- Game Versions
- Smash Wii U
***Update: I didn't want to bother with an official one since it wouldn't be useful. This guide is old, basically version 1 of Smash 4. The tactics should be largely the same, but percents and combos won't be completely accurate.
One of the most important things to think about while playing as the Radiant Hero of Legends is reading you opponents. Ike is fantastic at punishing mistakes/openings so you want to look for strategies your opponent uses and best deal with them. For example, an common strategy with Luigi (my third favourite character) is using his down throw to combo with aerials. Using Ike's range you can stop Luigi from getting up to you, especially using Ike's neutral aerial to push Luigi away from you. A lot of players have a few strategies they use, and they repeat it to death in a match. The really good players mix up their strategies, but often if you can read a few strategies your opponent uses you can succeed with Ike. I can't tell you how to read players, but I can give you some pointers with how to use Ike's moves which the rest of this guide focuses on. But first, a general overview of Ike's pros and cons:
+Very good range with attacks
+Ridiculous coverage with most attacks
+Very good launching power
+Heavy, but not cumbersome.
+Great ledge guarding
+Decent air mobility
-Very linear recovery (Good horizontal, Good vertical, God awful diagonal)
-Lots of delay with smashes
-Issues with being juggled
-Fairly slow
-Can be edge guarded fairly easily (if you aren't careful)
Move set:
Neutral a:
Chain of three attacks (punch-3%, kick-3%, overhead slash-5%). It's a pretty useful attack, especially if an opponent is rushing you. The punch and kick don't knock opponents away, so you can almost always get the slash of at the end, which is okay at launching.
Dash Attack:
Swings sword forward at foe ( 10%). Not a bad move, but it's usually better to use your tilt than the dash.
Forward tilt:
Slashes across the front of him (14% at tip, 12% at body). Very, very good against people getting up in your business. Great for launching, quick to get out, and actually doesn't have too much end delay. Great as a surprise, and should be your go to option for dodge-happy opponents.
Down tilt:
Quick slash at the ground (8%). Kind of like Marth's/Roy's down tilt from melee. Very good for separating opponents from you, and getting them in the air for some aerial combos.
Up tilt:
Raises his sword from the ground to a little above his head (14%). It's an awkward move, but effective if you can get at getting it of quickly. I personally don't us it much, but it is effective at getting people above you.
Forward Smash:
Brings his sword from behind his back, and slams it onto the ground (22% uncharged, 30% full). Extremely situational, because it has ridiculous start-up and end delay. It has stupid launching power, so if you can get people in front of it, it can reliably KO around 40%. Don't use it too much, because you will be punished big time (Bowser can make you cry if you miss your smash). It actually is stronger closer to Ike, doing 23% at the tip fully charged and not launching as much. Above 100% it doesn't matter where you hit basically, cause both will KO.
Up smash:
Ike swings his sword from the front of his body to the back, doing a complete 180 around his body(17% uncharged, 23% full). One of my favourite moves, because the launch power is the same all the way around his body, even at the end of the attack. It's great to spring on opponents who think getting behind you means safety. The end delay is not too big, but the attack is somewhat slow, so you have to time it appropriately.
Down Smash:
Ike slashes the ground in front of his body, then his back at the ground(14% in front and 17% behind uncharged, 19% in front and 23% behind full) . A great move against rollers, because it's timing will get your opponent just as the invulnerability wears off after the roll. Unlike most of his attacks, Ike's down smash has basically no start-up delay, and small end lag. It's stronger behind Ike, so note that if you want to try and launch people.
Neutral Aerial:
Slashes from top of his head to behind his back, basically doing a 270 around him (9%). This move isn't a launching move, but it's very useful at pushing people away from you. It's also very safe, since there is little end lag. You can often follow it up with other aerials, or Ike's up b.
Forward Aerial:
Slashes from behind his head to under his feet (12%). Basically the opposite function of his neutral, though the two look similar. It's a great launcher, and can be used to ledge guard people who aren't expecting it. A good strategy is to short hop (tap jump lightly) and use the aerial, since it's much quicker than his smash, and launches decently. Just be wary that shielders can ruin your plan, as the end lag will make you open to a grab, or even a smash depending on the opponent. This move is pretty good at knocking opponents away if you chase them off the ledge and attack them. If you miss they can counter attack you so be sure before you go for it.
