Safest edgeguarding options with Cloud?

[jcx]

As a Cloud player, I feel that the aspect of my play in which I struggle most is edgeguarding; which is mostly because I don't know what his safest options are (this is especially important for a character whose recovery is absolute garbage). So, what are safe ways to edgeguard as Cloud, whether it be high edgeguards onstage or low offstage gimps?

 

[mzzmzz101]

Cloud, as a character, has difficulty edgegaurding safely compared to many members of the cast. However, he has some tricks up his sleeve. Reading air dodges with Cloud is essential. Most people typically air dodge near the ledge, since it's usually a safe option. To counter this, you can wait for the air dodge and punish with limit side-b, which is safe since Cloud doesn't fall when using it, nair, since the move is really fast and has decent knockback at high percents (make sure your double jump is still there when you use it though). If you want the crowd to go wild, you can punish an air dodge with down air (same thing applies with nair, since down air stays out so long). To set up for the down air, you can do a down throw near the ledge, wait for an air dodge, and spike your opponent. At earlier percents, try conditioning your opponent to air dodge via down throw --> bair, down throw --> up air, and down throw --> nair. I wouldn't suggest limit neutral b, since it's slow and obvious. F-air is also too slow and laggy, so you should use back air or nair instead.
Conclusion: Cloud relies off of air dodge reads for effective edgegaurds, and should save his double jump since his moves last a while. I hope this helped.

 

[Yσנιмιтѕυ]

There isn't a character on the roster that you cannot edgeguard with. Cloud's edgeguarding is actually very good and contrary to the above comment I would say it is realtively easy. Most useful tools for edge guarding with cloud:

D-Tilt: Done at the ledge this can 2 frame punish many recovery moves, even if they snap. Rosalina's recovery is especially susceptible to this, you can literally get it every single time, and since the hitbox on dtilt lasts so long the timing is very easy.

Nair: Excellent offstage pressure tool. The yuuuge hitbox is incredibly useful and easy to catch double jumps with. Abuse this tool off stage for gimps. Practice hanging on the ledge, pressing down to let go, jump nair, and up-b back to ledge over and over. Play around with the range on the up-b. Even a Dair (longest lag of all cloud's aerials) can be done in this manner, just takes practice to know the limits (hehe) of up-b's range.

Limit Cross-Slash: Done at the ledge this is a godlike tool for catching a 2frame punish. Blade Beam can be B-reversed for a similar outcome though it is less useful as teching is easier and potentially more risky since blade beams lag is longer, more of a window to punish. As the beefy smash doods outlined, often you're able to limit side-b the stage and the knockback against the stage is impossible to tech, resulting in a stage spike.

Another option is reading a double jump or recovery move with limit cross slash - done off stage and so close to the blast zone this is an absolutely ridiculous kill setup - often netting the kill at under 50%.

 

[YP9]

I agree with everything they said above, but if for some reason you feel to scared to go off stage, you can always just charge limit if its not full.