Official Duck Hunt Dog Player's Guide *KO Percents Added*

[proxibomb]

Duck Hunt is an interesting character, he has a nice place in the Smash 4 roster. Casually, he's a pain, competitively, he's a pain. See the difference? There is no difference. This guide is for teaching you how to be that pain to others, competitively, since casually playing isn't what I do.

Update Log: January 18th, 2015 - Version 1.3.2

Major update coming Spring 2016. This guide is heavily out of date.

Disclaimer:
The guide goes through major updates, and as the metagame for Smash 4 grows, you'll see the guide out of date every now and then. Make sure to keep up with the guide! If you see anything wrong with the guide, let me know.
​

Glossary

• Update Log
  
• Duck Hunt Basics
• Percents
  
• Moves
• Pros/Cons
  
• Recovery
• Credits

Spoiler: Update Log

Version 1.0 (October 4th, 2014)
- Guide created

Version 1.1 (October 5th, 2014)
- Added Pros/Cons to guide
- Color-coded some words to make guide easy to find specific information
- Added Update Log
- Added basic stages to play on/avoid
- Cleaned guide up, made it look nice

Version 1.2 (October 5th, 2014)
- Added Percents to guide, percents averages were added
- Added Matchups for Link
- Cleaned some of the information up

Version 1.2.1 (October 6th, 2014)
- Added a base amount of information regarding the can explosion exploit found by asevengodie/JgikeD
- Cleaned some of the information on the page

Version. 1.2.2 (October 7th, 2014)
- Added more information on down-b

Version 1.2.3 (October 8th, 2014)
- Removed Battlefield stage information for more research, massive update soon to come (1.3)

Version 1.2.4 (October 8th, 2014)
- Added DK MU
- Added aerials to moves section
- Customizations coming soon

Version 1.2.5 (October 9th, 2014)
- Added additional information to neutral-b

Version 1.3 (October 12th, 2014)
- Added more recovery information
- Added more information to Duck Hunt Basics
- Added Grabs and Grab KO percents to guide
*Customizations coming soon*

Version 1.3.1 (October 26th, 2014)
- Added information on Smash attacks
- Updated small amounts of information to stages
- Added some information regarding Neutral-B
- Added KO percents for Aerials
- Added KO percents for Smash Attacks
*Next update is guaranteed to feature Customizations* Ha. No.

Version 1.3.2 (January 18th, 2015)
- Added information on pros and cons against characters
- Cleaned some of the page
- Added Battlefield to stages tab
- Added minor information on down-b
- Added minor information on neutral-b
- Added some pictures, thanks to DunnoBro

Duck Hunt Basics:
Duck Hunt's main moves are his Neutral-B, and his Side-Special, both of these moves are one of the best moves, if not, the best moves in the game. His Neutral-B has him throw a can in the air, it'll get shot by the gunman in the foreground, eventually it'll explode. His Side-Special has a clay pigeon flown through the air, also exploding and causing damage when shot by the gunman.

Duck Hunt's game is either being very patient, using baiting, and depending on mistakes, or playing extremely defensive. It's not that hard to be straight out offensive, the results aren't always positive though, or the moves I explain about on this thread provide the best results. His moves, like his nair, have a lot of ending lag, so I prefer staying on the defensive side, rather than being offensive.

Some words you might want to know when reading this guide:

• Can-Shielding - Using your shield when the can explodes. Usually done when an explosion happens right next to you. To can-shield correctly, use the can and rush towards the victim. Have the explosion hit, but shield immediately. If done correctly, you'll survive the explosion with no damage, and you are open to continue with a combo, or something else.
• Can-Stopping (K.YO.CAN.) - Stopping momentum using the can. Used to survive deadly attacks. Must be timed and planned perfectly.
• Trajectory Tossing - Hitting the can with an attack so that it goes flying in the direction you hit it, mostly used with f-tilts and dash attacks. Can also be used with aerials, bair works best.

Using your shield is probably the best option, tricking those to coming towards you and rolling away or performing a grab. Make sure to time your escape right, otherwise you'll get grabbed/punished.

Percents:
Duck Hunt guides of course need this, can't believe I didn't add this in the first version. Anyways, here is a very basic list of all the moves, and their percent average.

Spoiler: Percent Averages

Neutral Attack:
1st Jab: 2%
2nd Jab: 3%
Hind Leg Kick: 4%
(Multi-Peck: 1% per peck)
Bird Peck: 2% (with one peck)
Total Percentage (with 1 peck): 11%

Dash Attack:
7-10%

Tilts:
Forward: 8%
Up: 7%
Down: 8%

Smash Attacks:
Forward: 4-23%
Up: 10-20%
Down: 6-22%

Aerials:
Neutral-Aerial: 5-11%
Forward-Aerial: 6-10%
Back-Aerial: 10-13%
Up-Aerial: 12%
Down-Aerial: 5-10%

Grabs:
Hit: 3%
Forward Throw: 8%
Backwards Throw: 9%
Up Throw: 6%
Down Throw: 5%

Special Moves:
Neutral-Special: 9-12%
Side-Special: 5-10%
Up-Special: ---
Down-Special: 4-7%

Final Smash:
45%

Duck Hunt's most useful attacks for quick percents are his basic jabs, his bair, his nair (remember that it has a lot of ending lag, so be careful using his nair), his Up-Smash, and his Down-Smash. There are obviously combos that might make some of these moves useless, but these attacks used alone are quite useful for getting some quick percents on your opponent. Remember that there are other moves you could use, but I find these to be the most useful.

Moves:

Spoiler: Neutral-B

Neutral-B:
His Neutral-B has him throw a can in the air, it'll get shot by the gunman in the foreground, eventually it'll explode.
The can explodes, once thrown and on the ground without any further disturbances (ex. someone hitting it, gunman shooting it), it explodes after 10 seconds (I've done multiple tests regarding times it explodes, it's average time is 10 seconds exactly). I'd recommend practicing using moves and shooting the can at the same time. You can only shoot the can 8 times after it's initially left on the ground (Technically, you can shoot the 9 times if it never hit the ground, but us Duck Hunt users never really count the first time you press Neutral-B).

