Not sure how many of you are using option selects in footsies/pressure yet, but I would highly recommend it as Ermac has one of the better OS's for footsies/pressure and the timing is super fluid:
B12xxDB4 DI(Directional Input) (4; optional)
On hit you'll always get the teleport for a full combo conversion, and on block you get stagger pressure; you can choose to complete the string, B124, by inputing the 4 to be at neutral frames or leave it at B12 for -3 by only inputting the DI.
Just figured I'd post this in here because I've been looking into applying OS's for pressure and I've noticed Ermac tournament players open people up with B12 in footsies often enough, going for stagger pressure, only to miss the hit confirm for a full combo. If this was known, my bad.
I posted this in the Option select thread, but I will just copy paste it here.
This is why I find the B12 Option selects on block to be useless...
"You basically need the opponent to get hit with a B1 or with the second hit (2) for this to work.
- Hitting the opponent with B1 makes sense. You can hit them off a jump in, in footsies, whiff punish etc. From here it is not hard to hit confirm B12 ~ teleport.
- The point of the option select is to be able to convert off the 2 in B12. However, here is my main issue. Who is ever going to get hit by just the 2 ?
I mean, there is literally no reason for anyone you are playing with to get hit by the 2 in B12. There is no gap in between B1 and 2. The mix up with the string is B12 and B124 staggers. So if they really think you were just going to do 2 hits and stop and they wanted to interrupt you, then they would need to block the 2 anyways then press buttons.
So my problem here is that I really do not see a reason to learn this option select. If the B12 is blocked and the opponent is going to press, then the 4 in B124 comes out and not the teleport."
Not really a new player, just a new-ish member on this site haha. Just trying to improve my neutral game with Ermac, I guess I have to start looking into option selects.
My fighting game background is Tekken and SFIII. They're mostly footsie-based, whereas the meta for MKX is mostly constant pressure and 50/50s. And so that is where my deficiencies come into play, because it's more rush-heavy than the prior two FGs that I've played. When I first picked up this game when it came out, I took to liking Kano. His d+3, d+4 and knives are incredible and so it fit my more subdued play style. But I started feeling out the metagame of MKX and how some of the cast had better options of opening people up and such. Basically bounced around from character to character, until I stumbled upon Ermac and fell in love with his aesthetics and his BnB's. I've done well holding up on my own so far, playing him as a whiff punisher, but it's too streaky a playstyle. Basically, I wanna be up close and personal, pressuring consistently with safe strings and not relying too much on expecting people to whiff to get my damage in.
Ugh, I'm so sorry for the long post. I appreciate all of your support and patience.
Well his B12 is his main neutral string I would say. It advances him the most and is a "mid" ( although it does whiff some times)
Once you hit the opponent on block, you can stagger it and do it again. So it would be B12 right back into B12. To keep the opponent guessing, you can just do B124. You can mix in D1 and D3 in here. By doing B12 , D1/D3. This would be to poke someone who is going to press in between your stagger pressure. You can also use D1 and D3 after B124 to maintain pressure and stick on them. The pokes work better on hit obviously. So if your opponent just blocks after B124, in anticipation for a D1/D3, you can use this small pause in their game to go back into B124 once again. For people who are going to armor after B12 or B124, you can just use armor of your own. You will generally win the trade since you are absorbing their armor and hitting them second ( usually, and this depends on the armor used by the opponent.) You also do not have to always use B124 as your string however. You can mix it up into B12 stagger into 11. 11 starts as a high, but the 2nd and 3rd hits of the string are mids. It is also +2 on block. His pressure is all about conditioning and staggering, to stay on the opponent. Once you have them waiting for pokes, this is when you can mix in his 50/50 game. For example, like before when I mentioned completing the string B124 and the opponent waiting for a D1/D3, this could be a great time to go and hit them with the F4 as they were expecting something else.
Also, you can mix in D3 ( low) and instant air soul blast ( overhead) with your stagger pressure. It is a safe 50/50 that does not launch, but this is more used to condition and maintain pressure. So You can do B12 stagger into Iasb, on block you are +1-+2 roughly and on hit you are also + frames. D3 on hit you can pretty much go into whatever you want since you are +15, and on block you are only -6. So you won't be punished ( unless you play a cassie that can just frame punish with reversal flip kick)
Also in the neutral game, instant air soul blast is really good against advancing opponents. Against cassie, who have B1, the air soul blast is a good tool to stop them and regain the momentum of the match. Place yourself in a range where they can hit you on block with this and on reaction hit them with the soul blast.
D3 is also very solid in the neutral. Good range for a poke and it low profiles very well.
EDIT: Grabs!!! Don't forget to about throws too! They can be extremely strong in stagger pressure. B12 into throw or B124 into throw is strong. 1,1 or just 1 into throw is also good. It works well since your opponent is generally expecting to block a blockstring or a poke, you can take advantage of them trying to guess what you will do with a throw
