Blocking
A state with 0 frames of startup that allows you to block any attacks. It is an active state where you cannot cancel into an attack until you are no longer blocking. This means when you are holding block at any distance, whether or not there is a nearby attack, you will be blocking. You can only attack after blocking once you no longer blocking. If the opponent ends up on the opposite side for an attack, you will still block that attack if you are holding down the block input.
Flawless Blocking
A state that occurs when blocking within a certain time period of an attack occurring that has several properties. Several attacks may have different pushback and frame advantage when Flawless Blocked as opposed to being blocked normally. Jump punches that are Flawless Blocked cannot be special cancelled and certain Basic Attacks also cannot be special cancelled when they are Flawless Blocked. The conditions for Flawless Blocking an initial attack and Flawless Blocking an attack that is part of a string are different. If you enter a block state and do not block an attack, you cannot then Flawless Block for 10 frames. If you enter a block state and block an attack, you cannot then Flawless Block for 5 frames. Strings that have certain attacks that can be Flawless Blocked have at least this 5 frame gap. Flawless blocking will also reduce the chip damage of the blocked hit and any hits that immediately follow in a string or special.
Block Attacks
A type of attack that occurs after a flawless block at the cost of 1 Defensive Meter and 1 Offensive Meter. There are two kinds of Block Attacks, Up+3 and Up+2. Block Attacks occur immediately after the Flawless Block, and often during the recovery of the opponent's first attack so it will almost always hit unless the opponent special cancels into a parry. Up+3 is a Block Attack with Invincibility, meaning you will not take any damage whatsoever for its duration. Up+2 is a Block Attack that launches the opponent into the air and allows you to follow up with a juggle combo.
Armor
A state which ignores hitstun, allowing you to power through incoming attacks. You will still take damage if an attack lands but you will not be interrupted during the animation of whichever move granted the armor. Armor is universally available through Breakaway, U3 Block and Wakeup Attacks, and Fatal Blow after the initial 8 frames of start-up. Very few characters have alternate ways of accessing armor; Kano's Vege-mighty buff is one of them, granting a single hit of armor to his Kano Ball.
Throw Escapes
A defensive option that prevents you from being thrown. When escaping a throw, you and the opponent return to a neutral state, however the person being thrown will still take the initial 10 damage that occurs before the Throw Escape. Forward Throws can be escaped by inputting 2 or 4, and Back Throws can be escaped by inputting 1 or 3. Throw Escapes cannot occur while blocking, and so the block input must be released, followed by the Throw Escape input.
Throw Tech Option Select
A technique used to defend against situations where the opponent may either throw you or continue an Attack Kombo. It is done by first blocking, releasing block, inputting a Throw Escape and finally blocking again. The option select allows you to use the same input in either situation, allowing you to completely block a blockstring as well as escaping a throw. If the opponent used a string instead of a throw, then you would have blocked the first attack and inputting a throw escape input in the gap before the next attack, which by then you would have already begun blocking. If the opponent chose to throw, then the Throw Escape input would have happened instead.
Reversal Attacks
A state of a Special Move that occurs when the input for the Special Move occurs immediately after the pushback of the opponent's attack on block. Special Moves that are inputted too late in recovery from blocking the attack can still be buffered in coming out as the recovery of the opponent's attack ends but will not end up being a Reversal Attack. Special Moves successfully performed as a reversal have one less frame of start-up. For example, a move with an active frame that comes out on the 11th frame will instead come out on the 10th frame of that same Special Move as a Reversal Attack state.
Breakaway
MK11's version of the Combo Breaker mechanic from previous games. Triggered by holding Down + Block after being launched, you are put into a falling state out of the combo. Doing so costs both bars of Defensive Meter with Slow Meter Regen rate (16.5 seconds) applied. You are armored for the duration of the Breakaway and have altered gravity. If performed at the right time, it is possible to punish your opponent for attempting to continue the combo once you get up. Conversely, any Armor Break move that lands will put you out of the Breakaway state and depending on the move, can extend the combo, force you to take a Fatal Blow, or cause a Krushing Blow. A safer answer to the Breakaway is to perform a D2 on reaction. This will not break armor but will guarantee the most damage that can't be punished after their landing and leave you close enough to start your wakeup game. Certain attacks like Raiden's Thunder Wave can prevent a Breakaway from occurring until after the animation finishes.
Delayed Wakeup
A type of recovery option that allows you to return to a neutral state at a later point by holding the block input while in a knocked down state. There currently exists only one type of delayed wakeup and is universal across the kast. Despite this, it can allow you to punish the opponent if they made an attack that might have hit you during a non-delayed wakeup and is a powerful tool when rotating between other recovery options.
Parries
A unique type of Special Move that does not do damage on its own. The character enters a defensive pose for a brief moment; if the opponent strikes them during this pose, the defender will negate it and usually counter with an attack of their own. Some parries can also negate projectiles but these usually do not have the counter attack, Shang Tsung's Shake being an exception. Parries are typically vulnerable to low attacks and air attacks. If your opponent is frequently using their Block Attacks, consider using a parry to call them out.
Getup Attacks
Getup Roll
Chip Avoided/Last Breath
Once a player has reached the lowest possible health value, they are given an additional layer of protection from death on block provided they have the Defensive Meter to do so. Any attack that would kill at this point with chip damage is negated at the cost of removing 1 bar of defensive meter for the remainder of the round. A notification will appear on screen when this occurs. The bar of meter being taken has to be full as well or else the protection will not activate and the chip damage will go through. If a player ends the round after both Defensive Meters have been taken away, they will start the next round with a fully restored defensive meter. The initial damage that occurs on a throw is more than enough to end the round if a player is on Last Breath so a throw escape is not possible. Multi-hitting strings or special moves can also eat through Last Breath so use these options to close out a round against a low hp opponent who is blocking.
