[Lab Project] Use of Auto Cancel Dair on platforms

[S-Critical]

Project no.15: Use of Auto Cancel Dair on platforms

Provided by the Fox Discord Lab Team

IMPORTANT NOTE: In case you guys didn’t know, each combo mentioned includes a gfycat demonstration. They are hyperlinked with the title for each combo!​

Key
FH= Full hop
SH= Short hop
AC= Auto Cancel
FF= Fast fall

Sharking= to hit an opponent from underneath the platform


Introduction

On Battlefield and Dreamland, arguably Fox’s best stages, he is able to get quite a lot of extended combos due to the platforms. Fox is able to do Uair strings to quickly rack up damage (most notable example would be from this). However, these Uair strings aren’t actually true till around 30%. Before that, they are able to jump out or attack (which can trade with your Uair) before the 2nd uair. Fast fallers are even able to shield the 2nd Uair at low percent.

I tested it for both Pit and Sheik. However, it is possible for you to be able to catch their jump by doing a FH Uair instead of a SH Uair, assuming that you know where they are going to jump to. AC Dair combos compliment Uair combos, since it helps deal with Fox’s lack of true combos at early percent. From mid percent range, you are able to transition to his Uair combos which will now true combo into itself. Most of the AC Dair combos are at low percent.


Fox is able to auto cancel his Dair by buffering a FH Dair. Here’s an example.


Combos


AC Dair>Fair>Uair

With Fox’s Dthrow, it’s hard to land Fair>Uair if the opponent DIs correctly, making it no longer true, and it only has a very small range in which you can actually follow up with a Fair. With AC Dair, it can work from roughly 0-30%, which can help Fox get closer to when his mid percent combos become true than using a Dthrow. Unfortunately, it suffers the same disadvantage as doing the combo with Dthrow because the combo is no longer true if they DI away, but will work with any other kind of DI. Good thing is that there is another combo that can potentially be a great alternative if they DI away.


AC Dair>FF Fair

This combo is very good at setting up jab lock combos and tech chases, and like in the hyperlinked example, you can get some pretty cool combos due to the other platforms of Battlefield and Dreamland. You land earlier than the opponent so you should be able to react to what happens next. With dash attack being your go-to move to cover techs, you can start combos, mix up followups and much more because of Fox’s versatile kit. This combo works between around 0-55%, but the range is shorter if the opponent DIs away from you (0-30%). If you launch them offstage, you can get a fair>footstool, which will set up your ledge game. It will not be able to kill because you start fair>footstool above the stage, so they will be able to recover. You can, however, try to go for a second footstool, but some characters with good recoveries will still be able to make it back, and the footstool is not guaranteed.


AC Dair>Uair>Uair

This combo has the biggest damage output compared with the other practical combos for AC Dair. It actually true combos into Uair at 0%, but it will not true combo into another uair until around 30%, like started before. This combo can be used to kill opponents on Dreamland if you hit them towards the top platform, like so (be sure to do buffered a FH Uair). Below 35%, this combo will work regardless of DI, but you will not be able to combo into a second uair. after 35%, they may be able to DI away to escape getting hit by Uair. You sometimes see Fox players do a Dair in mid air and it hits the opponent. If they auto cancel it, then they can follow up with Uair. This is the exact same thing that you’re doing, but just on platforms instead.


AC Dair strings

From 0%, you can string multiple AC Dairs together for a lot of damage. It is very good because AC Dair strings are all true at low percents. From AC Dair strings, you can combo into the combos mentioned above, so try to be creative with your low % combos. The advantage of this than, Dthrow combos, all of the combo is true, regardless of DI. Dthrow relies on the individual to DI incorrectly or not react fast enough to combo from it.


Kill confirms using AC Dair


AC Dair>RAR Bair

If the opponent gets hit by AC Dair, it is possible to combo into RAR Bair, but it can be hard doing this combo with little room to run, so the timing is quite tight. Also, the combo is not true if they DI away.


