Mortal Kombat 1 - How to Choose your Main Character!

[@rooflemonger]

***EDIT*** CHOOSE A KAMEO IS NOW LIVE BY POPULAR DEMAND. Linked in the video description, check it out! Its that time again, Mortal Kombat 1 has launched to lets go over the entire roster and help you find out what characters you might be interested in! Also since making this video the day 1 patch has dropped with a few small changes I will update right here, otherwise, enjoy, leave a like if you could and thanks for watching! NITARA - Her giant blood laser now special cancelable into air special moves TANYA - her buff is like 4x faster than the original build, and when 2 buffs are stocked, when she dash cancels normals she keeps momentum helping her slide across the screen. Really helps neutral, even better than what shes described as in the video LIU KANG - his stand 1 got changed to 6f startup. So the section where I gush about kung lao's 6f? All that now applies to Liu Kang. Shao - Not any one thing, but a bunch of his frame data is better now. He had a bit of MK11 Shao problems, and he's now better off.

[@anyany2021]

You do good work sir. Thank you.

[@Dracobyte]

Thank you for another great character guide!

[@TheTyroofToriyama]

11:00 Great point that you stopped to remind people of this and wasted no time letting people know how serious it is. Always see things like this irl that go overlook cos people think it's just quirky or something Wow... Started sounding like a top 10 unknowns video or something.. Really scary

[@RyuFighter85]

Rain is the JP of Mortal Kombat 1

[@TaigaGalette]

should add reptile scaling on force ball was nerfed so the loops are not good anymore

[@pon3d120]

As someone who doesn't have the money to buy every new fighting game, these videos are immensely helpful for my viewing experience of the tourneys. They let me know each characters' gameplans and key moves so I can look for them during the matches.

[@dinotaco4651]

Hey, that's me, too XD

[@alexandretorrinha5540]

What platform do you usually play?

[@kotawiththezoomies]

felt that, i want mk1 so bad but can’t afford it either. makes me sad

[@acrasis]

If it’s of any help, websites like cdkeys can help get it at a reduced price. But it’s still egregiously high, I feel your pain 100%

[@smolltaco5667]

​@@kotawiththezoomiesi decided to buy it as my first mk, and im having tons of fun

[@julitoluigim.sorianoiii5536]

Playing characters cause they're good ❌ Playing characters cause they're hot ✅

[@noshiabb8]

lol

[@SpockShirtleB3rri3s]

I feel bad that you had to grind so hard to get this out but I’ve been SO hype to watch this since release!!!!!

[@rooflemonger]

I do my best to make sure people have what they want on day 1 🙏

[@squidward8125]

​@@rooflemonger ❤

[@TheShuuman]

​@@rooflemongerThank you good sir

[@SamStraker]

​@@rooflemonger You did good, the geras section made a friend of mine make the decision to play MK1 and main him (May they have mercy on those that face their Geras)

[@DontPlayVideoGames]

@@rooflemonger how u got that Geras skin please, it looks so sick 😭😭😭

[@jmorgmate]

I gave Nitara a quick go to see how she played and didn't really gel with her. Seeing this video she is a lot more involved than I thought. I'll definitely go back to her and try to learn her properly because that blood sacrifice ability is wild! Great video. Currently maining Li Mei and Reptile though and loving them!

[@drewbrumfield2254]

I am always impressed how fast you are able to learn these characteristics and make these videos

[@rooflemonger]

Wish I had a bit more time but gotta work with what ya got!

[@devastatheseeker9967]

​​@@rooflemongermost of the time making this video was unlocking havik wasn't it?

[@remingtonpenaranda7762]

same v cool

[@kaproskarleto5136]

I imagine he's just like that tryhard dude that does the heavy breathing while learning the characters 😂

[@JJPurp]

They made it way easier to learn the combos

[@gbohunm.i]

They fixed literally every issue with scorpion from mk11. So hyped! Better range, can't neutral duck everything and a launch without any meter. PERFECT

[@richardshiflett5181]

Jax and Frost are insane with him too.

