General Information
I apologize for the video quality. They were taken from my iphone.
(Notation: b = Back, f = Forward, d = Down, u = Up, JP = Jump Punch, JK = Jump Kick)
Kano's Strengths
Kano’s main strength is his versatility. He can zone with his amazingly fast knife attack, he has an airthrow, fantastic rushdown/mindgame tactics, he can play a mean defense thanks to his wicked anti-air Upball, his sweep has deceptively long range and comes out fast, and he has one of the best X-Rays in the game. Though his kombo damage output isn't nearly as high as some other characters, the overall damage of his moves and chains is above average. He also has one of the best personalities in the game. What other character spits on his opponents and calls them bitches?
Here are some specific strengths:
1. Kano is one of the most versatile characters in the game. He’s got a good mix of zoning, rushdown, and defensive tools to keep him safe while constantly threatening his opponents.
2. His sweep is fast and has very nice range. It can actually beat out several characters’ wakeup attacks. I have caught Scorpion mid-teleport many times with a simple sweep. Here's a short video showing his maximum sweep range from a dash:
3. His X-Ray is an unblockable throw with super armor that can reach across a 3rd of the screen (about half-screen with a dash) for 41% damage! It’s almost not even fair…
4. His knife attack has very good recovery. You can actually use it to bait out certain attacks, only to block before they connect.
5. His Upball is a fantastic anti-air move. Use it liberally. It will frustrate most players.
6. His Airball is perfect for punishing zoners. Just jump over their projectile and slam into them.
Kano's Weaknesses
Despite all of Kano’s strengths he still has several shortcomings that might steer some players away from choosing him. Among those weaknesses are:
1. Kano's mixup game is not fantastic. His primary medium and low attacks have slow startups and can be dangerous to utilize.
2. His primary zoning attack, the knife, can be ducked completely and can also become very predictable. His other zoning attack, the Kanoball, can be punished severely on block.
3. His maximum kombo damage output is low compared to other characters, and the timing on his kombos is very stiff. I don’t think there is another character in the game whose kombo timing is as strict as Kano’s.
4. His X-Ray, while fantastic, cannot be directly linked into, making it a risky maneuver in most cases.
5. His wakeup game is pretty weak. Waking up with his Upball can frustrate some players but it can become very predictable, and I've found that it never seems to come out in time when I'm being rushed down.
6. Kano simply lacks the tools to effectively deal with some characters (like Sub-Zero).
7. His Airball, while a fantastic move, never seems to go off when you need it to. While other characters (like Kung Lao) simply have to press d4 while airborne, Kano has to press f, d, b, f.
8. His EX moves don't really seem worthwhile. See below*
*A quick note regarding Kano's Meter Strategy
Considering how awesome Kano's X-Ray is (unblockable 41% damage with armor and nice range) there is pretty much no reason to use any of his EX Moves. His X-Ray does 41% over 3 bars, so for an EX more to be worthwhile it would need to add at least 13% damage to his move and/or provide an exceptional tactical benefit. None of his EX moves even come close to that damage addition, and the tactical applications of his EX moves are marginal at best. His EX Upball can be used to some benefit to get around zoning and his EX Kanoball can become unblockable (if you hold it for longer than any decent player will let you) but these uses pale in comparison to the power and utility of his X-Ray. Just having a full meter is enough to make savvy players think twice about getting in close with Kano. It is my opinion that you should never, ever, ever use one of Kano's EX moves.
Kano Basics
Fatality 1: B, D, B, F, 1 (sweep distance)
Fatality 2: D, D, F, B, 4 (sweep distance)
Stage Fatality: (Hold block) U, U (release block) B, 4
Babality: F, D, D, 3
Specials:
Kanoball: F, D, B, F; 11% damage
A very fast full-screen attack, this is one of Kano’s primary punishment tools. It can hit jumpers and duckers, and even catches some people out of their specials (like Mileena’s own ball roll). Be very careful with this attack because it is very punishable on block. I pretty much use it exclusively to punish jumpers from full screen. 11% damage is little reward compared to the risk of a full kombo on block. The EX version does 12% damage and can be charged to become unblockable.