Back Aerial:
Ike slashes behind him, only hitting directly behind him (14%). Every time I land this move, it makes me smile. It's like his forward tilt, since it's very strong, quick, and unsuspecting. The back aerial is his strongest one, which makes sense because it's his hardest to land. You usually won't be punished if you miss it, just don't keep trying it too much. His back aerial is most effective when you use it sparingly.
Up Aerial:
Spins his sword above his head like a helicopter blade (11%). Does not provide lift. A situational move, it's useful since if someone air dodges, it will last long enough to hit them still. It's fairly strong, so don't ignore it, just don't expect to land it often. I will say if you can get your opponent into the air and then predict their path to the stage, a well timed up aerial will destroy them. Very effective against big characters as you don't have to aim well to catch them.
Down Aerial:
Thrust his sword below him (15%). It has a meteor at the tip of the sword, but it's actually more useful as a launch if you don't hit the meteor. A situational move, useful if you don't use it much. It's often better to use his forward aerial as it has better coverage.
Up Throw:
Ike plants his sword in the ground and jabs his opponents into the air with his fist (7%). You are never going to KO someone with this move alone, but it's great for getting people into the air. More in combos.
Down Throw:
Ike jumps onto his foe, knocking into the air (7%). Slightly different height than his up throw, but same purpose.
Back throw:
Ike spins his foe around then kicks them behind him (7%). Better launching than forward, but not much. Useful for moving opponents away from you.
Forward throw:
Kicks opponents in front of him (7%). Same as back, just knocks foe forward. Can be used if you want to hit opponents of the ledge to ledge-guard them.
Neutral Special (Eruption):
Similar function to Roy's Neutral special from melee. He lifts his sword in the air, and thrusts it into the ground when you release b, or if you reach maximum charge (10% uncharged, 35% full,10% to you). Fire then erupts around him, covering more vertical length the longer you charge. Max charge damages Ike, but it is a KO at 50%-ish, and you get super armour. You won't use it often, but you can charge it in the air to land on an opponent with it. It does reach below the stage, so if timed properly, you can stand at a ledge and stop opponents from grabbing the ledge. Best used against people with non-damaging recoveries (Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong), but it can be used against anyone as long as Ike himself isn't hit. Practice it, but it is not essential to playing as Ike.
Side Special (Quick Draw):
Similar to Pikachu's side b, but more knockback and priority (6% uncharged, 13% full). Ike charges up, then dashes horizontally, even in air, based on how long you hold b for. The main problem is if used in the air you are unable to use your up b afterwards or even jump. Against opponents who don't know Ike you can usually get back easy, but if anyone pursues you to edge guard you have to be extremely careful. Use air dodges to move past opponent's attacks. More in Recovery. But as an attack it is very effective. Just tapping side b will allow you to do a quick slash, which is great for spacing. It also has crazy priority over a lot of moves so you can beat out dash attacks and you can knock yourself out of an opponent's grab. If your side special connects or is reasonably close (would have if opponent didn't deke or they are above/below you for example) then you can act out of it in the air. It's useful to know this since sometimes against ledge-guarders you might try attacking them (other Ike's probably ruin this cause of the air range).
Up Special (Aether):
Ike throws his sword in the air, jumps to it, then spins around a few times before slamming down (6% for initial attack, 2% per strike in air, 7% for final spike, about 19% for a full chain) . It's not a launching move, but it is pretty good for combos. At low percents it's possible to chain several of these together. Be careful because you don't have great horizontal movement, so if you chase people off the ledge you can suicide. The trick to this move is if you can knock an opponent up to the sword when you begin the attack, you with almost always hit them in the air, and slam them down after. It's possible to kamikaze KO an opponent if you can pull them into the attack off the ledge. A critical part of this recovery is Ike has heavy armour (maybe even Super Armour) when he jumps to his sword until the end of the attack. Not when you just activate the move. If someone is trying to stage spike you, use the ability early to not give them a chance to. More in Recovery and Combos.
Down Special (Counter):
Counter attacks opponents, gaining invincibility during the attack if an opponent hits you. The counter is 1.2 times the initial attack, with the minimum being 10% (haven't thoroughly tested). I personally don't use it much, but against heavy hitters (Like Bowser, DK) it can be very useful. Basically all about reading your opponent for when they do smashes to try and counter. The timing on this move is extremely tight compared to the other counters, but it has less end-lag than others. When compared to Marth's/Lucina's counter, Ike's has more start-lag but less end-lag (as in none countering period of the move).
