Mortal Kombat 11/Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero #MK11_SUB
REDEMPTION Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei clan. Kuai Liang beat death to redeem his clan for the evil committed by Sektor and the Cyber Lin Kuei. He rebuilt the Lin Kuei and brokered peace with their Shirai Ryu rivals. Now, he hopes to finally close the book on sins of Lin Kuei past.
Data
Health	1000.00
Hitbox	Male

Overview Matchups

Introduction

The ninja warrior with the coldest of hearts. Sub-Zero is an aggressive, mixup-oriented character who can also compete at range thanks to his signature Ice Ball and Slide. B32 and F2 define his gameplan of mixing his opponents to death, capitalizing on mistakes with decent combo damage or resets to keep the mix coming. His kustom abilities complement him well by improving his 50/50s (either giving him better rewards or reducing his risks) or improving his options for approaching opponents. Air Polar Axe in particular is a fantastic projectile to use in neutral. Movement options are also strong with dash cancels and judicious use of F4 for plus frames. If you're a gambling man, one good guess on your mix into Fatal Blow can outright steal rounds. A careless mix can spell your doom, however, as F2 is unsafe without Creeping Ice. Sub-Zero is rather lacking in the range department and can be confounded by air options like Jacqui's Shrapnel or Kabal's Gas Blast. He is a strong character at all skill levels, being easy to pick up for beginners, and a viable character at the higher levels of competition.

Pros	Cons
Lives By the Mix: Able to hit confirm both 50/50's into a full combo, an unreactable overhead in online play. Fullscreen Threat: Can win projectile trades with Ice Ball, into a full combo. Air Fireball: (Air) Polar Axe is one of the best projectiles in the game, launching at a favorable angle. Slide: Able to punish pokes and strings with greater pushback with ease thanks to reversal Slide, and the threat of an unreactable Slide in neutral is very scary. Fast Movement: Highly mobile character who has an easy time getting in, whether with walking, basic dash cancels, or F4. Strong Jailing and Checking: Has a 6-frame D1 and a really good poke with D4. Thank You, Kustoms: Strong and versatile options for variations, which include safe or more rewarding options off his mix. Strong Krushing Blow Game: Practical and damaging Krushing Blows which can help force breakaways. Keep It Simple, Stupid: Simple but well-defined gameplan that is effective at all skill levels.	Dies By the Mix: Has to commit to hit confirming his Overhead, often making it unsafe on block. Slide Responsibly: Slide is very unsafe on block, though the method and effectiveness of punish can end up being character-specific. Weaker Neutral: Sub can often be outzoned by opponents with better, farther-reaching abilities. Disrespectable: Sub's D1 has poor range and can be low-profiled more easily than other characters. Get Down Here!: Struggles against opponents with strong air games. Maybe Just D2 It: Pretty mediocre Armor Break move.

Movement

• The distance of Sub-Zero's back and forward dashes are very good with the speed of his forward dash being some of the best in the game. The speed of his back dash is much slower, however.
• Sub-Zero's wave dashes are very lenient to input and are a great starter for any player interested in learning how to wave dash.
• The back and forward walk speeds are very good as well. Overall Sub-Zero is a highly mobile character.

Movelist

Normals and Strings

1

Straight Chop
1

Dead simple

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
20.00 / 3.00 / 0.30	High	8	2	15
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
11	6	0	0	-
Use for jailing, very good for staggering.

Chinese Ninja Warrior
12

The start of your punisher combo.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 04.50 / 0.45	Mid	9	2	20
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
13	18	0	0	-
Good auto shimmy, the mid will catch ducking opponents who were expecting a throw from the similar animation. The window to input the 2 here can be pretty tight. This is also your go-to combo starter for punishes and checking gaps.

Cold Encounter
124

The boot of death.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Mid	15	2	39
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	30	-4	-4	-
Causes knockdown, cannot be special cancelled. Extra safe on block with the added pushback if you need some space. Also houses another threatening Krushing Blow in Sub-Zero's arsenal. Use this to force breakaways, as otherwise it can rack up insane damage especially in the corner. KRUSHING BLOW: "Triggers in a KOMBO of 8 or more." Increases damage of this attack from 70.00 to 240.00. Additional hits added by Krushing Blows count towards the 8 hit requirement.

