HATE a good Kabal. Don't get too slick with jumping at them, or they will dash spin you into oblivion. The best way to approach a Kabal is dash blocking, possibly baiting out the dash spins, and then punishing it when you block it (luckily the dash spin has a huge recovery on block, so you'll have plenty of time to punish). The trouble with Kabal are the tools in his pocket. The ground saw can be a pain in the butt and when you try jumping over them, you get to eat the dash spin or a gas ball. It's good to be aggressive, but don't be foolish, you still want to be safe. ______________ __/ Kano (mat10) \_______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 I used to think this was a much worse match-up, but I really don't think it's all that bad anymore. Everybody is aware of Kano's two nasty specials: the Up Ball and the Knives. The Up Ball will only hit you when you're close - please do NOT be so ignorant as to keep jumping in at Kano - any good player will make you eat the Up Ball ALL DAY. Once again, dash blocking is the key. If you block a regular ball, the recovery is slow and you can combo easily (I suggest a b+3 start, but whatever you prefer is fine). The Up Ball has a MUCH smaller recovery time, but can still be punished by Johnny's b+3 since it's so fast. If you're having trouble, don't forget about your super quick uppercut - not as scary as a full combo, but an uppercut isn't anything to laugh at, either. The Knives might be trouble since they are quick and this recovery is so fast. Dash block, and when you get into jump distance or closer and he is still throwing them, block the next one and then IMMEDIATELY go in for the jump in punch to full combo. If you don't do it right away, he will recover fast enough to do the Up Ball. Your other option is the Enhanced Shadow Kick. If you do this a couple times to a Knife spammer, they may think twice about sitting back throwing knives all day. One thing to look out for when doing this - the EN shadow kick will knock Kano down, meaning he'll probably be looking to do an Up Ball on wake up, so dash in and be prepared to block it. ________________ __/ Kitana (mat11) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 6/10 Kitana can be a huge pain in the ass if she decides to try and zone you out. If she sits back and throws fans all day, then your only option is to dash block or enhanced shadow kick to get in close. Be cautious of jumping too much, or she will do that thing where she zips across the screen. If she does it while you're on the ground, however, you can counter with a flip kick and it will knock her out of it. If you're farther away, a high forceball will do the trick. Jumping too much can also get you caught in her air fans which will lead to her huge combos. Kitana is possibly one of the worst people you can just jump aimlessly against, so learn to dash block, and only jump when it's safe (IE, she is recovering from a whiffed attack, or if you think you can time a jump over a fan throw). Get ready to block all of her close attacks and punish whenever you get a small window. I sometimes have a hard time telling when her attacks are in the recovery phase and she's not getting ready to unleash another one. The best advice I can give it to fight Kitana in practice mode and learn her basic strings and how to punish them when you block. ________________ __/ Kratos (mat12) \_____________________________________________________ I'll need some help with this once since I have an Xbox360. __________________ __/ Kung Lao (mat13) \___________________________________________________ Difficulty: 7/10 This match is difficult for anybody, really. Kung Lao has an amazing tool box. He has a nice mix up of starters with highs and lows, so once again your best chance it to fight against Kung Lao and learn his strings. Know when to block high and when to block low. And if you play online, chances are you've played against a million Kung Laos anyway. One thing you're bound to see often from Kung Lao - the Spin. The second fastest attack in the game and probably the overall best. It's super fast, pops up, and has decent recovery. If you block the spin, you must punish quickly (b+3 is your best bet). It's difficut to cross up a blocked spin since he may have recovered before you punch. When he teleports, if you react fast enough, you can uppercut before he tries to attack. If not, just take a dash step back and his three options will whiff and you can dash back in for a combo. Another thing to look out for is the Low Hat. Its fast, and if you get hit with it, Kung Lao is at a huge advantage. Your best option is to block low whenever you see a hat coming out, or jump over it if you're far enough away. Enhanced shadow kick is a nice counter to this, as well. __________________ __/ Liu Kang (mat14) \___________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 Don't be afraid of Liu Kang. He's got some nice mix-ups and a few strings that he can juggle you all the way across the screen with, but you should never fear him. Just don't let him get in and start pressuring you - just pressure him back when this happens. His bicycle kick is easy to react to and block, but the flying kick is a little faster. Nevertheless, his specials won't hurt too bad, just make sure he doesn't get a chance to start his strings. He does have a parry which can be a pain in the ass, but handle it the same way you handle CSZ's - sweep if you suspect it. When you knock down Liu, he has four wake up options - bicycle kick, flying kick, low fireball, and parry. So if you knock him down, dash up to him and sweep as you see him getting up. It will hit the parry and duck under the kicks. You might get hit by a low fireball but barely any Liu's wake up with this - it's slow and doesn't hit for much damage. _________________ __/ Mileena (mat15) \____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 Mileena is kind of like a gnat - just annoying, but not threatening at all really. Against her, you're really going to want to block high almost all of the time when you're at jump distance - all of her specials can be blocked high, even the roll. When close, her low pokes are very fast and can lead to launches. So also has an overhead, but her overhead is easy to recognize and can be punished by either an uppercut, a d+1 poke, or a flip kick. An uppercut or poke is the best option since they are the fastest, and the uppercut does the most damage. If you have lightning speed reflexes, you can attempt a b+3 into a juggle, but you must be very fast if you want the b+3 to knock her out of the overhead. Her teleport kick is fairly easy to react to and can be punished with a b+3 or even a f+4 if you start immediately. Your safest bet is the b+3 since the f+4 has a tricky hit box when the opponent is in the air. When you block this kick, you want to punish her before she touches the ground, becuase then she will be able to block. The roll probably has one of the slowest recoveries ever, so you can punish this one the same way. Be Her sais can be a nuisance if she starts whipping tons of them out from the other side of the screen, along with her instant air sias. Flip kick her if you're close enough, EN shadow kick from afar. Something to also keep an eye out for is her enhanced teleport kick, which kicks you from one side, then immediately teleports and kicks you from the other side. If you get fooled and think it's a regular one, you might end up blocking the first kick, then letting go of block to try and punish, and then the second one will hit you. The best thing to do is try and delay your punishment, just to confirm whether or not the kick is regular or enhanced. She floats down slow enough so that you can still punish before she hits the ground, just making sure she won't teleport to the other side and get you. Another thing that many Mileena player do is throw out the air sais after a blocked teleport kick. This will give her a slight "boost" upwards and can make you whiff your punish. If your opponent is doing this often, wait slightly to punish. If Mileena manages to get her feet on the ground, then she'll be able to block again, so your best bet at that point is to start up a block string/frame trap and go from there. And about that damn d+4 - jump in kick. Start the kick early and you'll knock her out of it. If they keep spamming d+4, just back all the way up and throw forceballs - then if they start trying to trade sais with you, EN shadow kick your way back in. ___________________ __/ Nightwolf (mat16) \__________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 Nightwolf can be a tricky match up because he's got tools for up close as well as far away. When you're close to him, you'll have to watch out for the hatchet and the shoulder. Far away, keep and eye out for lightning and arrows. The shoulder can be annoying, but if you expect it or the guy is just spamming it - duck it and uppercut for a quick-fix. Keep in mind, you do NOT need to crouch block the shoulder, if you're crouching, it will miss. If you're looking for a combo to punish it, b+3 is the way to go, f+4 is a little too slow. Keep a look out all the time for lightning, especially when you're standing there blocking. If you see it coming, jump towards Nightwolf. The recovery is super slow and you'll have time for a combo of choice. _____________________ __/ Noob Saibot (mat17) \________________________________________________ Difficulty: 7/10 Johnny Cage likes to be in close to people. It seems Noob Saibot was made specifically to keep people off of him. Jumping towards him, you'll probably eat alot of up knees. If you stand back, you'll see the shadow tackle and shadow slide (those can be EN shadow kicked through). To handle the up knees, dash block in and use your d+1 and d+3 pokes to get him out of it. f+3, 3 is another quick one to follow up with. This can be a very tough match up for someone who is spamming shadows all day. Try to jump them if you can, or dash block, but remember to dash block LOW for the shadow slides. __________________ __/ Quan Chi (mat18) \___________________________________________________ Difficulty: 3/10 Quan Chi's got