The Comprehensive MODOK Tutorial - Written and Video Tutorials

Classic Fighting Games Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3
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Welcome to the comprehensive MODOK tutorial! Everything you need to know about MODOK is in this thread and more. Only individual matchups are not covered. If there are any questions regarding the tutorial, please post them. If something is missing or wrong, please let me know! This thread will be continuously watched and updated with new tech/strategies. And thanks to all the BRODOKs for helping add to and edit this tutorial so far!

Written Tutorial Contents
1 - Normals, 2 - Specials, 3 - Hypers, 4 - Flight, Jumps, and Specials, 5 - Normal Grabs and Killer Illumination, 6 - Combo Pieces and BnBs, 7 - Hitconfirms/Blockstrings, 8 - Mixups, 9 - Resets, 10 - XFactor, 11 - Basic Neutral Game, 12 - Assists for MODOK, 13 - MODOK’s Assists

Video Tutorial 2.0
[media=youtube]MSr8L-SvEqY[/media]

Original Video Tutorial
YouTube Playlist

Sections 1, 2, and 3 - Normals, Specials, and Hypers
[media=youtube]a-C6H96u3FI[/media]

Sections 4 and 5 - Aerial Abilities and Grabs
[media=youtube]vDUGkAWRRjg[/media]

Section 6 - Combos
[media=youtube]ryi_EzpT5oU[/media]

Sections 7 and 8 - Hit confirms/Blockstrings and Mixups
[media=youtube]FxnVEI63XaQ[/media]

Sections 9 and 10 - Resets and XFactor
[media=youtube]BxlQKf3M20w[/media]

Sections 11, 12, and 13 - Neutral Game and Assists
[media=youtube]oUFVZi20uTM[/media]

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1 – Normals
st.:l: - Has short range, but functions well as an anti-air
st.:m: - Has long range, 5 hits, counts as a projectile, and is safe on block. It can be ducked under by some characters that are too close. All 5 hits will hit, no matter the length of the combo. It is a decent pressure tool.
st.:h: - Has long range and startup, but it can be ducked under. It has little purpose, even in combos. This move is jump cancellable.
st.:s: - Launcher with good range
cr.:l: - Has short range. Can be ducked under by some characters. Works decently for hitconfirms.
cr.:m: - Has long range, counts as a projectile, and OTGs. It can be ducked under by some characters that are too close. If the attack hits the ground, it persists for a second as a puddle, whose edges count as a low.
cr.:h: - Has long range and startup and counts as a low. This move is jump cancellable. Good for combos and hitconfirms.
j.:l: - A fast, multi-hitting overhead that does not stop until it is cancelled or you land. All hits will hit, no matter the length of the combo. Excellent for hitconfirms and combo extension. This move is air dash cancellable.
j.:m: - Has long range. Is excellent for pressure and combos. This move is air dash cancellable.
j.:h: - Has decent range and startup. It is an okay pressure tool, but won’t be used often. This move is air dash cancellable.
j.:s: - Has decent range and startup. It groundbounces (when not used in an air combo) and can cross up. It is a decent pressure tool and is excellent for extending combos. This move is air dash cancellable.
:df::h: - Has long range and startup, but is an excellent anti-air. This move is jump cancellable. Will mostly be used in swag combos and on incoming characters.
:f::h: - Has long range and startup. This move is jump cancellable and wallbounces. Once the wallbounce is used, it strikes them the enemy to the wall and forces an aerial recovery, but is still immune to hitstun. Excellent for extending combos.
:b::h: - Summons a shield in front of MODOK to absorb non-hyper attacks. The enemy must jump over it. The move is not cancellable into supers or hypers. You can call out assists, but you can’t THC. This move can be chained into from any grounded normal.

2 – Specials
:qcf::atk: (Psionic Blaster) – Shoots a beam projectile that causes a soft knockdown and pushes the opponent away. The grounded and aerial :l: versions are the fastest and do 3 hits. The grounded and aerial :m: versions do 4 hits. The grounded and aerial :h: versions do 5 hits and are the slowest. The aerial :h: version shoots diagonally downward at a 45 degree angle. The :l: blaster is the go to version for zoning and combos in most cases. Some enemies can crouch under the grounded versions of this beam.

:qcf::s: (Psionic High Blaster) – Shoots a beam projectile that causes a soft knockdown on airborne enemies and a stagger on grounded opponents, while pushing the opponent away. Note that this beam does not hit high and hits mid. This beam does the most damage, does 5 hits, and has a startup in between the :m: and :h: versions of psionic blaster, and costs one Level of Understanding (LoU). It has little purpose, even in combos. This move cannot be done in the air.
Notes: The move can combo into itself when the opponent is grounded only using an XFC. Even in level 3 XFactor, this move can’t combo into itself. When the stagger hits, you cannot follow up with :f::h:, but other normals and :l: blaster work.

:dp::atk: (Balloon Bomb) – MODOK releases a bomb that causes a soft knockdown. The grounded :l: version goes right above MODOK’s head and has the shortest startup, and the aerial :l: version goes in front of MODOK’s feet by about 2 character spaces away. For both :l: versions, the bomb spawns by his feet. The grounded and aerial :m: versions goes in front of MODOK’s feet by about 2 character spaces away. For both :m: versions, the bomb spawns by the top of his head. The grounded and aerial :h: versions have limited homing and decelerates, with quick initial speed, while having the longest startup. For both :h: versions, the bomb spawns by his midsection. All versions do the same damage. Only one bomb can be on the screen at once. If another bomb is called, the older one explodes. This move has great durability and can exchange with beams and other projectiles.

:dp::s: (Jamming Bomb) – MODOK releases a bomb that causes a soft knockdown. It has excellent homing, moves at a constant speed, persists longer than :h: balloon bomb, spawns by his midsection, and costs one LoU. This bomb on hit jams the opponent’s controls for that character. Up is now down, and left is now right, and vice versa. Up back is now down forward. For example, doing a magnetic blast motion (896) is now your quarter circle back motion (214). Doing the magnetic blast motion on the other side is your quarter circle forward motion. This is great to know if one of your hypers that use these motions has invincibility. Turning your controller upside down “normalizes” your controls while jammed. Only one bomb can be on the screen at once. If another bomb is called, the older one explodes.

:qcb::atk: (Analysis Cube) – MODOK places a stationary projectile that, on hit, increases his Level of Understanding by 1. MODOK can hold a total of 9 LoUs (the current LoU is represent by the fire on his forehead). The grounded and aerial :l: versions goes in front of MODOK’s feet. The grounded :m: version goes farther out at normal jump height. The grounded :h: version goes even farther out level with MODOK’s midsection. The aerial :m: version goes above the aerial :l: version level with MODOK’s midsection. The aerial :h: version goes above the aerial :m: version right above MODOK’s head. Note that this move is safe on block and that multiple can be on the screen at once.

:atk::s: (Battering Ram) – This move can be directed in all 8 directions and can be used to move around the screen. You can only combo off of this move if you XFC or use a hyper. Note that whenever you use this move, you count as being airborne.

:b::s: (Big Barrier) – Summons a shield in front of MODOK to absorb non-hyper attacks. The enemy must super jump over it. The move is not cancellable into supers or hypers. You can call out assists, but you can’t THC. Note that this move is a special and you can cancel whiffed normals into this move.

