UsedForGlue
"Strength isn't everything"
I know the patch has only landed on Xbox, but here are my initial thoughts right out of the gate.
I have been using Unbreakable since day one and I have fought some of the best players on the planet with it and I feel I understand this variation more than anyone at the moment.
Sub Zero received some good buffs, with Cryo landing big damage and a HKD hammer, with 111 being useful and the air hammer being slightly more useful than what it was previously, plus F12 allowing you to land a normal ice ball.
Although, from playing Unbreakable since day one, I can tell you now, that he feels and plays absolutely no differently than day one. The same problems exist.
Here is a break down.
LACK OF GENERAL FUNDAMENTAL FIXES:
112 - Still at -9 on block. This realistically should be a get off me string. Should be 0 with push back. There really is absolutely nothing wrong with a character having ONE STRING that pushes the opponent away. A lot of characters in the game already have a string like this, and they have far greater offensive options, these characters include, Raiden (112), Cage (121) Kung Lao (21) and so on...
114 - Still -14 on block. This is another string that gives you no hard knock down, and does no real damage or brings a combo, then why isn't it -6 on block.
F4 - Still -3 with 38 recovery frames - Considering you can't hit confirm this normal, it should operate as a tick throw string, and stagger option. -3 is fine, but the recovery on block should greatly lessened.
24 - Still -6 on block, and absolutely useless, should be 0, or +1, really anything that allows sub zero to have some sort of stagger. Although it is a hard knock down string, his slide already gives him this.
UNBREAKABLE:
The idea to "buff" the Aura was decent, as it allows you to extend combos with a MB Aura from B12, 12, F4 and F42 on hit, although the Aura receives no damage buff for MB Aura, it only pushes his damage from 28% to 31%...
This is possible meterless, by doing B12 Aura, B12 Ice Ball, Jip 242, RC 1, 123 Slide.
Due to the lack of damage in this variation, it becomes a serious problem when trying to hurt the opponent once given the chance, and it will remain so, because his MB aura doesn't receive a damage buff.
He really should be pushing high damage for a bar, around 37/38%, because he doesn't hit you often, given his play style is heavily centred around an ON/OFF play style.
CANCELS:
His MB aura allows Sub Zero to get some "Advantage" from B12 on block, although, not enough to guarantee anything other than a high standing 1...in which his 11 is -4, his 112 is -9 and his 114 is -14, his guaranteed options are slim to none, and remember, this costs you one bar.
This is a meagre amount of advantage, and he doesn't even get it in F42, 11, 12 and 123, so even though you spend the bar, you still don't actually get anything that forces the opponent into a block. They can always low poke or 6-7 frame reversal everything you choose to follow up with.
In reality, any string cancelled into regular aura should grant sub zero a true follow up block string, while the MB aura should allow sub zero to extend his combos while giving him a damage buff.
FROST BOMB:
Unbreakable was given the MB Frost Bomb, so he has access to an armoured launcher, for 20%. If you do the MB Launcher while the aura is active you get a "Damage Buff", this pushes his 20% to 24%...when in reality it really should be landing 35% like other MB armoured AA launchers, Kitana, Kung Lao, Raiden etc.
AURA SHATTER:
I was disappointed to find out that not only did the MB Frost Bomb when the Aura is active only push his AA and Armour damage to 25%, I honestly thought it would be less negative, and I even hoped it would be + on block.
This falls in line with the fact that sub zero has no real offensive string without spending meter, and even at that, you can still be armoured, although the opponent won't get a ton of damage.
I personally think that the MB Frost bond should do 30/35% when finished with F42 Throw, and the regular DB1 should be around +5 on block, Again, combine that with F4 having better recovery and all string cancelled into an Aura , this would allow a F42 Aura Shatter for around +5, giving him a d4 scenario that can always be armoured. But, I don't make the game...
LACK OF NEW STRING:
Unbreakable has no string that allows him to make use of the Parry after a blocked attack (Apart from F33), and force this to be a mini game inside of the match. Remember, it is essentially an armoured attack, and because you can't block it, it should force the opponent to jump or block, unless you are Kung Lao, you can MB Spin in Buzzsaw and Hat Trick.
Practically, he should have (specific to Unbreakable) a third hit on his F42 string , (Something like 421) that is -3 on block putting the opponent in a state in which they have to guess if Sub Zero will parry or not.
Combine that with sub zero's F4 recovering better to allow staggering and tick throws, then his F42 Aura cancel, into F421 and then a parry game...this is how Unbreakable should work, but this is strongly lacking.
This issue is that Sub Zero cannot hold on to the opponent when he finally gets in, considering he has no offence currently, and even if uses a bar from any string other than F4, you can't actually guarantee anything, so his "new offence" makes no real sense still.
What it boils down to, is that you can now spend a bar to remain negative, with B33 (-8), 12 (-6), B12 (-6), F42 (-7)...
PROJECTILE PARRY:
This was still not fixed, after THREE PATCHES.
It should recover instantly on a blocked projectile, exactly the same as Kotal Kahn in this patch, so that Sub Zero can negate the opponents meter build if they choose not to go near him and instead, zone him out...remember "Sub Zero's defence is his offence"...
All in all, these are not huge changes that should have been implemented, these are fundamental changes that I was sorry not to see in the patch.
Incredibly underwhelming.
