- 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.
Meta Knight wanted to be ready for Brawl, so he took performance-enhancing drugs to dominate the competition. However, he was found out by the community, and was banned from all Brawl tournaments. Now in Smash 4 he has given up the steroids, showing his true abilities (or lack thereof).
Overview:
It's probably pretty clear to anybody who has played as Meta Knight in Brawl and Smash 4, but Meta Knight has been nerfed A LOT. This shouldn't discourage people from using him, since he isn't actually a bad character in Smash 4. To play as Meta Knight, you have to play a hit-and-run style. Basically you should be trying to rack up damage by using low risk moves, then using one of his (few) KO moves. Meta Knight is a slippery character, as he is very mobile in the air, has fast rolls, and several options for recovery. Now for his Pro and Cons:
+Great Recovery
+Extremely hard to juggle, ledge-guard
+Can rack-up damage quickly
+Very mobile and quick (both air and land)
+/- super light (only GW, Jigglypuff, Kirby,and a few others are lighter)
-few strong attacks (even some smashes are weak)
-All special moves put you into a helpless state (watch out for SD's)
-Most strong attacks have a lot of end-lag
Moveset:
Neutral:
Unleashes a furry of slashes (1% per hit, about 2 per second). One of those moves that pulls people in. Fairly useful if you can get people with the end hit. Otherwise they can counter attack you which is bad news for Meta Knight. Use it sparingly, since you can't end the attack at a moment's notice.
Dash Attack:
Slide kicks opponents (5% if you run into them with it, 6% if you activate it at them). An extremely useful move, since there isn't a lot of start-up or end lag on the move. It also kicks people into a spot where you can follow up with other move for combos which is cool. More in Air Game.
Forward Tilt:
A chain of three sword slashes, works similar to Luigi's neutral (2% for the first two, 3% for the last strike). The last hit has knockback, but the first two do not so make sure you get all of them off. Not an amazing move, but it's decently quick to use especially for spacing.
Down Tilt:
Meta Knight thrusts his sword at the ground, knee cap level (5%). This move has a trip mechanic with 25% chance to do so (can't confirm the exact percent), so it can be useful for combos. It has hardly any knockback so opponents might be able to hit you if they aren't tripped (Dedede or Ike are troublesome since their tilts can get you usually).
Up Tilt:
He thrusts his sword into the air, jump slightly as he does so (5% at the base of the sword, 7% at the tip). This move doesn't affect those beside him, but it's a pretty good move for stopping opponents from reaching the ground. It has okay knockback, but you are better off using his up smash for KO's, since it is just as fast but more powerful. The tip has more launching power, but I doubt you will use it much.
Forward Smash:
Meta Knight does one single deadly slash right in front of his body (16% uncharged, 22% full). This move has a surprising amount of launch, comparable to most other characters (the heavys are still better of course). The range of this attack is mediocre, so make sure you are in the opponents face before doing this move. You can bring the move out pretty quickly, so it makes for a nice surprise (or bad for your opponents). It does have end-lag, but nothing too severe. Just watch out for other people with quick smashes/tilts since they can punish you. With a full charge it KO's under 100% on medium characters, 120% -ish uncharged.
Down Smash:
He does two quick slashes at the ground, the first in front then behind him (7% uncharged, 9% full in front and 10% uncharged, 14% full behind him). An extremely useful move, but not for launching (usually). The move is extremely low-risk, as there is hardly any start-up of end lag. Great against rollers/dodgers (i.e. the strategy you will be using as Meta Knight). The forward part doesn't really launch much, but the back portion is a decent launch. It can be awkward to get off, so you likely won't use this as a KO'ing move much but you should remember it can.
Up Smash:
Meta Knight does a flurry of slashes above his head (2% for first, 3% for second, and 4% for last hit uncharged, 3%, 4%, 5% full). An awesome move, since it can trap opponents in and guarantee the final launch connects. The final strike has pretty good launch, but it also gets opponents in the air so you can better beat them up. More in Air Game.