:qcb::s: (Flight) – This move allows MODOK to fly in addition to his normal jump. This gives MODOK unlimited air specials for the duration of the flight, except for Battering Ram, which cancels flight mode. Other moves that cancel flight mode include j.:l: and j.:s:. Air dashing also cancels flight mode. You can always just unfly normally. Unlike most characters, MODOK can block during his flight, though blocking forces him to unfly.

3 – Hypers
:qcf::atk::atk: (Hyper Psionic Blaster aka HPB) – This move is a massive beam that eats up all the LoUs you have collected, can be done in the air, and causes a hard knockdown. The greater your LoU, the more damaging and powerful the beam, and the longer the hard knockdown state will be. The damage is initially terrible, but it begins to do more damage than HBR fully scaled at 4 LoUs. With all 9 LoUs, it is the most powerful level one hyper in the game.

:qcb::atk::atk: (Hyper Battering Ram aka HBR) – This move has you controlling MODOK moving in battering ram bursts, with each burst consisting of three hits. When grounded, you can do 5 bursts, while when activated in the air, you can do 4 minus the number of air specials you have done so far. You can direct each burst in all 8 directions. This will be your typical hyper to end your combos with. With appropriate control of the HBR, it is possible to link this hyper into itself again. This is a level one hyper.

:dp::atk::atk: (Killer Illumination) – This move is a grab with invincible startup that you can combo after. Unfortunately, the enemy can jump out if it after the hyper freeze, so you will be using this move only to punish certain hypers/moves. This is a level one hyper that is mashable for extra damage (up to 76 hits, opposed to 30 unmashed).

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4 – Flight, Jumps, and Specials: Aerial Movement and Abilities with MODOK

First, let’s cover MODOK’s basic aerial abilities. MODOK has an 8 way air dash and has a limit of 3 specials while in the air. MODOK also has his command flight mode, the longest in the game, which grants him unlimited use of his specials. This is indicated by a blue flame boosting MODOK up in the air. MODOK also has a special normal jump known as low flight mode. This mode is practically identical to the command flight version. MODOK once again has unlimited use of his specials. Inputting the command flight in low flight mode actually makes MODOK unfly, indicated by the flame turning back to its normal orange color. MODOK’s super jump functions like a normal super jump.

There is one very important catch to MODOK’s strange normal jump. MODOK cannot block for a few frames after jumping. This makes MODOK the only character in the game that cannot “chicken block” or “up back”. Similarly, MODOK cannot use his command flight to try “bold blocking” similar to Dante on the ground. However, when airborne, MODOK can use his ability to block during his flight to perform this “bold blocking” technique, since he does not have to get off of the ground. If you whiff a normal in either flight mode, unfly to block instantly. If you whiff a normal while super jumping around, fly to block instantly.

Another item I would like to note with MODOK’s low flight mode is that it gives him the ability to fly to the top of the screen at the beginning of the round. Since this is his normal jump, MODOK can call assists. Assists like Jam Session and Double Lariat allow MODOK to set the pace of the match right away in most cases. Similarly, normal jumping when given space and performing body attack once or twice in the air and/or air dashing up, then activating flight allows you to set up a similar situation, as you can call assists and flight mode grants you one extra air dash, provided that you use it during flight.

It is also interesting how the aerial special limit (3 specials) interacts with the command flight, low flight mode, and HBR. First off, for this aerial special limit, activating flight mode does NOT count as a special; however, unflying DOES count as a special. For example, if you super jump up and activate command flight, do an analysis cube, fire a blaster, and then unfly, you cannot do any more specials. If you super jump up and activate command flight, do an analysis cube, fire a blaster, and wait for the flight mode to end automatically, you can still do one more special. If you super jump up and activate command flight, do 9 analysis cubes, and unfly, you cannot do any more specials. So, just to repeat, flying does not count toward the specials limit, while unflying does. During flight mode, you can do unlimited specials, but when it ends, you cannot do anymore, since the 3 specials limit has been met. Note that these rules also apply to the normal jump (low flight mode).

Now, HBR is a strange hyper when it comes to the air. When grounded, you have 5 battering ram bursts. If you super jump up and activate HBR, you get 4 bursts. If you super jump up, do a special, and activate HBR, you get 3 bursts. If you super jump up, do 2 specials, and activate HBR, you get 2 bursts. If you super jump up, do 2 specials, activate flight, do another special (or however many more during flight), and then activate HBR during flight, you get 1 burst.

MODOK has one nice mobility trick to know and that is the ability to acquire 2 air dashes without entering flight mode. The easiest way this is done is by doing an upward, grounded Battering Ram from any grounded normal (like st.:m:). From there, you can easily reach super jump height and still call assists by doing adu, adub, fly. I have noticed that doing: upward grounded Battering Ram, upward aerial Battering Ram, addf, adf j.:s: and the like causes a particularly jarring change in direction visually and could be useful for getting in with certain assists. This piece of tech is also a nice for making the very good matchups for MODOK all the more unwinnable (such as facing Haggar).

5 – Normal Grabs and Killer Illumination

MODOK can combo off of all normal grabs, and 3 of them you can combo off of in all situations. Abuse these normal grabs when you can, since MODOK’s grab range is above average. Note that these grabs, as well as Killer Illumination, affect your hitstun deterioration, so be wary of this when you try going for your follow up combo.

To combo after Killer Illumination, MODOK can follow up by simply doing: dash, cr.:m:, st.:s:. It is also possible to follow up for a little extra damage by doing: dash, cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:.

For his grounded grabs, MODOK can follow up in most cases by simply doing: dash, cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:, into combo. It is also possible (though I believe the timing is more strict) to follow up by doing: dash, cr.:m:, st.:s:.

For his :b::h: aerial grab, MODOK can follow up in most cases by doing: wave dash twice, cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:, into combo.

For his :f::h: aerial grab, MODOK can only follow up in the corner and when the grab was done at minimum height (the height when you activate low flight mode or command flight on the ground). From there, follow up with: cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:, into combo. Doing cr.:m:, st.:s: also works. Timing to get the cr.:m: to connect is strict.

For the main three grabs that you will be comboing off of, know that if you toss them in the corner and you end up right next to your opponent, going right for a cr.:m: will usually whiff, so it is best to recognize that you are in a corner and dash back, then do a cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:.

It is also important to note that you should always option select your grabs. When you go for a grab, there are three possible outcomes. You get the grab (any inputs during the animation won’t buffer), the grab gets teched, or you whiff the grab. Be sure to have a plan for the last 2 outcomes. For your aerial grab, try to get the :b::h: grab. After attempting to grab, going for a quick j.:l:, :l: cube is a good strategy. For the first outcome, your extra inputs are ignored and you combo off of the grab. For the second outcome, you will likely beat their mashing with j.:l: and get a cube in the process. For the third outcome, j.:h: cannot cancel into j.:l:, so that will be ignored, but :l: cube will come out, which is relatively safe in most post air grab attempts. Similarly, you want a strategy for your grounded throws. :b::h: gives you a barrier on whiff that takes time to come out and is not cancellabe. :f::h: gives you a slow move, but at least it is cancellable. So naturally, you want to go for forward throws more often than not. The problem with grounded throws is that there is a possibility that your opponent will mash that shield skills and you will be teching throws all day. So there are two strategies. Either you can mash :f::h:, which takes care of the first two options, and cancel into an :l: cube/blaster when you recognize that it whiffs, or you can do :f::h:, cr.:l:, :l: cube, similar to the back air throw version, if you suspect that they won’t be mashing throw. But this is Mahvel, so unfortunately, going for the first strategy is most likely better.

