First off, I would not call myself the best Fox ever or even the worse Fox in the world. I think i'm somewhere in the middle. Anyway, I just wanted to make this little guide to help those struggling to main Fox and maybe even teach them something new. Now this is my first guide so it may not be the best guide ever or even helpful to some. But if i can help even one person, then that would mean a lot to me. Also this guide is for those familiar to the Competitive Smash scene and not those who are completely new to it. If you don't know what wavedashing is then this guide is not for you, sorry. Also, tell me what you think of my guide and how i can improve on writing guides, any criticism, good or bad will do. I'll now shut the hell up and start talking now. Wait, that was stupid. Lets main this Fox!!
Now first thing you want to do is to be comfortable moving around with Fox. He is the fastest moving character in the game, so when a new player picks him up, they seem to be unable to control him. Fox's speed is key to deal high damage and continue combos, but it can also be his downfall. Control is also important because you don't want to be that one Fox player who is always full hopping all around the stage. I used to be that guy, it sucked. Practice dash dancing and moving around and through platforms. Dashdancing is extremely important to Fox because that gives him momentum to go for a Nair or any other attack. Dashdancing can also intimidate an opponent into doing an attack and will give you an opportunity to punish them. I’m gonna use the word ‘IMPORTANT’ a lot because i don't have a thesaurus but knowing how to maneuver through and on platforms is VERY IMPORTANT! I used to have no platform skills, so i would always choose Final Destination against my bros and win. Then they would choose BF and i would lose. That sucked.
To summarize, practice movement and get him under control.
2. WAVEDASHING
Okay so i found a thesaurus. Wavedashing with Fox is very CRITICAL. Its hard to explain how to wavedash, but there are videos to learning that so watch those and practice for yourself. Hands-on learning is the best way to learn how to do something. If you have trouble getting his wavedash down, here’s some advice. Every character’s wavedash requires a certain time input and not every wavedash is the same to execute. If you are familiar with music then you know that each measurement has 4 beats in a measure. Try to find a rhythm with Fox’s wavedash and keep that rhythm in mind whenever you go to do it. Fox has the fastest jump start up in the game ( i think) so air dodging must be done almost immediately. Like i said, practice this yourself until you can get it down 200% of the time. Now that you are a wavedashing master, mix this in with your fast movement. Try this, start dash-dancing in place and then run to left or right and then stop your momentum with a wavedash, then start dash dancing in place again. Remember this is just for practicing movement, dont just dash dance or wavedash in a real match for no reason. YOU WILL DIE!!! Just kidding but remember, NEVER DO SOMETHING FOR NO REASON!!. Always think before you do, whether an attack or a jump or a grab, always think. But don’t think too much. Trust me, playing relaxed and focused is a lot better than playing mad and TOO FOCUSED.
To summarize, master wavedashing and work that in with your speed to create a quick and clean movement across the stage. Also, THINK before you DO!
3. SHORT HOP HELL
Short hopping with Fox is not important, its VERY ****ING IMPORTANT!!! Once again this is a hand-on,”try for yourself” thing so hear me out and try it out for yourself. As mentioned before Fox has the fastest jump start up animation in the whole roster so at first short hopping seems near impossible. When i first started out, i could probably short hop 1/20 times. How i learned to short hop was to barely flick the bottom of the X button with your thumb. Many people use the Y button and there is always a great debate on which button is better to use to short hop with and in my opinion, it's all personal preference. My advice is to try both buttons and find out which one you are most comfortable with. A lot of people use ‘Claw Grip’ too so, yeah. I also recommend just flicking the bottom of the X button to prevent an accidental full hop like me.
To summarize, find out whether you are used to using Y or X to short hop, and just practice your ass off.
4.SPECIALS
Okay, i'm not one of those guys who studies each attack’s frame data and stuff. I'm no M2K. If you are a M2K-like person then this part may not be helpful. Lets get started. First his specials.
5.ATTACKS
Learning how to use Fox’s attacks together and knowing the effect of each attack is crucial in pulling off combos and racking up damage. Let's go over them.
