Sub Zero FAQ

Chapters

1. Intro
2. Sub Zero The 6th
3. The Legend(PS2,GC,Xbox)
4. Couple of High Leveled Terms
5. Shotokan
6. Dragon
7. Kori Blade
8. Specials
9. Frequently Asked Questions
10. Outro

Chapter 1: Intro

Sup? This is Versatile, and I'm writing this FAQ for all the Sub Zer..scracth that. I'm writing this FAQ for all the MK FANS out there. It's been a long wait for this game, and I don't know about you guys, but MKDA is my favorite game of all time. Just the perfect mix up of the old school mk with some new school. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Sub Zero FAQ, and most importantly, I hope you learn a lot about this challenging fighter.

Chapter 2: Sub Zero The 6th

Ahhh good old sub zero. Sub Zero has always been my favorite character, and I haven't had this much fun using him since MK2. His versatility, speed and decent power is just great, and he has two of the coolest costumes in the whole game.
The main thing that really got me up off my lazy ass to make this FAQ is that I have noticed a lot of SZ fans ticked off at his difficulty level. While I acknowledge that SZ is a tough character to learn, he is VERY fun once you get good with him, and he isn't one of those characters(like cyrax) who takes tons of time to learn and isn't all that great. Sub Zero, in my opinion, is top tier in this game.
Characters like Scorpion may be easy to use, but lets all be honest here, all Scorpion players are basically the same. Hapkido: 2,2,cs,2,cs,1,1,3(if you have no idea what I just said, forget the rest of this chapter and go to Chapter 3 this instant) combos and other things like that. The cool thing about SZ is that he can be played many different ways, AND WILL STILL BE EFFECTIVE. Well, enough of the SZ promoting. Either you like him or you don't, but if you don't, why would you be reading this FAQ? Is my screename that attractive? Or maybe the topic name just owns O_O

Chapter 3: The Legend

The first step in getting good with SZ is learning the conventions. I know for a fact that many of you are confused when you hear things such as Sonya's 1,1,cs,4,cs. Not only does knowing the conventions help a great deal when you are trying to explain something to a fellow player, but how can you effectively exchange strategies with other players when you don't know them? I mean, you could say something like Shotokan: left hand strike thingy,right hand strike things,lifting sorta-uppercutty thingy,switch stance,soft left strike thingy,soft right strike thingy, hard right strike thingy, but wouldn't you much rather say Shoto: 1,2,b+2,cs,1,1,2? Yea, I figured you would.

Xbox

X: 1
Y: 2
A: 3
B: 4
L: CS
Dark Small Button: SM/5
Light Small Button: Block

PS2

Square: 1
Tringle: 2
X: 3
O: 4
L1: CS
R1: SM/5
R2: Block

Gamecube

B: 1
Y: 2
A: 3
X: 4
L: CS
Z: SM
R: Block






Chapter 4: Couple of High Leveled Terms

High Block - High block is simply holding onto the button that is designated for block. This blocks high and mix leveled attacks.

Low Block - This is when you hold onto block and diagnal back. This will block high attacks, but you can be hit with mid attacks.

Mix Ups - Mixing up is when you do a move that hits high repeatedly to make them think all you are going to do. Then when they block all your highs, switch up with some lows. Do a couple lows, then switch to a mid. Then switch to a low. Then do some more highs. Then switch to low. This is pretty much the only way of breaking up an opponent's defenses, and Sub Zero is one of the best at doing this in his Kori Blade stance.

SS/Side Step - This is when you tap down or up to avoid a move. The size of your fighter's side step depends on the stance and the fighter that you are using. Shang Tsung and Li Mei have two of the largest side steps in the game. Sub Zero's one is decent.

Whiff - missing a move.

Reversal - Don't read this FAQ if you don't know what a reversal is.

Tech Roll - tapping down,back or up when you hit the ground is doing a tech roll. This can get you away from walls more effectively than anything else.

Wall Tech - It's basically doing a tech roll when getting the crap beaten out of you against as wall. I usually tap down to do this.

Chip Damage - The damage you take when you're blocking.

Top Tier - The top of the tier ranks. the best of the best. These are the fighters you see used at tournaments

Mid Tier - Your ordinary character. Not excellent, but certainly not easy to take out.

Low Tier - Character's that are missing things that stop them from being good. Either their weak or they have bad set ups, crappy juggles, bad recovery or lag time,etc.

+ = at the same time.