Fun fact: you can change the direction of the can by hitting it. For example, you throw the can facing left. Go to the left of the can, hit the can towards the right - the can will now bounce to the right.

Reminder: The can will only move in one direction unless it hits a wall or is hit by an attack. If you face the left, and use the can, it'll only move to the left.

Speculated Average Percentages:
Airborne explosion: 8%-11%
*It is also possible to hit 12%, you need to time it right*
Be very careful, as you can actually get killed by your own can. The percents range from 185% to 189%.
Any percentage above is almost guaranteed to send you flying, especially when the percentages reach 200%.

Recommended moves to use while utilizing the can:

• When the can is a small distance away from you, use several nairs to approach your enemy while the can is still airborne. Make sure to move away or shield the explosion when it impacts the opponent.
• Place the can in the direction of your opponent's predicted spot, bait the opponent in front of the can. When the can explodes, they'll be pushed back. Use either a nair, bair, or fair. After using the aerial, you can continue the combo with tilts, or a grab (one grab, since chain grabbing is impossible in Smash 4, at least for now).
• Can push: Can pushing (a term coined by yours truly) is basically when you lay a can on the ground, either direction, and use an f-tilit or f-smash when the explode towards. This is all timing, and is quite hard to do, but totally worth it, as it leaves you open for combos. If timed right, they won't be able to tech away from you as soon as the can explodes.

Cans are mostly pressure, and traps, but could also be used for gimps, and ledge guards. After around 90% or 100%, the knockback becomes quite far when the explosion occurs. Basically, you push the person farther, or off the stage, and use an aerial or down-tilt near the edge. After the first can has exploded, make sure your next move (whether it be a can or a basic move) is near, if not at the edge of the stage. You can double jump or short hop off stage and throw a can near the ledge of said stage so your opponent cannot grab it. Practice timings though, because people generally grab the ledge before the can hits, and the can just goes flying down.
Discovery of tactic (found in this discussion) by DunnoBro
You can use the can as a "hit-box" for your recovery, by throwing the can while recovering back to the ledge of a stage. How it works is simply lining up your can while you fly up. Since you continue to fly, all you'll have to do is concentrate on getting to the edge, and using the can to protect you while you elevate back to the stage. Refrain from doing this if you have a chance of being KO'd from your explosion if your opponent decides to run into you. If you can line up the can, it should look like this picture:

Spoiler

1. Start off by throwing the can like this:

2. Follow back to the stage like this, and know your limits:

3. What the can should look like near the ledge:

Can-Stopping (K.YO.CAN.)
The following exploit is in heavy testing, exploit found by JgikeD and asevengodie.
Eventually some kinda exploit was going to occur regarding Duck Hunt and his neutral-b, this exploit saves Duck Hunt from killer moves. Basically, the can acts as a momentum stopper regardless of what position and trajectory the dog is flying away to. Since the can stops the trajectory of the blast and completely stops the dog in midair, with the only negative aspect of this being that it's a bit of a percentage gain for yourself, the question is how to master this. Still in heavy testing, I've come up with an odd way to practice this, it's better to do so with a 2nd player since CPUs don't use very powerful moves very often.

Before performing this trick, you're gonna have to find out what it looks like when performed correctly. The following gif shows the trick in action. First off, this is how the trick played out. At 35%, it is possible for Little Mac to hit Duck Hunt into the blast zone when his KO meter is ready. The can was placed nearby Duck Hunt, and was to be used for whatever reason. Here's the thing though, the can hit Little Mac as he was using his counter attack, which would have killed Duck Hunt, but the can's explosion caused the dog to stop the hit's blast's momentum midair. To further prove that the move would have killed Duck Hunt, the crimson-black streaks appeared as soon as Little Mac punched the dog. If you look closely though, you can see that Little Mac also hit the can, but this has to be proved with further research.

If timed correctly, the can can also stop any combos and it's momentum. Use the can wisely, as you can get killed by the can if you're at a high enough percentage.

A tutorial for this exploit will be out soon...

Changing the can's direction:
One thing that's really important that all DH users need to know, is turning the can's direction to face another direction when been shot at. Let's say you deploy the can facing the left, but want to change the direction so it's facing the right. Go the the left side of the can, facing to the right, his the can with one quick jab (neutral-a). Another thing that's important is trajectory tossing, which is basically hitting the can with an f-tilt or dash attack so that it goes flying in the direction you hit it. When the can is placed, using a dash attack will have fly very far up, use a dash attack if your opponent is on platforms, or in the air. As for the f-tilt, use that to quickly "throw" the can towards the opponent, since an f-tilt makes the can fly in a straight-forward direction.

Spoiler: Side-Special

Side-Special:
Duck Hunt's side-special is a basic forward attack. A clay pigeon is sent flying, if B is pressed while it's still airborne, it is shot by the gunman in the foreground. The shots cause the clay pigeon to explode, pieces of the clay pigeon will go everywhere, along with the bullets of the gunman doing damage to the victim. There are several ways you could use the clay pigeon, most of which involve staying camped, but there are few tricks up Duck Hunt's sleeve (or fur in this case, hue hue hue).

• The most common tactic I use, simply throwing the clay pigeon towards the opponent, dashing towards, and using a dash attack, or whatever attacks suite you best. The timing has to be perfect, otherwise your opponent will tech the attack, or worse, techroll away from you. Be warned, that your opponent could use their shield, which basically renders this tactic useless.
• Clay Sniper: Distances away from your opponent, you'd fire a clay pigeon to them, at the same time though, you'll have a can traveling towards them. They'll either be forced to use their shield, or run away, most likely towards you. When they use their shield, it'll obviously be for one of two attacks, the clay pigeon, or the can. When they use their shield, punish them with a grab, since they'll most likely stay in their shield. You may also use any attack really, since most don't keep their shield up long enough. If they run coming towards you, forget whatever the clay pigeon or can is doing, and attack. If they try to grab you, roll away and use another clay pigeon, or stray far away from them to get another clay sniper going.

