Duck Hunt MU Analysis

PROS/CONS: Alright let’s start with some of her Pros.

PROS:

· Has a great bait and punish game

· Bat within comes out frame 1 on spot dodge and air dodge

· Witch Time is………

· Side B can go through our Projectiles

· Great offstage pressure

· Hard to challenge off stage

· Dive kick is safe pressure on shield

· Hard to contest in the air (due to air dodge start up frames, bat within, witch time option, dive kick, long lasting aerials)

· Can Witch Time close projectiles

· Great OOS option with Up B

· Fantastic Taunts

CONS:

· Pretty slow

· Doesn’t get much off of grabs

· Laggy Smash Attacks

· Struggles at killing around high percentages

· No real kill throw

· Can get zoned out

· Bad grab range/speed compared to ours

· Slow start up on moves

· Landing lag is increased with the more specials performed in the air

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

From what I’ve gathered this character is going to want to bait and punish your commitments. Sometime Bayo players will use Bullet Climax to force an approach. Grounded Side B will beat our projectiles and can lead to a 40/50% combo or even death in some cases. If the combo is missed they will usually throw out the lingering Nair to reduce landing lag and not be punished (due to the incredible lag induced by her combos). At high percents, high level Bayos will opt to get a Witch Time to take care of the stock or just a hard read with her smashes. She also has a GREAT off stage game, so don’t be surprised if a player jumps off the edge to challenge your recovery.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Due to the slow start up on most of her options, you will either see two styles of Bayonetta. One being a very defensive and safe oriented style and the other very aggressive.

Aggro Bayo: Now from what is gathered so far, this style is not the most optimal way of playing her. She doesn’t have any “quick” moves and for that a lot of higher level players opt to play her defensive. These agro players however use Side B in neutral to get a combo started, up throw to up b, or just rack on damage with Bullet Climax, jab, and well-spaced tilts/aerials.

Defensive Bayo: Now this is more of her style in my opinion. You may see this player use a lot of Short Hops in neutral trying to bait you, make you think she is vulnerable and punish your failed attempts. You may see this player throw out a lot of retreating aerials like Fair and Bair, Bullet Climax, Falling lingering Nair, and Dive Kicks. When you mess up, BOOM, they connect with a Dive Kick or grounded Side B and here comes the combo.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Do not! And I repeat DO NOT!! Get caught in either the grounded Side B or Witch Time if you can help it. Side B will take you on the roller coaster ride of your life with the only experience you’ll get out of it being 40-50% or death. And with Witch Time……..good luck. They usually charge a smash attack or just set up for a Witch Twist combo starter.

STAGE PICKS:

From what I’ve heard from Bayonetta mains and from what I’ve seen, Tri Platform stages do not really benefit her as much because they mess up her combo strings. So stages like

Battlefield

Lylat

Dreamland

Can be good picks vs this character. Try to avoid stages with less room and low vertical blastzones for they will benefit her more than you.

HOW TO PLAY:

You’re going to want to play her defensively. You do not want to be too close and get caught in a nasty combo. Now yes, this may seem difficult to a lot of you but trust me, it pays off in the end when you’re not featured on a combo video. She struggles getting in, so make that your life’s goal. Set up a wall with Can and Gunmen. I say these two specifically because her grounded Side B can easily go through Clay Pigeon. Dive Kick is actually not that useful to her in this match up because your use of gunmen can intercept it quite easily. Our Can can too, but not as good. I like to use this technique to punish her….yea I said it, punish. Force her to approach, hit her with everything you’ve got. If you see her shielding a lot, punish with a grab, combo her, and go back to your tent. DO NOT OVER COMMIT! If you do find yourself caught in a combo DI down and away. The way she is facing is the way you’re going to be tossed out before she connects with another After Burner Kick. DI down and away, and watch for an opportunity to air dodge. And last but not least, once she has you off stage recover low with the can right on top of you.

PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Heavy Character, even harder to kill him

· Shell is invincible on most moves

· Jab and ftilt become intangible when used

· Flame breath can disrupt most projectiles

· Grab combos

· Pretty fast, able to rush down

· Pretty average recovery

· Good spacing game

· Command grab

· Pivot grab is……

CONS:

· Big hurtbox coupled by weight makes him combo food

· Pretty vulnerable offstage

· Has trouble landing

· Flame breath is easily punishable

· Can get walled out due to size

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

So Bowser is going to want to grab you. That’s where he gets most of his damage. A grab to up throw follow up can lead to 20+ percent. Bowser players will have to also have a good spacing and footsie game, spacing ftilt and jabs to make it closer to their opponent. They like pressuring and conditioning shield with well-spaced tilts and jab. Once you’re committed to shielding, it makes it easier for them to grab you.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Alright, so you shouldn’t see a very defensive Bowser, because well it doesn’t benefit him as much as it does other characters. Instead, you will either see a very aggressive Bowser or a patient one.

Aggro: Now this isn’t the most optimal way of playing him, but hey that won’t stop a lot of people who need their agro fix. You will usually encounter these Bowsers at lower levels of competitive play throwing out dash attacks, running head first without thought into battle. They’re looking for the grab and nothing else. Heck, they may even throw out a few random Fsmashes and Bowser Bombs (Down B).

Patient: Now this is the most optimal way of playing the character. You may find this player baiting or waiting for an opportunity to break your defenses. You’ll see dash dancing or shield dashing in neutral, flame breath, jab/tilt spacing etc. They rarely throw out smashes and will most likely not use Bowser Bomb and Dair to land every time.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Bowser is a very scary character to play against. Back in the good old days this wouldn’t have been the case, see a Bowser and camp him out. But in Smash 4 he is new and improved. He is quick on his feet, pretty good spacing tools (Ftilt, Jab, and Dtilt), combo throw, kill throw, and strong smashes. Look out for grabs, whether that be his command grab (Koopa Claw) or his regular grab. It leads to a lot of damage. Also do not shield Bowser Bomb all the way through, it will break your shield and if you’re over 30% you will lose your stock. Smash attacks are slow, but really strong so be wary. Be careful when getting off the ledge, Bowser can cover every option, so make sure you mix it up depending on his habits. Oh and his pivot grab…………IS AMAZING! LOOK OUT FOR THAT

STAGE PICKS:

Bowser loves to be up close and personal with his opponents so the smaller the stage and less obstacles to plow through the better; so keep this information in mind. Also Tri platform stages benefit him as well as stages with smaller vertical blastzones. My recommendation is to just keep it simple for the most part.

Smashville

Town and City

Duck Hunt (if u don’t mind the ducks)

Final Destination (Omegas)

Stages like Battlefield will prove to be very difficult because of the platform layout. Bowser can pressure platforms VERY well just by standing under them. Upsmash, up tilt, command grab, Nair, and Bowser Bomb are some of these options available to him to complete this task. The platforms also allow him to avoid pressure from above. Couple this with the fact that most of his kills will be from the top blastzone, Dreamland should be the ban.




HOW TO PLAY:

Look I’m not going to lie to you…..you may want to pitch that tent. Bowser is just really good up close, not saying we lose this match up in the slightest, but hey let’s call a spade a spade. You’re going to want to wall him out. Gunmen to force him to stop moving and shield. Trust me Bowser isn’t just going to jump in the air, because that’s where they are the most vulnerable because they have limited landing options. If you do find yourself fighting a flying Bowser, you can bait a Dair, Bowser Bomb landing and punish accordingly, catch him with a Clay Pigeon/Can, or just get out of the situation. Clay pigeon is also a good tool to catch his approaches, and the Can just makes grabbing stage control easier. Throw combos can net you some good damage so capitalize on all of your set ups and steal stage control. You can bait a Flame breath by throwing out a gunmen and jumping over the flames to punish. Get them off stage to edge guard appropriately with can, cover the ledge get up with your projectiles and you’re good. If you do get grabbed DI up and away and jump away (for Up throw), they will look for air dodge reads from mid to high percents.

Bowser Jr.


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Good movement options with the Clown Kart

· Quick and powerful smash attacks

· Great versatile projectile in MechaKoopa

· Good mix ups

· Aerials are strong and have good range

· Lives longer due to weight

· Safe shield pressure

CONS:

· Clown Kart can be challenged pretty easily

· MechaKoopa can be picked up pretty easily

· Bad grab frame data along with follow ups out of it

· Recovery can be nullified

· MechaKoopa can be destroyed

· Up B is VERY punishable

· Can lose to shield due to bad grab options

· Mecha Koopa is very punishable if it is deployed close

· Lacks speed outside of Clown Kart

· Bad boxing game

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Bjr is good at outcamping campy characters. Not necessarily what every player will be looking for, but they have that option. They are looking to convert big damage off of mixups involving Side B and traps. Connecting with their Side B leaves them with a multitude of options afterwards, whether that be Nair, Fair, Dair, Bair, or Up B. Deploying Mecha Koopa is just as important to them as our Can is to us. They want the MK on the stage at all times. Bjr players thrive on having their opponents on their toes throughout a match.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

I wouldn’t necessarily classify Bowser Jr playstyles like the previous characters, because overall they are going to net kills off the same things. So I am just going to categorize them in two spots, Bait and Punish and Zoning.

Bait and Punish: This style revolves around the player throwing out projectiles like the MechaKoopa and Cannonball to provoke an option, whether that be shield, jump or attack. They will punish your mistakes with Side B that leads into multiple follow ups and traps. They will always throw out the Koopa to gain stage control and force an option out of their opponent. It’s a walking hitbox!