Axe Bash
B1

Don't think this is a mid.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	High	14	3	26
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
17	6	-2	-2	-
Far reaching poke with good forward momentum. Good tool for whiff punishing or safely getting in. It is a high though so irresponsible use against ducking opponents can make you eat a D2 KB when you're not expecting it.

Icy Grave
B14

Starts combos at range.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 04.50 / 0.45	Mid	22	4	22
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
27	10	-4	-4	-
A solid mid to follow up the high, you only normally stop here for staggering on block. This is the only part of this string that can cancel into Ice Ball while grounded.

Frozen Over
B143

Don't try to freeze out of this

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	Mid	14	3	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
18	18	-7	-7	-
Causes knockdown, can be special cancelled. On hit during a combo this can be followed up with Slide ender. Can only be punished if the opponent has a 6-frame reversal, which many don't.

Low Back Hand
D1

He just backhanded your knees

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
20.00 / 3.00 / 0.30	Mid	6	2	18
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
17	13	-6	-6	-
It's a 6-frame jab that allows you to punish and challenge pressure in ways most of the kast aren't able to. Jail into your high starters if you get a hit with this attack. Characters with female hitboxes can disrespect this especially during your frametraps so adjust your pressure accordingly. Cannot be canceled into special moves if Flawless Blocked

2

Palm Strike
2

Slap em out of the air

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	High	8	2	14
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
12	22	1	1	-

Frozen Tundra
2, 1

Add a little more oomph to your punish.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	Mid	16	2	33
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
22	1	-8	-8	-

New Threat
2, 1, 2

Get off me.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Mid	23	2	29
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	18	-4	-4	-

Rising Axe
B2

Meterless launch is always nice to have.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	Mid	14	3	26
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
17	35	-2	-2	-
The preferred method of getting in for Sub-Zero. Because Back1 is a high and often gets low profiled, Sub-Zeros prefer to use Back2 alone for the great frame data and forward movement.

Unchained
B2, 1

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Mid	28	2	32
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	16	-7	-7	-
For getting SUPER in for Sub-Zero if you needed to get any closer, be careful of any 6-frame reversals as you often end up in jab range and can get punished with them.

Double Axe Slam
F2

The bread of your mix-up and the bane of online mashers.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	Overhead	19	3	30
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
22	-3	-6	-6	-
Unreactable online, this overhead has decent range and forward movement as well. It's the Overhead in Sub-Zero's 50/50 game. F2 being as good as it is is a boon for Sub-Zero's viability as it makes micro-ducking and throw OS weaker against him. Unless you're really good 1-Hit confirms then getting a combo off this button (with either Amplified Rising Ice or Amplified Ice Ball) is going to be a risky commitment for you. Staggering with Forward2 alone or special cancelling into Creeping Ice will leave you safe, but if that's all you wanted to do you probably wouldn't want to be playing Sub-Zero.

Final Draw
F2, 4

Only for the one counterhit.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
116.50 (50.00 + 70.00) / 18.00 (7.50 + 10.50) / 1.80	Mid, Mid	20	18	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	30	-19	-19	-
Only reason you would use this attack is for the Krushing Blow. It's very punishable on block otherwise. KRUSHING BLOW: Triggers if this KOMBO ATTACK is a KOUNTER or PUNISH Increases damage of the last hit from 70.00 to 240.00.

Rising Doom
D2

Ol' Reliable

Big damage on anyone foolish enough to use highs.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
140.00 / 21.00 / 2.10	High	10	4	42
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	24	-9	-19	-
A decent uppercut with a surprisingly vertical hitbox, swatting people out of the air directly above Sub-Zero. A very handy anti-air as far as Down2's are concerned. KRUSHING BLOW: "Triggers if this ATTACK KOUNTERS or PUNISHES a HIGH ATTACK." Increases damage to 190.00 and launches for a full combo.

3

Lin Kuei Kick
3

Exactly what it looks like.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	High	13	2	23
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
19	14	2	2	-
Safe midrange poke that can be hit confirmed into ice ball.