Neutral Aerial:
Meta Knight spins in the air like a wheel and slashes opponents he touches (10% on start-up, 7% after wards). A great edge-guarding move since you become a death ball that if any one touches they get hurt. The launch is also pretty decent, so if you attack someone like Ike off the ledge he won't be able to get back (unless he has basically 0% or they read my other guide). It's a useful spacing move, so sometimes it's a good idea to short-hop and use this move to get opponents away from you. The launch power increases if you activate it right at the person, so if you are going to ledge-guard be wary of getting meteored potentially (probably won't kill you unless you are out of jumps or are above 70%).
Forward Aerial:
He slashes in front of his body three times (2%, 1%, then 3% respectively). The final strike and initial strike have somewhat good launching, but the middle strike does not launch at all. In fact, it only makes an opponent flinch. The attack ends if you hit the ground, so if you can time it right, you can get your opponent to flinch right in front of you for a smash. It's tricky to use, but effective if you master it.
Back Aerial:
Effectively Meta Knight does his forward aerial in reverse, with a bit more strength (2%, 1%, 4%). The final strike has very good launching power, so using this move as an edge-guarding move is very effective. The first two strikes can suck opponents into the attack so it's a very good move.
Up Aerial:
Meta Knight does a quick slash above his head (5%). This move doesn't have much launch, so you can use it to juggle opponents, especially heavy characters. Since MK has 5 mid-air jumps you can juggle a lot with this move. A decent move, but not essential to use.
Down Aerial:
Basically does his up aerial below him (6%). This move does not have a meteor component, so you can't use it like that. The move doesn't even knock them downwards. It hits them away from Meta Knight based on where they are (hit opponents forward if they are in front. My suggestion is to use this as an edge-guarding move, since you can stage spike opponents pretty well with it.
Forward Throw:
He kicks them forward like a goal keeper kicks a soccer ball up the field (9%). This move has poor launch power, but enough that it doesn't work for combos except at low percents. I highly advise using other throws instead. You can use a specific combo with it, which is forward throw>Up Special instead of the down throw, so use whatever you like better. More in Combos.
Back Throw:
He teleports behind the foe and slashes them (10%). A much better throw, with fairly decent launching. A good move against foes who camp near the ledge to kill them.
Down Throw:
Meta Knight repeatedly stomps the foe before a butt slam that launches them (7%). It looks like it does more damage than it actually inflicts, but I can't say enough good things about this throw. It sets up opponents for several decent combos. It's a very low risk throw and sets up other moves incredibly well, some are even guaranteed to connect. More in Air Game/Combos.
Up Throw:
Meta Knight leaps with the foe high into the air before slamming them down (10%). A somewhat good throw, but not the best. It can kill at high percents, but usually the back throw is a better option.
If you play for Meta Knight for the first time you probably will realize he is super easy to accidentally kill yourself with him since all of his specials put him into a helpless state. I don't know how many times I have done it, but it is a lot. Also these specials are fairly easy to punish if you miss since there is a lot of end-lag on them. Below I will go over ways to avoid this when I discuss his specials.
Neutral Special (Mach Tornado):
Meta Knight becomes a swirling vortex of entropy. Seriously though, he spins around like a tornado, sucking opponents he touches into the center. The damage it deal is varied based on how much you mash the b button since that increases its duration. Minimum time of using the move results in 8% where max is probably 22% (lots of mashing required). The final strike of the tornado can launch, and it is quite effective if you get them near the ceiling. It has some vertical movement, but a ton truck of horizontal so it make for a useful recovery move. You can be hit out of it especially from long range heavy aerials (Dedede's or Ike's for example) so be careful. There is end-lag with the move as well, so be careful to not get exposed. It's best used right in an opponent's face to maximize damage and reduce risk. Against shielders it forces them to chew up a bunch of shield, potentially allowing you to connect with the end of the attack. It doesn't actually destroy shielders faster, but the duration they hold it for makes it go away a bunch. This move can destroy low-level projectiles like an uncharged Power Beam or Fox's Blaster, but anything mid or high goes through (like Super Missles).
