Mortal Kombat 1 Raiden Character Guide: All You Need to Know

Mortal Kombat 1 Raiden Character Guide: All You Need to Know

If you want a pro player to break down the character for you, you can check out our collaboration with AVirk13 below to learn how a top player in the NRS competitive scene tackles this character.

However, this text guide is intended to give you a wider scope, and teach how to work up your way up with Raiden so you can start taking names in Kombat League.

Raiden's Gameplay Basics

Raiden is a rushdown character who excels at close-range combat. He uses moves like Electric Orb and Enhanced Electromagnetic Storm to pressure defensive opponents. His fast normals and specials allow for effective combos. Raiden struggles against characters with strong ranged or mid-range attacks, so players need to master blocking and punishing to close the distance.

Raiden's Electric Fly and Lightning Port, help him quickly approach and attack opponents. You should vary your attacks to avoid predictability and use ranged moves to chip away at opponents' health. 

Specials

• DF1: Projectile which you can charge, good for chip damage
• DU: You can teleport, though be careful not to telegraph it too much.
• BF3: You fly toward your opponent dealing damage; you can also use it in the air, and when amplified, it gives armor. However, it is unsafe.
• DB2: side switch, but not much else.
• DF2: Your most used special by far. Good anti-air, part of combos, can hold it down to extend.
• DB3: Unsafe but good for chip damage.
• BF2: Great fast overhead that conditions opponents to stand block.

Strings

• S1,2: Good as is, ends in +1F on block.
• S2,4,2: A lot of staggers and good enders. If you are using the enders on block, you can call a Kameo to make them safe.
• F2,2: You can end it with 4 or as is, all three can be canceled into specials. 
• F4,3,4: You can choose to end the string at any point and stagger, back dash, cancel, etc. Very versatile.
• F3,4: only use it for combos; otherwise is too easy to punish.
• S3,4: only for combos and maybe sometimes anti-air.

Best Kameos For Raiden

Raiden's Bread & Butter Combos

Medium

•  S2,4,2,1, DF2, F-KAMEO, F2,2, DF2(AMP), S3, DF2
• S2,4,2,1, DF2, F-KAMEO, F3,4, F2,2, DF2, F-KAMEO, F2, DF2(AMP), S3, DF2
• S2,4,2,1, DF2, F-KAMEO, F3,4, S2,4,2, DF2, F-KAMEO, S3, DF2(AMP), S3, DF2
• F3,4, F3,4, S2,4,2, DF2, F-KAMEO, S3, DF2(AMP), S3, DF2, F-KAMEO, S3, DF2
• S2,4,2,1, DF2, F-KAMEO, F3,4, S2,4, DF2, F-KAMEO, S3, DF2(AMP), FB