Below Freezing
33

If you see this you're probably mashing.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Mid	29	3	33
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	18	1	1	-
Not a common sight in high level play owing to its long startup. Still safe on block and can occasionally mess with opponents' timing.

Shin Shatter
B3

The butter of your mix-up.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	Low	13	2	19
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
16	17	-4	-4	-
A fast low string starter when used interchangeably with the Forward2 overhead is what makes up Sub-Zero's 50/50 mixup game, his most basic gameplan. Has great forward movement and makes for a great shimmy option as a result. Sub-Zero does not have a particularly fast mid to challenge blocked D1s or to set up whiff punishes out of backdash but this is a great substitute. For the latter, it's arguably better than B1 as you avoid the risk of eating a D2 Krushing Blow for only a slightly shorter range.

Permafrost
B32

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	Mid	13	1	22
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
15	16	-6	-6	-
Able to react on hit into Ice Ball or Rising Ice Amp for a full kombo conversion. Since hit confirming with Forward2 has to be a commitment, the relative safety of B32 helps mitigate the overall risk Sub-Zero has to make while on the offense. As a result, only use F2 to condition the opponent to stop blocking low since B3 is the safer option. In the corner, it also turns Slide into a meterless launcher which opens up his combo damage there significantly.

Frosty
B321

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Mid	10	2	20
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	45	-5	-5	-
Causes knockdown on hit, has a decently sized hitbox for when things get scrambly, which can be often. It's also technically safe for being in your opponent's face.

Quick Kick
D3

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
10.00 / 1.50 / 0.15	Low	9	2	17
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
14	14	-7	-7	-

4

Roundhouse
4

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	High	19	2	18
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
25	16	2	2	-
Usually offers decent damage mid combo whether after a freeze into a jump-in or after a launch in the corner. The angle limits its range in neutral so stick with S3.

Chilled Sweep
B4

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 10.50 / 1.05	Low	12	3	23
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	21	-4	-9	-
Mediocre ranged sweep to gain a knockdown.

Brutal Kick
F4

You've found the Timbs.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 13.50 / 1.35	Mid	25	4	93
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	38	4	-6	-
Good tool for approaching opponents as it leaves you plus on block. It's the first part of your frame trap, one of Sub's scrub killers. D1 is your fastest follow-up but weak against characters with great low profile tools like Kung Lao and Cetrion. Those moves are slow enough however to get beat out by your own D3 or D4. On Flawless Block, it's a different story as it's got a reasonably long startup to react to. Your turn is over if this happens so pay attention to how your opponent deals with the Timbs. KRUSHING BLOW: "Triggers if this ATTACK hits 2 times in a row or BREAKS ARMOR." Damage increased to 260.00. The Krushing Blow is a one time damage dump against impatient enemies or as a reaction to Breakaway. The gravity adjustment from Breakaway is what allows it to land at all so blindly trying to end combos with it will not work. There's no real reward to bag for using the Armor Break after using the KB so just D2 instead.

Swing Kick
D4

It's everything you want in a Down4.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
30.00 / 4.50 / 0.45	Low	11	3	23
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
20	15	-9	-9	-
It's one of the better pokes in the game because it reaches so far forward. Also puts Sub-Zero even lower than when he crouches, allowing him to low-profile. Cannot be canceled into special moves if Flawless Blocked

Jump and Hop Attacks

Heavy Fist
J1

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	Mid/Overhead	12	5	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
46	-1	-13	-13	-
Can hit the opponent earlier into the jump due to lower angle of the attack's hitbox. Not really used for kombos but can be very handy for jump-in pressure when it hits the opponent sooner than they expect.

Straight Punch
J2

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	Mid/Overhead	6	6	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
41	9	-8	-13	-
More horizontal hitbox and faster startup makes for a good air-to-air attack. Does more damage which makes this the more popular attack for Ice Ball combos.

Cold Boot
J3/J4

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 10.35 / 1.35	Mid/Overhead	10	6	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
45	23	-8	-13	-
It being both a 10-frame startup with a fairly horizontal hurtbox, it's an overall good jump kick with everything you'd expect a good jump kick to have.