Airball: F, D, B, F (in air); 8% damage
The same as his Kanoball, but it starts in the air and travels downward at an angle towards your opponent. It lacks the range of the Kanoball, but is a fantastic tool to punish zoning techniques. Just like the Kanoball, you will want to use this strictly as a punishment tool vs zoners. On the basis of risk vs reward, 8% is nothing compared to the full kombo you will eat on block. The EX version adds an airthrow to the end of the attack, resulting in 16% damage, though the airthrow can be blocked. The easiest way to do the Airball command is to make it part of your jump. For example, if you are doing a forward jump into Airball you can input U-F, F, D, B, U, U-F (basically just a clockwise 360 degree motion starting with up-forward). Going into Airball from a back jump is a little trickier but uses the same principle. Just start the clockwise 360 degree from up-back.
Upball: D, F, 2; 11% damage
Kano’s primary anti-air attack. It shoots him forward at a steep upward angle. The EX version basically adds on an Airball to the end of the Upball’s animation, causing Kano to move in a “^” shape across the screen. This covers full-screen distance and can be used to avoid and punish zoning techniques. You can use it against an adjacent opponent to hit them twice for 13% damage.
Choke: D, F, 1; 9% damage
Choke is Kano's safest special from up close. If blocked it will push your opponent away from you, allowing you to avoid retaliation. It is his least damaging choice for kombos but with such little risk is can be worth the drop in damage.
Knife Throw: D, B, 2; 9% damage
Kano’s go-to zoning tool. This move has decent start-up and recovery and can be a decent punishment option. Use it to bait your opponents from across the screen, to punish jumpers, or to outzone your opponent. This is also a fantastic tool to punish characters with dash attacks (like Reptile, Raiden, Kano, and Kabal) and anti-melee/parry attacks (like Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage). If a player seems to be dash-crazy try to keep a knife between you and him, and he will typically dash right into it. Think of it as a pointy force field. The Knife also makes a good tool for punishing characters on wakeup. Instead of putting yourself at risk with a rushdown offense or Kanoball, you can time a knife throw so that it is above the character when they wake up. If you’re lucky you will score a free 9% damage. At worst you will inflict some chip damage, build some meter, and keep your opponent on lockdown. The EX version tosses 2 Knives for 14% damage.
Airthrow: 9% damage
If you input Kano’s throw command while airborne he will attempt an Airthrow. When using Kano there should be no difference in your mind between a JK and an Airthrow. Anytime you use a jumpkick you should be Airthrowing. I’ve seen people posting that they use empty Airthrows from full-screen to build meter. This is absolutely ridiculous for the following reasons: The longer you’re airborne the more vulnerable you are, and it would take about 30 empty Airthrows to gain a single bar of meter. In contrast, the Knife Throw, even when blocked, builds a whole bar after only 8 attacks while keeping your opponent locked down AND dealing a total of 16% chip damage!
Normals:
Kano really only has 2 normals worth mentioning: His F3 is a low-hitting kick that can be used to start some chains. His B2 is an overhead that can be used to start some chains though its severely slow start-up limits its utility.
Chains:
I’m only going to mention his worthwhile chains here.
1-1: This is a quick poking attack that can help break up a rushdown offense. The damage is only 4% but that’s not really the point. You can actually do the full 1-1-2 chain, but typically the 1-1 will be sufficient.
f1-1: This has the same utility as the “1-1” chain but with a little more damage and range, while only marginally slower. It does 7% damage from just under sweep distance.
b1-1-2: This is arguably Kano’s primary offensive option. You will use this chain a LOT, so make sure to practice it over and over and over. It does 14% damage and ends with a ground bounce. 2 of these can be linked with a dash. See the “Kombos” section for more details.
2-1-2: This is used in most of the kombos you see on youtube. As a stand-alone chain you shouldn't mess with it, but it has its place in kombos, as seen below.
b2-f1: The first hit is a very slow overhead. This can be used on an opponent as they wake up if you think they will block low. Several uses for this chain are explained in the “Kombos” section.
f3-b2: The first hit is a low attack with deceptive range. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very close-quarters attack, but it does go further than it looks like it should especially following a dash. This is Kano’s only real mixup chain (as the b2-f1 chain is just too slow). Practice this chain until your fingers bleed, especially from a JP starter (which causes it to hit low, medium, and high). When using this with a JP starter I always hold forward during the punch and f3. So my notation would be: fJP3-b2. Make this a habit. Also make sure to practice this from a crossup JP starter, which can be fairly tricky.
b1-2: This will be your primary kombo-ender. Practice following it with an Upball. Because the "2" is used to initiate the Upball, all you have to do is press b1-2, D, F and the Upball will come out. Practice this until it's second nature.
