S_B
Too Drunk to Smash
Let me start by saying that I admit to being basically a n00b at this game, but in the throes of humiliating defeat at the hands of superior players, I've found these techniques to come out of nowhere, surprise my opponents and maybe even win me a game or two.
Contents
Section 1: General Tricks and Tips
Section 2: Character-Specific Strategies
Section 1: General Tricks and Tips
Pillar of Flame (PoF)
Jump, fire breath, aim straight down as you descend upon an opponent. Most foes seem to think that just shielding is an apt solution, even though it'll still result in an average 30% damage added to them.
Make sure to take 1-2 steps toward the middle of the stage after rolling to the edge, though, as your opponent can push you off the edge mid-flame if they simply walk over to you otherwise as Bowser descends to the platform from a jump.
As a mindgame, stand on the ledge (facing inward) as an opponent respawns and perform the PoF when they get near you. I can't count the number of times I've used this again and again on the same hapless opponent. It seems that the combination of having just died and seeing you standing on the edge blinds most foes with rage, especially those with no projectile to spam at you. They'll run over and get caught in it most every time.
Spam Your Fire Breath!
Ask any Bowser mainer from Melee (those who mained him, not those who live in Maine) and they'll tell you that Bowser's fire breath was an open invitation for an enemy to DI up your flame stream while taking minimal damage and nail you with a nair.
Thus, it's harder to remember that, in Brawl, fire breath may very well be the best move Bowser has. If you catch an opponent in the right place, you can get 50% or more on them without much trouble.
It takes roughly 6 seconds for FB to recharge to full power, it stops many projectiles and no one will be hitting you with a physical attack from the front while you're doing it. Even at its weakest, the FB still damages opponents and pushes them away from you.
Make sure to ledge guard with your FB as well, if an opponent is trying to recover, they'll often have no choice but to be damaged as they try to fight their way back to the ledge, even if the FB is at its weakest.
Aim your Fire Breath
Sometimes, opponents get the bright idea to DI through your FB toward you. If this is the case, aim your FB down: this places the flame on the ground and as close to Bowser as possible, meaning that they'll need to go through as much fire as possible to get to you.
Also, don't forget to aim your FB up if your foe is on a platform or has decided to move backwards. You'll find you get a bit more range if the FB isn't hitting the ground first.
Situational Bomb Usage
Yes, the Bowser bomb (down+B) can give foes a clear shot at you, but it's also one of the most powerful killing moves at your disposal. In addition, it allows Bowser to traverse a great distance very, very quickly, and that goes for both starting from the air OR the ground.
For starters, if you can determine without a doubt where your opponent will be unshielded in the next few moments, you have an opportunity to bomb them. There's nothing more satisfying than bombing a Falco player mid-illusion and sending them over the top.
The key here is to know your opponent and how they typically choose to recover. I was able to catch this Falco player mid-illusion because I knew it was his chosen method of returning to the stage.
Another situational use is using the bomb while on solid ground to catch an opponent off guard as they're returning from the air. Keep in mind that Bowser moves VERY quickly into the air when using this on the ground. If you time it properly, you can nail an opponent with the very start of the move as they're coming back to the ground (credit for this goes to Warriorknight for demonstrating it in one of his videos, and to the Ness player it worked on this morning for being KOed by it).
Yet another use is to quickly return to the stage and/or grab an edge. If your opponent is chasing you into the air, you'll likely have plenty of time to bomb back to the stage and recover before they can take advantage of it. You might also hit them on the way down.
It's riskier to use this to grab an edge, as the window for grabbing while bombing is VERY precise and is easy to miss. To make matters worse, the camera in Brawl LOVES to leave the stage and follow players into the air, making it impossible to determine where the stage is, relative to two airborne players. It's easy to bomb and miss the edge when you don't know where the stage is.
