Health
All characters have a set amount of health which determines how much damage they can take until they lose the round (the amount varying across the roster). Some characters may have the ability to recover lost health through special moves or character traits, but they cannot heal beyond their max health value. Once depleted down to 30% of their total health, the characters will gain access to their Fatal Blow. After they have reached 0 health, the player will lose the match and may be prone to a Brutality or Fatality.
The majority of the characters have 1000 health, which means their Fatal Blow becomes available at 300 health; listed below are the exceptions:
- 1100 (FB at 330): General Shao, Havik
- 950 (FB at 285): Geras, Johnny Cage
- 900 (FB at 270): Nitara, Quan Chi
Certain kameos can also increase or decrease the base character’s health value, as listed below:
- +100: Jax, Shujinko, Tremor
- +50: Darrius, Sareena, Subzero
- -50: Goro, Kano, Motaro, Stryker
These values are not displayed in-game by default; to show individual health values in the lifebar, select Gameplay in the Options menu and toggle on “Display Health.” In patch notes, Netherrealm measures main roster characters as having between 600 - 800 HP and Kameos as adding 250 - 400 HP on top of that.
Blocking
Performed by pressing the Block button; a state with 0 frames of startup that allows players to guard against most attacks. It is an active state where the player cannot cancel into an attack until they are no longer blocking; this means when they are holding Block at any distance, regardless of whether or not any attack is in close proximity, the player will be actively guarding. Recovery out of block is still very fast however, at which point it is possible to move or attack freely.
Players can still be attacked out of this state (or “opened up”) if they do not guard in the right position. Standing blocks will defend against highs, mids, and overheads, but will not guard against lows. Vice versa, crouching block (Down+Block) will guard highs, mids, and lows but not overheads. Blocking in either position will lose to throws and unblockables. A common strategy is to crouch low and buffer the block button in order to both evade highs & throws by neutral ducking and be able to still block mids & lows, while reacting to the generally slower overheads by standing up and blocking.
With rare exceptions, all attacks will do a minimum of 3 damage (0.3%) on block, referred to as “block damage” or more commonly known as “chip damage”.
Flawless Block
An advanced type of blocking that requires players to press the Block button within 2 frames of an incoming attack connecting. As with its introduction in the previous installment, this technique may reduce the pushback and/or increase the blockstun recovery frames on certain moves (for example, D2 Uppercuts and Fatal Blows universally become an extra -10 on Flawless Block).
There are no Block Attacks built into the mechanic in MK1, but unlike the previous game Flawless Blocking will negate all chip damage and can be done at any point in a string for all hits (as opposed to inflicting only microscaled damage and only being available during true blockstring gaps); the opponent will also not gain any super meter for having their attacks Flawless Blocked.
There is a brief window after a Flawless Block during which the player will not take chip damage from additional attacks; the window for this defensive bonus will be extended if the defending player blocks more attacks before it expires (meaning for example they will not take chip from a sequence of rapid attacks if the first hit is Flawless Blocked).
Up Block
A new mechanic in MK1 that allows players to tap Up+Block (or hold Up while already blocking), shifting their standing block animation to angle the character’s arms upwards and showing an “Up Block” alert onscreen to indicate a successful execution. This type of block will defend against all Jump Attacks as well as most grounded Overhead attacks, increasing the amount of recovery frames by a greater amount that varies depending on the move being blocked. A successful Up Block will also prevent these attacks from being cancelled into any follow-up attacks or specials. Performing an Up Block leaves the player in this stance for a few frames while also having a couple of recovery frames, leaving you at risk to lows & grabs and making this technique one that must be committed to. Up Block also leaves players in a unique throw punish state where they take increased damage, which may vary in values depending on the character’s throw used:
Throw Escapes
Players can escape or tech any basic throw by pressing the corresponding button with proper timing; Back Throws must be teched by pressing 1/3 and Forward Throws by pressing 2/4. It is not possible to input a throw tech while blocking or being hit by a Throw Kounter/Punish. The initial hit of the throw connecting does an unavoidable 1% damage, making it impossible to tech a throw during Last Breath.
A notification will appear onscreen that reads “Back Escape” or “Toward Escape” if the player successfully breaks the corresponding throw, reading “Escape Failed” if the wrong button is pressed. All characters have a unique throw tech animation, although this has no affect on the gameplay.
Johnny Cage has a unique ability to enhance his throw tech for 1 bar of super meter; by immediately inputting a Throw again after a successful tech, Johnny will break the enemy’s arm in his throw tech animation, doing 1% damage and disabling the opponent’s ability to Throw for roughly 15 seconds upon recovering from the tech.
