Basic Attacks
Attacks that are performed by pressing a single face button (also referred to as a “normal”), and at most a single directional input which may be referred to as a “command normal”; examples of how these button inputs are notated include but are not limited to s1 (or just 1), B2, F3, D4, etc.
These moves will generally hit as High, Mid, Low, or Overhead attacks. Every character has an uppercut (D2) that hits high and a sweep (B4) that hits low, although the animation & frame data may differ slightly from character to character. This also applies to standing jabs (s1/s2) which are highs, crouching jabs (D1) which are mids, and crouching kicks (D3/D4) which are lows. Not all normals are cancellable; it is also important to note that special cancelling certain attacks (i.e. crouching pokes) may not necessarily create a natural combo unless doing so while juggling opponents in an airborne state.
Kombo Attacks
Kombo attacks, or strings, are unique sequences of inputs that may branch off of basic attacks, consisting of additional face buttons and sometimes directional commands. Inputs must be “dialed in,” meaning players must input the desired buttons of a string in near-immediate succession (although the leniency in timing may vary); many strings may also have different ending attacks performed with an alternate button input. Not all basic attacks have strings attached to them;. it also important to note that not all kombo attacks can be special cancelled. Some kombo attacks may allow the player to special cancel after the final hit of the full string, while others may require the player to cancel into the special before the final hit. Certain kombo attacks may also require the entire string to be dialed in and then special cancelled during a specific portion of the animation instead.
Jumping Attacks
An attack performed while jumping in the air by inputting 1, 2, or 3/4 (punches and kick respectively). All basic jump attacks hit Overhead on the way down but will hit Mid if performed on the way up. Jump attacks are very plus on both hit & block, as well as having many active frames making them useful as meaty buttons. Jump attacks will jail the opponent on both hit and block due to their frame advantage, making it impossible for the opponent to perform any offensive or defensive action after blocking an initial jump-in attack (except to continue their blocking). Any follow-up attack/string with a fast enough startup dialed in immediately upon landing a jump-in punch of either kind will link into a kombo. Jump attacks can also be special cancelled on hit, block, or whiff. If a jump attack is Up Blocked however, it becomes universally punishable and cannot be special cancelled.
Aerial Kombos
Certain jumping attacks have aerial kombos attached to them which can only be performed upon successfully hitting an airborne or juggled opponent. These kombo attacks may also be special cancelled at certain points in the string.
Throws
A universal move performed either with the “Throw” button or by inputting 1+3. Throws are unblockable, which allows you to open up an overly defensive opponent; however, throws are considered high attacks and can be crouched under by the defending player so long as they are not blocking. There are two types of basic throws: Back Throws (performed by pressing the throw input alone) and Forward Throws (performed by pressing Forward+Throw). These throws can be escaped (or “teched”) by pressing 1/3 or 2/4 respectively, as long as the teching player is not blocking while they are being hit by the throw.
Back Throws do 11% damage universally but may vary in the position they leave the opponent; some back throws may keep them relatively close whereas others may knock the opponent fullscreen. A common tactic to negate this variable distance and gain advantage is to use a back throw on an opponent that has the player trapped in the corner, effectively placing the opponent in that same corner and establishing knockdown pressure. As modern NRS games historically do not give throws invulnerability frames during their animation (leaving them open to interruption by certain onscreen projectiles or traps), back throws in MK1 can similarly be interrupted by a Kameo Ambush, which may allow for additional kombo potential depending on the throw’s animation and its synergy with the selected Ambush.
Unlike all previous MK games, Forward Throws are performed as a function of the Kameo assist character (referred to as a “Kameo Throw”). Kameo Throws cannot be performed while the Kameo is currently active onscreen, but can still be performed while there is no Kameo Gauge available or while the Kameo is still in cooldown offscreen. When the kameo is unavailable to perform this move, the Forward Throw will change to an unblockable forward shove that resets both players to their neutral state (unless interrupted by the onscreen kameo); this shove still does 1% damage and can effectively “chip-kill” the opponent during Last Breath. Unlike back throws, forward throws may vary in damage output depending on the kameo character; select kameos may also have the ability to enhance their throw for additional properties/damage (i.e. Jax, Cyrax).
