DKMikey
Smash Journeyman
I'm compiling a list of all project M advanced techniques (ATs). These techniques can be done by most, if not all, the cast and nothing is character-specific. I have divided the list into tiers. Top tiers are the most useful techniques, and mastering them will improve your game significantly. Bottom tiers won't improve your play very much. This thread is designed for new players, so they know what ATs are in project M and what they should practice.
Now, all I need is community feedback. What do you think of the tiers? Also, if I have missed any universal ATs, please let me know.
Edit: A future update will provide videos of these advanced techniques
Tier S Advanced Techniques - Practice, Practice, Practice!
Shorthop: Tap the jump button quickly. You will perform a shorter jump than usual. Short hops come out faster than full jumps.
Fastfall: Hold the control stick down at the peak of your jump. This will increase your fall speed. Can be done with either a short hop or a full jump.
L-Cancel: Right before you hit the ground, if you're in the middle of air attack, press the shield button to decrease the recovery time. There are 7 frames during which an attack can be L-canceled. The lag of the air attack will be cut in half. Your character will flash white if performed successfully.
SHFFL: Combine the techniques listed above. Short hop, perform an aerial attack, fast fall, and then L-Cancel.
Directional Influence (DI): Will alter your trajectory to help you survive better. Easiest way to do it is to just DI everything that sends you in a somewhat horizontal direction upwards and DI upwards-sending attacks in the same direction as the opponent is facing (or the opposite if they hit you with the back of the attack).
Smash Directional Infuence (SDI): Hold the C-Stick in a direction during the hitlag of an attack. Some attacks have multiple frames during which the attack connects (a Samus charge shot). You can input multiple Smash DI’s during this period.
Edge Hog: Excluding tether recoveries (ex: Zero Suit Samus, Ivysaur), only one character may be holding onto the edge at a given time. By grabbing the ledge before your opponent, you may prevent him from holding the edge to recover. Grabbing the ledge gives you invincibility frames. Rolling has the longest invincibility frames while you still actually occupy the edge, therefore, time a roll just as your opponent performs his up-B to keep him from grabbing on and yourself from getting hit.
Tech: After getting hit, press the shield button within 20 frames of hitting a surface. You can tech off a ledge, ground, or wall. Tilt the control stick left or right to roll during a ground tech. A tech jump (off a ledge or wall) can be performed by simultaneously pressing the jump button when teching.
Shield grab: Grab the moment the shield-stun wears off of your character from the opponent's attack move.
Tier A Advanced Techniques - Know Them, Use Them
Ledge Sweetspot: Use the up special to reach the furthest point from the edge of a platform at which your character can still grab the edge. Avoids most ground attacks by recovering too low to be hit, but vulnerable to edge hogging.
Tech Chase: Follow the opponent's tech (see: above), grab, throw, then follow however they tech the throw.
Crouch Cancel: Before you are hit, press down on the control stick to reduce the amount of damage and knockback dealt by the attack. This effectively guarantees a lower launch angle angle to DI.
Jab reset: Cancel the opponent’s tumbling or stun animation by hitting them with a jab.If they do not tech, you will “reset” their position and be and be able to follow up with virtually any move. There are two different reset states, one where you hit your opponent while they’re lying on the ground and another if they are standing or air borne (usually during a tumble).
Waveland: When in the air, immediately airdodge into the ground at any angle. Allows you to perform actions faster than if you wait for your character to hit the ground normally.
Waveland (onto stage): Move the control stick away from the stage, jump, and immediately waveland onto the stage.
Waveland (grab ledge): Wavedash near the ledge while facing away from it. Allows to quickly grab the edge.
Wavedash: Jump, then immediately airdodge into the ground at an angle. Each character has different timing based on their jump animations/duration.
Dash Dance: Tap the control stick back and forth quickly to keep turning around in the opening dash animation.
Perfect shield: If you press the shield button all the way down within 3 frames of you being hit, you will block the attack without putting up your shield and be able to retaliate immediately. If the attack is a projectile, you will reflect it back at your opponent and your shield will come up.
Pivot: Dash one direction, then quickly tap the opposite direction and perform any attack. The attack has to be performed as your character is pivoting to change his direction.
Reverse Neutral B: Tap the control stick in the opposite direction you face. Immediately press B.