Side Special (Drill Rush):
Meta Knight flies in the air towards his foe, spinning like a drill (11% if all attacks connect, last one does 3%). Drill rush is a pretty decent move especially because you aren't exposed very much after the move if you can suck opponents in (projectiles could get you). The main problem with this move is you can potentially kill yourself if you miss your opponent. When attacking, if your last hit connects with a surface, you get kick backwards. This works on the ground too, so if you miss an opponent angle (by moving the control stick) down to kick back and stop yourself. You have enough influence that you can move in different directions to not get hit after the move (so if you hit the ground, move back or forwards to mess with opponents trying to punish you). It's main use is for building up your foe's percentage, but the drill rush is a decent recovery if used moderately close to the stage since it auto-ledges. If you aim for a bit lower than the ledge, you will kick up to the ledge as well, making Meta Knight one of the trickiest characters to ledge guard against (if you get good, you shouldn't ever die from being ledge-guarded). Something I never thought of until it was mentioned to me was the drill rush can allow you to stage spike opponents who try to ledge guard you if you can catch them in it. The only problem with this is meteor smashes will get you from above potentially so be cautious about it.
Down Special (Dimensional Cape):
Fancy Name. This move allows Meta Knight to "disappear" and then reappear shortly after. You can travel while using this move in any direction, and attack out of it by holding the b button the entire time. Probably his best and worst move in the game. On unsuspecting opponents this move works wonders, allowing you to KO them at low percents with ease. But against opponents who are ready for it you are painfully stunned after, allowing them to smash you (fast characters can fully charge smashes against you because the end-lag is so severe). Using this move is all about mind-games and feints, which I can't make you good at. But I'll give some suggestions in Game Plan. As for stats, this move does 15% normally, and 16% used in the air or by moving the full length you can. If you move slightly in the air, it counts as 15%. Using a retreating slash it does 14%. At full movement he spins around, so be cautious about missing. The 15% KO's at 80% and the 16% KO's at 70% near the ledge so the best is probably mid-air since you don't spin around (unless you want to go behind them that is). There is very little end-lag if you don't attack, so sometimes a good plan is to not use the attack feature, and then grab or do a quick regular attack. With the non-attack variety, you slide a bit after using the move in the last direction inputted before appearing, so you can almost feint an opponent by moving in their direction than cutting back. Great if you think your opponent is going to rush you after the move since you can move out of there range and strike back afterwards. Using both varieties puts you into a helpless state, but the attack version won't allow you to grab the ledge immediately afterwards if you use it off the stage (the stage doesn't stop your motion if you move towards the edge so be careful).
Up Special (Shuttle Loop):
Again one of those high-risk, high-reward moves. Meta Knight charges upwards in the air a bit then does a loop before going up a bit more (strike before and after loop does 6% unless the initial is from the ground where it does 9%). The direction can be angled from 70 degrees (control stick full forward) to straight up (control stick full back) by moving the control stick after using the move. Using the move in the air shoots you up slightly faster, but not by much. This move is quite a good KO'ing move, since you can attack people near the ceiling to KO them, at 60%. This makes you pretty helpless so only attack if you think you can land the second hit (the first doesn't launch much, but the second does a lot). An important thing with MK is to fast fall after you are in an helpless state since he drops really quickly. It helps you avoid getting punished as easily from missing. A lot of his moves put people into a position to use this move, like his dash or down throw. Use this move sparingly if you seem to miss a lot.
Final Smash:
Galaxia Darkness (uber fancy name):
Meta Knight opens his cape wide in front (not behind), shows his opponents something terrible like Keeping up with the Kardashians or something (the reason the opponent is stunned), before striking his opponent with a super strong slash. It does a satisfying blow, and KO's at low-ish % so a nifty final smash.
Hit-and-Run (the basics of being a ninja):
Meta Knight is closer to Game and Watch rather than Kirby or Jigglypuff despite having 6 jumps. You want to stick to the ground a lot, and roll a bunch since MK has a very good dodge. All of his KO'ing moves have end-lag that is noticeable so you want to avoid using those until an opponent is at a position where it's a for sure launch. Once your opponent is hovering around 100%, you can start to go for heavy hits unless you see easy targets (like Ganon's horrific up tilt). You are not being passive, you just don't engage in risky heavy hitting moves since he is very light and proned to KO's under 100% from weak characters if you aren't careful. This is where the mind-games and feints come into play. Moves like the Dimensional Cape without the attack can trick opponents to getting stunned, and your rolls are hard to punish so you can be slippery. If you push too hard to try and launch your foes you likely will get launched yourself.
