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How do I avoid Snake's stupid missiles?

FartyParty

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The way players can steer those things is just ridiculous going in full loops and coming back to hit you even if you dodge it. Don't care what anyone says, they are the most bulls**t thing in the whole game and should be nerfed to hell. But until they get nerfed (IF they even get nerfed), how the heck do I avoid getting hit?

EDIT: Referring to when I'm off level trying to recover. On the ground is not an issue.
 
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Luigifan18

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If you aren't getting up in Snake's grill and smacking him around while he's trying to steer the missile back at you, you're playing wrong. Actually, if Snake doesn't drop the missile as soon as the opponent gets past it, he's playing wrong, because a competent opponent would punish him. Those missiles take a while to turn around completely.
 

FartyParty

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If you aren't getting up in Snake's grill and smacking him around while he's trying to steer the missile back at you, you're playing wrong. Actually, if Snake doesn't drop the missile as soon as the opponent gets past it, he's playing wrong, because a competent opponent would punish him. Those missiles take a while to turn around completely.
My opponents use them when I'm off level. I can't get close.
 

KACHOW!!!

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As Snake's opponent, your best bet is to mix up your recovery with air dodges, and varying the timing of when and where you up-b, DI, and use all the tools at your disposal to avoid getting hit by nikida missile. There's no easy answer, but Inkling is probably the best at this, and that's why I think there's no easy trick to help avoid the nikita, except to just prevent snake from having the time to start getting them off in the first place. Maybe have a friend help you out and test whatever happens to your main (I'm guessing Lucina, based on the icon in your profile) when you hit them with your up b or side b. I'm honestly not sure if the hitbox on lucina's up b is disjointed enough so that she can hit a nikita to disable it and still close the gap on the stage to safely grab ledge.
 

the_lennyface

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Dec 25, 2018
Messages
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It's tough man, I think it's the best ledge guard in the game. Air dodging and mixing up your recoveries are your best bet tbh. Some characters counter his missiles pretty good, especially Lucas and Ness. I made a video recently about how some character's move fair against Snake's missile, maybe it'll teach you something you didn't know.

 

FartyParty

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It's tough man, I think it's the best ledge guard in the game. Air dodging and mixing up your recoveries are your best bet tbh. Some characters counter his missiles pretty good, especially Lucas and Ness. I made a video recently about how some character's move fair against Snake's missile, maybe it'll teach you something you didn't know.

What your video taught me is that whenever possible I should play my secondary Peach against Snake instead of my main Lucina lol. Now if only we could switch characters in between quickplay matches...
 

the_lennyface

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What your video taught me is that whenever possible I should play my secondary Peach against Snake instead of my main Lucina lol. Now if only we could switch characters in between quickplay matches...
Hahahaha. That's one way to deal with it lol. You know I gotta read up on the Peach matchup now that she's been declared as a top character. Why would you pick her over Lucina?
 

FartyParty

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Hahahaha. That's one way to deal with it lol. You know I gotta read up on the Peach matchup now that she's been declared as a top character. Why would you pick her over Lucina?
Holding the button on double jump to float gives me another aerial maneuver, and if I'm not mistaken her umbrella can stop the missile if it comes in from above. Plus the Toad counter is better than the Lucina counter.

Truthfully, I'm just a pretty average player, and those missiles are just the biggest pain to deal with so any edge I can get helps.

Edit: The more I play Peach, the more I think she might be a better main for me. Even with significantly less playtime, I seem to be right about as good with Peach as Lucina making me think if I put in the same time I'd likely be better with Peach.
 
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Skydra

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Feb 11, 2015
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You can hit missiles with your aerials when offstage (with Lucina, Uair, Fair, and Bair). Doing this does not explode the missile; rather, it will clash with it and disable the hitboxes for long enough for you to go through (until he loops it around). Mix this up with airdodging, especially if you can airdodge to the ledge as you will snap to it (I believe that there are vulnerable frames, more than a normal ledgesnap, in this animation so mix it up as he can start covering this option). Finally, conserving your double jump may allow you to jump over the missile, hopefully to the ledge to gain invincibility so he doesn't loop it into you.