Wavebounce: This technique only works in midair. Use any special, and then immediately tap the control stick in the opposite direction you face.
Reverse Aerial Rush (RAR): Run, tap the control stick in the opposite direction, and immediately jump as the turnaround animation begins. Your character will jump like a normal jump out of a run, but face the other direction.
Tier B Advanced Techniques - Situationally Useful
Dash cancel: While dashing, hold down on the control stick to cancel the dash.
Pivot Grab: Dash and then pivot in the other direction. At the exact moment of pivoting, press the grab button. This results in a grab that has longer reach than most normal grabs, with an invisible grab box for most characters.
Boost Grab: Dash, then press the attack button while dashing to perform a dash attack, then press the grab button immediately within the first frame to grab. If done correctly, the dash attack will be canceled and the player will skip straight to a grab. If they skip the first frame of the dash attack and then grab, then the player won't do a boost grab and will suffer the endlag of the Dash Attack.
Pivot + Boost Grab: Dash, tap down on the C-stick, and then immediately press Z+(The opposite direction you're facing).
Jump-Cancel: Jump. There is a period of delay, ranging from 3 to 8 frames, before your character actually leaves the ground. During this delay, since the character is grounded, it is possible to execute a few of the character's standing moves. These moves are up smash, up B, grab, and the item throw.
Tier C Advanced Techniques - Less Situationally Useful
Glidetoss: Grab a throwable item. Perform a roll and almost immediately (about 6 frames) after throw the item in any direction. The character will then cancel the roll and throw the item, but seeing as the player's momentum is kept from the roll, the character will slide along the ground.
Aerial Glidetoss (AGT): Grab a throwable item. Perform an airdodge and almost immediately (about 6 frames) after throw the item in any direction. The character will then cancel the dodge and throw the item.
Meteor Cancel: When hit with a meteor smash, you have 16 frames after hitlag to use an up special or jump, thereby cancelling your downwards momentum.
Shield angle: When shielding, move your control stick up, down, left, or right to prevent shield poking. (Shield poking refers to when the opponent hits a part of your body that is not covered by your shield).
Shield DI: Similar to SDI, except it refers to hitlag on shield.
Wavedash Out-of-Shield (OoS): After shielding with one shoulder button (L or R), immediately wavedash with the other shoulder button that wasn't used to hold the shield.
UpB/UpSmash Out-of-Shield (OoS): When shielding, hold up and B to use your up special. If your character jumps, you have pressed your special button (up+B) too late. To up smash out of shield, release the shield button before pressing up and A.
DACUS [some characters]: Initiate a dash attack by pressing down on the C-Stick and immediately afterward cancel the dash by pressing up on the control stick and Z at the same time to perform an up-smash.
Wall jump [some characters]: With certain characters (Lucario, Toon Link, Mario, Squirtle, etc.), you can jump toward a wall and then tap the joystick away from the wall to jump off of the wall. This doesn't use up any jumps.
Tier D Advanced Techniques - Rarely Useful
Shield Platform Drop: Be on a platform. Hit your shield button and tap down softly on the control stick after any frame your shield appears. If your shield tilts, you didn't press far down enough. If you spotdodge, you pressed it too far down.
Jab cancel: The jab cancel can be performed by any character with a multiple-attack neutral attack jab combo. At any point in the combo, before reaching the "final" hit, the player can quickly crouch to cancel the combo and allow the character to perform other attack moves without continuing the full combo.
Footstool: Use a taunt in midair when your character is directly above the opponent. You will bounce off of the character's head. When used on a grounded opponent, it briefly freezes the opponent while they are in an animation of the player bouncing off their head. When used on an opponent in midair, it causes the opponent to tumble a set distance.
Platform Cancel: Jump through a moving platform (ex: Smashville), press down on the C-stick or control stick when your character's feet are right below the platform, and then perform any action. Allows you to act faster off a moving platform.
Tier E Advanced Techniques - Derp Around With This Stuff
Moon walk: Dash in a direction and quickly do a half-circle rotation with the control stick to the opposite direction.
Pivot walk: Hold A, walk and push the C-stick in a 45 degree back-up direction (requires C-stick set to smash). Your character will spin 360 degrees, while still maintaining his forward velocity, and if you do this in the right pace your character will be continously spinning. You can do the same attacks out of this as you can a normal walk. If you press the c-stick too much up, you will start a dash, if you press the c-stick too much back, you will start charging a fsmash in that direction.