Air Game:
Meta Knight's air game consists of not being in the air, but keeping your opponents there. Most of his KO moves work the best when the opponent has to try and make it back to land, so your priority should be using moves to send opponents up there. I'll talk about moves that knock opponents up into the air in Combos. In addition to that, Meta Knight's speed allows you to cover the ground so your opponent cannot safely land, and his specials give him reach such that you can attack opponents trying to make it back (Mach Tornado is especially good since you can cover Final Destination with the move and stop opponents from landing). There are several ways to kick opponents into the air, with the main ones being his dash attack and down throw allowing you to follow up afterwards easily with aerials. Once in the air, you can use his up smash to essentially block their ability to get back. Since the up smash has pull on it you don't really have to be precise, just move into their path. The only exception to this is near a ledge. If you knock opponents off the stage, don't be afraid to give chase. A lot of his aerials give you great options to knock opponents away or stage spike them. Against opponents with linear recoveries like Fox or Ike it is especially effective since you can knock them out of recovery range.
Combos:
There are others present, but I'm going to focus on the land>air combos since they work very well (at least for me).
Down Throw> "Up Smash">Up Special
Basically once an opponent's percentage gets high enough the up smash part goes away, and the combo continues (around 50% for medium-weight characters).
Down Throw>Down Special
At a specific range of percents this combo works wonders, since you can chase opponents after the throw and smash them (around 80% for medium-weight characters).
Dash Attack>Up Special
Basically works above 60%. The more slippery characters/floaty characters it is harder to land. You probably won't ever hit a Jigglypuff player with this, but against DK you should get them every time.
Game Plan:
Within the first few seconds of a match, I often use Drill Rush since the opponent won't expect it. Even if you miss, you can pull down to kick off the stage to avoid getting punished. Based on how the opponent reacts you can determine how they are going to approach the match. If they rush you they probably are going to play aggressive, so try and trick them into getting stunned through missed smashes. If they hang back and wait for you, use low risk moves like grabs or dash attacks to avoid getting stunned yourself. Opponents will eventually make mistakes, so you can punish them. Also using combos above can help you set-up launches without too much risk if your opponent is being particularly passive. Meta Knight's problems become apparent when you chase opponents to hard, since any missed heavy move like a smash or special can lead to your demise. There is very little point to trying to follow-up most moves since you rarely will be able to launch opponents until they are at high percents (above 100%).
Match-Ups:
Heavy Hitters:
Like Dedede or Bowser. They can launch MK at very low percents, sub 40% even. This stresses playing hit-and-run even more. You should be able to avoid getting hit from tilts or smashes, but aerials might get you especially if you try to juggle them too much. They have enough end-lag on moves that you will be able to punish them easy.
Floaters:
Like Kirby or Peach. The main issue with them is they own the air, so you can't give chase very well. Stick to the ground mainly, since they are waiting for you to go into the air. Your up smash will work well since it has pretty good priority over most moves, and it has enough launch to KO them around 100%. Just. Don't. Use. The. Shuttle. Loop. It's not worth it, since most combos won't allow you to follow up with this, and they have enough air control to move out of the attack then strike back.
Short-Hoppers:
A very specific group of characters, like Falcon and Sheik. Maybe not the best name, basically characters who have great aerials, decent air control and are heavy-ish. Instead of copying the line about not using his up special I'm just going to reference it. While the floaters can't really launch you for missing this, these characters can and will do it big time. Against Falcon you basically are letting him use The Knee of Justice (his forward aerial) and it will KO you above 30%. Your best bet against these characters is to rack up damage and use his edge-guarding abilities to stop them from getting back. His up smash also works too, since there isn't enough delay for you to be open to punishment.
Final Thoughts:
Meta Knight is quickly becoming one of my main characters, but I still sometimes SD or do moves that leave me painfully open. Meta Knight plays really different from a lot of characters so it takes some getting used to. You don't have to be good at reading opponents to play as Meta Knight, but you do have to be good at reading playing styles. Understand what type of player you are facing and the match gets a bunch easier. If you have any questions/queries/quandaries about Meta Knight let me know. Suggestions are always appreciated, even if I don't respond to them (I'm fairly busy at the moment, it took me several weeks to be able to finish this guide).
