Aggressive Duck Hunt...?

[puffypalutena]

I main Duck Hunt alongside Palutena. I mainly use Duck Hunt pretty aggressively, only using the projectiles to aid me in attacking. Sometimes the endlag get to me but I usually throw them off and they may never get used to it. Is it viable? Thanks :D

 

[arf]

Just like any other character, it really depends on the situation. Technically speaking, if you were to only play either defensive or aggressive Duck Hunt, I think defensive Duck Hunt would probably be more viable. That being said, switching between defensive and aggressive play would be much more viable than purely sticking to one mode of operation.

 

[outfoxd]

^^^^think duck hunt is more the sum of his parts. Hes not good enough at rushdown or camping to do either by themselves

 

[outfoxd]

More on this after playing a good Sheik. Sheik is top tier because she CAN play aggressively and defensively. DHD is mid to low tier because he HAS to.

 

[HotbladesHarry]

The projectiles are all about good spacing. Stay far enough away that you can't get hurt during end lag in case you miss, but close enough that when you connect with a projectile you can close fast and start a combo. I find the sweet spot to be where if you were to drop a gunman and keep running you would connect an f-dash at the same moment the gunman fires. But it's all situational.

 

[Akzomp]

The way I play Duck Hunt is mainly using aerials. They have good range and are good for spacing. Like projectiles, they are great for being able to hit your opponent but at the same time not be within range of their attacks. Of course, I use projectiles too, but I don't spam. Mixing it all up is the best option.

 

[outfoxd]

I spam if they let me.

Taking every advantage possible. I'll time out somebody in a minute.

 

[Jerodak]

I don't main this character, but I have dabbled a bit with it. The choice of offense or defense, as stated previously, is context based. For example, let's say you were to play aggressive duck hunt vs a player who mains someone like Meta Knight, Bowser, or Ganondorf. Each of these characters have really solid defensive/punish games while Duck Hunt's offense isn't so great. You're more likely to be baited and punished by those characters if they decide to simply hang back and just let you create openings for them to exploit.

Alternatively, let's say you're trying to play defense against an aggressive player, like a C.Falcon for instance, and he's overwhelming your defensive wall with his speed, in that case, it may help to switch to more aggressive tactics in order to force him into a situation where your defensive tactics become viable again. That's a fairly simple/generalized answer, but I hope it helps!

 

[Pixel_]

Nobody here mentioned Brood yet?

 

[arf]

Nobody here mentioned Brood yet?

Holy crap you're right.

Here's some great Brood:

 

[chaos11011]

We had a thread like this a while back in which the OP asked if DH could be played aggressively and Brood got some well deserved hype. Excellent DH player.

 

[Blumiere]

Duck Hunt is equal parts rushdown and camp, in my opinion. Either playstyle is viable and works with him, but it's a gravely missed opportunity if you're not versed in both styles and switching between them on the fly to throw off your opponent.

 

[Cottoneyes]

Like stated before he can be played as both. I main him and I lean towards a more offensive style of play. He has a pretty safe aerial game and very good spacing against most characters not to mention decent setups off grabs.

Only time I really get a little more defensive is on characters that can rushdown much quicker than I can set up an offensive wall of cans and gunmen.

 

[puffypalutena]

Hmmmm.....
Really great insight from fellow players :D

 

[Funkermonster]

In my opinion, he's a mixed bag of both offensive and defensive gameplay but a mistake with either ode can get you punished hard, but I would personally say he's slightly better at offense. His camping game isn't that good since his projectiles are all pretty slow and don't effectively keep opponents out unless they're heavies or someone who just sucks at approaching in general, and they can also be destroyed or disrupted by damaging hitboxes and I can think of quite a few characters who are better at camping than he is. He can't exactly play rushdown since his frame data subpar, but his projectiles do offer him decent approach options, high damage output and expand his combo game, and just plain overwhelm opponents with pressure. He's amazing at neither gameplan, but I personally feel that if Duck Hunt uses his projectiles with mobility and chooses to advance onto his opponents himself instead of forcing advances, he can rack up some of the highest damage in the game and overwhelm opponents with pressure and aggravate them internally, and that's why I consider him better offensively. I view him more as a pressure/trap character than a zoning character to be honest, although if he messes up his projectiles he falls apart. Its like playing chess in the middle of a battlefield, and one important thing his offense lacks is kill potential and knockback. This character barely has any kill potential at all.

