There are a lot of fighters in developer NetherRealm’s newest fighting game Injustice 2, but one of the most intriguing characters is the deranged doctor Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow. This fighter is actually a hallucination caused by Scarecrow’s fear gas, meaning that most of the battle is in the opponent’s head. Scarecrow is a mid range fighter that thrives on keeping his opponents off balance via his hook and chain. While he has some up close combos, he is a fighter meant to control space or “zone.”
Scarecrow has a few powerful combos, however, he can be a bit inconsistent at times and his Character Power is not nearly as flashy as the likes of Blue Beetle, Deadshot, or Batman. There’s a lot of nuance to using this fighter as he requires players to not only predict opponent’s movements, but at what range they will try to engage you at. Here’s a basic breakdown of Scarecrow, his abilities, and some good starting combos to learn in Injustice 2:
Important Basic Moves:
- Hallucinations:
- Square, Square (PS4)
- X, X (Xbox One)
- Dark Perception:
- Square, Square, X (PS4)
- X,X,A (Xbox One)
- Subliminal Messages:
- Square, Triangle, X (PS4)
- X, A, Y (Xbox One)
- Chemical Mayhem:
- Back+Square, Triangle (PS4)
- Back+ X, Y (Xbox One)
- Another Experiment:
- Forward+Square, X (PS4)
- Forward+X, A (Xbox One)
- Delusional Episodes:
- Forward+Square, X, X (PS4)
- Forward+X, A, A (Xbox One)
- Grip on Reality:
- Triangle, Triangle, Forward+X (PS4)
- Y, Y, Forward + Square (Xbox One)
- Beware:
- Back+Triangle, Triangle, Square (PS4)
- Back+Y, Y, X (Xbox One)
- Be Afraid:
- Back+Triangle, Triangle, Square, X (PS4)
- Back+Y, Y, X, A (PS4)
- Lord of Despair:
- Forward+Triangle, Square, X (PS4)
- Forward+Y, X, A (Xbox One)
- Overdose:
- X, Forward+Triangle (PS4)
- A, Forward+Y(Xbox One)
- Mind Over Body:
- Forward+Triangle, Square (PS4)
- Forward+Y, X (Xbox One)
Special Moves:
- Death Spin:
- Down, Left, Square (PS4)
- Down, Left, X (Xbox One)
- Scythe Grab:
- Left, Right, Square (PS4)
- Left, Right, X (Xbox One)
- Toxin Breath:
- Left, Right, Triangle (PS4)
- Left, Right, Y (Xbox One)
- Fear-Ferno:
- Down, Left, Triangle (PS4)
- Down, Left, Y (Xbox One)
- Fear Toxin:
- Down, Left, X (PS4)
- Down, Left, A, (Xbox One)
- Schizophrenia:
- Down, Left, Right, X (PS4)
- Down, Left, Right, A (Xbox One)
- Panic Port:
- Up, Down
Character Power:
Crane’s Character Power is Fear Toxin, which initially allows him to cause damage over time to opponents that are close to him. A meter on the bottom right corner of the screen will begin to fill up as he deals damage and once it’s complete he can use a powerful ability known as Traumatize. This move stuns your enemy and allows Scarecrow to execute follow up attacks with little issue. The fastest way to build up Scarecrow’s Character Power is by using his fear gas based attacks such as Fear-Ferno, Scythe Grab (Meter Burn), and Toxin Breath.
When using Scarecrow’s power it’s important to know that it has a rather long wind up, meaning Scarecrow is fairly vulnerable while prepping it. When the match started you will want to either knock your foe away or onto the ground, as this will give you enough time to start your Character Power. If you don’t have an opening don’t fret over using it, as it’s better to keep the pressure on your opponent instead. Try to use Traumatize and conjunction with Super, as this will open them up so you can land the hit while they fall to their knees.
Playing as Scarecrow:
Scarecrow is a character that thrives on keeping his opponents off guard with his scythe, as the range of his attacks can make him exceptionally difficult to predict. One of the most important functions to understand when playing this villain is Special Canceling, as a lot of his combos feed into his Special Moves. If you need a refresher on how to actually Special Cancel go here. His bread and butter move is Death Spin as it deals a decent amount of damage, but more importantly forces your opponent back. This overhead swing combos perfectly with a variety of Scarecrow’s moves, however, these three of the best use it with.
- Beware (Special Cancel), Death Spin
- Hallucinations (Special Cancel), Death Spin
- Chemical Mayhem (Special Canel), Death Spin
These three moves allow players to not only deal some additional damage, but end their combos with the enemy on the ground. This will be crucial for activating your Character Power, as Death Spin almost always gives users a few seconds to prepare their next battle. Remember, if your foe is trying to run during Death Spin you can actually dash forward during the attack.
Your main move that builds up your Character Power meter will be Fear Toxin, which has Scarecrow launch a cloud of gas at his opponent. This has a nice knockback effect and pairs wonderfully with moves that want to force close range brawlers like Bane or Gorilla Grodd away from you.You can also use Fear Toxin in the air, so if you want to force your foe away while they are airborne this move is perfect. Here are a few of the moves we like to combo with Fear Toxin:
- Mind Over Body (Special Cancel), Fear Toxin
- Another Experiment (Special Cancel), Fear Toxin
Toxin Breath is okay and can be a decent finish to a combo, however, this move is only great if you have your Character Power active or want to keep an opponent close. You can use Toxin Breath with the same combos listed for Fear Toxin, however, the move will end with them closer rather than pushed away. As for Fear-Ferno, it’s not great for stopping projectiles since the timing can be a bit wonky at times, so don’t rely as heavily on this move. It’s Meter Burn version is great for sending people into the air, but otherwise, don’t use it as a finisher.
One of the most interesting is Schizophrenia as it’s not only one of the coolest looking moves in the game, but allows you to grab the opponent and toss them away. The trick is Schizophrenia is exceptionally difficult to land as Scarecrow as a very small grab range, meaning you’ll need to be right in front of them to make this move hit. Because of this, you will need to use combos like Beware that don’t push opponents back in order for it to succeed.
Finally, Scarecrow’s biggest weakness is that other zoning characters like Deadshot can be very tricky matchups for Scarecrow as closing the distance is very difficult. While he can teleport via Panic Port, this is interruptable and has a slow animation that makes it easy to read. Given Fear-Ferno is a bit unreliable when it comes to stopping fast moving projectiles, you will want to get your timing down so you can close the gap.
For faster, more combo driven characters like Catwoman, Cheetah, and Robin try to use Scarecrow’s unorthodox reach to keep them at bay. Scythe Grab as a good range and if you can land any of his forward attack moves then you have a chance to push them away. Scarecrow is a very fun and unique character that is perfect for those who want to try more mid-range fighters without resorting to projectile based attacks. However, he will take some time so make sure to go to the practice area to test out these powerful combos and hone in on your Special Cancel skills.
After some work, you will be able to bring fear to the world of Injustice 2 and its player base.
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‘Injustice 2’: How to Play as Scarecrow