some nice strings and mixups including lows and overheads, but he is far to slow to compete with Johnny Cage. His wake up game is pathetic, meaning you can PRESSURE ALL DAY. Jump in punches, cross ups, you name it. Quan Chi is yours for the taking. The thing that might cause you trouble is jumping into trances, but as long and you time your jump ins after blocked strings or missed attacks, there's no way he'll get you with it. The teleport punch can be a pain too, but it is very easy to react and block, and the recovery is looooong, giving you plenty of time to punish. ________________ __/ Raiden (mat19) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 6/10 Raiden is another character that can be tough for anybody, but he's definitely manageable if you know all of his strings and specials. He's got a few strings with overheads, so watch out if you're a crouch blocker. I don't believe he has any lows that lead to combos, though. His biggest threats are the teleport and superman, but by now you should be so used to seeing and handling these things. The teleport is fast, I'll give it that, but you should be able to spot it. Raiden can not attack until 24 or 26 frames after his teleport is started up. Shadow kick him when he appears on the other side! Or if you have a Raiden who likes to teleport and then cross up - uppercut. It will stop them every time. The superman is very fast and annoying, so if you're ever just standing from full screen to jump range - block. And remember that his EN superman will go through projectiles, and the wake up version has invincibility frames, so look out for the superman if you knock Raiden down! _________________ __/ Reptile (mat20) \____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 6/10 Reptile is a tough character whose biggest threats are his forceballs and his elbow dash. The forceballs will surprise you since you won't know if they are fast or slow until it leaves his hand, and the enhanced versions only make it even faster or even slower. The enhanced slow forceball can stay on the screen forever, as Reptile dashes in and attacks while you have to keep an eye on that damn forceball. HOWEVER, when you see forceballs coming - use your enhanced shadow kick. It's best to save your meter in this match up specifically for this reason. The elbow dash is an excellent move - it's fast and is pretty safe when you consider how short the recovery is. Even Johnny will have a hard time punishing this when blocked, but b+3 is the best combo starter. Reptile has a low starter as well as an overhead starter, so it's best to play a bunch of matches against Reptile to become familiar with his starters so you know how to block. Though it's not a HUGE threat and can't be used to start combos, you still need to watch out for his slide, because it's also very quick. If you're blocking high, waiting for the elbow dash, Reptile can throw in a slide to knock you off your feet and keep you on your toes. So from outside sweep range, block low. __________________ __/ Scorpion (mat21) \___________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 This match up is very dependent upon how well the opponent utilizes all of Scorpions tools and strings. Scorpion has some good things going for him and he can be a pain in the butt if you let your guard down. His combos are pretty easy to pull off and can hit for over 30% just from getting caught by a spear. Every mistake will cost you in this match up. First off all, obviously, the spear. Do NOT get caught by this. Jump only when you feel it is safe (if he is in the recovery phase from a missed attack or something). Otherwise, he can hit you with the spear during your descent and you'll be in a world of hurt. If you him it perfectly, your jump in punch can knock him out of the spear start up. However, there IS a certain point when it will still connect (I'm not exactly sure how many frames this is). You'll find more often than not, though, that you will knock him out of it as long as you hit it ASAP. Teleport punchers can always stir things up for Johnny, and Scorpion is no exception. He can also link some decent strings from landing a teleport punch - so watch out! The animation for the punch is easy to recognize (Scorpion will turn around and be still, then he appears on your side of the screen, punching) so you SHOULD be able to block on reaction, then punish with a b+3 combo. This is another thing you'll have to look out for whenever you're jumping. Don't go jumping around aimlessly. The biggest pest of the match will be his hellfire attack, until you get used to it. It tracks and is unblockable, forcing you to move around a lot. But like I said, you don't want to go moving and jumping around aimlessly, becuase that's how you'll fall into his other traps. The hellfire start up is pretty quick, but still slow enough to react if you've got decent relexes! If you do escape, the recovery is slow and he can be punished with a full combo. His scissor take down hits low, so remember to block low if your opponent is throwing out a lot of those. ________________ __/ Sektor (mat22) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 This is another match up that I'm not extremely familiar with since I haven't played many Sektors, but I'll tell you what I know: Many Sektor's will become slap-happy and overuse the teleport punch. This move is pretty easy to react to and should be blocked high, as this will put them in the spinning ball recovery, allowing you to full combo. There are some decent damage combos that can come from being hit by an EN tele- port uppercut (or even a regular one I suppose), so always be aware of it and be ready to react. Since Johnny plays best close-in, Sektor will try and use his flamethrower attack to keep you away. It has good range and will catch you if you're jumping in, so the best way to handle this is to dash block and as soon as the flame begins to go out, jump in punch link to full combo! If you do it quick enough, you should get him every time. If he recovers and starts blocking, you can at least get him with some of your block string traps. Another option is, of course, the EN shadow kick - I believe this will go through flamethrower. Other than that, watch out for his missiles, but the start up is pretty slow so you should have no trouble reacting and blocking. The up missiles can be punished by a shadow kick at half screen, or if you are closer, dash in and start a 21f+2 or f+4 combo. _____________________ __/ Shang Tsung (mat23) \________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 Shang Tsung's match-up depends heavily on the skill of the player who is playing as Shang. Though this could be said for any character, it is especially true about Shang. The one thing Shang lacks is a good wake-up game, which is good news for Johnny. Cage should have no trouble staying close to Shang once he gets in. The soul steal is always something to look out for, but it can be jumped, and if you start a jump in punch, and he starts a soul steal, you will jump over the steal and hit him with your jump in punch. His only real "keep away" option is his close ground skull, which also can be stopped by nailing him with jump in punches. If you let Shang hit you with any kind of skull - it could mean danger. And if you are at half screen or more with no meter against a good Shang, you could have a rough time getting in, thanks to Shangs tight zoning game. (If you DO have meter, however, the EN shadow kick is your "get in" maneuver as always). ________________ __/ Sheeva (mat24) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 3/10 This is another one where my rating may be so low because I have yet to play a good Sheeva. Many of them will, sadly, spam the teleport stomp. This can be punished simply by stepping to the side and comboing them when they miss. If you have a smarter spammer, who begins adjusting the stop to hit you as you move left or right, then you can bust out the flip kick and it will beat out her stomp (at least, it's worked for me each time). Sheeva has a few enhanced grabs with armor, so you'll benefit by throwing in a bunch of cross up jump in punches when playing her. Most of the throws are reasonably slow start-up, so you should be able to evade most of them. Her only projectile is the fireball, which can be either blocked or EN shadow kicked if you're farther away. If anyone has some more Sheeva tips, I would appreciate them, but this match up really shouldn't be any trouble. ________________ __/ Sindel (mat25) \_____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 6/10 Sindel can be really dangerous if you're facing someone who knows how to zone well with her. A good Sindel can keep you beyond half screen by using fireballs and air fireballs. And yes, as always with projectiles, you can EN shadow kick your way in close, but you are limited by your special meter. If she is levitating, your shadow kicks will miss. So if you're close, use flip kick and if you're farther away, use the high force ball. When in close, she can trouble you with the hair whip and her annoying-as- hell cartwheel. Luckily, she doesn't have many good wake up options, but she does have some strings that launch you to the other side of the screen. So you must CONSTANTLY apply pressure to Sindel. Her mix up of highs and lows that toss you away can be trouble. It also should be noted that her scream will catch you in the air. Luckily, it has a pretty slow start up, so as long as she starts it after you jump, you should be able to jump punch her before it comes out. _______________ __/ Smoke (mat26) \______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 5/10 Smoke can be a tricky character, but you shouldn't fret too much. Watch out for smoke bombs - even though they hit low, you can block them high. Dash blocking is your safest best here, since jumps can be met with his tele- port punch or even an air throw up he jumps, too. His shake will counter projectiles so don't bother throwing force balls unless you absolutely have to. Do you best to make sure Smoke doesn't get any strings in on you, since he will juggle you all day. Teleport punches are