HOMING ATTACK: A serious boxobservation.

[Boxob.]

Sonic's Neutral B (Homing attack) is perceived by most to be a useless, gimmicky move with little application. An attack that forces you to commit to getting counter attacked and blocked every single time. Too obvious for use in competitive play.

The truth of the matter: This attack can be used in many situations. It's learning when and where that makes this attack good or bad.

First, let's make it so every understand what this move does. It's not too hard, I promise. When you hit B, Sonic lifts himself into the air, rising slowly, then lunges in the direction of his opponent in an attempt to strike them. If use at the right angle (Below and to the side) you are almost guaranteed a successful lock on and strike. You can also use this attack at other (and all) angles.

The main problem most people have with attack is that it has a lot of start up time before the actual lunge is made. We all know you can shorten this lag time by hitting B again halfway through the initial rise animation, making this a decently fast attack, with a lot of range.

The only way this attack can backfire on you is if the opponent Pshields it (even if they do, it's hard to catch up with if you DI away and dodge/spring), or if they know how to get out of the way of it or dodges. Thing is, the only way they should be able to do either of those is if YOU are using the attack wrong.

What I'm going to do now is make an incomplete list of ways to use this attack with the most success.

You can use HA out of:

Uthrow
Uair
Fair (mid percents)
SDJ (NOT ROLL)
Nair (Personal favorite, SDR > SDJ > Nair > HA
Footstool jump, with them being in the air. (ASC > FSJ > HA > Tech chase)
Dair (later part of the move, not the sweet spot (Although I've seen this move's range fluctuate pretty wildly, you might be able to do some crazy stuff like sweetspotted Dair to HA on DK at like 70 percent))

You can mindgame into this attack by :

Dair from way up high, before landing right into where they're going to Usmash you, HA and punish.
SDR towards them, jump, HA.
Chase them off stage, with fair, wait for them to use second jump so you're below them, HA.

There are a lot of practical applications of this 'useless' move. It may take you a couple friendlies to see how you can apply it, but once you can read your opponent well, there is without a doubt in my mind that you can find a way to hit them with this move.

And if they think this move is as bad as ROOOOY does, then they'll feel really stupid, and that's always good.

The end.

 

[Jim Morrison]

There's always better options unless they're above you, you used your second jump, but not high for a Spring.

 

[Chis]

HA under the lip of the stage if they expect you to spring asap.

Use it to stall in the air.

It's an awesome edge guard if used correctly. No one can deny that.

 

[ROOOOY!]

There's always better options

Pretty much that rounds it up completely, and usually the better options are everything else that Sonic has.

From an upthrow? Why would you Homing Attack into a possible falling dair. Uair is better in every single way, safety, damage, speed, telegraphability, leaves them where you want them to be for more juggling and not over the other side of the stage where they can camp you, and that's one of Sonic's least powerful aerials.

Pretty much the only legit use there was SDJ -> Nair -> Homing Attack, and that's very counterable unless you're on wi-fi.

I'm still not convinced :3

 

[Neon Ness]

SDR approach, jump to HA is a decent mindgame if used sparingly, I agree. When I first fought Cat he used it a few times, and I was like "Wut?" Back then I had a hard time differentiating ASC from the beginning of an HA. *scrubscrubscrub* It works best if the opponent doesn't know Sonic's moves.

I use Homing Attack also to recover from below the curve of Battlefield on occasion, to surprise opponents.

 

[SonicX580]

HA also is good for mindgames to catch your opponent off guard.

 

[Zeallyx]

HA under the lip of the stage if they expect you to spring asap.

Use it to stall in the air.

It's an awesome edge guard if used correctly. No one can deny that.

you know, luigi's taunt spike is an amazing edgeguard if used correctly..

 

[Browny]

wtf man

luigis taunt spike is a result of the enemy having played brawl for the very first time. Homing attack is made better by the Sonic plyer using it properly.

 

[Kinzer]

I can use a non-locked HA in the air to stall and gain a boost for my horizontal momentum.

This is assuming HA doesn't lock-on to anything though.

I really like HA, but that's probably because my opponents are ******** or something.

 

[Jim Morrison]

Kinzer, I do that when recovering. Somewhere high up in the upper-left corner, I HA for no reason.

 

[Kinzer]

That's what I meant man.

Great way to make sure you won't have to use any other method of recovery other than freefalling to the ledge, and/or another way to run the clock if necessary.

 

[SonicX580]

I sometimes use HA to when I know spring or spin dash isn't going to help me recover that much and I'am thinking of using HA after I spindash a opponent (on the ground).

 

[Zeallyx]

wtf man

luigis taunt spike is a result of the enemy having played brawl for the very first time. Homing attack is made better by the Sonic plyer using it properly.

but when used properly luigi's taunt is an amazing edgeguard

 

[SonicX580]

but when used properly luigi's taunt is an amazing edgeguard

I taught you main Captain Falcon not Luigi anyways his taunt is only 1%.

 

[Kinzer]

He does.

I'm not sure about Weegee's damage, but it doesn't matter if he gets off the spike.

 

[Zeallyx]

I taught you main Captain Falcon not Luigi anyways his taunt is only 1%.

I do main
but when luigi's taunt is used properly it can spike quite nicely

 

[da K.I.D.]

from what i remember, luigis taunt spike, sends you down faster than getting hit with a ganon stomp at 50%

also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFv3ZMF7Sg
homing attack is a good move.
its mindgames and if you dont use it, you are taking a move out of sonics moveset and the more moves you take out of your sonics moveset, the less moves your opponent has to worry about, and thus you will become more predictable.

predictability leads to death.
and sonic losses.

