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Once you have the basics of the combo system down, you need to know how to use meter and how to best defend yourself. This section covers Combo Breakers, combo damage, Ultra Combos, the KV, Shadow and Instinct meters and throws. As an offensive game, Killer Instinct allows you to gain meter very quickly, so it’s important to know what options you have when it comes to using meter.
Combo Breakers
The Combo Breaker has been a staple of the Killer Instinct series since its inception. To execute a Combo Breaker, in the middle of a combo, press the punch and kick buttons equivalent in strength to the attack your opponent is using. For example, you would press MP + MK to break an opponent’s MP Auto-Double.
A successful Combo Breaker stops a combo and builds Instinct Meter. However, if you miss a Combo Breaker, or use it on an attack that cannot be broken, an exclamation point appears by your character. This indicates that you cannot attempt another Combo Breaker for 3 seconds (180 frames), giving an opponent ample time to accumulate damage. A red exclamation point means that you used the wrong strength Combo Breaker, while an orange exclamation point indicates a mistimed Combo Breaker.
In the original KI, the highest level of play revolved around unbreakable combos. However, in the new KI, the plan is to make sure that everything can be broken in some way. As of the E3 build, Enders, Shadow Linkers, and Ultra Combos could not be broken by conventional Combo Breakers. It is currently unknown how or if these attacks can be broken by other means.
Counter Breakers (Bluffs)
A Combo Breaker stops an opponent’s combo. A Counter Breaker stops an opponent’s Combo Breaker. If you anticipate an opponent is going to attempt a Combo Breaker, press MP+MK to stop your combo and execute a Bluff. When this happens, your character performs a unique Bluff animation. If the opponent attempts a Combo Breaker during this brief animation, you will automatically perform a Counter Breaker. This causes the opponent to be locked out for four seconds (240 frames), allowing you to inflict as much damage as possible before they can use another Combo Breaker.
In most cases using a Counter Breaker is a guess based on when you think an opponent will attempt a Combo Breaker. If you guess incorrectly, your character is left open to an attack for a short time. If you over use Bluffs, you’ll not only interrupt your combo and lose damage, you’ll also be very susceptible to an attack from the opponent. Be very careful when attempting a Bluff.
Shadow Breakers
A Shadow Breaker is essentially a Combo Breaker performed during a Shadow Linker. All Shadow Linkers consist of five hits. The speed of these hits varies with each Shadow Linker. In order to perform a Shadow Breaker, you must press MP+MK during any three of the five hits in a Shadow Linker. The timing can be tricky, but if you’re successful with the first attempt, the announcer yells, “One.” If you’re successful with the second attempt, the announcer yells, “Two.” If you connect with the third MP+MK attempt, the Shadow Linker will be broken.
Keep in mind, the opponent can hear the announcer just as well as you can. This means that they can be ready to perform a Bluff once they hear “one” or “two” from the announcer. While the timing can be more difficult, if you can hit the first two breaker attempts during the first two hits of the Shadow Linker, you’ll have any of the last three hits in the Shadow Linker to connect the last breaker attempt. This can help prevent a Bluff or bait the offensive player into a Bluff when you have no intention of using a Shadow Breaker.
Shadow Counters
When your Shadow meter has at least one stock (half full), you can execute a Shadow Counter by pressing MP+MK. If an opponent attacks during the Shadow Counter animation, your character will automatically execute a Shadow attack that serves as a combo Opener (and cannot be broken). It’s important to note that the Shadow attack is not immediate. If the opponent is in the middle of a block string, their next attack will almost always interrupt the Shadow attack portion of a Shadow Counter. To avoid this, use a Shadow Counter just before the last hit of a block string. For example, if Jago uses his HP Laser Blade, it’s a two-hit attack. Block the first hit, then use a Shadow Counter just before you block the second hit.
Using a Shadow Counter effectively can be tricky. It’s relatively easy to use when blocking a Shadow attack, because you can block the first four hits, then execute a Shadow Counter. However, the timing for a Shadow Counter is fairly strict. You can’t just mash MP+MK and expect it to work every time. You have to time the Shadow Counter so that it executes just before the opponent’s next attack. You don’t have a large window to use a Shadow Counter, as it’s a very precise strategic tool.
KV Meter and Combo Damage
The KV meter appears after two hits:
It fills as you continue a combo:
Use a combo Ender before it maxes out:
During every combo in Killer Instinct, a white bar appears under the combo hit counter. This is called the Knockout Value or KV meter. With each additional hit in your combo, the bar increases until it turns red. This meter is a visual representation of your potential combo damage. If you do not use a proper Ender by the time the KV meter turns red, the opponent is knocked away, you lose all of the built-up potential damage, and your total combo damage suffers greatly.
For example, a 10-hit combo with Jago that does not use a proper Ender may inflict 12 percent damage. However, an 8-hit combo with a proper Ender could easily inflict 20 percent damage or more. If you’re not getting much damage out of your combos, chances are you’re simply not using a proper Ender.
Shadow Meter, Shadow Attacks, and Shadow Linkers
Half a Shadow meter allows you to use a Shadow attack:
A full Shadow meter allows you to use two Shadow attacks:
The Shadow meter is the blue bar at the bottom of the screen. It’s cut into halves and provides access to Shadow versions of special moves. For Street Fighter players, think of Shadow attacks as EX special moves. They’re executed with two Punch or Kick buttons instead of one, and use 50% of your Shadow meter. The meter is used anytime you execute a Shadow attack, whether as a standalone attack or as a Shadow Linker during a combo, and to perform Shadow Counters.
Shadow Linkers inflict far more damage than a normal Linker, and must be broken with a Shadow Breaker (a special Combo Breaker). In addition, Shadow attacks generally have unique properties. For instance, Jago’s Shadow Wind Kick is projectile invincible (goes through fireballs).
The Shadow meter fills when inflicting damage on an opponent, or when an opponent blocks your attacks. Due to the heavy offensive focus of Killer Instinct, the Shadow meter fills up extremely fast when an opponent blocks. In the E3 build, four blocked fireballs gave Jago a FULL Shadow meter.
Instinct Meter
Your character portrait glows when your Instinct meter is full:
New to the Killer Instinct franchise is the Instinct meter. It appears near the top of the screen by the life bars, near your character’s portrait. When full, the Instinct meter allows you to enter Instinct Mode. The attributes of Instinct Mode vary from character to character, but it has been loosely compared to X-Factor in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. For example, Jago’s Instinct Mode regains lost health and improves his frame data by +4 block stun and hit stun while Instinct is active, while Sabrewulf gets increased chip (block) damage and a general damage buff.
Instinct Mode can also be used mid-combo to reset the KV meter or even mid-Ultra to “style” on an opponent. After an Instinct Cancel, you can essentially start a brand new combo while the opponent is helpless. Keep in mind, this also gives an opponent more chances to use a Combo Breaker.
Ultra Combos
When an opponent is down to 15% health or below, on their second life bar (the red life bar), it is possible to perform an Ultra Combo. Each character has a unique Ultra Combo input that is generally a special move with all three attack buttons (LK + MK + HK or LP + MP + HP). You can execute an Ultra Combo as soon as the combo counter reads at least two hits. As soon as an Ultra Combo is initiated, it depletes the opponent’s remaining health and the game is essentially over.
Throws
Throws in Killer Instinct are very similar to throws in Street Fighter. They are executed by pressing LP + LK. In addition, throws are very fast and beat out most attacks, making it seem as though they have a large amount of invincibility frames. However, they have very limited range. Jago and Thunder have the ability to cancel a throw animation into a Shadow attack.
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