[@Hellonleash]

so sad that people actually thought that scorpion would be good

[@tkroos6818]

I like these videos for not only the information on choosing a character (even though I know my main’s been Shao since announcement), but also for gaining some insight into what to look out for when playing against other characters. Thanks, Rooflemonger! Can’t wait for the character specific guides.

[@nathanscorner9484]

i'm also a shao main in mk11, nice to see another person likes shao.

[@gavinisback]

I love how beginner friendly this guy is. I’m coming back to this game for when Ghostface comes out and I need a big refresher 😂

[@nasreenakbar6043]

I'm going to main the whole roster. Every character looks awesome and fun.

[@jmckolay]

I couldn’t agree more, this isn’t an rpg you don’t need a main. If you can main the fundamentals that every character has access to you can be good at every character.

[@alexanderdenison2950]

​@jmckolay if you wanna play at a legitimately competative level especially early on, having a main and maybe one or two side side characters is pretty much a must. There is a reason the vast majority of top players go about it that way. Don't get me wrong there are exceptions but those are almost always legacy players who have been maining a specific game for like actual decades.

[@JuiceTSA]

@@alexanderdenison2950true but having knowledge of every character’s move set is just as helpful

[@helicopterk3n708]

@@alexanderdenison2950I Hate That…Competitiveness Takes Fun Out Of The Other Characters On The Roster

[@alexanderdenison2950]

@@JuiceTSA right but knowing every characters move set inside out right out and being able to apply that knowledge real time in a match, right out of the gate isn't realistic. While you're busy learning every single character you'll almost certainly be loosing to somebody who learns one character and has an effective flowchart and some basic knowledge about how his character interacts with the rest of the cast from playing match ups and labbing specific situations as opposed to learning another character entirely. That's the thing, match up knowledge is more about interactions between two specific characters as opposed to actually knowing everything the cast can do, and it's much easier to obtain that knowledge from one perspective initially. You can know every move every character has and not actually know anything about the game because you don't know how those moves interact with each other, and create match up specific situations. I'm not saying you shouldn't explore the cast but it's honestly much more productive to take one character more seriously than the rest, because match up comfort goes a seriously long way when you're playing a match real time.

[@snack_bar2474]

Mine was easy. I simply saw Havik, knew he was gonna play super goofy, and knew I was going to play him. He’s just as weird as I thought he was.

[@minionsxwish]

Loved him back in the day and nitara

[@dl1658]

Hands down the best MK coverage on KZbin! Keep up the awesome work!

[@jet23851]

🥱

[@cortfoster1543]

Gravitated towards Havik for just being a "goofy" character and was having a good time but very glad to have seen the strings he can pull off to really up his game 😊

[@michaelmichaelllpp]

Big Mileena fan since MK2 and I couldn’t agree more about your opinions on her. This iteration is super fun, looks cool and seems to be genuinely good. Of course we’ll see how the meta develops, but she seems really solid.

[@losteden6390]

She seems top tier ...

[@cheezyfilmsproductions1842]

​@@losteden6390 This is definitely the game to be a Mileena fan

[@philosophyandhappiness2001]

I feel like most characters are good or viable in some way. Not like mk11, where some characters were downright useless

[@Cutthroat__]

@@losteden6390most definitely isn’t she’s worse than she was in X

[@losteden6390]

@@Cutthroat__ She is top tier confirmed by plenty of pros ... She was the character that won the first MK1 tournament....

[@TheBigFrasier]

Reiko is honestly surprising me! The "long reaching normals, fast approach, with beefy fireballs and a sprinkling of grappler" reminds me of Leo from GG and to a lesser extent Deejay from SF6

[@beeziedraws]

You make fighting games so much more accessible and easier to understand. Thank you for all the work and in depth explanations, they are so incredibly helpful and I have fun watching your vids even on games I don't play or ones I'm thinking about.

[@liquididentity101]

Dear lord, I've watched many vids on MK1 in the last few days and none were as chock full of useful character analysis and tips as this. I feel like I have so much more working knowledge of not only the characters I want to use, but of all the characters I will face. I'm recommending this to all the new MK1 players I know. Thanks for this.

