Mortal Kombat 1: Mastering Tanya‘s Vicious Combos and Mixups

Introduction

Mortal Kombat 1 is shaping up to be the most ambitious and content-rich game in the legendary series, offering a cinematic story mode, expansive multiplayer suites, and an incredibly diverse character roster. Amongst these fearsome fighters is the fan-favorite Edenian assassin Tanya, ready to dance into battle with her trademark bojutsu staff and tonfa blades.

Tanya has received a stunning visual upgrade in MK1, sporting intricately detailed redesigns of her classic costumes as well as deadly new gear to accentuate her graceful yet vicious fighting style. Her fluid combo strings and nimble movements are accented by vibrant purple shadows and arcane runes, highlighting her connection to the dark magic of Outworld.

But Tanya‘s beauty belies her cunning and ruthlessness. She has an extensive array of new abilities in MK1 that make her even more of a force to be reckoned with:

• Shadow Fade: Tanya can briefly phase out of existence to avoid incoming attacks and projectiles, repositioning herself for deadly counterattacks.
• Rune Trap: Inscribing an arcane rune on the ground, Tanya can detonate it to launch opponents and extend her combos in flashy ways.
• Staff Stance: By planting her bojutsu staff, Tanya gains access to unique attacks and combo paths that further bolster her offensive potential.

Tanya players will be delighted to hear that her Krushing Blows and Fatality in MK1 are some of the most wince-inducing in the game. Her staff Krushing Blow sees her gracefully twirling her weapon before viciously impaling her opponent through the chest, while her aptly named "No Holds Barred" Fatality has her brutalizing foes with agonizing tonfa strikes to the face and groin before tearing them in half at the waist – certainly not for the faint of heart!

In this guide, we‘ll be exploring the full depth of Tanya‘s devastating combo potential in MK1. Whether you‘re looking for practical bread and butter combos, flashy flair for styling, or dirty mixups for the lab, we‘ve got you covered. Get ready to put in work!

Tanya‘s Bread and Butter Combos

First, let‘s take a look at Tanya‘s most essential combos that will allow you to consistently deal damage with minimal execution:

Midscreen Combos

• 112 > db4
• b31 > db1 > dash > 112 > bf4
• f21 > df1 > 112 > db4

Corner Combos

• f4 > f4 > 112 > bf4
• db1 > walk > f212 > db4
• f21 > db4 > b2 > 112 > bf1

Here are the inputs for PlayStation and Xbox controllers:
|PlayStation|Xbox|
|–|–|
|1 = Square|1 = X|
|2 = Triangle|2 = Y|
|3 = X|3 = A|
|4 = Circle|4 = B|

It‘s important to note that db4 and bf4 can be special canceled upon landing, allowing Tanya to keep her offense going with solid frame advantage. Her db1 tonfa swipe is also special cancelable, giving her easy hit-confirms into full combo extensions.

For those just picking up Tanya, focus on incorporating her basic hit-confirming strings like 112 and f21 into her special moves. As you get more comfortable, start using her b31 and f212 strings to mixup your combo starters and make your offense harder to block.

Frame Data and Advantages

To really step up your Tanya gameplay, it‘s crucial to understand which of her buttons are fastest for poking and frame traps. Here is a quick reference chart for her essential moves:

As you can see, Tanya‘s 1 and d1 are her fastest pokes at 7 frames each, with d1 also yielding a solid +7 advantage on hit to continue pressure. Her d3 is a great low profiler that grants her frame advantage on hit, plus on counter-hit launches for a full combo.

Meanwhile, her b2 and f2 are fantastic mid-range pokes that have strong frame advantages on block and hit. While slightly slower than her other buttons, they serve as solid spacing tools in neutral to force whiffs and catch opponents trying to take their turn.

Tanya‘s special moves also grant her additional combo routes and enders that can leave opponents in unfavorable situations. Here is the frame data for a few of her key specials:

bf4 and db4 are Tanya‘s main combo enders and can be used interchangeably depending on positioning. While unsafe on block, if spaced properly they can make it difficult for opponents to punish without specific attacks or meter. After landing these, dash up to apply continued pressure and frame traps.

df1 has a bit slower startup but launches opponents for a full juggle combo on hit. It also has solid frame advantage on block, making it a decent pressure tool when mixed in with her cancel strings. However, the heavy pushback on block means Tanya has to quickly dash in to keep her offense going.

Tanya‘s new Staff Stance attacks offer her some higher damaging combo routes at the cost of slower startup and more recovery frames. bf1 out of Staff Stance is a great combo ender that has strong corner carry and wallsplats the opponent for meaty setups. Just be wary as it has very punishable recovery when blocked.

