Mortal Kombat 1/Glossary

#

•50/50- a mixup between two options (i.e. strike/throw or Low/Overhead) that is unreactable due to their similar startup speed, forcing the defender to read or “guess” correctly while blocking

A

•Abare- refers to a situation of successfully “disrespecting” the opponent’s frame advantage by attacking through their offense (often by “mashing”)

•Active- the middle window of an attack animation (measured in frames) during which the attack can connect with the opponent

•Aerial Kombo- a kombo string that can only be performed on hit against an airborne juggled opponent

•Aggression- may refer to the forward movement naturally provided by certain moves/strings that can help characters advance in on their opponent; may also be used to refer to a playstyle that revolves around inflicting pressure and/or chip-damage against the opponent with an onslaught of attacks

•Aggressor- refers to the offensive player who is attacking and pressuring the opponent (commonly referred to as the “executing player” in this wiki)

•Air Dash- a special move or command that can allow characters to dash in a given direction while airborne

•Airborne- refers to being considered “in the air” by jumping, performing certain moves, or being juggled/floated by opponent attacks

•Air-to-Air- refers to kountering an airbone opponent with a jumping attack (not to be confused with Anti-Air)

•Ambush- a category of Kameo assist that can be controlled independently of the lead character as long as they are not in hitstun; some select Ambush assists may be possible to execute while in blockstun (i.e. Jax’s “Gotcha Grab”)

•Ambush Cancel- refers to the ability to cancel an Ambush assist into another built-in assist option, usually at the cost of Kameo Gauge (i.e. Tremor “Transmute” options, Frost “Ice Wall” into “Ice Krash,” etc,)

•American Reset- a reset achieved accidentally by dropping a kombo (ideally in MK with the last connected attack leaving the opponent standing)

•Animality- a Finisher that morphs the winning character into an animal to slaughter the loser

•Anti-Air- refers to kountering an airborne opponent with a grounded attack (not to be confused with Air-to-Air)

•Armor- a property given to some moves that allows them to absorb an attack (indicated by a white flash) and receive its dmg without undergoing its hit reaction

•Armor Break- refers to a situation of absorbing an attack’s armor (generally by landing as many hits as the move has available ”hits of armor”)

•Assist- a move/ability performed by the Kameo Partner

•Autocorrect- refers to a situation of a move that inadvertently switches sides being automatically switched around to face the opponent properly

B

•Backdash- the act of double-tapping Back to move backwards more quickly/farther than a normal backwards walk allows

•Bait- refers to conditioning an opponent into performing a specific movement/action with the intention of kountering/punishing them for doing so

•Balance- refers to the collective strength/weakness of all characters measured against each other to determine if certain character(s) is too overpowered/underpowered in comparison

•Bar- a section of Super Meter (divided into 3) that can be spent individually to enhance abilities or all at once to perform a Breaker

•Block- the act of holding the Block standing or crouching to guard against attacks

•Block Advantage- the frame advantage or disadvantage of a blocked attack (measured in plus or minus frames)

•Blockstring- a kombo string and/or pressure sequence (ideally without gaps) performed against a blocking opponent

•Blockstun- refers to the effect caused by blocking an attack which disables the use of most moves/assists until the blocking player has recovered

•BnB- refers to a character’s Bread n Butter kombo, a standard sequence mutually agreed upon by the kommunity as being a character’s easiest and/or most optimal kombo

•Box Jump- refers to an attack/assist or command jump that causes the character to jump upwards and then fly forward (i.e. Sonya’s “Square Wave”)

•Breaker- a mechanic that allows players to escape a kombo for 3 bars of meter by holding (Forward + Block)

•Broken/Busted- a term often used by players to describe a character’s/mechanic’s strength(s) as “unfairly” advantageous, to the point of ‘’breaking the game

•Brutality- a Finisher that must be performed as the last attack of the match before the “Finish Him” screen can occur, triggering a unique “mini-Fatality” animation from certain moves if all requirements are met

C

•Cancel- refers to a movement/action being cut short, typically to lead into a different action by cancelling the previous action’s recovery frames with another action (i.e. special cancel)

•Cancel Advantage- the amount of frame advantage granted by a move that connects with the opponent on hit or block which allows the attack to be cancelled into another move (i.e. special, Summon, Fatal Blow, etc.), ideally with a startup that is less than the cancel frames; for example, Quan Chi’s F2 is only +9 on hit but with +41 cancel advantage, allowing a Summon Cancel into Cyrax’s 40f “Net” to kombo on hit

•Chip Damage- refers to the reduced dmg inflicted against a blocking opponent

•Comeback Mechanic- a mechanic which only becomes available once on low health, intended to give the wounded fighter a greater chance on the backfoot.