The side-special move is quite amazing, utilizing can be risky though. Watch out for punishes. There are ways to avoid this though, it requires training. Short hop while distanced or coming towards your opponent, use the side-special, and attack with a can, or any other attack (can highly recommended, try practicing immediate shield after close range explosions with the can. You don't want to get hurt doing this, since it'll stop the momentum of any future combos for you).

krylonshadow has added some clearer insight on the move, here's what he's said:

Pigeon hits opponent: 2%
Land one shot from Gunman: 6% *it is possible to sour spot this and get 5%*
Land two shots from Gunman: 8%
Land three shots from Gunman: 10%
Total damage potential: 5%-12%
The max damage is most easily achieved by waiting a moment right after the pigeon hits the opponent before firing at it.

Speculated Average Percentages:
Pigeon hits opponent, no explosion: 2%
Pigeon hits opponent, explodes: 8%-10% *it is possible to sour spot the move and get 5%*

Spoiler: Down-Special

Down-Special:
Reminder: Projectles shot by the gunmen can be pocketed by Villager.

Duck Hunt's down-special has a gunman appear right beside him in the direction the dog is facing, and fire in the same direction. Remember that opponents can actually cause the gunman to not shoot, by simply attacking them. This move isn't the greatest because of this, since it can be cancelled. It's main use it's for gimping, and destroying non-piercing projectiles. By non-piercing, I mean those that usually break when they collide with other projectiles. You have the ability to easily gimp those who try to jump back onto the stage, and since down-b actually floats midair, you can use it attack someone off stage, and get back onto the stage while the gunman is still shooting. It's weak in percentages, but it's mostly for gimping, knockback, and mindgames. If you put a gunman in front of you, he'll actually take any projectiles shot towards him. There seems to be an apparent pattern to when and how these gunman appear, I've provided a post made by Spudboy regarding this odd pattern. Click on the highlighted letters to access the post. In case you're too freaking lazy, here's the post on this thread.

Disclaimer, the following post isn't made by me. The research was done by Spudboy, thank him, not me.

Basically every set of five times you use the move will contain each of the five gunmen once.
So if you use the move 3 times and get gunmen A,B, and C, your next use of the move has a 50/50 chance of using either gunman D or E. If gunman D is used (now having used gunmen A, B, C, and D), the last gunman will be guaranteed to be gunman E. They won't necessarily (and most likely won't) be in any specific order. You can use the move five times and get gunmen B,C,E,A, and D, in that order, you're just guaranteed to get all five. After all the gunmen gave been used, the cycle restarts; it also seems to restart on death.

What this means in practice is that if you keep track of what gunmen you've used, you can have a better idea of which gunman you'll use next, to the point that you'll be 100% sure which one you'll get every 5th time you use the move.

Spoiler: Aerials

Aerials:
Duck Hunt's aerials are really simple to use. First off, use fairs and bairs for basic attacks, dairs for a finisher move, uairs for quick percentages, and nairs for kill moves. His nair has quite the amount of ending lag, so use it wisely. I've tested it out quite a bit, and you'd actually be able to perform a Ken combo, it works best at low percentages though since his fair has a good amount of knock back past 50%.

I highly recommend using up-airs and back-airs as finisher moves, if you don't want to use a nair. Make sure to use a short-hop nair as an easy finisher at around 130%+.

KO percentages: (for optimal results, refer to killer percentages near the blast zone)
Up-Air: 145%
Forward-Air: 205%
Back-Air: 138%
Neutral-Air: 139%
Results may also vary depending on weight of character!

His dair has a unique hitbox. The move cannot immediately spike, you must wait until the end of the move in order to spike, since the dair actually hits twice.

Spoiler: Grabs

Grabs:
Duck Hunt's grabs aren't the best, but of course you'll have to know your moves. First off, his worst throw is his down-throw, only good for continuing or starting a combo. His up-throw has the most distance, his forward-throw and back-throw cover about the same distance. The average percentages for throws to actually throw someone towards a blast zone is 230% for an up-throw on most stages, 235% for a forward-throw, down-throw has to be at 440-450%. Back-throws kill at the same percentage(s) has a forward-throw, best to stay near the ledge of a stage to actually get someone.

There are actually "sweet spot percentages" for automatic kills. You'll know you've performed a "sweet spot percent" when the crimson red/black streaks come out of the victim of the throw when actually thrown. Here are the sweet spot percentages, when thrown at these percentages, the victim is automatically KO'd towards the blast zone. In order to get optimal results, stay near the edges of the stage:

KO Percents: (for optimal results, refer to killer percentages near the blast zone)
Up-throw: 212%
Forward-throw: 245%
Back-throw: 270%
Down-throw: 443%
Remember, the forward-throw and back-throw KO percents depend on the part of the stage, the percents shown are the average percents for KO percents at the edges of Final Destination!

Spoiler: Smash Attacks

Smash Attacks:
Duck Hunt's Smash attacks are all that red gun reticle you see, which indicates where the gunman in the foreground is shooting. If timed right, you can increase the knockback off every Smash attack as long as you're near your opponent. Keep in mind, that the last gun reticle shown will have a very strong knockback if every other shot hits. Duck Hunt's best Smash Attack has to be his Down-Smash, which does up to 22% if you could get close. There are two types of situations for using a Smash attack. The first situation, when you have some distanced from your opponent, is a correctly timed Forward-Smash, which can hit from a distance only with the last gun reticle. Your second situation would be a punish. If your opponent does a dash attack or tries for a grab, immediately punish them with a Down-Smash, as it'll make the opponent go flying. Any other situation regarding Smash attacks are literally just for standard attacks.

KO Percents: (for optimal results, refer to killer percentages near the blast zone)
Up-Smash:
Uncharged: 123%
Charged: 83%

Forward-Smash: (all gun reticle shots are accurate and hit the opponent)
Uncharged: 93%
Charged: 53%

Down-Smash:
Uncharged: 122%
Charged: 88%

For Down-Smash attacks, keep this formula in mind:
• If facing right and attacking with a Down-Smash, your opponent will be sent flying left.
• If facing left and attacking with a Down-Smash, your opponent will be sent flying right.

