Best and Worst Matchups: Sonya

[RoboCop]

I'm attempting to gather good information for my "How to Defeat Any Character" thread. You're going to see this exact post in each of the character threads. If you would like to share your information, ideas, and comments please stick to the format outlined below. This will help speed up the process of rooting out the pertinent information and putting it to good use. Thanks for your support!

*The information in the example post was written off the top of my head and not meant at all to convey actual match information. It serves only as a guide to influence future posts.

Post Format (based on Kano):

Best Matchup: Kano's best matchup is probably against Quan Chi. Quan Chi's 1 wakeup attack, the Sky Drop, just isn't able to break up Kano's awesome offensive game. Kano can keep him at range with zoning tactics that have enough recovery to block and punish the Sky Drop. Quan Chi should be unable to control almost any aspect of a match with Kano.

Worst Matchup: Kano's worst matchup is definitely against Sub-Zero. Ice Clone completely nullifies Kano's Air Ball, and with no teleport Kano can have a very difficult time getting in to inflict decent damage. His only real option is to hang back and zone with Knives hoping to bait and punish Sub-Zero's slide. However, since his Knives can be crouched completely, if Sub-Zero has the damage advantage he can just run down the clock to force Kano to come to him.

 

[archon]

I have had unusual luck against Ermac and Kitana. Since Ermac's focus is keeping you out, once Sonya gets in she stays in. Crossup jump punches ruin Ermac and lead to 40% combos thanks to Sonya's divekick. If the JIP is blocked, her standard pressure applies. Her projectile is fast enough to trade well with Ermac's, so her only difficulty getting is getting past Ermac's force push. Her arc kick moves her a great distance and is semi-safe, so smartly moving forward and not stupidly jumping makes any competent Sonya player unafraid.

Kitana's fans are super fast. Sonya will not trade well with them. Her arc kick beats Kitana's square airdash, and smart jump-divekicking can get around ground fans. Air fans are the biggest threat, but as wth Ermac smart forward movement will get you through them. Once you're in, Kitana and Sonya go punch for punch.

Sonya's worst matchup? Sub-zero. Unless the Sub player is an idiot with slides and 2,2,2, you won't win. I have never been able to jump over a clone (perhaps I don't know the spacing), but still Sub-zero can heavily punish a jump-in if someone Sonya isn't frozen. I haven't had luck divekicking around the clone, either; maybe an arc kick but again, that's punishable. Her projectile is slower than the iceball. Once asked about what Sonya players should do against Sub-Zero, Tom Brady said, "Put the controller down, and walk away."

 

[Evil_Riu48]

i do not think sonya has a very hard time against sub i think that matchup maybe a 6-4 sub or a 5-5

 

[Shady]

i do not think sonya has a very hard time against sub i think that matchup maybe a 6-4 sub or a 5-5

On reaction Sonya can punish the ice clone at all times with her arc kick. She takes away a lot of Sub Zero's zoning options as she can arc over the clone and if she's close enough to the clone she can make it so he can't zone from behind it. So I think a good Sonya player will put a Sub Zero in a very very difficult position where some of the best parts of his game cannot be used.

 

[Poto2222]

Sonya's worst matchup? Sub-zero. Unless the Sub player is an idiot with slides and 2,2,2, you won't win. I have never been able to jump over a clone (perhaps I don't know the spacing), but still Sub-zero can heavily punish a jump-in if someone Sonya isn't frozen. I haven't had luck divekicking around the clone, either; maybe an arc kick but again, that's punishable. Her projectile is slower than the iceball. Once asked about what Sonya players should do against Sub-Zero, Tom Brady said, "Put the controller down, and walk away."