easily punished on block and a smoke bomb spammer can be punished by an EN shadow kick, or even a regular shadow kick if you're close enough. _______________ __/ Sonya (mat27) \______________________________________________________ Difficulty: 4/10 Sonya can be tricky with her military stance cancelling shenanigans, but I have yet to face a Sonya who uses this method properly. It is to my best knowledge that when you get caught by one of her traps, it is possible to poke out with d+1, in which you may be able to catch her in your f+3, 2 trap if you're quick enough. Sonya's d+1 is very quick, however, so she may be able to use that to escape. Her specials aren't anything to write home about. The kiss has crappy range and is slow on start-up. It can be crouched and punished with an uppercut. Her military stance can be dangerous, as she can low, high, or overhead from it, and force you to play a big guessing game. The dive kick is quick, but can be blocked upon reaction. It's hard to punish if it goes over your head, though. A flip kick might interrupt it if you time it correctly. _________________ __/ Stryker (mat28) \____________________________________________________ Difficulty: 3.5/10 Stryker can be a tricky opponent if you run into someone who knows what they're doing. Problem is, there aren't many good Strykers out there, and because they're so rare, it can be hard to fight them effectively since you won't know what they're capable of. Stykers got some good strings that hit high, low, and overhead, so you'll have to react and block accordingly. As I've mentioned before, the best way to learn his strings is against the Expert AI in Practice mode. After a few minutes, you'll get used to all of his different starters and strings. His gun shot can be a nuisance, but you can always EN shadow kick on reaction. If you're out of meter, dash block. The grenades can also be avoided with an EN shadow kick. Although, most good Strykers won't throw grenades unless you're airborne. You also must watch out for Stryker's roll toss. If he's close enough (at about 3/4 screen or inward), he can roll toss each time you start up a force ball and it will go right under the force ball and you'll get tossed. Forceballs are only completely safe at full screen, out of the roll toss reach, or up close as part of your frame trap. Even then, a really good Stryker can whip out the gun upon force ball reaction. This match up is more difficult that I originally thought (due to my lack of playing good Strykers), but once Johnny get's in close on Stryker, it should be game over. Styker has a fast uppercut and decent sweep, but Cage has a slight speed advantage and can stomp Stryker in close combat. __________________ __/ Sub-Zero (mat29) \___________________________________________________ Difficulty: 8/10 In my opinion, this is Johnny's hardest match up. Sub Zero was made to be defensive and Johnny Cage was made to be offensive. Whoever plays a smarter game will be the victor here. Your biggest tool in this match up is the EN shadow kick. One of the most popular Sub Zero tactics is throwing out an ice clone and hiding behind it while throwing out ice balls. Your EN shadow kick will go right through the clone, so when you see Sub Zero throwing out an ice ball, let it rip. Whenever you jump in close, a smart Sub will toss an ice clone and you'll get caught, setting him up for his 25-30% njp combo. However, you must realize that if you are TOUCHING Sub Zero, his ice clone will come out. So Once you get in on him, STAY IN! His wake up options are ice clone and slide. If you're touching him, his ice clone will not come out. So the best thing to do upon knockdown is get right next to him and block low. His ice close will not work and you will be in position to block his slide. If slide is blocked, it can be punished big time. He's got an overhead that links into iceball but luckily no low. Johnny's forceballs are too slow to trade with ice balls, but if you're close enough and you react quick enough, you can shadow kick him before the ice ball comes out. _______________________________________________________________________ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ / IX. Special Thanks, etc. (spe01) | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | Special thanks to testyourmight.com, where I learned many of these combos | and tactics in the first place. Thanks to NRS for finally making a new | generation Mortal Kombat game that doesn't suck. Special thanks to: + jonoisgood - information about the EN low forceball string adv's, deep jump kick combos, and some Mileena tactics. + ELC1837 - noticing that the Scorpion match up was missing! + scorpion41 - Stryker match up information + BoBo_273 - More Mileena and Kitana match up information! And thank you all for reading my guide. Hopefully you learned something. ##################################################################### Copyright 2011 (c) tectecactoe So long, enjoy, and get the hell out of here!! =========== END OF FILE =========
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