Unwavering_Canadian
Smash Apprentice
- Joined
- May 3, 2014
- Messages
- 75
If you didn't already know, this is probably Kirby's (3.02) hardest matchup (if you don't know what to do). There are advantages and disadvantages to playing as Kirby. Against most other characters, you have distinct advantages such as easy gimps/ledgeguards, combo game (uptilts, dashes), and awesome aerials. Disadvantages to Kirby include slow-smashes, being super-light weight, and having a lack of ranged attacks (these are saved for other conversations). You lose your typical advantages against Metaknight though. Metaknight can't really be edgeguarded, tings with a lot of dash attacks, and outranges most of Kirby's aerials. So this matchup is completely different as your basic game is lost amongst Metaknight. This is how you deal with Metaknight.
In the air:
Bair is the aerial you should be using. It outranges Metaknight in the air and is fast enough to be thrown out consecutively to keep Metaknight at bay. Nair is a decent option since it is fast but is outranged by Metaknight's nair. You don't want to play this game in the air, you'll constantly be retreating with bairs, fortunately, Metaknight has to to come down at some point so play this game on the ground and wait it out if you have to.
Metaknight attacking you from air to ground:
Shield->Nair or Shield->Grab, if Metaknight doesn't hit you, punish with a dash attack or running jump-cancelled grab.
Metaknight/ any character shield spamming while you're above:
Inhale takes them out of shield. When they stop shielding, good, you can use your aerials again. And, as always with every smash game, land behind them if you can.
Metaknight below you chasing you up:
Avoid, you're not going to win this one. Side cutter to get away and rock to get down quickly.
On the ground, this is where you want to fight:
In the neutral game you can use dash attack to get in but if you spam then you're going to ting or get shield grabbed. Space well, dash dance, this is still an awesome move and more often than not will win. Best way to space it is dash attack while your opponent is near the ledge. That way you can either autograb ledge if you go past them or jump->bair right after. Running shffl'd nairs work well, same with bairs.
Where you will win this game is up close with grabs. So run-jump-cancel-grab often, or shield grab because Metaknight has to approach too.
Grab Combo's:
At all %: If you can read your opponent, grab-> (pummel if they're at reasonable %,>50%, otherwise they breakout) dthrow-> techchase-> dthrow. If they fly off stage, you can zone them with bairs. If they get-up attack you can shield-> grab or shield->up tilt, and if they tech-roll you can also choose to dash-attack.
At low % (0-~40%): Grab, upthrow, aerial (nair always works, or bair with followed bair sometimes works) *Guaranteed
At all %: grab-> (pummel) -> dthrow -> (turn around if you need to) jab -> walk/run up to them -> hammer (this takes a bit of timing but can kill around 65%) (this is also best choice, does ~38% damage)
At all %: grab-> (pummel) -> dthrow -> jab -> inhale -> nair
~150%: grab-> dthrow-> down-smash *Guaranteed
So the only ones which are guaranteed are the up throw and high % dsmash. Based on your opponent's DI/ teching/ get up attacks/ or rolling. You should be able to follow up with something listed here. Even if you're just randomly guessing they either get away or get-up attack you (4% trade for 11-38% is complete worth). (Side note, these combo's should work against other fastfallers but the timing/ percentage will be a bit different)
So in short, grab-> combo. Get smashing.
Kirby Kirby Kirby
In the air:
Bair is the aerial you should be using. It outranges Metaknight in the air and is fast enough to be thrown out consecutively to keep Metaknight at bay. Nair is a decent option since it is fast but is outranged by Metaknight's nair. You don't want to play this game in the air, you'll constantly be retreating with bairs, fortunately, Metaknight has to to come down at some point so play this game on the ground and wait it out if you have to.
Metaknight attacking you from air to ground:
Shield->Nair or Shield->Grab, if Metaknight doesn't hit you, punish with a dash attack or running jump-cancelled grab.
Metaknight/ any character shield spamming while you're above:
Inhale takes them out of shield. When they stop shielding, good, you can use your aerials again. And, as always with every smash game, land behind them if you can.
Metaknight below you chasing you up:
Avoid, you're not going to win this one. Side cutter to get away and rock to get down quickly.
On the ground, this is where you want to fight:
In the neutral game you can use dash attack to get in but if you spam then you're going to ting or get shield grabbed. Space well, dash dance, this is still an awesome move and more often than not will win. Best way to space it is dash attack while your opponent is near the ledge. That way you can either autograb ledge if you go past them or jump->bair right after. Running shffl'd nairs work well, same with bairs.
Where you will win this game is up close with grabs. So run-jump-cancel-grab often, or shield grab because Metaknight has to approach too.
Grab Combo's:
At all %: If you can read your opponent, grab-> (pummel if they're at reasonable %,>50%, otherwise they breakout) dthrow-> techchase-> dthrow. If they fly off stage, you can zone them with bairs. If they get-up attack you can shield-> grab or shield->up tilt, and if they tech-roll you can also choose to dash-attack.
At low % (0-~40%): Grab, upthrow, aerial (nair always works, or bair with followed bair sometimes works) *Guaranteed
At all %: grab-> (pummel) -> dthrow -> (turn around if you need to) jab -> walk/run up to them -> hammer (this takes a bit of timing but can kill around 65%) (this is also best choice, does ~38% damage)
At all %: grab-> (pummel) -> dthrow -> jab -> inhale -> nair
~150%: grab-> dthrow-> down-smash *Guaranteed
So the only ones which are guaranteed are the up throw and high % dsmash. Based on your opponent's DI/ teching/ get up attacks/ or rolling. You should be able to follow up with something listed here. Even if you're just randomly guessing they either get away or get-up attack you (4% trade for 11-38% is complete worth). (Side note, these combo's should work against other fastfallers but the timing/ percentage will be a bit different)
So in short, grab-> combo. Get smashing.
Kirby Kirby Kirby