MK9 | "Let's See What You Can Do." The Liu Kang Thread

Current Fighting Games Mortal Kombat
1

This thread is for Liu Kang info. If you have combos or tactics, then share them. I’ll start by adding combos that I use, and will add/change combos as new ones are found. Specific match-up discussions are welcome as well.

Legend:

b = Back
f = Forward
d = Down
u = Up

FP = Front Punch
BP = Back Punch
FK = Front Kick
BK = Back Kick
BLK = Block
TAG = Tag

Move List:

Special Moves

[details=Spoiler]SPECIAL MOVES
High Fireball – b, f+FP (air ok)
Low Fireball – b, f+FK
Flying Dragon Kick – b, f+BP
Bicycle Kick – b, b, f+BK
Parry – d, b+FP

ENHANCED MOVES
High Dragon Fire – b, f+FP+BLK (air ok)
Low Dragon Fire – b, f+FK+BLK
Flame Dragon Kick – b, f+BP+BLK
Bicycle Steps – b, b, f+BK+BLK
Burning Parry – d, b+FP+BLK[/details]

Kombo Strings

[details=Spoiler]Three Fists – FP, FP, FP
Death Fist – FP, FP, BP
Immortal Dragon – FP, BP, b+FP
Blazing Blasts – f+FP, BP, FP
Fierce Tiger – BP, FP, FK
Showdown – f+BP, BK
Backdown – b+BP, FK
Launching Fury – b+BP, b+FK
Lotus Flurry – FK, FK, BK
Final Act – b+FK, FP, BP
Krushing Kombo – f+BK, FK

Dragon Stance – d, b+BP

  • FP while in Dragon Stance
  • BP while in Dragon Stance
  • FK while in Dragon Stance
  • BK while in Dragon Stance[/details]

Tag Attacks

[details=Spoiler]FAST TAGS
Shaolin Spirit – FP, BP, b+FP, TAG
Dragon’s Bite – b+FK, FP, BP, TAG
Shaolin Step – BP, FP, FK, TAG

TAG KOMBOS
Fist Swaps – FP, FP, TAG
Step In – FP, BP, TAG
Friendly – f+FP, BP, TAG
Dragon Dance – BP, FP, TAG
Twin Lotus – FK, FK, TAG
Harm-Onious – b+FK, FP, TAG[/details]

2

The key to comboing [b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP] is to wait until your dash finishes before starting the second string. Do not try to do this too fast, or you will miss.

I cannot see a reason to use Liu Kang’s EX moves in combos. The added damage is not enough to be viable.

Combos

[details=Spoiler]MID-SCREEN
b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, Bicycle Kicks – 41% damage

b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 38% damage (more reliable than first combo)

BP, FP, FK, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 34% damage

FP, BP, b+FP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, Bicycle Kicks – 37% damage

Burning Parry, walk forward, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, b+FK, FP, BP, dash, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 41% damage (1 bar)

X-RAY
b+BP, FK, X-Ray, walk forward, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 42% damage (3 bars)

FP, BP, b+FP, dash, f+BP, BK, X-Ray, walk forward, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 45% damage (3 bars)

b+FK, FP, BP, dash, f+BP, BK, X-Ray, walk forward, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks – 49% damage (3 bars)

CORNER
b+FK, FP, BP, b+FK, FP, BP, b+FK, FP, BP, b+FK, FP, BP, b+FK, Low Fireball – 42% damage
[/details]

3

The following are little snippets of info that I feel are important for new Liu Kang users.

Anti-Air

[details=Spoiler]Liu’s Uppercut is quick. Standing FP isn’t as good as Uppercut, but it allows for a juggle afterwards. You can use b+FP when you are just out of range to Uppercut.

When dealing with cross-ups, Uppercut will beat out Jump Punches, but can lose to Jump Kicks. Standing FP will beat a cross-up Jump Punch, but loses to a cross-up Jump kick. One last option is to dash under your opponent; whatever cross-up they do will whiff.

With Liu Kang, it seems that there is a range where he cannot deal with Jump Kicks efficiently.[/details]

HNIC Mike on Meter Usage

[details=Spoiler]The only use I see for Lui Kang’s meter is Breakers. He already does 40% from standard bnb’s, and the X-Ray only pushes 10% more damage in most cases. Plus, his EXs seem pretty useless.

Spootz: Liu’s Ex Parry has a great damage-per-meter ratio. Unfortunately, Ex Parry is terrible.[/details]

Azuro on Liu’s Safe 50/50

[details=Spoiler]Liu gets frame advantage off the overhead (f+FK) and damage from the low (b+FK, FP, BP). Either option is safe on block, too. That’s what his game is…safe 50/50s.

Spootz: Other safe attacks are (f+FP, BP), (f+BP, BK), and (b+BP, FK).[/details]

Instant Air Fireball

[details=Spoiler]To perform the instant air fireball: jump backwards, f+FP. This is a useful zoning tool against opponents without a teleport.