By far, one of the most dangerous uses of this move is to mindgame an opponent into being hit by it, but it's also its most rewarding usage. Save your second jump while returning to the stage from the air and try to lure an overzealous opponent into going for an Uair. One key advantage to the move is that it alters Bowser's trajectory, making your opponent under-compensate if timed correctly. Try to fast fall and then bomb as they jump. If it works, your foe's attack will execute harmlessly below you moments before Bowser's huge, scaly a$$ plows through them.
A caveat worth mentioning is that using the grounded Bowser Bomb for (ironically) its intended purpose can have terrible results when in an online game with any kind of lag. On more than one occasion, I've been trying to use the move on the ground in front of an opponent when I was hit over the edge, the input registered late, and Bowser executes the move off the stage and into oblivion.
Bait and Bowsercide
A trick I had seen executed was to grab the ledge, tap back or down and immediately double jump and toward+B an opponent dumb enough to be standing on the ledge waiting for you. It takes precision and practice, so I advise attempting it in training mode many times before putting it into action. If done properly, this makes it harder for the opponent to DI back onto the stage, since the attack is being done off the stage already. You have to appreciate how akin to a crocodile ambushing its prey this is.
I accidentally stumbled across another way to use this move: upon a chasing opponent. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I did this by accident, but as a Ness player was trying to push me further off the screen, I accidentally grabbed him and Bowsercided for the win (I was up a stock).
In fact, the odds are that if you're off the stage and being chased, you're pretty high on damage and your opponent likely isn't, meaning that resetting the damage totals wouldn't be such a bad idea, unless you're on your last stock.
When in Doubt, Fortress Out
It's as simple as that: if an encounter isn't going the way you want it to, shield and fortress while sliding away from your opponent. Make them come approach you all over again. Since Bowser is so big, opponents and especially smaller opponents can get in close and be UNDER the range of your quickest moves. That's when it's time to get yourself out of there and reestablish some distance between you and an attacker. Even if the fortress doesn't hit, Bowser is pretty quick to come out of it on the ground and will generally be far enough away that you'll be able to reshield after fortressing and sliding away.
Just make sure not to fortress too close to the edge as Bowser won't grab ledges he fortress-slides off of.
Tilt-Queuing for Safer Tilting
This might just be me, but I find it hard to avoid accidentally smashing on the nunchuk analogue stick when I meant to tilt, especially in heated matches. Thus, to make tilts easier, tilt the stick while Bowser is performing another move. For example, when you leap and fair at someone, continue holding forward so that, as you land, you can immediately follow up with a ftilt. If you want to follow the fair with a utilt, be holding up as Bowser lands so the utilt will be assured.
I know it's a noobish tactic, but you're basically putting the natural lag on Bowser's moves to good use.
The Multipurpose FTilt
Ftilt is easily one of Bowser's best moves. Not only does it have reasonable damage and horizontal sending power, but it's one of your best "penetration" moves available. It'll clash with the majority of other attacks AND it'll stop projectiles when timed correctly. An advancing Bowser who continuously Ftilts is hard to deal with without some form of tether grab. You can punch a fully charged shot from Samus and Lucario, as well as punch Samus' missiles without taking any damage. This is risky, but doable if you know the timing. My advice is to use training mode with an AI Samus set to "control" sitting at the other end of Final Destination to learn the proper timing for swatting charge shots and missiles. Either have a friend launch projectiles at you or press the B button while holding onto your primary controller.
FTilt Aiming
Bowser's ftilt can be aimed by pushing slightly higher or lower while you do a ftilt. You will notice that Bowser is distinctly aiming his fist as this happens.
Honestly, I don't use this much in the heat of battle, but this would be ideal for swatting incoming aerials and shorter characters which may slip under your range.
Flame Tickle
This is one of the less obvious uses for Bowser's FB, but if you stand one Bowser-length back from a ledge and breathe fire over it as an opponent is trying to recover to the ledge, you can often "flame tickle" them on their recovery, meaning the tip of their head touches your fire and immediately cancels their up+B. This only works with certain characters, but you'd be surprised how many opponents become messed up when their Up+B is suddenly interrupted. You can also PoF over the ledge to keep opponents off of it, but this doesn't work for some enemies which will punish you with their recovery (Ike and the Psy Children, for example).