6. The SHFFL
Now, Fox’s aerials and L- canceling go together like a hand and a glove. Time to SHFFL. If you are still having trouble short hopping, keep practicing. For those who are now short hopping maniacs, try a SH and throwing in an aerial. Just jump and flick the “C” stick in any direction. After you are proficient in short hop attacking try to Fast Fall after you throw out an aerial. Finally, after you fast fall, L- Cancel by pressing either shield button. Remember, this will take time to perfect, do not get discouraged. It took me a while before perfecting SHFFL’ing. Hang in there and never give up. If you have the 20xx hack pack then you can set it so you can have your character flash white if performed right. I didn’t have this so what i did was i would SHFFL and then do a shine right after. If you do a shine right after you land then you did it right. SHFFL’ing takes lots of muscle memory and hard work to get down, but if an idiot like me can do it, then so can you! AND YOU! AND YOU! AND EVEN YOU!!!
I think those are all the basics. There may be a few things I might have missed but hopefully this is enough to get you started. Later I might make an Advanced Tech guide or something. Anyways, that’s all folks!! If you have any questions , comments, criticisms, or death threats, message me and i will answer them.
MISSION COMPLETE!!!!!!
- SPEED AND CONTROL
Now first thing you want to do is to be comfortable moving around with Fox. He is the fastest moving character in the game, so when a new player picks him up, they seem to be unable to control him. Fox's speed is key to deal high damage and continue combos, but it can also be his downfall. Control is also important because you don't want to be that one Fox player who is always full hopping all around the stage. I used to be that guy, it sucked. Practice dash dancing and moving around and through platforms. Dashdancing is extremely important to Fox because that gives him momentum to go for a Nair or any other attack. Dashdancing can also intimidate an opponent into doing an attack and will give you an opportunity to punish them. I’m gonna use the word ‘IMPORTANT’ a lot because i don't have a thesaurus but knowing how to maneuver through and on platforms is VERY IMPORTANT! I used to have no platform skills, so i would always choose Final Destination against my bros and win. Then they would choose BF and i would lose. That sucked.
To summarize, practice movement and get him under control.
2. WAVEDASHING
Okay so i found a thesaurus. Wavedashing with Fox is very CRITICAL. Its hard to explain how to wavedash, but there are videos to learning that so watch those and practice for yourself. Hands-on learning is the best way to learn how to do something. If you have trouble getting his wavedash down, here’s some advice. Every character’s wavedash requires a certain time input and not every wavedash is the same to execute. If you are familiar with music then you know that each measurement has 4 beats in a measure. Try to find a rhythm with Fox’s wavedash and keep that rhythm in mind whenever you go to do it. Fox has the fastest jump start up in the game ( i think) so air dodging must be done almost immediately. Like i said, practice this yourself until you can get it down 200% of the time. Now that you are a wavedashing master, mix this in with your fast movement. Try this, start dash-dancing in place and then run to left or right and then stop your momentum with a wavedash, then start dash dancing in place again. Remember this is just for practicing movement, dont just dash dance or wavedash in a real match for no reason. YOU WILL DIE!!! Just kidding but remember, NEVER DO SOMETHING FOR NO REASON!!. Always think before you do, whether an attack or a jump or a grab, always think. But don’t think too much. Trust me, playing relaxed and focused is a lot better than playing mad and TOO FOCUSED.
To summarize, master wavedashing and work that in with your speed to create a quick and clean movement across the stage. Also, THINK before you DO!
3. SHORT HOP HELL
Short hopping with Fox is not important, its VERY ****ING IMPORTANT!!! Once again this is a hand-on,”try for yourself” thing so hear me out and try it out for yourself. As mentioned before Fox has the fastest jump start up animation in the whole roster so at first short hopping seems near impossible. When i first started out, i could probably short hop 1/20 times. How i learned to short hop was to barely flick the bottom of the X button with your thumb. Many people use the Y button and there is always a great debate on which button is better to use to short hop with and in my opinion, it's all personal preference. My advice is to try both buttons and find out which one you are most comfortable with. A lot of people use ‘Claw Grip’ too so, yeah. I also recommend just flicking the bottom of the X button to prevent an accidental full hop like me.
To summarize, find out whether you are used to using Y or X to short hop, and just practice your ass off.
4.SPECIALS
Okay, i'm not one of those guys who studies each attack’s frame data and stuff. I'm no M2K. If you are a M2K-like person then this part may not be helpful. Lets get started. First his specials.