[@CoASoFi]

Last time I played Reiko was when I was 10 and playing at a movie theater arcade. Had no idea what I was doing but was able to mash out ninja stars and beat a good amount of older kids. He actually looks really cool here and I want to learn him for real.

[@zichithefox4781]

Reptile is probably the best he's ever been. He is immediately my main, followed by Kenshi and Ashrah.

[@binho2224]

I think everybody is on their own best iteration ever. Só many sick things going on here.

[@jcd5238]

​@@binho2224except kung lao, his swag is gone

[@binho2224]

@@jcd5238 But in terms of gameplay he is still very strong, is he not?

[@SvalblodChampion]

What now, you still think the same?

[@zichithefox4781]

@@SvalblodChampion Honestly yea as far as Reptile. Although now I'm picking up Geras for his weird but fun playstyle.

[@zero-pointfive]

I needed ALL of this information. The grind to be a Shang main has begun. Thanks for the video.

[@pizzatime256]

I love when a new fighting game comes out because you can hear how excited rooflemonger is to cover it. Love you bro keep making quality Kahntent! ❤

[@YouGuessIGuess]

I was hyped to play my old mains Smoke and Reptile again, but man did they crank Geras up to 11 in this game. Honestly, lots of cool movesets in this one. They did a great job.

[@pon3d120]

I can’t think of a single instance where only one or two characters have an airdash and they aren’t top tier. I’ll be watching to see where Nitara ends up.

[@witchofskye1961]

As a Jade and Skarlet player previously, I'll have to find a new main, but it certainly looks like there is a wealth of options to choose from!

[@teatx6du]

just out of interest, who did you main in MKX?

[@zxon3751]

@@teatx6dumkx sucks Kombat kids suck eww

[@ponani007]

Tanya replaces Jade with her staff and Nitara replaces Skarlet with all the blood & health regain moves.

[@objectreality2889]

SAME, JADE AND SKARLET NOT BEING HERE MADE ME CRY

[@benroberts6818]

They were my mains as well. I’m having a lot of fun with Tanya, after a rocky start, and I need to go back to Nitara and try again.

[@HC-qc5rp]

It’s worth mentioning that Reiko’s enhanced command grab can be used as a combo ender. Spending two bars is still kind of silly, but it’s something.

[@BeauAlexander_I]

Reikos style looking like it’s inspired by MMA/Practical martial arts makes him look like the sickest character in the game to me

[@DChainZ_YT]

Been waiting for this one, you always do a great job of covering each character. Spent a couple hours today going through the tutorial and combo challenges, looking forward to diving in tomorrow and really starting to learn some characters properly. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this video very often, thanks for being so thorough.

[@That-KidDo]

Does every MK have such ridiculous fire balls

[@trappestarrgaming3422]

​@@That-KidDoyes all netherealm games do

[@That-KidDo]

@@trappestarrgaming3422 dang that’s incredibly annoying. Is there any universal mechanics for stopping fireballs

[@DChainZ_YT]

@@That-KidDoYes, it’s a big point of criticism with NRS games. There are quite a few kameos that counter projectiles though. For instance, Sub Zero has an ice armor move that completely negates them and allows you to close distance on your opponent. There are other examples as well but I’m still new and figuring all the options out.

[@That-KidDo]

@@DChainZ_YT oh ok that’s cool. But those fireballs are like really fast, are all kameos the same speed?

[@DaveSP196]

I never play the big guys, but man, Shao seems very tempting. He looks so appealing visually to play!

[@Drkman454]

Dude I just want to take a minute to thank you for videos like this. I've been playing fighting games on and off since Fighting Street (technically Street Fighter 1). These videos are so important to people that aren't familiar with fighting games and certain series. Even I, despite my years of experience, find these videos extremely useful.

[@CAESER226]

I need half a year to master one character somewhat… and you put this out a few days after release… krazy

[@matthewquinn7991]

What a legend, the amount of effort put into this is incredible

[@theSubzero1919]

Shoutout to you for the long video including every Karakter instead of spliting it into X Parts. Great stuff!

