Mileena is a character from Mortal Kombat and is considered a fan favorite for many reasons. She made her debut in Mortal Kombat II and was presented as an antagonist of the story and an experiment by Shao Kahn.
In the new storyline, she is a legitimate daughter of Jerrod and Sindel and a sister to Kitana. She is well-liked by her subjects and is first in line to the throne.
However, her impulsive nature made people prefer Kitana as the heir apparent, and there was also the pesky business of a Tatakan disease working in her.
As a character in Mortal Kombat 1, Mileena is one of the easier playable options to pick as she possesses easy combos and a steady gameplan.
In this guide, we’ll look at her playstyle, combos, best moves, and some of the pros and cons of using the character.
Mileena’s Playstyle
Mileena is a straightforward character that looks to get into the opponent’s face and damage them as much as possible. Her toolkit encourages the player to try and close the gap against an opponent, so for that, she has a teleport which enables her to by-pass fireballs.
She hits hard when she’s up close and this can be really helpful. She’s also equipped with a projectile, her Straight Sai, and Low Sai. So, you could argue that she can keep characters away, but this is ill-advised as her projectiles dissipate around the middle of the screen and only goes full-screen when amplified. So, yes, she can throw fireballs, but they do very little damage and don’t help much with her overall gameplan.
Therefore, it is advised to get close to the opponent and keep them locked down.
Best Buttons and Strings
In this section we’ll look at all of Mileena’s most notable buttons and strings. These are the basics of your battle plan with the character.
D1 (Acupuncture)- This is the humble and common poking tool. The reason why it is better on Mileena is mostly because of the range. Generally speaking, D1 on most other persons doesn’t go very far, but for Mileena, she can hit you from ranges that no one else can. This can be very helpful in situations where Mileena does her 1, 2 string and is blocked. From that range, Mileena will win the poke war due to her increased range.
B4 (Low Point) - Plus on block and great as a sweep.
F4 (Cartheel) - This is one of her best buttons and is a really oppressive tool to use against opponents. It is a great option for meaties and can counter enemies who want to wake up with armored moves, or try something funny. This is because F4 is a multi-hitting move and an overhead. This is great for Mileena who, due to the nature of her moves, will have a lot of people ducking. So, F4 is a great counter move.
1, 2 (AmbitiousStrikes) - This is her go-to string. It is -5 on block, and has a flawless block gap at the last strike. It hits three times, which is great for a string and is an awesome option against most enemies. This is because while the first strike is a high and can be ducked, the second is an overhead which is a lot more difficult to evade. Also of note is the fact that the 1, 2 string is an excellent portal to many of Mileena’s damaging combos.
F2, F2 (Krucifixion)- This is a remarkable string which is +2 on block.
F2, 4 (Rugsweeper) - This is 0 on block, which means it is mostly safe and from it you can launch into a couple of combos for Mileena. It also has follow ups like F2, 4, 2 (Bloody Fusion) which ends in a mid-stab that pushes the opponent back and leaves Mileena with a slight advantage.
F2, 4, 3, 3 (Twin Sovereigns) - Another good string that has the advantage of knocking the opponent down but leaving Mileena right on top of them so as to sustain her pressure.
Special Moves
Straight Sai (BF1) - This is one of two projectiles Mileena has at her disposal. It should be noted that it does not go fullscreen unless amplified. It hits high and is a little slow. You can consider this a poking option.
Also of note is that the amplified version costs two bars which is not cheap. But, if you get a hit, it has a follow up move where Mileena teleports to the opponent, takes a huge chunk out of their neck and causes them to crumple which opens the opponent up to a devastating combo. Also, the amplified Straight Sai goes through other projectiles, so it can be a useful tool when someone is trying to throw projectiles to keep you out.
Low Sai (BF3) - This is perhaps the better of the two projectiles in general use. The Low Sai, as the name implies, is a low and needs to be crouch blocked. It travels faster than the Straight Sai, but it doesn’t travel further. On hit it causes a knockdown which can help you get your pressure going and put you in front of the opponent. It also travels full screen when amplified and is cheaper than the Straight Sai as it only costs a bar. So you can use it against an opponent who throws out a high projectile and cause a knockdown.
Teleport Down (DB2) - This is Mileena’s regular teleport and is can also be done in the air. The most common usage of it is to avoid fireballs and punish the opponent. It has decent damage and can low-profile some projectiles with its start up.
Teleport Up (DF2) - This is a launcher on hit which is typically the combo starter for Mileena’s high damaging combos. It is particularly useful when amplified as it launches the opponent for a world of pain. You can combo into it with some of Mileena’s strings like the 1, 2 and 2, 1 strings.
Roll (BD4) - This is a move that has appeared in several Mortal Kombat games and is back in Mortal Kombat 1 for Mileena. The Roll is very useful as it can work in any combo and when enhanced with deal a chunk of damage as Mileena stabs her opponent’s feet into the ground and cut them with her knives.
Air Ball (DB4) - This is new to Mileena, but is a great addition as it throws out a few Sai projectiles and can be used in the middle of combos as a juggle option. When enhanced, it can work as a punish counter against an opponent who whiffs. The amplified version can be canceled into other airborne moves like the Teleport Up and the regular Roll or even an Air Ball.
Mileena’s Best Kameos
This is perhaps the most subjective section of the guide. You can use a fair number of kameos with Mileena, and in this section we’ll give a set of options and list what they help with.
Scorpion: Great for higher damage combos. Scorpion’s assist enables Mileena to really knock the stuffing out of an opponent with about 50% damage every time she is able to land a combo. However, since Mileena already has high personal damage, she doesn’t necessarily need more.
Kung Lao: If you are playing a bit more cautiously, Kung Lao is a great option as he helps keep Mileena’s combos safe, especially her more risky strings.
Kano: With Mileena’s projectiles lacking in range, Kano really helps in that department as he has a full screen projectile. He also helps with setups and other gimmicky moves that Mileena might seek.
Sektor: Sektor is another great kameo who uses his flamethrower to help Mileena in neutral while his up punch teleport move tracks the opponent across the screen which means that the lack of range on Mileena isn’t as pronounced.
You can try out any of these kameos and if you want to try even more, go for it.
Mileena’s Pros and Cons
Mileena is generally a very good character. One thing is for sure; she is better than her Mortal Kombat 11 counterpart. This doesn’t mean she is perfect as there are a few things that could have been better.
Pros
High Damaging combos
Ease of use
Strong projectile counters
Cons
Poor range
Lacks initiative against the opponent.
BnB Combos
Now that we have gone over her kit, we can have a look at the combos you can pull off at just about any level.
Mileena is a great character overall and is one of the easier members of the cast to get used to. You can check out this excellent guide by Dreammxy made for DashFight.
You can also check out our other guides in the dedicated guide section of our website.
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