Final Smash (Great Aether):
Basically a beefed up version of his recovery. However it always draws an opponent to the center of stage, so no worries about killing yourself. I don't play with Final Smashes, but here it is if you care. It's pretty strong, killing reliably above 50%.
Recovery (techniques for not dying):
So Ike's Achilles heel is he is extremely susceptible to being edge guarded against. The biggest advice I can give is don't do the same thing multiple times. Try to go in low or high, not in the middle, and decide right away which you are going to do. There is a zone where you literally cannot do anything if you get stuck in there. I have the approximate location as an image attached.
The attacks that give Ike the runs are one without vertical parts of their launches. For example, Ganondorf's forward tilt can pretty much kill you at 50% if you get hit at the center of the stage, so be careful. Ike has very good mobility for a heavy hitter so try to avoid smashes that send you just horizontal. Ike is tough to kill if you get just launched diagonally up so try to "convince" your opponent to send you there. His side special can send him a long way, so using it high usually will help you get back to the stage. The lower you drop the more danger you are in of being ledge guarded or even just unable to get back. Changing up the timing of quick draw can help you immensely but going in high is usually the best strategy. Like stated before, using quick draw in the air and getting near an opponent with it will trigger a slash animation, and allow you to act out of the move. You shouldn't be trying to hit your opponent when you recovery from high up, but coming in lower this can help a bunch.
Pressure (also when not to):
Ike is a bit of a weird character, not quite a heavy since he is mobile but not a light character either. This gives him the advantage to play both aggressively and passively fairly well. The difference in strategies involves which moves you choose to use, and which to ignore (or use only a bit). For example, aggressive players (like me) will use aerials more since they are quicker and provide more coverage than tilts. Passive players will use tilts and smashes more (generalizations of course). Knowing which strategy to use requires knowledge of characters and how your foe likes to play. Against aggressive players you want to watch your moves, not using heavy delay moves like smashes and instead use tilts and aerials that don't stun you as much. Only try to smash if you for sure can land it. If not use the forward tilt; way safer and launches great. Against passive characters you want to pressure them into making a decision, not making them react. So if they are shielding don't dash attack or put yourself in a position where you will be stunned. Get into a range where if they drop their shield you can hit them with a tilt or quick attack. Ike's range is pretty fantastic, so use it to your advantage whether you want to be passive or aggressive. Ike has great launching from a lot of moves so playing aggressive is actually a pretty decent strategy. Just don't over extend yourself as missing puts Ike in a vulnerable position and trying to ledge-guard foes can be your death if you aren't careful.
Combos (Not guaranteed, but my experience):
Before I begin, if anyone reading this know of badass combos I didn't mention let me know in the comments. Most of Ike's combos have big air components to them. As weird as it seems, Ike works the best a little bit off the ground, since his aerials are much faster to use than his smashes, but launch better than his tilts (save the forward tilt). Combos that I like to use involve hitting people a little off the ground, then following up with his up special or aerials. His throws aren't something to laugh at, because both his up and down throws get opponents into Ike's happy place. Here are some combos I like:
Down Throw>Up Special>Up Special...
It's not always do-able, but it is possible especially at low percents to follow up Aether with another if you can dash up to your opponent after. It's definitely possible to rack up 60% plus if you get good at this.
Down throw>Neutral Aerial>Forward Aerial
Depends on weight and percents, but practice this because it's a good way to get 30% especially at low percents.
Down throw>Up Special>Forward Aerial
At higher percents this is a pretty good kill combo. Again, experiment with different opponents to see what works against who.
Up Smash>Back/Forward Aerial
This is very situational, since if an opponent tries to get away from your up smash, you can chase them with one of these.
There are very few ground based combos, since most of Ike's moves launch upward/diagonally. The only move that really launches horizontal is his forward tilt which you can't follow up with realistically (maybe at low percents).
Fun/Important Match ups:
Little Mac:
When you see a Little Mac, you should probably praise any god and do a happy dance, cause this is way tilted in Ike's favor. Knowing most Little Mac players, they love the dash attack. Shielding and doing a throw combo can get them to 50% or above, which is the sweet spot for Ike against Little Mac. If you do a back throw at the ledge when they are above 50%, you can charge a forward smash and watch them jolt haymaker (side special) into it and get KO'ed. It's their only option. Little Mac is a tough opponent if you fight him like a normal character, since he has a counter to deal with Ike's strong attacks and super armours them when he smashes. The best plan is to exploit his awful recovery.