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6 – Combo Pieces and BnB’s

For this section, I will start slow with very basic BnB’s that as a MODOK player, you want to know how to do, or at least be aware of. Gradually, we will become more advanced and throw in a couple of example of common assists or common classes of assists for combo extension. I just want to quickly note that saving your wallbounce and groundbounce for the end of combos gives you access to extra damage and/or options.

Before I delve into some basic BnB’s, I would also like to mention what you should be thinking when you get a combo rolling. What should be the end goal of this combo? You have three basic options. Those options are to the kill the character, jam the character for a reset/snapback, or simply go for a reset. This decision will be based on a number of factors, including what you can do after your combo starter (it might not be possible to jam), how much meter you have/are willing to spend, the health of the character you are comboing, and the threat level of the other characters on your opponent’s team. Know what you can do with your assists after any touch with MODOK so you can make a smart decision on where your combo should leave your opponent at its end.

Now, time for some combos.

Basic BnB’s and Relaunch Variants/Info

There are two basic combo outlines that, as a MODOK player, you will typically go to. One has 2 sets of basic air combos, while the other has 1. I will show the latter first. Note that when you manage to hit 2 or more characters, these BnBs will hit fully and are your go-to combos. Do not add cubes to these combos in that situation, since cubes only hit one character.

MODOK Basic BnB Structure (1 air combo)
(cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m: )x2, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:h: (whiffs), dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, dash, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, hyper
With your starter, this combo will take you corner to corner.

MODOK Basic BnB Structure (2 air combos)
cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, wave dash twice, cr.:m:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:s:, dash, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, hyper
With your starter, this combo will too take you corner to corner. I recommend learning this combo, or its relaunch variants, as it gives you a good feel for MODOK’s combo pieces and how his normals function, and it saves his wallbounce.

Before I get ahead of myself, I will break down one part that is common to both of these combos, and that is cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:. Knowing to do this is critical to using MODOK. Once cr.:h: hits, just tap up, input a dash, then immediately press :m:. Practice, practice, practice this until you will never drop it.

Once you get that down, the first combo should not be much of a problem. Just make sure you input the air series quickly enough (or shorten it to sj.:m:, slight delay, sj.:h:, slight delay, sj.:s:).

For the second combo, for the second air series, super jump up forward immediately after the st.:s:, then wait for a little bit before doing the air series. Going straight into the air series will not give you enough time to OTG afterward to follow up.

There are also a few variants of the second combo regarding relaunching. Some may find it difficult to relaunch by wave dashing twice. Another option is to land, tap :uf:, dash :df:, cr.:m:, st.:s:. Note that you are at the minimum dash height when tapping :uf:, so buffering your dash :df: is a good idea. This should be familiar if you are used to Doom relaunches midscreen. Another thing I should mention is that for this combo variation and the original combo, after doing cr.:m:, do not mash on st.:s:. Depending on your starter, this might not work. Remember that comboing from cr.:m: to st.:s: is a chain, and that when cr.:m: hits the opponent and OTGs, you can input st.:s:. But this is Mahvel, so you can buffer that st.:s: a little bit before the cr.:m: hits, allowing you to always get your relaunch when hitstun deterioration would make it a tight link off of some starters.

One more variation of the second combo’s relaunch is to preform what you do to combo off of grabs, though this is inconsistent with starters that heavily effect hitstun deterioration (starting off with j.:s:, which groundbounces, for example). Once again, this input is: dash, cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m:. One more important note about this relaunch is to know your timing. If you input command flight and dash (2 buttons) right away, your command flight will plink into HBR… not what you want. Go into training mode and practice this relaunch off of normal grabs until you do not get HBR often. It is possible to circumvent this issue altogether by tapping forward twice to dash instead of using the normal 2 button dash, but you sacrifice the general ease and speed of the 2 button dash, though by all means, if you can do it, it’s certainly superior for combos in these cases where you must fly, then dash.

One last note about relaunching: you might be noticing that cr.:m: does not consistently OTG against small characters (and for some reason, Dorm) after a hard knockdown in the corner. This is especially noticeable when that hard knockdown is caused by a throw, since more normal sized characters become affected by this. This is easily corrected by wave dashing back first before doing cr.:m:, st.:s:. MODOK’s launcher has a great hitbox, so though it might look like you are too far back, it will always combo. Though you do not always have to wave dash back before relaunching in the corner, it is a good habit to get into, since it will always work.

Optimizing damage on the Last Air Series

Now at this point, you should have enough information to get your basic BnB of choice going. Before I get into assist combo extensions, I will mention a quick combo optimization to your basic BnBs. If you end up in the corner or very close to the corner, you can add an extra :l: blaster at the end of your last air series. This is great, since at times, doing sj.:s: for the last air series will whiff if your combo starter was horrendously long. For the last air series, what you do instead is: sj.:m:, sj.:m:, :l: blaster, add or addf, sj.:s:. For this blaster air series, you want the opponent as high as possible, so after doing st.:s:, wait a bit on the ground before super jumping up forward. sj.:m: also floats the opponent higher, which is useful for this purpose as well. Also, be aware that you go back to neutral before tapping sj.:s: after doing add(f), or you will get a TAC. The main thing to learn here is when you recover from :l: blaster to add(f) (ie. mash j.:l: after doing :l: blaster to see when you recover). Once you figure out the timing for doing add(f) afterwards :l: blaster, practice.

Tagging on an Extra Cube (2nd BnB Structure)

It is possible to put a cube in the very beginning of your combo without sacrificing much damage, though there are different combo routes to be taken depending on where you are on screen. In the corner, to get a cube quickly, do cr.:h:, :l: cube, st.:s:, etc. At midscreen, you have two options. The easier one is: cr.:h:, :h: cube, dash, st.:s:, etc. The harder one is: cr.:h:, :m: cube, dash, cr.:l:, st.:s:, etc. It is good to know both, since the second one can be done almost anywhere.

Basic Assist Combo Extension and Combo Enders

Now, it’s time for combo extensions with assists. This is where you will build cubes for resets, do jamming bombs without sacrificing much damage, and/or optimize your damage for the kill. Usually, you want to have assists that ignore hitstun deterioration for easy combo-ability and allow you to continue the combo off of a hard knockdown in the corner. So let’s say :a1: is your generic combo extending assist. After your basic BnB, do something like: dash back and call :a1:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster. If your assist is fast enough, it may be possible to do an :l: cube instead of an :l: blaster. From there, let your assist juggle the opponent, then tag on your wallbounce ( :f::h:) or your groundbounce (j.:s:) at the end. Generally, try using up your wallbounce first before your groundbounce. You want to have at least one assist that allows you to get a :f::h: after a hard knockdown in the corner to have MODOK at his full combo potential. If both the wallbounce and groundbounce are already used, do :f::h:, :m: blaster, hyper, for your typical combo ender into damage. If you wish to snap back, a typical ender has a snapback instead of a hyper (doing :l: blaster instead may be easier to time). During the time your assist juggles the opponent, see if you can do extra damage by adding an :l: blaster or bomb. So when your :a1: call is finished, do :f::h: to wallbounce. From there, you can do :l: cube or :l: bomb before calling out your next assist. The next step is to incorporate :a2:, another generic combo extending assist. You probably want to do :f::h: and :a2: at the same time, then see what can work. Try jamming bomb, dashing up and doing :l: bombs, or if :a2: does not hit in time after :f::h:, try calling it before :f::h: or doing an :l: or :m: blaster after :f::h:. After finding what works, try getting in another :f::h: at the end, jump, adf, j.:s: to use your groundbounce, :f::h:, into one of the enders mentioned earlier or the resets that are to be discussed later. If your :a2: just won’t cooperate, try finding a way to be creative with your groundbounce to add it in. One quick optimization note: after using the groundbounce, it is possible to do :l: bomb, :f::h:, ender, but that doing :f::h: after the extra :l: bomb is very strict.