Match-Ups:
Refer to these sets of posts for some MUs, you'll probably see some of my DH MUs information on there one day. Original posts made by Wispy.

http://smashboards.com/threads/sic-em-duck-hunt-mus-and-stage-discussion.379294/#post-18058688

Pros & Cons:
After playing quite a bit with Duck Hunt, I've noticed lots of patterns regarding his strengths, and weaknesses, the characters he does well against, what things in battle he dominates, and so on. I've made a list of things Duck Hunt is both good, and bad at (thanks to CourageHound for suggesting Pros/Cons).

Pros

Spoiler: Pros Information

Duck Hunt has a massive pressuring game, his cans are especially great with characters that have no projectiles. Duck Hunt's options for pressuring your opponent include shielding while using a can. If your opponent gets close, either grab or roll away if they try to grab you. Rinse and repeat. Clay pigeons do well against those who are trying to throw projectiles at you, but make sure to time the shots right, otherwise the projectiles flying at you will actually break the clay pigeon. Duck Hunt's moves are not the greatest, but his bair is straight out amazing. A bair-dair combo is a common thing seen amongst Duck Hunt users. His dair has a sweet spot spike, which sends foes flying down. I recommend practicing the bair-dair combo. Although his nair isn't the greatest move, it has a wonderful knockback at high percentages, easily enough to send your opponent flying to the blast zone. Duck Hunt's best attribute is that he can cancel the momentum of moves that would normally send him flying to the blast zone.

Cons

Spoiler: Cons Information

Duck Hunt has a somewhat large list of cons that make him a challenging character to use. First off, a large majority of his moves have a lot of ending lag, which can't entirely be fixed since L-Cancelling is either completely gone, or not as effective as in previous Smash games. His nair is awful, the ending lag leaves him open for grabs. His Up-B recovery cannot be cancelled unless attacks or the recovery has finished, so use the recovery for emergencies. Duck Hunt doesn't have the greatest MU with those who have projectiles, so be careful with characters like Mega Man. His clay pigeon can be destroyed, so you'll have to probably fire it above your opponents head-level to actually get a hit.

Let's talk about Duck Hunt's best stages. These are final destination, basically any omega stages, Corneria, Yoshi's Island, and Boxing Ring. You might have trouble on Tortimer Island since the clay pigeons are stopped by the small hills. Here's a basic list of the stages you should and shouldn't play on.

Stage Information

Spoiler: Stages

Stages to choose:
Final Destination (any omega stage works fine)
- Final Destination provides a large platform where spacing your opponent is a large opportunity for you. Playing defensive is your main game on this stage, it's best to stay away from your opponent, but playing offensive is always an option too. Gimping players off stage is extremely easy since you don't have to worry about any platforms your opponent will try to go for.
Your best bet for winning a match with Final Destination Omega stages are the stages that don't have an opening under the stage.

Corneria
- Corneria, if ever chosen in a match, works great for Duck Hunt. The longer side of the Great Fox is where most of the battle happens. You don't have to worry too much about cans, since those don't bounce off slanted areas of the Great Fox. Clay pigeons will be a sort of problem though, if you plan on pressuring your opponent on the slanted part of the stage. Try and avoid the slanted part of the stage. The part of the stage where the dorsal wing is located, the area in which there is a small opening into the stage in the back, is a great place for Duck Hunt. He has the ability to use his shield and still control his can and clay pigeon. When in this area, try and bait your opponent, camp if needed. Once your opponent has come down to the lower area of the Great Fox, shield, and use a constant array of clay pigeons and/or cans. Make sure to keep your shield up, and watch for stage spikes and grabs.

Battlefield
Battlefield is a tricky stage for those against Duck Hunt, and serves quite well as a punishing stage. First off, learn to "trap" your opponent on the platforms, and use uairs to keep them up there. Cans should be placed on the ground to start a sort of pressure in the match, but utilize the can if you see your opponent is staying on the platforms. Your top platform is your best friend. Also, gimping. Gimping is lovely on this stage. You have so much space and so many options. The fact that the stage has a low blast zone means you could get a juicy punish and use up-b and possibly your second jump to get back up. If you go for a gimp, refrain from using your second jump to get off the stage, rather you should just walk off.

Yoshi's Island
- This stage is basically the only stage with a platform that allows Duck Hunt to still do well. Platforms aren't Duck Hunt's favorite, since vertical attacks are a lot harder to perform than horizontal attacks. It can be slightly dangerous to stay on the platform, since your only attacks to hurt your opponent below the platform are your down-smash, so stay on the main part of the stage. The slanted surface on the opposite ends of the stage won't have any effect on the trajectory of your clay pigeon, so you don't have to worry about your clay pigeon hitting the ground. The most interesting part about this stage for Duck Hunt is that slanted ends of the stage. Pressuring is one of Duck Hunt's main games, so leaving a can there facing the blast zone, and waiting for your opponent to try and get back onto the stage leaves for dangerous attacks. Since the can explodes on impact when your press B against a victim, the can will basically push those who try to grab the ledge. After the can has left the opponent airborne far from the stage, you are free to perform any attacks with high knockback.

Boxing Ring
Much like Final Destination, this stage has a large flat open space to perform can attacks. This stage is also perfect for clay pigeons. If your opponent ever gets close, use a bair, since the attack has high knockback. You also have the ability to climb onto the skylights at the near top of the stage, where camping is your best option.

Stages to avoid:
Arena Ferox
This stage is once again a stage to avoid because of platforms. The thing is, it's not the platforms that are truly the problem, it's the distance of the platforms that are your problem. Your opponent can easily distance you with platforms, forcing you to either use your cans, clay pigeons, or attack. Any stage with platforms, especially Arena Ferox should have Duck Hunt stay patient, wait for the opponent, and attack with pressure. You'll have a tough time if you try to play offensive, but it could still work.
Green Hill Zone
Obvious slanted ground is obvious. Never pick this stage, since distant clay pigeon attacks are useless. Cans are slightly harder to use since it's easy to get hurt from the explosion. Make sure to practice shielding explosion at a really close range if you're gonna play on this stage. Use your fair and bair for this stage, avoid using your nair for the ending lag. Your forward-smash won't work to well on this stage, since the gunman in the foreground shoot the insides of the stage when firing on the slanted parts of the stage. Consider a down-smash instead, which works quite well with this stage.