Rosalina and Luma:
Opposite of Little Mac, as they have the advantage. The key to this is patience, and taking out the Luma then going after Rosalina. Most of these players like using their shield and then grabbing you if you go in for an attack, so be careful and conserved. Rosalina is light, so you can launch her pretty easily if your attacks connect, but it might be a battle of the wills.
Projectile Users:
So the temptation against projectiles is to jump/roll past them and try to get an attack off afterwards. This might work sometimes, but often the opponent can shield before your attack connects. The best plan is to change up your approach and try to make the opponent act first. For example with Samus' missiles, you want to get near her, but don't attack first. Make your opponent sweat a bit as you are just out of the range of their attacks, but you can get them anytime (due to Ike's aerial range). Usually they will get impatient and rush you. It's not a for sure strategy, but it works often. Also note that some lighter projectiles can be destroyed by using Ike's forward tilt, such as Samus' missiles or Robin's Thunder (weakest charge neutral special).
High Pressure Opponents:
Sonic, Falcon, etc. Priority is your friend in these match-ups. A lot of their pressuring moves can be countered with tilts, quick draw, or Ike's neutral aerial. These characters have to get up in your business to successfully pressure Ike so don't let them! Using rolls to avoid attacks can help you get out of sticky situations. In addition, counter works fairly well if you can get the timing down. Since Ike has start-up delay on his counter using this might not be a viable option against their weak attacks. But eventually they have to try strong attacks to launch you and that is your time to try it. Trying to out-pressure these guys is a tough business, so I would advise against this. Use Ike's awesome priority so stop them from getting in your face. Shield and grabbing can help too, but they probably catch onto it quickly and that is bad news.
Final Thoughts:
Similar to Charizard, Ike excels in punishing opponents who do the same strategy repeatedly, if you can spot the flaw. You can't read an opponent's mind, but knowing other characters' moves and strategies can give you a big leg up. Ike is a very versatile character because he doesn't suffer the sluggish movements of a heavy character like DK or Bowser, but it takes a lot to KO him. KO'ing Ike is hard if he gets launched diagonally up, so if you have to get hit then get hit there. It dramatically extends your life. Hopefully this guide helps you get well on your way to playing well. Any suggestions/corrections/stipulations is appreciated.
One of the most important things to think about while playing as the Radiant Hero of Legends is reading you opponents. Ike is fantastic at punishing mistakes/openings so you want to look for strategies your opponent uses and best deal with them. For example, an common strategy with Luigi (my third favourite character) is using his down throw to combo with aerials. Using Ike's range you can stop Luigi from getting up to you, especially using Ike's neutral aerial to push Luigi away from you. A lot of players have a few strategies they use, and they repeat it to death in a match. The really good players mix up their strategies, but often if you can read a few strategies your opponent uses you can succeed with Ike. I can't tell you how to read players, but I can give you some pointers with how to use Ike's moves which the rest of this guide focuses on. But first, a general overview of Ike's pros and cons:
+Very good range with attacks
+Ridiculous coverage with most attacks
+Very good launching power
+Heavy, but not cumbersome.
+Great ledge guarding
+Decent air mobility
-Very linear recovery (Good horizontal, Good vertical, God awful diagonal)
-Lots of delay with smashes
-Issues with being juggled
-Fairly slow
-Can be edge guarded fairly easily (if you aren't careful)
Move set:
Neutral a:
Chain of three attacks (punch-3%, kick-3%, overhead slash-5%). It's a pretty useful attack, especially if an opponent is rushing you. The punch and kick don't knock opponents away, so you can almost always get the slash of at the end, which is okay at launching.
Dash Attack:
Swings sword forward at foe ( 10%). Not a bad move, but it's usually better to use your tilt than the dash.
Forward tilt:
Slashes across the front of him (14% at tip, 12% at body). Very, very good against people getting up in your business. Great for launching, quick to get out, and actually doesn't have too much end delay. Great as a surprise, and should be your go to option for dodge-happy opponents.
Down tilt:
Quick slash at the ground (8%). Kind of like Marth's/Roy's down tilt from melee. Very good for separating opponents from you, and getting them in the air for some aerial combos.
Up tilt:
Raises his sword from the ground to a little above his head (14%). It's an awkward move, but effective if you can get at getting it of quickly. I personally don't us it much, but it is effective at getting people above you.
