Killer Instinct: TJ Combo Breakdown

For early adopters of Killer Instinct Season Two, TJ Combo has been available in most gameplay modes for several weeks. However, for those waiting for the official release of the second season of Killer Instinct, TJ Combo arrives today, alongside Maya. The revamped version of TJ Combo is more brutal than ever, as he not only packs a punch, but has surprising agility. Join us as we break down some of Combo’s best attacks to give you an early jump on the competition.

Superman Punch

This is arguably one of Combo’s best utility moves. It’s an overhead that covers  considerable amount of distance, can be special canceled to lead into a combo and it’s +1 when blocked. The advantage on block is enough to make this a staple in your Combo arsenal, but the extended reach and overhead make it even better. It takes 22 frames to execute, which isn’t particularly fast compared to most other attacks, but if you toss it out from maximum range it’s easy to catch an opponent off-guard.

Spin Fist

The Spin Fist is Combo’s primary combo starter. Most of your normal attacks should be special canceled into the Spin Fist. When blocked, the Spin Fist is +1, which allows Combo to continue his offensive pressure. Pay close attention to your opponent’s Shadow Meter, as it will soon be commonplace to Shadow Counter after blocking a normal attack in anticipation of a special cancel into the Spin Fist. Mix in throws after a normal instead of the Spin Fist to keep your opponents guessing.

Shoot Toss

TJ Combo’s Shoot Toss should be treated like Thunder’s Call of the Earth command throw. Combo dashes forward, grabs the opponent and then slams them down. The slam causes a ground bounce that allows Combo to follow with Tremor to “recapture” the opponent and continue the combo. This is great to use on blocking opponents, as the throw goes right through their guard and starts a combo. Be careful of the normal attack you use to cancel into this, since any attack with too much hit stun will not combo with Shoot Toss if the normal connects.

Powerline

Powerline is an extremely versatile tool for TJ Combo. It covers the length of the screen and can be canceled into the Spin Fist, Shoot Toss, Back Step, Tumble or Flying Knee. This is a great way to make your opponent flinch, then punish their movement or attack. If a projectile is thrown, cancel into Tumble to roll through it. If the opponent moves at all, the Flying Knee covers a great deal of ground to interrupt the movement. If the opponent is blocking, cancel into Shoot Toss for a throw that leads into a combo. There are a number of options and they’re all good. Even if Powerline is blocked, it’s only -2, which means that most characters can’t punish it well, if at all.

Shadow Powerline

The Shadow version of Powerline adds one hit of armor to the attack and the last hit can be canceled into a cross-up. This works very well when Shadow Powerline is blocked because most opponents will attempt a Shadow Counter on the last hit. If you anticipate this, cancel into the cross-up to punish the Shadow Counter attempt. If the opponent doesn’t have enough Shadow Meter to perform a Shadow Counter, the attack leaves TJ Combo at +2 when blocked, allowing him to continue applying offensive pressure.

Vortex/Cyclone

Think of the Vortex and Cyclone like TJ Combo’s uppercut or Dragon Punch. Vortex is the first attack, which launches an opponent into the air. This is followed automatically by a delayed Cyclone, which knocks the opponent into the air again. You can perform the Cyclone portion early by pressing the punch button. When blocked, this attack is very unsafe, but by mixing up the Cyclone timing, you may be able to prevent a punish by throwing off the opponent’s timing.

The attack should primarily be used as an anti-air attack and allows Combo to easily follow it with a normal attack into Tremor for the recapture. Generally speaking, you should use medium kick after Vortex and Cyclone, then cancel into Tremor, but you need to mix that up to avoid a Combo Breaker. You can also attempt a Counter Breaker if you anticipate the opponent will try a Combo Breaker.

Tremor

Tremor has multiple uses. If it physically makes contact with an opponent, it counts as an overhead attack. If TJ Combo hits the ground (instead of an opponent), it causes a shockwave that counts as a low attack. The shockwave from the attack reaches the far side of the screen and can easily catch an opponent off-guard. It also works well to knock opponents out of attacks that are generally considered safe from across the screen. For example, if Orchid tosses out a grenade, the shockwave from Tremor will detonate it on contact. In addition, when used at the end of a combo, Tremor is TJ Combo’s battery ender that builds considerable Shadow Meter.

Look for more Killer Instinct tips in the weeks ahead.