Here's some general information on what Duck Hunt is good against, or does bad against. Please refrain from discussing characters here, as there is a discussion post specifically for that elsewhere.

Characters best against:

Spoiler

You'll do best against large characters. By large, I mean Donkey Kong, King Dedede, Bowser, and Charizard. The reason these guys are easy is that they're generally slow, and large - meaning it's easy to hit them with a can. Practice disc + can hits on large characters in practice mode. Avoid using landing-lag moves like nairs unless you're gonna go for the kill at high percents.

Characters worst against:

Spoiler

You're scrrwed if you're up against extremely fast characters. Now, this doesn't mean it's impossible to defeat fast characters. I'm just saying that they're a pain to deal with, often times I'll lose to fast characters online. Characters like Diddy Kong (obviously), Caption Falcon, Fox, Sonic, and Little Mac are annoying to deal with.

Recovery:
Duck Hunt's recovery isn't the greatest. There are no moves he can use to stop his momentum and stay airborne longer. His up-special cannon stopped in any way possible, unless he grabs a ledge, or the move ends. Use your up-special at the last moment, know your distance from the bottom blast zone to the stage. If there isn't a bottom blast zone, there isn't much to worry about. You can easily control the horizontal direction that Duck Hunt goes to. When Duck Hunt's duck has lost the strength to lift the dog in the air, falling down will be slightly harder to control since not too much distance going down can be covered when compared to the duck flying up.

Duck Hunt's second jump is quite high, so use a second jump when off stage for a good recovery back to the stage. Make sure to be careful with gimps when using your up-b since you can't do anything while flying. Know your limits, if anyone approaches you while you are still flying in the air, simply stray away from them, and then come back towards the stage.

Credits:

Spoiler

Proxi - Creator of thread
CourageHound - Suggestions, and help
krylonshadow - Better insight on side-b/neutral-b information
Spudboy - Gunman information
asevengodie - Can Save Exploit
DunnoBro - Massive help with tactics, also included pictures (damn!)

Hope you enjoyed the guide, it'll be updated as much as possible, lots more will be added if I find any tactics or discuss with any other fellow Duck Hunt mains. Let me know if there is any problem. I'll try to get this post featured so many can see it. Good luck, fellow Duck Hunters.

 

[CourageHound]

I wouldn't catagorize this as a complete guide yet. More-so just a small generalization of DHD's character and explanations on how to use his specials. I would suggest adding pros and cons of the character, all his normals and how to use them in different situations, good videos to reference, kill percents of all his moves, general bad matchups and how to go about them, etc. etc.

Think about how you could teach readers everything known about the character, and give them as much insight as to what to do in a variety of situations and what to option-select to the best of your ability.

 

[krylonshadow]

I messed around with it for a while and I believe Clay Pigeon works more like this:
Pigeon hits opponent: 2%
Land one shot from Gunman: 6% *it is possible to sour spot this and get 5%*
Land two shots from Gunman: 8%
Land three shots from Gunman: 10%
Total damage potential: 5%-12%
The max damage is most easily achieved by waiting a moment right after the pigeon hits the opponent before firing at it.
The move is affected by SMN but not as much as the can. Hard to test, but it seems like the pigeon hit is always 2%, and the damage from the shots only go down by 1%.

Also, the bit about his Neutral-B appears to be incorrect. It can do 8-12% whether or not it has hit the ground. Reproducable, but not easily. Specifically, if the can is on the ground right next to the opponent, and you shoot it into them, it can do 12%. If I juggle it in the air until it starts the auto-explode animation, it can do as little as 8%, even if it never touched the ground. The move is affected by SMN, and seems to go as low as 5% with a range of around 5-8%. Also, you might want to mention that it can be shot up to 8 times, not including the initial kick, until it will start to auto-explode, regardless of how many times it hit the ground.

Also, a VERY important piece of information is that you can shoot your explosive can or clay pigeon while shielding. If your pigeon is out, pressing Neutral-B will always shoot the pigeon first. You can also shoot the can while you are recovering / using Up-B, which is vital in preventing gimps since Up-B is very gimpable.

 

[proxibomb]

I wouldn't catagorize this as a complete guide yet. More-so just a small generalization of DHD's character and explanations on how to use his specials. I would suggest adding pros and cons of the character, all his normals and how to use them in different situations, good videos to reference, kill percents of all his moves, general bad matchups and how to go about them, etc. etc.

Think about how you could teach readers everything known about the character, and give them as much insight as to what to do in a variety of situations and what to option-select to the best of your ability.

Will do, I'll continue adding my research on the character every so often.

I messed around with it for a while and I believe Clay Pigeon works more like this:
Pigeon hits opponent: 2%
Land one shot from Gunman: 6% *it is possible to sour spot this and get 5%*
Land two shots from Gunman: 8%
Land three shots from Gunman: 10%
Total damage potential: 5%-12%
The max damage is most easily achieved by waiting a moment right after the pigeon hits the opponent before firing at it.
The move is affected by SMN but not as much as the can. Hard to test, but it seems like the pigeon hit is always 2%, and the damage from the shots only go down by 1%.

Also, the bit about his Neutral-B appears to be incorrect. It can do 8-12% whether or not it has hit the ground. Reproducable, but not easily. Specifically, if the can is on the ground right next to the opponent, and you shoot it into them, it can do 12%. If I juggle it in the air until it starts the auto-explode animation, it can do as little as 8%, even if it never touched the ground. The move is affected by SMN, and seems to go as low as 5% with a range of around 5-8%. Also, you might want to mention that it can be shot up to 8 times, not including the initial kick, until it will start to auto-explode, regardless of how many times it hit the ground.

Also, a VERY important piece of information is that you can shoot your explosive can or clay pigeon while shielding. If your pigeon is out, pressing Neutral-B will always shoot the pigeon first. You can also shoot the can while you are recovering / using Up-B, which is vital in preventing gimps since Up-B is very gimpable.

I'll make sure to add information to the guide, I'll credit you for any information you've stated.

