Mattopia
Smash Rookie
So the more I use MB the more powerful of a tool I realize it is. Not only can it be used for basic zoning or to hit confirm into kills but a number of interesting strategies such as frame traps and tech chase setups. Here are a few I started using.
Anyway I hope some of these are useful to you guys and please share any tips or strategies you all use with metal blade!
- A new use for MB that I have started using is to throw one into the ground either near me or my opponent in order to limit options. For instance, since Mega Man can be rather limited in close quarters a lot of fast characters can just jab/f-tilt/d-tilt us without any worry of being beat to the punch. However if a metal blade is in front of us on the ground they can no longer do any of those options without picking up the MB. If they do pick it up that gives us enough time for a free grab, u-tilt, up smash, etc. When this happens it can make your opponent more wary of approaching when a MB is around. (Also whenever your opponent has your MB just don't stop shooting lemons. They will cancel out the MB if they throw it and most of their options are gone making it hard to retaliate. All the free damage lol)
- A rather efficient frame trap I discovered is diagonal down MB to nair offstage. I have gotten a lot of kills with this and the way it works is simple. If your opponent is offstage jump off and throw the MB. Most players I have found will air dodge which will grant you a free nair for a quick kill at mid to high percents. Even if they throw out a fair or something to catch it you can usually still follow up with nair as soon as it ends. If they just avoid it altogether with a double jump I just jump back towards stage with an u-air and it usually connects with the late hits. Be wary of characters with strong offstage options like Sheik's BF though since they can punish the MB throw initially.
- You might know that a thrown MB item can force tech situations on heavy/fast fallers on stage at mid/high percents which you can lemon lock if they miss the tech but it can actually true combo into a kill on all characters if hit correctly. A thrown metal blade will true combo into a RAR bair if hit from about the max lemon distance if they either don't DI or DI in towards you. Most good players will DI towards stage at high percent trying to have good survival DI out of habit. The easiest way I have found to land this is to throw the MB as you land on stage, buffer dash, and then RAR bair. The closer they are to you when they're hit the more reliable it works.
- One last tip a lot of newer Mega mans miss out on is Z dropping. Another way to land kill moves, set up combos for damage, force rolls, or just mind games. Plus if you SH Z drop on their shield it gives you a free grab.
Anyway I hope some of these are useful to you guys and please share any tips or strategies you all use with metal blade!