Zoning: This style revolves around a lot of aerial spacing along with projectile walling out. The player will throw out a lot of aerials to keep you out and away and with great aerials like Bair, Nair and Fair they can do so.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

First thing you need to look out for is the MechaKoopa. This projectile is a moving hitbox and needs to be dealt with immediately. Just by flinging it out, the player is forcing your hand. You will have to pick it up, destroy it, jump, or shield. Look out for the Clown Kart as well, like I’ve stated previously, this is their combo starter. You will take a mean chunk of damage if it connects. Side B to Up B is a kill set up and is their safest means of killing an opponent so be cautious of that at high percents. Smash attacks have been buffed so now they are stronger and almost unpunishable so do not get baited.

STAGE PICKS:

Because of Bjr’s versatility he doesn’t really have a stage that benefits him enough to warrant a ban, but you still need to be smart. There are just as much setups for this character as there is for Duck Hunt.

Lylat

Lylat is a notable one for this can disrupt some set ups and make it hard for Bjr to use his Neutral B. I would say just choose the stages you are most comfortable on.




HOW TO PLAY:

Now this is a matchup that will benefit an aggressive style of play. Because Jr does not have a large arsenal of “boxing” tools and not a good grab, he can find himself troubled when the opponent is constantly in his face. I would say play this matchup midrange at most. Deploying MechaKoopa close to the opponent is punishable (starts on frame 54), Side B starts on Frame 20, Ftilt is pretty slow, jab can be DI’d out of and Cannonball starts on frame 43. Pressure the player with well-spaced fairs, grabs, projectiles and jab. Giving him room is just as detrimental as giving Duck Hunt room to set up. When you see the Mecha Koopa the best option is to grab it, but that may not be the best for everyone. If you do not feel comfortable grabbing the MK, then shield or jump over it. You can easily grab the Koopa by shielding it first then dropping shield and pressing the A button. Shield an incoming Side B and wait for the follow up if you do not feel comfortable rolling away after the Side B hits your shield. Never find yourself getting flustered, the more you play this character the easier the matchup becomes. This goes for all characters, but for Jr I feel like it is doubled.

Captain Falcon


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· He is the second fastest in the game

· Weight makes him harder to kill

· Frame 3 Jab

· Strong Smashes

· GREAT off stage game

· Grab follow ups

· Good aerials

CONS:

· Weight coupled with fall speed make him combo food

· Predictable neutral game

· No projectiles, can get zoned out easily

· Punishable smashes

· Vulnerable recovery

· Punishable and laggy specials


OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Look, we all know what they want……………a Knee or spike offstage. But not only that Falcon players are looking for style, they are looking to get in and do some damage. A grab is their main priority and leads into a lot of damage and potentially a stock. Dash attack is a good combo starter and is the second option you will see the most when fighting a Captain Falcon.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Reading all this should lead you to one conclusion, they play a Bait and Punish style. This is quite easy to do when you are the second fastest in the game. You see your opponent shield, run up and grab. You see your opponent throw out a laggy move? Punish with a grab or dash attack. Captain Falcons will usually use their movement to their advantage to feel out their opponents. Things like Dash dancing, perfect pivots, jabs, and shield dashing. They want either a grab or dash attack and depending on what you do leads to their next move.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

There are three main things to look out for when fighting this character (other than random Falcon Punches and Fsmashes). Dash attack and Running grabs. Like I said before, these are the combo starters and can lead to massive damage and or a stock loss.

STAGE PICKS:

No matter what you pick, you’re going to get the same thing. Dash attack……Dash grab. It’s mainly all up to preference. Now I will say this, stages like Battlefield and Dreamland will lead to extended combos due to how the platforms are set up and how small the stage is. So just take note of that. Lylat can make recovering for Falcon hard as well.

HOW TO PLAY:

So the two main projectiles you’re going to want to use in this matchup are Clay Pigeon and can. Now yes you can use your gunmen, but be cautious of Falcon’s speed for if you’re too close he can charge in and punish it. Clay Pigeon can halt approaches, which he’ll be doing often and lead to combos due to his weight and the can is just good for follow ups, coverage, stage control, and challenging that bad recovery. Playing a neutral playstyle is best for this matchup. Keep him out with your projectiles, but once he closes in mix up your options. Don’t go for laggy moves close, but keep it consistent and optimal. Look for many follow ups after connecting with a fair out of grab or projectile connect. Because of his weight he is COMBO FOOD, so capitalize. If you are off stage, PRAY! No just joking, but keep an eye out. Falcon has a great off stage game and can easily meteor spike you to your doom. Cover yourself with falling gunmen and/or Can above you while getting back to the stage. The same goes when he is off stage, now it is your turn. Throw out can to pressure him, run off Nair, Fair, Bair, or Dair him, or even gunmen to stop horizontal recovery.

Charizard


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Pretty good frame data for a Heavy

· Multiple Jumps

· Heavy weight makes him harder to kill

· Ranked 8th run speed in the game

· Kill throw

· Good aerials

CONS:

· Weight and Size make him susceptible to combos

· Offense and defensive options are average at best

· Smash attacks are slow to start and have a good amount of endlag

· Struggles landing

· Specials are very punishable

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Honestly, I don’t think there is much to say here. Charizard is just an overall average character. He doesn’t succeed in just one thing and he doesn’t suck either, it’s all dependent on how good the player is. Of course being a heavy hitter with a few fast moves makes his playstyle baiting and punishing. So with this in mind, the Zard player will be looking to rack on damage from your over commitments and finish the stock with either an up throw or hard read.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Like I stated previously in Opponent Goals, Zard players will be seeking to bait you so they can capitalize on a nice chunk of damage. Bait and Punish is the name of this game. Having a fast jab to combat players that get to close, a Dtilt/Ftilt that can zone grounded characters, along with an Up tilt and Up Smash that can deter aerial approaches, Zard has the overall package. You will see a lot of AC (auto canceled) Nairs to pressure shield or start a combo, Dtilt/Ftilt spacing and Flamethrower to halt approaches.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

When you hear Charizard one thing should come to mind……..Flare blitz! With the buff on his Side B, it is an actual tool when getting a hard read on your opponent and can potentially kill at mid to high percents. Another move to look out for at high percents is his up throw. It has been constantly buffed and kill at pretty early percents dependent on rage and stage mechanics. Rock smash is a low key godlike mixup when landing with charizard, it has super armor and will put on a nice chunk of damage if it connects all the way through. Also don’t get sucked up by his up b, it is very strong and can easily kill you off the top.

STAGE PICKS:

Eh, there are no preferred stages that I would recommend, this one is entirely up to your preference. I would stay away from stages with small vertical blastzones, but if you feel like it can benefit you then go right ahead.

HOW TO PLAY:

Alright this a matchup versus a heavy, by now you know what the name of the game is…… BUILD A WALL, and hell, let’s make him pay for it. Set your Gunmen and Can in the right places and let your Clay Pigeon deter approaches. If the Zard player is trying to physically break through your defense, let him, he’s only digging his own grave. Punish his attempts! Flamethrower is a pretty good move to deal with our projectiles, but it is still pretty punishable. Jump over it and punish the player accordingly. Look, you’re just going to have to play this matchup by ear. Take stage control, wall him out, and punish accordingly. Get the player offstage and take advantage of his size. Zard is combo food on stage and subpar off it. If you see the Zard throwing out a lot of Side B’s wait for it and throw out a Gunman to intercept it. Just make sure you are a good distance behind the gunman so the impact doesn’t catch you. Shield Nair, bait heavy commitments, capitalize off of your grabs and you’re good.

Cloud


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Has a HUGE sword (Fantastic Range)

· Fast aerials

· 9th run speed in the game

· Limit Break

· Projectile (that can cancel out ours)

· Great juggle game

· AC Dair is nonpunishable on shield

· Can cancel out of Limit Break charge with ease

· Fast smashes

CONS:

· Horrible recovery outside of Limit Recovery

· No combos off of throws

· Takes 6.7 seconds to charge limit

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

A Cloud just wants his Limit Break….thats it. With the limit charged he gains speed not only on the ground, but in the air. As well as speed, he can now recover from the depths of hell, has a stronger projectile, and has access to dangerous specials in Cross Slash and Finishing Touch. The cloud player is going to want to charge limit at every chance you give him.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

There are two playstyles to Cloud, which you’ll probably see unfold as the match goes on. The first playstyle is a Zoning playstyle and the second is a more Aggressive pressure like playstylye.

Zoning: The Cloud player will keep you out by throwing out Bairs, Nairs, and well-spaced Fairs while simultaneously getting away from you so he can charge limit and get access to immense power. You will see this player opt to roll and run to platforms, traversing the stage with nonpunishable AC Dairs. Once they get their limit they will switch to getting some more damage and getting that stock.

Aggro: The player will opt to be in your face at all times. Screw charging! I’m going to get the limit regardless, I might as well get it off of damage dealt. You will see well-spaced aerials coupled by a few grabs here and there. Oh, and Dash attack, it’s actually a really good option to catch your opponent off guard or just plow through defenses. This player is going for maximum damage, whether that be from the previously stated means or by juggles.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

The first thing to look out for is his Up Air. It is a very quick and strong aerial and due to its properties, it can juggle you like nothing. Try not to get put in the air too much and land as soon as possible. If you lose your jump you can eat a clean 45% off of Up Air juggles alone. It also combos if the player falls with it at the right time. Another move to look out for is Dair, if AC’d you can find yourself in a very weird spot for it cannot be punished and can bait opponents very easily. Dash attack and well, all of his smashes are safe options to throw out, so those are a few moves to look out for on top of the ones I’ve stated recently. His specials become a problem once he has limit. Cross slash can kill early, packs on good damage, is invincible in the first few frames, and is almost nonpunishable once it ends. Up B gains a huge increase and is an actual recovery option now, Blade Beam can go throw most energy projectiles, is multi-hit, and has a longer distance, and Finishing touch (grounded) can end a stock starting at 60%. Nair is a really good tool offstage for a Cloud, it can lead to a gimp or stage spike, so be on the lookout for that as well. Fair and Dair spike, but those are easier to avoid.