Observation and Anticipation
This is a necessary tactic for any player, but Bowser and other heavies in particular thrive off of the ability to anticipate and punish. Thus, it's imperative that you observe how your opponents typically choose to recover and plan accordingly. Most foes have at least two separate methods of recovery (usually Up+B and Toward+B). Some, like Metaknight, have even more options.
Watch your enemies and observe not only how they choose to recover to the stage, but also how they choose to recover based upon where you're standing at the time. If you can convince an opponent that you're going to be guarding the ledge, making them decide to go over you instead, they'll often be too committed to their decision to alter their course if you suddenly turn around and be waiting for them when they go over you.
Section 2: Character-Specific Strategies
This is always a hairy situation because a counter-tactic doesn't work against a player who doesn't use the tactic to start with, or tactics in a completely different manner. Thus, I'll do my best to point out which signs to watch out for when a character is using a particular strategy.
Ike, the sluggish swordsman who hits like a train
Ike is actually one of Bowser's better match-ups, since it's my opinion that Bowser is actually an Ike-counter: the majority of Ike's moves are so slow that Bowser should have no problem dodging them and Ike's moves which will kill other characters at low percentages will not kill Bowser. Also, Ike's sword strokes are immediately shut down by Bowser's fire breath, meaning it's possible to catch Ike in a PoF mid-swing. Also, Ike's toward-B is immediately shut down by Bowser's fire.
-If he starts charging his toward+B, you have him over a barrel. Either start your fire breath or shield when he releases and charges you, block the hit then rush him and Toward+B. Either way, he's very punishable and this seems to be the preferred method of approach for most Ike players.
-For the love of god, STAY ON YOUR TOES! Be ready to dodge in a split second. Jump and act as if you're about to move in, then 2nd jump back the other way. This can fool many Ike players into swinging and leaving an opening for a Fair by Bowser.
-Do NOT use Bowser's Bair unless you're high enough off the ground that you will not experience landing lag and avoid using his Dair at all. Also, don't Bowser bomb unless you know for certain that you've mindgamed your opponent enough to know they'll fall for it. Also, avoid using smash attacks without certainty and ALWAYS fortress AWAY from Ike.
-Most matchups are better played if Bowser is waiting for an opponent to screw up so he can punish. In this case, the roles are reversed, as Ike is waiting for YOU to screw up so he can punish, and punish he will.
-Ike's running A move actually causes him to lunge closer to you as he swings his sword. If you can shield and block it, you're typically in range for either a grab or a Toward+B.
-Ike has three moves which come out quickly: his Bair, his neutral A combo and his Up+B, and only the Bair can really kill Bowser. If he uses his Up+B and you can get behind him, do so: you'll have a golden opportunity to punish with a smash attack upon him landing. Otherwise, avoid it, as getting caught in it will damage you.
-Avoid being on a platform above Ike. His Up smash takes a long time to come out and is likewise obscenely powerful. Always DI through platforms and be on the ground whenever possible and use your air dodge to get back to the ground.
-KOing Ike is best done with ftilts to get him over the edge, then follow it up with a flame tickle to keep him off the stage. The flame tickle will force him to restart his Up+B 2-3 times and each time he always seems to be pushed further under the stage because of it. After the 3rd time, his sword will generally come up through the stage and he'll miss the edge grab on the way down. Quickly timed Fairs can also catch Ike players off guard, but Ike's Fair is very powerful and has good range and outranks Bowser's priority.
-Some Ike players will use the Toward+B in mid-air when recovering to get to a higher platform if they're recovering from higher up. Watch how your Ike player behaves and counter accordingly. You can even stand near the ledge in an attempt to trick Ike into trying to get over you, then quickly move back and punish with either a Toward+B grab or a Uair if he lands on a platform above you. Ike will need to start charging his Toward+B early if he hopes to get enough distance and you should be able to react accordingly.