 

[2Mixer]

I dont agree correctly with BF as a bad stage
i never have any problems with this stage, i figure it out as a neutral (or a good stage) for him imo

 

[ChickenBandit]

If you set the can down right in front of you then do side b, the clay will knock the can up and over a little bit and the clay will hover upward a bit. Good way to hurt people trying to charge you head on.

 

[SmashBroski]

Anyone know if Duck Hunt can Ken combo?

I feel like his Fair can easily combo into a Dair (which I'm fairly sure can spike)

 

[proxibomb]

Anyone know if Duck Hunt can Ken combo?

I feel like his Fair can easily combo into a Dair (which I'm fairly sure can spike)

At high percents, his fair can actually have too much knock back. The Ken combo is still possible though.

I dont agree correctly with BF as a bad stage
i never have any problems with this stage, i figure it out as a neutral (or a good stage) for him imo

I should probably make the stage counter pick, or even neutral. I'll give it a week to change.

 

[CourageHound]

I would actually emphasize the amazingness of gunman. Not only do they provide a long range shot that can distrupt your opponent, but can eat up non-piercing projectiles as a form of protection.

You can also use this while edge gaurding to force an option. If they jump to avoid the bullet, they means they have less options to get back onto the stage quickly or land. If they airdodge, you can easily frametrap them. If they do nothing, they obviously gets hit. There's just many ways to use this move.

 

[meleebrawler]

Is the duck a hurtbox when used in attacks?

 

[proxibomb]

Is the duck a hurtbox when used in attacks?

Nope. The duck attacks, but isn't hurt by anything.

 

[cptnOlimar]

For matchups, DHD is pretty tough if you're playing DK. I just faced one and his projectiles are pretty hard to avoid when you're so big like DK and have to go in close combat for attacking. I managed to get one win but DHD is a really tough opponent for Donkey.

 

[StaffofSmashing]

Fair and Bair. Abuse them. These 2 moves are going to be your main close combat moves, NAir also but that move will be the focus of another post on this guide. Bair will be your main Aerial killing move ever. Kills at 115 - 120 at the edge, which is fair considering Duck Hunt can do a lot to damage a component. Fair is less of a kill move and more of a "I'm gonna be an absolute ***** to deal with now" move. It does not kill. If you want to kill with it you'll have to rack up to 270 and that's a pain in your doggy ***. Fair though has more uses than Bair despite the killing difference. Gimping is surprisingly better using the Fair because it pieces it's hits. Bair just kills.

And that's all for, STAFFOS POINTLESS GUIDES!

 

[CourageHound]

To be honest, i'm not sure if the duck has a hurtbox or not. I'm positive there is some disjoint. However a number of times if I found myself using say f-tilt, or other duck-involved moves, my opponent could hit me or grab me from a range they i'm sure couldn't if I hadn't initiated the move.

In short, i think the duck may extend our hurtbox.

Lastly, I would add prism tower to the bad stages list. Try as I might, I find it hard to control space on that stage and the platforms aren't all that favorable. Heck, i'd choose battlefield over prism tower(the former of which isn't that bad imo, but i guess that's just me).

 

[proxibomb]

To be honest, i'm not sure if the duck has a hurtbox or not. I'm positive there is some disjoint. However a number of times if I found myself using say f-tilt, or other duck-involved moves, my opponent could hit me or grab me from a range they i'm sure couldn't if I hadn't initiated the move.

In short, i think the duck may extend our hurtbox.

Lastly, I would add prism tower to the bad stages list. Try as I might, I find it hard to control space on that stage and the platforms aren't all that favorable. Heck, i'd choose battlefield over prism tower(the former of which isn't that bad imo, but i guess that's just me).

If I'm correct, the hurtbox is extended because the dog shifts forward to allow the duck to attack. I wish there was some kinda debug menu to prove it, but for now, I have to depend on the models. I do have proof though that you can grab DH when he uses tilts or any move where the duck reaches forward to attack.

Fair and Bair. Abuse them. These 2 moves are going to be your main close combat moves, NAir also but that move will be the focus of another post on this guide. Bair will be your main Aerial killing move ever. Kills at 115 - 120 at the edge, which is fair considering Duck Hunt can do a lot to damage a component. Fair is less of a kill move and more of a "I'm gonna be an absolute ***** to deal with now" move. It does not kill. If you want to kill with it you'll have to rack up to 270 and that's a pain in your doggy ***. Fair though has more uses than Bair despite the killing difference. Gimping is surprisingly better using the Fair because it pieces it's hits. Bair just kills.

And that's all for, STAFFOS POINTLESS GUIDES!

The guide isn't pointless if it helps. I'll add average kill percentages to this guide in 1.3.2/1.3.3 or something. Thanks for the info, yo.

 

[Revolution6 aka alterego]

along with the K.YO.Can . a friend and i deamed a can technique "bop canceling" which is releasing the can when you are either getting combo'd and trading with it stopping the combo or turning the combo in to your favor...or when your about to get hit w/ an aerial offstage ya release the can just about when your gonna get hit and you fly in the direction your are holding

 

[proxibomb]

along with the K.YO.Can . a friend and i deamed a can technique "bop canceling" which is releasing the can when you are either getting combo'd and trading with it stopping the combo or turning the combo in to your favor...or when your about to get hit w/ an aerial offstage ya release the can just about when your gonna get hit and you fly in the direction your are holding

Can stopping/K.YO.CANing is just canceling your momentum, so what you said kinda counts as the same thing.

 

[Arcadenik]

I would actually emphasize the amazingness of gunman. Not only do they provide a long range shot that can distrupt your opponent, but can eat up non-piercing projectiles as a form of protection.

Which moves are non-piercing projectiles?

 

[CourageHound]

Which moves are non-piercing projectiles?

Fox or falco's lasers for example are non-piercing. They stop and disappear once they colide with a wall or a character or an item's hurtbox, damaging it. However something like Bowser's flame or Robin's Thoron beam will 'pierce' through their first target and continue along its trajectory to also hit whatever else in it's path.

