--Baamages' IC Guide--
Hey all. This is Baamage writing his second guide, this time on tactics for the ICs. It's not meant to tell you what to do for every situation, just to give you some tips on what the IC's moves do and what they are good for.
*_*_*_*_*_CONTENTS_*_*_*_*_*
[1] Advanced Techniques
-Alternate Names
-Advanced Moves
[2] The List
-Smashes
-Tilts
-Jab
-Aerials
-B Moves
[3] Pros and Cons
[4] Things to try and do
-Grab!
-Desync!
-Wavedash!
[5] Combos
[6] Fighting Solo
[7] Conclusion
If you want to find something, copy and paste the number on the side on the Ctrl+F menu.
[1]*_*_*_*_*_Advanced Techniques_*_*_*_*_* This is a new era of Smash. If you have the slightest hope of making it anywhere, then you'll need to at least know what these advanced techniques are.
----Alternate Names----
Nair- Neutral Aerial
Fair- Forwards aerial
Bair- Backwards aerial
Uair- Upwards aerial
Dair- Downwards aerial
Shine- Fox's or Falco's down+B move.
----Advanced moves----
Wavedash- A technique that allows for movement along the ground without any of the ending lag that running has.
Here's how to do it:
Jump, then airdodge diagnolly into the ground. Now, you must airdodge AS SOON AS YOU JUMP. Not before, or you will shield jump. Not after, or you will do a triangle jump. With practice you will get your character to do a little slide along the ground. You shouldn't hear the little noise that is made when airdodging normally, because it gets cancelled upon hitting the ground. Also, you will see a little puff of smoke left behind after the wavedash.
Short Hop- This is not difficult to do, only difficult to utilize effectively. Just jump as normal except only press down on the Y button for a very very brief amount of time. (Or X, or up, whichever you prefer) This will make you only jump a fraction of what he normally jumps.
Fast Fall- At the peak of your jump/short hop, tap down on the joystick to make you fall faster than normal.
L-cancel- Lag Cancel- Probably the hardest technique to master. After doing an aerial attack, press Z, L or R right before you hit the ground (Press it at about Pichu's height) It will literally cut the lag time of your aerial attack in half. Extremely useful, especially with slow characters. It is invaluble for combos.
If you have not watched the Advanced How to play video, then I seriously reccomend it. And if not, then here's an easy way to tell if you have l-cancelled properly. Remember that it's better to press Z than L or R, because Z is simply faster to press.
Go to training mode as Fox. Then do a downward aerial attack (Dair) on your opponent. Then tap Z right before you hit the ground and then immediatly do a down+b. (Shine) If on the side of the screen it says "Consecutive hits: 1", then that means you have not done the l-cancelling correctly. (Or something is wrong) If it says "Consecutive hits: 2" or more, then that means that you have successfully l-cancelled!
SHFFL- Short hop Fast Fall L-cancel. I was wrong. This is the hardest thing to master. You have to do a shirt hopped aerial attack, then fastfall, then l-cancel right before you hit the ground. Extremely difficult to do at first, but once you get the hang of it SHFFling will be second nature.
Chainthrow- Chaining a bunch of throws together. Usually done with a downthrow because it keeps the victim close enough for another grab before he hits the ground.
JC Grab- Jump Cancel Grab- If you are doing a dash grab but tap Y right before grabbing them, you will do a standing grab even though you were running previousl. This is because the jump cancels out the dash animation, so when you grab the game thinks you are just doing a standing grab. And usually, with the exception of Samus and some others, a standing grab has far less lag than a dashing grab... With the sacrifice of some range, but the dashing should allow you to catch up to them anyways. ICs benifit from this quite a bit, but remember that sometimes Nana will jump while Popo grabs them... Making you have to wait for Nana to land until you can do a down+B or some other move. But if you are by yourself, then use freely and liberally.
[2]*_*_*_*_*_Pros and Cons_*_*_*_*_*
"Thyself is thee greatest obstacle on the pathway to total perfection."
- Some old guy
Like that old guy said, you need to know yourself before you can know your opponent. So here's some pros and cons so you know exactly who it is you're playing:
Cons: (Listed with very worst aspects first)
-Very weak when Popo is alone
-Very bad defence vs. projectile spammers (I.E. Spamus' missiles or Falco's SHL)
-Light
-Relatively short range
Pros: (Listed with best first)
++Desyncing = two people fighting at once, with both being played by one person (So you have total command over what you want them to do!) and with friendly fire off
+Very very good grabs
+Some of the best combo potential in the game when mastered
+Good wavedash
+Awesome smashes
So there's four bad things and five good things... But if you think about it, the good far outweighs the bad in terms of how much it factors into the game (Like I would sacrifice some range for desync ability any day)
[3]*_*_*_*_*_The List_*_*_*_*_*
(This is a list concerning each of the IC's moves in terms of overall usefulness. This includes speed, lag, range, damage, and knockback.)
