Ermac

He is a popular choice for a lot of serious contenders, and it makes sense after you’ve played around with him. He has special moves that can stun your opponent and he has several combos that can produce over 30% of damage. On top of that, he has a lot of variety in attacks that keep your opponent on his or her toes. The learning curve is the timing in his attacks, as the combos will take some practice to get used to them.

Three reasons to use Ermac:

He’s Mr. Variety. You can attack from a distance, teleport, close range combos; you name it, he has it.   Ermac is difficult to block as many of his initial starting points for his combos can be high, low, or at a distance.   He also has an equal balance between power and speed, making him a solid choice for providing comfortability to players.  

D’Vorah

She is a difficult character to master, but she will upset many of your opponents once you learn how to handle her. She isn’t a fast character, but she has some serious reach that can keep your opponents at a distance, making her more difficult to hit and combo on. She is also great for disrupting the dreaded spammer, and can deal around 10-15% damage in her basic combos list.

Three reasons to use D’Vorah:

Reach, reach, and reach. Just try Down B or Forward Y and see her range in action. She’s a spam stopper, which means she can stop Sub-Zero from spamming clones of himself, and many other character’s spam moves. She’s also more powerful than you think and her basic combos are capable of doing a fair amount of damage. You don’t need to be a big combo player when using her.  

Power characters usually struggle with fighting a distance fighter, but Ferra & Torr nullify that with charges and throwing Ferra across the screen. They have a power and speed balance that you have to get used to, and Torr’s attacks are very slow, but the combos are well worth it. When using this character, try all three variations as each one has a unique playing style. See which one you prefer. 

Did somebody ask for power, because this character has it. Easily this duo is one of the most powerful in the game.   It’s hard to prepare against Ferra & Torr due to each variation being so unique from one another. Even the throws are different for each one.   Ferra & Torr have simple combos, but those few hits add up to anywhere between 20-30% damage, and that’s brutal when you think about it.

Kotal Kahn

Another slower character, but Kotal Kahn can really put the hurt on your opponents. He even has over a 100% combo (that is not a joke, it really is over 100%) that is next to impossible to deliver in a match. His special moves are harder to incorporate into matches, but if you get used to them, you’ll find yourself laughing as your opponents beg for mercy. Try all three of his variations and find out which of his special moves suits you best.

Three reasons to use Kotal Kahn:

He has some high percentage combos, and I’m not just talking about the aforementioned 100% one either. Practice makes perfect with Mr. Combo.   Kotal Kahn also has a fair amount of reach, especially when you use his sword in the War God variation. He also has very unique variations that differ greatly in how you want to fight your opponent, which is great because I find some characters you face are easier to defeat with a specific variation versus another.  

Jacqui Briggs

She is one of the most unpopular characters in online play. She doesn’t seem to have the best combos or very good distance attacks. However, if you are willing to take the time to learn what she can and can’t do, she will be your best friend. I love using Jacqui for counterstriking players, and she has plenty simple and effective combos that vary between 15% and 25% damage. 

Three reasons to use Jacqui Briggs:

The unknown factor, meaning most people aren’t familiar with facing her. Also, many people don’t take this character seriously, meaning you can sneak up on them and give them a much-deserved wake-up call.   Quick and effective combos are her game. She is a balanced character with easy 20% combos galore, so counterstrike your enemies with ease.   Jacqui is also great for cornering opponents. Many of her basic combos send your opponent flying, so send them to the wall and beat them senseless! 

Even though these characters take more time to master, you won’t regret spending the extra effort. Remember to hit up the training room as well and best of luck in your future fights.