Forward Smash:
Brings his sword from behind his back, and slams it onto the ground (22% uncharged, 30% full). Extremely situational, because it has ridiculous start-up and end delay. It has stupid launching power, so if you can get people in front of it, it can reliably KO around 40%. Don't use it too much, because you will be punished big time (Bowser can make you cry if you miss your smash). It actually is stronger closer to Ike, doing 23% at the tip fully charged and not launching as much. Above 100% it doesn't matter where you hit basically, cause both will KO.
Up smash:
Ike swings his sword from the front of his body to the back, doing a complete 180 around his body(17% uncharged, 23% full). One of my favourite moves, because the launch power is the same all the way around his body, even at the end of the attack. It's great to spring on opponents who think getting behind you means safety. The end delay is not too big, but the attack is somewhat slow, so you have to time it appropriately.
Down Smash:
Ike slashes the ground in front of his body, then his back at the ground(14% in front and 17% behind uncharged, 19% in front and 23% behind full) . A great move against rollers, because it's timing will get your opponent just as the invulnerability wears off after the roll. Unlike most of his attacks, Ike's down smash has basically no start-up delay, and small end lag. It's stronger behind Ike, so note that if you want to try and launch people.
Neutral Aerial:
Slashes from top of his head to behind his back, basically doing a 270 around him (9%). This move isn't a launching move, but it's very useful at pushing people away from you. It's also very safe, since there is little end lag. You can often follow it up with other aerials, or Ike's up b.
Forward Aerial:
Slashes from behind his head to under his feet (12%). Basically the opposite function of his neutral, though the two look similar. It's a great launcher, and can be used to ledge guard people who aren't expecting it. A good strategy is to short hop (tap jump lightly) and use the aerial, since it's much quicker than his smash, and launches decently. Just be wary that shielders can ruin your plan, as the end lag will make you open to a grab, or even a smash depending on the opponent. This move is pretty good at knocking opponents away if you chase them off the ledge and attack them. If you miss they can counter attack you so be sure before you go for it.
Back Aerial:
Ike slashes behind him, only hitting directly behind him (14%). Every time I land this move, it makes me smile. It's like his forward tilt, since it's very strong, quick, and unsuspecting. The back aerial is his strongest one, which makes sense because it's his hardest to land. You usually won't be punished if you miss it, just don't keep trying it too much. His back aerial is most effective when you use it sparingly.
Up Aerial:
Spins his sword above his head like a helicopter blade (11%). Does not provide lift. A situational move, it's useful since if someone air dodges, it will last long enough to hit them still. It's fairly strong, so don't ignore it, just don't expect to land it often. I will say if you can get your opponent into the air and then predict their path to the stage, a well timed up aerial will destroy them. Very effective against big characters as you don't have to aim well to catch them.
Down Aerial:
Thrust his sword below him (15%). It has a meteor at the tip of the sword, but it's actually more useful as a launch if you don't hit the meteor. A situational move, useful if you don't use it much. It's often better to use his forward aerial as it has better coverage.
Up Throw:
Ike plants his sword in the ground and jabs his opponents into the air with his fist (7%). You are never going to KO someone with this move alone, but it's great for getting people into the air. More in combos.
Down Throw:
Ike jumps onto his foe, knocking into the air (7%). Slightly different height than his up throw, but same purpose.
Back throw:
Ike spins his foe around then kicks them behind him (7%). Better launching than forward, but not much. Useful for moving opponents away from you.
Forward throw:
Kicks opponents in front of him (7%). Same as back, just knocks foe forward. Can be used if you want to hit opponents of the ledge to ledge-guard them.
Neutral Special (Eruption):
Similar function to Roy's Neutral special from melee. He lifts his sword in the air, and thrusts it into the ground when you release b, or if you reach maximum charge (10% uncharged, 35% full,10% to you). Fire then erupts around him, covering more vertical length the longer you charge. Max charge damages Ike, but it is a KO at 50%-ish, and you get super armour. You won't use it often, but you can charge it in the air to land on an opponent with it. It does reach below the stage, so if timed properly, you can stand at a ledge and stop opponents from grabbing the ledge. Best used against people with non-damaging recoveries (Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong), but it can be used against anyone as long as Ike himself isn't hit. Practice it, but it is not essential to playing as Ike.
