How to approach with Shulk?

[GreatKingBowserKoopa]

Despite Shulk being my best character and winning most of my matches, I always get punished by approaching with short hopped nairs by getting grabbed. How (else) would you approach with him?

 

[Berserker.]

You don't

You space with n-air and play a mid-ranged game.

 

[Jade_Rock55]

You could try using speed

 

[Masonomace]

If you are approaching, then approach by super-spacing with Nair strictly using the tipper area of the Nair's Beam. There's no tipper hit-box in Nair so approach that way. It's the one time exception where you feel like Marth spacing with tipper Fair, except done with Nair.

Other than that, you zone with your Monado's range, not really approach.

 

[Xmark]

Well I don't have the game but when I can play it and use Shulk, I usually just Nair spam or use BackSlash to approach. It sounds weird but for me it works. When you use BackSlash, it's like the falcon punch, you can change it's direction on activation. I'd say the best way to use (I'm just going to call it pivot slash) PivotSlash is to space it over incoming projectiles by short hopping.(Works over low trajectory projectiles) I also do this to mix up my aerial approach instead of just using nair and I also bait my enemy with this because you can wiff an air dodge or punish an empty landing. This may not work for everybody but it's doing me pretty good so yea this can prolly be useless againt smart players but as for now i'm still pivotslashing. when I can lol =3

 

[GreatKingBowserKoopa]

Well I don't have the game but when I can play it and use Shulk, I usually just Nair spam or use BackSlash to approach. It sounds weird but for me it works. When you use BackSlash, it's like the falcon punch, you can change it's direction on activation. I'd say the best way to use (I'm just going to call it pivot slash) PivotSlash is to space it over incoming projectiles by short hopping.(Works over low trajectory projectiles) I also do this to mix up my aerial approach instead of just using nair and I also bait my enemy with this because you can wiff an air dodge or punish an empty landing. This may not work for everybody but it's doing me pretty good so yea this can prolly be useless againt smart players but as for now i'm still pivotslashing. when I can lol =3

Backslash is actually bad to approach with since it's really punishable.

 

[Xmark]

True, I guess i'm just a scrub then lol xD
I might be able to post some video's of me playing on the archive thread so that'll be fun.

 

[Berserker.]

Back slash is only useful after b-throw. EBS is assured after b-throw most of the time. BS is basically for punishing and KO'ing if the time comes

Other than that, rushing with back slash is a no-no

 

[DaDavid]

I've personally found decent success approaching with Fairs, but yeah, you're not gonna be getting too too close with Shulk. Space your hits so that you can attack safely and bait them into approaching. Alternately you could roll a bunch, but that won't work on everyone.

 

[Claxus]

I think Shulk's best approach is diversity. Use both Jump and Speed for closing in. With Jump, you have crazy air control. Jump and fastfall down with N-air dives. If they're the kind that shieldgrabs air approaches, be sure you're hitting with the tip of your range. Or, cross them up, hit with the back-part of N-air as you fast fall right above their heads and behind them. And... B-air. I've had some surprising results. Jump over them, and fast fall with B-air so you hit with the end of the beam right as you land. It has great range and if they block it, it pushes them back quite a bit, abusing B-airs range and Jump's fall-speed make Shulk pretty pesky with poking at distances, and hard to punish since you have so much air control and fall with it so fast.

Oh, and try just double jumping all around the arena with Jump. Along with fast falling and faking out. It's rather funny, a lot of people get tired of my acrobatics and start getting aggressive.

Speed is pivot heaven. Pivot F-tilts are fairly safe, slashing the enemy's back as you dash and slide past them (just make sure you're not too blunt). But do it along with N-air spacing to be less predictable. N-air in Speed is also very abusable because of the shorter shorthops. Anyway, key to approaching with Speed, be annoying and make them start getting nervous. You can also try some pivot grabs as they're insanely fast and slide you a relatively safe distance on whiff, but they're especially amazing at punishing any little thing your enemy does.

Also, some people see Buster (and to a lesser extent, Smash) and go aggro trying to use it against you. So let them do that and laugh as you shut them away with N-airs and the like.

Sometimes approaching without doing anything is a good idea, since you can't be punished, you just wait for their move and mess with their minds a bit.

But in the end, the proffered situation for Shulk is making them come to you, just gotta make'em nervous first.

