Sonya Blade, Mortal Kombat Armageddon FAQ <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> ||MORTAL KOMBAT: ARMAGEDDON , Sonya Blade FAQ || ||BY: Keith Byrne (Ireland) || ||VERSION: Final || ||Sonya > All || <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Contents: Key------------------------------------------[00001] Me-------------------------------------------[00002] Who is Sonya?--------------------------------[00003] Sonya's Ending-------------------------------[00004] Unlocking Sonya's Alternate Costume----------[00005] Tae Kwon Do----------------------------------[00006] Kali Sticks----------------------------------[00007] Special Moves--------------------------------[00008] Strategies-----------------------------------[00009] Praise & Bitching----------------------------[00010] Credits--------------------------------------[00011] <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Key: [00001] D - Down F - Forward U - Up B - Back TH - Throw CS - Change Style BLK - Block PS2: 1 - Square 2 - Triangle 3 - X 4 - Circle Xbox: 1 - X 2 - Y 3 - A 4 - B <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Me: [00002] I'm Keith, I've been a die-hard Sonya fan for as long as I've been playing Mortal Kombat which is about 10 years now, perhaps more. Sonya has been almost completely stripped of her awesome gameplay in Armageddon and I hope to not only teach others how to use her effectivley but also learn new tactics myself. I am currently active on Mortal Kombat Online so if your a member of that site you can contact me there. There are a few other forums I visit but I'm most active on MKO. <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Who is Sonya?: [00003] (From Wikipedia) Lieutenant Sonya Blade is a member of a top United States Special Forces unit. Her impulsiveness is catalyzed by her superior and good friend Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs. Sonya represents a very emancipated and headstrong woman, but for all her stubbornness and pride, she deeply cares about the lives of her friends and comrades. Johnny Cage, her fellow Earthrealm warrior and friend, seems to view her as a romantic interest, but there has been no indications of her feelings for him. She has a long-standing enmity with the thug Kano, who stands for everything Sonya despises. Sonya and her team were in hot pursuit of Kano, the leader of the Black Dragon organization. After he jumped onto a ship, they followed him to a remote island where Shang Tsung's Mortal Kombat tournament was being held. Upon arriving they were ambushed by Tsung's personal guard. To keep her team safe, she agreed to compete in the tournament. Shang Tsung, however, had no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain. He had her unit killed and, after he was defeated by Liu Kang, took her and Kano prisoner to Outworld to appease the emperor, Shao Kahn. Sonya was able to send a signal to her superior Jax from Outworld, however, and during the events of Mortal Kombat II he traveled there to find her. Jax made contact with the other Earthrealm warriors, and together they learned of Kahn's scheme to invade Earth. She was later freed and Kano arrested, but as soon as they had passed through the portal to Earth, Kano escaped and ran back into Outworld. Sonya and Jax now had other things on their minds, however. They tried to warn the United States government of the impending invasion, but their claims went unheeded. As such, they began preparing by themselves for the coming invasion. When the fateful day finally came, Shao Kahn stripped Earthrealm of all human souls, with the exception of a few chosen warriors, one of which was Sonya, who would soon encounter her old nemesis Kano on top of a skyscraper near Kahn's fortress. A fierce battle was waged between the two. Kano gained the upper hand, and kicked Sonya onto a stone gargoyle. Sonya feigned defeat, but when Kano advanced to finish Sonya off, grabbing her by the hair, she performed her most infamous