[]----Smashes----[]
Downsmash: Does a spin on the ground with the hammer in hand.
Speed: 8.5/10
Lag: About as long as it takes for Fox to fire his laser. So not very much.
Range: Covering the ground, it's far horizontally but does not cover the head or body.
Knockback: Far, sending them directly to the sides.
Notes: This move is the best IC smash. It's great alone and in teams because of knockback, speed, priority, and range. It attacks from all sides and is great when trying to knock somebody off of the ledge. This is an good move to do when desyncing. More on that later. By the way, it has a rather awesome amount of priority.
Forward smash: Does a huge smash down with the hammer.
Speed: 7/10
Lag: Rather long
Range: Covers the whole front, but back and head are open
Knockback: Very far to the sides; Can smash a falco near the edge at 55% and he won't be able to recover. Note that all smashes are with both ICs there
Notes: This move is better than the downsmash in almost all ways except for two critical differences: It only hits in front and the lag is huge. This is what makes it not nearly as good, because it is easy to punish if you miss. Like the downsmash, if Nana is facing the right way, it is a good desyncing smash to use because it puts some space between you and your opponent.
Upsmash: Waves the hammer in the air in a wide arc above (his/her) head.
Speed: 8/10
Lag:[/B] A regular amount, nothing to worry about unless you miss.
Range: Covers above the head, but open on the mid-to low sections.
Knockback: Just the right amount for juggling, and if not, for easy KOs on floaties.
Notes:This move is an average upsmash with regular range, speed, and priority. However there is tons of knockback making this a good finishing move on floaties or enemies at high %. Since the speed and range are only average, this shouldn't be used too often to knock the enemy into the air when there are throws. However, if they do happen to be above you, upsmashes are ideal for juggling among other things. More on that later on.
[]----Tilts----[]
Uptilt- Spins the hammer in his/her hand, up in the air.
Speed: 8/10
Lag: A noticable amount, but not too much.
Range:Right above the head, but no cover on the sides at all.
Knockback: Just the right amount to combo with.
Notes: This is good for comboing on enemies above. Average for everything. Also good for juggling.
Downtilt- Sweeps the floor with the hammer.
Speed: The Dsmash is faster than this. 6/10
Lag: as much as the lag from Fox's laser.
Range:Sweeping the floor on one side of the body.
Knockback:A little more than a jab, just enough to fit another attack in.
Notes: This move has modest knockback, so it can be used in combos and during a grab. Other than that, try not to use alone, you will get punished.
Forwardtilt- A reverse jab.
Speed:8/10
Lag:Not enough to care for. That is, unless you miss.
Range: About the width of the IC's body, covering a small arc in front.
Knockback: This can put space between you and the enemy; However, Marth's forwardsmash can still reach you.
Notes: This move shouldn't be used too often when there is a downsmash and a throw to use. It disrupts the opponent's attacks, however, so it is not completely useless.
[]----Jab----[]
Speed: 9/10
Lag: Very little, like most jabs.
Range: A small arc around the front of the body.
Knockback:Very little...
Notes: This is fast and quick, but not too damaging. Used mainly during a grab with Nana.
[]----Aerials----[]
Bair: Does a little 360 spin with the hammer smacking all that are in the way.
Speed: 7/10
Lag: Noticable, but not too long
Range: Relatively small vertically, hits behind with some hotizontal range
Knockback: A suprising amount
Notes: A suprising amount of knockback, this move should be used when you are in the air and the opponent is wide open. Otherwise you will be shieldgrabbed and punished if you miss.
Uair: Thrusts his/her hammer into the air, spinning it on its' axis.
Speed: 8/10
Lag: Not very much, about as much as a jab
Range: Horizontally, basically none; vertically, a bit
Knockback: not alot, once again as much as an upwards jab
Notes: Hitting directly above, great mainly for juggling along with the utilt.
Dair: Like Link's Dair.
Speed: 8/10
Lag: Alot
Range: As little more than the Upair except aimed downwards.
Knockback: About as mush as Falco's laser
Notes: This move has very low priority, so it is not good to use too often. It is at its best while chainthrowing to stun the enemy long enough for another grab. (Of course Nana is the one doing the dair) Other than in throws, stick to bairs or something better than this.
Fair: Like Mario's Fair, except with a hammer. Does a huge smash down with the hammer, while doing a forward flip.
Speed: Very very slow, you can do this on a Ness, and Ness can taunt and still shield in time to block the attack.
Lag: A liberal amount.
Range: Covers a wide arc in front of the ICs.