Wait, wait, wait. I'm not sure if I should agree or disagree with Sub-Zero is Sonya's worst matchup since I don't have a deep knowledge about matchups... BUT, Sonya's Rings being slower than Sub's Iceball???
Two words: NO. WAY.
Yeah, it's really risky to trade projectiles with Sub-Zero, specially with Sonya, but she IS ABLE to make successful trades against SZ, since the Rings come out faster and it has a WAY faster recovery than the Iceball. After blocking one of those at full screen, you can throw a Ring while SZ is preparing another Iceball, and you'll be able to block the new incoming projectile OR simply avoid it by ducking.
But yeah, Sub-Zero is definitely a really bad matchup for Sonya, since she NEEDS to get in and by doing that can fall for IceClones easily. Best way I've found to fight against smart Zeros is to piss them off with your rings. Mindless spam definitely doesn't works, but the best way to use them is to predict when your opponent is going to place an IceClone on the screen and shoot your rings at him. Plus, if you're able to get a fullscreen distance, you can start your Ring Fest without great problems, since at this distance Sub-Zeros are mostly like to start their Iceball Fest, and in this case the Rings will beat their Iceballs even before they come out. All you have to worry about is getting your Rings beaten by Slides, so this is where reading your opponent is crucial.



But I have to say that a REALLY BAD matchup for Sonya is definitely Noob Saibot. At full screen, her Rings are useless, her Arc Kick is useless (since it takes about 2 and a half years to send Sonya to the air) and her jumps are desperately useless. All you have in this situation is Dash Blocking. And when she gets at close range, you have to guess exactly what Noob will do next: Shadow Charge, Shadow Slide or Shadow Upknee. If you're playing a very smart Noob player, doesn't matter what will happen next, Sonya will have little to no chance to get in.
I have really big problems with this matchup. Best thing I can do is :BK poke, canceling it into the Military Stance, do the two low punches r) and then cancelling it into a Kartwheel Kick, but this alone won't give you the round, let alone the whole match.
Any tips?

 

[archon]

It's not a trade if Sub eats a ring, but Sonya gets frozen and combo'd. Also, if you're trading projectiles, Sub has the advantage; that's where he wants you (aside from in the corner). Sonya's problem in any match is getting close to her opponent; I have no idea how a mid-to-fullscreen arc kick is getting around an ice clone unless you walk right next to it and arc kick. Though even then, Sub can 2,2 in order to anti-air you. If the Sub player is smart, Sonya will spend the entire time struggling to get in and never get in. I don't care what numbers you label it, Sub vs Sonya is not in Sonya's favor and takes incredible work to win.

 

[Justice]

According to the strategy guide, Sonja's best matchup is with Sheeva since Arc Kick hits Sheeva out of her Air Stomp and Sonja's speed allows her to pressure better in close range.

 

[bipolar_shango]

The Sonya vs Kenshi matchup is rediculously challenging! I think the Sonya vs Subzero match is not that bad.. For an impatient Sonya player 7-3 (for Subzero), For a patient Sonya player (6-4 ish or less for Sub) You can make Subzero uncomfortable with rings at full screen & punish his slide with Ex-Rings.. At close range you can stop/interupt his Ice ball with Rings..

 

[archon]

You're not going to spend the whole fight shooting rings at Sub from full screen. At full screen, Sonya can't do anything but throw rings, and eventually she's gonna get caught with an ice ball, get combo'd, and get pushed into the corner. From full screen, Sub has the advantage. Sonya wants to get in against every character, and getting in poses her the biggest problems. This is especially tough against Sub-Zero because, again, nothing trades in her favor.

If Sub is sliding at you from full screen, the player is playing him wrong. Also, you never throw projectiles at close range, no matter what character you are. If Sub is throwing ice balls at close range, he's being played incorrectly.

Enhanced arc kick could get you in, but only then does the real fight start.

 

[salvificblood]

On reaction Sonya can punish the ice clone at all times with her arc kick. She takes away a lot of Sub Zero's zoning options as she can arc over the clone and if she's close enough to the clone she can make it so he can't zone from behind it. So I think a good Sonya player will put a Sub Zero in a very very difficult position where some of the best parts of his game cannot be used.