•Command Dash/Run- a special move or command that can grant characters a unique dash (or running stance) outside of basic universal movement, sometimes featuring built-in follow-up options such as attacks or Throws

•Command Grab- a special move or command that can grant characters a unique Throw outside of basic universal grabs; these cannot be teched, may be Enhanced to grab neutral-ducking opponents, and can be special-cancelled after certain attacks on block to cause a tick-throw (as well as used for kombo enders in certain cases)

•Command Jump- a special move or command that allows the player to perform a unique jump that grants them enhanced mobility, pressure, and/or kombo extension

•Command Normal- a Basic Attack or normal performed with a face button and a single directional input

•Conversion- refers to converting an interaction into a kombo/juggle (i.e. anti-air/jab float, Kameo assistance and/or interruption on certain knockdowns, etc.)

•Cooldown- the window of time undergone by certain moves/assists before they begin to regenerate and/or are available again

•Corner- the furthest edge of the stage/screen where a player can remain trapped by a pressuring opponent

•Corner Carry- refers to a sequence’s ability to push/knock the opponent towards the furthest edge of the screen (usually from midscreen or fullscreen distances)

•Countdown- a unique mechanic/gauge exclusive to Geras which can build 3 “charges” and gain access to new abilities

•Counterpick- refers to a character chosen as a direct option for countering a certain matchup; can also describe the act of ‘’counterpicking itself

•Cross-Over- a movement/action that causes the executing player to move to the other side of the opponent from in front of them (i.e. Johnny Cage’s “Shadow Dash”)

•Cross-Under- a movement/action that causes the executing player to move to the other side of the opponent from beneath them while they are airborne, typically in a juggle kombo to allow a side-switch

•Crossup- a movement/action that causes the executing player to move to the other side of the opponent from above them, typically with an airborne attack, which can be harder to anti-air

•Crouch/Duck- the act of tapping/holding Down to enter a crouching or ducking state, which can be done without Blocking to avoid Highs or allow Blocking to defend against Lows

•Crumple- a unique stun state that causes the affected character to collapse slowly to the floor, which can allow for a properly-timed attack to connect before the character falls down; the character is considered to be in a juggle state while collapsing, causing follow-up attacks to float the opponent and allowing the player to kombo into aerial strings

D

•Damage Over Time (DOT)- a property of certain moves that inflicts steady unavoidable dmg on the opponent after the initial attack has landed, allowing the aggressor to increase the dmg output of kombos and chip

•Damage Scaling- refers to

•Dash- the act of double-tapping Forward to move towards the opponent more quickly/farther than a normal forward walk allows

•Dash Block- the act of cancelling a dash with a Block to remain defensive while moving quickly across the screen
(see also: Wavedash)

•Dash Cancel- refers to one or both of the following:

1. the act of cancelling a dash with an attack, block, crouch, or forward jump
2. the act of cancelling certain moves with a dash or backdash

•Delay- refers to one or both of the following:

1. the act of holding a certain attack button to prolong the startup of a move; this is typically done to charge up the attack and enhance its properties, as well as to potentially cancel (or feint) the attack
2. the act of holding Flip Stance when knocked down to slightly prolong the knockdown state (also known as a Delay Getup)

•Dial-a-Kombo- term referring to lenient normals input, which allows the whole string to be input at once in the beginning. Also refers to strings which require multiple buttons for the next part to appear, i.e. Tanya F211 and Rain 211; without pressing both 1 inputs, the string will stop at the first move.

•Directable-

•Disjointed- refers to a move’s hitbox not having an attached hurtbox which causes the attack to take priority over a non-disjointed move that attempts to trade/kounter it (i.e. swords/weapons, projectiles, spirits/telekinesis, etc.)

•Divekick- a special move or command that causes an airborne character to drop towards a grounded opponent with a unique kick attack, often resulting in a knockdown or launcher

•Dmg- shorthand for Damage

E

•Empty Jump- refers to the act of landing in front of the opponent from a jump-in without connecting any aerial attack, typically to condition them into blocking and opening them up with a Throw

•Ender- a move that is used to end a kombo, typically by causing a knockdown or restand

•Enhanced/EX- a version of a certain move that receives altered properties by spending meter, typically used to provide enhanced properties (i.e. block advantage, launch, armor, etc.)