Knockback: A spike. Quite a bit.
Notes: Very situational. It is worth it if it hits, but the wind-up is way to long to use an an approach tactic. Since it is a spike, it can be utilized as an edgeguarding move.
Nair: A modest shortened Hammer Squall.
Speed: 9/10
Lag: Basically none
Range:all around the mid-section, covering more horizintally than vertically.
Knockback:As much as a tilt would have.
Notes: This is used when a bair won't hit and a fair would take too long to execute. Not the best of aerials to use, but it's better than nothing.
[]----B-moves----[]
Up+b: (Belay) In real life, this is when two mountain climbers use a rope to pull the his/her partner towards them in case they slip off of the mountain. In this game, Popo and Nana do the same thing, except they appear to be extremely light and have extremely strong muscles. First, Popo presumably grabs onto some piece of invisible mountain and Nana gets tugged up to it, but then overshoots and she flies above Popo. Then she pulls Popo into the air with her, but then she overshoots even more, sending Popo high into the air with Nana not too far behind.
Speed: First hit: 4/10 Any later hits take about half a second to hit.
Lag: Very large
Range: Wherever the ICs are.
Knockback: A modest amount, up into the air.
Notes: Recovery, but another awesome use is the fact that since it calls Nana to your side when executing it, you can make Nana recover from under the ledge in FD or away from an enemy. Remember that if Nana is already doing something else, she won't be teleported to you. Other than that, don't even think of using this for offence.
Down+B: (Blizzard)
Speed: 5/10
Lag: Enough to be severely punished if you miss.
Range: Right in front of Popo, and if Nana is there and is not sedynced, then Nana turns and does it behind as well.
Knockback:Basically none; This may freeze your opponent.
Notes: Many people use for either a grab or a Nanapult. A short-hopped Blizzard will cause both Popo and Nana to do Blizzard in the same direction.
Side+B: Popo and nana do a little helicopter motion back to back, swinging out their hammers all the way.
Speed: 8/10
Lag: A regular amount
Range: All sides, at midsection.
Knockback: As much as jab, keeps the opponent close in for another hit.
Notes: This move, when done with both Nana and Popo, has the horizintal range of DK's up+b and the vertical range of Ganondorf's. You must rapidly tap B while doing this move to rise into the air. A good alternative to the up+b. Remember that you cannot grab the ledge while Popo/Nana is still spinning. When there is only one IC left, the distance of the spin will lessen slightly.
B: (Ice Block)
Speed:7/10
Lag:Not very much, but noticable.
Range:Slides along the ground; Drops and continues to slide if used on a platform.
Knockback: As much as Falco's laser- nearly none, but it stuns
Notes: This move can be extremely useful if used correctly. When alone, this can put some space between you and the enemy, and when with another IC, can be used while desyncing to mess up the enemy.
[4]*_*_*_*_*_Things to try and do_*_*_*_*_*
[]----GRAB!!!!----[]
GRAB! It is essential to the IC's game. With practice you can learn to chaingrab as well.
First, grab the person. With Popo. First, tap A to make Popo do a headbutt. This is a rather simple desync. Now, quickly but lightly push downward on the joystick and press B. This should make Nana do a down+b, but preventing Popo from accidentally throwing him. After you press down+b, keep tapping A once or twice until you feel you are ready to throw. I prefer throwing off of the edge to edgeguard, but if they are at low %, one should throw down, and while doing this, hanve Nana do a short-hop dair. (L-cancelling doesn't matter) This effectively puts the enemy back into Popo's grip for more.
Of course this is just what I like to do. There are tons of different options to do from a grab, such as a forward throw to a dash attack or an upthrow to an up-air for juggling purposes. You may submit some of your own grab combos if you want.
Since there are two ICs, you can make one throw while the other smashes. This is a very effective finishing move. The best one to use is for Popo to downthrow while Nana does her forward smash. This can be substituted for an upsmash on floaties, or a downsmash on fastfallers. Experiment to find what works best for you.
[]----DESYNC!!!!----[]
The main reason why you probably main with ICs. If that is not the main reason, once you master desyncing, it will be. Here's a few ways to desync. (Rated from best to worst)
Pivot
Spotdodge
Roll
Taunt
[]HOW?[]
There are other ways, but these are the main ones. Now, since pivoting is very difficult to do, let's just start off with a spotdodge. Now, even when you do the spotdodge, the actual desync happens right after. What you do is quickly hold down the desired button combination before the spotdodge ends. When you do so, you will find that Nana does the move and you will not. This is what happens in a nutshell. Now, as long as you always are doing something at different times, your control will continue to switch between popo and nana each time.
