Mortal Kombat 2011 - Beat Shao Kahn Through Cheese Moves!

Mortal Kombat 2011 - Beat Shao Kahn Through Cheese Moves!
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The Art of Cheesing - Guide To Defeating Shao Kahn

In accordance with previous entries in the series, during the events of Mortal Kombat (2011), Shao Kahn is the main antagonist against both the player and Raiden’s assembled Earthrealm warriors. While later games have used him sparingly – usually as a cameo or nod to prior titles – Shao Kahn is one of the most revered and difficult boss battles of the series. There are ways around this inherent difficulty however, in a similar manner to defeating Goro or Kintaro, and taking out Shao Kahn is a task worth remonstrating over. This article takes a closer look at some of the strategies on how to, in Mortal Kombat (2011), beat Shao Kahn and save the Earthrealm from his maniacal grasp.

Mortal Kombat (2011) - Beat Shao Kahn Only for Him To Survive

As the principal antagonist, Shao Kahn provides a juxtaposing philosophy and strength to the thunder god Raiden. In addition to his awe inspiring strength, Shao Kahn is also a malevolent, brutal and arcane champion of Outworld, who seeks to dominate the entire universe of realms found in the Mortal Kombat universe. With subordinates such as the powerful sorcerer Shang Tsung, unknown quantity Quan Chi, perennial Tarkatan henchmen Baraka, the Lin Kuei clan of assassins, the Shokan warriors Sheeva, Kintaro and Goro as well as the mysterious amalgam of souls known as Ermac, there are plenty of weapons Shao Kahn can throw at the likes of Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kung Lao or Liu Kang before entering the battle himself.

Not directly involved with the first Mortal Kombat tournament – subsequently the first third of the new MK release, as it retraces the storyline of the first three games – Shao Kahn is furious with Shang Tsung and his defeat. With a new tournament set in Outworld giving Shao Kahn a bigger role, he witnesses Kung Lao defeat both Quan Chi & Shang Tsung then Kintaro before, in a fit of madness, snaps his neck. This act enrages Liu Kang and he steps in to defeat Shao Kahn, mortally wounding him in the process. This is the first of two battles with Shao Kahn during Mortal Kombat (2011) and there is a simple strategy to defeat him in the Outworld arena.

Liu Kang & Raiden Strategies To Beat Shao Kahn

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While Shao Kahn has been known to cause trouble for most players of the game, at least people who aren’t typically familiar with the boss battles against him in past series entries, he is easily defeated with the use of cheesing. To cheese an opponent is to utilise the same move repeatedly, stifling their offence and ultimately chipping their health down to zero. While this cheesing method may be considered cheap, it is the easiest and least thought intensive way in which to beat Shao Kahn. As players will be using Liu Kang for the battle against him, a simple look and memorisation of his signature moves is required – principally the low & high fireballs should be practised.

To do these two moves, players simply press back-forward-front kick or back-forward-front punch, which will throw out a range attack at Shao Kahn. If you create enough distance at the start of the battle, then pepper the opponent with said fireballs until he is defeated. Chip damage may not drain his health too quickly but the damage he takes when he does step forward will quickly kill him off. This same strategy can be repeated during the final boss fight when using Raiden. Create distance, throw a lightning bolt (down-back-front punch) at Shao Kahn until he begins to use his taunt, where Raiden can teleport (down-up) & uppercut (down-back punch) repeatedly. Hopefully Shao Kahn can’t deal with this level of cheesing, whether he’s facing Raiden or Liu Kang, and you can effectively complete the story mode of Mortal Kombat 9.

This post is part of the series: Mortal Kombat (2011) - Guides & Characters Information

A series of articles focusing on different gameplay modes and characters in Mortal Kombat 9 (the 2011 release).

  1. Mortal Kombat (2011) - The Entire Roster & Characters List
  2. Mortal Kombat - A Closer Look At Mileena
  3. Mortal Kombat (2011) - Defeating Sheeva & Her Multiple Arms
  4. Mortal Cheesing - How To Beat Shao Kahn In Mortal Kombat
  5. Mortal Kombat (2011) - Information On The Tag-Team Mode