Is it absolutely essential to use C-Stick for Aerials?

[Trickerhere]

So all of my life I have been using A as my main source for aerials in every game mostly casually until Smash 4 but a lot of people have been saying that the C-stick is really good for aerials such as retreating f air for marth. I main Roy in PM and I plan to go to tournaments for Smash Wii U with Lucina. Is it absolutely essential to use C-stick for aerials for the best performance of play or will A still be good?

 

[Narpas_sword]

Its impossible to do some things without using the c stick.

Whether that's important to you is up to you.

 

[ECHOnce]

It's not essential for 100% of your aerials, but not using it in situations where you could be doing things like retreating F-airs or less risky Meteor Smashes (non-FF D-airs) is only limiting your options, which generally isn't a good decision. As with many button/control preferences, the best way to go about it would probably be to either make the swap, or keep using A in most situations and practice remembering to use C-stick whenever it would be better to. Roy is definitely a character that benefits from the C-stick, but regardless of their mains, it's not uncommon for pros to use A or Z for aerials instead of / in addition to the C-stick - HBox uses Z for aerials, iirc.

 

[Kati]

I only ever use A if I'm doing a nair. It's just a question of what you want to be difficult in your smash life: the difficulty of learning how to use the yellow stick, or the difficulty of having less options that may result in getting hit more and hitting the opponent less.

 

[menotyou135]

As stated above, Hbox uses Z and he is one of the top 5 best players in the world. C-stick aerials are not necessary, but there are certain situations where they help. Identify these situations and use it in those situations only. That way you don't have to unlearn years of muscle memory just to get a slight edge but you still reap the benefit.

 

[Exodo]

i also use A but im training using the c stick especially for D airs so i dont fast fall and SD

 

[Brim]

What Narpas said. However, for Roy I think it's quite essential. It makes it so much easier for him to land L-Cancels (R-Cancels in my case) but you need to learn to string aerials into strong attacks on the ground, and L-Cancelling is so needed for this that it's not even funny.

 

[InfinityCollision]

You can relearn aerial inputs in a few days if you put some focus into it, and c-sticking is more flexible without any real drawbacks. I'd advise making the switch - don't rationalize it based on someone else's performance. I'd also argue that learning to use it in specific situations puts an unnecessary amount of thought into execution, but if you can construct an argument for one option or the other being superior in a specific situation then use each as you please.

 

[Sour Supreme]

I'd always used C-stick for about everything possible, even dash attack.

But my muscle memory had me almost always using an aerial other than nair, which in my main's case is a great way to apply pressure.

I switched my muscle memory over to A, and then slowly worked my way back to C-stick while maintaining the instinct to nair.

 

[Raijinken]

Absolutely? No. Situationally (and very frequently)? Yes. It lets you maintain momentum that would otherwise be messed up by directionstick input.

 

[CORY]

there are certain instances where you'd want to use a (+direction) over cstick, but those are mostly when you need a super fast attack out of a jump/short hop (and even that could be averted by using a trigger as your jump button, thus leaving your thumb free for the cstick, if you're so inclined).

 

[Pr0fessor Flash]

Sometimes I use the C-Stick to Up B Aerials as Snake,and the Answer is no pretty much any question that basically says is doing this wrong like this thread is basically a no.

 

[Narpas_sword]

Dear Pr0fessor Flash,

Your status of 'Pr0fessor' is being revoked until you restructure that post with at least some commas, periods, or hyphens.


Regards,

Everyone trying to make sense of what you just said.

 

[Pr0fessor Flash]

Dear Pr0fessor Flash,

Your status of 'Pr0fessor' is being revoked until you restructure that post with at least some commas, periods, or hyphens.


Regards,

Everyone trying to make sense of what you just said.

Ok

 

[Narpas_sword]

I'll try this for you.

Sometimes I use the C-Stick to Up B Aerials as Snake.
The answer to pretty much any question that basically says 'Is doing this wrong' (like this thread), is usually 'No'.

Is this what you're trying to say?

 

[Pr0fessor Flash]

I'll try this for you.

Sometimes I use the C-Stick to Up B Aerials as Snake.
The answer to pretty much any question that basically says 'Is doing this wrong' (like this thread), is usually 'No'.

Is this what you're trying to say?

Yes thank you!

 

[LEGOfan12]

So all of my life I have been using A as my main source for aerials in every game mostly casually until Smash 4 but a lot of people have been saying that the C-stick is really good for aerials such as retreating f air for marth. I main Roy in PM and I plan to go to tournaments for Smash Wii U with Lucina. Is it absolutely essential to use C-stick for aerials for the best performance of play or will A still be good?

It's not absolutely essential for all your air-attacks. But it can help out a lot.

 

[Phoenix502]

yeah.. I think the general consensus is that "No, the C-stick is not 'absolurely essential' for aerials"... for me, though, it's sure as hell a convenient thing to use in the heat of things... though I agree there are some actions you can't do feasibly without it,,,

 

[Trickerhere]

Thanks for all the responses going to work on using the C-Stick when Smash 4 Wii U comes out!

 

[Thor]

people say Y is more efficient and I believe them =)

I use A for aerials!

I added the stars and random spaces in because there is no need to tag him/notify him that he's been quoted, but...

When he was asked whether he uses A or c-stick for aerials, this was his response.

Given PPMD's skill level with Falco and Marth [and noting your main icon], I'd say "No."

Retreating fair without the dash-dance motion is nice though.

 

[NQuad1Zero]

I play exclusively on keyboard, so I dont actually have a C-stick (making C stick functions with keys takes up too much room/difficult to get to), but after sometimes going on the GC controller, the C Stick feels alot easier and useful in general, it also is like the only way to Shorthop Upair. Also makes Ledgehopping Backair easier (but ledgehopping backair and ledgehopping downair is still achieveable on a PC Keyboard which means without C stick, albeit a little risky/difficult, especially since I play roy)

 

[LiamMail]

after reading this thread... maybe ill get sm4sh on the wii u instead of 3ds. I do not own any if these 2 consoles, which is just pure sadness ;(
AND having to wait longer.... more sadness

 

[Flippy Flippersen]

retreating fair, approaching bair and non fastfall dair are the only scenarios where you have to use the c stick (non fastfall dair is technically doable with a but it's significantly harder than c down)

For roy the biggest one is retreating fair. and the more you want to throw out retreating fair the more you yourself will feel going away with the stick back to forward position press a as soon as possible and back away as soon as possible is horribly ineffective in comparison to hold away press c towards.
Non fastfall dair is pretty much only for dair "offstage" which is a cool way to kill but far from the best one for roy. It will also not move your control stick in all the directions so this might keep on feeling natural for you. You can pretty much choose which one you want to practice (non fastfall down a or using c down)
Approaching bair is usually the end of combos cause it is a pretty good killmove you will most likely eventually just want to use the c stick for this as well just because it will feel more convenient.

 

[thatoneguy1]

i think the only time i use the a button is for nairs, and captain falcons back and foward airs. The c-stick is just so much more useful when retreating fairs, falling through platforms, preventing fast falls, etc.