[@gamersplaygroundliquidm3th526]

Shang tsung shifting abilities at anytime is a huge improvement and really makes it so much better

[@GilroyIronheart]

What a brilliant reimagining of Reptile

[@grimedoc8180]

Been having a blast playing Nitara so far, her mobility is so satisfying! I think her strength lies in tricking the opponent to commit to a move, then whiff punishing with Divekick or Bite for 30%+ damage. Great pick for players who like to be constantly active 😅

[@DaniSpooks]

its a shame the voice acting for is is ass tho

[@madeuinheavan108]

I love playing her so far, been grinding hella in KL w/ her. Her biggest weakness is a lack of a projectile bc of people like reptile but honestly the kameos clean up most of her mess

[@guyguy7002]

​@@madeuinheavan108sub zero kameo makes rushdown so much better with the armor

[@pondzischeme6430]

Dude as a far as online fgc content creators you're hands down one of the best.... never played strive, and I'm way more into SF than MK, but series like this you really flex that knowledge of fighting games as a whole that's so enthralling... you've always been on my radar for videos, but these last few months your channel has been amazing! Keep up the good work man, I will forever check in on you when a new fighting game drops

[@313nash_]

Reikos space control is wild, any character that has stubby normals struggles against him

[@AlgaeEater09]

He also has an MKX run! Dudes WILD

[@badger297]

I dont even play fighting games, but i love these character lists you do

[@lucaswilliams7280]

One of my favorite parts of a new fighting game launch is watching these videos from Roof. Psyched for the new MK, these characters look wild

[@jennyoutrageous]

I just found your channel and I really like your stuff because you have a very affirming voice and way of speaking that feels like I'm learning Mortal Kombat by watching a presenter on Sesame Street

[@Jarrych83]

My jaw dropped at the duration of the vid. But this was an amazing overview. So many things that weren't obvious from preview trailers and the like and really good for getting a sense of people to just try out, run through some towers, and get a feel for the dang thing.

[@lebby7301]

I love Liu Kang, Kenshi, Raiden and surprisingly Li Mei Was never a fan of fighting games but MK1 feels so different that I want to commit to it wholeheartedly. I’m still practicing and so far Liu Kang is the most natural for me after Raiden. Scorpion feels good as well too.

[@danielmillward9947]

Easily the best fighting game we've had for a long time, gameplay wise

[@XmortoxX1990]

Me and my brother are poor so we bought the standard edition, and we're counting the seconds until the 19th to finally play MK1. So far I'll pick Rain as my true main and then Reptile or Millena

[@dthendrick1]

Reiko is my go to this time around for sure. I got so good with Erron Black in MK11 i could just troll most people, can't wait to learn how to have fun with Reiko, his kick range and graple attacks look OP.

[@HeinousinAppearance]

Bruh, General Shao looks so cool - I don't even like MK but FUCK so cool.

[@hitdoctor24]

Man this roster is so much more interesting than MK11’s. I loved 11 (my first fighting game) but there were so many characters I just didn’t care about (Frost, Kollector, Cetrion, Skarlet, Cassie, Jacqui, Sonya to name a bunch). Just about every character in MK1 intrigues me in some way, even if I will ultimately only play maybe half a dozen of them with any regularity.

[@camdenharkins5294]

Scarlet was absolutely amazing in mk11 the rest I agree

[@jeremye4009]

Made me buy the game. I hesitated but this is so comprehensive and fun. Thank you

[@mainelycify]

Thank you. I quickly played each character in training while watching this and now I have more confidence with each of them. Just like sf6 you have helped me get better tremendously.

[@shnydtayne]

Funny how you titled the video "How to Choose Your Main Character" and then proceeded to make ALL of them look like an ABSURD amount of fun, effectively making the decision a lot HARDER instead! Now I just want to play them all at the same time!

[@olivierdube809]

Story mode is a good way to try many without having to chose which one you want to try next. After, I complete a few towers with the ones I didn't try. Until now, Mileena, Baraka and Smoke are my favorites. My bet is I'll pick Mileena (as I did with MKX), grind invasions for a while for cosmetics and finishers and will play online for a couple years with her. Takeda is on my radar too. I beat the story mode yesterday and I'm very impressed with the acrobatic fights and the way they renewed each character. The wide range of colors is also a great plus and the venues are fabulous! Best looking and arguably best playing MK yet! It's a really good fighting game. I wasn't sure for the first 2 hours, but the more I played, the more I loved it!