~ = quickly

> = optional delay/must delay

Chapter 5: Shotokan

Shotokan,as many of you know already, is Sub Zero's primary stance. This is where his branches start, and most importantly, this is the stance that you will start in. It is probably his most advanced stance, but for good reason. He has a great launcher in b+2, and one of best escapes in the game with 5.
The main thing you really want to do in Shotokan is take advantage of every launcher opportunity that you get. 1,2,b+2 is what you'll go for when you want a good launcher. It's b+2, but why would you use that when it's guaranteed along with the 2 if the 1 connects? Sidstepping and going for 1,2,b+2 is a popular thing in an above average leveled play if you are looking for a launcher.
Another cool thing you can use in Shotokan is 3,b+2. While it doesn't do as much damage as 1,2,b+2, it isn't something that you see everyday. Also, what's cool about 3,b+2 is that 3 is not something a player is going to see coming. They'll probably think you did by accident and they'll let go of block to start a branch or something. This is when you hit b+2 to launch them.
A fighter's branch combo normally starts in their primary stance, and Sub is no exception. Doing a hefty 29%, 1,2,4,cs,2,cs is Sub Zero's branch combo. While it doesn't do as much as some of the other branches, it is nothing I(or any other player with common sense) will enjoy receiving. It looks elite, and it ends in Kori Blade which, in my opinion, has the best mix ups of all the stances. You could also cut it short by just doing 1,2,4,cs,2 to go into Dragon if that is your thing.
2 is a really good move to give you some space. Seeing how you don't have the amazing b+2or b+4 in this stance, this is the best thing you've got in Shotokan(not counting b,f+4 of course). If you're facing a below average opponent, you can go for d,f+1 to freeze them and go for 1,2,b+2.
5 is a really good escape move. It's basically a 2 without the damage, but the cool thing is that you can do d+5 or u+5 so that it will have a SLIGHT side step in it, which is a very elite technique that can help you out in a pinch.
Overall, Shotokan is a great stance. You've got 1,2,b+2 for your launcher, 2 for a good spacing move and the full branch combo. The only thing that really stops Shotokan from reaching perfection is lack of a good low move. Without lows you've got no mix ups. Use shoto in desperate situations. While it's probably the least stylish of the three, I believe that it helps you the most in a tough spot, and it will give you the biggest of a come back.

Chapter 6: Dragon

Dragon is known as the flash style. This is the stance with all the tight looking moves and combos. This is probably why Dragon is the most talked about stance that Sub Zero has. It is his fastest stance, and it can pump out the damage pretty damn quickly.
Before I get real in depth with Dragon, don't forget that you can still do a half-branch in dragon by pressing 1,2,cs. While it doesn't do as much damage as the full branch(DUH!), it is the best way to exit dragon into Kori Blade.
1,1,2 is a fast string that ends in a launcher(I love my launchers). While the follow ups aren't as strong, you can still get some decent damage in.
b+2 is Sub's version of Paul's Phoenix Smasher from Tekken. Sub draws his hands back and thrusts them forward in a kamehameha sort of way, sending the opponent really,really far back. By itself it's decent, but when you do 1,2,b+2 it's very good. It's the same thing, only the 1,2 gives you some extra damage, and it can be used as a mid/low mix up along with 1,2,4!
b+4 is the same thing as b+2. The only difference is that it's slower, and it has an auto side step. Yes, I did just say it has an AUTO SIDE STEP! Suppose your facing scorpion and he goes for the spear up close. Do b+4 and Sub Zero will side step and do someting that looks exactly like b+2! The thing with b+4 is that you need absolutely SICK reaction time for it to be of any use, but once you get that down, b+4 is one of the best moves in dragon.
Another cool move i'd like to discuss is d+2. If there is any move that resembles the old school uppercut, it's this baby. d+2 is his signature launcher in Dragon, but it's range sucks so much that it's best to go with 1,1,2. The only real use for this is during a juggle.
1,2,cs is great, but another excellent option is to do 1,2,4. 4 hits low, which will hopefully break up the opponent's defense, and if it doesn't, just do 1,2,cs. The last hit is a mid, so they're going to have to take a 50/50 chance: High block to avoid 1,2,cs or low block to avoid 1,2,4. This mix up resembles the 1,2,b+2/1,2,4 mix up, but this one ends in Kori Blade stance, so use this one if you want to go into Kori Blade.
Lastly, if you really don't like Dragon, you'll appreciate it for this. Dragon is the only stance where you can get a power up. Powering Up(press 5) will give Sub a power boost for a few seconds. This makes simple strings like Dragon: 1,1,2 and Shotokan: 1,2,b+2 a serious threat. You will find yourself going to dragon atleast once a match. It's THAT helpful seeing how Sub Zero isn't all that strong. Don't get me wrong, he can pack a punch, but I wouldn't exactly put him in the top 10 strongest fighters list.
Dragon is sub's quickest stance, and common sense will tell you that it's one of his best options against quick fighters like Sonya. While it isn't as techincal as Shotokan, and it has some serious recovery issues, it's still a solid stance that contains a key element in an SZ player's core game: THE POWER UP!