I will now give you a few sample enders using various assists. These combos pick up off from your basic BnB combo, and you are now in the corner, with your opponent in a hard knockdown state unless I mention otherwise.

:a1: = Doom’s Hidden Missiles, :a2: = Magneto’s Hyper Grav
cr.:m: and :a2:, :l: blaster, dash back, :f::h:, :l: bomb, :f::h:, jump, adf and :a1:, j.:s:, :l: bomb, st.:s:, sj.:l:, (missiles hit), :m: bomb, :l: blaster, add, sj.:s:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, hyper/snapback

:a1: = Doom’s Hidden Missiles, :a2: = Magneto’s Hyper Grav (Full combo)
cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, wave dash twice and call :a1:, cr.:m:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:s:, (missiles OTG), :l: bomb, :l: bomb, dash back, :f::h:, :l: bomb, :f::h: and :a2:, :m: blaster, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :f::h:, :m: blaster, hyper/snapback

:a1: = Doom’s Hidden Missiles, :a2: = Magneto’s Hyper Grav (Full combo)
cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, wave dash twice and call :a1:, cr.:m:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:s:, (missiles OTG), jamming bomb, dash back, :f::h:, :l: bomb, :f::h: and :a2:, :m: blaster, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :f::h:, :m: blaster, hyper/snapback

:a1: = Doom’s Hidden Missiles, :a2: = Magneto’s Hyper Grav (Full combo)
cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, wave dash twice and call :a1:, cr.:m:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:s:, (missiles OTG), :l: bomb, :l: cube, dash back, :f::h:, :l: cube, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :a2:, :f::h:, jamming bomb, snapback/reset

:a1: = Viper’s Burn Kick, :a2: = Hsien Ko’s Senpu Bu
dash back and :a2:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, :l: bomb, :f::h:, :l: cube, :f::h:, :a1:, jamming bomb, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :f::h:, :m: blaster, hyper/snapback

:a1: = Strange’s Eye of Avocado, :a2: = Sentinel’s Drones (Charge)
dash back and :a1:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, :l: blaster, :f::h:, :l: cube, :a2:, :f::h:, :m: blaster, dash, jamming bomb, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :f::h:, :m: blaster, hyper/snapback

:a1: = Firebrand’s Demon Missile (Charge), :a2: = Dante’s Jam Session
dash back and :a1:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, :f::h:, :l: bomb, :f::h:, jump, adf, j.:s:, :f::h:, pause, st.:s: and :a2:, sj.:l:, fly, :m: blaster, add, sj.:s:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, hyper

Find out what you can do with your assists and get creative!

Corner Combos – Optimizing Damage

Even though your basic BnB with adjustable enders will be your staple BnB, you should know that your combos can be optimized for damage when in or near the corner before you do your assist based combo ender. Here are two sample combo starters that go for optimal damage (provided by Caveman).

(cr.:h:, jump and float up for a moment, j.:h:, adf, j.:h: )x2, cr.:h:, jump, j.:h:, add, cr.:h:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, :l: blaster, add(f), sj.:s:, ender

(cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m: )x2, cr.:h:, jump and float up for a moment, j.:h:, adf, j.:h:, cr.:h:, jump, j.:h:, add, cr.:h:, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:m:, :l: blaster, add(f), sj.:s:, ender
This combo works from the match start position.

Note that you must float up for a moment after doing cr.:h:, so you can do j.:h:, adf, j.:h:. Simply tapping up and doing adf, j.:h: whiffs. By floating up for a moment, adf, j.:h: can hit if you input j.:h: quickly after dashing forward.

Corner Combos – Building Up Your LoU (Cube Combos)

When in the corner, you can also opt to build up your LoU and go for a cube corner combo. Doing this however is heavily reliant on your assists and what characters you are performing the combo on (read: these only work on normal sized characters), so I will give you two basic combo parts that one typically sees at the start of cube combos as guidelines before you need to find a way for your assists to contribute in tandem with your wallbounce and groundbounce. Both your wallbounce and groundbounce should usually net you one more cube (ie. :f::h:, :l: cube and j.:s:, :l: cube).

The first basic combo part is simply cr.:h:, :l: cube. You can usually get at least two reps in before you have to use your assists.

The second basic combo part is the one I usually turn to and seems more consistent. It goes like this: cr.:h:, jump, (j.:m:, j.:h:, :l: cube)x3, j.:m:, j.:s:, assist extension

Now, I will give you a sample cube corner combo. See what your assists can do for you.

:a1: = Doom’s Hidden Missiles, :a2: = Magneto’s Hyper Grav
(8 cubes and does 1,239,200 damage with 2 bars, builds over a bar)
cr.:h:, jump, (j.:m:, j.:h:, :l: cube)x3, j.:m: and :a2:, j.:m:, :m: cube, (hyper grav connects), :l: cube, j.:s:, wave dash back, :l: cube, :f::h:, :l: cube, :f::h: and :a1:, jump, addf, st.:s:, sj.:l:, :m: cube (when missiles hit), :l: blaster, add(f), sj.:s:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, HPB, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, HBR

Corner TAC Combos

As you probably already know, MODOK has some crazy TAC combos. These combos have the goal of getting 9 cubes to have a fully powered HPB and make MODOK a serious threat in the second slot. I will write down notations for simple up, down, and side TACs in the corner that maximize damage while minimizing difficulty.

Up TAC
pause for a moment, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:m:, adu, sj.:l:, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:m:, fly, (sj.:m:, :h: cube)x4, :m: cube, :m: cube, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:s:, assist based combo ender (if assists ignore hitstun deterioration)

You want to pause for a split second at the beginning to ensure that you are close enough at the end to connect sj.:l: after all the cubes. You can always just try dashing forward first, then sj.:l: instead.

Down TAC (takes away groundbounce)
sj.:m:, sj.:m:, adu, sj.:l:, :l: cube, sj.:l:, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:m:, fly, (sj.:m:, :h: cube)x4, :m: cube, :m: cube, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:s:, assist based combo ender (if assists ignore hitstun deterioration)

Side TAC (takes away wallbounce)
sj.:h: (delayed), :l: cube (delayed), sj.:l: (1 hit), :l: cube, sj.:l: (1 hit), sj.:m:, dash, sj.:m:, fly, (sj.:m:, :h: cube)x4, :m: cube, :m: cube, :l: cube, sj.:l:, sj.:s:, assist based combo ender (if assists ignore hitstun deterioration)

These TACs, of course, are adjustable to whatever you feel more comfortable with. One thing you can do instead is plink an :h: cube after you activate fly. What this means is that you are getting an :h: cube with the same 214 motion (quarter circle back) that you use to get flight. Your inputs look like this: :qcb::s:, :h:. The :h: must be added on quickly. Though this is harder, it does give you more freedom in your TAC, since you now have 10 cubes. You can add in an extra sj.:m: during your cube reps, if you notice the opponent is not floating high enough, or you have more time to delay them, since you can scrap one of them. You could also opt to do an :l: bomb in the start of the up TAC, then find a way to get one more cube, and then plink into another cube from flight mode.

