Basic Attacks
Attacks that typically consist of a single face button input and at most a single directional input (Example: S1, B1, D4). They are either High, Mid, Low or Overhead attacks. The opponent must be crouching and blocking to block Low attacks and must be standing and blocking to block Overhead attacks. High attacks and some Mid attacks can whiff if the opponent is either ducking (crouching and not holding block) or doing an attack that puts them under the attack's hitbox. Certain Basic Attacks can put the player into an airborne state and cause Low attacks to whiff as well. Not all basic attacks can be special cancelled.
Kombo Attacks
A "string" of inputs that consist of additional face buttons and sometimes directional inputs. Inputs have to be "dialed" up, meaning you must input the desired amount of the string in immediate succession. Not all basic attacks have strings associated with them and many strings can have different ending attacks. Not all Kombo Attacks can special cancel after the string but may replace the final attack. Certain Kombo Attacks may also require the entire string be dialed and then special cancelled during a portion of the animation instead.
Jumping Attacks
An attack that occurs a character jumps and then inputs 1, 2 or 3/4 (Jump 3 and Jump 4 are the same attack) while in the air. The properties of Jumping Attacks will depend on the trajectory of the character. On the way up, Jump Attacks are mid attacks and are overhead attacks if inputted on their way down. Jump 3/4, or Jump Kicks, can only be cancelled on hit and not on block. Jump 1 and Jump 2 can be cancelled on block and hit but cannot be cancelled if the opponent flawless blocks the jump attack. A common strategy is to jump in towards the opponent with a Jump 1 or Jump 2 and then cancel into a high attack or high starter string, this is because the opponent cannot duck high attacks that are "jailed" into after blocking these jump attacks.
Hop Attacks
An attack that occurs while hop jumping and inputting either 1 or 2 for a hop punch attack or 3 or 4 for a hop kick attack. Both of these hop attacks are overhead and are invulnerable to low attacks and ducking attacks such as Down 1 during their startup animation. They typically are very negative on block but due to their pushback they can be difficult to punish. In an offline setting it is much easier for the opponent to react to a hop attack and kounter with a standing basic attack.
Throws
A High attack done by inputting either 1+3 or Forward1+3. Throws typically have multiple hits with the first always doing 10 damage and nearly all throws ending in 130 damage (Shang Tsung's forward throw doing 110 damage and healing him by 20 health points). 1+3, or Back Throw, can be teched by inputting either 1 or 3. Forward1+3, or Forward Throw, can be teched by inputting either 2 or 4. In order to tech a throw, you must not be blocking and press the tech button shortly after taking damage from the first hit of the throw. During Last Breath, throws can chip kill the opponent.
Auto Shimmy
Kombo Attacks whose first couple attacks are similar in animation to that particular character's throw attack. Because throw techs cannot occur while blocking and must press either 1 or 3/2 or 4, it can leave them open to being kountered by an auto shimmy if they anticipated a throw. Opponents ducking attempting to make a throw whiff can also be hit by an Auto Shimmy. Certain Kombo Attacks are better candidates for Auto Shimmies than others, these typically are strings that can defeat throw tech option selects. Where an opponent first blocks, releases block for a small time to press the tech button and then block again. Kombo Attacks that are blocked by this strategy are typically not very optimal as Auto Shimmies.
Special Moves/Amplified Special Moves
An attack that requires a face button input as well as much as two directional inputs. Special Moves often have unique properties that vary from character to character, many can be Amplified for additional properties at the cost of either Offensive meter, Defensive meter or both. When a special move is amplified, the meter is recovered as a Normal meter gain rate or a Fast meter gain rate (Kung Lao's amplified Spin Special Move is Normal meter gain and Orbiting Hat Special Move is Fast meter gain).
Special Move Cancels
A Special Move Cancel is when the recovery frames of certain Basic Attacks or Attack Kombos are replaced with the startup frames of a Special Move. A Special Move Cancel cannot occur during the recovery frames of an attack that would be cancelled but instead can occur during the initial dial-up of the string or anytime during the Attack Kombo before the recovery frames of the attack you wish to special cancel.
Fatal Blow
A Special Move that can be used when the player is at 300 health or less. It consists of two stages with a first initial attack and the following cutscene of the rest of the Fatal Blow. The initial attack can be multiple attacks before the cutscene stage but the very first hit is always 20 damage. Without modification, all Fatal Blows will eventually do 310-340 total damage. During the cutscene stage, the attacker and defender can both press 3 in tandem with the attacks as they occur during the cutscene. A correctly timed 3 input by the attacker results in one of three skull icons below the defender's life bar and a correctly timed 3 input by the defender results in one of three shield icons below the defender's life bar. Listed below are their properties.
- Normal Skull adds 1 damage
- Split Skull adds 3 damage
- Shattered Skull adds 5 damage
- Normal Shield mitigates 1 damage
- Bigger Shield mitigates 3 damage
- Biggest Shield mitigates 5 damage
If a Fatal Blow attacks whiffs or is blocked, it is temporarily disabled for 9 seconds before it can be used again. Once a Fatal Blow hits the opponent, it will be unavailable for the duration of the set. Once a Fatal Blow begins, it will have armor after 8 frames. Before those 8 frames the Fatal Blow can be interrupted by any attack, if this occurs the Fatal Blow will enter a cooldown state for 9 seconds. Any Basic Attack or Attack Kombo that can be special cancelled can also be cancelled with a Fatal Blow. Many Fatal Blows have a lot of pushback on block, especially if they are blocked while crouching. This can pushback be mitigated by either Flawless Blocking the Fatal Blow or by blocking it while standing. They also have Armor Breaking capabilities, will can ignore their opponent's armor properties when they breakaway, in the armor stage of their own fatal blows or in the armor stage of Environmental Interactions.
Armor Break
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Krushing Blows
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Environmental Interactions
placeholder (Has either Normal Meter Gain or Slow Meter Gain)