Chapter 7: Kori Blade

The Kori Blade is Sub Zero's weapon stance, and boy is it unique! Unlike most stances, the kori blade doesn't have many combos or juggles. What it does have is hard hitting moves and one of the best weapon launchers in the entire game. If you're a mix up kind of guy, then the kori is gonna be your most comfortable stance.
1 is a decent move in the kori blade stance, but when combined with b+1, it's a really potent move. 1,b+1 not only does great damage, but the b+1 in the combo tracks,punishing annoying ass side steppers.
2 is the fastest move in this stance. This is a really good option after a successful side step. It's also a good move for when you wanna do damage, but you dont wanna get to close in.
4,4 is another good option if you want a quick and safe move. It does ok damage, and it's not very punishable on block.
The 2 stars of this stance are 3 and b+4. 3 is a great launcher that, while it doesn't you much options considering that it's a launcher in a basically non-juggling stance, it allows you to do some adequate damage, and you can even do some serious damage if you csX2 straight to Dragon or just cs once to shoto to showoff your leet skillz. b+4 is Sub Zero's only sweep, and it's so good that he really doesn't need another one. This baby hits low(DUH!), and you can get a free throw in if the opponent doesn't block as soon as they get up.
By themselves, 3 and b+4 are excellent, but together they make one of the most feared mix ups in the entire game. The 3/b+4 mix up is the main reason us Sub Zero players use Kori Blade. 3 is a launcher that hits mid, and b+4 is sweep that hits low. To set up the mix up you can either do 3 repeatedly or do b+4 repeatedly. If you choose to set it up with repeated b+4s, your opponent will start to block low to avoid it. This is when you switch up to 3, a move that hits mid. Not only will it hit a ducking blocker, but you get a fricken launcher! Opponent starts to block 3 high? Simply switch up to b+4 to punish them with low hits, causing them to block low. This is when you switch up to 3 to start the fun all over again! This mix up is awesome, and you simply must abuse it.
Lastly, Sub Zero has an impale like most of the fighters with weapons, and while it does great damage and drains away their life bar, you have to take a few things into consideration when going for it. Firstly, the impale is by far Sub Zero's slowest move. If blocked, you are going to lose about a 1/4th of your life bar or more depending on the opponent. When you go for the impale(5), you basically have to have that tingly feeling. You know, the feeling you have when you are 137% sure that the move is going to hit. Like during a taunt or a power up. Another thing you have to take into consideration is how much you need the Kori Blade. If Kori Blade is your best stance, you're probably never going to go for an impale. Also, i'd suggest not using 5 against characters who's impale is faster than yours. Case in point: Kitana. Kitana will own you at every impale opportunity. Just think about how much the KB means to you, and how bad you need the impale.
The Kori Blade is a very strange stance. The two best moves in it don't even require the sword! However, it's oddness doesn't mean crap when your beating the day lights out of your opponent with tight mix ups, good ss moves and more tracking moves than Michael Johnson could handle. I could go as far as to say that Kori Blade is Sub's move versatile stance, but i'll let you decide on that.

Chapter 8: Specials

The Freeze - d,f+1

Sub Zero's signature move is back, and while it still has uses, it has lost a lot of flair since it's MK1-MKT days.
This move is a good idea when your opponent goes for a power up or taunt and they are too far away for a b,d+2(discussed in next section) or a branch. It'll teach opponents a lesson in not using that crap against a SZ player.
Another good time to use this is when the opponent goes for something that is lag heavy if missed such as scorpion's f,b+3. d,f+1 will stop them in their tracks, and while b,d+2 is a better option you might not be close enough.
Overall, the freeze is still a decent option, but it's only truly useful in certain situations. It leaves you open badly on block, and it comes out so slowly that it doesn't take much to side step it(my 7 year old cousin can side step it with ease), but there are times when b,d+2 just won't hit. This is when d,f+1 comes into play