STAGE PICKS:

I would caution you from picking any stages with a Tri platform layout as well as low ceiling. Ban or avoid going to Battlefield, Dreamland, or Town and City. He can also camp you out on Duck Hunt, so there aren’t many options.

Lylat

Final Destination (Omegas)

Smashville

Here are some stages that are safe for you. Battlefield and Dreamland allow him to get his juggles off much easier and consistently while allowing him to charge limit safely. Dreamland allows him to do all of that plus be able to kill you off the top earlier. I recommended these stages for they give you more of a fighting chance and give him less room to run and get limit.

HOW TO PLAY:

Look, I’m sorry to say this, but this matchup is not in our favor in the slightest. Think about the Sonic and Fox matchups….now combine the two, but give fox a physical projectile. Cloud is fast, has a good projectile, good range, strong moves and can get even stronger……it’s just what it is and we have to adapt accordingly. Don’t give up, stick to the game plan. In this matchup I wouldn’t necessarily say to charge in head first to stop him from charging limit, but you do want to lay on some pressure and make it hard for him to do so. You have to stay as mobile as you possibly can. MOVE! Set up your traps and traverse the stage, make him work for his limit. Clay Pigeon to stop approaches and catch landings, Can to lay pressure on him and to control a portion of the stage, Gunmen to apply pressure and force a defensive option. THIS IS DUCK HUNT! On stage you want to pressure him from a safe distance. Do not get too close, but at the same time make him earn his limit. With all this in mind you will also need to have the objective of getting him offstage in mind. By any means necessary, get the player offstage and capitalize on his vulnerable recovery. Now I’m not saying you’ll easily be able to net a Dair spike, but you need to make his life hell once he’s offstage. Can, Pigeon, Gunmen, Nair, Dair, Fair, and Bair….whatever it takes. If he has limit on stage, make him earn that kill. Back off, apply pressure, and get your damage. If off stage with limit, make him waste it with recovering. Yes Blade Beam can disrupt our projectiles, but don’t let that discourage you, this just means you have to adapt. Get a little closer with your set ups so you can punish the endlag on Blade Beam. He’s dash attacking your Gunmen and Can? Shield and throw him off stage. You have to be as adapting and mobile as he is.

Corrin


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Great Range

· Good mobility options with DL (Dragon Lunge)

· Good projectile (DFS, Dragon Fang Shot)

· Kill throw

· Good aerials

· Good recovery

· Strong counter

· Fsmash charge has hitbox

· Multiple options out of DL

CONS:

· Pretty slow outside of DL

· DFS can get beat out pretty easily

· Weight and size leave her to be susceptible to combos

· Up Smash kinda sucks, is mainly used for hard reads or an anti air

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

There is a range in which Corrin wants to be at during the match. This bubble is about, I would say, the range of her Fsmash. Within this bubble you will get a multitude of well-spaced aerials, tilts, and DFS. Some of her main combo starters are Dtilt, which can lead to another Dtilt, Ftilt, Up tilt, etc and she/he will be looking for a DL pin. They will also look for mix ups out of connecting a DFS if they’re in the proper range for one.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

There is really only one style of playing Corrin and that is Zoning. They want to keep you at a certain distance, while having the option to wall you out with aerials and tilts or land one of their combo starters. If the situation is not in their best interest, they can always DL out of there. You may see a lot of Dtilt and Ftilt spacing, Short Hop Nairs/Fairs and retreating Bairs.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Look out for the DFS. It stuns you for a while and depending on how close you are to Corrin, you may get hit with the Fang hitbox which causes a good amount of Knockback and damage. DL is a unique move that if it pins you the player can either lunge through you, jump causing a force tech situation, or cancel it. It also gives the player another movement option. DL has a strong hitbox at the tip that can potentially kill you near the ledge or at high percents. Fsmash has a charging hitbox so be wary and is very strong at the tip as well. It also has really REALLY good range. Up air is a move you need to watch out for at high percents along with Nair which can combo at low to mid percents. Her jab can pack on a lot of damage and comes out at frame 5.

STAGE PICKS:

I hear from a lot of Corrins that Battlefield and Dreamland are her best stages due to the platform layout coupled with her DL movement options so I would advise not going there. Up air is very strong so remember which stages have low ceilings. Other than those two, there aren’t many more stages to ban.

HOW TO PLAY:

For the “How To Play” section I’ve consulted with a Duck Hunt player that has a lot of MU matchup experience vs Corrin, as well as compiled data from Smashboards, Duck Hunt Discord and personal experience. You can also check out his Youtube channel where you’ll find many Duck Hunt videos including matches vs Corrin. This is what he had to say about it…

Dawangthang:
**CHECK OUT HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE**
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj03C3LKKtcsQ115Uxf0Ubg

“So one thing that's unique to corrin that if you don't gimp her before she uses up b, it is almost impossible to gimp her. Her up b makes her basically invincible to all of our projectiles. Best way to get it is to try and dair her at the ledge

One thing you need to be warry of is all of the space she is able to control with her moves. Not only is she able to do this but she is able to take you out at 80% if she tippers f smash at the middle and side b at the ledge

Doggo is also combo fodder for her. If you look at one of my matches, she was able to get a 60% string on me basically guaranteed once my jump was gone.

So this is the game

She is slow, so you are able to box her in somewhat.

Once she learns the timing of your projectiles however, she can swat away all of them with any of her moves. Everything is completely safe. Even if you throw a can at her dair, most of the time it'll knock away the can

All of your aerials are completely unable to challenge hers so basially you have to hit her off of reads, baits, and combos

Her jab is amazing and can kill you at 160% with the gentlemen version of it

So her up close game is extremely good

Paralyzer isn't too much of an issue for us. Treat it like a more punishable version of samus charge shot and you're fine

If you do get hit by it however, it can lead to your death

So do be careful


Clay pigeon is able to fly right through weak charge shot with no issue. That's a free combo for you if you notice them not going for the full thing

If they use a stronger charge shot, it will break right through the pigeon and hit you

To protect yourself from these guaranteed, use gunman

Her aerials have extremely low landing lag so you need to recognize when you're able to capitalize. If she lands directly on your shield, you must act immediately to get the punish. If you're trying to run in and punish, you'll probably get punished instead

Last move I need to talk about is dragon lunge

Lunge is one move we can deal with extremely well

Your can is able to cover every option they can do out of it

Learn the stage layout and how they can utilize their lunge and you can punish it accordingly

One thing to keep in mind though is if she pins you out the edge at around 90%, you're probably dead

Corrin Game mindset

They will want to negate your projectile pressure from far while slowly closing in. Or if you're going aggro, wait to see how you approach

One thing that corrin excels at is countering the can

She can use f smash and lunge to snipe the can and 95% of the time it'll just fly right back in your face

You'll want to bait out attacks from her but be extremely careful. Normally doggo likes to play at the mid range but this is where corrin excels because of the aforementioned tipper. If you full hop, you'll out of range but she can bait this out easily

You want to have a gunman pressuring her on stage at all times. She is too slow to really take them down and it helps you pressure her when she gets up close

All of her tilts are great combo starters and outrange everything we have except for out smash attacks. It's something to keep in mind when you try to challenge her


She'll try to catch you with those to start her strings and get you to death percent

She'll look for a lot of fsmash kills if you're heavily grounded and like to roll and if you're a jumper, she'll go for up air to kill

She can gimp you nicely with D lunge and bair and if she's a stock ahead, dair is a good option.


Duck Hunt objectives

Have gunman out at any time possible

Because of her speed and air mobility, this is a must. It forces her to choose and option and you should be fast enough to find the right response.

Use can wisely to create your pressure. Excessive use of it allows Corrin to learn how to use it to her advantage. Her spear snipes will literally snipe you back immediately

If you cover yourself with can when recovering, you'll be good there. If you suspect a dair, make sure the can is right on your body to prevent your death. Also, if she hits you with it, mash up B because that is the only way you can save yourself

Don't use clay pigeon unless it's safe or if you see her throwing out uncharged paralyzers often

If she shields in range, you're eating an f smash

Also, be tricky when getting up from the ledge, she can cover literally every option if done correctly and get an extremely early kill.


Avoid standard get up at 70% and up

Moves to punish: rapid jab, dash attack, any aerial on shield besides bair, F smash non tippered, d smash, up smash, up b out of shield, charge shot, dragon lunge

These are your best times to get in and do damage

She's somewhat heavy so if you don't have 120% rage, expect to kill her around 145%

With rage an up air can do it at 130% consistently

D throw and f throw work well on her so those are good options to go for. Also the dair hit stun lasts for a while on her”

Dark Pit/Pit


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Multiple Jumps

· Good grab game

· Controlled projectile

· No glaring weaknesses

· Good range

· Quick and strong smashes

· Dark Pit has a pretty strong kill option in Side B

· Has a Reflector

CONS:

· Average character, more reliant on player skill

· Exploitable recovery

· No Kill setups

· Not the fastest character on the ground

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Your opponent is just going to rack up damage by spacing you out with Ftilt, Fair, Dair camping, and Grab conversions. Like I said, Pit is known to be an average character that relies more on the player’s skill rather than character tools.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Pit and Dark Pit’s style can best be described as an “All arounder”-Kuroganehammer. He has the necessary tools to combat any playstyle or any situation, it’s all up to the player. I see many Pits go for many grabs and convert damage off of Dthrow and Fthrow.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

There’s nothing too scary to look out for, but there are things you need to keep in the back of your mind when playing Pit. When it comes to grabs, Pit will get most of his damage off Down and Forward throw. Dthrow at low percents leads to Jump canceled Up Smash. After that it will lead into Fair, Nair, or Up Air dependent on DI. Fthrow is a kill throw at ledge so be wary of that at high percents. Due to his multiple jumps, he can mix up his landing to throw you off or apply pressure with Fair and Dair camping. Dash attack is pretty quick and has good range, but a run up grab is what you’ll see most of the time. When it comes to his smash attacks they are quick and strong. Fsmash is a good kill option and is a quick multihit move. Dsmash is a quick option that is very hard to punish, and Up smash is his best anti air move. Side B for both of the Pits, especially Dark Pit, is a good option when the Pit player is sure he/she has the read. Depending on which Pit it is, it will kill you from either the Top or Side blastzones.