 

[Orange_Soda_Man]

If you use the shortened version of HA often enough, is it worth trying to use the normal HA as a mix-up?
(no sandshrew. not enough steak)

 

[infomon]

Yeah, different timing of HA allows for mindgames, tho it's pretty situational and unreliable as well.

I can use a non-locked HA in the air to stall and gain a boost for my horizontal momentum.

Are you talking about like, while trying to return to the stage horizontally, use unlocked-HA just to stall while getting closer horizontally... the problem is you drop down by more than you would if you just kept drifting towards the stage.... so watch out. At least that's what Tenki told me.

Also, up-throw > HA might not be useless. If they're at mid percents where no instant reaction from your opponent would cause harm, but you except them to try to do something immediately (at least as a means to escape their hitstun, perhaps) -- what's interesting is that because of the different timings at which you can release the HA, you can respond to whatever they do; if it's an airdodge or any of their aerials. Depends on the character, of course, that won't really work on MK

But also, I wonder if up-throw > VSDJ (bait) > HA would work. The HA can happen right out of VSDJ, it's kinda confusing, it stops (pretty much) your VSDJ which should bait a response that the HA can punish.

 

[Tenki]

I can't believe noone mentioned this one :l

Homing Attack can be used as a 'third jump'+counterpunish move.

For some people who like to camp landings, Homing Attack can be pretty handy in breaking (and reversing) your fall. Most characters are more 'predictable' when they've already used double jump, and I'm sure most of you should be familiar with this, since Sonic camps landing lag like nobody's business. So if you predict that grab, dash attack, or DAC/running U-smash, Homing Attack can be used to delay the fall/rise above the attack, force a miss, and counter the ending lag.

 

[TwinkleToes]

from what i remember, luigis taunt spike, sends you down faster than getting hit with a ganon stomp at 50%

also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFv3ZMF7Sg
homing attack is a good move.
its mindgames and if you dont use it, you are taking a move out of sonics moveset and the more moves you take out of your sonics moveset, the less moves your opponent has to worry about, and thus you will become more predictable.

predictability leads to death.
and sonic losses.

Way to plug your own shi t man lol. 5 minute video and you don't give a time marker, what a poonani :O I enjoyed watching it though



BTW, HA works just fine from above provided the enemy has his/her back to you...

 

[da K.I.D.]

i didnt specify times, because i wanted to show that i only used it 3 times in a 5 minute match, to show that its good and its usable but if you cant count on one hand how many times you HA than you are proly doing it too much

 

[Jim Morrison]

Tenki, sadly I only have this problem when falling from a Spring :/

 

[JayBee]

just watch RATS. he's about as good with HA as you're gonna get. the end. no haunters.

 

[MalcolmM]

just use it when it doesnt matter if u miss or not.....

duh?

 

[Boxob.]

lol boxobservation. I crack myself up.

 

[da K.I.D.]

im madd you necrod a thread that Malcolm had the last post in.

 

[kid craft 24/sonic master]

I usually use HA as a kind of feint attack.if i know my opponents going to run in for a grab followup, instead of airdodging i'll HA and land it. Now when HA hits the shield your put in a 50/50 senario in a way. Mainly because your either going to move backwards or forward after bouncing off their shield (sure you cna just go straight up but who honestly would do that ) and your opponent is going to either try and punish you by jumping in one of those two directions. Atleast thats what always happens when i use it.

Homing Attack in the end i personally think is a very good move if your able to know it's limits of application.(like how HA if pit stands still will almost always miss >__<) and that it's easier on larger targets or that you can cancel the landing lag on platforms through using the landing momentum to slide off the ledge.

 

[BSP]

I just don't understand where Sakurai got the "charge time" for HA from. It's instant in, like, every game.

Since we're here, everything said back then still applies imo. HA is a gimmick and it needs to be left at that. Once the opponent catches on, 8% is not worth the situations it puts you in sometimes, and God help you if your opponent knows how to make it miss.

 

[kid craft 24/sonic master]

I don't consider HA a gimmick more so a mindgame based move, one that requires you to use it agaisnt opponents who have predictable and punishable approach habits and even if they know how to make it miss, you as a player should understand the risks it brings when performing the move. Using HA is like using Upsmash, both leave you open as hell if wiffed.

 

[da K.I.D.]

Mindgames are by definition, gimmicky moves.

 

[True Blue]

I ****ing love Homing Attack. Especially gettings kills from it because of near blast zone hits or random stage spikes from the ledge.

There are just those certain characters it is never good to use on unless it is once in a blue moon moments. ZSS is one of those characters lol. Cause it doesn't matter where you go after the hit, when she shields it, she will always connect an Up Air.

 

[Camalange]

I love homing attack because it locks onto your opponent. All you have to do is press a button and the rest of the work is done for you.

 

[TheAwesomefroggy]

I really don't have any specific ways to use HA. I just use it whenever I see an opportunity.

 

[TheAwesomefroggy]

Hmm... could you maybe use it to seperate the IC's if you're closer to Nana?

 

[JMan8891]

@dbl posting, tsk tsk

Idk if I'd risk the punish. Chances are you'll hit once IC when doing it. And potentially they will shield it and punish hard. Offstage harrassing could work vs them though, I need to try this...

 

[TheAwesomefroggy]

I know you'll probably hit 1 IC. that's why i suggested use it to separate them, and it's much less of a risk when doing it vs Nana right? Isn't she (when separated) controlled by a CPU?

just separate them enough, get closer to Nana, and use it to maybe separate them further.

Is it good?

 

[Kupo Rose]

If you're closer to Nana you should be using other moves that's not HA to keep her further away from Popo.

 

[TheAwesomefroggy]

Aww, but HA has such good knockback at lower percents...

 

[Kupo Rose]

stop

please