 

[Salival]

Fun fact(s) i've found while playing duckhunt

so ftilt can sends it flying. how far depends on how many times you've shot the can. A trick to use to make your opponent respect it more is to ftilt it and time the shot to change it's trajectory. This will let you gain control and decide where it goes. I think i saw someone on this forum talk about this so just reconfirming it, i guess.

What i haven't really seen anyone talk about is timing the ftilt on the can so it goes in the opposite direction you're running. Doing this will send it further in the opposite direction than it would if you sent it in the same direction.

Just some food for thought.

Ohhhh first posties

 

[Grimmdark2140]

Okay, so I feel that Duck Hunt's Nair has some intangibility on start up. My reason being that a couple times with my friend as he played Ganon. He tried to side b or up b then I used the Nair. As Ganon was coming at me I used the Nair and it would be the grab. Either the Nair has some intangibility or there is something different about Ganon's up b and side b.

 

[CourageHound]

Fun fact(s) i've found while playing duckhunt

so ftilt can sends it flying. how far depends on how many times you've shot the can. A trick to use to make your opponent respect it more is to ftilt it and time the shot to change it's trajectory. This will let you gain control and decide where it goes. I think i saw someone on this forum talk about this so just reconfirming it, i guess.

What i haven't really seen anyone talk about is timing the ftilt on the can so it goes in the opposite direction you're running. Doing this will send it further in the opposite direction than it would if you sent it in the same direction.

Just some food for thought.

Ohhhh first posties

After you press b or 'shoot' 8 times after you kick the can, it explodes.Yes, up until the 8th shot it'll go a shorter distance each time. Well anything that hits the can's hurtbox also counts as 1 shot. If found that you can jab1 and press b on the can simultaneously a few times to run the the shot counter quicker. At the final shot, you can d-tilt(for horizontal) or up tilt(vertical) the can, it will flash and make the "i'm gunna blow up sound". When that happend the can flys way farther than normal and does more damage.

I say d-tilt over f-tilt because the former is a far quicker move and sends the can out a lot faster and further.

I've explored using tilts to send the can backwards but the only practical way to do so is with up tilt. The other tilts i feel somehow take pixel perfect spacing because I only managed it once, by accident.

Okay, so I feel that Duck Hunt's Nair has some intangibility on start up. My reason being that a couple times with my friend as he played Ganon. He tried to side b or up b then I used the Nair. As Ganon was coming at me I used the Nair and it would be the grab. Either the Nair has some intangibility or there is something different about Ganon's up b and side b.

Grabs no longer have armor in this game if you simultaneously grab someone while being hit. Thus, nair is simply beating out the grab while ganon is using his up/side B command grabs.




Last thing I noticed about DHD is that on a lot of characters, his down throw to up air is a registered true combo in training mode from high-mid to high/kill percentages. These may not be completely accurate because of vectoring but more often than not, your opponent will be vectoring for you in an attempt to not be thrown offstage from f/back throw or too high from up-throw. However if it seems like they are vectoring away to avoid the combo, abuse that and use your other three throws to toss them further. Mindgames.

 

[Salival]

I've explored using tilts to send the can backwards but the only practical way to do so is with up tilt. The other tilts i feel somehow take pixel perfect spacing because I only managed it once, by accident.

that's strange. it is a bit tricky but i've been able to make use of it in fights before if i was in a rush to get away yet wanted the can in a dif direction. Up tilt seems hard because it requires the can to already be airbourne

 

[Grimmdark2140]

oh well, while I still feel there is some intangibility there but I could be wrong. I still love the nair. I think the duck is disjointed at the beak. I would forward tilt at max range but still get grabbed through the duck.

 

[CourageHound]

that's strange. it is a bit tricky but i've been able to make use of it in fights before if i was in a rush to get away yet wanted the can in a dif direction. Up tilt seems hard because it requires the can to already be airbourne

No, uptilt on the ground, will flip the can around with no effort of spacing involved.

 

[proxibomb]

This weekend, I'll have another update up. Playing a lot of Smash Run to get all the customizations possible. Really liking that a lot of people are posting here. Should I get this guide sticky'd later?

 

[Spudboy]

Just a heads up: the intro to stages should probably be after the pros and cons.

Also, it would be nice if the special move information went more in-depth. I've been playing around with a lot of the specials and there are some interesting nuances to them. For example, the clay pigeon will go in different arcs when you do a smash input with them, like Samus's missiles. I'm planning on writing up some analysis on all the special moves if you'd like any help.

And yes, stickying this guide would be pretty cool. In fact the Duck Hunt board seems to have a woefully low amount of structure and stickied posts.

 

[proxibomb]

Just a heads up: the intro to stages should probably be after the pros and cons.

Also, it would be nice if the special move information went more in-depth. I've been playing around with a lot of the specials and there are some interesting nuances to them. For example, the clay pigeon will go in different arcs when you do a smash input with them, like Samus's missiles. I'm planning on writing up some analysis on all the special moves if you'd like any help.

And yes, stickying this guide would be pretty cool. In fact the Duck Hunt board seems to have a woefully low amount of structure and stickied posts.

The next update (1.3) is still in rough draft form, and will have a lot of things changed, I'll make sure to add your changes too. How does one sticky this post? I see that lots of people read this guide daily, so it would make sense.

 

[Arcadenik]

No, uptilt on the ground, will flip the can around with no effort of spacing involved.

I'll have to try this out. I finally started playing as DHD today now that I'm done with Classic, All-Star, and Stadium with all 49-51 characters.

I think DHD's aerial down move (the one where DHD slams the duck below) might be a meteor smash... I think you have to execute this in the same way you did Mewtwo's aerial down move in Melee... so timing matters. The hitbox to meteor smash the fighters seems to be at the beginning of the move but briefly. Anyone else tried this?

 

[proxibomb]

Need help with customizations, anyone know the fastest way to unlock them? Does anyone have specific information on DH's special customizations?

 

[Spudboy]

Need help with customizations, anyone know the fastest way to unlock them? Does anyone have specific information on DH's special customizations?

I have all of Duck Hunt's customs if you have any specific questions. They tend to be less useful than the defaults except for the recoveries.