Also, as far as using a counter against Nikita, in a situation where you are on the stage I would recommend jumping over the missile and pressuring Snake. He is vulnerable for a little over a second if he is currently navigating the missile when you approach. A smart snake, of course, will drive the missile up in the air and drop control, allowing him to act against you on your approach while covering space, but at this point the missile will have a predictable trajectory.

I don't think the Lucina matchup is too much worse than the Peach matchup, but Peach is probably a stronger meta pick overall.
 
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DavemanCozy

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You're not wrong that Missiles are really good, but I wouldn't nerf them. They're not as invincible as people think.

Snake will always use them to put you in a difficult spot offstage. So mixing up airdodges and recoveries is good, also as said above by Skydra, you can hit them with a meaty aerial to divert its trajectory and clash with the hitbox. Just don't hit it with a fire element aerial since then it will explode regardless and that will hurt you.

Think of it as another character Snake sends after you, or if that's too weird, think of it as Luma. You don't always try to dodge her when Rosa sends it offstage after you, do you? Nah, you try and smack it sometimes too, you wanna get that pest out of the game.

EDIT: Peach imo is top tier in this game. She's nearly as good as she was in Melee tbh. Meaty hitboxes, faster more useful d-tilt, turnips don't disappear anymore when they hit an opponent and can be re-caught, the landing lag reduction to aerials buffs her immensely... overall the speed increase has benefited her a lot.
 
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FartyParty

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Think of it as another character Snake sends after you, or if that's too weird, think of it as Luma. You don't always try to dodge her when Rosa sends it offstage after you, do you? Nah, you try and smack it sometimes too, you wanna get that pest out of the game.
Oddly, I don't think I've ever faced a Rosalina who sent Luma offstage at me.
 

Jfresh

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Dec 11, 2017
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if you airdodge towards stage, i'm just going to drag it in front of you. keeping snake guessing is good. if you can divert the missile or throw snake off the first time through a mix up such as airdodging, aerialing, or doing a jump if you have your double jump, you're basically in the clear as it takes too much time for snake to drag the missile back around for a follow up. its all about making sure snake knows nothing is guaranteed because it may condition them to fall into exploitable nikita habits that can be punished.

i say this as somebody who abuses it online and finds people just use airdodge rather than using aerials or jumping around it.
 

DavemanCozy

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Nikita has a lot of mindgame potential in this game with how well it can be maneuvered. It's a good move for sure, you have to respect the missile.

Seeing how garbage Snake's disadvantage state is, I guess the devs felt that he had to be really strong with advantage and they made the missile really good.
 

the_lennyface

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I made a new Nikita video if you're interested. I tested it VS all the recoveries in the game and sorted them from safe to totally screwed.
 

FartyParty

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I made a new Nikita video if you're interested. I tested it VS all the recoveries in the game and sorted them from safe to totally screwed.
Honestly I didn't find this as useful as I had hoped b/c you tested them all basically right near the ledge. You didn't show any attempts to recover and avoid the missile when you get launched and have to free fall back towards the stage. If you're launched far, the missile can reach you before you're in range of the ledge, and when you combine that with the Nikita's insane maneuverability, a recovery like Lucina's that you categorized as "safe" really isn't all that safe.
 

the_lennyface

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Honestly I didn't find this as useful as I had hoped b/c you tested them all basically right near the ledge. You didn't show any attempts to recover and avoid the missile when you get launched and have to free fall back towards the stage. If you're launched far, the missile can reach you before you're in range of the ledge, and when you combine that with the Nikita's insane maneuverability, a recovery like Lucina's that you categorized as "safe" really isn't all that safe.
Thanks for the feedback! All I wanted to show in this video is move VS move examples. Actually recovering with any character is obviously really different since there's so many factors such as spacing, timing, damage%, and even player skill levels to be taken into consideration.

What I wanted to show is that in a recovery where it's just an upB like Lucina's vs the missile, she'd likely make it back safely because of her move's virtues alone.
 
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