A Beginner’s Guide to Rain in Mortal Kombat 1

Introduction of Rain

The moveset of Rain in Mortal Kombat 1 is tightly connected to his new position in the Empire of General Shao and the Outworld Academy of Sorcery. Rain is a High Mage, and his ability to control water is quite remarkable. It allows the guy to use water projectiles for ranged attacks, a water sphere for protection, and whirlpools to trap opponents and deliver devastating combos.

Rain shines nicely at a long distance, but he is the best with his mid-range tools. It’s a good idea to avoid being too close to an opponent while playing this character. The fighting style with Range is based on keeping this careful mid-distance and starting combos with various launchers. If you prefer to rely on projectiles, you should take care of quicker shoots from your opponents.

Fighting options with Rain are not too beginner-friendly. Some patience is needed with him. A proper understanding of long-range tools can be developed only during dedicated training. Still, if the general style of this character corresponds to your preferences, you may become a great, super dangerous duo with Rain.

In this MK1 guide, we dive into various details of playing Rain. Are you ready to improve your skills and get more wins in the game?

Best Buttons and Strings

The best area for Rain’s offense is mid-range, and it’s where his buttons work the most effectively.

D3 is a long poke that helps Rain keep an opponent at a distance and potentially move to the offensive game.

D1 has a bit smaller range than D3 but works in a very similar way.

B4 is a long-range sweep that pushes an opponent a bit back. It is a good button to support the most comfortable distance for Rain.

F2, 1 is one of the best buttons for Rain and a midscreen combo starter. You can add 3 to it (F2, 1, 3). As the second hit is low, it may be a good idea to use a kameo assist with overhead to try and open an opponent up (like Scorpion’s forward assist). The string is also a launcher, and it can lead to a midscreen air combo.

D2 has a very big hitbox, so this uppercut is a reliable anti-air tool with a big range.

B2 is a quick low hit. It has a good range, and if you land this normal from a distance, it can be followed by a launcher. 

1 is a very fast attack with anti-air properties, and it’s kind of a default anti-air tool. Standing 1 can start strings: 

• 1, 1, 2 — with a good pushback to maintain distance between Rain and an opponent. This is beneficial for the character’s projectile game.

• 1, 1, 4 — 4 (Back Kick) can be canceled into Special moves, so the string can lead to Geyser (D, B3).

2, 1, 1 is a tricky string to predict for an opponent. The first hit can be canceled into something else. The ender can be different, like 2, 1, 1, 2 — with a gap before the last hit and therefore with a chance to perform something unexpected. (it’s also a risk, though)

4, 3, 2 is safe on block and can be canceled into Specials.

F3, 2 is a slow overhead, unsafe on block, but it delivers two hits and can work as a knowledge check.

J3, 2 is a pretty good air-string. It can be used after launchers and followed by quite a lot of options thanks to the knockdown effect.

Best Specials of Rain in Mortal Kombat 1

This specific part of the moveset makes Rain a zoner. So, let’s discuss his best Specials in MK1.

Water Beam, BF1 — it’s a very effective projectile with a big hitbox and long active frames. The speed could be better, so avoid using it at close range. It might be hard for opponents to jump over the stream of water, as with bad timing, they risk falling directly onto the hitbox.

Geyser, DB3 — it’s a pretty unusual projectile as the water shoots from the ground. This Special has two versions. The default input activates a shorter one. Hold Forward after DB3, and Geyser will hit farther. The EX version of this move is an armored reversal and can be used when an opponent comes too close.

Rain God, DDU — Rain jumps and shoots a sphere projectile diagonally. The hitting distance changes from mid-range to almost full-screen by holding the input. This option lets Rain God cover zones where Geyser can’t reach.

Ancient Trap, BF4 can catch an opponent into a whirlpool and then launch them, for you to catch them and deliver even more damage. You can change the distance of this move by holding back after the input (close-range Trap) or forward (long-range). This variety of options compensates for a somewhat slow start-up.

Water Shield, FDB4 is a protective sphere that works well against projectiles. Theoretically, it should be an answer to quick projectiles, while Rains’ options are rather slow. The move still has problems, as the Shield is slow itself, and the animation clearly reveals what you are going to do.

Rain’s Gameplan in MK1

Normals of this character have quite a good range, and they kind of dictate where you should position Rain in MK1 fights. Try to land D3 in the training mode and notice the distance on which it still hits the opponent — that’s relatively the best positioning for Rain.

With that being done, you should rely on his variety of mid-range tools to open up an opponent and launch them for the following combos.

Long-range positioning requires using projectiles such as Ancient Trap and Rain God — in their longer versions. But this distance is still unsafe as Rain can be hit by projectiles. You need to use kameo assists to make long-range options safer.

Keeping mid-range and launching opponents for air-strings is the best gameplan for Rain. It’s how he starts his combos and deals extended damage.

Best Kameos for Rain in MK1

Some kameos help Rain shift towards the mid-range style with launchers and air-juggling — to extend combos and damage. Other kameos can make the long-range game safer, covering Rain's slow projectiles.

Here are some of the best kameos for Rains in Mortal Kombat 1:

• Scorpion is more suitable for the mid-range style. He has an overhead attack as his forward assist, and it can be good for using Rain's F213 to try and open an opponent up. Up assist of Scorpion can follow successful Geyser and lead to a combo. Scorpion’s back assist helps Rain quickly jump backward to have a safe distance and start a long-range pressure.
• Frost can push an opponent back with her neutral assist. If you use the normal version, the kameo fighter will create a mid-range gap for you to continue with normals. Or if you hold the assist button, you will get a long-range gap to move on with projectiles.
• Sareena helps with the full-screen style. She can add a quick projectile to Rain’s moveset; it’s her forward assist. This is a good idea to make the full-screen play safer.
• Sub-Zero gives Rain Arctic Armor, an advanced protection against projectiles, with his neutral assist, so the character can shoot water more confidently. Also, Sub-Zero’s forward assist, Iced Out, freezes an opponent and can be used as a confirm tool to let Rain extend his combos with charging Specials.

More info on choosing kameo in MK1 can be found in this video guide by VideoGamezYo.

Rain’s Combos in Mortal Kombat 1

To deal big damage, Rain should rely on his launching options, and they can be 114, 211, F3, F21, B2, etc. After that, you could use Specials, like Geyser, or air juggling, like Jumpin 32.

Here are some examples of Rain’s combos in MK1.

Midscreen

• 114->DB3
• F3, J43, S112
• F3, J243, S2, DB3
• F32, J243, F2, DB3
• F21->F+R1, J2, F21->DB1 R2, J243, 2->DB3 [F]
• F3, BD1(AMP), J243, S2, DB3

Corner

• J322, 11, DB3
• F32, J32, 114->DB3
• J.322, 114, DB3
• BF4 [B], J32, 114->DB3
• F21->DB1 R2, J32, F2->F+R1, BF[1], J32, 1->DB3
• BF4b, DB1, F2->DB1 R2, J32, 1->DB3

Pros and Cons

Rain gives you a lot of options for mid-range offense, including launchers to continue with air juggling. Such normals are definitely his advantage.

His long-range projectiles require careful usage as they are slow and can be unsafe. This disadvantage can be nicely covered with kameo assists.

The area where Rain is not good at all is close-range fights. And there is not much he can do about this.

Choose Rain if you like this careful approach with a focus on defense and search for proper moments to unleash the projectiles or mid-range launchers.