A Beginner’s Guide to Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1

Introduction of Shang Tsung

The soul-stealing sorcerer is a legendary villain in the Mortal Kombat series. Also, Shang Tsung is simply a strong character in the latest game, MK1.

His moveset is quite unusual as for MK standards. Shang Tsung is a zoner thanks to his varios fire projectiles. This gives him an advantage at a distance. But of course, there is a downside too — opponents that fight well at a close-range (rushdown) may not let Shang Tsung unleash his true potential.

The character can shift forms, becoming old or young. This affects his abilities. For example, the young guy shoots horizontal projectiles, while the old man shoots fireballs from the ground upward. The young form is better at normals, while the old one deals bigger damage in combos.

Focus on zoning requires skillful attention from players in matches, as you don’t want to let an opponent come close and destroy your Shang Tsung.

The shapeshifting special opens vast opportunities with the character, as he can become someone else. Still, not only should you know many movesets on a decent level, but you also need to know matchups to feel where a mirror match is better.

In this MK1 guide on DashFight, we discuss many details of playing Shang Tsung.

Best Buttons and Strings

Shang Tsung has some very good buttons, universal for both his forms.

D4 is a far-reaching kick that hits low. D3 has the same effect, but it’s faster. Down 3 is a good follow-up after the throw, and can be used for loops.

D1 is somewhat short, but it’s quick and can be used for checking an opponent, having good potential follow-ups (+15 on hit).

As a young man, Shang Tsung is quicker and has more chances to open an opponent up. The old form deals more damage, for example, with longer strings.

Young Shang Tsung

F3 is a quick overhead.

2, 4 can punish opponents thanks to a quick starting hit.

B1, 2 is a launcher that can be followed with transformation into the old form and a combo.

F4, 3, 4 is a basic blockstring. F1, 2, 3 is also a good one.

Old Shang Tsung

F4, D+L2, 1, 2, 1, 4 — transformation to the old man happens right after the first hit, so the basic string becomes longer. It can be continued with the Ground Skull projectiles. Or an assist can be used after the first three hits to make the string safe on block (Kung Laos down assist, for example).

Best Specials of Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1

Specials of this character change depending on the form he has taken.

Quick Age Morph is a move to get old or young Shang Tsung. Press Down+L2 (stance switch) for the transformation to happen. The trick works even in the air and can be used in the middle of a combo. For example, you can get an opening with the young character and then switch to the old form for more damage.

Young Shang Tsung

The young form has a few versions of horizontal projectiles. They are different by the number of fireballs.

Straight Skull, DF1 — Shang Tsung shoots a projectile, a single fireball. This move is good as the character has a chance to move around the stage while the opponent may be forced to block.

Double Skull, DB1 — there will be two projectiles. They are effective against jumping opponents and can lead to a combo with fireballs of the old man (shooting from the ground).

Triple Skull, DBF1 — the character shoots three fireballs, which do good chip damage. It’s a way to make an opponent impatient and punish their mistakes.

Old Shang Tsung

Projectiles of the old man shoot from the ground. Three Special Moves (the same input as for the young ones) differ by the distance projectiles appear from Shang Tsung.

Ground Skull, DF1 — it’s an upward projectile at a mid-range.

(Close) Ground Skull, DB1 — a fireball shoots from the ground rather close to the sorcerer.

(Far) Ground Skull, DBF1 — the fire projectile appears almost on the opposite side of the screen.

The Ground Skull projectiles are more unsafe on block and have longer recovery. It might be a good idea to link them after the projectiles of young Shang Tsung. Then, those upward shooting projectiles may be continued with other moves, as they launch the victim (standing 4 and DF1 create a combo loop).

The EX version shoots more projectiles and can be used as punishers.

Vicinity Slash, DF2 — this armored attack works relatively the same for both forms.

Injection, DB3, it’s a good combo ender in the old form.

Shapeshifting

Form Stealer, FDB4 — it’s a unique ability of Shang Tsung to transform into the current opponent. Using it requires a vast knowledge of the MK1 roster. Getting damage buff is another positive feature of this Special (EX).

Perfect Form, FB4 — Shang Tsung returns to his normal form.

Shang Tsung’s Gameplan in MK1

Keeping a distance is essential for the character, and Shang Tsung does this well with his projectiles. They can set the ground for openings and damage with combos,

Shang Tsung in his young form is a good choice for neutral. Use his quick normals to get an opening. Then you need to transform into the old guy to deal good damage. Approaching for opening should be safe, and conditioning with projectiles will help.

The Shapeshifting ability is tricky and requires a good experience in Mortal Kombat 1. The damage buff with EX Form Stealer is a reason enough to use this move. 

Best Kameos for Shang Tsung in MK1

The choice of assists for Shang Tsung should be based on making strings safer. For example, you can use Kung Lao’s back assist as an ender after the string F4, 1, 2, 1 instead of 4, which will keep the character plus instead of minus. Other strings can also be safer with various Kung Lao’s assists, and Shang Tsung will be able to not lose his turn and continue pressure.

Kung Lao is commonly considered as a good kameo choice for Shang Tsung. He covers the biggest weakness of the character, his close-range game. Another possible option with similar roles is Sektor.

Shang Tsung’s Combos in Mortal Kombat 1

As the young version of this character is quicker and more suitable for landing an opening hit, Shang Tsung’s combos in MK1 often start with this form. But then, it’s better to transform the guy (D+L2) to get more damage.

• 2, 4, D+L2, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF3
• F4, D+L2, 1, 2, 1, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF3
• B1, 2, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF3
• (Anti-air) DB3, 2, 4, DF1, D+L2, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DB3
• DB3(AMP), 4, DB1, 4, DB1, 4, DB3

Old Shang Tsung also has chances to open an opponent up, following that with similar Ground Skull loops.

• F4, 1, 2, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, F4, DF1, F4, DB3
• (Anti-air) 2, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DB3
• 3, DF1, F-DASH, 4, DF1, 4, DF1, 4, DB3

The Pros and Cons

Playing Shang Tsung allows you to have super effective zoning tools in a game where many characters in the roster rather struggle at such distance. It’s definitely an advantage (if you like such a style).

Shang Tsung may not look as the most difficult character, with all his quite repetitive combo patterns and a straightforward gameplan. On the one hand, it’s good for accessibility. But on the other hand, you should be constantly aware of the risks of getting punished and prevent that with multiple options. This high risk is a difficult part of playing Shang Tsung. You should be aware of what you are doing with him to avoid bitter destruction.

And sure, the character is not good at close range. You need some help from kameos to cover that.

Shang Tsung is generally a challenging character, and his ability to steal forms summarizes such a description quite well. You get buffed damage thanks to it, but you suddenly play a different character, which may turn out to be an advantage or a disaster, depending on the matchup and your knowledge of the game. 

Do you like this set of features in a MK1 character?