F

•Fatal Blow- a desperation super available at 30% HP that can act as a comeback mechanic, providing players with a damaging cinematic attack when they are at lower health

•Fatality- the klassic Finisher of the Mortal Kombat franchise which allows players to input a unique button sequence at the “Finish Him” screen and trigger a graphic cinematic of their character murdering the opponent

•Feint- refers to the act of cancelling an attack (typically on startup by delaying/charging) to fake out the opponent

•Flash Parry- refers to a situation where certain armor moves can absorb a hit and/or be cancelled before becoming active, which can allow the executing player to safely block and/or attack the opponent

•Flawless Block- a Block performed precisely within 3 frames of an attack connecting, which negates pushback and chip

•Flawless Victory- a perfect win achieved without receiving any dmg/chip

•Float- refers to a situation where attacking the opponent during the animation of certain moves will trigger a hit reaction that automatically causes them to enter an airborne/juggle state rather than remain standing, allowing for follow-up kombo conversions

G

•Gap- refers to a duration of time between the successive hits of a string/sequence where the opponent is not in hitstun and able to perform certain actions to interrupt follow-up hits (i.e. reversal, poke)

•Getup- also known as a wakeup; a mechanic that allows players to perform certain actions either immediately after being knocked down or during their knockdown state (i.e. Getup Reversal, Delay Getup)

•Gimmick- a term generally used to describe a move, sequence, and/or strategy that can be interrupted, punished, or otherwise negated, but still has potential to catch opponents off guard and open up their defense

•Glass Cannon- an archetype that provides a character with a complete moveset full of various strong tools (generally of the rushdown/mixup variety) in exchange for giving them lower health than the rest of the cast (i.e. 950 HP)

•Grappler- an archetype that revolves around opening up the opponent’s defense with Throws and command grabs

•Ground Bounce- a type of launcher (often provided by aerial attacks) that bounces the opponent flat against the floor & quickly up in the air again, allowing for follow-up kombos

•Guard Cancel- also known as a Block Breaker; a mechanic that allows players to escape the opponent’s blockstring and reset the neutral by knocking them down at midscreen range

H

•Happy Birthday- refers to hitting two characters at once in a team/assist game; although the true definition refers to catching both characters in a kombo/juggle, Kameo Partners can still receive a single hit and increase the dmg output of attacking the lead character

•Hard-to-Blockable- a term used by the kommunity to describe a mixup/setup (i.e. 50/50) that is not necessarily unblockable due to the game’s 5 frames of unblockable protection, but is still visually hard to defend against

•Health/HP- the amount of damage (measured in value points of 1000.00) that a given character can receive before they are KO’d, consisting of the lead character’s “base health” value in addition to the Kameo’s modified HP value

•High- an attack that can be blocked either standing or crouching, as well as evaded by crouching without blocking (or neutral ducking)

•High Profile- refers to a situation where a player’s attack evades above the hitbox of an opponent’s incoming attack allowing for a successful kounter/punish, often by placing the executing player in an airborne state momentarily (i.e. Baraka F3, Cyrax B2)

•Hit Advantage- the amount of frame advantage granted by a move that successfully lands against the opponent on hit

•Hitbox- an invisible collision-detection box that appears around the character model while performing a given attack, indicating the active area of the character’s move that can connect with the opponent; may be referred to as hit region by developer patch notes

•Hit-Confirm- refers to performing a normal/string that is cancellable and visually reacting to the attack(s) successfully landing on hit against the opponent before cancelling into another move (i.e. specials); this is generally practiced to avoid performing a special-cancel into an unsafe move against a blocking opponent

•Hitstun- refers to the amount of time it takes a player to recover after being successfully hit by an attack; typically synonymous with hit advantage

•Hit-Throw/Hitgrab- a type of attack that visually resembles a Throw or grab animation but can still be blocked (i.e. Jax’s “Gotcha Grab”)

•Homing- a property given to certain moves/projectiles that causes them to automatically advance in on the opponent’s position (i.e. Kameo Sektor’s “Activate Homing” missiles)

•Hurtbox- an invisible collision-detection box around the character model that is perpetually active (but can be altered while performing certain attacks), indicating the area of the character model that is vulnerable to attacks from the opponent; may be referred to as victim region by developer patch notes

