Cassie Cage is a character that attacks quickly and has decent mix-ups. Her real strength lies in the Hollywood variant where she can use the Nut Buster to force the opponent to block her next mix-up. If they guess wrong, Cassie can continue to repeat this situation until she runs out of meter. Her other variants give her additional overhead/low mix-up opportunities, but don’t have the same aggressive potential as Hollywood.
Notation Key
PlayStation/Xbox
1 – Square/X
2 – Triangle/Y
3 – X/A
4 – Circle/B
Single Shot
Notation: Back, Forward+1
Enhanced: Yes, but no armor.
Cassie’s basic projectile attack is the Single Shot. The normal version is a standard projectile that travels full screen and hits high, which means it can be ducked under. The enhanced version (Akimbo) shoots multiple shots for additional damage, but otherwise remains the same. This should be used for light zoning, but overall Cassie is not a zoning character in the traditional sense.
Glow Kick
Notation: Back, Forward+4
Enhanced: Yes, with armor.
The Glow Kick works as an anti-air or a combo ender, but it’s not safe if the opponent blocks so don’t just throw it out there in hopes it will connect. The enhanced version (Diving Glow Kick) added a second hit to the attack which knocks the opponent back to the ground. When used in the corner the Diving Glow Kick will leave Cassie on the opposite side, which means it will trap her in the corner, so have a way to get if you plan to end corner combos with this. The Diving Glow Kick also has armor which makes it moderately useful as a wakeup option if you’re getting pressured.
Getaway Flip
Notation: Back, Down+2
Enhanced: Yes, with armor.
While the Glow Kick can be used to end combos, the Getaway Flip is used to extend combos. Cassie is one of the more difficult characters to combo with because many of her best combos involve a Getaway Flip followed by a Run Cancel into another attack. To Run Cancel tap Forward twice (holding Forward on the second tap), then tap Block. This causes Cassie to run toward the opponent. The run can be canceled with any attack, or by jumping or blocking. To do the Run Cancel combos you will need to cancel the run into the attack that follows (usually 1,2 or Back+1,2).
When used outside of a combo, the Getaway Flip is not safe if the opponent blocks. Even with the distance between Cassie and the opponent after the attack is blocked, most characters can quickly dash toward Cassie and punish with a full combo.
The enhanced version (Power Flip) has armor, which makes it a decent option to avoid pressure after you’ve been knocked to the ground. While it is safer than the normal version if the opponent blocks, it can still be punished in many situations so be careful when and how you use the attack.
Testi-Kill (X-Ray)
Cassie’s X-Ray doesn’t have a lot of range, but it’s fairly easy to combo into it to guarantee it connects. Almost any combo that can be canceled into a special move can be canceled into Testi-Kill instead. It also has armor like most other X-Ray attacks, which makes it useful when you’re being pressured on the ground or when you just want to blow through an opponent’s attack.
Basic Strategy
Cassie is a fast character with plenty of safe attacks if the opponent likes to block. Her Around We Go (2,4,2) and Street Smart (Forward+4,4) combos are safe if the opponent blocks and knock the opponent into the air for a combo follow-up if they hit. While Around We Go starts with a high attack, both are great combos to use because they can lead to easy juggle opportunities.
The Caged Rage combo (Back+2,1,2, Down+1+2) starts high, but has very good reach and goes into an immediate low attack that can catch people off-guard. The final hit of the combo is an overhead, and while there’s a delay, your opponents won’t be able to interrupt the attack.
Fancy Footwork (Forward+3,3) is also a good combo that starts with an overhead attack, followed by a low attack and then a variation of Johnny Cage’s Shadow Kick. It can be difficult for many players to block, but you can also cancel the first attack into the Getaway Flip to launch the opponent. You can even mix this up with Kick Abuse (Diagonal Down-Forward+1) for a low/overhead mix-up that forces your opponent to block one way or the other. While Fancy Footwork is safe against most characters if it’s blocked, Kick Abuse can be punished, so use it sparingly.
Hollywood Variant
The Hollywood variant is where things really start to get interesting for Cassie Cage. She gains a few new basic attacks and combos, but the real gem here is the Nut Kracker she inherited from her father. If you end combos with the enhanced version (Nut Buster) is leaves the opponent standing and temporarily stunned. While you won’t be able to follow with any guaranteed attacks. Cassie has plenty of time to walk up and use a mix-up between Fancy Footwork, Kick Abuse, a throw, Street Smart, or anything else you want to attempt.