Other Important Combo Notes

If you can hit the opponent with the top of HPB, you can always follow up with your assist based combo extender if your assist ignore hitstun deterioration. This builds meter and does more damage than going into HBR.

Instead of the basic cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m: loop, you can try the execution heavy cr.:h:, jump, addf, cr.:h:, loop. Once mastered, this is more damaging and a very scary technique to have for opening up opponents, since it abuses one of his 2 lows and can beat advancing guard. Simply doing add is far easier and works only in the corner, but it won’t beat advancing guard.

You can loop the HBR. In the corner, you can do: cr.:m:, :l: blaster, slight pause, HBR, forward (automatically goes forward for the first burst), down forward, down forward, down back, forward. Once you go upright, you can do another HBR with the same motion to do another rep.

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When ending combos with HBR, it is best to direct the bursts in the following order: forward (automatic), up, up, forward, down. Once HBR finished, you are vulnerable until you land, and following that order always gives you time to land safely and calculate your next move. DO NOT SIMPLY MASH OUT HBR AND GO UP, UP, AND AWAYYYY. I cannot stress this enough. It’s not a mashable hyper. You won’t get more damage. All your opponent would have to do is call an assist for you to fall in and they get a free combo. All you have to do for each burst to choose a direction and press a button when the previous burst is finished hitting. Hit training mode and get used to the super.

7 – Hitconfirms/Blockstrings

To put our combos to use and understand MODOK’s mixups, we must first understand MODOK’s hitconfirms and blockstrings used to apply pressure and get a hit in. It is important to note that MODOK’s hitconfirms and blockstrings are far more situational and specific than most other characters, who can usually get away with chaining their normals any way they wish.

First, I will give you MODOK’s basic blockstring/hitconfirm against grounded opponents. This blockstring is: [cr.:l:, st.:m:, cr.:h:, jump, adf, (j.:l: or j.:m: )]xN. This works against most characters, except for the very small characters, which give MODOK a lot of trouble, which cause his light and even medium attacks to whiff in a lot of situations. It is easy to start this blockstring from any aerial normal. If you get this blockstring to hit, you can easily transition into your BnB. Note that if they don’t block cr.:h: low and you do jump, adf, j.:l: afterwards, you can simply follow up with st.:l:, st.:s:, into combo. Just be ready to cancel into :l: blaster or :l: cube if they pushblock.

This next blockstring is similar and easier to confirm off of, but can take away for wallbounce early. This blockstring is: [cr.:l:, st.:m:, cr.:h:, :f::h:, jump, adf, (j.:l: or j.:m: )]xN. This is easier to confirm if any part of the blockstring hits, since the j.:l: or j.:m: will usually whiff is the :f::h: hits.

It is also good to note that these blockstrings can be started off from the following powerful and (in my opinion) underused hitconfirm. This is simply super jump up, add(f), sj.:m:, cr.:h:. With MODOK’s few lows, it is rare to make the opponent block from high to low quickly (and right back into an instant overhead), just know that the sj.:m: must hit very low to the ground for cr.:h: to combo. This is also one of the better (and few) ways to open up smaller characters besides simply fishing for a hit with sj.:s: and bombs.

This hitconfirm works against grounded opponents and works excellently for starting the blockstrings notated above. This hitconfirm is simply: super jump, add(f), sj.:m:, jump, adf, j.:l:, cr.:l:, st.:m:, cr.:h:, etc. This works extremely well for applying pressure and confirming into a combo from a longer range. Similarly, you can do: jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, cr.:l:, st.:m:, cr.:h:, etc.

The another hitconfirm against grounded opponents that I shall give you goes like this: super jump up, addf, sj.:s:, cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:l:, into basic grounded blockstring. Once again, if this hits, doing st.:l:, st.:s: after j.:l: allows you to go into your BnB. This gives good pressure options if the sj.:s: is blocked, and if the sj.:s: is pushblocked in the corner, this sets you up for an unblockable against some characters.

A similar hitconfirm goes like this: super jump up, addf, sj.:s:, fly, sj.:h:, unfly, j.:m:, dash, cr.:m:, into combo or blockstring. If your sj.:s: gets pushblocked and sj.:h: ends up whiffing, you are unflying right away anyway and can make your next move from there. Doing adf instead of unflying seems easier, but it does not automatically take into account this pushblock situation.

If you simply want to keep addf, sj.:s: relatively safe, doing a grounded :l: cube works perfectly, since it is safe on block and you can combo afterwards on hit.

Hitconfirming against aerial opponents is a bit trickier. When at normal jump height, you usually want to try doing: st.:l:, cr.:m:, cr.:h:, into combo/pressure. This is the best anti-air since it is quick and cr.:m: propels the opponent to the ground. st.:l:, st.:m:, st.:h: can work, but it floats the opponent higher, making it hard to convert off of in some cases. Using a :f::h: at the end makes following up easier in that case, though it uses your wallbounce. In the rare case that you can use :df::h: as an anti-air, you can usually follow up by doing: jump, aduf, j.:s:, into combo. If you hit this in the corner, you can try doing: jump, adu, j.:h:, fly, j.:h:, adf, j.:h:, cr.:m:, into combo. If for some reason, your opponent jumps into an :m: cube, you can follow up with dash, st.:l:, cr.:m:, cr.:h: into combo. You can also combo :m: cube into itself multiple times.

At the super jump height, a basic confirm is either sj.:l:, sj.:s:, add, into combo, or sj.:m:, sj.:m:, sj.:s:, add, into combo. It is possible to save your groundbounce by doing sj.:l: or sj.:m: after add, but it can be difficult to follow that up for a full combo. If you want to try squeezing in a little extra damage, you can try doing sj.:s: after add, before the first sj.:s: groundbounces.

The space between super jump height and normal jump height is tricky to hitconfirm into a combo, but it’s possible. One confirm is sj.:l:, fly, sj.:l:, sj.:s:, into combo. The other is: super jump up, addf, sj.:m:, super jump up forward, sj.:l:, fly, sj.:l:, sj.:s:, into combo. These are difficult to pull off, but they are doable. It is possible to replace the fly with an adf, which is far easier, but it hits less consistently. It’s good to adf instead against larger characters.

8 – Mixups

First off, I will say that MODOK’s mixups are not derp good, like the inherent ones granted to teleport characters. You have to find out what your opponent will or will not do, and exploit their weaknesses. Do they like holding up back? Do they like mashing buttons? Are they content staying grounded and trying to block? Do they like mashing throw on the ground? Do they like mashing advancing guard? Have a variety of mixups to throw out and keep cycling through them until you find something that works, then remember to use that mixup more often than not until they begin to block it. Then you can bait them into thinking you are using that mixup, but then do something else that counters what you are baiting them to do.