Meta Knight wanted to be ready for Brawl, so he took performance-enhancing drugs to dominate the competition. However, he was found out by the community, and was banned from all Brawl tournaments. Now in Smash 4 he has given up the steroids, showing his true abilities (or lack thereof).
Overview:
It's probably pretty clear to anybody who has played as Meta Knight in Brawl and Smash 4, but Meta Knight has been nerfed A LOT. This shouldn't discourage people from using him, since he isn't actually a bad character in Smash 4. To play as Meta Knight, you have to play a hit-and-run style. Basically you should be trying to rack up damage by using low risk moves, then using one of his (few) KO moves. Meta Knight is a slippery character, as he is very mobile in the air, has fast rolls, and several options for recovery. Now for his Pro and Cons:
+Great Recovery
+Extremely hard to juggle, ledge-guard
+Can rack-up damage quickly
+Very mobile and quick (both air and land)
+/- super light (only GW, Jigglypuff, Kirby,and a few others are lighter)
-few strong attacks (even some smashes are weak)
-All special moves put you into a helpless state (watch out for SD's)
-Most strong attacks have a lot of end-lag
Moveset:
Neutral:
Unleashes a furry of slashes (1% per hit, about 2 per second). One of those moves that pulls people in. Fairly useful if you can get people with the end hit. Otherwise they can counter attack you which is bad news for Meta Knight. Use it sparingly, since you can't end the attack at a moment's notice.
Dash Attack:
Slide kicks opponents (5% if you run into them with it, 6% if you activate it at them). An extremely useful move, since there isn't a lot of start-up or end lag on the move. It also kicks people into a spot where you can follow up with other move for combos which is cool. More in Air Game.
Forward Tilt:
A chain of three sword slashes, works similar to Luigi's neutral (2% for the first two, 3% for the last strike). The last hit has knockback, but the first two do not so make sure you get all of them off. Not an amazing move, but it's decently quick to use especially for spacing.
Down Tilt:
Meta Knight thrusts his sword at the ground, knee cap level (5%). This move has a trip mechanic with 25% chance to do so (can't confirm the exact percent), so it can be useful for combos. It has hardly any knockback so opponents might be able to hit you if they aren't tripped (Dedede or Ike are troublesome since their tilts can get you usually).
Up Tilt:
He thrusts his sword into the air, jump slightly as he does so (5% at the base of the sword, 7% at the tip). This move doesn't affect those beside him, but it's a pretty good move for stopping opponents from reaching the ground. It has okay knockback, but you are better off using his up smash for KO's, since it is just as fast but more powerful. The tip has more launching power, but I doubt you will use it much.
Forward Smash:
Meta Knight does one single deadly slash right in front of his body (16% uncharged, 22% full). This move has a surprising amount of launch, comparable to most other characters (the heavys are still better of course). The range of this attack is mediocre, so make sure you are in the opponents face before doing this move. You can bring the move out pretty quickly, so it makes for a nice surprise (or bad for your opponents). It does have end-lag, but nothing too severe. Just watch out for other people with quick smashes/tilts since they can punish you. With a full charge it KO's under 100% on medium characters, 120% -ish uncharged.
Down Smash:
He does two quick slashes at the ground, the first in front then behind him (7% uncharged, 9% full in front and 10% uncharged, 14% full behind him). An extremely useful move, but not for launching (usually). The move is extremely low-risk, as there is hardly any start-up of end lag. Great against rollers/dodgers (i.e. the strategy you will be using as Meta Knight). The forward part doesn't really launch much, but the back portion is a decent launch. It can be awkward to get off, so you likely won't use this as a KO'ing move much but you should remember it can.
Up Smash:
Meta Knight does a flurry of slashes above his head (2% for first, 3% for second, and 4% for last hit uncharged, 3%, 4%, 5% full). An awesome move, since it can trap opponents in and guarantee the final launch connects. The final strike has pretty good launch, but it also gets opponents in the air so you can better beat them up. More in Air Game.