You can combo an Instant Air Fireball into a Flying Kick if the fireball connects with the opponent while they are near the top of their jump (or descending from the jump). This is difficult to do on reaction in some situations (height dependent). You can input the Flying Kick as soon as the Air Fireball animation ends, and it will come out when you land.[/details]

Dealing With Kung’s Spin and Kage’s Flip Kick

Spoiler

Liu has fantastic normals (which is good because most of his specials are terrible). So, he can punish Kung Lao’s Spin and Johnny Cage’s Flip Kick with juggles after a block. For both you want to use (BP, FP, FK…) a.k.a. (2, 1, 3…). Against Kung’s Spin you need to dash slightly before attacking. Against Cage’s Flip Kick you need to hit the BP as SOON as Liu stops actually blocking (it’s difficult). Uppercut will also stuff a Cage Flip Kick.

4

I would like to say awesome thread!

5

Liu Kang is a very solid character in this game. Possible 30-45% damage off of a low, and off of his Overhead string, there goes another possible 30-50%. Add some very solid zoning, his flying kick being a very fast midscreen punisher, and his parry that saves his ass from intense rushdown (ex: Johnny Cage) and you got a very decent character in the making.

Problems…one, he can’t combo off of his raw overhead…that’s pretty meh, and it’s damn obvious when he’s going for his Overhead String against a ducking opponent. Two, his damage isn’t GREAT, especially for his execution, until you use his X-Ray so you’re gonna have to tag your opponent a decent amount. Three, not the best range on his normals, which can make some matchups like Jade a pain. Four, while he’s a very decent zoner, he’s not gonna win any zoning battles against pure keepaway characters, which is bad because he has absolutely no way to get in on said characters unless he guesses right on a Dragon Kick.

Solid character for sure though.

6

Edited posted already listed info.

7

You can actually do more than that after the x-ray. I tend to go: x-ray, f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kicks.

Check out the combos I posted in the second post.

Also, I like using Flying Kick to punish, but only when I KNOW it will hit. It is a super risky attack otherwise.

8

Actually, my X-Ray ender is FP, BP, b-FP…f-FP, BP, Dragon Kick

9

yeah, i was saying in the other thread that the only use i really see for lui kangs meter is breakers. he already does 40% from standard bnb’s, and the x-ray only pushes 10% more in most cases

plus his ex’s seem pretty useless

and he dosent have anything that is completly inv as a wake up attack. he has parry, but parrys get baited easy, so breakers really add to his defense

10

Is it just me, or do parries have significant start-up before they can actually counter anything? You can’t just throw it in during a break in a block string.

If I am playing a set with someone, then I will throw out a few “random” x-rays because they hit overhead. After a couple times you’ll have them afraid to block low (while you have 3 bars). Again, this is only during a set though, otherwise, I only use x-ray if I know it will kill the opponent.

11

yeah, raw parries have slow start up. but on wake up they work immediately because you get inv frames on start up for it

12

That ender does 1% less damage than: f+BP, BK, Bicycle Kick. I also think that it is less consistent.

13

some nice comboes here, I feel a bit more safer with the ones I’ve made up but I havent had a chance to try them against the living. I’ll see how it goes then post em if they suck :rofl: I get an avarage of 34% no meter so they’re not bad

14

It can be, but Bicycle Kick buffers are a pain, but honestly, it doesn’t matter because Liu should never use X-Rays AT ALL during a match. Not even for the kill, he already has flashiness without it.

15

just found out that back+front punchxxxxxxlow fireball is pretty good for footsies. pretty safe on block because of pushback, knocks down on hit, must be blocked low, and comes out really fast

16

I have tried using b+FP, but to no avail. It seems that the hit-box is terrible. I constantly got out poked.

Also, why not use High Fireball instead? It has a faster recovery.

EDIT: b+FP might be a good anti-air at the right range. The hitbox extends out and above Liu Kang’s actual fist.

17

well if you notice the hitboxes in this game arent like a traditional 2d game. like there is no imaginary box around your characters fist or legs, and the hittable area is your actual body, not boxes around your body. so there will be moves that beat you cleany. but i find it good for neutral space control.

and i said low fireball because the high one can be crouched, and you might get uppercutted if the b+fp portion is blocked

18

Are you sure about that? Attacks definitely have hitboxes that aren’t part of the character model. Like with b+FP, it has a hitbox that extends past the fist and above his arm.

19

its showing you the hitbox in training mode on every move you perform. im almost certain it isnt like sf. but i could be wrong, and there could be some hitting portions of moves that arent being shown in trainig. i dont see why they would put the feature in the game to see hitboxes if it wasnt going to be accurate tho

20

Training mode doesn’t show hitboxes. It shows which part of the body you are attacking with. Give me a few minutes and I’ll record something real quick…so you can see that the hitboxes definitely extend past the red glowy part.

EDIT: Watch the video. Liu’s fist doesn’t touch Kung Lao. I want to note that at this range, b+FP doesn’t hit standing Lao, but it will hit him when he is jumping.

Here is a picture from when the attack “hits” Kung Lao.

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