[@Oumpah-Pah]

I cannot get over how great this game looks! I have had it for a couple of days and the whole experience is awesome and fu

[@DDmegadoodoo]

Awesome video as always. I love that you always cover the most important question in every fighting game, "does this character have command grabs?" As a fellow grappler main since SF2, much appreciated.

[@SleepyDullahan]

Going to be Shao and Baraka for me, beef and blades all the way.

[@mainelycify]

I constantly go back to this video just to pick up new characters. My scorpion sucked …. Now he doesn’t.

[@rooflemonger]

make sure to check out the IGN scorpion guide too! I actually did IGN's guide for them

[@Mexman75]

My chapter play through of Baraka made me realize that this maybe the game i add him to my character log. Dude was super fun to play and hits so hard

[@Quango1888]

The effort this video must’ve taken is crazy , got me wanting to try every character , came for the Johnny cage portion of the video stayed for the enjoyment

[@jasonsmith530]

MK1 and SF6 are both excellent games, the best of their respective series

[@Mariscosfilantropias]

Both games dont have the classic most iconic characters😅

[@demontan4535]

@@Mariscosfilantropias scorpion sitting in the corner: … you what?

[@AlexLoeding]

Tanya & Ashrah! Great video! Thanks! MK1 hasn’t completely lost me yet.. not yet…

[@TitanStryker]

I’m picking Liu Kang air fireballs for all the flying nitaras out there 😂

[@dabblesonguitar6752]

Love these guides! Thanks for putting in the hard work. If MK11 is any indication: I’ll probably fight Scorpion and Sub zero online 99% of the time 😂

[@TheDucky101]

Nope lol lots of Smoke and Raiden

[@harbinger100]

Me clicking on this video, even though i already knowing I'm going to main Shao Kahn.

[@Mangumson]

This could of EASILY been multiple videos but you did all this. DAMN!!! Very helpful, we all appreciate this.

[@tyjuanmoorman7634]

Definitely subscribed just off the EFFORT alone that you put into this video. Entertaining and informative 💯

[@sebastiancartes9774]

BROOOOOOOOO every character feels so unique and interesting, way better with how mk11 characters were designed

[@nugzmedallion8929]

Rain is probably gonna be my day 1 main. His zoning and portal game looks insane and reminds me of Rick in Multiversus and JP in SF6, both of which are my mains in each game

[@SvalblodChampion]

Still maining Rain?

[@nugzmedallion8929]

@@SvalblodChampion Yup, I'm maining Rain + kameo Scorpion and doing quite well, actually. He's definitely not the zoner I thought he was going to be, buit I still like his kit a lot

[@yasserbhr1632]

I like those "Choose your Main" videos a lot! thanks for keeping us knowledgeable at all new fighting games.

[@remigusker6024]

As someone who mained Ninja Shang in MK11, I'm not terribly thrilled by his moveset in mk1 but tbf it's on theme for him. Smoke on the other hand, fits me like a glove

[@rafestone123]

This is the first fighter game ive ever played and so far its great, i like ashrah , lei mei and kitana are my favourites so far 👍

[@unseenninja83]

Absolutely love these lengthy videos. They are helpful and nice to listen to. I tend to watch through entire video even if I know who I’m gonna play

[@RMIVfitness]

This is incredible. Every character looks so fun. Idk who I'm gonna play

[@shane3674]

These are the videos I always look forward to the most 😁

[@tinyhat2188]

Having a blast with Scorpion but thinking about trying Havik and Geras because they look right down my alley

[@CasualGamerPlays]

Dude! How are you not at 1M subs is mind boggling. You have some of the most detailed, comprehensive guides on KZbin. Thanks for putting in a lot work to give us more insight into MK1. I like the speed and variation of Reptile and Geras is a much better character than he was in MK11. Thanks again

[@HC-qc5rp]

This game looks so much like MK9 with air combos and I couldn’t be happier

[@azureknight729]

I’ve been trying to learn Kenshi but his two stances confuse the hell out of me especially during combos 😂 might have to turn to a different character because of that. Im an incredibly slow learner when it comes to fighting games, my brain cant keep up with all the motion inputs.

