Mortal Kombat 1/General Shao

General Shao
Base Health	1100.00
Availability

Introduction

Supreme Commander of Outworld’s Army

"Born into a proud military family, Shao was expected to become a soldier. But he was a sickly child who, though brilliant and eager, had an infirm body. Shao’s disability infuriated his father. He dismissed his son’s physicians and designed an extreme program to build his son’s strength and endurance. Years of toil molded Shao into a physical colossus and forged within him an iron will. And as his father had promised, Shao became the perfect soldier. His brilliant tactics and relentless effort won Outworld many victories and him much fame. Though General Shao is sworn to serve the Empress, his loyalty is to with Outworld. If Sindel’s rule ever endangers Outworld, he will be the first to try to end it."

A master of both armed and unarmed kombat, General Shao is a Stance character with strong mobility, primarily built around playing neutral and pouncing on opportunities. By default he stays in Axe Stance, patrolling neutral with a suite of long-reaching, disjoint normals. In this stance, B1 is a solid High whiff punisher, S2 stands out as a ludicrously fast button for the amount of horizontal and vertical space it covers, and B2 is a slow but plus on block launcher that opponents need to be wary of. Enhanced Devastator (EX DB3) is an Armored attack with the special property of creating a full combo launch opportunity if the Armor isn't triggered by an incoming attack. Once he finds an opening, he plants the axe with Power Strike (DF4) to enter No Axe Stance, losing reach but temporarily gaining far superior attack speed, safety, mixups, and damage output. Notable attacks in this stance include the plus and gapless launching string in 112, F2 becoming a fast and safe meterless Overhead launcher, DF1 as a Command Grab that gains Armor when metered and a true Armored launching DB3. While all of this sounds great on paper, the General Shao player must be aware to operate within his current stance's strengths, as the two stances have limited overlap and major deficiencies on their own.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Exceptional Health: At 1100 base HP, General Shao is tied with Havik as the highest HP characters in the game. This health value can be used to make -50 HP Kameos less of a problem, or it can be combined with an HP-boosting Kameo for even more durability.
Supreme Reach: In his default Axe stance, many of General Shao's normals boast excellent reach with generous disjoints. Foremost among them are S22, a "jab" string with absurdly large coverage for its 8-frame startup, B1, a safe advancing disjoint mid with a natural overhead followup, and J2, a downward axe swipe with an enormous sweeping hitbox.
Dangerous Mix: General Shao has numerous Overhead options in both stances, with the No Axe stance boasting the best overhead in the game in F2 (on top of a command grab that ticks from D1 and D3). His Low B3 kombo starter is available in both stances.
Peculiar Speed: Like his MK11 predecessor, General Shao has unusually quick speed for his size. His blockdashing is among the best in the game, allowing him to close the gap and threaten mixups from a surprising distance.
Mano a Mano: Few characters can scrap like an unarmed Shao, where he is free to apply a massive suite of mixups and plus frames. His specials in particular gain an enormous boost, with three out of the five available specials gaining armor on EX and giving him an armored kombo starter (with caveats), an armored command grab, and an armored plus mid.
Air Kontrol: General Shao can easily antiair with Devastator (DB3), and his exceptional height makes his jabs excellent at anti-airing. If all else fails, his highly vertical and disjoint D2 will work.
General Shao's Army: General Shao could be the most Kameo-versatile character in the game, with the entire roster being viable choices. He works wonderfully with meta Kameos Kung Lao and Stryker, while still effectively using off-meta choices like Frost and Motaro. His superior base HP (1100) also makes health-penalizing Kameos less of a problem.

Devastatingly Frustrating: Shao relies on Devastator (DB3) for both kombo extensions and armored reversals, and it is a highly flawed move for both purposes, being easy to low-profile and risking full-kombo punishment on drop. Though it is the only explicit armored launcher in the game by itself, armoring a move in both stance versions will disable kombo pickups under most circumstances.
Safety Third: Shao's options for offense in Axe stance are defined by two outcomes: his gapless options are unsafe, and his safe options leave a gap. His Power Strike (DF4), while mostly safe on regular block, is easily anticipated and punished on upblock and flawless block on top of creating a gap with nearly every cancel option. Even in No Axe stance, he sometimes must swing with an unsafe move to complete a frametrap.
The Wrong Tool for the Job: While his Axe stance has excellent space control and his Unarmed stance can brawl up close, being forced to play outside of the stance's strength can have disastrous results. Among other issues, his Axe stance entirely lacks a confirmable mid without Kameos (the closest being his 26 frame B2), and No Axe stance surrenders all of his disjoints.
Kameo Dependent: Though General Shao has numerous viable Kameo choices, his gameplan is highly dictated by his current choice, making him less flexible once ingame and often necessitating a Kameo switch mid-set. Kameo priorities include covering the gap in a Power Strike (DF4) cancel on block, being able to kombo from Axe F2, being able to confirm from his cancellable one-hit mids, and providing an alternate armored reversal to replace Devastator.