special move: the leg grab, and hurled Kano off the roof to his apparent death, taking a lock of her hair with him. After her journey into Outworld and Shao Kahn's near destruction of Earth, Sonya became a member of Earth's own Outer World Investigation Agency. The Black Dragon kept crossing her path, however. Its last known member, Jarek, had fled to Edenia while Sonya was chasing him. This lead Sonya and Jax to team up with Raiden and Liu Kang to free that realm from the Fallen Elder God Shinnok's grasp, and to prevent him from coming to Earth. After Shinnok's defeat, in which Jarek had reluctantly participated to save himself, Jarek tried to kill Sonya, but died in the attempt. Years later, Sonya would once again heed Raiden's call, this time to travel to Outworld after the Deadly Alliance had slain Shao Kahn and Liu Kang. For Sonya, this coincided with her search for two missing OIA agents, Cyrax and Kenshi. She was unable to find them, however, and was defeated in a fight with the Deadly Alliance, specifically in a one on one fight with Shang Tsung. The Deadly Alliance's victory was short-lived, as Onaga had been resurrected moments after their victory over Raiden himself, and reclaimed Outworld, as well as the amulet. With his ability to raise the dead at will, he resurrected and enslaved Sonya and her fallen comrades. <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Sonya's Ending: [00004] As reward for her victory, Blaze offered Sonya any power she desired. Glowing with energy, she turned and faced Kano, who had just reached the top of the pyramid. Her gaze burned into Kano. With a final scream of agony, Sonya's nemesis exploded in a cloud of ash. A mere glance, and her wish had been granted: Kano lived no more. With this new power, she incinerated the remaining members of the Black Dragon and Red Dragon clans, clearing the way for a new era of peace. ------------- Unfortunatley this does nothing to explain how Sonya was freed from Onaga's control. Yet Sonya did get one of the better endings in Armageddon. <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Unlocking Sonya's Alternate Costume: [00005] Like all other Alternate Costumes there are two ways to unlock Sonya's. You can buy it in the krypt or you can find it in Konquest. Krypt Price: 3360 koins Konquest Location: In an invisable chest to the left of the gate in the area after you defeat Sonya. (Arctika) <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Now on to what Sonya does best: FIGHT! <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Tae Kwon Do: [00006] Move Button Percentage Side Kick 1 8% Hook Kick B+1 12% Setting Palm D+1 4% Downward Axe Kick 2 12% Rolling Heel Kick B+2 6% Peaceful Uppercut D+2 13% Spinning Heel 3 11% Ankle Smash B+3 11% Leg Tap D+3 5% 2-Hit Axe Kick 4 6%,3% Nitro Kicks B+4 5%,5%,4% Tapping Low Kick D+4 5% Double Kicks 1,1 8%,3% Reverse Take Out B+3,3 11%,3% Wild Boar 4,B+3 6%,3%,2% Clearness of Mind 4,4 6%,3%,3% Dead World 1,1,b+2 8%,3%,3% Wild Things 4,B+3,3 6%,3%,2%,1% Green Machine 1,1,CS 8%,3%,3%,2% Aerial Kombat: Ambush 1 2% Danger Swipe 2 4% Psycho Spin 3 2% Over Head Air Toss 4 3%,4% Downward Swat 1,1 2%,2% Tornado Twist 3,3 2%,2% Take Off 1,1,1 2%,2%,4% Tear Down 1,1,2 2%,2%,4% Monsoon 1,1,3 2%,2%,2% Down Slash 3,3,1 2%,2%,2% Flying Human 3,3,2 2%,2%,4% Whipcrack 1,1,4 2%,2%,3%,4% Air Sails 3,3,3 2%,2%,4% Flicker 3,3,4 2%,2%,3%,4% Throwdown 1,1,3,2 2%,2%,2%,4% Splashdown 3,3,1,1 2%,2%,2%,4% Sailing Away 1,1,3,3 2%,2%,2%,4% Whiplasher 1,1,3,4 2%,2%,2%,3%,4% Sinking Hero 3,3,1,4 2%,2%,2%,3%,4% <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Kali Sticks: [00007] Move Button Percentage Quick Stick 1 8% Crushing Blow B+1 7% Over Head Bash F+1 10% Leg Hit D+1 4% Face Smack 2 6% Dual Face Smack F+2 5% Ducking Upward Poke D+2 4% Low Thigh Hit 3 6% Triple Cross Attacks B+3 6%,4%,1% Dual Over Head Bash U+3 6%,12% Tapping Stick D+3 3% Back Kick 4 8% Spinning Trip Kick B+4 5% Scissor Hit D+4 3% Twister Sticks 2,4 6%,6% Twig Master 