Frigid Strike
U+1/U+2

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 10.35 / 1.35	Overhead	10	3	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	29	-12	-17	-
Reaches farther than U3/U4 and is the more popular of the two Hop Attacks.

Cold Front
U+3/U+4

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 10.35 / 1.35	Overhead	10	3	31
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	29	-12	-17	-
Much shorter in reach than U1/U2 and is less commonly used as a result.

Getup and Flawless Block Attacks

Axe Swipe
U+2

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 7.50 / 0.75	Mid	11	5	21
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	49	-9	-9	1 OFF and 1 DEF
Launches opponent into the air for a juggle kombo. It is unsafe on block and has no invincibility unlike U+3 but otherwise a very good hitbox that cannot be ducked or low profiled. Fast Regen Rate (8.5 seconds).

Chilled Heel
U+3

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 13.50 / 1.35	Mid	10	3	21
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	15	-7	-12	1 OFF and 1 DEF
Invincible during the animation of this attack. Can only be punished if the opponent has a 6-frame reversal attack. The opponent needs to be a little closer to get hit unlike other U+3's but otherwise a serviceable getup/block attack. Fast Regen Rate (8.5 seconds).

Throws

Toward Throw
F+Throw or F+1+3

Put them back into the mix.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
130.00 / 0.00 / 0.00	High	10	2	34
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	21	N/A	N/A	-
This throw ends within Sub-Zero's B3 range for a potential Low/Overhead mixup if the opponent stands back up from knockdown. The closer of the two throws and the preferred one for continued offense. Throw can be escaped with a 2 or 4 input. Damage reduced to 10.00 on Throw Escape.

Back Throw
Throw or 1+3

Corner them or keep them at range...

...or cash out that damage.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
130.00 / 0.00 / 0.00	High	10	2	34
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	19	N/A	N/A	-
This throw launches the opponent away at near full-screen distance. Because Sub-Zero prefers Toward Throw, you can mixup the opponent with a KB-loaded Back Throw instead. Or if the opponent knows if the next throw would be a KB Back Throw, you can mix the opponent up by going for a Toward Throw instead. KRUSHING BLOW: Triggers if opponent failed THROW ESCAPE during the previous THROW. Damage increased to 300.00. Unloaded on Throw Escape. Throw can be escaped with a 1 or 3 input. Damage reduced to 10.00 on Throw Escape.

Special Moves

Ice Ball
DF1

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
N/A / 16.20 / 0.30	High (Projectile)	28	N/A	N/A
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	104	-16	-16	-
Does 45.00 damage if opponent was frozen already during the kombo, first hit does no damage but stuns the opponent for a combo extension. Cannot be amplified without the Deep Freeze kustom ability.

Slide
BF3

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 18.75 / 1.87	Low	11	14	30
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
22	29	-20	-20	-
A very fast, low-profiling forward moving attack that lets you whiff punish from far away. Great for checking movement and going under projectiles and high attacks. It is unsafe on block so don't be too reckless. A nice gimmick to check the opponent's reactions is to cancel this out of F2 to create a challenging overhead to low mix. The Cold Shoulder ability replaces this special.

Slide Amplified
BF3, Amp

Remember, it's not always the best ender to use for a combo.

This is why you take this over Cold Shoulder.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
146.00 / N/A / N/A	Mid	13	5	36
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	9	-4	-4	1 OFF
Amped Slide's Krushing Blow is a vital part of Sub's gameplan and something that the opponent must respect and break away from. Cannot amplify if Slide is blocked. Opponent can Breakaway from Slide before the Amplify catches them. Use if you need the side switch or need the extra damage or stacks for Krushing Blow, otherwise save your meter for your other specials. Normal Meter Regen Rate (10 seconds) KRUSHING BLOW: "Triggers on the THIRD AMPLIFIED Slide to hit." With Krushing Blow Held Check set to ON, this activates at the player's discretion after previously landing at least two successful amplified Slides. An amped Slide is considered successful after the grab animation is activated. Throwing the opponent into an Arctic Trap counts as a successful amped Slide while the opponent using Breakaway to avoid the grab does not. Deals a total of 319.00 damage on its own.

