Mortal Kombat 11 has now been out for a little under three weeks, and as many speculated would occur, Erron Black is killing it in pro play. He is considered by many to be top tier character because of his incredible zoning and versatile toolkit.

Moves To Master

Zaterrean Spit is an excellent special move as it allows you to dictate the positioning of your opponent through a threat of a tile asset Damage over Time (DoT) effect. If they have to jump over the spot where you have placed it, you can punish them. If they charge in, you can throw them into the acid for damage that runs through the length of the recovery animation.

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Boot Drop is a move that you should be using right now because it is a prime candidate to receive a nerf in the future. On paper, the attack should be punishable if used carelessly, but in practice it can be thrown out at almost any time quite safely, has excellent range, and punishes opponents who are fond of crouching.

Locked and Loaded is a bit of a head game against your opponents. They see you walking towards them with your rifle drawn, and the options are to shoot, couch and shoot, or attack with the butt of the rifle.

Most Fatal Blows in the game pale in comparison to Erron Black's, as his is a ranged attack that allows for less risk in its use. Keep this in mind when games are close, as you do not need to be in close proximity like most other characters to benefit from the ability.

Play Style

At its heart, Mortal Kombat 11 is a game of pure offense. Relative to previous iterations in the series, there are far less defensive capabilities to rely upon. This also brings up rather recent debate in fighting game esports, most recently brought up in the Street Fighter series, leaving competitive players to adapt to a far more aggressive play style in traditionally reactive characters.

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This is where Erron Black shines with his abilities. If you take the time to learn how to properly zone with projectiles and Zaterrean Spit, you will put the opponent on the defensive, which again, is a vulnerable state to be in. Then, much like Sub-Zero, it is up to you to power on in with a strong offense and close the gap with Drop Kick. Zaterrean Spit again becomes crucial if you are advancing in your corner advantage or already have your opponent locked away in the corner. Simply toss it down and continue your aggressive advance to see them begin to act in desperation.

From there you have a number of strong hit strings to rely on. The beauty of Erron Black is that his combos are really quite average, but everything else puts him over the top.

Combos To Master

There are so many combos that Erron Black does well, and we have not discussed them until now, nearing the end of the guide. This is because while landing massive combos always feels fantastic and looks great on screen, top players first have a perfect understanding of the points discussed above. In the Hayatei vs Sonicfox match above, you'll notice that their combos are always on point. There are really only a few spots where on drops a combo or whiffs an uppercut, but otherwise its perfect from a mechanical point of view. Everything listed above needs to be practiced to get a proper feel for where to drop the acid, and when to close the gap. Meanwhile, the following combos are a few of the best to begin with. They are a proper foundation to practice over and over until you do not even think about the buttons pressed.

"Into the badlands" is safe to use on block and knocks the opponent away if zoning is your objective, and the short string works well at ending other combos. "Violent Ends" is similar in this way, though it cannot be added to the end of other combos.

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"Dead Man's Hand" is a staple for any player of Erron Black. It allows you to start up punishing combos as the second hit can be special cancelled, and is especially vicious in the corner after being launched to take hit after hit in the air with no recourse.

For combos rich in mix ups, which are important to keep your opponent guessing, "Out the door" is king. By beginning mid and then going overhead twice, your opponent needs to be highly reactive to avoid taking much damage. A good technique is to do it twice normally, but then special cancel the second or third hit with a slide to again mix it up.

These are the fundamentals that make Erron Black so strong in the competitive scene. Even in the future if the character receives a nerf, Drop Kick being a prime target, the rest of his kit is so strong and his ability to zone so effective, that there will always be a top spot for him in competitive play. Learn him now and learn him well, or suffer to those who do.

NEXT: Mortal Kombat 11 Tier List, May 2019: The Best Fighters According To Top Players