RomulusPM
Smash Rookie
I was messing around with D3 in debug mode the other day, and I found something interesting regarding his options coming back on stage from the ledge. I apologize if this has already been discovered and is well known, but if not then I hope you can learn something from this! I don't know how useful it'll be, but I think it could have a slight niche.
EDIT: This has been previously discovered (like two years ago, boy am I behind the times) and here is a video which explains this whole idea using gameplay and examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVMzDH425s
Disclaimer: This only works on Battlefield and Dreamland (3 platform setup).
I noticed on these stages that if you jump from the ledge, as you're rising you can time an aerial and hold towards the middle of the stage and the aerial will be edge-cancelled every time, allowing you to immediately act with another aerial or whatever you want. This is pretty cool! I first found this out with nair, which also seems to have the most usage for covering the platform as you come back on stage. Each aerial seems to have a different use as you rise with it, so I'll cover each individually real quick.
- All of these were tested on Battlefield, but Dreamland should be close to exactly the same. Some slight differences in timing or where the aerial covers may come up. All of these assume you hold towards the stage after you jump.
Nair: Covers the majority, if not all of the platform with its long lasting hitbox. This one is a little different than the others, since you have to input the nair before you hold towards the stage (else it'll be a fair), unless you have the c-stick set to attack. I haven't tried with c-stick attack however so I cannot comment on that. If you put out the attack earlier than you would with the others it will still edge cancel and cover pretty much the whole platform. The nair hits an opponent who is sitting on the very edge of either side of the platform, and depending on which direction they go after you hit them you can follow up with either a bair or a dair, whatever you want. I find this one to be particularly useful.
Fair: This one covers about the inner half of the platform and a decent amount of the area under half of the top platform as well as the last little bit of the top platform (closest to you). With this aerial (as well as all of the following) you can jump from the ledge and immediately hold in towards the middle of the stage, as long as you do the aerial with the c-stick. You can follow this up with a falling nair towards center stage, which could give you stage control as well as continue the combo if they were at lower percents when the fair connected. Like nair I find this one to be pretty useful since fair has decent cool down.
Bair: Back air covers about the outer half of the platform, and will not hit an opponent sitting on the far edge of the platform. This could be useful for getting your opponent off stage real quick and start edgeguarding them, thus turning the tables. If you opt to hold out from the stage after jumping it doesn't really cover the platform, but the area just outside of it. Don't know how useful it'd be, but I just thought I'd toss that in there. Both of these could have their uses, but are a bit more situational than nair/fair.
Uair: This one is a bit jank. This one hits just outside the edge of the top platform, and does not hit anyone on the other platform. I don't know how useful this one is either, probably the least of all the aerials, but it could cover someone coming down from the top platform. More testing is needed.
Dair: You need to be most precise with this one. If you mistime the dair it won't edge cancel, and it's hitbox is a little strange. It covers underneath the back half of the platform, but sometimes it will have a single hit connect with an opponent right next to the ledge of the stage. Again it doesn't always edge cancel depending on your timing of the aerial/when you hold in towards the stage, but that could be slightly helpful. Dair (like uair) seems to be more niche since the hitboxes on the aerials are unique themselves.
You can also waveland after ledge jump, and the timing is pretty lax. You could use this as a mixup, like waveland on f-tilt to cover the inner-top part of the stage, just under the top platform.
I hope you found some use out of these and can start using them in your gameplay! I find it gives Dedede a bit more mobility and fluidity, and I hope to make it a part of my own gameplay with him. If you have any comments/tips/questions, don't hesitate. Thanks for reading!
EDIT: This has been previously discovered (like two years ago, boy am I behind the times) and here is a video which explains this whole idea using gameplay and examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVMzDH425s
Disclaimer: This only works on Battlefield and Dreamland (3 platform setup).
I noticed on these stages that if you jump from the ledge, as you're rising you can time an aerial and hold towards the middle of the stage and the aerial will be edge-cancelled every time, allowing you to immediately act with another aerial or whatever you want. This is pretty cool! I first found this out with nair, which also seems to have the most usage for covering the platform as you come back on stage. Each aerial seems to have a different use as you rise with it, so I'll cover each individually real quick.
- All of these were tested on Battlefield, but Dreamland should be close to exactly the same. Some slight differences in timing or where the aerial covers may come up. All of these assume you hold towards the stage after you jump.
Nair: Covers the majority, if not all of the platform with its long lasting hitbox. This one is a little different than the others, since you have to input the nair before you hold towards the stage (else it'll be a fair), unless you have the c-stick set to attack. I haven't tried with c-stick attack however so I cannot comment on that. If you put out the attack earlier than you would with the others it will still edge cancel and cover pretty much the whole platform. The nair hits an opponent who is sitting on the very edge of either side of the platform, and depending on which direction they go after you hit them you can follow up with either a bair or a dair, whatever you want. I find this one to be particularly useful.
Fair: This one covers about the inner half of the platform and a decent amount of the area under half of the top platform as well as the last little bit of the top platform (closest to you). With this aerial (as well as all of the following) you can jump from the ledge and immediately hold in towards the middle of the stage, as long as you do the aerial with the c-stick. You can follow this up with a falling nair towards center stage, which could give you stage control as well as continue the combo if they were at lower percents when the fair connected. Like nair I find this one to be pretty useful since fair has decent cool down.
Bair: Back air covers about the outer half of the platform, and will not hit an opponent sitting on the far edge of the platform. This could be useful for getting your opponent off stage real quick and start edgeguarding them, thus turning the tables. If you opt to hold out from the stage after jumping it doesn't really cover the platform, but the area just outside of it. Don't know how useful it'd be, but I just thought I'd toss that in there. Both of these could have their uses, but are a bit more situational than nair/fair.
Uair: This one is a bit jank. This one hits just outside the edge of the top platform, and does not hit anyone on the other platform. I don't know how useful this one is either, probably the least of all the aerials, but it could cover someone coming down from the top platform. More testing is needed.
Dair: You need to be most precise with this one. If you mistime the dair it won't edge cancel, and it's hitbox is a little strange. It covers underneath the back half of the platform, but sometimes it will have a single hit connect with an opponent right next to the ledge of the stage. Again it doesn't always edge cancel depending on your timing of the aerial/when you hold in towards the stage, but that could be slightly helpful. Dair (like uair) seems to be more niche since the hitboxes on the aerials are unique themselves.
You can also waveland after ledge jump, and the timing is pretty lax. You could use this as a mixup, like waveland on f-tilt to cover the inner-top part of the stage, just under the top platform.
I hope you found some use out of these and can start using them in your gameplay! I find it gives Dedede a bit more mobility and fluidity, and I hope to make it a part of my own gameplay with him. If you have any comments/tips/questions, don't hesitate. Thanks for reading!
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