Fatal Blow

Chill Out
BLK + SC

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
340.00 / 15.00 / 1.50	Mid	25	3	42
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	16	-23	-28	FB Charge On Hit, 10 Sec CD On Miss
Absolute robbery after a confirmed F2 or B32, massive unbreakable damage after Freeze, J2, S4, on top of the regular shenanigans that Fatal Blows enable.

Kustom Abilities

DEEP FREEZE

"Modifies Ice Ball. Can amplify Ice Ball Special Move. Absorbs other projectiles."

2 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Deep Freeze
DF1 Amp

Now you can freeze off F2.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
50.00 / 16.25 / 1.62	Mid (Projectile)	6	N/A	N/A
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	110	-15	-15	1 OFF
Does damage while stunning, turns into a mid projectile that destroys the opponent's projectile. Great counter-zoning tool and adds new combo opportunities, most importantly off F2. Normal Meter Regen Rate (10 seconds)

RISING ICE

"Adds Rising Ice Special Move. Leap upward with rising ice spikes."

1 Slot, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Rising Ice
DB3

Don't try to mash out your B3 after a crouch if you have this equipped.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
60.00 / 17.50 / 1.75	Mid	21	10	21
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
31	38	-24	-24	-
Causes knockdown and launches opponent away. Typically used amplified to extend kombos. The meterless version is only really used to add an additional launch in the corner after landing an amped Rising Ice.

Rising Ice (Amplify)
DB3, Amp

Gain excellent 2 bar damage with this one weird trick.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
80 / 17.50 / 1.75	Mid	6	10	21
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	53	-24	-24	1 OFF
Causes knockdown and pops opponent straight into the air. Allows you to continue your kombo, vastly increasing Sub-Zero's overall damage potential.

CREEPING ICE

"Adds Creeping Ice Special Move. Cause ice spikes to rise from the ground."

1 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Creeping Ice
DF4

For correcting people who think they can press buttons after F2.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
60.00 / 17.50 / 01.75	Low	23	7	28
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
35	3	-13	-18	-
While punishable on block, this is still a viable stagger between ending the string without Creeping Ice and amplifying Creeping Ice, making it harder to punish when the opponent anticipates the other two possibilities.

Creeping Ice Amplified
DF4 Amp

For correcting people who think they can press buttons after regular Creeping Ice.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
58.50 / 14.50 / 1.45	Low	18	21	23
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	23	-8	-8	1 OFF
Causes knockdown on hit. Despite being -8 on block, the pushback makes this very difficult to punish. If Sub-Zero has meter he can be safe on any string or threaten to be safe on any string. Also useful tool for chip-killing for adding three in total extra hits to your blockstring. Has a Flawless Gap: Occurs between DF4 and DF4 Amp

Cold Shoulder

"Replaces Slide. Shoulder Charge the opponent."

1 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Cold Shoulder
BF3

The ability that held Deep Freeze hostage before Kustom Variations.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 21.30 / 2.13	Mid	16	7	30
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
36	16	-20	-20	-
Causes knockdown on hit. Differs from Slide in being shorter in range and doing more damage. A kounter or punish with this attack and then amplified triggers the Krushing Blow. Rarely used due to the attack being a Mid instead of a Low and the harder to utilize Krushing Blow.

Cold Shoulder Amplified
BF3 Amp

Your frame advantage may vary.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
90.00 / 12.50 / 01.25	Mid	17	3	40
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	18	-22	-22	1 OFF
Usual ender for 1 bar combos, it keeps the same side and does more damage compared to Slide. Frame advantage can change depending on what string you choose to cancel into the Shoulder. If only the Amplified hits, it will not trigger the Krushing Blow during a Kounter or Punish. The initial Cold Shoulder itself must hit. KRUSHING BLOW: "Triggers if this Attack is a KOUNTER or PUNISH." Does 267.5 damage on KB alone.

Frigid Storm

"Adds Frigid Storm Special Move. Create a large ice construct that is pushed towards the opponent."

