Offense (slight % advantage or worse)
Due to Fox’s laser game Bowser has to take the initiative to approach. Don’t be afraid to get hit by them if it means you can hit Fox back, but don’t ignore them either. Use short hop airdodges and platforms to close in on Fox. To help you read the opponent and predict his options later, start by getting into his dash attack range and shield and see what he does.
- If he phantasms, after shielding run after him and klaw him
- If he runs in to dash attack you or grab you, jab or klaw him (ground version)
- If he tries to use his Down Air shield it and grab him
- If he keeps on short hop lasering or starts walking to space his tilts or whatever, short hop and klaw him, be sure to buffer something in case it misses, like jump, shield or jab.
Since Fox’s range isn’t that good, you can always default to short hop klaws and jab as your most reliable options. Don’t forget to mix in other options stuff too if they’re viable, like short hop airdodge past him into fortress/klaw, or FTilt if you catch him while he’s landing. KingKong managed to sneak in a Bomb that jumped over Fox’s short hop DAir for example.
When you’re airborne and falling don’t rely too much on klaw to approach Fox because he can beat it with Fair if he has enough time to react.
If you go after Fox when he is airborne with Fair or UAir make sure to space your attacks so they hit even if Fox stalls with his shine.
When Fox is on a platform go for a dashing USmash and start preemptively SDI’ing with your control stick away from Fox so he you can escape his DAir if you miss or get blocked. In case you hit, check the options listed 2 sections below.
Once you hit 95%, start expecting him to Up Smash at any given opening so try to DI away during the animation of your attacks when you approach. Depending on the player your facing you may or may not want to start playing more safely. Playing safe gives him more room to laser you but keeps you from dying too early and can net you more hits on a Up Smash hungry Fox.
If you catch Fox offstage or in the water, try to use firebreath as he is particularly susceptible to it. If your timing is amazing you can try to tap firebreath so it interrupts his recovery move, allowing you to easily edgehog him (and ledge hop klaw him if he still makes it back).
Defense (sizeable % advantage or better)
When hitting
Talk about grab release and klaw follow-ups, firebreath and uthrow/usmash?
When getting hit
How to SDI multiple hit moves and DI kill moves
Stages
What stages to srtike/ban/counterpick and why
[collapse="Notes"]Frame advantage of Fox's DAir on hit: Percent divided by 10 (rounded up)
UTilt /Reflector needs 3 frame advantage
Grab/DSmash need 6 frame advantage
USmash needs 8 frame advantage
front block - grab
back block - turn around OverB/Jab
moral is don't waste fortress on DAir unless you're not sure where he's landing
grab release - Jab -> Overb, FTilt or OverB to kill
Offstage: Run-off Nair/Wait a bit Klaw
SDI/DI almost everything the direction Fox is facing:
UTilt -> Up/Away from Fox, don't airdodge immediately
DAir - Away from Fox
Dash Attack -> Up/away from Fox
UpSmash -> Away/Down (kills at 96% no DI no momentum cancel, ~120% with DI and momentum cancel)
DSmash & FSmash-> Up/Towards the stage
Jab -> Towards Fox, he can react to this and try to UTilt you so SDI away from him if he does that consistently
FAir/UAir -> Down/Towards Fox, you can FAir Fox out of his rising FAir
Videos:
Limit vs LinkX
KKong VS GUARD (BISB 5 WSF)
Approach with short hop airdodges from afar or jump on platforms
Fox can Dash -> USmash Bowser out of his air-release, so don't input jump or up when you're mashing
Only things that reliably beat phantasm from afar are fortress and firebreath
Fox can stuff aerial klaw with FAir if he knows its coming
Hang onto ledge (not planking) to force losing Fox to stop laser camping? Hide behind stage obstacles if possible
Try to Fortress (without SDI'ing up by accident) the first two hits of Fox's jab so he can't jab->grab you[/collapse]
Due to Fox’s laser game Bowser has to take the initiative to approach. Don’t be afraid to get hit by them if it means you can hit Fox back, but don’t ignore them either. Use short hop airdodges and platforms to close in on Fox. To help you read the opponent and predict his options later, start by getting into his dash attack range and shield and see what he does.
- If he phantasms, after shielding run after him and klaw him
- If he runs in to dash attack you or grab you, jab or klaw him (ground version)
- If he tries to use his Down Air shield it and grab him
- If he keeps on short hop lasering or starts walking to space his tilts or whatever, short hop and klaw him, be sure to buffer something in case it misses, like jump, shield or jab.
Since Fox’s range isn’t that good, you can always default to short hop klaws and jab as your most reliable options. Don’t forget to mix in other options stuff too if they’re viable, like short hop airdodge past him into fortress/klaw, or FTilt if you catch him while he’s landing. KingKong managed to sneak in a Bomb that jumped over Fox’s short hop DAir for example.
When you’re airborne and falling don’t rely too much on klaw to approach Fox because he can beat it with Fair if he has enough time to react.
If you go after Fox when he is airborne with Fair or UAir make sure to space your attacks so they hit even if Fox stalls with his shine.
When Fox is on a platform go for a dashing USmash and start preemptively SDI’ing with your control stick away from Fox so he you can escape his DAir if you miss or get blocked. In case you hit, check the options listed 2 sections below.
Once you hit 95%, start expecting him to Up Smash at any given opening so try to DI away during the animation of your attacks when you approach. Depending on the player your facing you may or may not want to start playing more safely. Playing safe gives him more room to laser you but keeps you from dying too early and can net you more hits on a Up Smash hungry Fox.
If you catch Fox offstage or in the water, try to use firebreath as he is particularly susceptible to it. If your timing is amazing you can try to tap firebreath so it interrupts his recovery move, allowing you to easily edgehog him (and ledge hop klaw him if he still makes it back).
Defense (sizeable % advantage or better)
When hitting
Talk about grab release and klaw follow-ups, firebreath and uthrow/usmash?
When getting hit
How to SDI multiple hit moves and DI kill moves
Stages
What stages to srtike/ban/counterpick and why
[collapse="Notes"]Frame advantage of Fox's DAir on hit: Percent divided by 10 (rounded up)
UTilt /Reflector needs 3 frame advantage
Grab/DSmash need 6 frame advantage
USmash needs 8 frame advantage
front block - grab
back block - turn around OverB/Jab
moral is don't waste fortress on DAir unless you're not sure where he's landing
grab release - Jab -> Overb, FTilt or OverB to kill
Offstage: Run-off Nair/Wait a bit Klaw
SDI/DI almost everything the direction Fox is facing:
UTilt -> Up/Away from Fox, don't airdodge immediately
DAir - Away from Fox
Dash Attack -> Up/away from Fox
UpSmash -> Away/Down (kills at 96% no DI no momentum cancel, ~120% with DI and momentum cancel)
DSmash & FSmash-> Up/Towards the stage
Jab -> Towards Fox, he can react to this and try to UTilt you so SDI away from him if he does that consistently
FAir/UAir -> Down/Towards Fox, you can FAir Fox out of his rising FAir
Videos:
Limit vs LinkX
KKong VS GUARD (BISB 5 WSF)
Approach with short hop airdodges from afar or jump on platforms
Fox can Dash -> USmash Bowser out of his air-release, so don't input jump or up when you're mashing
Only things that reliably beat phantasm from afar are fortress and firebreath
Fox can stuff aerial klaw with FAir if he knows its coming
Hang onto ledge (not planking) to force losing Fox to stop laser camping? Hide behind stage obstacles if possible
Try to Fortress (without SDI'ing up by accident) the first two hits of Fox's jab so he can't jab->grab you[/collapse]