-Do not attempt to PoF ledgeguard Ike. You will get caught in his Up+B and punished. However, if you stand on the edge and shield as Ike attacks up from the ledge, you do have a prime chance to Dtilt for a KO if Ike is sufficiently damaged.
-When returning to the ledge, come back low, fortress to the ledge for an immediate grab and jump so you'll clear a ledge-guarding Ike.
-If Ike starts charging his Neutral+B and you can get behind him, do so. However, avoid approaching him from the front at all costs: as he releases the move, not only does he create a large explosion in front of him, but he also has super armor during the execution.
In summary, fight Ike as if you're a middleweight fighting a heavyweight, even though you're the heaviest character in the game. Grab him whenever you can with shield grabs and catch him in PoFs as often as possible. Despite his power, Ike is much lighter than you but must be treated with extreme caution. His attacks are slow, but still fast enough to punish Bowser's laggier moves.
Fox/Falco, the furries from SPAAAAAAAACE! (incomplete for now)
I'm grouping these two together because your strategy will basically remain the same for both, even though some of their moves do differ. Their speed will make them tricky to deal with, but the key is to wait for them to get cocky and punish, as well as taking advantage of their recovery moves, whenever they happen.
-Dodge laser spam by jumping while holding shield. This will minimize the damage you take when advancing. Also, once you get close, start the PoF and descend upon the spammer. All space furries take a moment to put their guns away so you should catch them long before they get a chance to reflector your fire back at you.
-When they roll behind you, fortress out in the other direction. It's basically free damage on an opponent which is otherwise quick and hard to damage.
-Use Ftilts to push them back, but anticipate that they will Toward+B illusion through you when threatened or start spamming lasers.
-Once you have them over the ledge, you have two options, and this is where observation is absolutely necessary: if your furry foe prefers to recover via getting low on the ledge and using Up+B to recover, it's time to PoF over the edge and punish the hell out of them. However, if they prefer to illusion back onto the stage (and typically hitting you in the process)
(more to come later)
Contents
Section 1: General Tricks and Tips
Section 2: Character-Specific Strategies
Section 1: General Tricks and Tips
Pillar of Flame (PoF)
Jump, fire breath, aim straight down as you descend upon an opponent. Most foes seem to think that just shielding is an apt solution, even though it'll still result in an average 30% damage added to them.
Make sure to take 1-2 steps toward the middle of the stage after rolling to the edge, though, as your opponent can push you off the edge mid-flame if they simply walk over to you otherwise as Bowser descends to the platform from a jump.
As a mindgame, stand on the ledge (facing inward) as an opponent respawns and perform the PoF when they get near you. I can't count the number of times I've used this again and again on the same hapless opponent. It seems that the combination of having just died and seeing you standing on the edge blinds most foes with rage, especially those with no projectile to spam at you. They'll run over and get caught in it most every time.
Spam Your Fire Breath!
Ask any Bowser mainer from Melee (those who mained him, not those who live in Maine) and they'll tell you that Bowser's fire breath was an open invitation for an enemy to DI up your flame stream while taking minimal damage and nail you with a nair.
Thus, it's harder to remember that, in Brawl, fire breath may very well be the best move Bowser has. If you catch an opponent in the right place, you can get 50% or more on them without much trouble.
It takes roughly 6 seconds for FB to recharge to full power, it stops many projectiles and no one will be hitting you with a physical attack from the front while you're doing it. Even at its weakest, the FB still damages opponents and pushes them away from you.
Make sure to ledge guard with your FB as well, if an opponent is trying to recover, they'll often have no choice but to be damaged as they try to fight their way back to the ledge, even if the FB is at its weakest.
Aim your Fire Breath
Sometimes, opponents get the bright idea to DI through your FB toward you. If this is the case, aim your FB down: this places the flame on the ground and as close to Bowser as possible, meaning that they'll need to go through as much fire as possible to get to you.
