Killer Instinct – Best Riptor Attacks

One of the most anticipated characters in the Killer Instinct: Season Two roster is finally available to Ultra Pack owners; Combo Pack owners get him next week. Riptor is here with a new makeover that makes her look more like a traditional raptor as opposed to the snake-like creature she was in the original Killer Instinct. Still, she has a slew of new moves and a few old ones that are more useful in this new game.

For the most part, Riptor is a complete rush down character. If you’re not pressing buttons with Riptor at all times, you’re probably doing something wrong. She has enough frame advantage to keep an opponent at bay for lengthy periods of time and seemingly endless mix-up potential. The only thing you need to worry about is a Shadow Counter, but with the new meter building system in Season Two, that isn’t as much of a concern as it once was.

Let’s get right into Riptor’s best special moves and attacks!

Flame Carpet
Notation: Diagonal Down/Back+Heavy Punch

The Flame Carpet is exactly what it sounds like. Riptor places a carpet of flame on the ground in front of her that will hit any opponent who walks over it. This is great to use after a hard knockdown (Tail Flip Ender), but be careful because it takes 30 frames to execute. For those players who do not count frames, that’s a pretty long time.

You can’t simply toss this out there and expect it to work. If the opponent isn’t already on the ground when you use this, it’s best to wait until it’s “your turn” to attack before you attempt this one at close range. For example, after you block an attack, that’s usually your cue to start attacking. Using the Flame Carpet in that situation isn’t a bad idea. If it’s blocked, Riptor has plenty of advantage (+41) to setup a cross-up attempt or some other mix-up.

Survival Run
Notation: Back, Back

Riptor has several attack options from her Survival Run. Think of it like Spinal’s run, only in reverse and far more useful. If you press Heavy Punch Riptor will use a Flame Wall, which has a good chance of shutting down any attempt your opponent makes to follow you. Press Light or Medium Punch to execute Riptor’s Shoulder Charge, which is exactly the same as it is when used as a standalone attack. Press Heavy Kick to perform the Tail Fling, which is a relatively fast low attack that can easily catch an opponent off-guard and causes a hard knockdown.

Generally speaking, you want to press forward at all times to take advantage of Riptor’s speed and offensive abilities. However, it’s always good to bait an opponent’s attack and punish it accordingly. With Riptor’s Survival Run you can quickly dash away from an opponent, just outside of their immediate attack range, then punish them as soon as you see an attack miss.

Shoulder Charge
Notation: Back, Forward+Punch

The best aspect of Riptor’s Shoulder Charge is that it’s +11 when blocked and transitions directly into Predator Mode. It may take a bit to get the timing down so you attack as soon as Riptor shifts into Predator Mode, but it’s very difficult for most opponents to interrupt Riptor’s faster Predator Mode attacks after a blocked Shoulder Charge. You’ll need to watch out for Shadow Counters if the opponent has enough meter, but otherwise you can get a number of mix-up opportunities using the Shoulder Charge as your foundation.

After a normal, you want to focus on canceling into the Shoulder Charge because it’s Riptor’s safest option. Once you have an opponent fearing the Shoulder Charge and Predator Mode mix-ups that follow, you can cancel normals into the Talon Rake. This attack not only serves as an overhead (meaning it has to be blocked standing), but it also leads to a cross-up mix-up as well. When we break it down, after blocking any normal attack, Riptor’s opponents have to be ready for an overhead followed by a cross-up mix-up, or Predator Mode followed by an overhead/low mix-up. Needless to say, fighting against a skilled Riptor is not fun.

Predator Mode
Notation: All Three Kick Buttons

While you can shift directly into Predator Mode by pressing all three Kick buttons, more often than not you’ll end up in Predator Mode by using a Should Charge. Any time the Shoulder Charge is blocked, Riptor automatically transitions into Predator Mode. Your best options from Predator Mode are Tail Stings (i17/-3) (Medium Kick), Ankle Bite (i17/-3) (Medium Punch), Shin Bites (Wall, i12/0) (Light Punch) and Toe Tap (i12/+1) (Light Kick).

Tail Stings and Ankle Bite should be your primary focus, but you have to train an opponent before you can start relying on them. Both of these attacks require 17 frames to execute. Given the +11 frames you get after a blocked Should Charge, that isn’t too bad, but there’s still time for an opponent to interrupt these attacks if you haven’t trained them not to. In order to do this, you need to use the Shin Bites and Toe Tap first. Both of these attacks execute in 12 frames, with Shin Bites offering a wall splat near the corner, and Toe Tap leaving Riptor at a very slight advantage (+1).

Once an opponent stops trying to interrupt Shin Bites and Toe Tap, you can unleash Tail Stings and Ankle Bite. Tail Stings is an overhead attack that must be blocked standing, while Ankle Bite is a low attack that must be blocked crouching. Both attacks lead directly into combos and both are relatively safe if blocked (-3). So your options from Predator Mode are an overhead that starts a combo, a low that starts a combo, a wall splat in the corner or an attack that leaves Riptor with frame advantage. All of these attacks are relatively safe.

Talon Rake
Notation: Back, Forward+Kick

Riptor’s Talon Rake by itself isn’t really much to write home about. It’s not safe if the opponent blocks, but it leaves Riptor airborne in this situation, which allows her to use the Aerial Tail Flip (quarter circle back+Kick). The strength of the Kick button used for the Tail Flip determines which direction the opponent has to block. It can be very difficult to determine by the animation alone, which means an opponent will have no choice but to guess which direction to block. If they guess wrong you get to start a combo, but if they guess right you’re going to be punished.

The Talon Rake into Tail Flip is a risky option, but it’s still a 50/50 that can be very effective. When the Talon Rake is used after a blocked crouching normal, it means the opponent has to shift from blocking low to a standing block. Mix this up with a throw or the Shoulder Charge and it’s tough for many opponents to keep up with Riptor.

Stay tuned to Prima Games as we bring you more Killer Instinct tips and tricks as Season Two progresses!