Neutral Aerial:
Meta Knight spins in the air like a wheel and slashes opponents he touches (10% on start-up, 7% after wards). A great edge-guarding move since you become a death ball that if any one touches they get hurt. The launch is also pretty decent, so if you attack someone like Ike off the ledge he won't be able to get back (unless he has basically 0% or they read my other guide). It's a useful spacing move, so sometimes it's a good idea to short-hop and use this move to get opponents away from you. The launch power increases if you activate it right at the person, so if you are going to ledge-guard be wary of getting meteored potentially (probably won't kill you unless you are out of jumps or are above 70%).
Forward Aerial:
He slashes in front of his body three times (2%, 1%, then 3% respectively). The final strike and initial strike have somewhat good launching, but the middle strike does not launch at all. In fact, it only makes an opponent flinch. The attack ends if you hit the ground, so if you can time it right, you can get your opponent to flinch right in front of you for a smash. It's tricky to use, but effective if you master it.
Back Aerial:
Effectively Meta Knight does his forward aerial in reverse, with a bit more strength (2%, 1%, 4%). The final strike has very good launching power, so using this move as an edge-guarding move is very effective. The first two strikes can suck opponents into the attack so it's a very good move.
Up Aerial:
Meta Knight does a quick slash above his head (5%). This move doesn't have much launch, so you can use it to juggle opponents, especially heavy characters. Since MK has 5 mid-air jumps you can juggle a lot with this move. A decent move, but not essential to use.
Down Aerial:
Basically does his up aerial below him (6%). This move does not have a meteor component, so you can't use it like that. The move doesn't even knock them downwards. It hits them away from Meta Knight based on where they are (hit opponents forward if they are in front. My suggestion is to use this as an edge-guarding move, since you can stage spike opponents pretty well with it.
Forward Throw:
He kicks them forward like a goal keeper kicks a soccer ball up the field (9%). This move has poor launch power, but enough that it doesn't work for combos except at low percents. I highly advise using other throws instead. You can use a specific combo with it, which is forward throw>Up Special instead of the down throw, so use whatever you like better. More in Combos.
Back Throw:
He teleports behind the foe and slashes them (10%). A much better throw, with fairly decent launching. A good move against foes who camp near the ledge to kill them.
Down Throw:
Meta Knight repeatedly stomps the foe before a butt slam that launches them (7%). It looks like it does more damage than it actually inflicts, but I can't say enough good things about this throw. It sets up opponents for several decent combos. It's a very low risk throw and sets up other moves incredibly well, some are even guaranteed to connect. More in Air Game/Combos.
Up Throw:
Meta Knight leaps with the foe high into the air before slamming them down (10%). A somewhat good throw, but not the best. It can kill at high percents, but usually the back throw is a better option.
If you play for Meta Knight for the first time you probably will realize he is super easy to accidentally kill yourself with him since all of his specials put him into a helpless state. I don't know how many times I have done it, but it is a lot. Also these specials are fairly easy to punish if you miss since there is a lot of end-lag on them. Below I will go over ways to avoid this when I discuss his specials.
Neutral Special (Mach Tornado):
Meta Knight becomes a swirling vortex of entropy. Seriously though, he spins around like a tornado, sucking opponents he touches into the center. The damage it deal is varied based on how much you mash the b button since that increases its duration. Minimum time of using the move results in 8% where max is probably 22% (lots of mashing required). The final strike of the tornado can launch, and it is quite effective if you get them near the ceiling. It has some vertical movement, but a ton truck of horizontal so it make for a useful recovery move. You can be hit out of it especially from long range heavy aerials (Dedede's or Ike's for example) so be careful. There is end-lag with the move as well, so be careful to not get exposed. It's best used right in an opponent's face to maximize damage and reduce risk. Against shielders it forces them to chew up a bunch of shield, potentially allowing you to connect with the end of the attack. It doesn't actually destroy shielders faster, but the duration they hold it for makes it go away a bunch. This move can destroy low-level projectiles like an uncharged Power Beam or Fox's Blaster, but anything mid or high goes through (like Super Missles).