- Neutral B ( THE INFAMOUS LASER): Great to round up additional damage. About 1-2 % each laser beam. You may have seen Fox players short hop double lasering in matches. I recommend using your new found short hopping skills to the test and add in a laser before you land on the ground. Double lasers may take you awhile to master but for now, 1 laser is okay. Hopping with a laser will keep you on your feet and is safer than standing on the ground spamming B.
- Up B ( FIRRREEE!!) : A very long range recovery that can be angled in every direction. One of the best recoveries in the game and has little landing lag. Practice angling Firefox into the sweet spot of the ledge.
- Side-B ( Illusion, baby) : Another amazing recovery move that can be shortened and angled into the edge of the ledge. Practice shortening the illusion by pressing b right before Fox launches forward.The shorten has I think 3 different lengths with a specific time to press B. Practice makes perfect!
- Down B ( where do i begin): Fun Fact: Did you know Fox’s shine reflects projectiles? Whhhhaaaaaaaa………. Now back to the shine. I know this is a beginner guide, but I want all of you guys to practice waveshining. If you can wavedash perfectly then try practicing waveshining. What you do is this: You can jump out of shine okay? If you can jump out shine then you can air dodge. If you can air dodge, bingo you can waveshine. Jump out of shine and wavedash forward. Practice this religiously. Fox is now your God and learning your tech is your Bible. You can also spike opponents with shine. Shine-spike. If you see your opponent use their double jump try to shine them. But be careful. Safety first friends!
5.ATTACKS
Learning how to use Fox’s attacks together and knowing the effect of each attack is crucial in pulling off combos and racking up damage. Let's go over them.
- Neutral A: A quick jab that can be useful if your enemy is at a higher %. I noticed with lighter characters at a higher percent that a jab would stun them for a while at the same time lifting them up from the ground just a little. This is important because during that hitstun you can do an upsmash and KO them. Heavier characters need a higher percent for this to work. Also good for jab resets. Also, not a recommended attack for doing damage.
- Forward-Tilt: A well ranged kick that is very good for spacing an opponent.
- Down-Tilt: A tail swipe that has good range and knocks the opponent in the air in less than high percents.
- Up-Tilt: A overhead kick that is great to juggle and launch opponents in the air. Fox has to be facing the opposite way of his enemy in order for it to connect. Great move if performed correctly.
- Up-Smash: The ultimate kill move. Kills light characters at around 60-80 %. Heavy ones at around 80-90%.
- Down-Smash: A splits kick that covers both sides. A good move to edgeguard with.
- Up-Air: A two hitting backflip kick that launches enemies up (no sh*t). Small hitbox, so be careful when throwing out. Also great to use to juggle an enemy.
- Neutral Air: A Liu Kang-like kick that is a great attack to get in at an opponent. Very fast and effective. Great for pressure. This will be mentioned when we get to SHFFL’ing.
- Back-Air: A strong backwards kick with good range and strong knockback.
- Forward -Air: A multiple kick attack that has good knock back.
- Down- Air: My favorite move from Fox. A drill kick that can be lead into a shine if SHFFL'ed correctly. Multi- hitting move that is also great for pressure.
6. The SHFFL
Now, Fox’s aerials and L- canceling go together like a hand and a glove. Time to SHFFL. If you are still having trouble short hopping, keep practicing. For those who are now short hopping maniacs, try a SH and throwing in an aerial. Just jump and flick the “C” stick in any direction. After you are proficient in short hop attacking try to Fast Fall after you throw out an aerial. Finally, after you fast fall, L- Cancel by pressing either shield button. Remember, this will take time to perfect, do not get discouraged. It took me a while before perfecting SHFFL’ing. Hang in there and never give up.
If you have the 20xx hack pack then you can set it so you can have your character flash white if performed right. I didn’t have this so what i did was i would SHFFL and then do a shine right after. If you do a shine right after you land then you did it right. SHFFL’ing takes lots of muscle memory and hard work to get down, but if an idiot like me can do it, then so can you! AND YOU! AND YOU! AND EVEN YOU!!!I think those are all the basics. There may be a few things I might have missed but hopefully this is enough to get you started. Later I might make an Advanced Tech guide or something. Anyways, that’s all folks!! If you have any questions , comments, criticisms, or death threats, message me and i will answer them.
MISSION COMPLETE!!!!!!