Mixups, Setups and Resets

A strong Tanya player knows how to bully opponents with unrelenting pressure and tricky mixups that are difficult to block. Her db4 and bf4 dive kicks serve as powerful combo starters, anti-airs, and pressure tools all in one.

After landing these moves, Tanya can keep opponents guessing with high/low/throw mixups:

• f212 is a crafty overhead string that can be staggered or canceled into specials for non-committal pressure.
• b31 is her main low-hitting mixup starter that gives solid frame advantage on hit for continued strikes.
• throw is a risky but rewarding hard knockdown that can reset opponents into more left/right/throw mixups.

In the corner, Tanya can create nasty reset situations with the right assists and meter:

• db1 > Jax Assist > dash > 112 > throw/bf1 is a dirty reset that catches opponent trying to block the overhead staff attack.
• bf4 > Sonya Assist > dash > b31 > db4 utilizes Sonya‘s stun grenades to sneak in a tricky low starter before launching them for a full combo.

Tanya can also use her shadow abilities to extend combos and pressure in creative ways. Canceling her normals into Shadow Fade allows her to quickly cross-up opponents and combo them from unexpected angles:

• f21 > Shadow Fade > b2 > bf4 is a slick side-switch combo that positions Tanya behind the opponent for left/right mixups.

Her Rune Trap can set up inescapable frame traps that force opponents to hold pressure or eat counter-hits:

• 112 > Rune Trap > block > f21 detonates the rune if the opponent tries to challenge, launching them for big damage.

Pro Strategies and Tournament Play

We reached out to a few top Tanya players to get their insights on what makes her a threat in high-level MK1 play. According to longtime Tanya main Avirk, it‘s all about staying mobile and unpredictable with her mixups.

"Tanya‘s unique movement options allow her to quickly close the gap and get inside the opponent‘s head with strike/throw mixups. It‘s important to constantly vary your approach so they can‘t easily fuzzy guard your pressure."

Avirk also emphases the importance of hit-confirming Tanya‘s stray pokes into damaging combo extensions. "Moves like b2 and f4 are essential for whiff punishing from long range. Once you land those, quickly cancel into db4 or bf4 to get that sweet launch for a full combo."

Another Tanya player making waves in the competitive scene is Koisy, renowned for his flashy combos and unorthodox setups. Koisy is a big proponent of utilizing Tanya‘s shadow moves and Staff Stance in innovative ways.

"Tanya‘s Shadow Fade is so good for adding mind games to your pressure and crossing up the opponent. You can cancel so many of her strings into it like b31 xx Shadow Fade for a quick direction switch that most people don‘t expect."

Koisy also stresses how strong Tanya‘s Staff Stance becomes with the right Jinsei augments and abilities. "Using the Jinsei Essence that powers up Staff attacks, you can get insane damage off stray hits. Combos like b2 > Staff df2 > bf1 are doing like 40% meterless."

To see Koisy‘s Tanya in action, check out this highlight reel from his top 8 run at Evo 2024. The way he is able to effortlessly cancel his Staff Stance attacks into lengthy curse combos is a sight to behold!

Conclusion

As we‘ve explored in this extensive guide, Tanya has all the tools in MK1 to be an absolute rushdown monster. With her excellent mobility, oppressive mixup potential, and deadly combo extensions, she can quickly overwhelm opponents who can‘t keep up with her onslaught.

To truly excel with Tanya, focus on mastering her cancel pressure, frame traps, and ability to whiff punish from long range. Don‘t be afraid to get creative with her shadow moves and Staff Stance to keep your offense fresh and unpredictable.

If you‘re a rushdown fiend who enjoys bullying opponents with relentless pressure, you can‘t go wrong with adding Tanya to your roster. She is a blast to play in MK1 and has one of the highest skill ceilings in the game, rewarding strong fundamentals and clever setup play.

Hopefully this guide has given you plenty of combo ideas and strategies to try out in the lab and online. For even more Tanya tech and matchup advice, be sure to join our Mortal Kombat 1 Discord and follow the #tanya-talk channel.

We also highly encourage you to support the passionate Tanya players showcasing her potential in the competitive scene. Follow Avirk @Avirkality and Koisy @KoisyTanya on Twitter for their latest gameplay highlights, combo exhibitions, and tournament runs.

Thank you all for reading and happy lab grinding! For those looking to show off your sickest Tanya combos, be sure to post your clips with the #MK1Tanya hashtag. We‘ll be retweeting our favorites to help spread Tanya‘s vicious legacy to the rest of the realms!