AC Dair>Fair (top platform)

If you are on the top platform, you can use fair to drag them all the way into the ceiling and the last hit can take the stock. This is more of a niche kill confirm, like the one above, so the chances of actually using it in a real match is very low. You have to double jump Dair and try to get the Dair to auto cancel, which may be difficult to execute. Also, if they DI away, the combo is not true.


What’s the deal with DI and these combos???

As you seen in the description of all of the combos, a common disadvantage of these combos is that if they DI away, most of these combos are not true. However, the good thing about doing AC Dair is that the opponent has to be able to recognise where they will be launched in order to DI it correctly. You can make it harder for your opponent to DI correctly by crossing up or even weaving in and out during the multi hits to make it harder to guess it correctly. If they guess incorrectly, they may DI inwards, and ALL of your combos will work. So when landing AC Dair on opponents, mix up where you land the last hit to mess them up.


Using AC Dair on shields

When your opponent is shielding on the platform, you can use AC Dair to apply pressure. Usually, Foxes tend to use Uair to shark opponents under the platform, but opponents are easily able to escape the pressure by getting off the platform, jumping away or even dropping down and attacking you. Most Foxes tend to spam it and just hope for the best, but if your opponent is actually decent, you won’t really get much apart from damage to their shield. You can mix up your pressure game by using AC Dair to get yourself onto the platform and get things started. Here is an example of how it can be used. We have found out that they are able to shieldgrab you or use a fast upB to punish you. However, if you cross up on their shield, then you immediately reduce the good options they have. Any tilts and smash attacks out of shield can be shielded by Fox and shield grabs will be missed, allowing you to punish them. Let’s use Little Mac as an example.

After the last hit of Dair, Fox lands 6 frames later, with Little Mac having 3 frames of shield stun. Mac now takes 7 frames before he is able to input a move. In this example, Little Mac does an Ftilt to try and punish Fox. It takes 14 frames for him to do this all together. Fox lands 6 frames later, and has 4 frames of landing lag (universal landing lag for Fox. You get this from landing in general). Fox is able to shield 11 frames later, so Little Mac cannot punish with Ftilt. His turnaround jab will not be able to punish either. You can even try to drift out of their attack range to be on the safe side by landing further away on the platform or even drift off the platform, and punish their attack with a Uair or another Dair.

(Shield activates on frame 1, but the shield itself does not show up on the first frame)

If you decide to stay on the platform, I would recommend doing an Ftilt or a Nair OoS to push them off the platform (assuming that they are at low percent) and try to start a jab lock combo going, or try to go for a Dthrow combo. At mid percent, you can do Utilt>Uair>Uair(>to another Uair if you get them onto the top platform), and potentially kill with Utilt>Uair>Uair at high percents (or just Usmash them). If you think they will try to attack, shield. If you think they may turnaround grab, spot dodge or roll, and punish accordingly.


Setups for AC Dair combos


Fair (low percent)

There are a couple of ways to start AC Dair combos. One way to start them at low percent is to use Fair, which can surprisingly enough combo into Dair. If you happen to do the Dair above a platform, you can potentially do combos with a much bigger damage output than to opt for Uair.


Utilt (mid percent)

Another setup is to use utilt at mid percent range. Utilt>Dair is a true combo from around 40%, and can easily set up combos. This is very useful on Battlefield and Dreamland. For example, if your opponent is at the ledge and they go for a normal getup, you can punish it with a Utilt, and start an AC Dair combo. You can potentially kill as well.



AC Dair has a lot of combo potential and can help you rack up good damage and is very good at low percent, which is perfect for Fox. Most of these combos can help Fox get to the percent where his essential combos start becoming true without the risk of getting punished for doing certain things.


...And that’s about it from us! We hope this helps you expand your combo and mixup game and bag you some wins :D

-Fox Discord Lab Team.
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