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I am the Greatest Earthbender in the World - Toph Beifong Guide & Discussion Thread

SanjiWatsuki

Smash Cadet
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
32
Introduction

Screenshot 2022-04-30 143324.png


Toph is a unique ground based character that relies on gigantic strong attacks with slow wind ups. She can zone out her opponents, punish landings and bad recoveries with her rocks, and can recover from nearly anywhere on the stage. Toph uniquely can push aggression and often tilts players into making bad decisions. On the flip side, she lacks reliable kill confirms and often relies on finding raw strong attacks.

Play neutral carefully with your grounded strong attacks, catch people out with your light nair if they jump at you, build up high % and then try to find kills with Clay Warrior. If they block too much, grab upthrow into light nair combos or grab down throw into wavedash off ledge dair dair or try to catch them blocking with down strong to get free grabs. If you approach, cover it with a boulder to force the opponent to block.

VODs
Genesis 8 Pools - Sanji Watsuki (Toph) vs. CalvinKaio (Danny Phantom)
Genesis 8 Top 32 - Sanji Watsuki (Toph) vs. Blackimar64 (Helga)
【Nick All Star Brawl】PX Nick #24 West Tournament - Sanji Watsuki POV
【Nick All Star Brawl】squible (Toph) vs Androoovii (Powdered Toast Man)


Moves and Frame Data

Light Neutral - "Rising Knee"
5%, f5 startup, f5-f7 active, f18 FAF, -5 on block

One of the fastest light attacks in the ground. Has very little horizontal range. Can be used if the opponent is very close out of block and can create tech lockout situations. Can also be used to jab reset.

Light Up - "Champion's Belt"
5%, f6 startup, f6-f8 active, f29 FAF, -15 on block

Relatively quick combo starter. Can be used out of dash attack. Combos into nair and up air. Very unsafe on block and doesn't have much horizontal range.

Light Down - "Rock Slide"
f6, 8%, f6-f15 active, f36 FAF, -22 on block

Deceptively slow out of block option. Pops up opponents to potentially start combos. Use very carefully when you really need a moving hitbox.

Light Dash Attack - "Running Push"
f6, 8%, f6-f13 active, f33 FAF, -24 on block

Cancels into fstrong, ustrong, boulder, or up tilt. Very unsafe to just throw out but can be used to catch landings and get a strong follow up or a combo starter. Can also be used during tech chases to get combo extensions.

Light Neutral Air - "Air Slap"
f6, 9%, f6-f11 active, f21 FAF, -8 on block

Big, fast, active, and somewhat safe if spaced well. Toph's nair combos into itself and up air for surprisingly long combos, especially if the opponent DIs in. Arguably her best out of block option.

Light Up Air - "Aerial Champion's Belt"
f6, 8%, f6-f8 active, f29 FAF, -8 on block

Big, fast juggle tool. Be careful when using it, it has very little hitstun so the opponent can often reversal you after you hit them with this.

Light Down Air - "Headbutt"
f6, 10%, f6-f7 active, f31 FAF, -8 on block

Underrated spike tool. It recovers fast enough to combo into itself and spike characters with mediocre recoveries. Combos out of down throw at ledge on DI in.

Strong Neutral - "Crashing Earth Wave"
14%, f19 startup, f19-35 active, f41 FAF, variable on block

One of your primary "neutral" tools. Use strafe to space this out. Often paired with wavedash backwards to whiff punish enemy approaches. Will rarely kill unless the opponent is at 200%+

Strong Up - "Clay Warrior"
6% (sour) 12% (sweet), f12 startup, f12-f16 active, f31 FAF, -19/-26 on block

Toph's primary kill move. It's unsafe out of block but it is hard to see so you can catch people with it unexpectedly. Use this to catch landings, out of aerial fthrow on DI in, or to frame trap people when they're blocking another move like fstrong.

Strong Down - "Wall Slam"
21%, f30 startup, f30-f34 active, f46 FAF, +22 on block

Incredibly slow move that gets a free grab if the opponent blocks it. Use it to threaten platforms above you and to manufacture grabs if the opponent is blocking your other moves.

Strong Dash Attack - "Stone Catapult"
f14, 13%, f14-f23 active, f41 FAF, -21 on block

Very situational dash attack that combos into aerial chains.

Strong Neutral Air - "Front Clap"
f16, 14%, f16-f20 active, f41 FAF, -7 on block

Mediocre aerial strong that can kill off-stage. Use sparingly in situations where it might kill.

Strong Up Air - "Spin Kick"
f15, 13%, f15-f19 active, f41 FAF, -8 on block

The worst aerial up strong in the game. Almost never usable.

Strong Down Air - "Downward Punch"
f17, 15%, f17-f21 active, f41 FAF, -6 on block

Can combo out of light dash attack at ledge to start a spike chain. Otherwise, it is a hard call out when off-stage or an RPS tool.

Neutral Special - "Boulder Hurl"
f11, 14%, f11-f171 active, f36 FAF, -4 on block (fully charged)

Your main approach tool. A fully charged boulder can protect your approaches and landings. Charge them when you get free frames. Can kill if they DI out at high %.

Up Special - "Boulder Surge"
f24, 9%, f24-end active, variable FAF, variable on block

Can be used to disrupt recoveries. Jump off stage and throw rocks at people's heads as they recover. You can also drop rocks on people's heads when using high platforms.

Down Special (Grounded) - "Iron Boot"
f31 10% f31-end active, -24 on block

Worst move in the game. Don't use this unless you're trying to style on someone.

Down Special (Aerial) - "Platform"
20f startup

A defining Toph move -- creating platforms. This lets you recover from almost anywhere on the map. Use this high up in the blast zone to give you time to charge your boulder. Can also be used in niche situations to create a grounded platform for you to fire grounded strong attacks off when off stage.

Toph Tech

Using platform at ledge breaks the opponent's ability to roll onto stage, limiting their options.

Attacking your own full charged boulder turns it around, making it hit backwards for combos.

After you get a kill, you can set up a platform right under the respawn platform to force the opponent to land and waste their invuln time.

If you're at the left ledge of the stage, you can up special and the rock will fall below the ledge. This can be used to edge guard people recovering vertically to the ledge.
 
Last edited:

Wario Wario Wario

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Messages
11,562
Location
Ed Bighead for NASB 2
This is rad stuff! Any plans to do a fundamentals/movement guide? I love this game and would love to get to the level where I could join a Discord for it and not get instantly bodied, heheh.

 

SanjiWatsuki

Smash Cadet
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
32
This is rad stuff! Any plans to do a fundamentals/movement guide? I love this game and would love to get to the level where I could join a Discord for it and not get instantly bodied, heheh.

I think some other folks in the community are trying to put together some more fundamental guides.

If you're interested in the Discords, though, here is the main competitive Discord and here is the Switch-specific competitive Discord!

This is the best basics guide I'm aware of right now:

 
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