2,4,3 6%,6%,4% False Truth 2,4,B+3 6%,6%,4%,3%,3% Blurry Sticks 1,1 8%,4% Hard Hitting 1,1,2 8%,4%,5% Flashy Sticks 1,1,F+2 8%,4%,3% Channeling Power 1,1,U+3 8%,4%,3%,6% Kobra Fangs 1,1,2,4 8%,4%,5%,3% Take Out 1,1,2,4,3 8%,4%,5%,3%,2% Windy Pain 1,1,2,4,B+3 8%,4%,5%,3%,2%,1%,1% Aerial Kombat: Powerhouse 1 2% Lucky Change 2 3% Long Legs 3 2% Spinning Feet Grab 4 3%,4% Face Kicked 1,1 2%,2% Wind Kick 3,3 2%,2% Vicious Boots 1,1,1 2%,2%,4% Back Flip Kick 1,1,2 2%,2%,3% Lucky Wind 1,1,3 2%,2%,2% Foot Grab 1,1,4 2%,2%,3%,4% Flip Back 3,3,4 2%,2%,3%,4% Boot to The Face 3,3,3 2%,2%,4% Heel Toss 3,3,4 2%,2%,3%,4% Guiding Light 1,1,3,3 2%,2%,2%,4% Foot Assault 1,1,3,4 2%,2%,2%,3%,4% <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Special Moves: [00008] Lock Down: TH 5%,8% Kiss Of Death: D,B,1 Free Hit Armed Forces: D,F,2 9% Face Planter: D,B,2 5% Flying Boots: F,F,3 8% Lock Down, Sonya's throw does a total of 13% damage. 5% for the first grab and 8% when your opponent hits the ground. It cannot be broke but it can be parried so be aware of that. This throw is nothing special. Sonya grabs her opponent and hurls them over her head. About 12 or so characters have this throw, depsite the fact that Sonya's Deadly Alliance throw is in thegame. (Kung Lao) The Kiss of Death is Sonya's greatest special move. The dust comes out quite quickly, has a fairly good range and can be twice insanley fast. However, if the dust does not come in contact with your opponent, Sonya can keep doing it. This Kiss does not reduce the damage you do afterwards. Sonya shares this move with Kira in Armageddon but due to the difference in the combinations and that Kira can only do her Kiss once at a time, Sonya's is far superior. Armed Forces, Sonya's first projectile attack since MK4 was originally Kira's Nightshade in Deception. It's an alright projectile but nothing spectacular. It does 9% and Sonya ducks low to fire it which means she can avoid most projectiles heading her way. Stress most. Bear in mind that this move does not hid low or mid. It is a high hitting projectile. Face Planter is the only move Sonya has in Armageddon that she had when she first appeared in Mortal Kombat 1. It has been known for years as the Square Wave Punch. Sonya jumps straight up and darts forward with her fist ready. It is good for catching those who like to jump around and can also be used as an escape move. But it's uses are limited. Sonya shares this move with Kitana. Flying Boots is Liu Kang's most famous move, also known as the Flying Kick, so in Liu Kang's absense in Deadly Alliance, many were curious as to why it was given to Sonya. Despite Liu Kang's ressurection in Deception and that both characters are in Armageddon, both still use this move. It is a pretty decent move but I would suggest using it sparingly. The recovery isn't great and Sonya lands pretty slowly. <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Strategies: [00009] Sonya is a character best played defensivley. Focus on the Kiss Of Death, if you see you're opponent leaping carelessly into the air knock them down with the Face Planter but don't spend the round trying to see if you can get it. Throw the odd projectile in to distract your opponent but don't whore it because it can be used against you. The Flying Boots is really only good for knocking people off stage transitions or death traps. If you're opponent blocks this, you're caught. In Tae Kwan Do, 2 is a mid attack. Meaning it hits your opponent when they're ducked, whether they're blocked or not. It also does 12% making it a pretty powerful attack, especially for a pop-up. However, the recovery of this attack is not wonderful. If blocked you can do a few things: Take the beating you're about to recieve, parry as soon as you can, jump back or tap 1 as quickly as you can and pray you get in first. None of them are guarrenteed to work, I can only offer them as suggestions. B+3 is a great low attack. Sonya doesn't duck before doing it making it harder to block. It's also unparryble and does 11%, Pressing 3 again adds an added 3%. D+4 also cannot be parried. It does 5%. 