Another quick thing I’d like to mention is that with select assists, MODOK has little need for mixups. Why? Because MODOK has a self unblockable. Getting in close and calling a powerful lockdown assist is an easy hitconfirm or an unblockable setup. Once they are locked down, move to the distance where cr.:m:’s edges will touch your opponent’s feet once it hits the floor, making it count as a low. Fly cancel cr.:m: and dash forward with either j.:l: or j.:m: for what is essentially an unblockable.

So what if they like holding up back? There are two main options you want to be going for. The first is going for an air grab. The second option is the use cr.:m:’s persistent low property in your favor. Since jumping has some startup where you are standing, you can be hit low. cr.:m: on the ground will then hit the opponent when they land, giving you a free combo. Combining the two of these strategies is particularly devastating, and should also be used as your main reset. When the opponent is jumping in the air, do cr.:m:, fly, adf, air grab. If the air grab is teched, do j.:m: as you fall. This causes j.:m: to hit when the opponent lands in cr.:m:, making this a very hard to escape unblockable setup. This is also good to go for when an opponent is advance guarding an assist in the air.

What if they like mashing buttons? Use frame traps and abuse the great hitboxes on some of your normals. A very simple one is: jump, adf, j…:l: or j.:m:, jump, adf, j.:l:. cr.:h:, jump, add(f), cr.:h:, etc, works decently as well. Another one is: jump, adf, j.:m:, cr.:h:, etc. A really good frame trap is: jump, adf, j.:m:, back dash, st.:m:, since this beats mashing buttons/throw. Simply staggering your blockstrings work too. These strategies work well against people mashing throw as well, just keep in mind that you must not get too close.

What if they are scared to do anything and sit on the ground blocking? This is great, since you can go for more throws. One setup is: jump, adf, j.:l:, jump, adf, j.:h: (whiffs), forward throw. Another setup is: jump, adf, j.:l:, wave dash and assist call, forward throw. Also, try mixing up what you do after a cr.:h:. You can either go for the instant overhead with j.:l: or j.:m:, or you can go for another cr.:h:. Of course, you can also try going for a throw attempt after cr.:h: as well.

What if they like mashing advancing guard? In the corner, these two strings beat advancing guard, and almost do outside of the corner. The first is: (jump, adf, j.:m: )xN. The second is: (jump, addf, cr.:h: )xN. Add in some assist calls to get some pressure going. The nice thing about the second one is that it hits low, combos into itself anywhere, and can transition easily into your BnB. Just to reiterate, you can use the unblockable setup against opponents using advancing guard in the air, especially against assists. Otherwise, like the mashing buttons/throw scenarios, abuse your normals’ hitboxes and use frame traps to bait the advancing guard.

Always remember to use your assists to aid with your mixups and pressure. See how they can contribute and can help put you in a better position once you get your opponent to block something. Also, remember to throw in some cubes and barriers in your offense. st.:m: is plus on block, so throwing that out there along with an assist call and chaining that into a barrier is great for setting up pressure. At midscreen, :h: cube goes directly to where your opponent will pushblock themselves to, so throwing that out during the middle of you blockstrings along with an assist call works great as well. Similarly, calling assists in the corner while doing cr.:m:, :m: cube shuts down a lot of options for your opponent, especially when they are behind a barrier. :l: cube is also good to throw out in case an opponent is jumping in on you, since you will likely be safe with the trade and may in fact allow you to combo afterwards (think of it as a miniature version of Dorm’s flame carpet, except that it doesn’t disappear when you get hit). Cubes are always nice to throw in with assists if you can, since cubes are safe on block.

Before I conclude, I will mention some incoming character mixups MODOK can perform. At midscreen, an easy setup revolves around placing an :l: bomb just under where the opponent’s next character will spawn. From there, you can dash under or not for an easy left-right mixup, or if you notice that the incoming character has some air mobility, you can catch them trying to dash away by doing :df::h:, and following that up with: jump, aduf, j.:s:, into combo. In the corner, you want to get creative with your assists, as well as use :m: cube, since :m: cube goes directly on their spawn. Prepare for the cases when they get hit, block, and pushblock. Limit their options as much as possible and try to make them eat an unblockable.

As an example, this is my basic incoming character setup in the corner with Eye of Avocado. It is: cr.:m: and Eye of Avocado, :m: cube, dash, react. If they get hit, they fall into the Avocado for an easy (though heavily scaled) follow up into KO or jamming bomb. If they block, they fall into the Avocado and I have all day to find the perfect distance to do cr.:m:, fly, adf, j.:m: or j.:l:. If I notice they try advance guarding the Avocado at the end in order to stay up in the air to avoid the unblockable, I can go for an air grab… which leads into the unblockable if teched. If they advance guard the cube, the dash forward nullifies that effect, and they either fall into the Eye if they have no air mobility or I can try going to the unblockable air grab setup.

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9 – Resets

There is only one reset that every MODOK player should know and would like to setup, and it involves doing the unblockable air grab setup mentioned in the previous section. To perform this reset, you simply must be one back dash away from the corner, with your wallbounce already used, and you do: :f::h:, jump, add, cr.:m:, fly, adf (opponent techs after :f::h:’s fixed amount of hitstun, since it is immune to hitstun deterioration), back air grab, buffer j.:m: in case the air grab is teched. This situation is usually very easy to setup after your basic BnB. Your BnB always leaves you in the corner, so just adjust your assist based ender to set up this reset. This would look something like: back dash and call :a1:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, :f::h:, :l: cube, :f::h:, unblockable reset. If you get the air grab, you get a free combo back to the other corner… where once again, you can go for the unblockable reset using your assists. If you get the unblockable with j.:m: and cr.:m:, you can follow up with a cr.:h:, into combo… where you can once again, set up this unblockable reset with your assists. For many characters, this gives you a free, meterless ToD. There are a couple ways to escape this, but thankfully, they are few and far between. Air hypers with invincibility can escape when they tech, and select assists can avoid the cr.:m: on the floor and mess up the reset… though bad assist calls can give you two characters to finish. Some small characters can also neutral tech, and due to their size, they can squeeze out of the reset. Combine this reset with a powerful lockdown assist (like Jam Session) to pretty much guarantee an unblockable on incoming characters, MODOK looks very top tier on paper. Throwing in a lockdown assist during the unblockable air grab reset also shuts down all attempts to mash their way out the reset (sans invincible aerial hypers and Gold Hsien Ko assist). Further explanation of this powerful reset is explained in the quote below (thanks Caveman!).

Of course, there are other reset options available, although they are far less powerful. A very basic one revolves around the commonly used air throw resets. After your basic BnB, you can do cr.:m:, :l: cube, then jump up immediately for a back air throw. You can also do this in the middle of your assist based combo extension and/or using a light attack instead of cubes.

Another reset is to do a homing bomb after :f::h: in the corner in case they are jammed/mashing. Not the best, but it is something. In a similar manner, you can find a way to get another launcher in, do sj.:l:, and then sj.:s:, which catches all techs. One problem with this is that you can get thrown.

You can get better resets if you utilize your teammates. For example, do cr.:m: and :a1:, :l: blaster. The opponent techs on the ground and immediately must block your lockdown assist :a1:. You can either go high or low from there and just maybe you can do a self unblockable with cr.:m:, adf, j.:l: or j.:m:. If they did a forward tech, they may or may not roll in front of you, adding more confusion. You can similarly set up this kind of situation at the end of your assist based combo extension with :f::h: and :a1:, :l: or :m: blaster. You can also setup self unblockables with DHCs to MODOK after a hyper such as Stalking Flare, Round Harvest, or Hail Storm.