•Hype- a unique mechanic exclusive to Johnny Cage that allows him to build up a star-shaped gauge in various increments after performing certain moves and taunts; completely filling up the “Hype meter” grants access to his “Wowing Out” ability, an install-like state that allows him to cancel automatically-enhanced specials into each other up to 2x in a row until the meter gradually depletes

I

•Infinite- refers to a kombo/blockstring that allows a player to repeatedly loop a certain attack/sequence and is generally inescapable (except in situations that may allow Breaker to be used), putting the opponent into a Touch of Death situation if executed properly; typically seen as a glitch and/or oversight by players of the kommunity

•Input- the specific button presses that required to perform a certain movement/action (notated universally with F/B/D/U directions and 1/2/3/4 face buttons), with occasional diagonal inputs notated by a plus (+) or slash (/) between the directions (i.e. Quan Chi D+F+4 or D/F+4); most abilities are generally referenced by their input command instead of their name, excepting more “iconic” moves (i.e. Scorpion’s “Spear”)

•Install- a special move or command that causes a character to enter a powered-up state which enhances their abilities, often only available for use once per match (i.e. Noob Saibot’s “Embrace Khaos”, Baraka/Mileena “Tarkatan” mechanics)

•Instant Air- refers to the ability to perform an aerial move on the first frame of a jump to allow for faster startup, lowered hitboxes, and/or potential pressure/mixups between aerial & grounded options (i.e. Instant Air Dash, Instant Air Fireball, Instant Air Divekick, etc.)

•Invulnerability- a property given to some moves (indicated by a yellow flash) that allows them to negate the dmg and hit-reaction of an opponent’s incoming attack; some moves may only have invulnerability against a specific type of attack (i.e. projectiles, jump attacks)

J

•Jab- usually refers to a character’s standing Front Punch (S1), typically the fast move of every character’s moveset; can occasionally refer to a faster or similarly fast Back Punch (S2)

•Jailing- refers to an attack having enough hit advantage to jail the opponent preventing them from avoiding the following attack with any action besides blocking; for example, if a player lands an attack that is +17 on hit and is in the proper range to connect a follow-up normal/string that is faster than 17f, the opponent will be unable to avoid this follow-up attack by ducking, jumping, or attacking (if jailed correctly)

•Juggle- a state of hitstun during which the opponent is considered airborne (triggered by a launcher and/or assist) and can be freely juggled by the player to extend the kombo until the opponent gradually falls to the floor (Gravity Scaling)

•Jump- the act of pressing/holding Up to jump straight upwards (aka ”Neutral Jump”), Up+Forward to perform a Forward Jump, or Up+Back to perform a Back Jump

•Jump-in- refers to performing a Forward Jump to close in on the opponent, typically in the context of either performing a Jump Attack against a grounded opponent or performing an empty jump to Throw after landing instead (jump-in grab)

•Jump Cancel- the act of cancelling the grounded recovery frames of a move into a jump, usually to perform a kombo or safe-jump; all characters can cancel a kounter/punish D2 into a jump cancel for two bars of meter (disabling the opponent’s Breaker for 10 seconds), while certain characters may have their own unique attacks that can be jump-cancelled on hit meterlessly (i.e. Quan Chi S3)

•Just Frame- refers to a move (sometimes a modified version of a pre-existing move) that requires a strict input timing or sequence that allows only a single frame of input opportunity to be successfully performed

K

•Kameo- the assist fighter or partner character selected after the lead/point character, which can be called onscreen to perform various actions that assist the lead character; can also be used to refer to the Kameo Gauge, a regenerative gauge that determines the expense of a Kameo’s assists

•Kara Cancel- also known as an empty cancel; refers to the ability to cancel select moves/actions into an another move before they occur in order to achieve certain benefits, such as cancelling the startup of certain normals into a Basic Throw (Kara Throw) to slightly extend the throw range and/or mix the opponent, as well as cancelling the pre-jump frames of a Jump Cancel into a grounded special (Kara Jump Cancel)

•Knockback- a type of hit reaction that sends the affected player flying backwards at a certain distance before ultimately ending in a knockdown

•Knockdown- a type of hit reaction that causes the affected player to fall down to the floor in a grounded state, during which the player is invulnerable to attacks until they have fully returned to a standing position (except for certain rare OTG situations); the player who is knocked down is unable to perform any actions in this floored state until fully risen (with the exception of Delay Getup)

•Knowledge Check- a term used to describe a move, sequence, or strategy that may require players to have knowledge of the matchup due to seeming powerful but being beatable, as well as not being utilized as often