I apologize for the video quality. They were taken from my iphone.
(Notation: b = Back, f = Forward, d = Down, u = Up, JP = Jump Punch, JK = Jump Kick)
Kano's Strengths
Kano’s main strength is his versatility. He can zone with his amazingly fast knife attack, he has an airthrow, fantastic rushdown/mindgame tactics, he can play a mean defense thanks to his wicked anti-air Upball, his sweep has deceptively long range and comes out fast, and he has one of the best X-Rays in the game. Though his kombo damage output isn't nearly as high as some other characters, the overall damage of his moves and chains is above average. He also has one of the best personalities in the game. What other character spits on his opponents and calls them bitches?
Here are some specific strengths:
1. Kano is one of the most versatile characters in the game. He’s got a good mix of zoning, rushdown, and defensive tools to keep him safe while constantly threatening his opponents.
2. His sweep is fast and has very nice range. It can actually beat out several characters’ wakeup attacks. I have caught Scorpion mid-teleport many times with a simple sweep. Here's a short video showing his maximum sweep range from a dash:
4. His knife attack has very good recovery. You can actually use it to bait out certain attacks, only to block before they connect.
5. His Upball is a fantastic anti-air move. Use it liberally. It will frustrate most players.
6. His Airball is perfect for punishing zoners. Just jump over their projectile and slam into them.
Kano's Weaknesses
Despite all of Kano’s strengths he still has several shortcomings that might steer some players away from choosing him. Among those weaknesses are:
1. Kano's mixup game is not fantastic. His primary medium and low attacks have slow startups and can be dangerous to utilize.
2. His primary zoning attack, the knife, can be ducked completely and can also become very predictable. His other zoning attack, the Kanoball, can be punished severely on block.
3. His maximum kombo damage output is low compared to other characters, and the timing on his kombos is very stiff. I don’t think there is another character in the game whose kombo timing is as strict as Kano’s.
4. His X-Ray, while fantastic, cannot be directly linked into, making it a risky maneuver in most cases.
5. His wakeup game is pretty weak. Waking up with his Upball can frustrate some players but it can become very predictable, and I've found that it never seems to come out in time when I'm being rushed down.
6. Kano simply lacks the tools to effectively deal with some characters (like Sub-Zero).
7. His Airball, while a fantastic move, never seems to go off when you need it to. While other characters (like Kung Lao) simply have to press d4 while airborne, Kano has to press f, d, b, f.
8. His EX moves don't really seem worthwhile. See below*
*A quick note regarding Kano's Meter Strategy
Considering how awesome Kano's X-Ray is (unblockable 41% damage with armor and nice range) there is pretty much no reason to use any of his EX Moves. His X-Ray does 41% over 3 bars, so for an EX more to be worthwhile it would need to add at least 13% damage to his move and/or provide an exceptional tactical benefit. None of his EX moves even come close to that damage addition, and the tactical applications of his EX moves are marginal at best. His EX Upball can be used to some benefit to get around zoning and his EX Kanoball can become unblockable (if you hold it for longer than any decent player will let you) but these uses pale in comparison to the power and utility of his X-Ray. Just having a full meter is enough to make savvy players think twice about getting in close with Kano. It is my opinion that you should never, ever, ever use one of Kano's EX moves.
Kano Basics
Fatality 1: B, D, B, F, 1 (sweep distance)
Fatality 2: D, D, F, B, 4 (sweep distance)
Stage Fatality: (Hold block) U, U (release block) B, 4
Babality: F, D, D, 3
Specials:
Kanoball: F, D, B, F; 11% damage
A very fast full-screen attack, this is one of Kano’s primary punishment tools. It can hit jumpers and duckers, and even catches some people out of their specials (like Mileena’s own ball roll). Be very careful with this attack because it is very punishable on block. I pretty much use it exclusively to punish jumpers from full screen. 11% damage is little reward compared to the risk of a full kombo on block. The EX version does 12% damage and can be charged to become unblockable.
