Best way to use the Arts?

[linkboy84]

When I play Shulk, I mainly use Speed and Buster to rack up damage, then pop on Smash for the kill. But I hardly (if ever) use Jump or Shield. I know the knockback>Jump Art>double jump>Up-B strategy but other then that, nothing. Shield is practically the same (nothing).

How would I learn to use the arts, and Shulk in general, better?

 

[valakmtnsmash4]

Your strategy at the start is perfect. But using jump can actually influence your DI a bit. Jump is also used for edge guarding purposes and recovery. If you reach 50% damage by the end of speed, you can go use any art you want for the kill, such as smash or buster.

 

[Masonomace]

When I play Shulk, I mainly use Speed and Buster to rack up damage, then pop on Smash for the kill. But I hardly (if ever) use Jump or Shield. I know the knockback>Jump Art>double jump>Up-B strategy but other then that, nothing. Shield is practically the same (nothing).

How would I learn to use the arts, and Shulk in general, better?

You make a thread that asks a question, but ya could of posted that question in the Q&A thread right here.

To me, there's isn't a "best way" to use said Monado art, but knowing all of the pros & cons of said Monado art should give you ideas on how you can use it in good ways.

For example, Monado Smash. You get an increased knockback dealt multiplier as a pro, but for cons you deal half the damage & you get an increased knockback taken multiplier. You also deal less damage on block & the shield knockback dealt is awful.

So from this, you could use Monado Smash:

• later on going for a KO
• early on trying to establish stage dominance with successful hits
• early on to avoid being combo'd since you take more knockback

Obviously it's a good thing to have stronger knockback, but the con of taking more knockback can be used more strategically. This helps you avoid those combos you dread about, but know that taking more knockback ties to taking more hitstun & having different flinch animations. So if you get hit & flinch, you'll most likely start tumbling.

For more pros & cons to help you find ways of using arts in good ways, check the spoiler:

Spoiler: Monado art stats

Monado Art | Increased stats | Decreased stats Jump | Jump height, Air speed, Fall speed, Air Slash height | Defense Speed | Ground speed, Air speed, Traction | Damage dealt, Jump height Shield | Defense, Knockback resistance, Shield health & regeneration | Damage dealt, Jump height, Ground speed, Air speed Buster | Damage dealt on-hit & on-shield, Shield Push dealt | Defense, Knockback dealt Smash | Knockback dealt | Damage dealt on-hit & on-shield, Shield Push dealt, Knockback resistance

 

[KyroChao]

Personally, i start similarly but depending on the character I'm against i may start with shield to get out of easy combos like utilts or certain aerials. It comes at quite a cost though in mobility very early on so it's probably not the best idea. Otherwise it seems like you have a good idea, but i personally do use jump to get away from my opponent when speed is down. Jumping away can be extremely helpful in resetting the neutral. I also personally use it when i feel i'm stuck in a string of attacks and use the aerial mobility to get out of it.

 

[SafCar]

If you wanna go for advanced tech, though, try and learn how MALLC works. When done correctly, MALLC can let us dance around almost as gracefully as (if not more than) Jigglypuff.

 

[linkboy84]

You make a thread that asks a question, but ya could of posted that question in the Q&A thread right here.

Sorry, I felt that I would get more help from a question thread dedicated to the question. I'll think of that next time.

So use jump to recover and get out of combos? Any thing Shield is good for particularity, besides on-stage surviving?

 

[Masonomace]

So use jump to recover and get out of combos? Any thing Shield is good for particularity, besides on-stage surviving?

Jump is useful outside of recovering, but I wouldn't say that it's useful for escaping out of combos simply because the art increasing fall speed / gravity makes Shulk combo fodder to aerial juggles. On top of that, Shulk takes 1.22x more damage in Jump, which is yikes & that should urge you to deactivate the art before a nasty combo happens. However, when you're getting combo'd as Vanilla or any art & you want to use Jump's great jump height, you'd cycle to the art in mid-moment that you're getting combo'd followed by an airdodge so that you can doublejump away by the time Jump art activates after airdodge finishes.

Shield being my favorite Monado art makes me want to type a page long post about it. Oh wait, I already did.