Mortal Kombat 1/Liu Kang/Introduction

Introduction

God of Fire

"Having won control of the Hourglass, Liu Kang restarted history. He neutralized the threats and dangers that had come before, crafting a New Era in which all beings would have the opportunity to find peace. But that peace is now threatened by an enemy that Liu Kang could never have anticipated. It will take all of his wisdom and experience to save not only Earthrealm, but all of reality."

The long-time protagonist of the Mortal Kombat franchise returns as the shoto/all-rounder archetype of the game, boasting several fireballs, an anti-air special, and two different advancing kick attacks. Liu Kang shares the archetype's versatility and accessibility, making him an ideal choice for learning how to play the game while staying powerful at all skill levels. He is blessed with powerful tools such as a 6-frame standing 1 jab, a 10-frame mid launching string in B23, and a mid string from F4 which can lead to powerful stagger pressure up close. Using these tools well give you access to high damage combos for relatively low execution. His high, low and air fireballs also keep enemies at bay to compensate for his otherwise lacking mid-range game. He also has synergy with a fair number of Kameos, with his most popular choices (Kung Lao, Motaro, and Khameleon) offering a full combo opportunity off of his back throw.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Godlike Buttons: The God of Fire privileges himself with a 6-frame S1 and launching 10-frame B23, making him especially dangerous up close; Staggers for Days: Pressuring with S1, 22, B2, and F434 keep his opponent guessing between strike and throw, the latter being especially dangerous when... Throw Combos: Kameos like Kung Lao, Motaro and Khameleon let him tack on extra damage from his back throw; Explosive Damage: Kang's combo damage is quite high for relatively simple execution; adding Fatal Blow makes breaking 50% HP midscreen almost trivial. Classic Fireball Game: A high fireball, a low fireball and air fireballs can stymie opponents attempting to approach him, with the Enhanced regular fireball going from High to Mid in case his opponent is too comfortable with ducking it; Absurd Antiairs: Liu Kang completes his fireball game with a pair of exceptional grounded antiairs: the best antiair standing jab in the game, and an air-immune teleport that shrinks his hurtbox into the ground and bounces airborne enemies for a combo.

Stumpy: Liu Kang's shorter limbs make playing footsies difficult for him; expect to use B4 a lot in neutral; No Schmix: While exceptional in strike/throw, Liu Kang is decidedly lacking in overhead-low mixups; he lacks a low combo starting button or string, and his fastest available overhead is his 32, which hits in 29 frames and does not allow for a combo.