With the details on Shang Tsung’s release date and much of the rest of the Kombat Pack DLC announced, the June 5 Kombat Kast had some very interesting things on offer. We finally got to have a look an in-depth look at what the Sorcerer of Souls will be able to do in Mortal Kombat 11. Suffice to say, Shang Tsung is looking trickier and nastier than ever before and we’re into it.

The latest Kombat Kast, announced on June 4, 2019, promised us a good look at Shang Tsung and it delivered with gusto. The team at NetherRealm studio wasted no time in diving into what kind of archetype Shang Tsung is and the bag of tricks that come with his devious style of fighting. Shang Tsung is a zoning and space control character. He’s not going to be a massive combo character, but his abilities are meant to frustrate his enemies with various long-distance moves, as well as pushing them back when they get too close.

Maybe one of the most interesting points of Shang Tsung is Mortal Kombat 11’s take on his Soul Steal ability. As in the past, Shang Tsung can use this command throw to damage his opponent and take on their appearance and moveset for a limited time. The normal Soul Steal lasts 6 seconds, but amplified, it will let Tsung stay in his opponent’s form longer.

Now this doesn’t just give you access to their regular moves. It also gives you access to their special Krushing Blows. Shang Tsung has his own Krushing Blows that operate normally, but by utilizing his opponent’s blows, he effectively has access to twice as many as any other character in the game. The only drawback is that using an opponent’s Krushing Blows does only 50% of its regular damage. Nonetheless, for the combo set-ups these moves make, it’s an aspect that will reward players that are knowledgeable of the Mortal Kombat 11 roster’s moveset.

Shang Tsung of course also has access to various MK11 character moves, such as Rain, Ermac, Reptile, and Smoke, which make up major aspects of Shang Tsung’s variations. Each ninja supplies a signature move to Tsung’s arsenal, such as Smoke’s parry and Ermac’s telekinetic slam. Depending on your preference, these ninjas will lend a number of capabilities and opportunities to your Shang Tsung gameplan.

With all of that said, we can look forward to Shang Tsung kicking off the first wave of DLC for the Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack on June 18. Are you excited to dive into play with the Sorcerer of Souls? Either way, you might want to check out Shang Tsung’s latest fatality reveal and bask in its nasty goodness. And keep an eye out for when the next Kombat Kast shows off Sindel!