Mortal Kombat X

Stamina Meter:​
The Stamina Meter is located directly under your life bar. Stamina governs several aspects of the game. The ability to run, breaker, use specific moves, back dash, and interact with the stage are all stamina dependent.

You start the fight with two bars of stamina and stamina depletes each time it is used. Once you have used stamina, you cannot perform any of the functions mentioned above until your stamina replenishes over time.


Dash:​
Dashing allows you to advance towards the opponent quickly and is done by quickly inputting Forward, Forward. You cannot cancel out of your dash and must wait for the dash to come to completion before you can move, attack, block, etc...


Back Dash:​
Back Dashing allows you to quickly back away from the opponent and is done by quickly inputting Back, Back. While all back dashes do not cover the same ground(some go farther than others), all back dashes have the same invincible frames on start up. A single back dash requires one bar of stamina to execute.


Run:​
Running allows you to quickly advance while being able to cancel out of your run at any point with an attack, block, crouch, or forward jump. Run speed varies from character to character. Running is done by quickly inputting Forward, Forward + Block. Your stamina will deplete as you run. You also cannot begin to run without at least one full bar of stamina. Run can also be cancelled with a Back Dash but this does require an additional bar of stamina meter on top of the stamina used during the run. If you attempt to cancel your run with a back dash but do not have enough stamina, your character will cancel out of run with a back walk instead of a back dash.


Interactables:​
An interactable is an object on the stage that both you and the opponent can interact with during the fight. Some interactables can only be used once while others can be used throughout the entire fight. Interactables are done by pressing R1 or done manually with 1+2(with input shortcuts on) while in the active area of the interactable. Keep in mind that some interactables require you to be in the air. All interactables are blockable and can be meter burned(requires one bar of super meter) to add armor. All interactables also require one bar of stamina meter.


Breaker:​
Breaker - Using a Breaker allows you to escape from a combo situation. Pressing or holding Forward + Block while in a combo state will preform a Breaker. This allows you to break out of the combo and avoid taking damage. However, the Breaker is not something that is given to you free of charge - It requires two bars of super meter and a full stamina meter in order to be able to break out of a combo.

Extended Cool Down - After successfully performing a Breaker your stamina meter is now in what is known as an extended cool down state. This means that your stamina takes four real time seconds to even begin to refill. When your stamina does finally begin to refill, it does so a a much slower rate than normally using all your stamina by, for example, just running.

Unbreakable Attacks - There are some attacks such as, but not limited to, projectile attacks and X-rays that cannot be broken - the damage is guaranteed and inescapable.

Block Breaker - You can also performing a Breaker while blocking to avoid guaranteed death by way of chip damage. You perform a block breaker by tapping or holding Forward + Stance Switch while blocking. Preforming a block breaker also requires two bars of super meter as well as a full stamina meter. After a successful Block Breaker, your stamina meter is also placed in an extended cool down.


Blocking:​
You guard attacks by holding the Block button. There are various levels that an attack can hit you so these attacks but be defended against differently.

Blocking High Attacks - High attacks can be blocked by simply holding block, doesn't matter if you are standing or crouching. Even though the attack is high, it will still make contact while you are in crouch block. This is because holding the block button slightly raises your characters arms and/or head as they assume their defensive crouch position.You can also crouch under high attacks without blocking which can actually give you an opportunity to inflict damage to your opponent as their attacks whiff over your head. However - Crouching without block will cause you to be hit by any mid or low attack.

Blocking Mid Attacks - Mid attacks can also be blocked by just holding block, doesn't matter is you are standing or crouching. Unlike high attacks, attacks that hit mid cannot be avoided by crouching without block, you must hold the block button.

Blocking Overhead Attacks - Overheads are specific mid hitting attacks designed to hit you unless you are blocking from a standing position. These attacks cannot be guarded by crouch blocking, you must stand block.

Blocking Low Attacks - Low attacks are just that, attacks that will hit you low. You can only block these attacks by holding block while crouching.


