Zareidriel
zuh-RAY-dree-ole
- Joined
- May 11, 2006
- Messages
- 1,145
- NNID
- Zareidriei
NEW!!: Super Mega Awesome Ike Video Mega Ultra Media Guide on Tape!
With all of the impressions, half-baked guides, and bad grammar, my head started to hurt. My heart ached for all those who wanted to know how to play Ike and not have to deal with any nonsense. Figuring that I'm one of the few who actually own the game, I've decided to write a collaborative guide with the Deus de Animus Guild. We'll be updating the guide as new information becomes available.
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Glossary:
SAF - Everyone asks about this one. Super Armor Frames. During several frames of Aether and Eruption, Ike is immune to knockback but still takes damage.
R-BAIR, RAR, RAZ - Though it may go by many names, this is when a player runs forward, slams on their control stick to turn around, jumps, and does a back aerial, all very quickly. This allows Ike to use his BAir, one of his fastest moves, while maintaining forward momentum.
Nair, Bair, Dair, Uair, Fair - Neutral Aerial, Back Aerial, Down Aerial, Up Aerial, and Forward Aerial, respectively.
Lag - Since lag is something Ike has a lot of, I figured I'd post about it. Lag is divided into two groups, starting lag and ending lag. Simply, starting lag is the time before an attack is executed, and ending lag is the time after the attack has finished. During this time, for most characters, you are vulnerable to attack. However, during the stabbing animation of Eruption and the throwing animation of Aether, Ike is immune to knockback during those parts of his starting lag.
DI - Directional Influence. Very useful when being smashed, cornered, or trapped in Pit's annoying sword-spinny thing.
Knockback - How far an attack knocks a player. High-knockback attacks are viable for KO.
Damage - How many %s a character receives. High-damaging attacks set up a player to be KOed.
Air Draw - Using Quick Draw in the air results in an Air Draw. This technique is good to approach with, especially against projectiles that are confined to the ground, such as Link's bow or the IC's little ice thingies.
Oblivion - The place Ike sends his enemies to. A very sad place.
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Why use Ike? His strengths and weaknesses:
Ike can be fun, but he can also be frustrating at times. By reading this section, you can decide if Ike is really for you.
Strengths:
Ike is powerful. Like, OH MY GOD powerful. All of his moves can KO at reasonable percents.
High priority. Though his disjointed hitbox isn't exaggerated, it's still reasonable, and Ike's SAF gives him extra priority at times.
Aether. This move is so cool it deserves its own section. Good for racking up damage, damaging the enemy, and causing damage. Damage. Damage.
Quick Draw, another ultra-cool move. Eliminates some of Ike's godawful slowness. Also very good for recovery, especially when charged.
Being mega super heavy, Ike is hard to KO. When other characters are dying at 80% because you just Up Smashed them into oblivion, you've barely even started to move.
Weaknesses:
Ike is slow. Like, OH MY GOD slow. There are ways to make him a decent speed, but most of his attacks are slower than an average attack in Brawl.
Ike is heavy. This means he is easily combo'd and is weak to certain attacks.
Suicide happens, too often. Though it's easier to avoid when getting more skilled, many of Ike's aerials are so slow that, if he is accidentally pushed off the edge and does an aerial, he'll most likely die.
Ike is slow. He's so slow, I figured I better put this twice.
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Moveset:
SMASHES
Forward Smash - Ahh, the king of all attacks. I describe this attack as one resembling a train colliding with a mountain. It also has a very satisfying sound. Anyway, this attack is very slow, but it can KO as low as 60%. It's a very situational move, definitely not something to be spammed, but it's very satisfying when it hits.
Rating: 69/100
Down Smash - A fairly quick move, this move is better for KOing than the Forward Smash. It also hits behind you, like most downsmashes in the game. Not a move I like to use a lot, though, since I prefer the next move on the list.