Auto Shimmy
Refers to a kombo string given to some of the characters off of a standing jab that resembles the character’s throw speed/animation in its initial hit(s) and will “automatically shimmy” the opponent for attempting to tech or duck a throw. A shimmy is typically performed in fighting games by walking/dashing backwards in attempt to bait the opponent into anticipating a throw, and then punishing the opponent for doing so. A jab string that is considered an “autoshimmy” will typically have a second hit that is between 9-11 frames and is a mid and/or jailing attack; the significance of these attributes is that this speed parallels the 10-frame startup of throws, which can be neutral ducked just like the starting high of the string. This will hit an opponent up close without having to move in and out for a whiff punish, as the second [mid] hit of the string will come out fast enough to check them for crouching, in addition to blowing up their attempt to let go of block and press a throw tech. Staggering an autoshimmy is an effective tool for shutting down certain option selects in the game (i.e. microducking, throw tech/block).
Examples of characters with an autoshimmy are Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Shang Tsung, and Reiko.
Stagger Pressure
A key strategy to establish pressure is to “stagger” kombo strings, which refers to when a player ends their string before the final hit to enforce a mindgame behind whether or not they will finish the sequence. A good stagger can be defined by a number of factors such as speed, plus or safe frame advantage, range, number of hits (for ease of hitconfirming), and a few others. Staggers can be used to establish strike/throw mixups as well as frame traps.
Frame Trap
A pressure sequence executed by an offensive player that creates a small gap which appears punishable but is actually shorter than the defender’s fastest normal attack, baiting them into attempting to take their turn back and countering or punishing them for pressing buttons. Slightly late timing on a follow-up attack performed after attempting to jail with a prior move may still be able to occur fast enough to counterhit an opponent that is attempting to press, however it may be possible to use an armored or invincible reversal to attack through this gap. Attacks that are plus on block and/or have a lot of pushback are useful for pressuring the opponent and thus establishing frame traps.
Jailing
Refers to the act of placing the opponent in enough hitstun or blockstun to jail them from pressing any action besides block. Unlike most other fighting games, hit advantage cannot typically be used to link a button with a fast enough startup unless the opponent is in a specific state (airborne juggle, stun/crumple, etc.) and the hit advantage frames are very high. For example, a crouching D1 poke that is +14 on hit does not link or naturally kombo into a move that is 14 frames or less on startup, allowing the opponent an opportunity to block between the hits. Instead, the hit advantage— and generally speaking, the hit reaction’s animation leaving them standing— can be used to follow up with a fast enough attack, which will lock the opponent into a situation where they cannot move or press any button other than Block. Any attempt by the opponent to move or press buttons while jailed by this hit advantage will result in the offensive player’s follow-up connecting automatically before any of the opponent’s actions come out. Jailing also occurs on block when later hits of a kombo string force the player to continue holding block if the prior hit is blocked, preventing them from moving to evade or attacking to interrupt. For example, the final hit of a string may be a high (which is normally prone to neutral crouch), but the string hit that comes before may jail the opponent when it is blocked and force them to continue holding block (lest they release block prematurely and get hit). This technique can be effective for forcing opponents to block high attacks that would otherwise whiff if they were able to crouch or backdash away.
Force Stand/Crouch
Some attacks may jail in a way that will force the defending player to remain in a stand or crouch blocking position as it corresponds with the remaining hits of a string, unable to shift their blocking stance between hits. This can create potential for hard-to-block situations as well as advantaged setups after successful frame traps (although there is no difference in frame data between hitting standing or crouching opponents on hit/block but possible pushback differences).
Meaty
A term that can be used both to describe hitting the opponent on the first frame of their wakeup (shutting down most of their options besides armor/invulnerable reversals), and/or to describe a move connecting in its later active frames.
Some moves have multiple active frames (the period of a move’s animation that can hit an opponent), but generally speaking all moves done at their average range will connect on their first active frame. These moves have potential to be timed or spaced so that the move makes contact with the opponent on its later active frames, which improves the frame advantage of the move by one additional frame for every active frame added. For example, a move that is -2 on block but has 4 active frames will generally hit on active frame 1, but making the move hit on active frame 4 will make it +1 on block (by adding 3 frames to the block advantage just as 3 frames were added to the active window).