Cassie’s best new combo in Hollywood is Caged Heat (2, 1, Up+4), which knocks an opponent into the air if it hits, and is safe from punishment if the opponent blocks. She also gains Assault Force (Forward+3,4), which starts mid so it can’t be ducked, and ends with a hard knockdown that allows Cassie to pressure the grounded opponent if they don’t have meter.
Finally, Cassie gains the Air Kimbo (Back, Forward+1 in the air) double aerial projectile attack. The enhanced version (Air Multi-Gun) fires a third shot as soon as Cassie lands. This is an effective tool for zoning that she doesn’t have in the other variants. Overall this is one of Cassie’s best variants and should be your go-to fighting style for most matchups.
Brawler Variant
The Brawler variant adds the Severance Package combo (Forward+2,1+3) which ends with a throw. While the throw can be blocked if the first hit in the combo is blocked, when it connects it leaves Cassie at a slight advantage with the opponent standing right in front of her. This works well as a combo ender because the throw connects even if the opponent is airborne and allows Cassie to continue offensive pressure without having to spend meter to do so (like in the Hollywood variant).
While the advantage from the throw isn’t significant, it’s enough to use a Front Jab (1), Low Jab (Down+1), Back Strike (2), Low Heel (Down+3) or Cunning Sweep (Back+4) without being interrupted (although low attacks can interrupt any of the options that hit high). Many of these basic attacks are the first attacks of Cassie’s combos that can easily lead into additional damage.
When it comes to special moves Cassie gains Take Down (Back, Forward+3), Bow Breaker (Down, Back, Forward+2) and Air Power Slam (Down+Throw in the air). Take Down is an overhead tackle that works well to end combos. It can also be used as a mix-up after Heel Plunge (Forward+3). Heel Plunge is an overhead attack that leads into the Fancy Footwork combo (Forward+3,3). The second hit of Fancy Footwork is low, which means that if you cancel the first hit into Take Down the combo becomes overhead, overhead instead of overhead, low.
Bow Breaker is a command throw that can’t be broken and works well to end combo when you’re going for damage instead of a setup. The normal Air Power Slam is just a basic air throw, but the enhanced version (press Block in the air after the throw) causes the opponent to bounce off the ground. This allows Cassie to follow with a combo.
Spec Ops Variant
Cassie’s Spec Ops variant only adds two special moves, Air Assault (Down, Down+1) and The American Way taunt (Down, Back+1). By default Air Assault calls down a missile from above that lands in the middle of the stage. You can aim Air Assault to the left or right side of the stage by pressing the corresponding direction (Down, Down+1, Back or Down, Down+1, Forward). If you have trouble with the timing you can simply hold the direction immediately after the initial notation.
Air Assault hits low and can be used after combos to keep an opponent on their toes, but the real significance of this attack comes from using it in the corner. When the opponent can’t move backward you can easily setup situations that make it very difficult for an opponent to block. For example, if you combo into Air Assault so the missile lands in the corner, use Heel Purge (Forward+3) just before the missile lands. This is an overhead attack meaning the opponent will have to quickly block high, then block low. When timed well this is extremely difficult to block, which leads to a juggle if the Air Assault missile hits.
The enhanced version of Air Assault (Target Paint) works in a similar manner except that it tracks the opponent’s position and hits as an overhead attack. Use this in the corner (or even open space) as a mix-up with one of Cassie’s low-hitting attacks.
Sample Combos
30 percent (Hollywood) – 2,4,2, Forward+2,1, Down, Back+2, Run Cancel, B+1,2, Back, Down+3
32 percent (Brawler) – 2,4,2, Forward+2,1, Down, Back+2, Run Cancel, 3,3, Back, Forward+3
Note: In Spec Ops end combos with the Glow Kick for similar results.
Fatalities
Bubble Head – Forward, Down, Back, Forward, 1 (Mid-Screen)
Selfie – Down, Forward, Down, Back, 4 (Close)
Brutalities
Between The Eyes – With over 50 percent health, kill the opponent with Single Shot (Back, Forward+1) from a single jump distance away (about three character lengths).
For more Mortal Kombat X goodness, check out Prima’s free guide and discover all of the Fatalities in the game!