Rating: 71/100
Up Smash - Ike's best smash by far. There is a small amount of lag before this attack, but it hits in nearly a 300 degree arc around and above Ike. The knockback on this move is very high, it can be used to KO enemies nearly as well as the Forward Smash.
Rating: 86/100
TILTS
Forward Tilt - His Forward Tilt is faster than his Forward Smash, but lack its damage and knockback. Because its starting lag is similar to the Down Smash, I don't use this move much.
Rating: 59/100
Down Tilt - A very amusing move, the Down Tilt can spike if used against a character off the edge. It's very situational, though, and hard to pull off. Nearly useless in combat when on the stage.
Rating: 63/100
Up Tilt - Once again, his upward is the best of Ike's standard moves. Ike's Up Tilt has suprising range considering its animation, and is good to set up Aether or Up Smash with.
Rating - 76/100
STANDARD
AAA - As far as we know, not doing all three attacks is kinda pointless. Not a bad attack, comes out quick, good damage.
Rating: 82/100
Dash Attack - Again, not super amazing, but you can always throw it in there to mix it up. It's probably just a better idea to go into a back aerial or a smash, though.
Rating: 68/100
AERIALS
Forward Aerial - Though similar to his Neutral Aerial, his forward Aerial has more power. Not a bad move, though fairly slow to start.
Rating: 74/100
Neutral Aerial - The range on this move is amazing; Ike swings his sword in front of him, down, and slightly behind. Probably the aerial I use second most often.
Rating: 81/100
Up Aerial - A fairly useful technique, the Up Aerial has decent damage and knocback. It's disjointedness is fairly small compared with other moves, however, so it's best to use this technique with discretion. Most of the time when an enemy is above you, you'll want to use Aether.
Rating: 67/100
Down Aerial - This move is powerful and it is a spike, but its window of opportunity and range is smaller than many of his other moves. Very situational, but still a useful move.
Rating: 73/100
Back Aerial - Finally, we get to the most useful of Ike's aerials. The Back Aerial is fast, amazingly fast (for Ike, anyway) and can KO very well. When used with the RAZing, it becomes especially potent. Use often, but don't spam.
Rating: 89/100
SPECIALS
Aether [Up + B] - Aether is a god among moves. For those not familiar with it, Ike swings his sword, Ragnell, upwards, then jumps up and catches it. While throwing his sword up, Ike has Super Armor Frames, or SAF, and cannot be knocked back. Also, since he is not at his sword for the duration of the move, it is kinda like a fast, upwards projectile. Until further notice, spam this move, but only when the enemy is above you. Also very good for recovery.
Rating: 99/100
Quick Draw [Side + B] - Quick Draw is another one of Ike's very amazing and useful moves. The usually slow Ike rushes forward and performs a slash on the enemy. It is hard to combo with because of the large downtime, but not impossible, but its main use is for moving around the stage quickly.
Rating: 95/100
Eruption [Neutral B] - A very good move as well, Eruption is easy to KO with and hits enemies above and below you, as well as on the sides. In addition, during the attack itself, Ike has SAF, making him immobile. Hard to master the timing and positioning, but a good move overall.
Rating: 93/100
Counter [Down + B] - Ike's counter, though it has a little bit of startup you need to work into your timing, is extremely useful. It combines the duration of Marth's counter from Melee with the power of Roy's. It also does 1.2 times the damage of the attack that was sent at him, and equal knockback. This means that Counter is more than viable to KO with, especially if you're able to counter a Smash Attack. A useful move that must be mastered, in my opinion.
Rating: 88/100
FINAL SMASH
Great Aether [Neutral B, Ike must be Super Saiyan] - Kick. ***. The coolest-looking move in the game. The coolest-looking anything in the game. If you're playing with Smash Balls on for one reason or another, and somehow trudge your way over to it and get it, sit back and relax as Ike ***** your eyes lovingly, then sends all of your enemies to oblivion.