Normals and Strings

Grounded

12

1

File:MK1 General Shao 1.png

File:MK1 General Shao 1 hitbox.png

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1

Standing Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
7	2	22	17	20	3	H	+10	-2	-2	-

Short but useful jabstring, and General Shao's point blank combo starter of choice in most situations. 1 is his fastest standing attack, hitting high up for antiairs, though in most other situations 2 will be more useful due to its vastly improved hitbox and somehow quicker recovery. 12 deals solid damage, comes out fast for a jabstring followup, and bounces for a combo. In Axe stance by itself Shao can follow up 12 with 22, but cancelling directly into Power Strike will create enough height to combo directly into B32 for less meter spent. Landing 12 on an airborne enemy will not bounce, instead giving an immediate knockdown.

The two stance versions appear to be entirely identical, differing only in sound and aesthetic.

12

File:MK1 General Shao 12.png

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12

Standing Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
14	3	32	-	70	10.5	M	+22 (Launch)	-3	-3	-

Short but useful jabstring, and General Shao's point blank combo starter of choice in most situations. 1 is his fastest standing attack, hitting high up for antiairs, though in most other situations 2 will be more useful due to its vastly improved hitbox and somehow quicker recovery. 12 deals solid damage, comes out fast for a jabstring followup, and bounces for a combo. In Axe stance by itself Shao can follow up 12 with 22, but cancelling directly into Power Strike will create enough height to combo directly into B32 for less meter spent. Landing 12 on an airborne enemy will not bounce, instead giving an immediate knockdown.

The two stance versions appear to be entirely identical, differing only in sound and aesthetic.

1

File:MK1 General Shao ua1.png

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1

Standing Front Punch (Unarmed)

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
7	2	22	-	20	3	H	+10	-2	-2	-

Short but useful jabstring, and General Shao's point blank combo starter of choice in most situations. 1 is his fastest standing attack, hitting high up for antiairs, though in most other situations 2 will be more useful due to its vastly improved hitbox and somehow quicker recovery. 12 deals solid damage, comes out fast for a jabstring followup, and bounces for a combo. In Axe stance by itself Shao can follow up 12 with 22, but cancelling directly into Power Strike will create enough height to combo directly into B32 for less meter spent. Landing 12 on an airborne enemy will not bounce, instead giving an immediate knockdown.

The two stance versions appear to be entirely identical, differing only in sound and aesthetic.

12

File:MK1 General Shao ua12.png

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12

Front Punch, Back Punch (Unarmed)

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
14	3	23	-	70	10.5	M	+51	-3	-3	-

Short but useful jabstring, and General Shao's point blank combo starter of choice in most situations. 1 is his fastest standing attack, hitting high up for antiairs, though in most other situations 2 will be more useful due to its vastly improved hitbox and somehow quicker recovery. 12 deals solid damage, comes out fast for a jabstring followup, and bounces for a combo. In Axe stance by itself Shao can follow up 12 with 22, but cancelling directly into Power Strike will create enough height to combo directly into B32 for less meter spent. Landing 12 on an airborne enemy will not bounce, instead giving an immediate knockdown.

The two stance versions appear to be entirely identical, differing only in sound and aesthetic.

B12, B1

b1

File:MK1 General Shao b1.png

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1

Back + Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
14	2	36	26	50	7.5	H	+7	-7	-7	-

Shao's primary mid in Axe stance. Disjointed with great range for its speed, and bolstered by strong forward advancement and surprisingly short recovery. Has a natural overhead followup in B12, which is safe but creates a gap. Back input also makes it easier to use in backdash anti-mashing traps. The attack is sometimes cancelled directly into Power Strike, which will be safe on block while putting General Shao into unarmed stance. This cancel will widen the gap to mashable degrees, but this is less of a problem if the B1 is properly spaced. To eliminate this gap, use a kameo.

b12

File:MK1 General Shao b12.png

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B12

Back + Front Punch, Back Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
20	2	36	-	70	10.5	OH	+17 (KD)	-6	-6	-

Shao's primary mid in Axe stance. Disjointed with great range for its speed, and bolstered by strong forward advancement and surprisingly short recovery. Has a natural overhead followup in B12, which is safe but creates a gap. Back input also makes it easier to use in backdash anti-mashing traps. The attack is sometimes cancelled directly into Power Strike, which will be safe on block while putting General Shao into unarmed stance. This cancel will widen the gap to mashable degrees, but this is less of a problem if the B1 is properly spaced. To eliminate this gap, use a kameo.