 

[Masonomace]

I think Back Slash to punish landings is underrated, in the sense that characters with few options of regaining a bit of stage control by landing on it instead of grabbing the ledge, Back Slash would answer them. So approaching a landing feels good when Back Slash is an option worth using.

 

[Claxus]

I think Back Slash to punish landings is underrated, in the sense that characters with few options of regaining a bit of stage control by landing on it instead of grabbing the ledge, Back Slash would answer them. So approaching a landing feels good when Back Slash is an option worth using.

Honestly, that sounds pretty good. I never thought about using it like that, but I can see the way backslash's hitbox works being great at punishing landings, I'm gonna have to start adding that for my approach options. Might get exceptional results if you can cross up under them with Speed just before they land.

 

[CupofT]

I've also seen talk about using backslash to mix up approaching projectile users

 

[Masonomace]

Honestly, that sounds pretty good. I never thought about using it like that, but I can see the way backslash's hitbox works being great at punishing landings, I'm gonna have to start adding that for my approach options. Might get exceptional results if you can cross up under them with Speed just before they land.

Definitely, Speed can easily get you behind them for the bonus back-facing damage you would be about to deal to them.
Speed run > pivot Back Slash would be dope.

 

[KenMeister]

You don't, unless you're forced to anyway (darn campers), then mix up SHFF nairs, and mindgame with empty hops and other general movement options everybody else uses. Otherwise, space with Nair, dtilt, pivot ftilt and only ever use fair/bair when your opponent is in the air, as they have annoying landing lag.

 

[OptimistNic]

I use him pretty much all the time in For Glory. I only switch if the matchup turned out to suck really bad XD

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

I think I've either been lucky with Shulk, or it's because of my background with Ike that I know to space with nair and be patient.

 

[imnotdannyboy]

I've also seen talk about using backslash to mix up approaching projectile users

That's kinda sketch, only because most heavy projectile users have their finger on the block button at all times. Something wind up time of Back Slash will rarely get through, and you'll be open to heavy punish.

 

[Sui]

And... B-air. I've had some surprising results. Jump over them, and fast fall with B-air so you hit with the end of the beam right as you land. It has great range and if they block it, it pushes them back quite a bit, abusing B-airs range and Jump's fall-speed make Shulk pretty pesky with poking at distances, and hard to punish since you have so much air control and fall with it so fast.

I've also had moderate success doing this with B-air. I don't know why, but it lands a surprising amount of the time, probably because it makes it look like you're running away from them, and then they get poked in the face instead. I have been kind of skeptical of it because if you completely miss (hit it too high in Jump or whatever), then you're pretty easily punishable with the landing lag you get from it. N-air is definitely a safer option, but B-air is way more satisfying when you land it.

In addition, I definitely second the Speed stance mind games shenanigans. Just being in Speed allows you access to the whole stage basically instantly, so you can run up to them and not even do anything, or run up to them and jump and do nothing, or run up to them and pivot grab with that massive range, or run up to them and short hop into one of your aerials (N-air is recommended, especially with the shorter hops Speed gives you). As long as you have them paranoid about what you are (or aren't) going to do next, mixing it up with Speed is incredibly effective, since if they're unsure you're going to do something, their reactions are way easier to punish.

 

[Jade_Rock55]

Nair,pivots and jumping short hop backward and back slash(people fall for this sometimes idk...)Also guys have you tried bback throw offstage and backslash right at their ledge reach?(Its like "I'm at the ledge and Back slash!So fun!

 

[SonicZeroX]

Speed Art + short hopped Nairs -> Become Shulk the British Nairplane

 

[Scourge The Hedgehog]

Speed Art + short hopped Nairs -> Become Shulk the British Nairplane

This has to be my favorite post in this sub forurm. On a serious note I use Speed Monado Art and Nairs to approach and it usually works since short hop nair can go into jab or grab.

 

[OptimistNic]

Shulk the British Nairplane

Somebody PLEASE draw this.

 

[Masonomace]

Speed Art + short hopped Nairs -> Become Shulk the British Nairplane

Somebody PLEASE draw this.

Replace the Banado with an airplane as the sword. It is now a lingering thought in my mind.

 

[SonicZeroX]

Seriously though the British Nairplane is actually kind of ridiculous. I feel like I'm playing a combination of Fox and Marth with how fast I can short hop nair combined with the sheer range it has.