1 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Frigid Storm
DF2

The thing they tacked onto V2 to make it the "zoning" variation.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
80.00 / 20.00 / 2.00	Mid (Projectile)	36	30	5
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	19	-8	-8	-
Has a fairly high vertical hitbox, but its long startup animation makes it fairly useless for pressure or kombos. As the projectile grants more plus frames the further it moves, it can be used to complement Ice Ball in zoning wars. It being fullscreen also complements Polar Axe as it hits the ranges that Axe cannot. That said, this move is rarely seen in competitive play.

Death-Cicle Barrage

"Adds Death-Cicle Barrage Special Move. Launch a barrage of deadly ice shards at the opponent."

1 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Death-Cicle Barrage
DB2

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
108.80 (20*5 + 4.00*5) / 40.00 (12.50 + 7.25*2 + 6.50 *2) / 04.00	Mid (Projectile)	36	25	34
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	0	-22	-22	-
Does 88.81 (20.00*5 before combo scaling) damage initially, then each shard that landed deals 4.00 damage after as damage over time for a maximum of 108.80. While Sub-Zero does do a stepback during the startup animation it can still be fairly easy to punish due to the -22 frames on block. A great tool for closing out matches due to the DoT on hit and shredding the opponent's health on block down to Last Breath. Its large number of active frames also makes it a good option against wakeup options like Getup Attacks or Rolls. This move does a larger amount of Block Damage than most other attacks Sub-Zero has.

(Air) Polar Axe

"Adds (Air) Polar Axe Special Move. Throw Ice Axes downward at the opponent."

1 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

(Air) Polar Axe
(air) DB2

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
80.00 / 20.00 / 2.00	Mid	20	18	16
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	4	-17	-17	-
Flutters Sub-Zero in the air, suspending him at his position in the air for a short period of time during the attack animation. Great for checking your opponent's attempts at anti-airing you. The projectile itself has great horizontal reach, allowing you to hit the opponent from a great distance away. Lets Sub-Zero compete with zoners without burning Offensive meter with Deep Freeze. The animation can sometimes extend Sub-Zero's hurtbox vertically causing him to get hit by projectiles unless you've completely cleared them when you jumped. You can especially notice this in mirror matches as Ice Ball often hits your foot which can lead to eating a combo if you mess this up.

Arctic Trap

"Adds Arctic Trap Special Move. Create an orb of ice that will freeze the opponent."

2 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Arctic Trap
DB4

RIP Ice Clone (2015 - 2019)

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
N/A / N/A / 00.00	Mid	41	N/A	N/A
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	109	-11	-11	-
Heavily nerfed version of the infamous Ice Clone from MKX. Hard to set up do to its long startup, but often either at a safe distance away from the opponent or while the opponent is knocked down. When used successfully it can extend kombos and/or keep the opponent trapped in the corner. Throwing an opponent causes the trap to disappear meaning you can't convert off throws but you can fling opponents into it with Amplified Slide. Unable to recast while already active

Banned Abilities

NOTE: Ground Ice is currently disabled for competitive play. You may still use it in casual matchmaking and all PVE modes.

GROUND ICE "Adds Ground Ice Special Move. Create a hazardous zone that can freeze."

2 Slots, No Conflicts, No Requirements

Ground Ice
DB1

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
70.00 / 0.00 / 0.00	Unblockable	49	0	0
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
44	88	0	0	-
Freezes the opponent's legs, giving you a free mix-up. Best used as a set up after winning a knockdown. The opponent can use their Wakeup U3 to stop you if they're close enough.

Ground Ice (Amplify)
DB1 Amp

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery
0.00 / 0.00 / 0.00	Low	2	85	0
Cancel	Hit Adv	Blk Adv	F/Blk Adv	Cost
N/A	60	-54	-54	1 OFF
Increases the range of the ground ice but now becomes crouch blockable.