[]What do I do?[]
Here's some examples of a couple things that one could do with a desync. Now, remember, basically any of the IC's moves can be done while desyncing, but it's just that some combos are better than others.
***Ice Chase***
1- Spotdodge and hold B
2- Chase after the ice block that Nana shoots out.
3- If the enemy jumps, punish with an aerial. If they shield, then grab them. If they reflect it, jump and dair/fair them to a grab.
Use this move alot, it works very well against most people.
***Nanapult***
1- Spotdodge
2- Get nana to dash, and jump over and down+b.
3- Follow up with move of choice.
Use if you can, but remember not to try and launch Nana into a Marth's forwardsmash or anything that could hurt her.
***Smash***
1- Spotdoge
2- Smash down/forward/up on the c-stick. (Normally, most people are too slow in order to actually be able to use the a-button for this)
3- Do another smash midway though the other person's smash.
4- Keep repeating.
This is so that you can punish spotdodge-happy people, because each smash comes out more frequently.
***Charge smash***
1- Spotdodge
2- Charge a smash.
3- Walk around with Popo until enemy is within range, then release.
This is good as a defence tactic. Sine Nana slides with Popo as he runs, you can have both ICs run away, and yet still have Nana smash if the enemy comes too close. This can also be substituted with a down+B.
***Ice spam***
1- Spotdodge
2- Hold b to make Nana shoot an iceblock.
3- Jump with Popo and shoot another iceblock.
4- As popo begins to fall to the ground, make Nana shoot another iceblock.
This move not only shoots iceblocks, but since it also shoots from above, it can stop would-be aerial attackers from trying to punish you. Use as desired. Also, Nana can do the jumping iceblock with Popo staying on the ground for more ground mobility.
You can submit some ideas if you want.
----Wavedash!----
Why run when you can wavedash? It's fast, easy, and allows you to pull off smash attacks without having to wait for the running animation lag to finish. While some people's wavedashes are rather pointless, (i.e. Zelda or Shiek) the ICs need it to survive competitively.
Even though any move can be used into and out of a wavedash, Downsmash is preffered because it is the best smash and to make it mobile only makes it deadlier.
[5]*_*_*_*_*_Combos_*_*_*_*_*
Obviously there are a multitude of combos to do with two players at once. Here's a few to remember. Feel free to add any combos you know.
Jab > Dash Grab
This is so simple I can't believe I didn't add this in the guide. Thanks Jugan. This is good because it stuns the enemy, allowing you to do a dash grab before he can react.
Down Throw > Bair
Chu Dat does this alot. It's good when Popo is solo because it doesn't require any help from Nana to work. It's used at high %s for kills.
Jab > Dash Grab > Down Throw > Bair
As you can see above, this is a perfectly possible and easy combo to use. Use it well.
Spotdodge > Downtilt > Wavedash forward > Jab > Dash Grab > Down Throw > You get the idea...
Adding an extra hit in there, this can and should be used on fastfallers.
Forwardtilt > Wavedash > Upsmash > Upair > Upair > Wavedash & downsmash
As long as you can predict your opponent's DI, this is relatively easy.
Keep in mind that there are literally dozens of combos to use. These are obviously not all of the possible combinations. Try to make up your own; That's the whole thrill of playing Smash Bros, pulling together a perfectly executed plan on your own. Or for me, anyways. That and winning.
[6]*_*_*_*_*_Fighting solo_*_*_*_*_*
Unfortunatly, Nana is not the smartest of people. She is a level 0.5 computer, the second lowest level computer in the game, with the only lower level computer being the ones seen in Training Mode. So she will die, and she will likely always die before you do. So what moves can you use?
Well, remember that when you are alone, all of your attacks are only at half strength. Also, you will have to try to shy away from the laggy attacks unless you are sure you are going to hit because there's nobody there to protect you should you miss. Lukily, there are still some good options to use for combos.
Try to get as much damage up as possible, because if there's only one of you, chances are you're going to die soon. Unless they are at at least 100% damage, you shouldn't attempt anything too risky. Unless the opportunity is right in your face, of course, like a sleeping Jigglypuff or a taunting Young Link. Then smash away.
Some good solo combo moves:
Thows
Bairs
Jabs
All tilts
B when far away
Also remember to use Side+B when recovering to get back on the ledge. Keep tapping B while doing this to move higher up in the air.
[7]*_*_*_*_*_Conclusion_*_*_*_*_*
In the right hands, the ICs are extremely deadly. I believe that they have the most potential with having two seperate characters to command at once. If you have ever seen a professional IC player at work then you'll know what I mean. So hopefully you will begin to improve with ICs and help them move their way to the top of the tier list.
--The End---
"The Ice Climbers are cheap with 2 characters. That's like giving them another character beyond only 1." - FreddyP