A good Sub-Zero will put Sonya in the corner by sliding under her projectiles from around 1/2-3/4 screen distance. Also, you can never arc kick me when I am behind the clone because I can just block and watch you fall into the clone... Once Sub gets Sonya in the corner, there's little she can do to get out. Also, I don't believe her arc kick punishes clone on reaction, you have to do it in anticipation, where it can be baited out and punished with a full combo.

This matchup as is as much in Sub-Zero's favour as the Kano matchup is.

 

[Poto2222]

I have little to no experience on being cornered by a good SZ, but I believe the :enKartwheel (Wakeup or not) could do the job consistently. But that's just me making assumptions.

 

[bipolar_shango]

Sonya's Rings have very fast recovery even at close range! Its also safe on block! From my experience( which is not that much) Playing a character "right" all the time will only get you into the "match-up trap".. IMO when you play a character "right", that's when match-ups play a very big role in the outcome of the match.. Sometimes you have to break the mould a little. When i play against subzero, i actually play a zoning game with Sonya & rush-down when i get the chance (I usually win). The match is obviously in Subzero's favour but it is not as bad as people make it seem.

@Poto2222 *Off Topic* How do you do the "kiss reset" mid screen? I get it in 1 out of 20 tries .. Do you dash forward after the Neutral jump+ Punch?

 

[archon]

Maybe not; if you're cornered, it's likely a clone is out. You'll armor through the clone but get stuffed by 2,2. Or the 2,2 will be fast enough to knock you out of the Enhanced cartwheel since it has one hit of armor. It would be a cool concept match to see. I think someone who regularly goes to Valley Stream Monsters plays a little Sonya. We could request they fight Dark_Rob or another good Sub who attends and give some pointers.

Edit: bipolar, we posted about the same time so I'll respond here. Playing a zoning game until you get the chance to rushdown is what Sonya does in every match! I know rings have fast recovery, I'm just saying from the perspective of playing zone characters in other games, that the life you chip from your opponent can be evened by one poorly timed projectile and one combo, so it's still super risky. If arc kick can reliably get around the clone, then enhanced arc kick seems perfect for closing the gap once Sonya moves from full to midscreen. It's just rough because Sonya doesn't have any good corner pressure that I know of, while Sub-Zero has great corner pressure.

And you're right, there is a "match-up trap" mentality that can limit a person. This game is unique in that most pokes (ex. all down moves) and jump-ins accomplish the same thing for all characters, compared to say Street Fighter where moves can be specific to only one character. That said, it's different than disrespecting a character's options. Blatantly ignoring the fact that Sub can trade projectiles in his favor all the time, or stop any offense with a clone is incredible important to be aware of. I'm going to chalk this up to people not playing Sub properly online. When I have more trouble against the computer Sub-Zero than I do playing Sub-Zero's online with Sonya and in Sub-Zero mirrors, I pretty much throw all match experience out the window.

 

[Poto2222]

Maybe not; if you're cornered, it's likely a clone is out. You'll armor through the clone but get stuffed by 2,2. Or the 2,2 will be fast enough to knock you out of the Enhanced cartwheel since it has one hit of armor. It would be a cool concept match to see. I think someone who regularly goes to Valley Stream Monsters plays a little Sonya. We could request they fight Dark_Rob or another good Sub who attends and give some pointers.

Yeah, I was thinking about that one-hit armor thing. I think it could work only as a Wakeup attack, since it's invincible in the firt frames, so you could pass through any "physical" corner pressure and the armor would be used on the clone. But I believe a good SZ player wouldn't do this, right? I believe they would place the Ice Clone, knock me down and wait untill I'm on my feet, preventing those wakeup attacks. Well, that's what I would do... I definitely have no experience in this scenario. LOL

@Poto2222 *Off Topic* How do you do the "kiss reset" mid screen? I get it in 1 out of 20 tries .. Do you dash forward after the Neutral jump+ Punch?

