Switching to Zelda for punishes?

[Faust the Lich]

Would there ever be a time where switching to zelda to punish an easily telegraphed move with a fair/bair would be a good idea? Maybe when punishing another sheik landing onstage in a ditto. I dont play sheik, but I thought of this and maybe I'm changing the metagame.

 

[TacoLord9000]

Well considering that Sheik is Zelda's worst matchup in the game, I would highly discourage it. Sheik's fair is so good that there really isn't any reason to try and switch to Zelda to get a greedier punish. Theoretically you can switch to Zelda in order to get inside the opponent's head, but its not worth it, especially against Sheik. The only really practical reason in switching is when you are offstage and you will not recover with Sheik's recovery, so you switch to Zelda in order to use her longer recovery. Zelda's only good matchup against high tiers is the ICs. She gets trashed on by every other high tier. Also I doubt many Sheik mains play Zelda, which makes this choice less viable.

 

[Stride]

Unless that "easily telegraphed move" takes over 73 frames (the time it takes to transform to Zelda, jump, and bair; frame-perfectly) + the approximately 15-20 frames of reaction time you'd need + the amount of time it takes for you to move out of the way before you transform, then no. You'd also have to transform back into Sheik afterwards.

It's practical/useful against a missed Rest when Zelda's bair will kill, but nothing else.

Ice (and presumably some other players too, though I haven't seen any; mostly those playing PAL) transform into Zelda in the Jigglypuff matchup; building damage with Sheik and killing with Zelda. That's playing Zelda normally though (albeit only once the opponent is at a high enough damage; for killing), not just transforming to punish one move and then transforming back like you're asking about.

 

[$alsa]

I would say just don't do it, Sheik has lots of punish options that she can use and switching to Zelda is basically just style points, which Sheik can do anyway with dair > fair.
And for what I think you're looking for, is just a BnB D-tilt/F-tilt > Fair.

 

[ThatLittleFatGirl]

There is 1 use and 1 use only from what I've found.
When a Samus is trying to bomb her way back to stage, go Zelda and jump at the bombs and Neutral-B. Samus can be hit by them now and you get the hitstun on samus so she'll die. Then just recover to stage and go back to Sheik.

 

[$alsa]

There is 1 use and 1 use only from what I've found.
When a Samus is trying to bomb her way back to stage, go Zelda and jump at the bombs and Neutral-B. Samus can be hit by them now and you get the hitstun on samus so she'll die. Then just recover to stage and go back to Sheik.

Sheik still has better alternatives to that, She can just go out and bair safely, which will do a lot more knockback.

Doing anything as Zelda is mostly just for BM or style points.

 

[Nishifue]

aaaaaaaaaa

 

[Ministry]

there are more viable options then people think.

in doubles you can switch to Zelda if u get hit up in the air and your partner dies. that way you can up b straight up and by the time you come back down to the stage, your partner will have re spawned and can protect your landing.

the air mobility is great so recovering on FD or dreamland then switching to sheik is very viable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxtvlwM_38#t=3m50s

obviously Zelda kills puff at 60 on any stage besides dreamland, so its no that bad a matchup. let alone punishing rest.

the Samus one is also good.

against icy's, if it is only sopo and I I am at very low % I play zelda because i dont want to take 80% off one grab from sopo since the chain grab is still amazing from icy's. if i have the lead then i don't need to risk getting chain grabbed by sopo. Usually i will only do this vs better players then me, since i'm confident in my sheik against players at my skill level or lower.

Also Zelda is great in some match ups for timing people out if its a super close set. Icy's and peach and some low tiers.

Zelda also has an infinite ledge stall that does damage. if you need time to slow down the pace and think about the match.

there are lots of situations. maybe not optimal ones. but that's how the meta is pushed. people trying new things. And i think the smash community is really bad in terms of just dismissing ideas because the collective opinion is that it is a bad idea.