Airball: F, D, B, F (in air); 8% damage
The same as his Kanoball, but it starts in the air and travels downward at an angle towards your opponent. It lacks the range of the Kanoball, but is a fantastic tool to punish zoning techniques. Just like the Kanoball, you will want to use this strictly as a punishment tool vs zoners. On the basis of risk vs reward, 8% is nothing compared to the full kombo you will eat on block. The EX version adds an airthrow to the end of the attack, resulting in 16% damage, though the airthrow can be blocked. The easiest way to do the Airball command is to make it part of your jump. For example, if you are doing a forward jump into Airball you can input U-F, F, D, B, U, U-F (basically just a clockwise 360 degree motion starting with up-forward). Going into Airball from a back jump is a little trickier but uses the same principle. Just start the clockwise 360 degree from up-back.
Upball: D, F, 2; 11% damage
Kano’s primary anti-air attack. It shoots him forward at a steep upward angle. The EX version basically adds on an Airball to the end of the Upball’s animation, causing Kano to move in a “^” shape across the screen. This covers full-screen distance and can be used to avoid and punish zoning techniques. You can use it against an adjacent opponent to hit them twice for 13% damage.
Choke: D, F, 1; 9% damage
Choke is Kano's safest special from up close. If blocked it will push your opponent away from you, allowing you to avoid retaliation. It is his least damaging choice for kombos but with such little risk is can be worth the drop in damage.
Knife Throw: D, B, 2; 9% damage
Kano’s go-to zoning tool. This move has decent start-up and recovery and can be a decent punishment option. Use it to bait your opponents from across the screen, to punish jumpers, or to outzone your opponent. This is also a fantastic tool to punish characters with dash attacks (like Reptile, Raiden, Kano, and Kabal) and anti-melee/parry attacks (like Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage). If a player seems to be dash-crazy try to keep a knife between you and him, and he will typically dash right into it. Think of it as a pointy force field. The Knife also makes a good tool for punishing characters on wakeup. Instead of putting yourself at risk with a rushdown offense or Kanoball, you can time a knife throw so that it is above the character when they wake up. If you’re lucky you will score a free 9% damage. At worst you will inflict some chip damage, build some meter, and keep your opponent on lockdown. The EX version tosses 2 Knives for 14% damage.
Airthrow: 9% damage
If you input Kano’s throw command while airborne he will attempt an Airthrow. When using Kano there should be no difference in your mind between a JK and an Airthrow. Anytime you use a jumpkick you should be Airthrowing. I’ve seen people posting that they use empty Airthrows from full-screen to build meter. This is absolutely ridiculous for the following reasons: The longer you’re airborne the more vulnerable you are, and it would take about 30 empty Airthrows to gain a single bar of meter. In contrast, the Knife Throw, even when blocked, builds a whole bar after only 8 attacks while keeping your opponent locked down AND dealing a total of 16% chip damage!
Normals:
Kano really only has 2 normals worth mentioning: His F3 is a low-hitting kick that can be used to start some chains. His B2 is an overhead that can be used to start some chains though its severely slow start-up limits its utility.
Chains:
I’m only going to mention his worthwhile chains here.
1-1: This is a quick poking attack that can help break up a rushdown offense. The damage is only 4% but that’s not really the point. You can actually do the full 1-1-2 chain, but typically the 1-1 will be sufficient.
f1-1: This has the same utility as the “1-1” chain but with a little more damage and range, while only marginally slower. It does 7% damage from just under sweep distance.
b1-1-2: This is arguably Kano’s primary offensive option. You will use this chain a LOT, so make sure to practice it over and over and over. It does 14% damage and ends with a ground bounce. 2 of these can be linked with a dash. See the “Kombos” section for more details.
2-1-2: This is used in most of the kombos you see on youtube. As a stand-alone chain you shouldn't mess with it, but it has its place in kombos, as seen below.
b2-f1: The first hit is a very slow overhead. This can be used on an opponent as they wake up if you think they will block low. Several uses for this chain are explained in the “Kombos” section.
f3-b2: The first hit is a low attack with deceptive range. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very close-quarters attack, but it does go further than it looks like it should especially following a dash. This is Kano’s only real mixup chain (as the b2-f1 chain is just too slow). Practice this chain until your fingers bleed, especially from a JP starter (which causes it to hit low, medium, and high). When using this with a JP starter I always hold forward during the punch and f3. So my notation would be: fJP3-b2. Make this a habit. Also make sure to practice this from a crossup JP starter, which can be fairly tricky.
b1-2: This will be your primary kombo-ender. Practice following it with an Upball. Because the "2" is used to initiate the Upball, all you have to do is press b1-2, D, F and the Upball will come out. Practice this until it's second nature.