•Kombo- refers to a kombination sequence in which more than one hit connect against the opponent in succession (indicated by the increasing kombo/hit number-counter onscreen), leaving them in hitstun until the kombo has ended or a Breaker is used; these can be done as automatic strings by inputting certain button-press sequences but can also be started, extended, or ended with various normals, specials, and/or assists

•Kounter- typically known as a counterhit (CH) in other games; refers to an attack that interrupts the startup of an opponent’s attempted attack

L

•Lab- a nickname used to refer to the Practice/Training mode

•Launcher- a move/assist that knocks the opponent upwards into the air on hit, placing them in a juggle state that can be converted into a kombo

•Lead/Point Character- the Main Fighter selected initially by players to be controlled primarily in battle (with the help of their secondary Kameo Partners)

•Link- refers to a situation where an attack can land and completely finish its recovery with enough hit advantage to connect a subsequent attack into a natural kombo; this often achieved by circumstance when timing juggle hits after a launcher to extend kombos but can also be performed after certain attacks against a grounded opponent

•Longcut- an input technique where the players intentionally uses more input commands than necessary to guarantee a clean input that will not be mistaken for another move; players can also select “Alternate Kontrols” in the game’s “Kontrols” menu to change the basic directional inputs into more traditional motion inputs that require the inclusion of diagonal directions (i.e. QCB, HCF, etc.)

•Loop- refers to a kombo/sequence that consists of repeating the same attack(s) more than once

•Low- an attack that can only be blocked while crouching but may be evaded by jumping/airborne moves in certain cases

•Low Profile- refers to a situation where a player’s attack evades underneath the hitbox of an opponent’s incoming attack, allowing for a successful kounter/punish

M

•Magic Pixel- a term that refers to a character’s final 1% HP

•Main- refers to a given player’s preferred primary choice of lead/point character in terms of who they kompete and play the most matches with

•Mash- refers to the rapid and repeated pressing of one or more buttons, typically to guarantee a move comes out on its first available frame

•Match- a fight in the game that is divided into 90-second rounds (typically 2-3), the majority of which must be won by one of two players in order to win the game; more than one match played together in a kompetition is commonly referred to as a set

•Matchup (MU)- refers to the fighting stats as they pertain to two characters who are facing each other in an average match, measuring various factors of both characters to compare their respective strengths/weaknesses against one another (i.e. good/bad MUs); may sometimes be measured in ratios such as 5-5, 7-3, 9-1, etc.

•Meaty- refers to one or both of the following:

1. the act of an attack connecting with the opponent on its later active frames, improving the attack’s frame advantage (on hit or block) by an additional frame for each active frame added (after 1)
2. the act of an attack connecting with the opponent on the first frame of their Getup (ideally by utilizing the previous definition), disabling the opponent from performing any movement/action on wakeup except for a reversal with armor or invulnerability

•Meta- a term used by fighting game players to describe the state of a game’s general strategy, kombat system, & overall gameplay (“the way a game plays”); a game’s “meta” is largely determined by its design (i.e. mechanics, character balance, etc.) but is also greatly affected by the collective mindstate and general tendencies/techniques of the game’s playerbase and what they consider to be the “strongest” or “most effective” tools/strategies within the kommunity

•Meter Gain-

•Meterless- refers to attack/sequence that does not require any Super Meter in order to execute (i.e. kombo/launcher)

•Microdash- a dash that is inputted/buffered only to be quickly cancelled into another action before the full dash animation completes; typically used to connect follow-up attacks in juggle kombos that would not normally reach the opponent in time with a normal walk/dash command

•Microduck- a crouch/duck that is inputted/buffered by tapping Down without holding the button to quickly duck and return to a standing position; typically used on defense to evade potential High attacks and stand up again in time to whiff-punish the High and/or kounter any follow-up attacks

•Mid- an attack that can be blocked either standing or crouching but cannot be evaded by neutral ducking

•Midscreen- a situation when neither character is close enough to the corner to immediately consider corner options. Among other things, it means that the enemy has space to retreat. Characters are almost always far less dangerous midscreen than in the corner; for instance, Shao can combo Unarmed F2 into repeated B32 in the corner for much more damage.

•Mimic- a playstyle/archetype that revolves around mimicking another character (usually the opponent’s character) by borrowing moves from their kit or transforming into them entirely (i.e. Shang Tsung, Shujinko)

•Mirror- a matchup between two players who have selected the same lead/point character

•Mixup- an offensive technique consisting of two or more options with different attack heights that can be used interchangeably to keep the opponent guessing and open up their defense (i.e. Low, Overhead, Throw)

•Movement- refers to a given character’s overall mobility, typically pertaining to their walk/dash speed and travel distance but may also be measured by other additional factors (i.e. command runs/dashes, jump arcs, teleports, etc.)

