CYRAX
Speed: 5/10
Range: 6/10
Power: 7/10
Safety: 5/10
Specials: 2/10
Overall: 5/10
Stances:
Ninjutsu
Pulse Blade
Specials:
Detonator Far: B, F, 1
Ugh. Neither of Cyrax's bombs are really worth using, but this one is worse. The name says far, yet you have to be within a half screen. The explosion will popup your opponent if it hits, which is rare since the enemy has all the time in the world to sidestep or get away from the bomb.
Funky Spin Kicks: D, B, 3
Funky? Not so much. Damaging if they hit? Definitely. 21% on its own, no juggles or anything else involved. That's the only thing that will make this move somewhat useful. Always punish with this move. On juggles, this move's damage is reduced to 12% or lower, but it's still a good option to end a juggle with.
Detonator Close: F, B, 1
This bomb attack is only useful if your opponent tries to jump in on you, in which case they'll have to move quickly to avoid getting caught in this blast. You can cause some decent damage after one of these bombs hits, so in the one-in-a-million chance of a hit, make the most of it; you won't be connecting with it for a long time.
Exploding Teleport: D, U, 2
Cyrax's classic teleport move from the MK3 days, this move was very annoying against characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion or anyone with free hit projectiles. Unfortunately the animation for Cyrax to reappear is very slow and gives your opponent plenty of time to put up a block. Only use this if you are absolutely sure you can make something out of this move.
Slice and Dice: B, F, 4
Cyrax's other move to conclude juggles with, the Slice and Dice doesn't do a whole lot of damage after the launcher, but isn't bad to catch someone who is a good distance away from you. Another move to use sparingly, because it can be sidestepped and punished easily.
Throw: Armbreaker Throw
I fail to see the breaking of the arm in this throw, but it does good damage for what it's worth. Hearkens back to MK3, when Cyrax had a similar throw. Not a bad throw overall given its power.
Cyber Light: 1, 1, CS
Cyrax's style branch doesn't launch, but does good damage for the amount of hits (22% in 3 hits) and can knock your opponent into deathtraps. This is probably the one special move that Cyrax has that is worth using repeatedly.
Best Moves:
Ninjutsu: 3
Cyrax doesn't have much to speak of in Ninjutsu, but this kick both knocks down and pushes back your opponent, possibly setting them up for a bomb or a Slice and Dice when they get up.
Ninjutsu: D+2
You know it's bad when a character's uppercut is one of their best moves. Cyrax's options in Ninjutsu are few and far between, so this powerful uppercut should be used to punish after a sidestep or any chance you get. You'd much rather have your Pulse Blade drawn anyway.
Pulse Blade: 4
This little number does 19% on three hits and is a nice way to end juggles if you time it right. The problem is that Cyrax's launchers are so bad that you won't get to end juggles with this, so use this move stand-alone.
Pulse Blade: B+1
16% on its own makes this attack formidable, at least. You'll want to use this move to end combos with because Cyrax is so awful in the air. Even by itself, this move is simply fair at best.
Combos:
(Ninjutsu) F, B, 1, 1, 1, CS (4 hits, 31%)
(Ninjutsu) B+1, CS, B+2, 2, B+1 (4 hits, 18%)
(Ninjutsu) B+1, CS, B+2, CS, 1, 1, CS (5 hits, 20%)
(Pulse Blade) 1, 1, 4 (5 hits, 22%)
(Pulse Blade) B+2, 2, B+1 (3 hits, 21%)
(Pulse Blade) B, F, 1, 1, 1, 4 (5 hits, 26%)
(Pulse Blade) B, F, 1, 2, B+1 (3 hits, 27%)
(Either) B, F, 1, D, B, 3 (4 hits, 25%)
Playing As:
Good luck. If you're crazy enough to pick Cyrax, you're either insanely good or don't mind losing horribly. Learning how to play as Cyrax isn't all that difficult, but he's so one-dimensional and linear that you're going to have a tough time winning battles. Ninjutsu has virtually no options, and Pulse Blades has powerful but badly unsafe strikes. His bombs won't hit often, but when they do you can get 30% on an opponent, so be sure you're positioned properly to get the maximum damage. Toss out bombs now and then if you're far enough away, maybe you'll get a hit. If Cyrax had his net in MKA, he'd be much more playable, but as it stands, he just isn't that good. Since you can't really mix anything up due to a lack of options, you're going to have to pick your spots perfectly. Play extremely defensively with Cyrax and you might stand a chance against most competition.
Playing Against:
Against Cyrax, you can pick pretty much anyone and be in the clear from the start. He doesn't have much that can hurt anybody from any range. The only characters he can cause problems against are turtle characters (Stryker and the like) because his bombs can disrupt the other character's positioning (and thus throw off his or her projectiles). Counterpick with anyone, it doesn't matter really; Cyrax isn't much of a challenge for any character (well, perhaps Kai or Sindel, but who's counting?). He's got nothing in Ninjutsu and if you stay away from the bombs or just off-axis in general (so his Slice and Dice can't get you either) you'll have an easy time against Cyrax.
Final Analysis:
It's really sad to see Cyrax play so poorly in MKA. Cyrax, a very underrated character and semi-fan favorite, got the short straw in this game. He's a pushover if you're playing against him, and if you're playing as him, you're going to have to work hard to get wins. Ninjutsu, as stated over and over, has nothing to speak of in terms of useful attacks, and Pulse Blade, though better, is unsafe. His bombs are garbage overall, the teleport just isn't quick enough to be worth using (for other than evasive purposes), Slice and Dice is easily sidestepped, and the spin kicks are simply OK. Overall, you're going to have to play Cyrax much differently than you would any other character to win. Cyrax is definitely low tier, if not bottom tier overall.