Side Special (Drill Rush):
Meta Knight flies in the air towards his foe, spinning like a drill (11% if all attacks connect, last one does 3%). Drill rush is a pretty decent move especially because you aren't exposed very much after the move if you can suck opponents in (projectiles could get you). The main problem with this move is you can potentially kill yourself if you miss your opponent. When attacking, if your last hit connects with a surface, you get kick backwards. This works on the ground too, so if you miss an opponent angle (by moving the control stick) down to kick back and stop yourself. You have enough influence that you can move in different directions to not get hit after the move (so if you hit the ground, move back or forwards to mess with opponents trying to punish you). It's main use is for building up your foe's percentage, but the drill rush is a decent recovery if used moderately close to the stage since it auto-ledges. If you aim for a bit lower than the ledge, you will kick up to the ledge as well, making Meta Knight one of the trickiest characters to ledge guard against (if you get good, you shouldn't ever die from being ledge-guarded). Something I never thought of until it was mentioned to me was the drill rush can allow you to stage spike opponents who try to ledge guard you if you can catch them in it. The only problem with this is meteor smashes will get you from above potentially so be cautious about it.
Down Special (Dimensional Cape):
Fancy Name. This move allows Meta Knight to "disappear" and then reappear shortly after. You can travel while using this move in any direction, and attack out of it by holding the b button the entire time. Probably his best and worst move in the game. On unsuspecting opponents this move works wonders, allowing you to KO them at low percents with ease. But against opponents who are ready for it you are painfully stunned after, allowing them to smash you (fast characters can fully charge smashes against you because the end-lag is so severe). Using this move is all about mind-games and feints, which I can't make you good at. But I'll give some suggestions in Game Plan. As for stats, this move does 15% normally, and 16% used in the air or by moving the full length you can. If you move slightly in the air, it counts as 15%. Using a retreating slash it does 14%. At full movement he spins around, so be cautious about missing. The 15% KO's at 80% and the 16% KO's at 70% near the ledge so the best is probably mid-air since you don't spin around (unless you want to go behind them that is). There is very little end-lag if you don't attack, so sometimes a good plan is to not use the attack feature, and then grab or do a quick regular attack. With the non-attack variety, you slide a bit after using the move in the last direction inputted before appearing, so you can almost feint an opponent by moving in their direction than cutting back. Great if you think your opponent is going to rush you after the move since you can move out of there range and strike back afterwards. Using both varieties puts you into a helpless state, but the attack version won't allow you to grab the ledge immediately afterwards if you use it off the stage (the stage doesn't stop your motion if you move towards the edge so be careful).
Up Special (Shuttle Loop):
Again one of those high-risk, high-reward moves. Meta Knight charges upwards in the air a bit then does a loop before going up a bit more (strike before and after loop does 6% unless the initial is from the ground where it does 9%). The direction can be angled from 70 degrees (control stick full forward) to straight up (control stick full back) by moving the control stick after using the move. Using the move in the air shoots you up slightly faster, but not by much. This move is quite a good KO'ing move, since you can attack people near the ceiling to KO them, at 60%. This makes you pretty helpless so only attack if you think you can land the second hit (the first doesn't launch much, but the second does a lot). An important thing with MK is to fast fall after you are in an helpless state since he drops really quickly. It helps you avoid getting punished as easily from missing. A lot of his moves put people into a position to use this move, like his dash or down throw. Use this move sparingly if you seem to miss a lot.
Final Smash:
Galaxia Darkness (uber fancy name):
Meta Knight opens his cape wide in front (not behind), shows his opponents something terrible like Keeping up with the Kardashians or something (the reason the opponent is stunned), before striking his opponent with a super strong slash. It does a satisfying blow, and KO's at low-ish % so a nifty final smash.
Hit-and-Run (the basics of being a ninja):
Meta Knight is closer to Game and Watch rather than Kirby or Jigglypuff despite having 6 jumps. You want to stick to the ground a lot, and roll a bunch since MK has a very good dodge. All of his KO'ing moves have end-lag that is noticeable so you want to avoid using those until an opponent is at a position where it's a for sure launch. Once your opponent is hovering around 100%, you can start to go for heavy hits unless you see easy targets (like Ganon's horrific up tilt). You are not being passive, you just don't engage in risky heavy hitting moves since he is very light and proned to KO's under 100% from weak characters if you aren't careful. This is where the mind-games and feints come into play. Moves like the Dimensional Cape without the attack can trick opponents to getting stunned, and your rolls are hard to punish so you can be slippery. If you push too hard to try and launch your foes you likely will get launched yourself.