STAGE PICKS:

Stage choice doesn’t really matter here, Pit is good with whatever stage. I would say this though, if you are fighting Pit I would choose a stage with a higher ceiling, because his side b sends you vertical and with Darkpit it sends you to the sides.

HOW TO PLAY:

With Pit you have to wall him out and capitalize on any of his hard commitments, which aren’t many. Don’t challenge him in the air, because our Fair and Bair are no match for his long ranged attacks. Instead challenge his aerial approaches and landings with your Can, Clay Pigeon, or Gunmen. Due to his slow aerial mobility, it is harder for him to dodge them and can set you up for combos. He’s pretty slow on the ground so a well-placed gunmen, can and clay pigeon toss can work wonders, especially the can. Have the Can out at all times, just in case the Pit is determined to take flight. The Can is your best pressure tool in this matchup. Get the pit offstage and take advantage of his bad recovery. Like ours, his recovery doesn’t have a hitbox and he is forced to fly straight up. You can challenge this any way you like, whether that be with your projectiles or a physical attack. I would say the best ways of doing this would be to spike him with your Dair or stagespike with Bair. Take note of how the Pit player uses his arrows. Arrows can kill gunmen, can knock away can, and also break pigeon. If they are spamming arrows, get closer to punish the endlag.

Diddy Kong


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· One of the best projectiles in the game with the Banana

· Peanut Pop Gun is also a good pressure tool

· Good grab game

· Quick tilts and frame 3 jab

· Monkey Flip mix ups

· Can easily switch from Offense to Defense

· Monkey Flip gives him extra mobility

· Great Combo game

CONS:

· Exploitable Recovery

· Banana can be used against him

· Cannot kill off of grabs anymore (unless DI is bad)

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

The first thing Diddy is going to want to do is pull out his banana……..NO NO NO that is not what I mean! Get your heads out of the gutter, I mean his projectile, silly dogs. Diddy’s projectile is arguably the best projectile in the game due to its tripping mechanic and it being his best OOS option. The Diddy player will opt to get the banana to pressure you into shield or set up into a grab or Dtilt combo. By just having the Banana in his hands, he can force a defensive option out of his opponents.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

I will describe his playstyle as an All arounder. Diddy can play any playstyle he wants, whether that be aggressive, pressuring you with tilts, Monkey Flip, banana and grabs or play defensive with the Popgun, Banana set ups, tilt spacing and Monkey flipping. His moveset allows him to play any style the situation or player calls for.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Look out for his Banana!!! If you get hit, that’s a combo and mean damage that can start at 25%+. More moves to look out for are Dtilt, Monkey Flip, and Fair. Dtilt is a great combo starter and is very quick coming out on frame 4. Dtilt can lead into a variety of mixups including roll Dtilt, Fsmash, Grab, Ftilt, Fair, Dair, or just another Dtilt. Monkey Flip is his best mixup option, it can either be a command grab or a strong physical attack. So it is up to you to read what option he’ll go for. He can also be reverse or wavebounce after it, switching his movement up AGAIN. Last but certainly not least, his Fair is a decent ranged aerial that can come out quick and is great for spacing. You will see a lot of higher level Diddy players opt for this to pressure their opponents.

STAGE PICKS:

Hmmmm this is tricky. I would say a flat stage would be the best when fighting Duck Hunt. It will give you a chance to set up projectiles and limit the places the Diddy player can fly around as well. Although Battlefield and Dreamland’s platform setups can aid you as well (in regards to trap setups and landing), they will help Diddy extend his combos. So just be ready for that.

HOW TO PLAY:

Man you gotta MOVE!! In this matchup if you are not moving and setting up your wall, you will get blown back by Diddy. His mobility is great, but our speed is just about the same, so we have to utilize it. Now, if you are successfully walling the Diddy Player out with your projectiles then that’s fine, but If you see the Diddy player an Fsmash distance ahead of you with a banana in hand then you have to start moving. SH Gunmen and Can to cover your back are crucial in this MU. Clay Pigeon can combat banana toss, but he can also opt to combat your projectiles with his banana; although I have never seen many Diddys do this. Clay Pigeon can stop his approach and gunmen can apply safe pressure and a shield to the banana toss. Be on the lookout for his Monkey Flip. Yes his command grab will not be that useful when getting past Clay Pigeon, Can and Gunmen, but if he opts to use the Monkey Kick Flip than he is able to plow through our defenses. If you see the player using this option the most then bait it by placing the Gunman and Can and shield the incoming Kick Flip. You honestly have to keep away from Diddy in this MU. He can combat our aerials with his and if we get too close and get grabbed, we’re in for a good amount of damage. Wall him out and get him off stage. Pressure him offstage with a run off Nair to disperse the Rocketbarrels, use the can to intercept Monkey Flip or Up B and watch for his habits. A lot of Diddys opt to recover high on stage with Monkey Kick Flip because it can beat a lot of moves, but if you see this trap his landing and punish accordingly. When the player throws a banana at your shield he can do a multitude of things. He can either run up and grab after, Dtilt pressure, or read your option. This is a mind game and you have to choose the best option.If you get the banana you have the option of keeping it and pressuring the Diddy player with your specials. Keep the banana in your paws and unload the pressure, he can’t pull another one.

Donkey Kong


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Great grab range

· Combo and Kill throw

· Arm Intangibility on tilts and smashes

· 2nd Heaviest character, makes him harder to kill

· Great spacing game with aerials and Tilts

· Armor on some moves

CONS:

· Weight and size leaves him to be combo food

· Has trouble landing

· Bad vertical recovery

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

The leader of the DK group may not have a Banana but he does have gigantic hands! .........okay maybe not a great start, but that’s beyond the point. The DK player wants a grab…a grab…oh and did I forget, a grab. Three grabs and the opponent should be dead. Ding Dong!! First cargo up throw into Bair or Up B, second into Bair or Nair, third to take the stock with up air.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

There’s really only one way to play DK and that’s having a Grappling style. He wants the grab, heck, he needs the grab! His game will revolve around well-spaced bairs, Dtilts, jabs and Dash attacks to set you up for the grab.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Besides the grab there are other things to keep your eye out for in this matchup. One of those things being his Jab, which is a 1 2 punch. The DK player can cancel the jab after the first one lands to get a grab or Dtilt mixup. The first jab drags the opponent in, leading into a few mixups for the DK player. At high percents DK can even Jab 1 to turn around up tilt which is a kill confirm. Up tilt is a strong and fast move, with great range. Dtilt is a really quick poke with great range as well. Dash attack comes out relatively fast, but is pretty unsafe. His specials, specifically Down B and Side B can break shields, so try to avoid holding shield versus those moves. Look out for Up B grounded and aerial Up B. It can pack on a lot of damage once it connects in the air and the grounded one has super armor. His Neutral B takes time to charge, but once it is fully charge it can pack on a lot of damage and cannot be challenged due to super armor and intangible arms.

STAGE PICKS:

Personally I would recommend avoiding stages with low ceilings due to most of DK’s kills being off the top. Town and City and Dreamland should not be your first picks. Due to DK’s playstyle and weaknesses I would recommend these stages…

Smashville

Final Destination (Omegas)

HOW TO PLAY:

If there was any matchup where pitching a tent and gathering campfire was mandatory it’s this one. You get grabbed you’re eating 30%+ percent right off the bat. God forbid the DK traps your landing. Three grabs and yoooooooooooouuuuuuuur out!!! Don’t get grabbed….I cannot stressed this enough. You are going to wall him out the best you can. Gunmen to force a defensive option out of him, clay pigeon to catch approaches and landings along with the can. Since DK isn’t the strongest character in the air (when it comes to landing) he may not hop to avoid gunman. Watch how your opponent reacts to your projectile pressure and punish the next time he’s in that position. Watch out for his arms, his tilts have great range and you do not want to get caught in them. His recovery is a lot better than it may seem. If you go for a run off aerial it is easy to get caught by it. I would say its safe to pressure it with Can and Gunmen.

**Here are the Ding Dong Percents for Duck Hunt**

o 74% with no rage

o Around the 60% range with max rage

Dr.Mario


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Strong Moves

· Good grab combos

· Not many weaknesses (Similar game as Mario)

· Has a reflector in Cape

· Up Smash covers both sides of him

· Strong boxing and offstage game

· Projectile can challenge most of ours

CONS:

· Bad recovery

· Cape does not stall him in the air (can be a pro or a con dependent on how it’s used)

· Can be outranged

· Slow ground speed

· Has trouble landing

· Can get trapped pretty easily

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Similar to Mario the opponent wants to get in and convert off of grab combos. Off of one grab you can take quite a bit of damage off of a few strings. The Opponent may want to bait you into a defensive option with short hops and short hop aerials just to get the grab then finish you off with a grab combo or a hard read smash attack.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

There are two ways to play Doc, having an All-around game or just bait and punish your opponent.

