Frost in MK11
Mortal Kombat 11 is the second time Frost has been a playable character in the franchise, not since Armageddon has she been on the roster. Meaning that unlike characters like Scorpion or Kitana, which have been present in most entries and thus have a solidified fighting style and identity, you can draw on previous games to inform you about Frost's gameplay.
Forst playstyle and tips to counter it
Her movement is a key point that most other characters in the game will have an advantage on. She cannot wavedash and most of her pokes are slower than most others. This means that Frost's tempo is quite slow and relies mostly on her projectiles, which in turn deal good damage and generally have large hitboxes.
It's a good idea to avoid approaching by the air since she has many good options to counter those, instead use your dash or walk to close in the distance. Certain characters with good mid-screen projectiles can punish some of the spammier moves from Frost.
Forst common variations
The two moves that most frost players will field, and the ones that you should be most familiar with, are Ice Auger, as well as its extension Auger Lunge, Cryogenic Crown, and Icequake. On top of those, Microburst can also be seen in most Frost variations. The thing to know about those last ones is that its more often than not used as part of combos, either as enders or starters, so its best to focus on the first three, as they are the two moves you are most likely to be able to subvert for your benefit.
Icequake
It's an air attack that can hit either Mid or Low depending on the range. When it hits as a mid it is very much a punishable move with a -16 frame advantage, so anything that you can input after blocking that comes out in less than 16 frames will be able to catch frost. When it a low, however, it becomes safe, at least for the vast majority of characters. Because of that, you want to always block the attack low, even if it comes out as a Mid. It will help lower the pushback.
If it is a Mid then you can just jab out of block and go from there. If it's low, and you know for sure it's a low, you flawless block for some extra frames or jump over the attack, causing Frost to whiff and then following up with some good damage.
Cryogenic Crown
It's a ground bomb with a delayed explosion. It hits Mid, which means a block should be enough, but that is where the mental games start since Frost players have two options to try to get you to take the freeze.
- One is to grab you if you attempt to block it.
- To counter this, you can jump over them.
- The other, if the Frost player expects you to jump, is to poke or anti-air you.
- Blocking low, as you would anyways, is the best solution.
As you can see, there is no silver bullet to counter the move, it's best to go by reads and what you expect your opponent to do. Even practice a bit of continuing by always jumping until they think you will always do it and then starting to block low.
Auger Lunge
Because of this move's great pushback on block, a lot of Frost players will use it somewhat frequently to bring up a bit more space and keep their turn. Normal auger is not entirely safe, as most characters will be able to block and then jab a mid out to get their turn. The Lunge allows for some extra space that makes those jabs not connect.
The best way to combat this move is to flawless block it. Worth noting that with some characters you will need to stand block to be able to do it. If done properly, you should be able to punish the move fairly reliably with most characters.
Things to avoid against Frost
Do not try to tech her throws. She has a Krushing blow for both sides and besides, her throws are pretty long, meaning she has a hard time following up on them. If you play a character that can out-zone her or if you would have the health advantage and can keep her away safely, getting thrown is not that big of a deal, not enough to risk failing the tech and getting KBed.
As mentioned earlier, Do not try to approach Frost from the air, she has one of the best anti-air games in the game. Her projectiles and her Down 3 is just too powerful.
Gaps in Frost's Strings
- 1, 3, 4
- 1, 3, 2
- With the right timing, you can flawless block either option (4, or 2) .
- B2, 2
- B3, 2
- Once again, a Flawless block at the end will give you the opportunity to take your turn.
- 3, 4, 4, 2
- There is a gap before the 2 with a jab or poke. But be careful because she can do a special before the 2 and get you.
Matchups
Cetrion out zones Frost and can make it very hard for her to close the distance. Fujin and Liu Kang are also excellent choices on account of their potential to punish her projectiles with their own and close the gap to her.
T8
MK1
SF6
GBVSR
Project L
SSBU
T7
DBFZ
BH
GGST
SC6
SG2E
KI
MVS
KoFXV
MBTL
SF5
MK11