Strategy and Kombos

General Tactics

• Sub-Zero has one of the best shimmy and whiff-punish capabilities in the game due to his high mobility and plethora of forward-moving buttons such as Back3, Back1, Forward2 and Back2. This combination allows him to walk or dash in and out of the opponent's effective range and force a whiff for a whiff punish or a block check on them since both his Low starter and Overhead starter move Sub-Zero forward.
• Even at farther distances Sub-Zero can block check your opponent with Slide, which is pretty much unreactable at most distances. Coupled with the space control of Ice Ball that also wins any projectile trade with a full-screen combo confirmation, Sub-Zero can condition the opponent into ducking and crouch blocking at farther distances which can help shape the pace of the game to your advantage.
• If the opponent is frozen while standing, a popular strategy is to use the [B14] string for a standing reset with 10 frames of hit advantage for continued pressure instead of knocking down the opponent. [B32] is also a useful string for standing resets after freeze with 16 frames of hit advantage.
• If you want to better enforce the Overhead/Low mixup game, you may want to consider slotting either Deep Freeze or Rising Ice for your variation. Either of these two Equipped Abilities allow you to convert your Forward2 overhead into a full combo, and Rising Ice lets you do more damaging combos in general. Mixups that do more damage will weigh more heavily on an opponent's mind.

Popular Variations

Creeping Ice, Rising Ice, (Air) Polar Axe

• An overall well-rounded variation. The combination of Creeping Ice for added safety, Rising Ice for added reward from 50/50's and the (Air) Polar Axe for space control and counter zoning should give any player the tools to seize an advantage at any distance or opportunity with their opponent.

Rising Ice, Deep Freeze

• A variation that focuses especially on getting Sub-Zero within mixup distance of their opponent. Deep-Freeze gives the player multiple projectile speeds to anti-air with as well as counterzone. Rising Ice is used to maximize a player's overall damage potential from any hit once they are at their ideal distance.

Universal Kombos

Basic BnB

[Midscreen] B14-DF1, Jump 2, B143-BF3 (223.98 dmg)

• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (264.23 dmg) [KB: 361.34 dmg] [Side Switch]
• Replace Starter: B32 (223.98 dmg)
• Replace Starter: 12 (213.98 dmg)

Higher Damage BnB

[Midscreen] B14-DF1, Jump 3/4 (Crossup) [Side Switch], 2, B143-BF3 (248.21 dmg)

• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (284.20 dmg) [KB: 371.03 dmg] [Keeps Side]

Meterless Launch Combo

[Midscreen] B2-DF1, Jump 2, B143-BF3 (196.68 dmg)

• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (232.36 dmg) [KB: 318.44 dmg] [Side Switch]
• Replace Ender: D2 (186.08 dmg)

D2 KB Conversion

[Midscreen] D2(KB), B2-DF1, Jump 2, B143-BF3 (347.35 dmg)

• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (375.89 dmg) [KB: 444.75 dmg] [Side Switch]

Ice Ball into Meterless Launch

[Corner] B14-DF1, Jump 2, B2, D1, B32-BF3 (224.77 dmg)

• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (260.76 dmg) [KB: 347.59 dmg] [Side Switch]
• Replace Ender: 124 [KB: 308.08 dmg]
• Replace Starter: B12 (224.77 dmg)

B2 Launch into 124 KB

[Corner] B2-DF1, J2, 2, D1, 124 [KB: 285.28 dmg]

B32 Slide Launch into 124 KB

[Corner] B32-BF3, D1, D1 124 [KB: 372.11 dmg]

Ice Ball Conversion into 124 KB

[Corner] B32-DF1, Backdash, J3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 124 [KB: 352.35 dmg]

• Replace Starter: raw Ice Ball (325.60 dmg)
• Replace Starter: 12 (342.35 dmg)
• Replace Starter: B14, 21 (352.35 dmg)
• Replace Starter: 3 (359.32 dmg)
• Replace Starter: 4 (379.32 dmg)

Variation Kombos

[Midscreen] F2, DF1 Amp, J2, B143, BF3 (251.69 dmg)

• REQUIRES: Deep Freeze
• COSTS: 1 OFF
• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (294.06 dmg) [KB: 396.27 dmg]

[Midscreen] F2, DB+3 Amp, B2, DF1, J2, B143, BF3 (283.51 dmg)

• REQUIRES: Rising Ice
• COSTS: 1 OFF
• Amplify Ender: BF3 Amp (315.71 dmg) [KB: 393.39 dmg]
• Replace Starter: B32 (299.33 dmg)
• Replace B+143 with 124: [KB: 351.51]