All-Around: This Doc player does whatever the situation calls for. Play defensive when he needs to do with retreating Bairs and pills to force you to approach him so he can capitalize on any free damage.

Bait and Punish: This player is similar to the All-Around style but with a more defined game plan. You will see SH Bairs and empty hops a lot in the neutral with your usual foxtrots and shield dashing to get a reaction out of their opponent. Throwing pills when necessary to force a defensive option as well. Once you give them the opportunity to grab you that’s where there damage will come from, and high level Doc players will not overcommit.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Besides the grab combos look out for the strong smash attacks that come out relatively quick and if they are throwing a lot of pills. Whether they are retreating or approaching with pills, it forces their opponent to pick a defensive option to combat the pill pressure. Pills can combat our projectiles pretty well and having a Cape is a problem for us Duck Hunt mains as you should know. Up B is a quick and strong option OOS that can seal the stock at high percents. His Down B special is a good landing mixup and recovery option that sends the opponent horizontally, so if he catches you offstage with it, it can take your stock pretty early. Fsmash is very strong and alters his hurtbox so he can end up dodging a lot of moves when using it. Like Mario Bair is a very strong option when combating opponents in the air or landing on shields when spaced well.

STAGE PICKS:

Some neutral stages that you can choose:

Smashville

Duck Hunt

Battlefield

Dreamland

With the help of Dawangthang, we have found that die to Doc’s limited landing options it is easier to trap him on stages like Final Destination, Town and City, and Lylat. So think about these stages too when picking a counter pick.

HOW TO PLAY:

Just like the Mario matchup you will be forced to use your superior mobility to traverse the stage and avoid any uncomfortable situations. There will be times where you’ll find yourself stuck at the edge of the stage, and this is where you do not want to be. To combat this you can mixup your opponent on the ground by shield dashing, rolling etc or jump over him and get to the greener pastures. Doc has a low jump height, so you can take advantage of this. Beware of this corner because once you get offstage that’s where he can take advantage of you. Pill can steal your jump and force a low recovery, and his quick aerials can stage spike you. On top of that his Up B can win trades, he can Cape your Can back at you, pill your Can away, or just use his Tornado to kill you off the side. So do not end up offstage if you can help it. I would say the safest way back would be to place can above you as you ascend, or even Up B above the stage with the can covering the ground. On stage you will have to set up a wall while on the move. Of course the Doc player may opt to cape everything you throw so limit your Clay Pigeon tossing for it’s the laggiest projectile and once Caped you can be punished pretty hard. Stick to Gunmen and Can setups. You can even bait a Cape by throwing down a Gunman or dropping a Can near the Doc player. Place a Gunman and short hop over the gunmen to Fair/Bair/Nair a Cape attempt. Your goal is to get the Doc player off the edge and capitalize on his lackluster recovery. You can throw your arsenal at him offstage as well as your aerials. If timed well you can trade with Up B and he will be too low to recover. Well-spaced Fairs can combat Doc up close so if you’re are skilled with Fair spacing this will be a great tool to use against Doc.

Falco


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· One of the safest Reflectors in the game

· Quick aerials and ground moves

· Projectile that can disrupt our projectiles

· Great combo game

· Throw follow ups

· Strong smashes

· Strong offstage game

· Great jump height

CONS:

· Easily exploitable Recovery

· No kill setups

· Slow ground speed

· Lasers are very punishable

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Honestly Falco is one of those characters that thrive off of mixups and getting a read on your opponent habits. From the start of the match you may see a Falco shoot lasers from a distance and throw out a lot of SH retreating Bairs and empty hops. Falcos tend to look for grabs at lower percents to convert into Up air, Nair or Bair or more specifically Dthrow to get a dash attack or RAR Bair. At higher percents the goal is to get you offstage to capitalize on his quick aerials. Bair can seal the deal early offstage as well as his Fair, Dair and falling Nair.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Falco really only has one playstyle which involves a variety of mixups. Short hops, retreating aerials, falling aerials, lasers, reflector zoning, grabs, tilt spacing etc. This is what you’ll see from Falco in neutral. Due to Falco not having a kill setup, very little approach options, and quick moves it leaves him to rely on reads to convert big damage for the most part. Mixing up your opponent is crucial in smash and that goes double for Falco players. They must always keep their opponents guessing on their next move or they lose out on an opportunity to get a lot of damage. You never really know what a Falco will do next.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

When it comes to his grounded moves you should be on the lookout for his tilts. Dtilt and Up tilt are his main grounded combo starters. Having Dtilt come out frame 7 and Up tilt coming out frame 5, they can easily beat out a lot of characters’ moves. Dtilt pops the opponent up allowing Falco to follow up with his good aerial game, same goes for Up tilt that pops the opponent up a little above Falco. Up tilt can combo into itself and Dtilt at higher percents can net him a kill. Jab comes out frame two and is one of the faster jab combos in the game and is hard to sdi out of. Watch out for your nonguaranteed combos, for Falco’s Nair is a good combo breaker as well as starter, coming out at frame 3. His Fair is a strong, long lasting move that has a deceiving hit at the end of it when landing. His Bair comes out frame 4, and the early hit can kill opponents at high percents. Dair isn’t too much of a problem due to its slow start up, but still look out when recovery low without a can and his Up air is a nice juggling move so beware of your predictable landings. Also watch out, if a Falco player decides to fall with an Up air it can be a combo starter as well. In regards to his smashes they are pretty good as well. Up smash has been buffed and is a great anti-air move, Down smash is quick and strong, sending opponents horizontally, and Fsmash is a strong move that alters his hurtbox back before giving the final blow. Duck Hunt players should be on the lookout for his anti-projectile game as well. Blaster can alter the way the can behaves, break clay pigeon, kill gunmen, and deter approaching opponents. He comes equipped with a projector that he throws from his waste that can send your clay pigeon back at you along with reflecting gunmen shots and turning your own can against you. (There will be more details on the properties in How To Play)

STAGE PICKS:

For stage selection I would advise you to go with your gut and pick the stages you feel the most comfortable on. Battlefield/Dreamland can make it easier for you to get your setups going while allowing you to land easier, but the platforms benefit Falco players when trying to extend their combos so be mindful of that.

I’d suggest Final Destination, T&C, Smashville, Lylat, and Duck Hunt as preferred stages. These stages allow you to take advantage of his slow ground speed while giving you space to setup.

HOW TO PLAY:

For this section I will be giving DawangThang’s take on the MU:

“The Falco MU requires you to play a very specific way, especially if you like to use a lot of projectiles. His reflector can basically guarantee that your projectiles will be flying right back in your face. This includes the can, gunman shot, and sometimes the CP; normally however, the CP will break when the reflector hits it

One thing to keep in mind if you're using gunman against a reflector is that their bullets will actually fly right through the gunman and hit you. So standing behind them without a shield up is not viable. If your opponent likes to consistently reflect the gunman bullets, you can bait them out with it.

Pull out a gunman, run towards them and jump before the gunman shoots. When this happens they will be stuck in their reflector animation and if you're close enough you can punish them.

If you want to use can in this MU, you have to keep it airborne and above them. This forces them to have to jump if they want to reflect it and forces them to be positioned above you or to have to ignore it flat out. When this happens, you can start laying it for traps and shield pressuring.

A very important property you need to know about reflectors on cans is that if you get it reflected on the ground, sometimes you'll notice the can won't move at all. If this happens, that means they have successfully disabled it and will try to do this option whenever possible

When a can is disabled, it cannot be shot and will not blow up until it is hit. When you hit it, it will go flying and will blow up with the first thing it comes into contact with.

Now that you know there properties, let's get into the MU

Falco has no way of pressuring you from afar. He has to approach you if he wants anything to be done.” This is due to his slow Laser game, our projectiles come out much faster and can take a hit before another laser get there.

“His 3 biggest strong suits in this MU are his anti-projectile game, combo game, and edge guarding

You might want to start off the match with a wall. The Falco will probably be expecting this since every non seasoned DH player expects this. He will try to get to center stage and throw your own projectiles back at you. Pick up on his reflecting habits and find the opening. Throw out a gunman or can to set up a bait and then find a wise way to get in. These bait setups vary greatly depending on which stage you play on. At low %s, he will be looking for a lot of grabs so he can rack up a lot of damage. Try to space him out around this concept, his other combo starters include up tilt, d tilt, up throw, and d throw. He can also start combos off of falling up air but that is extremely hard to land

You can expect him to pull of 40% and up combos on you if you're at low to mid %s.

The other big thing he will be looking for is forcing you to the ledge. Once you're off stage, he has a plethora of ways of cleaning out your stock. Falling fair can spike, kill off the side, and completely void the can to use as defense when recovering. His beak is considered a disjointed hit box so if he hits the can with it, it won't blow up on him. This is his strongest edge guarding tool to use. If he feels like swagging he can go for a dair read which will end your stock for sure. After he's racked up enough %, the 2 things he will go for will be the aforementioned throw off stage and falling up air to bair. Bair kills extremely early and will be his go to aerial for cleaning out the stock. It can kill you at 100% at the ledge easily. The move is extremely quick so a wall of bairs can be expected the closer you get to death %.


Duck Hunt's side of the MU:


You want to bait his reflector out. Find good ways to weave your projectiles around him until he either gives up on using it or uses it too much that you can go in for a good strong punish. When you want to close out a stock, you can go for the dair to up air set up, reads, or edge guarding. The best way for us to close it out would be edge guarding. Since he has to recover linearly and all of his recovery moves can be punished, look to hit him with your projectiles or challenge them with an aerial of your own.