Also, don't forget to aim your FB up if your foe is on a platform or has decided to move backwards. You'll find you get a bit more range if the FB isn't hitting the ground first.
Situational Bomb Usage
Yes, the Bowser bomb (down+B) can give foes a clear shot at you, but it's also one of the most powerful killing moves at your disposal. In addition, it allows Bowser to traverse a great distance very, very quickly, and that goes for both starting from the air OR the ground.
For starters, if you can determine without a doubt where your opponent will be unshielded in the next few moments, you have an opportunity to bomb them. There's nothing more satisfying than bombing a Falco player mid-illusion and sending them over the top.
The key here is to know your opponent and how they typically choose to recover. I was able to catch this Falco player mid-illusion because I knew it was his chosen method of returning to the stage.
Another situational use is using the bomb while on solid ground to catch an opponent off guard as they're returning from the air. Keep in mind that Bowser moves VERY quickly into the air when using this on the ground. If you time it properly, you can nail an opponent with the very start of the move as they're coming back to the ground (credit for this goes to Warriorknight for demonstrating it in one of his videos, and to the Ness player it worked on this morning for being KOed by it).
Yet another use is to quickly return to the stage and/or grab an edge. If your opponent is chasing you into the air, you'll likely have plenty of time to bomb back to the stage and recover before they can take advantage of it. You might also hit them on the way down.
It's riskier to use this to grab an edge, as the window for grabbing while bombing is VERY precise and is easy to miss. To make matters worse, the camera in Brawl LOVES to leave the stage and follow players into the air, making it impossible to determine where the stage is, relative to two airborne players. It's easy to bomb and miss the edge when you don't know where the stage is.
By far, one of the most dangerous uses of this move is to mindgame an opponent into being hit by it, but it's also its most rewarding usage. Save your second jump while returning to the stage from the air and try to lure an overzealous opponent into going for an Uair. One key advantage to the move is that it alters Bowser's trajectory, making your opponent under-compensate if timed correctly. Try to fast fall and then bomb as they jump. If it works, your foe's attack will execute harmlessly below you moments before Bowser's huge, scaly a$$ plows through them.
A caveat worth mentioning is that using the grounded Bowser Bomb for (ironically) its intended purpose can have terrible results when in an online game with any kind of lag. On more than one occasion, I've been trying to use the move on the ground in front of an opponent when I was hit over the edge, the input registered late, and Bowser executes the move off the stage and into oblivion.
Bait and Bowsercide
A trick I had seen executed was to grab the ledge, tap back or down and immediately double jump and toward+B an opponent dumb enough to be standing on the ledge waiting for you. It takes precision and practice, so I advise attempting it in training mode many times before putting it into action. If done properly, this makes it harder for the opponent to DI back onto the stage, since the attack is being done off the stage already. You have to appreciate how akin to a crocodile ambushing its prey this is.
I accidentally stumbled across another way to use this move: upon a chasing opponent. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I did this by accident, but as a Ness player was trying to push me further off the screen, I accidentally grabbed him and Bowsercided for the win (I was up a stock).
In fact, the odds are that if you're off the stage and being chased, you're pretty high on damage and your opponent likely isn't, meaning that resetting the damage totals wouldn't be such a bad idea, unless you're on your last stock.
When in Doubt, Fortress Out
It's as simple as that: if an encounter isn't going the way you want it to, shield and fortress while sliding away from your opponent. Make them come approach you all over again. Since Bowser is so big, opponents and especially smaller opponents can get in close and be UNDER the range of your quickest moves. That's when it's time to get yourself out of there and reestablish some distance between you and an attacker. Even if the fortress doesn't hit, Bowser is pretty quick to come out of it on the ground and will generally be far enough away that you'll be able to reshield after fortressing and sliding away.
Just make sure not to fortress too close to the edge as Bowser won't grab ledges he fortress-slides off of.