As attempting to perform this technique on a standing/crouching opponent can prove to be inconsistent and hard to visually interpret during a match, the best time to attempt this technique is against an opponent who is in knockdown and preparing to rise back up into standing position. The knockdown advantage of certain attacks can be viewed in training mode and used to practice timing a meaty attack against wakeups. Timing these attacks properly will serve a dual purpose of improving their advantage on hit/block by hitting meaty (in their later frames), as well as ensuring the attacks will connect on the very first wakeup frame (effectively jailing the opponent from doing any action except block or reversal). It is considered a great risk to attempt to meaty with a high or execute a meaty throw, as both can be avoided on frame 1 of wakeup by crouch.
Launcher
Certain attacks will launch the opponent up into the air placing them in an airborne state, during which they can be juggled with additional attacks to keep them afloat and continue to kombo until they eventually fall to the ground (regulated by Gravity Scaling). Multiple launchers may be used within the same kombo to keep the opponent mid-air but may lose their juggle value with each additional attack and be prone to increased gravity (typically limiting the player to 2 or 3 launchers per kombo). Attacks with launching capabilities may be punishable on block, making them a risk to perform repeatedly. Many launchers can also be jump cancelled on hit, allowing players to follow up a launcher with an aerial kombo. Some attacks that look like a launcher or put the opponent in an airborne state may not actually allow the player to follow up with a juggle excepting in some unique situations, such as calling an Ambush to extend the kombo or using a jump cancel.
Anti-Air
An anti-air refers to an attack used to hit an opponent who is jumping or attacking from the air. The most common anti-air button is MK’s traditional Uppercut (D2), which is often any character’s most damaging normal but is unsafe on block, hits high and loses to neutral crouch, and usually can not be followed up with a kombo despite its launching animation (except in certain cases). However, it is possible to attack a jumping opponent with any grounded or aerial move so long as its hitbox connects with their opponent’s hurtbox before any incoming attack can land. When attacked out of a jump, the opponent will automatically enter the airborne juggle state and be susceptible to further kombo attacks. Some moves may also have a startup animation that takes the character off the ground and/or leaves them airborne; the hit reaction of interrupting or counterhitting an opponent out of such a move may be able to float them into an airborne juggle state, allowing players to convert off of situations that are not possible when hitting or punishing the move normally. Although not as common in this game, some moves like specials may be given upper-body invincibility that nullifies jump attacks (i.e. Liu Kang’s DB4).
Specials/Enhanced Specials
An attack that requires players to input two (sometimes three) successive directional commands followed by a face button. These simplified directional inputs can be changed to more traditional motion inputs by selecting “Alternate Kontrols” in the Options menu. Special moves often have unique properties that vary from character to character; most of these specials can also be enhanced for additional properties at the cost of super meter (1-2 bars depending on the move) by pressing the special input’s corresponding face button and the block button simultaneously.
Special Cancels
A special cancel refers to the act of cancelling a basic/kombo attack into a special move (effectively cancelling the former’s recovery frames into the startup frames of the latter). A special cancel cannot occur once the basic or kombo attack has entered its recovery frames but instead must be dialed in at the end of the string; however this timing is often very lenient, allowing players to quickly input the first hits of a string and then visually confirm that the attacks have landed before dialing in the special at the end of the string. This technique is referred to as a hit confirm.
Whiff Cancel
At any point in the air before landing, a jumping attack’s recovery on miss (or “whiff”) can be cancelled by immediately inputting an aerial special move, allowing characters to bait their opponents by whiffing a jump normal and countering or punishing their attempt to retaliate with a follow-up aerial special.
Kara/Pre-Jump Cancel
A kara cancel usually refers to cancelling a move in its startup animation with another move, using the initial move’s momentum & traveling distance to improve the range and/or change the utilities of the following move. There are two different variants of kara cancels in this game:
A kara jump cancel refers to a technique where a move that can be cancelled on hit into a jump will allow the player to buffer a grounded special move input, causing it to come out immediately when the jump would occur by cancelling the pre-jump animation. This can technically allow for special cancels on moves that would normally not allow them, and may create unique kombo options. To perform this technique, the player must input the directional commands of the follow-up special input as the jump-cancellable move connects, timing it to press the follow-up special’s ending face button input simultaneously on the same frame as the jump input. If done after the universal D2 jump cancel launcher, this may automatically trigger the enhanced version of the follow-up special as the D2 trigger requires the block/EX button to be pressed along with the jump input; these inputs can be separated to negate the meter being spent although the timing is incredibly strict. This technique also allows cancelling pre-jump into Fatal Blow or Kameo Summon moves, although the input precision required for the latter option may be rather strict as well.