One thing to note about Falco's side b is that there is no hit box towards the end of the move like there is with fox. You can use this part of the attack to just throw out a hitbox and he will lose every time.

However, if he's close enough to the stage and you throw out a hit box and it trades, you will be spiked. The spike is pretty weak so if your % is low enough, you should still be able to recover.

The best way to challenge his recovery moves is with a dair or a bair, both have disjointed hit boxes so you won't have to worry about trading with these moves if you space them correctly. Falco will almost always try to go for the ledge so keeping that in mind should make it easier for you to place your hit boxes.

The only mix up he has is side b or up b to stage which can be predictable and punished easily. You can prep for this by placing a can towards center stage or having the projectiles challenge him off while you sit toward center stage ready to punish him

You can use nair to intercept his illusion but not for fire bird. Most of your finishers besides your smash attacks should be able to take him out around 150%. If you're able to put him below the stage with a falling nair, he will most likely be dead.


Down smash at the ledge is a good move to use to throw Falco at a very unfavorable angle. This angle forces him to recover low, even if he falls out of it.

One thing you do need to think about for this Mu in particular is his laser. His laser can be used to mess with the can but it takes 2 shots to take out a CP. If you see he has lasering habit, you can use CP to exploit this and get a guaranteed follow up. That being said, I would advise using CP in neutral. If he likes reflecting it, both of you will be stuck in lag to really get a punish on each other, but since his reflector is really long, if he gets in the mid-range you will be getting hit by it. Because of this, you do need to play out of his reflector range. This forces you to play a slightly more distanced game than usual. I would recommend using gunman as often as possible to force options and keep on the pressure while using a relatively safe projectile. Learn your opponent’s habits that they use to deal with the gunman and punish accordingly. If you notice your opponent doesn't like to use the reflector at all, just play your normal projectile spacing, boxing game and as long as you keep your spacing good, he will have a hard time getting in to punish you.


One thing to keep in mind with the boxing game is that you are able to jump out of Falco's jab relatively easily. Falco may try to go for double jab mixups that lead into a dtilt or d smash so always try to jump out when you see him doing this.


Recap:


Falco will try to get you off stage, fish for grabs to rack up % early on, will edge guard you easily, and will counter your projectile game with reflector. You should be looking to punish Falco off stage for the stock, otherwise stocks will be taken out with hard reads and projectile set ups.


I would give this MU to Falco considering how strong his anti-projectile game is and because his edge guarding is just as effective as DH's if not stronger. It's by no means an undoable MU for us but it does require a lot of patience and out smarting. If you can find the right way to overwhelm him, you can tip the MU in your favor easily. Take control of center stage as soon as you can and keep him out, this is how you win the MU”

Fox


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Fast (4th run speed and 3rd walk speed)

· Laser can rack on easy damage and change can properties

· Quick combo starters

· Great juggling game

· Can trap landings relatively easy due to great ground speed

· Reliable reflector

· Good amount of kill setups

· Quick and strong smash attacks

CONS:

· Fast faller, makes him combo food

· Exploitable recovery

· Light weight

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

The Fox player’s goal is to rush you down. You will have little time to set up your traps due to how fast Fox is and how easily he can get in your zone. The fox player is looking for Dash attack most of the time for it leads into many of his strings and combos. To switch it up or once he starts seeing you shield a lot, he will opt to go for grabs. The Fox player’s movement is not limited and you will see a lot of Short Hops and foxtrotting in neutral.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Fox really only has one playstyle and that is Rushdown/Aggro. Due to Fox’s kit, he doesn’t have the best defensive game besides shooting lasers and retreating Bairs. I wouldn’t really call that a defensive playstyle. His kit revolves around being able to trap your opponent’s landings and capitalize off of any mistakes or hesitations in their game. Dash attack and Dash grab are prime examples of Fox’s tools to do so. He will bait a reaction with Short hops and foxtrotting/dash dancing/perfect pivoting and watch what you do. If nothing he’ll just opt for a run up grab, pivot tilt, or Dash attack.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

His Dash attack is the thing to look out for the most. It is very quick and is pretty safe on shield. It is his main combo starter and can plow through your projectiles. His tilts are a little subpar, but Dtilt can lead into his aerials and Up tilt is a great anti-air as well as combo starter. Grab game is also a little subpar for there aren’t any real follow ups after them. Besides the multitude of tilts, jabs and grab attempts you will need to be on the lookout for his aerials. Not only do his aerials combo, but they can set up or even kill. Nair can be a nice combo starter or finisher dependent on when it is used in the string. Falling Nair can also lead into Up smash at high percents. Dair auto cancels and can be a great tool to cross up shield, fall with, jump off ledge with, or an approach option. Dair can also lead into a running Up smash. Fair, when Fast falled, can semi spike, you will see Foxes go for this after a Down Throw. And Up air is a great juggling tool as well as kill option at high percents. Back air is pretty strong, auto cancels, and is a kill option at high percents. It can also bait a punish due to its low cool down. His smashes are pretty telegraphed, but Up smash is strong and Dsmash comes out quick and can catch the 2 frame at the ledge pretty easily. Laser can rack on cheap damage and disrupt your can, so be cautious. His Side B is a good mixup on stage as well as recovery option. Don’t try to punish the Side B in neutral unless you know for sure you made it in time to do so. Fox can jump out of his reflector once he has reflected something, but other than that he is vulnerable when he uses it.

STAGE PICKS:

Fox is an overall great character and has the tools to combat any character on any stage. This is all up to preference. Battlefield/Dreamland allow for him to follow up Up air juggles easier and on Dreamland he can kill you off the top earlier. Most of Fox’s kills will be off the top, so beware of stages with low ceilings like Dreamland and T&C. Duck Hunt may be the most neutral of all the stages, but the ducks and dog will prove troublesome for your setups. Final Destination allows him to trap your landings relatively easier.

HOW TO PLAY:

For this MU you don’t have the luxury of sitting back and pitching a tent, instead you have a pesky fox yelling TOYAH! And COME ON!!! In your face the whole time. In neutral you will see a lot of SH baits along with a multitude of movement options. The Fox player is trying to bait you or get a reaction from you, they are trying to read you. If you’re close, or hell, if you are across the stage they just might run up and Dash attack for that’s their most reliable combo starter. Watch out for Dash Attack, because it is quick, combos, and can break through our defenses. If you see the player opting to use a lot of Dash attack in neutral you can bait this out by throwing out a Gunman and shielding behind it. The DA will hit your shield and you can punish appropriately. You can also throw out a Gunman and shorthop to land with your punish as well (either with a Fair, Nair, Bair etc). Clay Pigeon can stop his approaches as well as punish lasers. Due to his fall speed, Clay pigeon can also extend combos for us, but be cautious of your Clay Pigeon usage, it can be punished even easier by Fox than most characters due to his speed. His reflector is the second problem we face with this matchup. Reflected Gunmen bullets can pass through Gunmen, Clay Pigeon will be tossed right back at us, and can will not move. **CAN REFER TO FALCO GUIDE FOR MORE REFLECTOR PROPERTIES AND OUR PROJECTILES** If Fox shoots our can, it will move in the direction he is facing, so don’t try to camp him out. Our Fair can outrange him, so I would recommend using well-spaced Fairs to combat him on the ground as well. In This MU you will have to keep moving and setting up shop. Fox can easily break through our setups and you will have to adapt accordingly. Take advantage of his poor offstage game as well. Just like Falco you can easily exploit his recovery. When you see a Fox Side B’ing to ledge, you can Fsmash, Down smash, Gunmen, Clay Pigeon, Can, Bair, Nair, Fair, and Dair to intercept it. Our aerials will also trade with Firefox when the Fox opts to recover low. If you’re confident you can even go for a Dair offstage as well. Off stage is where you can take an early stock from Fox and is the most reliable way of doing it.

Ganondorf


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Strong moves

· Weight allows him to live longer

· Command grab

· Can power through projectiles

· Pretty quick moves despite slow movement speed

· Great off stage game

CONS:

· Slow

· Predictable recovery

· Has a little trouble landing

· Size makes him combo food

· No projectiles, and slow speed make him easier to camp out

· Limited tools in neutral

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Ganon players wanna hit you hard……………… and that’s basically it. For every bad play you make they want you to know that you simply can’t mess up again. Good Ganondorf players will punish every mistake you make, every bad habit, every little thing you do if you give them the chance.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Ganon’s playstyle can be described as a Bait and Punish playstyle. Due to him not having the fastest speed in the game, nor the fastest moves in the game, he is left to punishing his opponents’ mistakes. Oh….and he does a great job at that.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Well besides his surprisingly quick ground moves there are a few notable ones. Dtilt comes out pretty quick (frame 10) and can pop the opponent up for follow ups. Up tilt is VERY slow, but it has a huge hitbox around it. Ftilt is a great spacing tool and can be a nice OOS option. His aerials are pretty good with good range. Nair is strong and multihit while Up air has good range. His grab game is subpar, but Dash attack, similar to Falcon’s, can lead into a few follow ups. In my opinion, Dair is one of his best aerials and is one of the strongest spikes in the game. Warlock punch is extremely strong, but extremely telegraphed. Bair is a good move for Ganon players to throw out in neutral and to combat opponents’ approaches and recoveries. Also beware of his Wizard Kick, which can do a good amount of damage as well as plow through your defenses.

STAGE PICKS:

I would recommend spacious stages as well as stages with less platforms. Stages like Final Destination, T&C, Smashville, and Duck Hunt will allow you to camp out Ganon easier and use your mobility.