Tilt-Queuing for Safer Tilting
This might just be me, but I find it hard to avoid accidentally smashing on the nunchuk analogue stick when I meant to tilt, especially in heated matches. Thus, to make tilts easier, tilt the stick while Bowser is performing another move. For example, when you leap and fair at someone, continue holding forward so that, as you land, you can immediately follow up with a ftilt. If you want to follow the fair with a utilt, be holding up as Bowser lands so the utilt will be assured.
I know it's a noobish tactic, but you're basically putting the natural lag on Bowser's moves to good use.
The Multipurpose FTilt
Ftilt is easily one of Bowser's best moves. Not only does it have reasonable damage and horizontal sending power, but it's one of your best "penetration" moves available. It'll clash with the majority of other attacks AND it'll stop projectiles when timed correctly. An advancing Bowser who continuously Ftilts is hard to deal with without some form of tether grab. You can punch a fully charged shot from Samus and Lucario, as well as punch Samus' missiles without taking any damage. This is risky, but doable if you know the timing. My advice is to use training mode with an AI Samus set to "control" sitting at the other end of Final Destination to learn the proper timing for swatting charge shots and missiles. Either have a friend launch projectiles at you or press the B button while holding onto your primary controller.
FTilt Aiming
Bowser's ftilt can be aimed by pushing slightly higher or lower while you do a ftilt. You will notice that Bowser is distinctly aiming his fist as this happens.
Honestly, I don't use this much in the heat of battle, but this would be ideal for swatting incoming aerials and shorter characters which may slip under your range.
Flame Tickle
This is one of the less obvious uses for Bowser's FB, but if you stand one Bowser-length back from a ledge and breathe fire over it as an opponent is trying to recover to the ledge, you can often "flame tickle" them on their recovery, meaning the tip of their head touches your fire and immediately cancels their up+B. This only works with certain characters, but you'd be surprised how many opponents become messed up when their Up+B is suddenly interrupted. You can also PoF over the ledge to keep opponents off of it, but this doesn't work for some enemies which will punish you with their recovery (Ike and the Psy Children, for example).
Observation and Anticipation
This is a necessary tactic for any player, but Bowser and other heavies in particular thrive off of the ability to anticipate and punish. Thus, it's imperative that you observe how your opponents typically choose to recover and plan accordingly. Most foes have at least two separate methods of recovery (usually Up+B and Toward+B). Some, like Metaknight, have even more options.
Watch your enemies and observe not only how they choose to recover to the stage, but also how they choose to recover based upon where you're standing at the time. If you can convince an opponent that you're going to be guarding the ledge, making them decide to go over you instead, they'll often be too committed to their decision to alter their course if you suddenly turn around and be waiting for them when they go over you.
Section 2: Character-Specific Strategies
This is always a hairy situation because a counter-tactic doesn't work against a player who doesn't use the tactic to start with, or tactics in a completely different manner. Thus, I'll do my best to point out which signs to watch out for when a character is using a particular strategy.
Ike, the sluggish swordsman who hits like a train
Ike is actually one of Bowser's better match-ups, since it's my opinion that Bowser is actually an Ike-counter: the majority of Ike's moves are so slow that Bowser should have no problem dodging them and Ike's moves which will kill other characters at low percentages will not kill Bowser. Also, Ike's sword strokes are immediately shut down by Bowser's fire breath, meaning it's possible to catch Ike in a PoF mid-swing. Also, Ike's toward-B is immediately shut down by Bowser's fire.
-If he starts charging his toward+B, you have him over a barrel. Either start your fire breath or shield when he releases and charges you, block the hit then rush him and Toward+B. Either way, he's very punishable and this seems to be the preferred method of approach for most Ike players.
-For the love of god, STAY ON YOUR TOES! Be ready to dodge in a split second. Jump and act as if you're about to move in, then 2nd jump back the other way. This can fool many Ike players into swinging and leaving an opening for a Fair by Bowser.