Reversals
A reversal is a special move inputted to come out on the first frame out immediately out of blockstun or on wakeup. A notification will appear onscreen that reads “Reversal” when this is executed with successful timing out of blockstun, additionally reading “Reversal Kounter” or “Reversal Punish” if the attack counters or punishes the opponent respectively. If done as a wakeup instead, the notification will instead read “Getup Reversal” (or alternatively “Getup Kounter/Punish”). Buttons require the character to leave the block state for a single frame before their startup, meaning there are some instances where a special move can punish where a button cannot.
As most of the cast has a special move with armor or invincibility (typically for the cost of super meter), these moves are generally regarded as the characters’ primary reversal as the armored or invulnerable frames can absorb incoming attacks (1-2 hits) that are timed to hit the player on the first frame of their wakeup or out of blockstun. These moves may however be very punishable on block, making them very risky to use if blocked but nevertheless an effective way to escape pressure and gain advantage.
Kameo Summons can also be used as reversals. Most kameos have one dedicated Summon attack that gains invulnerability when used as a wakeup reversal, however the properties of the move may change when this is performed (i.e. losing the ability to launch/stun) and only a select few of these Summon attacks are also invulnerable when used as standing Reversals.
Armor
A property found in many specials and kameo assists (as well as Fatal Blows) that grants the character the ability to absorb a hit (or two on rare occasions) and continue their animation without reacting to the hit, while still taking some reduced damage. Most of the roster has at least one enhanced special that gains Armor, while a select few Kameos may grant this property on certain abilities. All Fatal Blows have armor on their first startup frame in kompetitive settings.
Invulnerability
A property found in select specials and kameo assists that grants the character the ability to absorb any hits within the invulnerable frame window and nullify all damage, as well as any hit reaction. Most Kameos have one Summon attack that gains Invulnerability (usually only on Getup). Select moves may have invulnerability frames that specifically protect against jump attacks, such as Liu Kang’s Dragon’s Breath (DB4). Some moves may also have projectile invulnerability, which allows them to “ignore” or “destroy” the opponent’s projectiles.
Delay Getup
Holding the stance switch button while knocked down will delay the character getting up for one more second, displaying a notification that reads “Delay.” This can allow players to avoid certain mixups and setups that would otherwise hit them once exiting the getup invulnerability window. Performing a delay getup will prevent the player from performing a wakeup reversal of any kind and may leave them forced to continue blocking incoming attacks.
Breaker
Players can have their Kameo partner break them out of kombos for 3 super meter bars (as long as the kameo is not already onscreen in use). This game reverts to allowing players the ability to break at almost any time without having to be launched in the air first, although certain attacks are still be unbreakable when used in a kombo. Unlike the previous game however, Fatal Blow supers can be broken out of on the first hit. Hitting an opponent’s Kameo character (indicated by a pink flash around their lead character) will disable their Breaker for 7 seconds.
Sindel’s EX DB3 buff will counter an opponent’s attempt to breaker while it is active, making the opponent’s Kameo launch the opponent in the air for Sindel to convert into a kombo.
Geras also gains a unique Fixed Point ability after building three Countdown charges, where his EX DB3 will rewind him to his position and health value from 3 seconds earlier; this can be performed while falling down from kombos in certain situations, effectively giving Geras a “kombo undo” option for just 1 bar of super meter.
Parry
Some characters have special moves that can parry the opponent’s attacks, which may come in the form of absorbing, deflecting, or otherwise countering the incoming attack in a unique way. These moves may have a generally fast startup, making them viable defensive/reversal options, although they may still lose to options such as lows, jumping attacks, or kameo assist moves. Reiko’s Retaliation parry (DB1) will counter a High/Mid attack with a lariat clothesline into a knockdown when successfully executed, leaving the opponent close enough to enforce okizeme; the EX version will leave the opponent in a standing Stun state, allowing Reiko to connect a follow-up attack and convert into a kombo. Other characters may have parries that grant them mobility options and/or other passive buffs, such as Johnny Cage’s “Show Off” parry automatically triggering his Shadow Dash move or Tanya’s “Divine Protection” granting her a charge of her Guidance buff and/or access to her upward Umgadi Dodge/Evade command jump ability.
Chip Avoided/Last Breath
Once a player reaches their lowest health value on a potentially game-ending round, they are given an additional layer of protection from death on block (provided they have the super meter to do so). Any chip damage taken that would otherwise kill at this point is negated at the cost of 1 bar of super meter. A notification that reads “Chip Damage Avoided” (subsequently followed by “Last Breath” once down to the last bar of meter) will appear onscreen when this occurs. The bar of meter that is being taken must be full for this to occur or the protection will not trigger and the chip damage will be taken. The initial 1% damage taken from a throw attempt is more than enough to end the round if a player is on Last Breath so a throw escape is not possible, making throws a viable option for closing out a round against an opponent who is blocking to avoid death by chip. Many multi-hitting attacks and specials can also chip through the opponent’s block protection if they do not Flawless Block to negate the chip.