Side Special (Quick Draw):
Similar to Pikachu's side b, but more knockback and priority (6% uncharged, 13% full). Ike charges up, then dashes horizontally, even in air, based on how long you hold b for. The main problem is if used in the air you are unable to use your up b afterwards or even jump. Against opponents who don't know Ike you can usually get back easy, but if anyone pursues you to edge guard you have to be extremely careful. Use air dodges to move past opponent's attacks. More in Recovery. But as an attack it is very effective. Just tapping side b will allow you to do a quick slash, which is great for spacing. It also has crazy priority over a lot of moves so you can beat out dash attacks and you can knock yourself out of an opponent's grab. If your side special connects or is reasonably close (would have if opponent didn't deke or they are above/below you for example) then you can act out of it in the air. It's useful to know this since sometimes against ledge-guarders you might try attacking them (other Ike's probably ruin this cause of the air range).
Up Special (Aether):
Ike throws his sword in the air, jumps to it, then spins around a few times before slamming down (6% for initial attack, 2% per strike in air, 7% for final spike, about 19% for a full chain) . It's not a launching move, but it is pretty good for combos. At low percents it's possible to chain several of these together. Be careful because you don't have great horizontal movement, so if you chase people off the ledge you can suicide. The trick to this move is if you can knock an opponent up to the sword when you begin the attack, you with almost always hit them in the air, and slam them down after. It's possible to kamikaze KO an opponent if you can pull them into the attack off the ledge. A critical part of this recovery is Ike has heavy armour (maybe even Super Armour) when he jumps to his sword until the end of the attack. Not when you just activate the move. If someone is trying to stage spike you, use the ability early to not give them a chance to. More in Recovery and Combos.
Down Special (Counter):
Counter attacks opponents, gaining invincibility during the attack if an opponent hits you. The counter is 1.2 times the initial attack, with the minimum being 10% (haven't thoroughly tested). I personally don't use it much, but against heavy hitters (Like Bowser, DK) it can be very useful. Basically all about reading your opponent for when they do smashes to try and counter. The timing on this move is extremely tight compared to the other counters, but it has less end-lag than others. When compared to Marth's/Lucina's counter, Ike's has more start-lag but less end-lag (as in none countering period of the move).
Final Smash (Great Aether):
Basically a beefed up version of his recovery. However it always draws an opponent to the center of stage, so no worries about killing yourself. I don't play with Final Smashes, but here it is if you care. It's pretty strong, killing reliably above 50%.
Recovery (techniques for not dying):
So Ike's Achilles heel is he is extremely susceptible to being edge guarded against. The biggest advice I can give is don't do the same thing multiple times. Try to go in low or high, not in the middle, and decide right away which you are going to do. There is a zone where you literally cannot do anything if you get stuck in there. I have the approximate location as an image attached.
The attacks that give Ike the runs are one without vertical parts of their launches. For example, Ganondorf's forward tilt can pretty much kill you at 50% if you get hit at the center of the stage, so be careful. Ike has very good mobility for a heavy hitter so try to avoid smashes that send you just horizontal. Ike is tough to kill if you get just launched diagonally up so try to "convince" your opponent to send you there. His side special can send him a long way, so using it high usually will help you get back to the stage. The lower you drop the more danger you are in of being ledge guarded or even just unable to get back. Changing up the timing of quick draw can help you immensely but going in high is usually the best strategy. Like stated before, using quick draw in the air and getting near an opponent with it will trigger a slash animation, and allow you to act out of the move. You shouldn't be trying to hit your opponent when you recovery from high up, but coming in lower this can help a bunch.
Pressure (also when not to):
Ike is a bit of a weird character, not quite a heavy since he is mobile but not a light character either. This gives him the advantage to play both aggressively and passively fairly well. The difference in strategies involves which moves you choose to use, and which to ignore (or use only a bit). For example, aggressive players (like me) will use aerials more since they are quicker and provide more coverage than tilts. Passive players will use tilts and smashes more (generalizations of course). Knowing which strategy to use requires knowledge of characters and how your foe likes to play. Against aggressive players you want to watch your moves, not using heavy delay moves like smashes and instead use tilts and aerials that don't stun you as much. Only try to smash if you for sure can land it. If not use the forward tilt; way safer and launches great. Against passive characters you want to pressure them into making a decision, not making them react. So if they are shielding don't dash attack or put yourself in a position where you will be stunned. Get into a range where if they drop their shield you can hit them with a tilt or quick attack. Ike's range is pretty fantastic, so use it to your advantage whether you want to be passive or aggressive. Ike has great launching from a lot of moves so playing aggressive is actually a pretty decent strategy. Just don't over extend yourself as missing puts Ike in a vulnerable position and trying to ledge-guard foes can be your death if you aren't careful.