-Do NOT use Bowser's Bair unless you're high enough off the ground that you will not experience landing lag and avoid using his Dair at all. Also, don't Bowser bomb unless you know for certain that you've mindgamed your opponent enough to know they'll fall for it. Also, avoid using smash attacks without certainty and ALWAYS fortress AWAY from Ike.
-Most matchups are better played if Bowser is waiting for an opponent to screw up so he can punish. In this case, the roles are reversed, as Ike is waiting for YOU to screw up so he can punish, and punish he will.
-Ike's running A move actually causes him to lunge closer to you as he swings his sword. If you can shield and block it, you're typically in range for either a grab or a Toward+B.
-Ike has three moves which come out quickly: his Bair, his neutral A combo and his Up+B, and only the Bair can really kill Bowser. If he uses his Up+B and you can get behind him, do so: you'll have a golden opportunity to punish with a smash attack upon him landing. Otherwise, avoid it, as getting caught in it will damage you.
-Avoid being on a platform above Ike. His Up smash takes a long time to come out and is likewise obscenely powerful. Always DI through platforms and be on the ground whenever possible and use your air dodge to get back to the ground.
-KOing Ike is best done with ftilts to get him over the edge, then follow it up with a flame tickle to keep him off the stage. The flame tickle will force him to restart his Up+B 2-3 times and each time he always seems to be pushed further under the stage because of it. After the 3rd time, his sword will generally come up through the stage and he'll miss the edge grab on the way down. Quickly timed Fairs can also catch Ike players off guard, but Ike's Fair is very powerful and has good range and outranks Bowser's priority.
-Some Ike players will use the Toward+B in mid-air when recovering to get to a higher platform if they're recovering from higher up. Watch how your Ike player behaves and counter accordingly. You can even stand near the ledge in an attempt to trick Ike into trying to get over you, then quickly move back and punish with either a Toward+B grab or a Uair if he lands on a platform above you. Ike will need to start charging his Toward+B early if he hopes to get enough distance and you should be able to react accordingly.
-Do not attempt to PoF ledgeguard Ike. You will get caught in his Up+B and punished. However, if you stand on the edge and shield as Ike attacks up from the ledge, you do have a prime chance to Dtilt for a KO if Ike is sufficiently damaged.
-When returning to the ledge, come back low, fortress to the ledge for an immediate grab and jump so you'll clear a ledge-guarding Ike.
-If Ike starts charging his Neutral+B and you can get behind him, do so. However, avoid approaching him from the front at all costs: as he releases the move, not only does he create a large explosion in front of him, but he also has super armor during the execution.
In summary, fight Ike as if you're a middleweight fighting a heavyweight, even though you're the heaviest character in the game. Grab him whenever you can with shield grabs and catch him in PoFs as often as possible. Despite his power, Ike is much lighter than you but must be treated with extreme caution. His attacks are slow, but still fast enough to punish Bowser's laggier moves.
Fox/Falco, the furries from SPAAAAAAAACE! (incomplete for now)
I'm grouping these two together because your strategy will basically remain the same for both, even though some of their moves do differ. Their speed will make them tricky to deal with, but the key is to wait for them to get cocky and punish, as well as taking advantage of their recovery moves, whenever they happen.
-Dodge laser spam by jumping while holding shield. This will minimize the damage you take when advancing. Also, once you get close, start the PoF and descend upon the spammer. All space furries take a moment to put their guns away so you should catch them long before they get a chance to reflector your fire back at you.
-When they roll behind you, fortress out in the other direction. It's basically free damage on an opponent which is otherwise quick and hard to damage.
-Use Ftilts to push them back, but anticipate that they will Toward+B illusion through you when threatened or start spamming lasers.
-Once you have them over the ledge, you have two options, and this is where observation is absolutely necessary: if your furry foe prefers to recover via getting low on the ledge and using Up+B to recover, it's time to PoF over the edge and punish the hell out of them. However, if they prefer to illusion back onto the stage (and typically hitting you in the process)
(more to come later)