4 is a two hit move. It hits mid first, great for catching those ducking before you. It does 6% going up, and an extra 3% when it comes down. Pressing 4 again will add another 3% to the combo. However the recovery decreases then. You can also try adding B+3,3 after the first 4. This combo should be used sparingly. Do not let your opponent get used to it. It's a great tactic. And great to use if Sonya becomes trapped in a corner. 3 hits mid, is quite fast and does 11%. Don't depend on this move but throw it out there every one in a while if you see fit. 1 gets in very fast. So if you can get in with 1 you can get in with a combo starting in 1, e.g 1,1,CS or 1,1,B+2. The latter isn't as powerful as the brancher so I would suggest going with 1,1,CS. B+4 hits low, then mid, then high. It's a great move because the opponent has to be ducked first and then must stand for the rest of it, making it hard to block. Unfortunatley the range isn't good at all. This move is alot more fair now that Universal Tracking has been toned down. Sonya's uppercut, Peaceful Uppercut, is good but not great. I tend to jump and land right beside my opponent and uppercut them straight away. Don't attack during the jump. This sometimes gets you're opponent to unblock and since D+2 is quite fast, you have a fair chance of getting in. Again this is only a suggestion and may not work for you or suit you're style of play. If you're opponent doesn't fall for this, then you are caught. If you do the uppercut against a wall, the only two attacks you can follow up with are D+1 and D+3. Nothing else is quick enough to get in. Not the most fight-altering strategy there is but it just adds a little somethign to the end of this. They add 2% and 3% respectivley. In the Kali Sticks, D+3 is a brilliant poke. It's fast and does 3%. If you do this say twice in a row, you're opponent will probably get annoyed and block low. Thus you can nail them with B+3, which is a fast, mid hitting attack that does 12%. B+3 also slightly pushes you're opponent away from you when blocked making it harder to get in against. If against a quick opponent who can get in after B+3, a parry should sort them out. Sonya's low Kali Stick attacks combined with B+3 and U+3 give her great mix-up combos which are very useful when one wants to confuse their opponents. Or completely piss them off. U+3 also hits mid and does 18% damage. The recovery of this move isn't so great though, so use it wisely. 2,4,B+3 is a good combo. It has good range and from the second attack it hits mid. It's relativley safe and does 23%. Replacing the B+3 at the end of that combo with a lone 3 will end the combo on a low hit. Great mix-up. Use these combos together. Be careful not to form a recognisable pattern though. 2,4,3 does 17%. For greater reach and speed add 1,1 to the beginning of both of those combos. 1 has very good reach and can be used to catch unsuspecting opponents. B+4 is a pretty decent sweep. Good speed, good range, the recovery kind of kills it however. Be careful when using it. B+1 is pretty fast, but there are better moves that can get in just as quickly. In the combo 1,1,F+2, one must pause slightly before pressing the F+2 or all you'll get is 1,1,2. Because of this pause, opponents can often unblock prematurely and be planted by F+2. Quite satisfying. Be a cautious player when using Sonya. She can be heavily punished for some of her moves. She is at her best fighting at close range but giving yourself some distance can be just what you might need to plan your next attack. I suggest using Face Planter as an escape move. TKD is great at close range. Kali Sticks are better at mid range but also work quite well up close too. <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Praise & Bitching: [00010] The Good: In Armageddon, Sonya had her ups and her downs. She made a great appearence in Armageddon's