- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
I've played around 1000 games with Zelda, and about 5000 games total so I've picked up a few tricks. Especially on For Glory. And the Smashboards for Zelda was looking realllllyyyy small....
Combos:
These are guaranteed hits, I may have missed a few, but these are Zelda's bread and butter.... Zelda is so fun to combo with
FNair = Fast fall Nair (It has a lot of hitstun if you don't get the final hit of the move and the opponent is on the ground)
SS = Sweet Spot
Simple Combos
FNair -> Grab (Low-Mid Percents)
FNair -> D-tilt (Low-Mid Percents)
FNair -> Jab (Low-Mid Percents)
FNair -> U-tilt (Low-High Percents)
FNair -> F-tilt (Mid-High Percents)
D-tilt -> Jab (Low Percents)
D-tilt -> U-tilt (Low-Mid Percents - Depends on opponent's position)
U-tilt -> Nair (Low-mid Percents)
U-tilt -> U-tilt (Low Percents)
Jab -> Grab (Low Percents)
Jab -> SS Dash Attack (Mid Percents)
Nair -> SS Fair (Low-Mid Percents/Only certain characters)
Up-Special -> SS Up-Special
Look at the other fourm
http://smashboards.com/guides/zelda-elevator-kill-percentages-smash-4.435/
for more details (Really well done)
Now this is only a general outline of the combos, and most of these combos are pointless. I would never do a FNair to a grab, instead I would do a FNair -> D-tilt -> U-tilt -> Nair -> SS Fair. Zelda has basically infinite amounts of these combos, using those 5 moves. I could make a 7 page long post on all of her combos and strings. Do some theory crafting, and tell me if you find more optimized combos!
Strings :
These are not technically combos, as in the opponent has a chance to escape from them, but since hardly anyone knows the Zelda match up these strings can work very well.
D-throw -> Nair -> Nair -> Nair -> Edge guard situation (Low Percents)
This will combo the opponent off the stage
Called a Nair String
But it's important to get the correct ending hitbox on the Nair (You want to opponent to be in front of Zelda for them to go forward)
Nair -> Nair -> SS Dair (Low Percents)
Only works with DI in, they can air dodge/jump out of/trade with the second nair
D-tilt -> Grab (Low Percents)
They can jump out of it, or jab you
D-tilt -> D-tilt (Low Percents)
They can jump out, or use a frame 1-2 move.
D-throw -> Nair (Low Percents)
They can DI Backwards and air dodge
Up-Throw -> Nair (Low Percents)
They can jump out of it or air dodge
D-tilt -> Fair (Mid Percents)
They can DI away
U-throw -> Up-air (Mid-High Percents)
Can jump or air dodge out, this is a kill setup
D-Throw -> Up-Air (Mid-High Percents)
They can DI / Air Dodge out
U-tilt -> Up-Air (Mid-High Percents)
Can air dodge
D-tilt -> Up-Air (High Percent)
Air dodge, if you jump you will be caught and killed
These strings may seem easy to get out of, I've gotten a lot of good players with these, because they continuously try to get out of my nair strings with a Slow move, like Cloud's fair.
Tricks :
Reading Air Dodges
I said Up-Throw -> Up Air was a string. I get it 80% of the time, and usually a kill around 80%. For it just being a 50/50 how do I get it so often? Well when you do other strings, look for how they respond. Do they jump out of a Nair String? Do they spam air dodge? Do they try to trade with a fast Nair of their own?
Usually people will do the same option for the entire game, so if they air dodge out of the nair string follow their DI and wait for the air dodge before you upair. They try to trade, up air instantly. They jump out? Go to the ground and set up a juggling situation. They didn't get out of the nair string? Then up air all you want they will think its a broken combo.
Reading air dodges works with more than just Zelda's Ho-Ha. You can do some crazy conditioning.
So lets say they DI behind your down throw (Optimal DI) and air dodge. They do it twice in a row. They obviously know what they are doing. Well show them up
Foxtrot behind you and uptilt when they touch the ground. More than likely they will have lag from air dodging. And this gets me into my next point
U-tilt Strings :
On For Glory people overuse air dodges. U-tilt and they WILL air dodge.
Soooo we can abuse this.
U-tilt -> Empty Short Hop. They will land on the stage with a ton of lag.
COMBO THEM AS HARD AS YOU WANT.
Or if your a scrub like me. U-tilt again
Cornering Opponents :
When someone is in the corner they will most likely chose the same option a lot.
So if someone rolls out of the corner, chances are they will always roll out of the corner, that's just FG.
If they roll you can always Neutral B to where they will roll to. I don't think I've ever missed that.
If they jump out of the corner jump and Nair
Edguarding :
Zelda is a god off the stage. She can recover from just about anywhere, as long as you don't SD with her Up Special (I do a lot).
For edge guarding it's super simple.
On most characters you can just get a Dair (Not even Sweet spotted) and they die.
Here are some characters you need to edge guard.
Cloud - Use Neutral special when he recovers low, he will get pushed back too far to use his Up-B again
Ness/Lucas - Wait until they have used their double jump, then go off stage. Wait for them to start their Up Special and SS Fair, Bair, or Dair them into oblivion
).Captain Falcon - Same as Cloud, except Dair is a better option.
If you can't edgeguard well then learn to ledge trump SS Bair and kill them at like 70.
Out Of Sheild (OOS) :
I like to think of Zelda's shield as an active hitbox. She can do Up B, Neutral B, U-tilt, Jab, D-smash, Up-smash, and even nair all out of sheild. If they touch your shield wrong
PUNISH THEM.
More info here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMPtHjWJXvA
Aggressive Zelda :
Zelda is a defensive character, and her projectiles suck. You can't just outplay your opponent, you have to read when they come to attack, and at low level this is easy, you see a Captain Falcon coming you Neutral Special, it beats grab/dash attack. But at higher level you have to deal with dash dancing/out camping you, this is when your Zelda might have to be aggressive.
Never use unless you are being camped out, or you can't properly read approaches.
Only use these moves as aggro Zelda
Nair, F-tilt, D-tilt, Jab, Pivot F-tilt, D-Smash, F-Smash, Neutral B
These moves are fast, and move have little end lag. These are the kinds of moves you need to use, as well as a lot of empty hops instead of dash dancing to mix up approaches.
Up Special :
As mentioned it is a great out of shield option, but it can also be used to tech chase. Or in some desperate situations can be used to teleport back to the stage.
I hope this helps, I would love to see the Zelda community advance! And if anyone has tips for Zelda shield pressure I would love it, I can never get anywhere near a shield.