The last resets I have are different follow ups to an HBR ender in the corner. Make sure your direct HBR in the following order so you have time to land safely and apply pressure afterwards: forward (automatic), up, forward, forward, down. Once you land, you can do: super jump up back, sj.:h:, adf, sj.:s:, into combo. This follow up catches all techs, but they can easily mash their way out of it. You can also opt to wait a second to see how they tech and go for either an air throw or go for sj.:l: into combo.

Note that you should always try to jam your opponent during your assist based combo extension before you try going for your reset, so that your reset has a better chance of working.

10 – XFactor

MODOK is not a character that can abuse XFactor particularly well, but it’s still good to know what he can do should the situation present itself. MODOK’s XFactor guard cancel options aren’t spectacular, since with light attacks have terrible range, but he can still go for a normal grab or Killer Illumination. Burning XFactor at the beginning of your combos do turn them into ToDs, should you wish to take out a problem character. In the end, you have to go to the lab to see how your assists work in extending your combos in XFactor levels 1 and 2, but there are some general notes that may be of use here. In XFactor level 1, everything is pretty much the same, but for your first air series, it is probably best to drop a j.:m: and simply do: sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:. In XFactor level 2, things start getting a little crazier and you want to keep your assist combo extensions as easy as possible. For both of your air combos, you want to do: sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:.

There are only a couple of things you should know about XFactor level 3. The first is this combo: cr.:h:, jump, adf, j.:m:, dash, st.:s:, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, relaunch, sj.:m:, sj.:h:, sj.:s:, cr.:m:, :l: blaster, HBR. This combo KOs the whole cast and builds about a meter and a half while in XFactor level 3. There is also an infinite in XFactor level 3 that can be done in the corner, and can be set up when MODOK’s wallbounce is used. The infinite is: ( :f::h:, :l: bomb)xN.

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11 – MODOK’s Basic Neutral Game

MODOK’s neutral game requires you to press a lot of buttons to put a lot of stuff on screen at the right time in order to limit your opponent’s options while keeping your pressure relatively safe. The kind of neutral game you want to play also is weighted by what kind of neutral assists you have at your disposal.

The first thing MODOK needs to set up any safe pressure is to put some space between MODOK and the opponent. If you have a good get off me assist or zoning assist, it is usually a good idea to super jump up back, air dash down back while whiffing j.:m: (to put a nice hitbox in front of you as you land, which can be followed up for a full combo if it hits), and calling your assist and throwing out an :l: blaster. If you have a lockdown assist, calling that assist and dashing in with sj.:l: lets you get some really quick, relatively risk free pressure in, which you can quickly cancel into a barrier to help get your momentum started. With pretty much any kind of assist, calling the assist and crossing over the opponent head is great. When the assist is giving your opponent trouble, dash back down to the ground and apply pressure or put some space between you and your opponent for some zoning.

Once you have your space built and have a bit of momentum going, it’s time to start going nuts. In general, you want to slowly but surely inch forward, pushing your opponent to the corner, where MODOK’s pressure, especially with assists, is ridiculous. This is usually done by careful usage of your neutral assists and projectiles. You want to throw out lots of cubes, blasters, and cr.:m:s while abusing your neutral assist. Cancel cr.:m: into cubes and blasters. Throw out barriers on your way forward if they help with the matchup while your opponent is distracted by your assist. If your opponent is trying to rush you down, let them try coming to you. Between the cubes, cr.:m:s, and your assist, you will get some great pressure and likely a hit in for a combo. You generally want to be grounded to really apply pressure and use your assists, while sniping your opponent’s assists with :l: blaster. Every now and then, you might want to take to the air. If you are forced to do so due to rush down, try to get back down as quickly as possible before your opponent gets to use an assists, or at least try to avoid it before returning to the ground. Use :l: cube, :h: bomb, and sj.:l: in an attempt to get these characters away from you when you try returning to the ground. When they take to the air themselves, stay up there or follow them and try getting a combo going with :l: cube or snipe them out of the air with a blaster and quickly dash back down to the ground while whiffing j.:m: to get your grounded pressure going again. The only other time you want to go airborne is to keep your assist calls safer by being in a position to punish attempts at punishing your assist on the ground with things like hypers, and it is also a really quick way of getting in on your opponent with your physical attacks.

From there, just adjust your neutral game to whatever matchup you are facing. Know what your opponent wants to do, know what your opponent can do to fight your options, and know what tools you have that you can get away with and abuse them. If a character wants to be in your face, try as much zoning as possible with some safe rushdown pressure thrown in for good measure. If a character wants to zone, depending on your assists and theirs, try outzoning or take to the air and make a careful approach in. If you go the zoning route, know their tools and use yours to beat them. Usually just getting a barrier out will win the battle.

Now, I will just give a few short matchup specific examples. Wesker has nothing for you at super jump height. If he starts throwing out gunshots at full screen, jump up there with some blasters, and when he tries to throw you, use :l: cube, :h: bomb, and sj.:l: to deter that. Characters like Nova and Spencer love zipping across the screen at normal jump height. :m: cube stops that easy approach. Zero and Vergil like to go nuts. Abuse your assist and go airborne. Throw out lots of cubes and bombs and be ready to confirm off of them for a combo when they j.:h: into them. Put a lot of space between you and them and get airborne if they get too close. Hawkeye is obnoxious. If you have the team synergy for it and your opponent’s isn’t that great, zone and throw out barriers while inching forward when you can. Use the invincibility of Killer Illumination to avoid Gimlets. Taskmaster is also annoying. Watch out for the Legion arrows super and shield skills. Inch forward, make careful assist calls, and outzone him. Morrigan backed by missiles? Don’t let it start. Call neutral assist, :l: blaster, and continue with the basic neutral game while sniping the missiles assist call. Fly away if it gets started and wait it out unless you have a great DHC, but otherwise, you should be control. Hulk? Get some space and do the basic neutral game for the KO. Captain America is interesting. Watch out for Charging Star and try using your assist to get a barrier out on the ground, so it isn’t a problem. His Stars and Stripes hyper cannot be punished by Killer Illumination, so watch out for that as well.

12 – Assists for MODOK

MODOK benefits a lot from pretty much every class of assist. He likes lockdown, zoning, low, get off me, and combo extension assists. When choosing the right assist, you want the assist that benefits you the most in the neutral game while providing as many of the functions listed above as possible. Arguably the best assist for MODOK is Doom’s hidden missiles, since they provide lockdown, help with zoning, act as a combo breaker, and are great for combo extension. Other notable assists include drones, vajra, double lariat, senpu bu, jam session, rapid slash, quick work, and slant shot (grapple). These all have some practical use in the neutral game and also allow for other things such as combo extension. Look at what your characters’ assists and see what works best for your team, and even check to see what THCs are attached to the different assists if it is hard to choose.

13 – MODOK’s Assists

MODOK has three very interesting assists to choose from. Find out which work best for your team.

Barrier: This acts exactly as it does when MODOK is on point. This could be used to help zone, keep the pressure going, or with incoming mixups.