 

[outfoxd]

In my opinion, he's a mixed bag of both offensive and defensive gameplay but a mistake with either ode can get you punished hard, but I would personally say he's slightly better at offense. His camping game isn't that good since his projectiles are all pretty slow and don't effectively keep opponents out unless they're heavies or someone who just sucks at approaching in general, and they can also be destroyed or disrupted by damaging hitboxes and I can think of quite a few characters who are better at camping than he is. He can't exactly play rushdown since his frame data subpar, but his projectiles do offer him decent approach options, high damage output and expand his combo game, and just plain overwhelm opponents with pressure. He's amazing at neither gameplan, but I personally feel that if Duck Hunt uses his projectiles with mobility and chooses to advance onto his opponents himself instead of forcing advances, he can rack up some of the highest damage in the game and overwhelm opponents with pressure and aggravate them internally, and that's why I consider him better offensively. I view him more as a pressure/trap character than a zoning character to be honest, although if he messes up his projectiles he falls apart. Its like playing chess in the middle of a battlefield, and one important thing his offense lacks is kill potential and knockback. This character barely has any kill potential at all.

It's just unfortunate that a character like Sheik isn't just an all around character like Duck Hunt, but excels at all ranges instead of just needing to use all of it or nothing works.

 

[Joshua Flynn]

Duck hunt for me doesn't work as an aggressive character unless you get them into 'juggles the clown', primarily for several reasons:

His attacks have a lot of excessive frames for easy punish by competent players,
His attacks don't always cause flinching (allowing them to still attack)
He's light, so easily dismissed by 'power users'
His attacks lack launch power
Other attacks override his close range attacks, or cancel them (which as a light, easily launched character with no real launching power himself, makes it a dangerous trade-off)
The present (as of 1.1.0) slide glitch found in his smash attacks

It's possible to use his light attacks, but then you're denying 6 of his major movesets (frisbee, can, gunman, smash A forward/up/down).

Players get bogged down in the concept of 'honour' with DHD, by trying to use projectiles lightly - but the fact he's underpowered means the situation isn't honourable in the first place, and so he's forced to fight dirty, even if that means loading the screen with projectiles.

(It is possible to win with light attacks, and they make up the main bulk when exploiting the projectile's opening, but it's very much a 'one hand behind my back' scenario.)

 

[Diamond DHD]

Duck hunt for me doesn't work as an aggressive character unless you get them into 'juggles the clown', primarily for several reasons:

His attacks have a lot of excessive frames for easy punish by competent players,
His attacks don't always cause flinching (allowing them to still attack)
He's light, so easily dismissed by 'power users'
His attacks lack launch power
Other attacks override his close range attacks, or cancel them (which as a light, easily launched character with no real launching power himself, makes it a dangerous trade-off)
The present (as of 1.1.0) slide glitch found in his smash attacks

It's possible to use his light attacks, but then you're denying 6 of his major movesets (frisbee, can, gunman, smash A forward/up/down).

Players get bogged down in the concept of 'honour' with DHD, by trying to use projectiles lightly - but the fact he's underpowered means the situation isn't honourable in the first place, and so he's forced to fight dirty, even if that means loading the screen with projectiles.

(It is possible to win with light attacks, and they make up the main bulk when exploiting the projectile's opening, but it's very much a 'one hand behind my back' scenario.)

Aggressive doesn't mean not using projectiles, aggressive projectile users are a very rare thing, but it can be found mainly in some Toon Link and Duck Hunt players. By filling the screen with projectiles, you are in a constant stage of lag from the projectiles (especially with clay pigeon) and each of them can be knocked away, that's the flaw in campy Duck Hunt. Duck Hunt is a sword character, yes the sword is a duck, but they are a sword character, that relies on spacing and tippers with the aerials, his aggressive play style is based on using safe spacing, and with that projectiles are used to force opening for combos and rushdown, that's the basis for an aggressive Duck Hunt. Aggressive, to me, doesn't mean running in like an idiot, it means constantly taking stage control and applying pressure, which Duck Hunt does very well, as well as having a very strong run-away game. It's as others say, Duck Hunt players need to switch between the two styles depending on MUs and their opponent.

 

[Joshua Flynn]

Aggressive doesn't mean not using projectiles

I never said aggressive doesn't mean not using projectiles. I was paying attention to the original post:

I mainly use Duck Hunt pretty aggressively, only using the projectiles to aid me in attacking.

Which implies the projectiles are secondary and used sparingly.

Aggressive, to me, doesn't mean running in like an idiot, it means constantly taking stage control and applying pressure,

That's turtling, to my knowledge. And in this case, if projectiles are only used as aids to attack, that the attacks are close range.

And rapid light jabs do work well in their own way. It can affect players expecting a barrage of projectiles, but off-topic to this discourse.