It seems that NRS have buffed the character in theory, without any practically knowledge of him in an actual match.
I have been using Unbreakable since day one and I have fought some of the best players on the planet with it and I feel I understand this variation more than anyone at the moment.
Sub Zero received some good buffs, with Cryo landing big damage and a HKD hammer, with 111 being useful and the air hammer being slightly more useful than what it was previously, plus F12 allowing you to land a normal ice ball.
Although, from playing Unbreakable since day one, I can tell you now, that he feels and plays absolutely no differently than day one. The same problems exist.
Here is a break down.
LACK OF GENERAL FUNDAMENTAL FIXES:
112 - Still at -9 on block. This realistically should be a get off me string. Should be 0 with push back. There really is absolutely nothing wrong with a character having ONE STRING that pushes the opponent away. A lot of characters in the game already have a string like this, and they have far greater offensive options, these characters include, Raiden (112), Cage (121) Kung Lao (21) and so on...
114 - Still -14 on block. This is another string that gives you no hard knock down, and does no real damage or brings a combo, then why isn't it -6 on block.
F4 - Still -3 with 38 recovery frames - Considering you can't hit confirm this normal, it should operate as a tick throw string, and stagger option. -3 is fine, but the recovery on block should greatly lessened.
24 - Still -6 on block, and absolutely useless, should be 0, or +1, really anything that allows sub zero to have some sort of stagger. Although it is a hard knock down string, his slide already gives him this.
UNBREAKABLE:
The idea to "buff" the Aura was decent, as it allows you to extend combos with a MB Aura from B12, 12, F4 and F42 on hit, although the Aura receives no damage buff for MB Aura, it only pushes his damage from 28% to 31%...
This is possible meterless, by doing B12 Aura, B12 Ice Ball, Jip 242, RC 1, 123 Slide.
Due to the lack of damage in this variation, it becomes a serious problem when trying to hurt the opponent once given the chance, and it will remain so, because his MB aura doesn't receive a damage buff.
He really should be pushing high damage for a bar, around 37/38%, because he doesn't hit you often, given his play style is heavily centred around an ON/OFF play style.
CANCELS:
His MB aura allows Sub Zero to get some "Advantage" from B12 on block, although, not enough to guarantee anything other than a high standing 1...in which his 11 is -4, his 112 is -9 and his 114 is -14, his guaranteed options are slim to none, and remember, this costs you one bar.
This is a meagre amount of advantage, and he doesn't even get it in F42, 11, 12 and 123, so even though you spend the bar, you still don't actually get anything that forces the opponent into a block. They can always low poke or 6-7 frame reversal everything you choose to follow up with.
In reality, any string cancelled into regular aura should grant sub zero a true follow up block string, while the MB aura should allow sub zero to extend his combos while giving him a damage buff.
FROST BOMB:
Unbreakable was given the MB Frost Bomb, so he has access to an armoured launcher, for 20%. If you do the MB Launcher while the aura is active you get a "Damage Buff", this pushes his 20% to 24%...when in reality it really should be landing 35% like other MB armoured AA launchers, Kitana, Kung Lao, Raiden etc.
AURA SHATTER:
I was disappointed to find out that not only did the MB Frost Bomb when the Aura is active only push his AA and Armour damage to 25%, I honestly thought it would be less negative, and I even hoped it would be + on block.
This falls in line with the fact that sub zero has no real offensive string without spending meter, and even at that, you can still be armoured, although the opponent won't get a ton of damage.
I personally think that the MB Frost bond should do 30/35% when finished with F42 Throw, and the regular DB1 should be around +5 on block, Again, combine that with F4 having better recovery and all string cancelled into an Aura , this would allow a F42 Aura Shatter for around +5, giving him a d4 scenario that can always be armoured. But, I don't make the game...
LACK OF NEW STRING:
Unbreakable has no string that allows him to make use of the Parry after a blocked attack (Apart from F33), and force this to be a mini game inside of the match. Remember, it is essentially an armoured attack, and because you can't block it, it should force the opponent to jump or block, unless you are Kung Lao, you can MB Spin in Buzzsaw and Hat Trick.
Practically, he should have (specific to Unbreakable) a third hit on his F42 string , (Something like 421) that is -3 on block putting the opponent in a state in which they have to guess if Sub Zero will parry or not.
Combine that with sub zero's F4 recovering better to allow staggering and tick throws, then his F42 Aura cancel, into F421 and then a parry game...this is how Unbreakable should work, but this is strongly lacking.
This issue is that Sub Zero cannot hold on to the opponent when he finally gets in, considering he has no offence currently, and even if uses a bar from any string other than F4, you can't actually guarantee anything, so his "new offence" makes no real sense still.
What it boils down to, is that you can now spend a bar to remain negative, with B33 (-8), 12 (-6), B12 (-6), F42 (-7)...
PROJECTILE PARRY:
This was still not fixed, after THREE PATCHES.
It should recover instantly on a blocked projectile, exactly the same as Kotal Kahn in this patch, so that Sub Zero can negate the opponents meter build if they choose not to go near him and instead, zone him out...remember "Sub Zero's defence is his offence"...
All in all, these are not huge changes that should have been implemented, these are fundamental changes that I was sorry not to see in the patch.
Incredibly underwhelming.
It seems that NRS have buffed the character in theory, without any practically knowledge of him in an actual match.
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