1

File:MK1 General Shao uab1.png

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B1

Back + Front Punch (Unarmed)

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
-	-	-	-	-	-	H	-	-	-	-

Fast, advancing mid that starts combos. Excellent as a high reward check from spacing traps and plus frames, though the fastest attacks can still interrupt when done on block - check with D1 instead if this is proving troublesome. If blocked, mashing is not a terrible idea as it is only -3, unless the enemy is someone like Li Mei or Johnny who has a <10 frame combo starting mid. Side switches on hit unless done with extremely high gravity, allowing General Shao to position himself relative to the corner more effectively. While Shao lacks a confirmable mid string in both stances, B1 and his other safe combo starters in unarmed stance can fulfill a similar utility.

F122

f1

File:MK1 General Shao f1.png

File:MK1 General Shao f1 hitbox.png

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f1

Standing Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
-	-	-	-	-	-	H	-	-	-	-

Aggressive, advancing, and highly committal string. Shao's punish of choice in Axe stance for enemies within reach. The third hit causes a bounce and can be special cancelled, allowing Shao to cancel into Power Strike on hit for excellent meterless damage. Greatly overshadowed by 22 in most footsies situations due to its slower speed, worse range, and much higher commitment (from a number of reasons) - additionally, the long recovery of every hit gives it limited use as a stagger, despite the first two hits only being -2 on block. Outside of staggers and footsies, F122 on block is Shao's best option for chip damage and corner carry but Shao needs to have a cancel plan in mind before attempting this - simply cancelling into Power Strike for the -10 with pushback will leave you mostly safe on regular block, but is very easy to adapt to and punish. Safer options include Jax Energy Wave (which also gives meterless combos in the corner), Stryker baton, or an early Sektor Missile to land during the Power Strike gap.

F122, despite its strong reward on hit (and possibly decent reward on block), should be used sparingly. 22 lets him take less risks while spending less resources on block, and the majority of Shao's rushdown plan is predicated on Unarmed Stance anyways.

f12

File:MK1 General Shao f12.png

File:MK1 General Shao f12 hitbox.png

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f12

Standing Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
-	-	-	-	-	-	H	-	-	-	-

Aggressive, advancing, and highly committal string. Shao's punish of choice in Axe stance for enemies within reach. The third hit causes a bounce and can be special cancelled, allowing Shao to cancel into Power Strike on hit for excellent meterless damage. Greatly overshadowed by 22 in most footsies situations due to its slower speed, worse range, and much higher commitment (from a number of reasons) - additionally, the long recovery of every hit gives it limited use as a stagger, despite the first two hits only being -2 on block. Outside of staggers and footsies, F122 on block is Shao's best option for chip damage and corner carry but Shao needs to have a cancel plan in mind before attempting this - simply cancelling into Power Strike for the -10 with pushback will leave you mostly safe on regular block, but is very easy to adapt to and punish. Safer options include Jax Energy Wave (which also gives meterless combos in the corner), Stryker baton, or an early Sektor Missile to land during the Power Strike gap.

F122, despite its strong reward on hit (and possibly decent reward on block), should be used sparingly. 22 lets him take less risks while spending less resources on block, and the majority of Shao's rushdown plan is predicated on Unarmed Stance anyways.

f122

File:MK1 General Shao f122.png

File:MK1 General Shao f122 hitbox.png

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f122

Standing Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
-	-	-	-	-	-	H	-	-	-	-

Aggressive, advancing, and highly committal string. Shao's punish of choice in Axe stance for enemies within reach. The third hit causes a bounce and can be special cancelled, allowing Shao to cancel into Power Strike on hit for excellent meterless damage. Greatly overshadowed by 22 in most footsies situations due to its slower speed, worse range, and much higher commitment (from a number of reasons) - additionally, the long recovery of every hit gives it limited use as a stagger, despite the first two hits only being -2 on block. Outside of staggers and footsies, F122 on block is Shao's best option for chip damage and corner carry but Shao needs to have a cancel plan in mind before attempting this - simply cancelling into Power Strike for the -10 with pushback will leave you mostly safe on regular block, but is very easy to adapt to and punish. Safer options include Jax Energy Wave (which also gives meterless combos in the corner), Stryker baton, or an early Sektor Missile to land during the Power Strike gap.

F122, despite its strong reward on hit (and possibly decent reward on block), should be used sparingly. 22 lets him take less risks while spending less resources on block, and the majority of Shao's rushdown plan is predicated on Unarmed Stance anyways.

D1

File:MK1 General Shao d1.png

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d1

Crouching Front Punch

Startup	Active	Recovery	Cancel	Damage	Chip	Guard	On Hit	On Block	On Flawless Block	Cost
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Somewhat typical D1, though of elevated importance to Shao due to the sluggishness of his other crouching pokes. Shao lacks a checking mid in Axe stance to cancel into after D1, so get ready to block after attacking with this. In Unarmed stance, the presence of B1 and the greater speed of his universal low options give him other solutions for checking and interrupting, and D1 shifts into a more aggressive role, giving pickups from Axe Quake and tick throws into the command grab. EX Treechopper also becomes an attractive anti-mashing option to cancel out of D1.