Wake Up:​
Gone are the days of the invincible wake up attack. Unlike MK9 and IGAU, MKX no longer gives invincibility to ANY wake up attack. MKX is now like most other fighters in the sense that you no longer have the GOD GIVEN RIGHT to get off the ground with an attack at will. There are just some situations where you may have to block. You can still execute a wake up attack after being knocked down, but the attack will not have any invincible properties whatsoever. However, this does not mean that you have no options.


You can use an enhanced special with armor - Using any enhanced special with armor as a wake up attack can usually get you off of the ground. There are some cases where the armor special you use isn't fast enough to beat out multiple hits or connect with the opponent before they can poke and then block before your attack lands. However, these cases are rare and just about every character has at least one variation with an enhanced armored special that is fast enough to force the opponent to respect that option. This does require you to spend 1 bar of meter which works out much better than having an invincible attack for no resources like in MK9 and IGAU.

You can back dash as a Wake Up Attack - You no longer need to completely get up before you can back dash like IGAU. You can now back dash as a wake up attack and get off the ground just as fast as you would if you used a special move.

Tech Roll - Tapping any direction or button as you hit he ground will allow you to tech roll. During your tech roll you can execute a wake up attack or back dash.

Short Delay and Long Delay while grounded - By holding Down for a short period or the entire time of your grounded frames after being knocked to the ground, you are able to remain grounded for a short time or the entire time you lay grounded. This will render you invincible to all attacks except for a few enhanced specials(usually just enhanced ground pound moves). Laying grounded however will not allow you to rise with any attack or back dash until you have first completed the entire process of getting up. You also can no longer do a delayed tech roll after choosing to remain grounded like you could in MK9.

Hard Knockdown - A "Hard Knockdown" or "Untechable Knockdown" refers to the state that only certain attacks leave you in which it is not possible to tech roll away. While you do not have the option to tech roll from these knockdowns, you sill retain your other post knockdown options(wake up attack, back dash, short and long delay).

Wake Up Throw - You are now able to wake up with a throw as a Wake Up Attack. This allows you to quickly get up with a throw rather than having to go through the entire process of getting up before you can do so. To execute a Wake Up Throw, input the throw command in the same window that you would a special move or back dash as a Wake Up Attack.


Enhanced Moves and Meter Burn Moves:​
Enhanced Moves - An Enhanced Move is an enhanced version of a special attack. All Enhanced Moves are done by inputting the command of the move + Block.

Meter Burn Moves - A Meter Burn Move is also an enhanced version of a special attack. The difference is that you perform a Meter Burn Move by pressing Block as, or after, the attack is blocked or hits.


X-Ray:​
An X-Ray is your super move and is the most damaging single attack that any character has. X-Ray's are done by pressing L2+R2 or done manually by pressing Block + 3+4. An X-Ray requires all 3 bars of super meter and all X-Ray's have multiple hits of armor as well as armor break.


Armor and Armor Breaking:​
Armor - Certain Enhanced attacks gain one hit of armor. Armor refers to a special ability that certain attacks gain where the attack is allowed to absorb 1 hit. This allows the attack to go through another attack and hit the opponent.

Armor Breaking - There are two forms of armor breaking in MKX. There are X-Ray attacks, which have a special property designed to beat all armor, and there are attacks that have multiple fast hits. Attacks with multiple fast hits can beat out an attack with only 1 hit of armor because the multiple hits connect with the armored attack before the armored attack connects with you.


Coming out of block with a Reversal and with Normal Attacks:​
After blocking an attack(s) in MKX you are left in some form of block animation. There are two ways in which you can come out of block with an attack, a special or normal attack.

Reversal - By inputting any special move command immediately after blocking an attack, the special move will come out as a Reversal. This means that the special move will come out on the first frames possible to come out of block with an attack. A Reversal basically allows you to use a special to cancel out of your block animation after blocking an attack faster than if you used a normal. You can also use a back dash and/or throw as a reversal.

Coming out of Block with Normal Attacks - It takes at least one frame to come out of block with a normal attack. This means that even if you input an 8 frame normal on the first frame out of block, the attack will actually come out in 9 frames.