Taunt Cancel: Run towards a ledge and activate your taunt. The taunt animation will be cancelled, but the taunt sound will continue.
Now, all I need is community feedback. What do you think of the tiers? Also, if I have missed any universal ATs, please let me know.
Edit: A future update will provide videos of these advanced techniques
Tier S Advanced Techniques - Practice, Practice, Practice!
Shorthop: Tap the jump button quickly. You will perform a shorter jump than usual. Short hops come out faster than full jumps.
Fastfall: Hold the control stick down at the peak of your jump. This will increase your fall speed. Can be done with either a short hop or a full jump.
L-Cancel: Right before you hit the ground, if you're in the middle of air attack, press the shield button to decrease the recovery time. There are 7 frames during which an attack can be L-canceled. The lag of the air attack will be cut in half. Your character will flash white if performed successfully.
SHFFL: Combine the techniques listed above. Short hop, perform an aerial attack, fast fall, and then L-Cancel.
Directional Influence (DI): Will alter your trajectory to help you survive better. Easiest way to do it is to just DI everything that sends you in a somewhat horizontal direction upwards and DI upwards-sending attacks in the same direction as the opponent is facing (or the opposite if they hit you with the back of the attack).
Smash Directional Infuence (SDI): Hold the C-Stick in a direction during the hitlag of an attack. Some attacks have multiple frames during which the attack connects (a Samus charge shot). You can input multiple Smash DI’s during this period.
Edge Hog: Excluding tether recoveries (ex: Zero Suit Samus, Ivysaur), only one character may be holding onto the edge at a given time. By grabbing the ledge before your opponent, you may prevent him from holding the edge to recover. Grabbing the ledge gives you invincibility frames. Rolling has the longest invincibility frames while you still actually occupy the edge, therefore, time a roll just as your opponent performs his up-B to keep him from grabbing on and yourself from getting hit.
Tech: After getting hit, press the shield button within 20 frames of hitting a surface. You can tech off a ledge, ground, or wall. Tilt the control stick left or right to roll during a ground tech. A tech jump (off a ledge or wall) can be performed by simultaneously pressing the jump button when teching.
Shield grab: Grab the moment the shield-stun wears off of your character from the opponent's attack move.
Tier A Advanced Techniques - Know Them, Use Them
Ledge Sweetspot: Use the up special to reach the furthest point from the edge of a platform at which your character can still grab the edge. Avoids most ground attacks by recovering too low to be hit, but vulnerable to edge hogging.
Tech Chase: Follow the opponent's tech (see: above), grab, throw, then follow however they tech the throw.
Crouch Cancel: Before you are hit, press down on the control stick to reduce the amount of damage and knockback dealt by the attack. This effectively guarantees a lower launch angle angle to DI.
Jab reset: Cancel the opponent’s tumbling or stun animation by hitting them with a jab.If they do not tech, you will “reset” their position and be and be able to follow up with virtually any move. There are two different reset states, one where you hit your opponent while they’re lying on the ground and another if they are standing or air borne (usually during a tumble).
Waveland: When in the air, immediately airdodge into the ground at any angle. Allows you to perform actions faster than if you wait for your character to hit the ground normally.
Waveland (onto stage): Move the control stick away from the stage, jump, and immediately waveland onto the stage.
Waveland (grab ledge): Wavedash near the ledge while facing away from it. Allows to quickly grab the edge.
Wavedash: Jump, then immediately airdodge into the ground at an angle. Each character has different timing based on their jump animations/duration.
Dash Dance: Tap the control stick back and forth quickly to keep turning around in the opening dash animation.
Perfect shield: If you press the shield button all the way down within 3 frames of you being hit, you will block the attack without putting up your shield and be able to retaliate immediately. If the attack is a projectile, you will reflect it back at your opponent and your shield will come up.
Pivot: Dash one direction, then quickly tap the opposite direction and perform any attack. The attack has to be performed as your character is pivoting to change his direction.
Reverse Neutral B: Tap the control stick in the opposite direction you face. Immediately press B.
Wavebounce: This technique only works in midair. Use any special, and then immediately tap the control stick in the opposite direction you face.
Reverse Aerial Rush (RAR): Run, tap the control stick in the opposite direction, and immediately jump as the turnaround animation begins. Your character will jump like a normal jump out of a run, but face the other direction.
