Kage strategies

when you play kage what are some stratagies you have in mind when starting the fight.

one of my strategies in a stage with ring out is to get health advantage. the reason is pretty obvious. with 45 seconds and you have health advantage you can play the closk while working the area to your advantage like backing up far enough that you can force a ring out without getting thrown out your self. since most people want to fight kage in the center of the ring they will be forced to follow you.

 

Umm... I think most people in general want or hope to have a health advantage.

But I guess what you're implying is that you might play very safe VF until you have more life than your opponent, and then you play machi (very defensive, staying away)?

 

I'm spamming the crap out of new stuff trying to get fluent tbh, but my favourite kage players play him like poker.

Use a poke that's the start of a branch tree, then let it go, back to neutral wait for a response, do another poke, same again.

Get the guy in a defensive frame of mind, like he's thinking about what you're doing instead of not thinking at all because then his fluency is shot.

Then the big damage.

 

what i meant by getting health advantage was that if your opponent is trying to force the fight in the middle of the ring to prevent getting ringed out it is much easier to just get health advantage and run backwards toward the end of the ring. that way you can force the opponent to be extra cautious about being thrown out while you can continue to fight normally. since kage has insane ring out ability, it is very easy to force a ring out with a throw from far enough away from the edge that you won't have to worry about being in danger of being thrown out of the ring yourself.

 

that's actually a lot like how I play my eilieen. I've been trying to get back into kage like I was in vf4evo but I haven't gotten fluent with the new stance he has which seems to be a much greater addition than the previous jumanji stance.

 

That's fairly calculated, (read sneaky), but if you're intending to go for the ringout with the tft then you're backing towards the edge yourself so kind of a high risk money shot?

 

What are people's best mixups after hitting with Kage's elbow?
What mixups do you use when his sabaki kick is blocked?

 

Think this is a contextual situation and dependant on your previous choices. Think that the only semi-reliable factors are that you have the advantage/initiative, are at close range and your oponent is thinking about what you're doing and preparing to react instead of thinking about attacking.

Kind of a blank canvas I guess.

 

I agree with you, but let's talk about some situations then. This is a strategies thread right?

 

I’ve noticed a lot of players like to enter Juumonji off the back of his elbow which offers some good mids and the threat of his throw from this stance.