HOW TO PLAY:

Camp, camp, camp…..oh and camp! Look Ganon capitalizes off of mistakes up close, in that case, just don’t get too close. I understand if camping isn’t your style, just be prepared to die at 60%. It is already hard enough to kill mid weights with Duck Hunt, now you’re dealing with an even heavier character who will benefit greatly off of your inability to kill. Rage + Ganon = sad pup. Combat Ganon with a wall of projectiles. Yes you can mix it up with grabs, tilts, jabs, and Fairs, but you must not overcommit. Do your usual thing. Gunmen to apply pressure and halt his approaches, Clay pigeon to trap landings and catch dashes, and Can to apply shield pressure and stage control. The problem with Ganon not only comes from his unbelievably strong moves, but the fact that he can plow through your projectiles as well. His Down B can go right through gunmen, can and clay pigeon, so you will need to be ready. Bait this out with gunman and punish appropriately. Force him to stop using Wizard Kick and you will be free to setup more traps. If the Ganon player is breaking your defenses, get around him and setup shop on the other side of the stage. Ganon also struggles landing, like most heavies, so make sure you trap his landing with Clay Pigeons and Cans. Force him off stage with your wall of projectiles and punish his exploitable recovery. All of your projectiles can gimp him early, I would just advise from using any unsafe aerials. His Up B has a good hitbox as well as his Side B which will drag you to Hell. Just like Ganon, your recovery can be destroyed as well. Remember when I said that Ganon has one of the best Dairs in the game, well if you are not covering yourself with Gunman and Can while recovery, you will know exactly why. Recap: camp Ganon out, force him offstage, and gimp him.

Greninja


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Fast character

· Projectile that can snipe our projectiles

· Quick arsenal

· Low to the ground makes him difficult to hit

· Up B can gimp characters due to windbox

· Great combo potential along with frame traps

CONS:

· Exploitable recovery

· Fast faller, makes him easier to combo

· Can have a lot of trouble getting in on Duck Hunt

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Greninja players like to force you into bad situations. He’s not necessarily going for a grab all the time, or trying to get you offstage, but rather take what he can get. The player can either dodge in or out harassing you with shurikens, or apply pressure with various tilts, shurikens (charged and uncharged), aerials, and grab setups. I can say this, Nair is a great combo starter for Greninja and you will see a lot of them opt for it as an approach option.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

I would categorize Greninja’s style as a Hit and Run oriented style of play. The Greninja player can go from a distanced Shuriken spamming, Fair spacing neutral to a Nair/Fair/Dair landing, grab setup one. It really all depends on how the Greninja is feeling about the situation.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Some moves to look out for include his aerials. His aerials, in my opinion are his strongest assets. Fair is a strong tool that is safe on shield (when spaced correctly) and can lead into another Fair or aerial conversion. Dair is a pretty safe move on shield which can lead into a Up air spike/Footstool combo, which is very reliable. Dair can also spike an opponent. Up air is a very versatile move. It can juggle opponents or be fast falled to setup for a combo. Bair is a good spacing tool and can also lead to some tricky combos for the Greninja player. His tilts are great for comboing or starting combos, specifically Up tilt and Dtilt. Water shurikens are similar to Sheik’s needles and can pester the opponent from distance. When charged it can carry opponents, leading to a Fair or smash attack. His up B is another special I advise you keep your eye out for. The water is a windbox that can allow the Greninja player to gimp recovering opponents. Substitute and shadow sneak are alright moves, but are easy to react to for the most part. His smash attacks are strong and relatively quick with Up smash being similar to Sheik’s (covering up and then the sides) and down having a decent horizontal range.

STAGE PICKS:

I wouldn’t necessarily say Greninja benefits from any stages in particular. You can camp him out easier on stages like Final Destination and T&C while stages like Battlefield and Dreamland help you land easier as well as setup your traps.

HOW TO PLAY:

For this MU you do not have to full on camp your opponent out, but you will benefit greatly from a defensive style of play. Besides Shurikens Greninja doesn’t have a safe way of dealing with your projectiles, but once he’s in, he can make the most of it. Water Shurikens can pop the can forward, destroy the clay pigeon and if charged enough can destroy the Gunmen. Due to his mobility it will be a little difficult for you to gauge what your opponent will do next or to even punish him, this is why I say most of your focus will have to be on your walling/setup abilities. Gunmen can eat uncharged shurikens and can punish, Clay Pigeon can also challenge them, but it pretty unsafe to do so. Can is a great tool in the MU because it forces the Greninja player to do something about it. Many times the Player will opt to shuriken the can which will allow you to punish. Fair is also a good tool to use vs Greninja. His Ftilt is slow and his Dtilt/Up tilt will not be able to catch you from that angle, so it will benefit you greatly. Beware of his weight, at very low percents our Fthrow a Dash attack/Fair may be hard to connect if the Greninja player DI’s Down and away (Similar to Fox, Falco and other fast fallers). I would recommend limiting your usage of Clay Pigeon in this matchup as well. Because Greninja is so low to the ground, it makes it hard to hit him with a soft tossed and even a distanced hard tossed one. Wall the Greninja out and force him offstage. Our Can can exploit his recovery as well as our aerials. Just beware of his Up B windbox.

Ike


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Ridiculously good range

· Great KO power

· Moves do a TON of damage

· Good dash distance and speed

· His sword can power through a lot of things

· Great combo game

· Heavy weight makes him live longer

· Great offstage game

· Very good recovery options

CONS:

· Weight makes him susceptible to combos

· Ground moves do not come out quick (besides jab and Dtilt)

· Forced to approach

· Slow ground speed

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Similar to Ganon, Ike is going to want to hit you….and hit you hard. Once he connects with his sword he can combo you or just put you at a disadvantage. Ikes usually go for grabs, Dtilts and Nair conversions while spacing with retreating Bairs.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Ike is a great mixup character. He can rack on a lot of damage with his ground and aerials, condition shield, then go for grabs to convert a lot of damage or even a kill from there. Ike players tend to go for hard reads, because there moves come out pretty slow.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Look out for all of his aerials. The least important one, in a neutral standpoint, is his Dair. Regardless of how it’s used on stage, Ike can spike his opponent to his doom with one good read offstage. Fair is a good spacing tool and Dthrow follow up. Up air and Bair kill extremely while Bair can be used as a spacing tool as well. Nair is a combo starter that can lead to his 3 hit Jab, grab, turn around Dtilt or even Dash attack. Dtilt is his best tilt for combos for it pops his opponent up and can lead to Nair/Fair/Bair while Up tilt/Ftilt can kill at high percents. His smash attacks are REALLY REALLY strong and take up a good amount of distance, but come out really slow as well. Down Throw and Up throw are his main combo throws. His Up B is a little difficult to challenge, but is vulnerable to energy specials and from the very peak of it. Eruption can challenge opponents’ recoveries and he is equipped with a counter.

STAGE PICKS:

I would advise from picking Battlefield and Dreamland. These stages don’t leave you much room to run and setup while giving Ike an easier time to chase you down and cover your options. Dreamland also allows him to kill you off the top easier. T&C can benefit him in the same way so beware.

HOW TO PLAY:

Now if you remember anything I’ve noted, you will know this character can, and most often than not, will hit you….and hard at that. His sword covers a good distance and his attacks are very strong, making building a wall a difficult task. You will have to stay mobile. Set up a wall and capitalize on any of his hard commitments. Make sure he is about two Fair distances away from you at all times. Setting up Gunmen and Cans is a great way to deal with his approaches. Watch how you deploy your Clay Pigeon, if not distanced well, you will be punished. If you are too close, he can easily Dash Attack through Gunmen as well as Can. Baiting him with projectiles is also a must in this MU. He may opt to destroy your setups, in return you must shield and punish him accordingly. Remember the moves that he has to destroy and plow through our setups are the same moves that you can punish OOS. Be careful when recovering, Ike can use his aerials to destroy you or even charge eruption, which has a huge hitbox around it. Same thing goes for him when he’s off, use your projectiles to gimp him and make it harder for him to recover. In this MU you have to make it hard for him to approach while making sure you do not get too close. When he’s off stage use your projectiles to gimp him.

Jigglypuff


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Has 6 jumps

· Instant KO option

· Short

· Great aerial mobility

· Floaty weight makes her hard to combo

· Moves tend to beat out a lot of moves

· Hitboxes last a long time

· Great offstage game

CONS:

· No recovery outside of jumps

· Weight makes her die early

· Setups into rest are difficult to pull off

· Slow fall speed

· Predictable approach options

· Lackluster ground moves

· Speed on the ground is slow

· If shield breaks, instant KO

· Specials are very punishable

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Jigglypuff players don’t really have the necessary tools for combat, instead they will have to rely on a hit and run type of game. Pressure their opponents shield, capitalize off of their opponents being offstage, and see if they can get a hard read with Rest.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

There is really only one way to play Jiggs and that is a Hit and Run playstyle. Because they don’t have the necessary tools to fight most of the cast, they are left to get a few good hits here and there and then dodge/retreat. You will see the Jiggs player airdodge into your space, throw a few aerials out and if that doesn’t work, retreat back.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Jigg’s aerials are surprisingly strong. Fair, Bair, and Up air can lead into some nice juggles, taking their opponents clean off the stage or even leading up to a stock loss. Jigg’s ground moves are lackluster for the most part, but her smash attacks are relatively strong. Up tilt and Dtilt are nice pokes along with her jab. The main tools to look out for in this MU are her specials. Sing can put anyone to sleep if they are too close, which can lead into big damage or Rest, Pound can break a whittled down shield easily and is a great mixup for Jiggs players when pressuring shields and Rest can KO an opponent starting as early as 45% for some characters and comes out frame 2, but is very punishable. **Here are some of the Rest percents for characters**
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ttWjyVLfQPDGmmJGcI01Ykw/htmlview

STAGE PICKS:

Doesn’t really matter which stage you pick, Jigglypuff will be looking for the same things. I would probably choose a stage with less room for her to run or small ceilings so it is easier to kill her.