N

•Negative Edge- also known as Release Check— refers to a movement/action being performed by the release of the corresponding button after pressing it; this can be toggled On/Off universally in the “Kontrols” settings, however some character-specific abilities utilize negative edge by default (i.e. Kenshi’s Ancestor commands in “Sento Stance”)

•Nerf-

•Neutral-

•Normal- a single Basic attack performed by pressing a face button (1/2/3/4); combining this input with a single directional button press may be referred to as a command normal

•Notation-

O

•Okizeme/Oki- refers to the mindgame against an opponent who is knocked down to be dealt with upon wakeup, typically enforced with fundamentals such as pressure, mixups, meaty attacks, and setplay; moves that leave the opponent closer to the player on knockdown are generally regarded as providing “good oki” to a character

•Optimal- refers to the standard kombo route of a given character that provides them with the most damage

•Option Select (OS)- refers to a situation in which players can input two or more buttons/commands at once during a given scenario to buffer more than one option, which causes the game to register both or all commands and automatically select the optimal option for the situation

•OTG-

•Overhead- an attack that must be blocked while standing upright, which includes most jumping attacks; can also be defended against with Up Block

P

•Parry- a move that absorbs, negates, and/or automatically kounters an incoming attack without receiving dmg, usually providing some benefit for successfully performing (i.e. stun, knockdown, etc.); some parries may be designed to only work against certain attack types (i.e. projectiles, High attacks)

•Pixie-

•Plinking- pressing two or more buttons on consecutive frames in order to execute precise successive commands

•Point-blank- refers to the range closest to the opponent

•Poke- a quick single-hitting normal attack done to play the neutral and create spacing as well as stuff incoming attacks from the opponent; this is most commonly used to refer to crouching jabs/kicks (D1/D3/D4) but may also refer to a given character’s Basic attack buttons and command normals such as longer-reaching single-hit buttons used to connect against the opponent from farther ranges (i.e. Ashrah F2)

•Pre-jump-

•Pressure- refers to a playstyle that revolves around conditioning the opponent to remain defensive and maintaining frame advantage (esp. on block or knockdown); this can include several key fundamentals such as plus frames, fast attacks, mixups, good staggers, and okizeme

•Projectile- a type of attack (usually a special move) that has a disjointed hitbox with no attached hurtbox and generally behaves independently of the executing character once it becomes active, often traveling across the screen towards the opponent (i.e. fireball)

•Punish- refers to hitting the opponent during the recovery frames of their attack

•Puppet- an archetype that revolves around controlling two separate characters/entities simultaneously (i.e. Kenshi’s “Sento Stance,” Janet Cage’s “Stunt Double”)

•Pushback- refers to the opponent being moved backwards by a given attack (usually on block)

•Pushbox- an invisible collision-detection box around the character model (similar to a hitbox or hurtbox) that prevents two characters from overlapping or passing through each other by moving forward, causing them to push against the opposite character model instead

Q

•Quitality- an automatic finisher performed against the opponent by their own character upon leaving the game (or rage-quitting), during which their character will display a Quitality-specific animation and the remaining player will be declared the winner; this will not occur if the opponent disconnects their network or closes the entire game

R

•Range- refers to one or both of the following:

1. the length and/or reach of a given attack (or a character and their overall toolkit) as is relative to the opponent
2. the distance between two player characters as is relative to the previous definition (i.e. up-close/point-blank, neutral/midscreen, fullscreen, etc.)

•Raw- refers to a move that is performed without being cancelled into and/or used in a kombo

•Reaction- a player’s response to an opponent’s movement/action based on visually seeing it occur and acting accordingly

•Read- a player’s response to an opponent’s movement/action based on an educated guess or prediction of their tendencies and/or probability of performing certain actions

•Reel- a type of hit-reaction that leaves the opponent spinning slowly in-air and can cause a collapsing stun state similar to a crumple, allowing the executing player to start/extend kombos (i.e. Darrius “Tornado Kick”)

•Recharge/Refill- interchangeable terms referring to the automatic regeneration of the Kameo Gauge after an assist has been used; the rate of this recharge/refill is different for each individual assist