Rating: 100/100
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General Strategies:
Good things to remember when using Ike.
Approaching:
Ike has several methods for approaching. The best are probably the Quick Draw and the Air Draw, both of which get you to the opponent quite quickly. Another option is Ike's slow-*** run, but that's usually not a good idea. Doing something unexpected, such as jumping toward your opponent with Aether or an Eruption charging might throw the enemy off balance.
Being Approached:
From the ground - If you see the attack coming from a mile away, Counter. It'll do more damage than they would have done to you, and they're left going, "What just happened?" You could also match their approach with a Quick Draw, and meet in the middle of the battlefield. The Up Smash is also a good tactic, especially if they try to roll behind you.
From the Air - Aether. Just use Aether, they won't be approaching you from the air anymore. When I find something better, or someone is able to counter the Aether, I'll change this section.
Heavy Strategies:
Against most heavy characters, Ike is able to play at his fullest potential. Because he doesn't have to restrict his moves to the ones that are able to hit fast characters, Ike is able to bring out his full moveset. Ike has no problem KOing heavy characters; whereas Pit may be hard-pressed to finish one off, Ike has a multitude of KO moves that can kill heavy characters at reasonable percentages.
Light Strategies
Typically, light means fast. And that is something Ike is not. To compensate for this slowness, restrict your moveset to attacks that can actually hit; that means Forward Smash, Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, Down Aerial, and Down Tilt are more or less out of the picture. While they're all usable attacks, there are better ones to use against light characters. Also, light characters typically love their aerials; teach them who's boss with an Aether or two.
Projectile Spam
If there's something Ike lacks even more than speed, it's projectiles...and reflectors. When fighting Pit, or Dedede, or Falco, or Link, it's easy to Quick Draw into an arrow/laser/boomerang/Waddle Dee. That's why it might be best to use the slow run to approach them, using typical jumping, shielding, and rolling to avoid projectiles. Once you're close, it's always fun to Counter a projectile, knocking the cursed thing away, hitting your opponent, and causing confusion. But overall, there is no magic technique to immunize Ike to a projectile spammer; the best defense is raw skill.
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Character Specific Strategies:
Is your best friend a Sonic that really gets on your nerves? Pit? Snake? Or maybe Ike's fierce rival, Marth? Look here to learn how to get the upper hand.
Bowser - This guy is just as heavy and slow as you, so typically it will be an easy match. Watch out for his grabs, especially his claw. Aerials are effective here, as are your slower techniques; for added pwnage, make sure your final KO is a Forward Smash.
Captain Falcon - Yes, he's fast, I realize that. But that doesn't make him un-hittable. Use your SAF to its fullest potential here, Aether and Eruption work wonders against Falcon. Make sure to use Up Smash to counter Falcon's many aerials; make sure that he knows he's in for pain when he messes up.
Diddy Kong - Also quite fast, Diddy can sometimes be a handful. Use Quick Draw to stay close, as he'll probably want to get away and start chucking bananas. Eruption is good too, epsically against Diddy's cling grab.
Donkey Kong - Among the slower characters, Donkey isn't too horrible to fight. His grabs are deadly, so make sure to spot dodge well; when DK misses many of his attacks, he has loads of end lag. So make sure to use those opportunities to punish him well.
Falco - Space animals have always been annoying for slow characters. For Fox and Falco, pull out all the stops you can with speed; Quick Draw, Back Aerial, and Aether when you see an opportunity. Don't bother trying the Forward Smash unless their shield has been broken or something. When they're trying to recover, your safest option is to edgehog if you're also quick enough. If not, turn around and prepare to BAir them off the edge again. You may want to jump and use Quick Draw to get close to Falco quickly.
Fox - See above, but ignore Fox's laser; it's like rain on Ike's brow and should be forgotten. Concentrate on hitting him during any openings, and don't be afraid of the shine.