Frame Advantage:​
The blocking in MKX changes up the way you look at frame data because it takes at least 1 frame to come out of bock with a normal. Reversals are different because you can come out of block with a special/back dash/throw on the very first frame possible.

If you are looking at the frame data for a certain attack, and the data says the attack recovers at 0, it is actually both 0 and +1 at the same time. How is this possible? If you block an attack that recovers at 0 and you use a 6 frame special as a reversal to poke out while the opponent uses a 6 frame D1 to check you, the attacks meet on the same frame and trade. This is because you used a reversal which allows you to come out of block with an attack on the first possible frame.

If you block an attack that recovers at 0 and both you and the opponent use a 6 frame D1, your D1 loses. This is because it takes at least 1 frame to come out of block with a normal. Your 6 frame D1 actually takes 7 frames to come out after blocking an attack. Because of this 0 becomes +1, +1 becomes +2, +3 becomes +4, and so on... But remember, this only applies when coming out of block with a normal and not a special move as reversal.


Punishing:​
There are two ways of punishing in MKX. You can use a reversal special attack or normal attack. The first thing to understand when looking and what can and cannot be punished is that there are no frame perfect punishes. This is because the opponent is able to block on the last negative frame which is why there are no frame perfect punishes.

Reversal Punish - Because there are no frame perfect punishes, if an attack is -10 and you use a 10 frame reversal special as a punish, the opponent will be able to block the reversal punish attempt. You would need to use a reversal special that is at least 9 frames or faster to punish something -10. Basically, you always need to use a reversal special that is at least 1 frame faster then the opponents negative frames.

Normal Attack Punish - Unlike a reversal punish, normal attacks do not come out on the first possible frame from block but 1 frame after. So if you block an attack that is -10 and try to punish with a 9 frame normal the way you would a 9 frame reversal special, the 9 frame normal comes out in 10 frames and the opponent is able to block. In order to punish with a normal attack you need to use a normal that is at least 2 frames faster then the opponents negative frames.


Throws:​
Standard Throws - The standard throw is the universal throw that every character has. You execute a throw with L1 or manually with 1+3 which results in throwing the opponent backwards, reversing positions. You can control which direction you throw the opponent and throw them forward instead of backwards by inputting Forward + L1 or manually with Forward + 1+3. All standard throws are 10 frames, hit high, are unblockable, and all result in an untechable knockdown. Although the standard throw hits high, it will connect on a crouching opponent who is holding block. In order to crouch under a standard throw, you must crouch without blocking. While throws are unblockable, you are able to tech the throw. You tech a neutral throw(throws you backwards) by pressing 1 or 3, and you tech the forward throw by pressing 2 or 4. However, even when teching a throw you still lose 2% damage. You must input the throw tech as the opponent is grabbing you and you cannot tech a throw while holding block. You can also throw the opponent out of the air while juggling them but the opponent will still be able to tech the throw even though they are in a juggled state. Throws can also be used as a reversal punish and cannot be teched as long as the throw connects during the opponents negative frames.

Meter Burn Throw - A meter burn throw is done by pressing block after you grab the opponent with your standard neutral or forward throw and will keep the opponent standing, leaving you at major advantage. This does require 1 bar of super meter and it also sacrifices all damage of the throw outside of the initial 2%.

Command Throws - A command Throw is a special kind of throw that requires multiple directional inputs as well as a button press. These throws are also unblockable and only a select few characters have a command throw. Command throws are not techable, are unblockable, hit mid(in most cases), and result in an untechable knockdown.

Air Throws - An air throw is a special kind of throw that will only connect on an airborne opponent. Only a select few characters have an air throw and the air throw is not techable. Air Throws also result in an untechable knockdown.


Projectile Immunity​
Projectile Immunity refers to a special property where your attack will go through the opponents projectile, destroying their projectile as your attack goes through it.


Throw Immunity​
Throw immunity refers to a special property of which certain attacks are immune to being thrown, usually during the start up frames. This is so that, during the start up frames of the attack, that the attack can beat out standard throws. Command throws have longer active frames which allow them to still be active after the throw immune frames are gone. This allows a command throw to still throw almost every attack that has throw immunity.