•Recovery- the final window of an attack animation (measured in frames) during which the active portion of the attack has expired and the executing player is vulnerable to attacks before being allowed to block again (i.e. punish)

•Reflect- refers to a move parrying an opponent’s incoming projectile and sending it back towards them

•Rejump- refers to performing an aerial kombo against the opponent and landing on the ground while the opponent is still airborne before jumping again to perform another aerial kombo, or performing certain Ambush assists that provide the lead character with a command jump (i.e. Khameleon’s “Fan Lift) to extend an aerial kombo past the point where both characters would normally land back on the ground

•Rekka- a special move that has two more extensions which can be performed by inputting another special command (often the same as the initial input) and can allow the player to input the full sequence or only the first hit(s) to create pressure/mixup situations

•Reset-

•Restand- a type of hit reaction that returns the opponent from an airborne/juggle state to a standing position; this is typically used to end kombos in order to disable the opponent from using Getups, although some may cause a stun state to continue kombos (i.e. Scorpion’s “Spear”)

•Reversal- a move/action performed on the first possible frame out of blockstun or on Getup, usually a special move or Kameo Summon (indicated by a “Reversal” alert onscreen when successfully executed); it is highly encouraged to use a special/Summon with armor or invulnerability for this purpose

•Round- a division of a match that must be won by one of two players depleting the other’s HP first (or winning with a life-lead by Time Over); there are generally 2-3 rounds per match at 90 seconds each (unless altered in the Settings menu), which must be won 2/3 in order for a player to win the match

•Round Start-

•RPS-

•Rushdown- a playstyle/archetype

S

•Safe- refers to a move that has negative frame advantage on block but cannot be punished, allowing the executing player to safely block the opponent’s attempt to retaliate

•Safe Jump- refers to a setup performed after a knockdown with enough frame advantage, which allows the executing player to perform a jump-in attack that is delayed late enough before landing to connect on the first frame of the rising opponent’s wakeup and land on the ground in time to safely block any incoming Getup attacks; safe jumps can double as a meaty and/or armor break setup (as they connect on the first frame of the opponent’s wakeup and can absorb the armor hit of their reversal), with many players considering them to be an automatic option select for this reason

•Setplay- a playstyle/archetype that revolves around setups to pressure/mixup the opponent

•Setup- refers to the concept of placing an opponent in a situation with limited options (typically on oki after landing a knockdown or during an assist’s kombo extension), giving the executing player enough time perform a pre-planned strategy that furthers their advantage; this can come in the form of various different types of tools such as slower or less-straightforward projectiles (i.e. Kitana’s “Wind Bomb,” Havik’s “Neoplasm”, Li Mei’s “Sky Lantern”), moves that retain a “projectile” property but can act like a trap (i.e. Sub-Zero’s “Ice Klone,” Quan Chi’s “Field Of Bones” and various “Zone” portals, Noob Saibot or Rain portals, Cyrax bombs, etc.), stance abilities (i.e. Kenshi, General Shao, Shang Tsung), a power-up or install type of ability (i.e. Johnny Cage, Geras, Ermac, Noob, Baraka, Mileena), invisibility (Reptile/Smoke), and many others including a variety of Kameo assist options

•Shimmy- a tactic where the executing player baits an opponent’s attempt to react to a potential Throw with a tech, often by walking in and out of their throw range

•Shoto/All-Rounder- a character archetype that is regarded as being a “jack of all trades,” providing the player with most of the basic tools recommended to play the game at a fundamental level (i.e. projectiles, anti-airs, fast attacks, projectile-invulnerability, etc.)

•Side-switch- refers to a movement/action that causes the executing player to end up on the opposite side of the opponent; this can be useful for controlling the player’s position relative to the opponent (esp. when backed against the corner)

•Special- a type of move (typically performed by pressing two consecutive directional inputs and one attack button) that is unique to a character’s kit and generally has stronger properties than a normal/string (i.e. projectiles)

•Special Cancel- refers to inputting a special move immediately after a normal/string to cancel the player’s recovery into another move; this is typically done to connect basic attacks/strings and specials together in a kombo

•Stagger- a short or incomplete string (usually one that leaves the opponent standing on hit) that can be used to pressure the opponent; this can be done on hit to jail the opponent or on block to safely avoid ending a string with an unsafe attack

•Stance- a move/ability that locks the executing character into a unique pose/form which changes their moveset entirely and/or grants access to additional new moves; this can also refer to a character archetype that revolves around using stances (i.e. Kenshi, Shao, Shang)