Game and Watch - Though G&W can be hard to predict and his shielding has improved, he's still really easy to get hits on and KO. Nothing to really watch out for, especially since the parachute KO is gone, but his Down Tilt can be annoying. And for the love of God, don't get hit by the Judgment Hammer.
Ganondorf - Another slow character, pretty easy to take care of. His aerials are strongest, so let him have a taste of the Aether, Eruption, and Up Smash.
Ice Climbers - Annoying little buggers. Separate them with Eruption, then I usually kill whichever one is closer at the time. The Up and Down Smashes are really good against them. Approach with Air Draw. Fairly easy to KO.
Ike [Ditto] - A true test of skill. Be better. Take advantage of your own weaknesses. Not much else to say.
Jigglypuff - Her Wall of Pain and priority are a challenge, but spamming Aether will go a long way to getting the damage up there. When she least expects it, use an Up Smash or BAir to finish her off.
King Dedede - A good matchup for Ike, since they're both Heavy, but Dedede has better recovery and projectiles. Luckily his ground techniques and aerials are horrible. Rack up damage for a while until you for for the KO, unless you're able to sneak in a Forward Smash if Dedede is pre-occupied with his own. And watch out for that ****ed super mega hammer, it can KO Ike faster than any other move in the game. Projectiles can be avoided with a combination of Air Draw and Quick Draw. And make sure to spam Aether.
Kirby - Aether, Aether, Aether. I've said it enough times in this guide, might as well say it a few more. Be careful with Quick Draw, and don't get eaten. Kirby dies pretty quickly, but don't go in for the kill unless he has enough damage.
Link - This fellow swordsman will most likely combine his projectiles with swordplay, but, as everyone knows, Ragnell beats the Master Sword any day. Approach with Air Draw or Quick Draw, and wreak havoc when Link is busy. Take advantage of his spin attack and down aerial when you see an opening. Fight normally otherwise.
Lucario - Lucario's Aura Sphere causes bigger problems than most projectiles, but using your trusty shield is usually the best option. Lucario's moves are faster than Ike's for the most part, but Ike's do bigger damage and knockback. Don't hesitate to spam the Aether.
Lucas - Lucas is, more or less, another one of those primary-aerial opponents. That being said, try to avoid aerial combat, and stick to the Up Air and Aether for the most part. Throwing in a Back Aerial from time to time may be beneficial so you don't appear too predictable, but Lucas's own Back Aerial is extremely dangerous. PK Freeze can be annoying as well.
Luigi - Luigi just seems to get stranger every game. Well, there're no special tactics I can reccomend here. If I happen to find something that works particularly well I'll post about it. Otherwise, just be wary of his Up + B; when he's inside your body, it does Rest-like knockback.
Marth - Quite a hard battle here; Marth has generally better range, speed, and spacing than Ike. But his moves are all basically the same type, while Ike has more of a variety. I've found Aether to work very well against Marth, and Quick Draw matches up to his speed. It's nearly pointless to use his slower moves, especially against a professional Marth. Good timing with the Eruption and Aether can do a lot of damage.
Mario - As far as I can tell, Mario can't cape the Aether, so at the moment there's no need to watch out for that. But since Mario is the stereotypical character, use stereotypical tactics against him. Nothing much I can say here.
Metaknight - With his speed and huge wealth of damage-building attacks, but lack of killing techniques, Metaknight is a pretty even match for Ike. Surprisingly, Aerials seem to work well against Metaknight. Typically finish him off with the Up Smash, but anything will work.
Ness - Ness is much the same as Lucas, but in my opinion, a little easier do deal with. But still not to be underestimated, as Ness has improved a lot since Melee.
Peach - Nerfed a lot since Melee, but still annoying. Basically follow her around as best as you can and use Aether to rack up damage, then finish off with a Back Aerial or anything you want.
Pikmin & Olimar - A little hard to approach, but not too hard of a fight. I don't know much to say about him since none of my friends main Olimar, but be wary of the purple ones.