A kara throw refers to kara cancelling the startup of a move into a normal or command throw to increase its range. Rain can cancel the startup of his F3 overhead into a forward or back throw to make the opponent guess between a grab that can be crouched without blocking and an overhead that must be blocked standing.
Command Throws
A type of special move that acts as a throw, in that it is unblockable, will whiff on jumping opponents, and cannot connect during blockstun or hitstun in most regular cases (exceptions noted later). Unlike regular throws, command grabs cannot be teched out of and usually deal extra damage. Command grabs are usually classified as either highs (which can be neutral crouched) or mids (which must be jumped), with some rare exceptions (i.e. kameo Goro’s overhead throw). Command grabs can also be special cancelled into, making them useful in combo strings on hit or block. While it cannot connect on a grounded opponent that is in hitstun, a command grab can connect on a launched or floated opponent who is in an airborne juggle state, making them a useful combo ender for additional damage; however, some enhanced command grabs (like Reiko’s EX Pale Rider) will hit grounded opponents in hitstun when cancelled into from any special-cancellable move. Some characters may also have command grabs built into the end of certain kombo strings. Cancelling certain basic attacks or strings into a command grab special on block may allow the grab to connect on the defending opponent, referred to as a tick throw.
Tick Throws
Certain normals and strings have a low number of blockstun frames and are special cancellable. When cancelled into a command grab, the throw will enter its active frames once the opponent leaves blockstun and land against them if they continue blocking or attempt to press a button. This allows mind games to be played off of certain pokes or strings up close, as the defending player must guess if the opponent will stagger their pressure, finish the full string, or cancel into the command grab. Typically the moves that can grant a tick throw are limited to crouching pokes and select punch strings, save for some exceptions (i.e. Reiko’s Fatal Blow).
Fatal Blow
A comeback mechanic not attached to meter that becomes available when the player is at 30% health or less. A notification will appear under the player’s health bar indicating that the move is available for use by pressing the Block & Flip Stance buttons simultaneously. Once triggered, a startup cinematic (often referred to as a “super flash”) will occur and show the activating character preparing to attack.
The initial hit of Fatal Blow can be any different attack height (High, Mid, Low, Overhead, Throw, Unblockable) and may be kombo broken on the first hit, but once the attack lands successfully it is impossible to escape the cinematic animation.
If a Fatal Blow is blocked, whiffed, or interrupted by the opponent, the ability will be temporarily disabled and enter a cooldown period of 9 seconds before it becomes available again. Once a Fatal Blow successfully hits the opponent, the move becomes unavailable for the duration of the match.
Any basic or kombo attack that can normally be special cancelled is allowed to be cancelled into a Fatal Blow; however, some select attacks that cannot special cancel may still be cancellable into Fatal Blow depending on the character. Generally speaking, there are no super cancels in the game (meaning a Fatal Blow cannot usually be cancelled into right after a special move).
Fatal Blows typically have lots of pushback on block, especially when blocked while crouching. This pushback can be negated or greatly reduced by blocking the attack standing or universally by Flawless Blocking.
Fatal Blows deal 35% damage by default for all characters (excepting the Damage Boost) and have armor on their first frame; Fatal Blow Delayed Armor can be toggled to ON in the Tournament settings to delay the armor’s activation to frame 8, which is not the current standard for online ranked or Pro Kompetition rules but may be preferred by some kommunity tournaments.
Fatal Blow Damage Boost
Once a Fatal Blow has landed successfully, a secret mini-game will initiate during which both players can mash all face buttons rapidly to affect the Fatal Blow’s damage output (35%). The attacking player can use this mechanic to increase their damage, while the defending player’s mashing can decrease the amount of damage taken; this increase or decrease can equal out to anywhere from 3-5% damage. Unlike the previous game, these competing button presses do not have to be timed in unison with each other or with the corresponding hits of the Fatal Blow, and can be mashed in rapid succession.