:m: Blaster: This move acts a bit different compared to when MODOK is on point. This move no longer causes a soft knockdown. This assist is great for the typical beam usage. It is great for teleport shenanigans and knocking out other assists. It can also have limited use as a combo extender.

:m: Balloon Bomb: This move acts quite a bit different compared to when MODOK is on point. This move no longer causes a soft knockdown, but it can now OTG and it has infinite durability. It takes up a nice bit of space and persists to help you out with your neutral game. It also can be used as a combo extender. This assist can be used for some nasty resets as well.

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Wow! This is amazing! :tup:

Looks like I missed out on a whole lot of stuff while I was off playing SFxT… :sweat:

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YOU’RE ALIVE :o
Thanks! I think the only major thing you may have missed was Caveman’s air grab unblockable setup. Are you getting back into Marvel?

10

^ I honestly haven’t touched Marvel since… February? But since I can’t find people to play SFxT with me, I’m gonna try to get back into Marvel. Not competitively really, but you know… I like hitting buttons. lol

That air grab unblockable seems pretty sick too! If it’s really that reliable, MODOK won’t even need to use meter if he can just go for that all day? MODOK for Phoenix teams perhaps?

11

Well, it’s certainly nice to have you back working on dok tech :smiley:

The air grab unblockable is really reliable on most characters in most situations. A couple characters with invincibility on their aerial hypers can get out (Sentinel, Super Skrull). Some assist calls ruin the setup, though that usually just ends up giving you two characters for you to combo. You also can’t grab really small characters when they neutral tech, but usually they have low health anyway (perhaps doing :f::h: at a higher height? But that might allow them to escape with a forward tech). A few characters can beat the follow up j.:m: (like Vergil’s j.:l:)… but if you block that, they get hit by cr.:m: and you can get the combo. But for the most part, it’s really stupid good and underused.

12

Thank you for putting all of this together LTP. I know how thankless this type of thing can be, but I really appreciate the time and effort you put into it.

13

Thanks! For better or worse, I’ve had time for it as an unemployed (unfortunately) college student.

14

Wow, such a fine job, LTP. Are you planning to add more stuff to your guide in the future? Because we could use some extended match-up tips, and I also think that a MODOK guide should definitely have a section dedicated to how to play him as a zoning/defensive character.
Your guide seems to focus on using MODOK as a get-in character, and I feel that the truly successful MODOK players are the ones who exploit both his combos AND his zoning tools. As a long-time zoning MODOK, I could lend a hand with tips for such a section.

15

Thanks! I wasn’t planning much, but I did notice that I didn’t go over team construction too well and how MODOK fares as point, 2nd, and anchor. As for matchup tips… if you mean specific matchups instead of particular archetypes, I’m trying to avoid that for now since that would probably double the length of this tutorial :rofl:. But I will still gladly add them if you want to add any :), I just won’t be actively working on it… for now. I tried to capture both MODOK’s zoning and rushdown games, since I too think both are needed, though it is of course weighted by whatever matchup you are facing. Actually, reading back at what I wrote for the neutral game, I don’t think I mentioned his rushdown game more than once (since that is mostly covered in the mixup and blockstring sections) and most of it does seem to be the slow push to the corner style zoning game: you put stuff on screen while slowly advancing (“aggressive” zoning) until they either risk getting close and are at a disavantage (rushdown time) or you push them into the corner (also rushdown time). There aren’t very matchups you want to go all out zoning in, and it’s pretty much the same neutral game as described, just with a lot more zoning and only a little, very safe rushdown pressure when you are given the opportunity. I guess I should have mentioned bomb usage, stopping jump ins with :l: cube (done in a previous section), and perhaps zoning patterns would be helpful, though one should never fall into them and they are usually assist based. The tutorial as a whole will probably always feel like its catering to a more rushdown style, but that’s because it is almost inherently more complicated. You can’t really apply mixups, combos, etc in zoning, or at least not as much as a rushdown game. But if you have any additional suggestions for MODOK’s zoning and/or neutral game, post them and I’ll add them :slight_smile:

16

Wow you Know I thought I knew alot about Dok but this just intimidates me. Good stuff ltp. I do have questions though. Can you just block low during the Caveman unblockable vortex? I left the dummy on block low and it blocked both the slim and overhead? Idk. I don’t think I’m doing it right. Also I can’t seem to convert off throw when the opponent doesn’t tech. Also some rare days when I practice the set up, I keep getting hbr. Maybe I’m doing it too fast? I sometimes just back throw. since the simple bnb I always do will corner carry.

17

The dummy cheat blocks :slight_smile:

18

The Marvel 3’s A.I can block slime+overhead is only blockable by the computer(perfect frame by frame inputs), not by a true human being. The reason why it’s unblockable is that a human can not actually block a high+low at the same frame.

You should trying testing the unblockable on yourself by recording MODOK performing the unblockable setup, and let MODOK force you to block his high/low unblockable. It much easier to gauge rather or not a human can avoid this setup.

19

I knew I couldn’t trust the dummy. About how much frames do u have to react to block the overhead. Technically if I got hit with this, then do I must block low first when I hit the ground then high? I just move quickly? Anyways Ill try it out

20

Technically I think you have to block low first but it will be really difficult since it is a meaty unblockable and 1F blocking would be required most likely. Here is how I understand the setup, which may be false:

After breaking an airthrow in marvel 3 you are invincible to all attacks for a certain amount of frames UNLESS you perform an action (attacking or movement). Because of this, on the way to the ground after the airthrow break the opponent will not get hit out of the air by the slime (or j.M) allowing the slime to hit low and enabling the unblockable setup. Likewise, the slime will hit immediately upon them reaching the ground which is why you cannot hard tag out of this setup and why I think you would have to block low first.

If this is true then the setup will always go like this:
-If they simply try to block, you will get the unblockable. It even works on shorties like wolvie and morrigan that can normal crouch airdash j.m (justice)
-If they try to mash out, with the right normals they can trade with MODOK and you will not get a combo. Or you will hit them airborne super low to the ground which can be difficult to confirm off of.
-Use invincible air supers and fast air ok DPs like chun-li’s to escape.
-Use assists after the tech to mess with the spacing or put hitboxes on the screen to threaten modok.

To eliminate all possibility of escape except for invincible air supers adding an assist will control all of the other options. For example, with DOK/Dorm/Doom you can call dorm+cr.m, airdash, airthrow and if they break the following will happen:
-opponent is invincible to the assist attack so they will still have to land into the slime unblock and cant try to pushblock to stay airborne
-If they mash on attack, they become vulnerable and will get hit by the dark hole before reaching MODOK
-If they call an assist it walks into the dark hole for a happy bday (havent tested them all)
-Be prepared to do your MODOK/Doom bnb after they get hit which will kill everyone.

This works with many assists but try to find some with lots of active frames like eye of agamotto, dark hole, beams, etc that last long enough to catch their mash attempts and assist attempts while being easy to hit confirm off of. With my DDD team doing my typical j.L bnb pre-airthrow I do ~400-500k depending on assists and with the dok/doom follow-up its like 600k before super. With a HBR ender the whole sequence does 1.2-1.3m and you can DHC into ball super(combos if they survived somehow) and tag modok back in for welcome mixups with the ball super or charge spells with dorm and still have a net gain of 1 meter and 1-2 cubes. Please use this technique.

Disclaimer: I dont test stuff on the midgets/ammy so I am not sure what will work on them…fuck rocket raccon.