•Starter- a move that is used to start kombos (i.e. launcher)

•Startup- the initial window of an attack animation (measured in frames) during which the attack begins to visually occur

•String- a chain of attacks (performed by inputting a specific sequence of attack buttons) that creates a natural kombo if two or more hits of the string successfully land; kombo strings can also be performed on whiff or block

•Stun- a property given to some attacks that places the opponent in an increased state of hitstun when successfully landed, allowing the executing player to convert into kombos

•Summon- a category of Kameo assist that behaves similarly to a special move, usually locking the point character into a unique animation and calling the Kameo onscreen to perform the assist

•Summon Cancel- refers to inputting a Summon assist immediately after a normal/string to cancel the player’s recovery into another move; this is typically done to connect basic attacks/strings and assists together in a kombo

•Sweep (B4)- the game’s universal kick normal performed by pressing Back+4 to land a knockdown against the opponent

T

•Taunt- a universal ability performed by tapping Down 4 times that causes the Main Fighter to strike a unique pose and taunt the opponent; these generally have no effect in gameplay besides allowing the player to buffer Block and/or input a Throw tech in case they are hit or grabbed (with the exception of Johnny who can use his taunt to fill his Hype gauge)

•Tech-

•Teleport- a type of ability that causes the character to instantly move from one position to another (i.e. behind/in front of/above opponent); this can be used to attack as well as provide additional mobility

•Throw/Grab- a type of move that connects against a blocking opponent to open up their defense; these can be escaped with a Throw Tech or a jump (as well as a neutral crouch if the Throw hits as a High)

•Tick Throw- refers to a special cancel into a command grab which can successfully Throw a blocking opponent only when performed after select normals and strings

•Tier-

•Time Over- refers to the round timer reaching 0 seconds, at which point the round ends and the player with the higher HP value wins (with the exception of a Tie)

•Touch of Death (ToD)- a sequence that is guaranteed to deplete the opponent’s health from 100 to 0 HP unless they have sufficient resources to escape (i.e. Breaker); this is usually done with one or more highly-damaging kombos that may be consecutively enforced with a setup

•Tracking- a property given to certain moves/projectiles that causes them to automatically strike at the opponent’s exact position (i.e. Quan Chi’s S4); this tracking can potentially be avoided by performing certain movements/actions to evade the incoming attack before it becomes active and/or tracks to the defending player’s position

•Trade- refers to a situation in which two opposing attacks connect with each other at the same time

•Trap- a projectile-like object (typically with a stationary hitbox) or a tracking/directable ability that can be used to control the space onscreen and restrict the opponent’s movement, also allowing for kombos successfully on hit (i.e. Sub-Zero’s “Ice Klone,” Quan Chi’s “Field Of Bones,” Noob Saibot’s “Netherrealm Portals,” Mavado’s “Trap Drop,” etc.)

•Triangle Jump-

U

•Up Block- a unique type of blocking performed by pressing Up+Block that only occurs against most aerial and Overhead attacks (indicated by the onscreen notification), generally making them more punishable on block and/or disabling follow-up abilities

•Unblockable- a type of attack that cannot be avoided by blocking (i.e. Johnny Cage’s fully charged Fatal Blow)

•Unbreakable- refers to an attack/sequence preventing the opponent from using a Breaker to escape the hit

•Uppercut (D2)- the game’s universal punch normal that is performed by pressing Down+2 to launch the opponent into the air; although this is not traditionally a true launcher on its own and only grants a knockdown, it can lead to kombos with MK1’s Kameo system as well as the kounter D2 Jump Cancel mechanic

V

•Vortex- refers to a situation where a player can enforce a looping mixup situation, usually by landing a restand that can force the opponent to guess correctly on the following mixup

W

•Wall Jump- a unique command that allows characters to jump off of the corner or edge of the screen

•Wavedash- the act of quickly chaining dash-blocks together

•Whiff- refers to an attack missing and entering recovery, becoming vulnerable to a whiff-punish

•Whiff Cancel- refers to the ability to cancel a whiffed attack (i.e. jump normals) into a special move

X

X-Ray refers to a cinematic feature in recent MK games during certain attacks such as super moves (MK9/X/1) and Krushing Blows (MK11) where the camera reveals the internal damage being inflicted on the opponent (i.e. broken bones)

Z

•Zoning/Zoner- refers to a playstyle/archetype that revolves around attacking from a distance and/or keeping opponents out of close-range (usually with projectiles, long-ranged normals, and/or attacks with pushback)