Tier B Advanced Techniques - Situationally Useful
Dash cancel: While dashing, hold down on the control stick to cancel the dash.
Pivot Grab: Dash and then pivot in the other direction. At the exact moment of pivoting, press the grab button. This results in a grab that has longer reach than most normal grabs, with an invisible grab box for most characters.
Boost Grab: Dash, then press the attack button while dashing to perform a dash attack, then press the grab button immediately within the first frame to grab. If done correctly, the dash attack will be canceled and the player will skip straight to a grab. If they skip the first frame of the dash attack and then grab, then the player won't do a boost grab and will suffer the endlag of the Dash Attack.
Pivot + Boost Grab: Dash, tap down on the C-stick, and then immediately press Z+(The opposite direction you're facing).
Jump-Cancel: Jump. There is a period of delay, ranging from 3 to 8 frames, before your character actually leaves the ground. During this delay, since the character is grounded, it is possible to execute a few of the character's standing moves. These moves are up smash, up B, grab, and the item throw.
Tier C Advanced Techniques - Less Situationally Useful
Glidetoss: Grab a throwable item. Perform a roll and almost immediately (about 6 frames) after throw the item in any direction. The character will then cancel the roll and throw the item, but seeing as the player's momentum is kept from the roll, the character will slide along the ground.
Aerial Glidetoss (AGT): Grab a throwable item. Perform an airdodge and almost immediately (about 6 frames) after throw the item in any direction. The character will then cancel the dodge and throw the item.
Meteor Cancel: When hit with a meteor smash, you have 16 frames after hitlag to use an up special or jump, thereby cancelling your downwards momentum.
Shield angle: When shielding, move your control stick up, down, left, or right to prevent shield poking. (Shield poking refers to when the opponent hits a part of your body that is not covered by your shield).
Shield DI: Similar to SDI, except it refers to hitlag on shield.
Wavedash Out-of-Shield (OoS): After shielding with one shoulder button (L or R), immediately wavedash with the other shoulder button that wasn't used to hold the shield.
UpB/UpSmash Out-of-Shield (OoS): When shielding, hold up and B to use your up special. If your character jumps, you have pressed your special button (up+B) too late. To up smash out of shield, release the shield button before pressing up and A.
DACUS [some characters]: Initiate a dash attack by pressing down on the C-Stick and immediately afterward cancel the dash by pressing up on the control stick and Z at the same time to perform an up-smash.
Wall jump [some characters]: With certain characters (Lucario, Toon Link, Mario, Squirtle, etc.), you can jump toward a wall and then tap the joystick away from the wall to jump off of the wall. This doesn't use up any jumps.
Tier D Advanced Techniques - Rarely Useful
Shield Platform Drop: Be on a platform. Hit your shield button and tap down softly on the control stick after any frame your shield appears. If your shield tilts, you didn't press far down enough. If you spotdodge, you pressed it too far down.
Jab cancel: The jab cancel can be performed by any character with a multiple-attack neutral attack jab combo. At any point in the combo, before reaching the "final" hit, the player can quickly crouch to cancel the combo and allow the character to perform other attack moves without continuing the full combo.
Footstool: Use a taunt in midair when your character is directly above the opponent. You will bounce off of the character's head. When used on a grounded opponent, it briefly freezes the opponent while they are in an animation of the player bouncing off their head. When used on an opponent in midair, it causes the opponent to tumble a set distance.
Platform Cancel: Jump through a moving platform (ex: Smashville), press down on the C-stick or control stick when your character's feet are right below the platform, and then perform any action. Allows you to act faster off a moving platform.
Tier E Advanced Techniques - Derp Around With This Stuff
Moon walk: Dash in a direction and quickly do a half-circle rotation with the control stick to the opposite direction.
Pivot walk: Hold A, walk and push the C-stick in a 45 degree back-up direction (requires C-stick set to smash). Your character will spin 360 degrees, while still maintaining his forward velocity, and if you do this in the right pace your character will be continously spinning. You can do the same attacks out of this as you can a normal walk. If you press the c-stick too much up, you will start a dash, if you press the c-stick too much back, you will start charging a fsmash in that direction.
Taunt Cancel: Run towards a ledge and activate your taunt. The taunt animation will be cancelled, but the taunt sound will continue.
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