Mortal Kombat X – How to Play Ferra/Torr: Combos and Strategies

Ferra/Torr may look like a big slow brute, but it’s actually quite the opposite. The duo use safe special moves and a good mix-up between overhead and low attacks. It’s easy to land combos that hit for almost 30 percent damage with no meter usage at all, and over 40 percent if you’re willing to burn the meter for an X-Ray. There are a few issues where some special moves will not work if Ferra isn’t sitting on top of Torr. This happens after many special moves or if Ferra/Torr get knocked down, so you have to keep a close eye on the situation to know what special moves are available throughout the match.

Notation Key

PlayStation/Xbox
1 – Square/X
2 – Triangle/Y
3 – X/A
4 – Circle/B

Bowl Girl
Notation: Back, Forward+2
Enhanced Version: No

Bowl Girl is a relatively fast low attack that covers the entire length of the screen. It should be used to end combos with a low attack, and is safe from almost all punishment if the opponent blocks. It’s not the best zoning tool, but as a full-screen projectile attack that hits low, you can catch an opponent by surprise. Just don’t expect to land this too often from across the screen.

Ferra Toss
Notation: Down, Back+2
Enhanced Version: No

This is a great overhead attack that can be angled forward or back if you hold a direction after the initial notation. The forward version covers the entire length of the screen, while the back version should be used at the end of combos to serve as an overhead option. If you use the normal or far versions at the end of a combo, there’s a chance the attack will miss, so always use the close version (hold back after the initial notation). Once again, Ferra/Torr isn’t really a zoning character, but you can mix-up between Bowl Girl and Ferra Toss from as far away as the opposite side of the screen. Just keep in mind neither attack is as fast as a normal projectile.

Tuck ‘n’ Charge
Notation: Back, Forward+3
Enhanced Version: Yes, with armor.

Tuck ‘n’ Charge starts with an overhead attack followed by Torr charging forward and running over the opponent. Some characters can only punish it with a basic jab if it’s blocked, but there’s enough push back on the blocked attack to make punishing difficult for your opponent. Still, this is best reserved for ending a combo that the opponent isn’t blocking. Use Ferra Toss as an overhead option during a block string, as it’s the safer of the two overhead options.

The Enhanced version can be performed in multiple ways. You can enhance the beginning of the attack to gain one hit of armor, or enhance the end of the attack to add extra damage. It’s even possible to perform both enhancement options at the cost of two bars of meter.

Deep Stab
Notation: Down, Back, Forward+1
Enhanced Version: Yes, with armor.

Ferra/Torr’s command grab is useful to catch an opponent who is constantly blocking your other attacks, or if they’re waiting to block a wake-up attack. As a command grab it will go through an opponent’s guard and cannot be escaped. It doesn’t have any kind of follow-up options, but it works well to catch your opponent off-guard, and with the enhanced version having armor, it’s a decent wake-up option.

Bone Crusher (X-Ray)

Ferra/Torr’s X-Ray consists of two overhead attacks and has armor. It covers roughly half the screen and isn’t overly difficult to combo into. Most of Ferra/Torr’s combo strings can be chained directly into the X-Ray as if you were canceling into a special move. If both hits connect, the X-Ray inflicts 37 percent damage by itself, which makes it a hefty addition to any combo, even with the added damage scaling of the additional combo hits.

Basic Strategy

Your main goal with Ferra/Torr should be to use Bowl Girl or Ferra Toss to open up your opponent and knock them to the ground. If they have meter, you can try to bait out a wake-up attack. If not, continue to apply pressure. The Unstoppable Force combo is great on its own, but you can cancel the third hit into Ferra Toss for an overhead option, or Bowl Girl for a low option. Two of a Kind is also a good combo to use because it’s safe and leads to a juggle if it hits. You can cancel the second hit into Ferra Toss or Bowl Girl as well.

The Knee Breaker low attack is also a great way to start Ferra/Torr’s mix-up strategy. It’s a fast low attack that leaves Ferra/Torr at -1 when blocked, which is safe against punishment. Cancel the attack into Ferra Toss or Bowl Girl for the overhead/low mix-up, but since you’re canceling a single attack it’s much harder for the opponent to see it coming. It doesn’t lead to big damage, but if you need a few hits this is a great tool. Giant Stomp works the same way and covers a bit more range, but it’s a slower attack that can be punished if you don’t cancel it into one of Ferra/Torr’s special moves.

Finally, the Kaber Toss is a low attack with moderate range and speed with the potential to catch an opponent off-guard. It’s typically used to extend combos, but if you move forward slightly it can catch an opponent at the beginning of a round, or you can use it from max range for a relatively quick low attack. Ferra Trip is a single hit normal attack that works in a similar manner. It has more range than Kaber Toss, but is easy to punish if the opponent blocks it. Use it as a surprise from maximum range.

Vicious Variant

The variant of choice is Vicious because it adds the Boss Toss (Back, Forward+4). This half-screen projectile attack absorbs and goes through all other projectiles. For example, if Sub-Zero sets an Ice Clone in front of him and then uses an Ice Ball projectile attack. You can use Boss Toss to nullify both the Ice Clone and the Ice Ball, and still hit Sub-Zero. Most projectiles just go through each other, but Boss Toss actually eats the opponent’s projectile and keeps going. It also works well as an anti-air attack, catching opponents when they’re low to the ground.

The only other difference is the slight change to Ferra/Torr’s command grab. It’s called Little Kutter in the Vicious variant and allows you to follow with multiple attacks from Ferra, but it still serves the same purpose as the command grab does in the Ruthless variant.

Ruthless Variant

Ruthless adds the Pain and Gain special move (Down, Down+1) that gives Ferra/Torr a damage boost for a limited time. You can tell when the damage boost is active because Torr will bleed. When the bleeding stops the damage boost is over. You can stack up to three Pain and Gain special moves on top of one another to add to the damage boost. However, each time you use Pain and Gain it inflicts 5 percent damage to Ferra/Torr. It’s best to use after knocking an opponent down when they don’t have meter to use an enhanced wake-up attack. This allows you to pressure the opponent while they’re on the ground and make full use of the limited time you have on the damage boost.

Lackey Variant

The Lackey variant features Torr by himself with Ferra watching from the sidelines. This changes a few of Torr’s normal attacks that utilized Ferra and in some cases makes them better. For example, in this variant the Crouching Jab (Down+1) is faster and safer, but attacks such as the Giant Fist (Back+2) become slower and have less range. A few combos also change, most notably On the Ball, which is now unsafe if the opponent blocks, meaning you should cancel the second hit into a safe special move if the opponent is blocking.

Most of Torr’s special moves also become unsafe, which makes this variant much harder to use if you don’t have meter to burn. The upside is that you don’t have to worry about not having some attacks unavailable because Ferra was knocked down or hasn’t returned to your back yet. The advantages don’t really outweigh the disadvantages, but it also depends on your play style. If you like everything available at all times, you may prefer the Lackey variant.

Sample Combos

28 Percent Damage – Jump Forward 1, Back+2,1,2+4, walk forward slightly, Forward+2, Back+1,2,1, Back, Forward+3
44 Percent Damage – Back+2,1,2+4, walk forward slightly, Forward+2, 4, X-Ray

Fatalities

Better Than One – Forward, Back, Forward, Back, 3 (Close)
Play Time – Down, Back, Forward, Back, Back (Mid-Screen)

Brutalities

Trample – Run at least three times during the match, then kill the opponent with Tuck ;n; Charge (Back, Forward+3), but the first hit must miss completely and you must hold Forward during the attack animation.

For more information, read Prima’s free Mortal Kombat X guide and our Story Mode Walkthrough!