Is PK Thunder 2 a viable kill move in Ultimate?

[MG_3989]

So some of you know I didn’t play Smash 4 and the last game I played was Brawl where PKT2 felt a lot harder to land (or I was worse). In this game I feel like I’m getting at least one kill a game with PKT2, sometimes I even take two stocks with it if I know I can mix it up right. Now I know this seems gimmicky but I’ve been seeing FOW, Gackt, Awestin, etc... all using a ton of PKT2 and racking up a ton of kills with it

Basically is PKT2 a viable move I can continue using or a gimmick that’s eventually gonna stop working for me? (I have really good control of PK Thunder and I get a ton of PK Thunder kills off the top too by mixing up angles and loops if that matters)

 

[RepStar]

You already know ness is top tier in this game with roid-buffs. So what do you think. It kills at 40-50%.

 

[MG_3989]

You already know ness is top tier in this game with roid-buffs. So what do you think. It kills at 40-50%.

I mean I don’t think Ness is top tier I think he’s right below top tier but it’s still not always the safest option and I don’t wanna get in the habit of using it if it’s not gonna work at tournaments (it looks like it does) because I’m gonna start playing in them soon and I wanna bring as little bad habits in as possible

 

[Specs64z]

It’s certainly viable (it kills really early and can be very nearly impossible to punish if you do it right), but isn’t necessarily reliable. The more people get hit by it the more they learn what not to do.

That said, playing your cards right can net an early kill against even very experienced players. It’s a tricky move with almost limitless creativity in how it’s maneuvered. Just don’t depend on it for wins because the opportunity won’t always present itself.

 

[Mr Saturn Fanboy]

Its a good kill from 80%-ish

Kills at like 30-40%

I personally use it as a hard read on landings. My strategy is to send the Thunder up at my rival, force my opponent to air dodge, then loop it back and hit their landing. Works best near the ledge. Be careful you don't accidently kill yourself with it, though! You need to keep in mind how long youve had the Thunder out, as to not get caught in an endlag punish. Try to delay the Thunder, or hit your opponent and summon a second Thunder if the timing gets too close.I also use it as a combo finisher. If you've got a floaty character, hit them up with a few f-airs, then (if you know you can manage to land again) execute a Rocket on them ehile theyre freefalling/recovering from the combo.

It can also be used to punish a slow attack. If you know you're spaced well, you can get a solid 20-30% on a Bowser's f-smash or similar slow attacks. If your opponent rolls a lot, this can also be used if you read a roll, as the dodge frames are shorter than the distance traveled usually.

Another thing to note is that on an omega style stage, its easier to land, but on a battlefield stage, its much safer. Self KOs are easy to pull off, especially if there's some hitbix shenanigans or sudden lag spikes. Also, try not to do this on a stage with walk offs, as its most certainly a death sentence.

This doesnt work as well on multi-jump characters, but its still doable.

I wouldn't call it a gimmick, no. It's more of a 'holy nuts this might actually work' hail Mary sort of a thing, because if you miss, then you probably lose stage control. But if you have good control of it, it can turn the tides of a bad match, or make a good match better.

 

[MG_3989]

It’s certainly viable (it kills really early and can be very nearly impossible to punish if you do it right), but isn’t necessarily reliable. The more people get hit by it the more they learn what not to do.

That said, playing your cards right can net an early kill against even very experienced players. It’s a tricky move with almost limitless creativity in how it’s maneuvered. Just don’t depend on it for wins because the opportunity won’t always present itself.

Yeah that’s the thing, it’s very very hard to punish. I’m not just gonna he throwing it out there or depending on it for wins but if I have an opening I’m gonna take it and it seems like people are giving a ton of openings right now. I guess people don’t really think of PKT2 until they get punished by it. It’s definitely won me matches but I don’t rely on it to win me matches. Back throw, bair, nair, uair, and yo-yo are still my most used kill options I’d say it just seems like I get the opportunity a lot even against good players

I guess it works so well because Ness has so much that can punish and kill you and so much he can do to you that PKT2 isn’t really on people’s minds