Lylat

Smashville

Battlefield

Dreamland

T&C

HOW TO PLAY:

Well playing Jiggs is similar to playing Kirby, but just with less things to worry about. I would say stay far away from jiggs and make it very hard for Jigglypuff to approach. Can is going to be your favorite projectile in this MU. Can will make approaching you a lot harder for Jiggs and can catch her aerial approaches. Jigglypuff doesn’t have any tools to combat your projectiles without putting herself in harm’s way. Clay pigeon can stuff approaches as well. Gunmen may not be that useful for Jigglypuff players will probably just jump over it, which is good for you. Knowing they will jump over your gunmen can give you insight on what options they will use to avoid your moves. Punish their jump with Fair, Bair, Nair, Clay Pigeon, Up smash etc. Her specials are very punishable. If a Jiggs player misses a Rest or Sing you can punish them hard. Do not get carried off stage if you can help it, she has a great offstage game. To combat this once she’s in you can use your “Get out of jail free card” the Can to blast your way out of the strings. Same thing goes for her recovery, you can use all of your projectiles to combat it. Can for high and low recoveries, Clay Pigeon for Horizontal ones and Gunmen for horizontal as well. Because we have the Can, we can make Jigg’s life really hard.

King Dedede


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Heavy weight makes him hard to hit

· 5 Jumps

· Fast fall speed

· Nice zoning tools

· Strong smash attacks

· Gordos can rack on a good amount of damage

· Low endlag on a few moves

· Combo throws

· Great edge guard game

CONS:

· Size makes him combo food

· Exploitable recovery

· Gordos can be sent back with ease

· Slow air and ground speed

· Size and weight make our smash attacks more consistent

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

The King DDD player is going to try and zone you out, while making you eat a lot of damage in the process. While the player is throwing out Gordos, tilts, jabs, and well-spaced aerials, he is looking to frustrate you or to punish your approaches. Gordos can be deceptively quick, tilts have great distance and speed, and the multiple jumps make it hard to predict what he’s going to do next.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

King DDD can best be described as a Zoning character. With distanced tilts, jabs, smash attacks, aerials and a very versatile projectile, King DDD can pressure you from a distance and keep you out.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Some things to look out for are his aerials. Bair is strong and has good range, Dair is a nice size spiking option, Fair is a quick “Get off me move” that can lead into juggles as well as his Up air which is also good at sealing a stock. Some of the ground moves to take note of are his tilts in particular. Ftilt has great range and is relatively safe, Dtilt is deceptively quick, and Up tilt is a good anti air. His jab can be canceled and lead to a nice mixup or they can finish their rapid jab to tack on some nice damage. His grab game is good, with Dthrow being the best. It can combo into Fair, RAR Bair or Nair, which can lead into even more follow ups. Back throw can kill at the ledge and Up throw is a good mixup. His Dash attack is really easy to see coming and shield, but can kill you at high percents. When it comes to his smash attacks, they are highly telegraphed but can be hard to avoid sometimes due to the hard spots DDD can put you in. Fsmash can break whittled down shields, Up smash is a good anti air, and Down smash comes out pretty quick. His specials round out his “perfect” arsenal. Inhale is a great command grab that gives him the option to move and spit you out. Beware of this move once you are on the ledge challenging his recovery. Jet hammer can be charged to inflict tons of damage, scare opponents and even break shields. Up B has super armor on the first frames and is a little difficult to punish due to the stars at the end. And last but not least, Gordos are very versatile and are deceptively quick as well. They can be tossed to go forward with no backspin, forward WITH backspin or just sent to bounce straight up. They tack on 14% which can sum up to a lot.

STAGE PICKS:

I would choose stages with platforms for it makes the DDD player easier to catch and makes it harder for the Gordos to be thrown with perfection. Stages like Battlefield, Dreamland, Lylat and even Duck Hunt can help avoid Gordos (Although Duck Hunt gives him more room to run, the Ducks and Dogs will make tossing Gordos a pain for him). Stages like Dreamland and T&C can prove to be detrimental because of their low ceilings so be cautious when picking them.

HOW TO PLAY:

DDD likes to zone, but two can play at that game. In my opinion, our zoning options are a little more versatile and for that reason we should use these tools to our advantage. Once DDD gets into boxing distance it will be hard to combat him. With that being said, keep your distance and only close in when you know for sure you are safe to do so. Because of his size, our projectiles will connect a lot easier, same goes for our inconsistent smash attacks. Can can make his aerial approaches and landing difficult so always have a can out. Thanks to his girth, Clay Pigeon will prove useful as well as our Gunmen. When you see DDD chucking Gordos you can go up and challenge them with Can, Fair, Bair and Nair or intercept it with Gunmen. Gunmen shots do send the Gordos back, but it is very hard to predict the gunmen speeds as well as the Gordo’s speed. So it is safe to stick with combating them with your aerials or Cans. Take advantage of DDD’s slow jumps and predictable recovery with your cans. Once he’s offstage chuck Cans and Clay Pigeons to deter him away. You may even see some DDD players throw a Gordo back on stage to make their recovery easier, in that case, reflect it right back at him. If the player is too close to you, use your superior ground speed to get out of the situation and set up tent on the other side. You do not have to camp in this matchup, rather just out zone DDD. It may become a food fight to see which one of you has the better zoning game, so do not get flustered. Make sure to keep your distance, challenge Gordos and recoveries, and try not to get thrown offstage for DDD has a great edge guarding game. Always recover with a Can on top of you or a Gunman to stop him from attempting an edge guard.

Kirby


PROS/CONS:

PROS:

· Floaty, makes him hard to combo

· 6 jumps

· Great combo potential

· Pretty quick on the ground

· Command grab

· Able to take abilities from opponents

· Quick aerials

· Kill throw

· Quick ground moves

· Short

· Great edge guarding

CONS:

· Limited approach options

· Can be outranged

· Slow air speed

· Weight makes him easy to kill

· Specials are pretty punishable

OPPONENT GOAL(S):

Kirby does not have many approach options and for that he makes up for it in a FANTASTIC combo game. He has received buffs after buffs in just about every patch and continues to improve. The Kirby player is going to want to get in and rack on a lot of damage. Dair can lead into tilts, grab, and a few other mixups while Fthrow can lead into Inhale, Up B, or Fair/Nair/Dair/Up Air.

OPPONENT PLAYSTYLE OPTIONS:

Kirby’s style can best be classified as Bait and Punish because he only has two real ways of getting in, running up on you or an aerial approach, Kirby players will have to bait and punish any holes left in your defense. You will see a lot of jump ins and dashes forward so they can get a grab or connect a Dair.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

His key combo tools are Grab and Dair. His Down throw and Fthrow can lead into some nice combos and mixups while his Up throw can kill at high percents. Dair drills the opponent downwards and regardless of where he connects this move, it can allow him to get a lot of follow ups after it. His jab comes out frame 3 and can be canceled into a grab. Dtilt and Ftilt are great pokes, while Up tilt is great for juggling and combating aerial and horizontal approaches. His smash attacks come out quick and have a good amount of Knockback. Nair is a quick “Get off me” move, Fair is great for pokes, Bair is a nice zoning tool and kills at high percent and Up air can easily juggle as well. His specials are great. His Down B can break shields and challenges anyone who stands below it. It is a great tool to challenge someone below the ledge and can kill rather early. Up B is a good recovery option that throws out a projectile when landing. Inhale is a quick command grab that allows Kirby to steal the Neutral B of any character, while Hammer Flip, when charged, can pack a huge punch.

STAGE PICKS:

Kirby can benefit off of small stages, but I don’t think that is enough to warrant a ban. Stages like Battlefield and Dreamland can make his approaches even harder due to the layout of the platforms and Duck Hunt, Final Destination, and T&C can do the same thanks to their size.

HOW TO PLAY:

You are going to approach this MU the same way you would the Jiggs MU. Force Kirby to approach you. Look, Kirby gets a ton of damage off of up close encounters…sooooooooo, don’t get close. I will separate this How To Play into two different categories, Aerial Approaches and Ground Approaches.

Aerial Approaches: To combat his aerial approaches you will need to use your Can and Clay Pigeon the most, when it comes to projectile walls. Can can easily catch his jumps (because he has a slow air game) as well as the Clay Pigeon. When you see a Kirby approaching throw out these moves, retreating to be safe, and watch how they react to it. If you see the Kirby player air dodge, punish the air dodge with an aerial or even bait the air dodge and capitalize. Clay Pigeon can easily connected on an airborne Kirby which can lead into combos like Clay Pigeon to Fair/Bair, another Clay Pigeon, Up air or Down Air. So just be on the lookout for his jump ins. Sometimes the Kirby will opt to Fair your can away so be careful. Fast Fall Dair is what most Kirbys will be looking for so shield an incoming one. Just don’t shield a lot, for the Kirby can mix it up with a Down B and break your shield. If a Kirby breaks your defenses and is above you it is safe to roll away and set up your wall on the other side of the stage. Fair is another tool, when spaced correctly that can deter an approaching Kirby.

Ground Approaches: There’s not much to say in this category besides watch the percent you’re at. If you are at 0 to 70% the Kirby will be looking for combos. Like I said, the combo starters include Falling Dair and his grabs, so do not hold shield too often or he will just go for them. High percents he will be looking for Dair à Down/Up smash, Fsmash, Running Up smash, or Up throw. Use your Clay Pigeon, Gunmen and Can to thwart his plans.