Mortal Kombat 11 | Rain Guide

Rain, the Edenian demi-god and plum-clad powerhouse ninja, has returned to the roster of Mortal Kombat after the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate update. His water-based arsenal gives him a unique look in the heat of battle, but his speed and agility are the keys to storming over his opponents. Here we’ll give you a quick beginner’s look at the Prince of Edenia and let you know how to use this purple Rain to inflict serious pain. 

Mortal Kombat 11 | Rain Guide

A quick note before we get started, in the interest of simplicity we will be using numbers in place of the buttons pressed for each move, so rather than this guide getting filled with Xs and Circles and As and Bs just follow this simple key:

Front Punch = 1 = Square (PlayStation 4) = X (Xbox One) = Y (Switch)

Back Punch = 2 = Triangle (PlayStation 4) = Y (Xbox One) = X (Switch)

Front Kick = 3 = X (PlayStation 4) = A (Xbox One) = B (Switch)

Back Kick = 4 = Circle (PlayStation 4) = B (Xbox One) = A (Switch)

Amplify = R1 (PlayStation 4) = RB (Xbox One) = R (Switch)

Got that? Good, let’s begin:

Take The Argus Plunge

Rain’s trademark attack in MK11 Ultimate is the Argus Plunge (Back, Forward, 3), where he morphs into a ball of water and advances toward the opponent. If he connects, he traps his foe in the ball, transforms back into his ninja form and slams his hapless enemy to the ground. It’s quick, powerful, and a good way to keep opposing players guessing in the neutral game. 

Amplifying the move sees Rain fly high into the sky and dropping the opponent on their neck for extra damage. If you’re truly brave, throwing the Argus Plunge from across the length of the screen and amplifying it will result in a Krushing Blow that triples the damage of an amplified Plunge from closer range. Keep that in your back pocket in case of emergency.

Way Of The Open (Geyser) Palm

Geyser Palm (Down, Back, 1, Mystic Vapors only) needs to be learned ASAP for any prospective Rain player, as it is a stellar anti-air defense for facing jump-happy foes. Rain shoots a geyser of water into the air, and if it connects it’ll damage the opponent before Rain follows it with a spin kick that sends the opponent flying to the other side of the screen.

What makes this move even more essential is its Amplified properties. Amplifying the move causes the opponent to fall to the ground slower than the normal move, meaning Rain can then follow up with a juggle combo if you’re fast enough. The timing on the follow-up is tricky and will take practice, but the amount of potential damage potential from countering a jump makes the work worthwhile. 

Catch a Wave!

The Tidal Wave attack (Down, Back 3, Son of Argus only) sees Rain slam his fist into the ground, creating waves of water that shoot in front and behind him. They don’t travel very far, even when Amplified and two more waves shoot out a little bit further, so the move seems like it’s not very effective at first, but it definitely has its uses. 

First off, it’s a great way to get a fast character rushing down on you out of your face, creating space and slowing the pace. Second, should an opponent jump behind out, using this allows you to get an attack in before they land and before Rain even turns around. Tidal Wave won’t win you a match, but it can turn the tide in your favor with the right uses. 

Heavy Rain

The Water Ball (Back, Forward, 2, Son of Argus only) returns from Rain’s originally Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 repertoire, though fans of the classics might be disappointed at first glance.

It acts like a basic projectile, traveling the length of the screen and colliding with the opponent instead of trapping and controlling them temporarily a la UMK3. Well, it normally acts like that…unless you Amplify it. 

Amplifying brings back some of that trademark water control goodness, but with two main caveats: one, it doesn’t last nearly as long as the older version did, and two, when the ball breaks the opponent falls forward slightly on their way to the ground. Be ready for that falling enemy, as they are primed for a juggle combo that can really put a hurting on if you’re fast enough. 

Learn to Evaporate

Earlier we talked about how Tidal Wave can keep a rushing opponent at bay, but obviously a savvy player will be ready for it after a few uses. That’s where Evaporate (Down, Back, 4) comes into play, turning Rain’s entire body into water for as long as you hold down the attack button. 

While in this state Rain cannot be damaged but also loses his collision physics, so an attacking player in the middle of a combo can phase right through him and go from aggressor to vulnerable in an instant. Keeping this move in mind during intense matches could be a huge difference maker, especially when life bars are low.