 

[Grimmdark2140]

From what i'm seeing on custom moves. High explosive shot(second neutral b) make the can fly far and fast but explodes as soon as you hit it or hit b. I can see as more of a pressure tool but you lose the control to position the can as the default could. Zigzag shot(third neutral b) is interesting but I not sure what it could be used for. It doesn't explode upon contact but moves back and forth. If it hits are target it does cause knock back. I'm just not sure what to make of it.

I say just stick to the default side b. Rising Clay(second side b) does go farther but loses the ability to shot it. It loses some pressure ability and it takes awhile for it to end. Being that it goes at an upward angle could stop some air approaches but it slow so it won't stop many. Clay Break(third side b) is similar to are default but the shots are bigger and stronger. Though they are slow to come out and more spread out. I could barely hit the shots with Clay Break.

The up b alternative are more useful than some of his other alternatives. Duck Jump Snag(second up b) gives a hit box right out the mouth. It doesn't go up as high as our default. Though the difference is small but noticeable. I can see this up b as a out of shield option. I say use it sparingly though as a out of shield option. Super Duck Jump(third up b) we go up higher that our default and produce a wind box. We lose the ability to move left or right during the recover though. I can see this for gimping but there is some start up and we have to be close enough to the ledge so we can get back on stage or grab the ledge with killing yourself.

I can only see the first alternative as an option to use. Quick Draw Aces(second down b) the gunman fire as soon as they get out. They have decreased range though but also leave quicker to. So they can disrupt quicker but seem to lose some edge guard capability due not floating down then firing. Mega Gunman(third down b) the gunman our huge and can take some punishment but fire so slow. Even the fastest one takes awhile. Though the hit boxes on their shot our bigger and don't lose any range.

This is from what I've seen but i'm sure some one could elaborate more on these moves though.

 

[CourageHound]

I've compiled the approximate percentages of Duck Hunt's kill moves. These percents were tested on Mario at the middle of Battlefield with no vector influence. I chose this stage because it seems to have some of the more reasonable blast zone sizes, and the platforms helped a lot.

Also note that while most of these percents may seem unfavorable or underwhelming, remember these can change drastically depending on your positioning reletive to the stage and the weight class of your opponent. Don't be discouraged and remember that DHD is built for racking damage and having great settups leading to those precious kill percents and kill options.

Fsmash(provided all hits connect): (uncharged) 115, (fully charged) 75
D-smash: (uncharged) 140, (fully charged) 95
U-Smash: (uncharged) 125, (fully charged) 85
U-Air: (top platform) 135, (mid-platform)150, (ground level tested from ledge hop) 175
B-Air: 160
U-tilt: 160
Can: (ground level)190, (top platform)155
Multi-Jab Finisher: (ground level)190, 150(top platform)
Nair: 160

 

[Captain Rage Quit 69]

Man, I'm just not getting a grasp on DH. How's his neutral game supposed to be played like, because I keep feeling like my aerials get out-prioritized?

 

[crashbfan]

Man, I'm just not getting a grasp on DH. How's his neutral game supposed to be played like, because I keep feeling like my aerials get out-prioritized?

quick fairs and bairs. it has a good range and is hard to punish. use that in addition to pressure. bair will kill at relatively high percent

 

[CourageHound]

quick fairs and bairs. it has a good range and is hard to punise that in addition to pressure. bair will kill at relatively high percent

This information is only half correct. While bair is disjointed, it only has moderate range(with a very punishable amount of lag). Fair however has range comparable to a sword and has ver negligible lag.

@ Captain Rage Quit 69 While fairs are indeed good for pressure, you should focus more on your ground game and controlling space and managing projectiles. F-tilt is also a valuable tool that shouldn't be neglected.

Just do what works and also mind the matchup.

 

[Bleck3v3]

Pretty awesome guide its gunna take some time to adjust to duck hunts timings

 

[Funkermonster]

Somebody told me the 8-bit Gunmen can help with approaching opponents and I think he has a point: It signals the opponent to either jump over or shield the incoming shots, which allows me to either run and grab them while they're shielding, or do a Fair if thy jump. Kind of a nifty trick, actually, in my experience at least.

Another cool quirk I found in Training Mode: If you can manage to grab someone before the gunmen fire, the gunmen will still shoot your enemy and take damage without escaping grabstun (or whatever you call it) and you can pummel for slightly more damage. Doesn't seem practical (since they'll probably escape before you can throw them) and I don't think it is, but I thought I'd point it out anyway and see what others think.

 

[proxibomb]

Somebody told me the 8-bit Gunmen can help with approaching opponents and I think he has a point: It signals the opponent to either jump over or shield the incoming shots, which allows me to either run and grab them while they're shielding, or do a Fair if thy jump. Kind of a nifty trick, actually, in my experience at least.

Another cool quirk I found in Training Mode: If you can manage to grab someone before the gunmen fire, the gunmen will still shoot your enemy and take damage without escaping grabstun (or whatever you call it) and you can pummel for slightly more damage. Doesn't seem practical (since they'll probably escape before you can throw them) and I don't think it is, but I thought I'd point it out anyway and see what others think.

The problem with the gunman is if you attack them once, regardless of the percentage, they won't shoot anymore.

Pretty awesome guide its gunna take some time to adjust to duck hunts timings

Thanks, I've got more information coming soon, just waiting on a bit more information before releasing the newest version.

This information is only half correct. While bair is disjointed, it only has moderate range(with a very punishable amount of lag). Fair however has range comparable to a sword and has ver negligible lag.

@ Captain Rage Quit 69 While fairs are indeed good for pressure, you should focus more on your ground game and controlling space and managing projectiles. F-tilt is also a valuable tool that shouldn't be neglected.

Just do what works and also mind the matchup.

F-tilts are usually for changing can direction, unless you actually use it to attack! *gasp*

 

[Spudboy]

The problem with the gunman is if you attack them once, regardless of the percentage, they won't shoot anymore.

But that's what gunman is for: he forces the enemy to take some action that has a good chance of leaving them vulnerable. If they shield, grab them. If they jump, juggle them. If they attack the gunman, attack them back. The great thing about the gunman is that the delayed shot basically lets you attack them in two ways at once.