[@HEAVENSNIGHT0]

Very random but you were a big part of my armor king journey!! All those years ago haha first time I committed to a hour + video

[@SoggyHotDoggy]

Can always count on Rooflemonger to make a solid, quick character overview guide when a game comes out. Can also usually count on him being one of, if not the first to get it out there.

[@thegeneral1894]

Thank you so much as always man, for your time and dedication 💜 I and the rest of us appreciate it (and you) more than we know how to tell ya!!

[@ajoconnor64]

I swear I overthink WAY too much when it comes to picking a main. I'm not even gonna go into how many things I factor into it.

[@drummerconz682]

We appreciate all your hard work!

[@raidhyn]

I am so excited that you're excited for MK1

[@lopirobinson1991]

I thought I wouldn't like Shao as a general and not Emperor, boy was I wrong. I love this iteration of him. The horns are bad ass. Forever my favorite character, tied with Sindel, and they did both so right in this game.

[@AmanojakuX]

For what it's worth: I played a LOT of MK 11, so I'm a little burnt out and I'm going to skip MK1 (or at least pick it up WAY down the line) and yet: these videos are so good that I'm *still* going to watch the whole thing, just for fun. Keep up the good work. (Can't wait for the T8 one!)

[@zeussgambit5303]

Anyone else noticeJade's not in the game? She would be a good kameo to counter projectiles. Just thought it was odd not to have her in the game some how.

[@Aaron-vn5fd]

thank you divorcing your wife and missing all your sons sporting events and moving too the woods and collecting rain water so that you could focus on bringing us this content! timely and concise and covering multiple titles…just outstanding bro

[@NurseValentineSG]

I like how fleshy Baraka's blades look. Looks more like something a disease caused instead of just armblades.

[@FEAROo11]

It’s a must watch video before starting MK1 !!

[@holylink5284]

Youve done a phenomenal job on this video in explaining all characters. After hearing and seeing gerus gameplay with them sands of time he reminds me of prince of Persia. Great video. Liked, obviously commented and subscribed. Loved how you explained everything. Keep it up. Many blessings and praise the lord and creator

[@MarioPabloAldeeb]

Well I mained smoke in mk9 and I still want to main him but I respect your efforts I wish everyone finds his main and enjoys the game

[@ponani007]

4k vid helping Noobs like me instead of showing off ranked matches. Dude you're an incredible content creator

[@rabbyd542]

Your fighting game knowledge is insanely underrated.

[@AlexOGrande07]

I pick Jade

[@Big_Human]

I pick Akuma

[@jendi56]

There it is baby, the long awaited Snyder cut choose your main MK1 by yours truly Rooflemonger. Thank you for all you do for the FGC!

[@KingOfTheNigglys]

Kollector was my main in Mk11. Im interested in trying Reptile and Liu Kang in this one, my offense is my defense ever since Virgil in MVC3

[@bigjuicyjohn1649]

Johnny Cage has always been my main and I love the way he feels in this game. Heavy MK9 vibes besides not having the green glow.

[@skylarlassiter7215]

Man this game makes me miss the green glow a lot but the martial arts, JCVD feel is amazing nonetheless!

[@commdaofighting]

Having the hat back definitely makes me interest in Ashrah. Sindel and Mileena feel great though.

[@NightPwnGaming]

The slow "hello and welcome" always gives me Ed Kemper vibes but I'm here for it

[@Cezkarma]

Ashrah's f2 isn't just a singleton poke, it's special cancellable, so you can get a lot of reward from buffering certain specials behind it. Also - if Ashrah has a dark stack on her opponent and she uses a certain string of hers (I forget which one), it launched the opponent instead of just giving a pop up.

[@Nerevar5me]

Great video!! Good to know my boy Kung Lao has the fastest jab in the game

[@TheChilaxicle]

Great overview, thanks for always having top tier content Roofle