Pit - My worst matchup, Pit can be beyond annoying. The arrows just get damage all over Ike, and can even disrupt his recovery pretty easily. His fast attacks and smashes are really annoying and make it hard to get hits off. The AAA and Forward Air work pretty well against him. Watch out for Pit's Holy Shield thing; if you Quick Draw against it, you'll get caped and fall to your death.
Pikachu - Much like Pikachu of old, but his Thunder attack is fairly fast. Nothing special here. Try to predict where he lands with quick attack if they don't manage to sweetspot the ledge, and punish them for it.
Pokémon Trainer:
Fushigisou - The Up Smash is very deadly. Nothing really to note.
Lizardon - Aether is Super Effective! Nothing much to say either.
Zenigame - Probably the most challenging of the three, but once I've faced some competent PT's I'll get back to this section.
R.O.B. - A little strange to fight against, don't worry too much about his lasers since they take a few seconds to recharge between each. The disks can be more of a worry. Robot's attacks have fairly good range and priority, but there're no special tactics I can recommend.
Samus - Heavily nerfed from the previous versions, Samus is fairly slow and weak. Her multiple projectiles can present a problem to Ike, though. I suggest mostly Aerials.
Sheik - Fast and can rack up damage quickly, but has kind of a hard time killing Ike. Something I've found effective is utilizing the Down Smash, Up Smash, and Neutral Aerial to cover large portions of your body.
Snake - Very tricky, I'm not sure exactly how to handle Snake yet. Just watch what he does very carefully, and if he ever pulls out the controlled missile, dodge it and Forward Smash him before he recovers.
Sonic - Sonic is fast, Ike is slow, should be a problem, right? Not really, Ike out-prioritizes nearly all of Sonic's moves. Quick Draw does wonders here, both in keeping up with Sonic as well as generally attacking.
Toon Link - Toon Link is a hard fight, but just follow the same tips as you do against Link. Except, since Toon Link is better, you're gonna have to take it up a notch too. Be wary of his combos, try not to get sucked into them.
Wario - He's kinda heavy, but not amazing. Back aerial ***** him.
Wolf - I haven't fought any Wolfs yet but I can tell he's going to be a problem in the future.
Yoshi - His SAF jump can be a ***** to edgeguard, but besides that he's pretty useless.
Zelda - Be wary of the lightning kick. Beyond that, she's pretty easy to kill, so just stay on the ground for the most part and spam Aether.
Zero Suit Samus - Haven't played much against her, will be updated in the future.
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Super Amazing Moves/Combos!!
Side B -> Uptilt - Grand Zareidriel
Side B -> Aether - Greed Sever Zareidriel
Side B -> Downthrow - Hilbilly Nutcracker
Aether -> Aether - Double Zareidriel Aether
Aether -> Aether -> Aether - Triple Mega Ultra Zareidriel
Eruption -> Forward Smash -> The Combo That Never Hits
Forward Smash -> Forward Aerial - You Are Dead Combo Zareidriel
Downtilt -> Aether -> Upsmash -> Upwards Zareidriel Sandwich
Eruption - Hernia!!
Bair -> Bair - Ball Kicking (Even though it isn't a kick)
Eruption -> Eruption - Napalm Death
Forward Tilt -> Aether - Yo Yo of Doom
Aether -> Aether -> Aether -> Aether - Shoot the Moon
Aether -> Aether -> Aether -> Aether -> Aether - Ultra Final Zareidriel Comboing Zareidriel Mega Super Special Zareidriel!!!!
[/sarcasm]
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Ike Videos:
Videos of me playing as Ike. Simple enough.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3004920797124224183
Me vs. Matt [Lucario]
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1697973927553016513
Me vs. Andy [Sonic]
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-747158928970309841
Me vs. Bob [Pit]
More videos to be uploaded soon!
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More to come. I guess I'm kind of a hypocrit for releasing this guide half-baked. X3