Air Game:
Meta Knight's air game consists of not being in the air, but keeping your opponents there. Most of his KO moves work the best when the opponent has to try and make it back to land, so your priority should be using moves to send opponents up there. I'll talk about moves that knock opponents up into the air in Combos. In addition to that, Meta Knight's speed allows you to cover the ground so your opponent cannot safely land, and his specials give him reach such that you can attack opponents trying to make it back (Mach Tornado is especially good since you can cover Final Destination with the move and stop opponents from landing). There are several ways to kick opponents into the air, with the main ones being his dash attack and down throw allowing you to follow up afterwards easily with aerials. Once in the air, you can use his up smash to essentially block their ability to get back. Since the up smash has pull on it you don't really have to be precise, just move into their path. The only exception to this is near a ledge. If you knock opponents off the stage, don't be afraid to give chase. A lot of his aerials give you great options to knock opponents away or stage spike them. Against opponents with linear recoveries like Fox or Ike it is especially effective since you can knock them out of recovery range.
Combos:
There are others present, but I'm going to focus on the land>air combos since they work very well (at least for me).
Down Throw> "Up Smash">Up Special
Basically once an opponent's percentage gets high enough the up smash part goes away, and the combo continues (around 50% for medium-weight characters).
Down Throw>Down Special
At a specific range of percents this combo works wonders, since you can chase opponents after the throw and smash them (around 80% for medium-weight characters).
Dash Attack>Up Special
Basically works above 60%. The more slippery characters/floaty characters it is harder to land. You probably won't ever hit a Jigglypuff player with this, but against DK you should get them every time.
Game Plan:
Within the first few seconds of a match, I often use Drill Rush since the opponent won't expect it. Even if you miss, you can pull down to kick off the stage to avoid getting punished. Based on how the opponent reacts you can determine how they are going to approach the match. If they rush you they probably are going to play aggressive, so try and trick them into getting stunned through missed smashes. If they hang back and wait for you, use low risk moves like grabs or dash attacks to avoid getting stunned yourself. Opponents will eventually make mistakes, so you can punish them. Also using combos above can help you set-up launches without too much risk if your opponent is being particularly passive. Meta Knight's problems become apparent when you chase opponents to hard, since any missed heavy move like a smash or special can lead to your demise. There is very little point to trying to follow-up most moves since you rarely will be able to launch opponents until they are at high percents (above 100%).
Match-Ups:
Heavy Hitters:
Like Dedede or Bowser. They can launch MK at very low percents, sub 40% even. This stresses playing hit-and-run even more. You should be able to avoid getting hit from tilts or smashes, but aerials might get you especially if you try to juggle them too much. They have enough end-lag on moves that you will be able to punish them easy.
Floaters:
Like Kirby or Peach. The main issue with them is they own the air, so you can't give chase very well. Stick to the ground mainly, since they are waiting for you to go into the air. Your up smash will work well since it has pretty good priority over most moves, and it has enough launch to KO them around 100%. Just. Don't. Use. The. Shuttle. Loop. It's not worth it, since most combos won't allow you to follow up with this, and they have enough air control to move out of the attack then strike back.
Short-Hoppers:
A very specific group of characters, like Falcon and Sheik. Maybe not the best name, basically characters who have great aerials, decent air control and are heavy-ish. Instead of copying the line about not using his up special I'm just going to reference it. While the floaters can't really launch you for missing this, these characters can and will do it big time. Against Falcon you basically are letting him use The Knee of Justice (his forward aerial) and it will KO you above 30%. Your best bet against these characters is to rack up damage and use his edge-guarding abilities to stop them from getting back. His up smash also works too, since there isn't enough delay for you to be open to punishment.
Final Thoughts:
Meta Knight is quickly becoming one of my main characters, but I still sometimes SD or do moves that leave me painfully open. Meta Knight plays really different from a lot of characters so it takes some getting used to. You don't have to be good at reading opponents to play as Meta Knight, but you do have to be good at reading playing styles. Understand what type of player you are facing and the match gets a bunch easier. If you have any questions/queries/quandaries about Meta Knight let me know. Suggestions are always appreciated, even if I don't respond to them (I'm fairly busy at the moment, it took me several weeks to be able to finish this guide).