Yeah, after the jump punch I do a SLIGHT Forward Dash, completing the Kiss input even before she finishes the Dash animation. The dash must not be too long, or else your Kiss won't connect.

 

[Sao87]

Sub Zero is definitely one of Sonya's most difficult match ups. But I wouldn't call it any further than 6-4 because she does have tools to deal with ice clones the only problem is that her tools cost meter.

Sonya's recovery is fast which means once shes at advantage in the projectile war she is free to keep shooting them with the ability to block ice ball on reaction. Possibly even block slide on reaction.

I think Sonya is one of the few characters in this game that completely destroys Kung Lao. His limbs are just to short so she can keep him away with d4 MS mix ups. She has a really good uppercut so he should never be allowed to teleport. She can mix up her jump attempts with quick dives so he can never get a good read on anti air spins. She can maintain a good distance to make sure Kung Lao is never able to use spin to relieve pressure and if he does she can combo him hard for spinning.

 

[bipolar_shango]

Sonya vs Kung lao ance:

Is it just me being scrubby because i find "Sonya vs Baraka" to be huge a nightmare! Any thoughts on this match-up?

 

[archon]

Baraka's spin ruins Sonya's ability to pressure with jump-ins on wakeup. You also can't be hasty with jump-ins otherwise because Baraka has that crouch-and-claw-the-air move. Aside from those moves, though, it becomes a strict footsies game. Space yourself and decide when to throw rings and when to duck Baraka's projectiles and d4 into Military Stance. I've only fought a few Baraka's online; I'll look at the match in training mode today and see if anything specific stands out.

I've been having a lot of success against Reptile and Scorpion as well. I think the nature of Sonya's game, how it's based around jump-in pressure, makes her good against characters who rely on sort of half-zoning tools (Scorpion's spear and Reptile's force balls). They use these tools to slow down strict rushdown characters; when someone's trying to maneuver around a forceball, Reptile gets aggressive and attacks them. But Sonya is just too fast and maneuverable in general. Suddenly these traps aren't slowing her down and she's faster than Reptile and Scorpion already. The difficulty comes in finding ways to approach your opponent with Sonya, but Reptile and Scorpion often come to her.

 

[Justice]

Taken directly from the Prima strategy guide:

Best Matchup:
Not unlike her Special Forces teammate Jax, Sonya is a very in-your-face type of character who can apply an almost suffocating pressure that can overwhelm an opponent. Sheeva is one character who has a very hard time getting Sonya off of her once she's in close quarters. With the ability to go low, throw or start antother chain combo off of a Military Stance dash cancel, this matchup can leave Sheeva guessing when to let go of Block. Sheeva's moves are too slow to break Sonya's offensive momentum, and not only can Sonlya perform an Air Drop on reaction to her Ground Pound, but also her Arc Kick counter's Sheeva's Jump Stomp clean. If you've ever been to a picnic and encountered a bee that just won't leave you alone while you try to eat, you know precisely how Sheeva feels when matched up against Sonya.

Worst Matchup:
Sonya can matchup well with almost anyone, but one character who can annoy her to no end is the Shaolin warrior Kung Lao. Sonya is best shen she's inside working an aggressive offense, keeping the opponent guessing where she's going to attack. Kung Lao has a direct solution to this dilemma by way of his Sppin attack. This shuts down all close-quarters offense Sonya can initiate and makes her want to keep some distance. Once a distance is established, Kung Lao can lay a Ground Hat on the floor and use it as backup to mount his own offensive. He can also perform his Dive Kick to counter Sonya's Energy Rings on reaction from a distance. Sonya's goal for victory over Kung Lao is to bait him into performing a Spin and punish it. However, this is easier said than done. This is an outright frustrating matchup for Sonya.

 

[Howtoread]

I find Noob to be the hardest.
But that's personal experience, not sure about the character