The Ice Shaker - b,d+2

The Ice Shaker, in my opinion , is the coolest move since the air freeze from MK3. Sub Zero powers up like he's going SSJ or something while ice particles come off of his body. If you get near him you will be frozen.
Konquest says that the main use for this move is when your opponent jumps over your head. While this is BS, it still can be used this way. While frozen in the air you get a free juggle to get some damage in. While it isn't it's main use, why not go for it? Too bad no one has used the u/f jump since MK2.
What makes b,d+2 so damn great is it's ability to stop a potential combo starter. It's the main reason people are so damn cautious when facing an SZ player. Going in to start something your not sure you'll finish will punish you if you're facing a good SZ. They'll b,d+2 you and go for something sweet like 1,2,4,cs,2,cs.
The only thing bad about b,d+2 is that it leaves you open badly if you screw it up, but that doesn't really matter considering that they won't be able to hit you with much without being frozen. Another bad thing about it is that it's range sucks, but common sense will tell you that this is an in the zone move.
b,d+2 is one of Sub's best moves. Not much has saved me more than this. I've stopped potential combo starters and i've caught people who've tried to jump over my head. Overall.. b,d+2 = SZ's best special

PS: Sub Zero will eat you whole if you cannot tech roll! b,d+2 will catch you 99% of the time if you don't block as soon as you get up or tech roll. Tech Rolling may seem weird to players who haven't played games like Tekken, but MK needed to add this in so it could be compared to the young blood fighters of today,and ya just have to get used to it.

The Cold Shoulder(tightest name EVAARRRRRRRRR) - b,f+4

The Cold Shoulder is another one of Sub Zero's moves, and I must admit that I don't use it nearly as much as I should. This move is a faster version of Dragon:b+2. Not only that, but considering that this is a special move, you can do it in any stance! Fricken awesome!(yea, im getting excited now)! This baby also has more range than Dragon:b+2, which means you can do it from far away(even though i'd suggest going for d,f+1 in that particular situation)!
This baby is everything Dragon:b+2 is and better! It hits faster than Dragon:b+2, and it can get your opponent against a wall easily, which will allow you to go for 1,2,4,cs,2,cs which does 44% against a wall! b,f+4 > everything!
`
Chapter 9: Frequently Asked Questions

Section 1: Random stuff that no one cares about.

Q: Why is Sub Zero your favorite character, and who else do you like besides him? Who do you hate?

A: Subbie and I have a history. He was the first character I ever used in Mortal Kombat, and I just got hooked on him. I fell in love with his storyline and his looks, but most of all I loved his ice powers. Back then dudes with Ice powers was pretty damn orignal. Other fighters that I really like are Reptile,Johnny Cage,Cyber Smoke, Mavado and Quan Chi in order from 2nd favorite to 6th. As for characters I hate. I really never liked Kano or Kabal. These are two characters that are really liked that I never really got to enjoy. I must say that I am impressed with Kano in this installment. Very fun and good, but just looking at him makes me want to vomit. I also hated Rain. Unlike others, I really don't have much of a problem with all those ninjas, but Rain just feels out of place. I mean, you got a reptile disguised as a ninja, an ex-clan member who eventually becomes grandmaster of the same clan, a ninja on a mission to get revenge, a warrior made up of defeated souls, three bad ass cyber ninjas, a loyal member of a shadowy group who praises the god of darkness, and then there's a ninja who works for Kahn? I mean, he could of been so cool. He could of had a a silver costume with a water aura, but no! NO DAMMIT! They made him a purple ninja who goes on a suicide mission to prove absolutely nothing! Bah enough about Rain. I don't hate stryker nearly as much as you guys do. He's pretty damn funny to look at, and he made me laugh my ass off in the Defenders of The Realm Cartoon! I'll never forget that line... "Who knows what germs that dog carries!" = fruity to the xtreme.

Q: Why did you make this FAQ?

A: I noticed that a lot people here never talked about serious MKDA strategies. I then came upon a topic that some dude that's name starts with a letter C that had high leveled MKDA gameplay. That topic really inspired me to get my lazy behind off the couch to make this FAQ. I also noticed a lot of die hard SZ fans dissapointed in MK5 SZ for some reason, so I figured if I can make this baby so the fans of SZ won't be so ticked : (.

Q: Seeing how you like SZ, how do you feel about Frost?