Combos (Not guaranteed, but my experience):
Before I begin, if anyone reading this know of badass combos I didn't mention let me know in the comments. Most of Ike's combos have big air components to them. As weird as it seems, Ike works the best a little bit off the ground, since his aerials are much faster to use than his smashes, but launch better than his tilts (save the forward tilt). Combos that I like to use involve hitting people a little off the ground, then following up with his up special or aerials. His throws aren't something to laugh at, because both his up and down throws get opponents into Ike's happy place. Here are some combos I like:
Down Throw>Up Special>Up Special...
It's not always do-able, but it is possible especially at low percents to follow up Aether with another if you can dash up to your opponent after. It's definitely possible to rack up 60% plus if you get good at this.
Down throw>Neutral Aerial>Forward Aerial
Depends on weight and percents, but practice this because it's a good way to get 30% especially at low percents.
Down throw>Up Special>Forward Aerial
At higher percents this is a pretty good kill combo. Again, experiment with different opponents to see what works against who.
Up Smash>Back/Forward Aerial
This is very situational, since if an opponent tries to get away from your up smash, you can chase them with one of these.
There are very few ground based combos, since most of Ike's moves launch upward/diagonally. The only move that really launches horizontal is his forward tilt which you can't follow up with realistically (maybe at low percents).
Fun/Important Match ups:
Little Mac:
When you see a Little Mac, you should probably praise any god and do a happy dance, cause this is way tilted in Ike's favor. Knowing most Little Mac players, they love the dash attack. Shielding and doing a throw combo can get them to 50% or above, which is the sweet spot for Ike against Little Mac. If you do a back throw at the ledge when they are above 50%, you can charge a forward smash and watch them jolt haymaker (side special) into it and get KO'ed. It's their only option. Little Mac is a tough opponent if you fight him like a normal character, since he has a counter to deal with Ike's strong attacks and super armours them when he smashes. The best plan is to exploit his awful recovery.
Rosalina and Luma:
Opposite of Little Mac, as they have the advantage. The key to this is patience, and taking out the Luma then going after Rosalina. Most of these players like using their shield and then grabbing you if you go in for an attack, so be careful and conserved. Rosalina is light, so you can launch her pretty easily if your attacks connect, but it might be a battle of the wills.
Projectile Users:
So the temptation against projectiles is to jump/roll past them and try to get an attack off afterwards. This might work sometimes, but often the opponent can shield before your attack connects. The best plan is to change up your approach and try to make the opponent act first. For example with Samus' missiles, you want to get near her, but don't attack first. Make your opponent sweat a bit as you are just out of the range of their attacks, but you can get them anytime (due to Ike's aerial range). Usually they will get impatient and rush you. It's not a for sure strategy, but it works often. Also note that some lighter projectiles can be destroyed by using Ike's forward tilt, such as Samus' missiles or Robin's Thunder (weakest charge neutral special).
High Pressure Opponents:
Sonic, Falcon, etc. Priority is your friend in these match-ups. A lot of their pressuring moves can be countered with tilts, quick draw, or Ike's neutral aerial. These characters have to get up in your business to successfully pressure Ike so don't let them! Using rolls to avoid attacks can help you get out of sticky situations. In addition, counter works fairly well if you can get the timing down. Since Ike has start-up delay on his counter using this might not be a viable option against their weak attacks. But eventually they have to try strong attacks to launch you and that is your time to try it. Trying to out-pressure these guys is a tough business, so I would advise against this. Use Ike's awesome priority so stop them from getting in your face. Shield and grabbing can help too, but they probably catch onto it quickly and that is bad news.
Final Thoughts:
Similar to Charizard, Ike excels in punishing opponents who do the same strategy repeatedly, if you can spot the flaw. You can't read an opponent's mind, but knowing other characters' moves and strategies can give you a big leg up. Ike is a very versatile character because he doesn't suffer the sluggish movements of a heavy character like DK or Bowser, but it takes a lot to KO him. KO'ing Ike is hard if he gets launched diagonally up, so if you have to get hit then get hit there. It dramatically extends your life. Hopefully this guide helps you get well on your way to playing well. Any suggestions/corrections/stipulations is appreciated.