Konquest. Having been given the least attention out of the main heroes in Deception's Konquest, Sonya was given a lovely sequence in Armageddon's where she interrogates Taven after saving him from an Artik beast. Her ending was also probably the best of a bad lot. While the majority of the endings in Armageddon where gut wretchingly horrendous, Sonya's was just plain bad. At least she got to finally kill Kano. Survive that one you bastard! Sonya also got her Square Wave Punch back. One of her oldest and coolest moves. It's so lovely to see it again, having been missing from MK since MK4/MKGold. Sonya also recieved the new combos that were given to Kobra in Deception when he had the Kali Sticks. They're very fun, very useful combos. The chances of Sonya surviving to MK8 are looking good. Boon has said he absolutley sees Sonya in future Mortal Kombat games, she's also one of his favourites and a favourite amongst members of the team. The Sonya poster in the SubWay is awesome! I want one! The Bad: Sonya got severly mistreated in terms of special moves however. She shares all four special moves with another character. The Kiss of Death and Armed Forces, she shares with Kira. The Flying Boots with Liu Kang. And the Face Planter with Kitana who got a cooler version of it, Kitana's has a trail of blue smoke. Sonya also lost the smoke effect from her Flying Boots move. Her winning pose is completly lame, it's new but she shares it with other characters. I know she shares it with Frost, can't say if anyone else uses it. I don't particularly mind winning pose sharing, but Sonya already had three winning poses in Deadly Alliance that were lovely. She had a screen kick, air punch and Tanya's and they all suited her fine. This new one doesn't. They could have just given Frost the Lin Kuei pose and made Sonya and Jax salute like in MK3+MK4. I know it seems like I'm nit picking here but I just want Sonya to be absolutley perfect. I know I'm not going to get a perfect Sonya but damnit I can still bitch for one. In Deadly Alliance, Sonya's 2P primary had a bright pink t-shirt and white jacket with an eagle on the back of it. It looked awesome. In Armageddon, they just desaturated and lightened her jacket. No pink t-shirt and no awesome eagle logo. Shame. Someone took the time to create that for Deadly Alliance only for it not to be used in Armageddon. I know Sonya had to loose one style, and I know Kenpo was the one she had to loose, but I really do miss it from Deadly Alliance. It was quick, the Eye Gouger was awesome. It was the stable, base style that you could easily fall back on if things weren't going well with the sticks or TKD. It was ruined in Deception and Armageddon. Sonya's better off without those versions. Sonya also has Kobra's Kali Sticks and not her own ones from Deadly Alliance. Yes, I do notice these things. Got a throw used by 12 other characters, despite her own one being in the game, used by Kung Lao who had it as a Mantis exlusive in Deadly Alliance. The Ugly: Where the buggery bollocks is Sonya's leg grab? Need Leg Grab. Her leg grab should have been her throw. I know that's a huge amount of bad compared to what's good but I just feel that Sonya got so screwed in Armageddon compared to what some other characters got. Don't get me wrong, Sonya is still awesome, she's still my favourite and she's still head and shoulders above the rest. I just wished they spent more time on her. It better mean that she's coming back! :-) <>--------------------------------------------------------------<> Credits: [00011] I would like to thank the people at Midway for making the MK games, may they one day listen to the fans that know what they're talking about. Thanks to whoever it was on Wikipedia who wrote that little bio on Sonya. Thanks to the MKO member hjs-Q for his work on finding the best the MKA characters can do. And thanks to GameFaqs for hosting this. Sonya > All Keith a.k.a Keifus <>--------------------------------------------------------------<>