A: To be honest with you I really don't like her that much. Her style doesn't appeal to me much, but she sure looks awesome. The only way i'll really get into her is if she is entirely different in MK6. They should also make one of her alternate costumes have long hair. She has some serious junk in the trunk, however.

Q: Who the heck are you? I haven't seen much of you around here

A: I'm new to this board. This is my first post here and I hope you guys find it entertaining and informative. Besides being new here, I'm just a normal teenaged black dude making a living here in Newark, New Jersey. Nice to meet you all, you'll be seeing a lot of me around here.

Q: What are your favorite games in the series?
A: Mortal Kombat:Deadly Alliance is by far my favorite, but I also like MK2,MKT,MK4 and MK1.

Section 2: FAQs about Sub Zero and Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance in general.

Q: What tier do you think Sub Zero is, and where exactly would you rank him?

A: People will underestimate Sub Zero. He has great mix ups,decent power and more launchers than you can ever want. When there's a best of the best conversation, SZ hardly gets mentioned, and that puzzles me. He has better mix ups than characters like Scorpion, and he has lots of tight moves like b,d+2. I consider Sub Zero to be top tier. As for a rank, I guess i'd put him at 4th or 5th best in the game. Him,Shang Tsung,Scorpion,Sonya,Drahmin ,Nitara and Bo Rai Cho are who I consider to be the top fighters in this installment.

Q: Which of Sub Zero's stances do you consider to be the best?

A: Now THAT is a tough question. It's between Shotokan and Kori Blade. Shotokan has the safeness and technicallity, but Kori Blade has the mix ups and the tracking moves. However, overall I would have to say that Shotokan is his best stance. It's safer than Kori Blade and Dragon, and it can still dish out the damage. While it lacks mix ups, you can still be mad elite and do something like a 1,2,4,cs,2,4/1,2,4,cs,2,b+2 mix up. It's the same thing as the mix up from Dragon, only it starts in shoto and it gives you more chip damage.

Q: Where's the love for dragon?

A: Dragon is good, but it's recovery is really bad, thus I have to say it's the worst of the 3.

Q: What do you think is Sub Zero's best launcher?

A: Another toughie. If you're talking about priority then I would have to say Kori: 3. It's fast, fairly strong, and not only does it have good priority, but it can also be mixed as a launcher. How many people have mix ups where it can end up launching? This is also a toughie because Shotokan: b+2 has the best juggling options. Sick juggles like Dragon: sm,cs,cs,1,2,b+2,cs,d+2,1,2,cs(does 41%) are only possible with that. Not only that, but Kori: 3 probably has the worst juggle oppurtunities of all of his launchers. This really an opinion to be honest with you, but I have to go with b+2.

Q: HELP ME! Drahmin's b,d+4/b,f+2 mix up is killing me!!

A: Yes, I used to think that Drahmin's b,d+4/b,f+2 mix up was crazy too, but I found a little secret and around it, and it isn't much of a threat to me at all. When drahmin goes for b,d+4(the pound) He raises his foot up! When he goes for b,f+2(flies) he doesn't. You must always look at drahmin's feet! If ya look at his feet the mix up is not an issue.

Q: I hardly face Drahmins. I need for anti!

A: This topic is all Sub Zero..all the time. Just ask for help against a fighter and i'll give you some tips. All other Sub Zero players should also contribute. Im trying to build a nice little SZ community here.

Q: Moloch is tough! I need help!

A: The best thing to do against Moloch with sub zero is Shoto: 1,2,b+2,ss,1,2,b+2,ss,1,2,b+2. Keep doing that over and over again. Anything else will probably leave you at a big disadvantage if blocked. Don't ever use Dragon against moloch unless you're doing Shoto:1,2,4,cs,2,cs.

Chapter 10: Outro

Well, that's that. It took my lazy ass 3 weeks to do this thing(yes, I am that slow). I hope you guys enjoy it. I hope players will bump this topic to keep it on the first page so SZ players know where to go for some tips. I'll be here on fridays,saturdays and sundays if you guys want tips from me. Hopefully elite players like MK Legend,Rayrokka and Konqrr(mad props for the juggles you gave out in that dude's topic) will post their shit in here to keep it alive. SZ is an all around good fighter. While he feels awkward at first, you will learn to like his cool fighting styles and versatility. Remember that uniqueness keeps fighting game communities alive, and judging from how fast MKDA is dying, we need as much uniqueness as possible. Create your own juggles and post your juggles/combos/mix ups/ strats here. Peace out for now.