Mission Briefing: A Guide to Samus
Table of Contents
- Intro to Samus
- Samus's Strengths
- Samus's Weaknesses
- Noob Guide
- Physics and Stats
- Moveset
- Approaching
- Understanding Samus's Projectiles (and Zair)
- Grabbing as Samus
- Using the Ledge
- Advanced Techniques
- Credits
Intro to Samus
Contrary to popular belief Samus is not a linear character who solely relies on her long Zair to win. Outside of it she has flexible projectiles, an effective air game that is great for combos, great shield pressure capabilities, many fairly quick moves, great survivability, and strong planking and offstage play. However she also has incredibly weak kill options, trouble with heavy close range aggression, and her steep learning curve.
Samus will only be effective in the hands of a player greatly disciplined in precision and analyzing their opponent. Exact spacing, adaptive pressure, and patience are an absolute must when playing Samus. Samus has few real freebie moves and the player must constantly stay on their toes to keep their space and kill without kill moves. Make it work.
Samus's Strengths
- Great projectile game
- Solidly above average air game
- Above average recovery both horizontally and vertically
- Good mobility for her weight class
- Very strong planking tools
- Good variety of strings, not combos
- Heavyweight
- Strong pressure game
- Solid range overall on moves
- Floatiness aids in offstage play
- Has a flexible glidetoss when against item-using characters
Samus's Shortcomings
- Lacks easily-landed powerful kill moves
- Below average power on many moves
- Trouble get out of pressure
- No reliable reversals/out of shield options
- Clunky movement and blindspots can make her feel awkward
- Bombs and Usmash lend themselves to being situational, or used at all for Usmash
- Worst rolls in the game
- Floatiness hurts aerial defense and momentum cancel
- Many of her moves can be easily shielded
- Very slow and laggy grab that is risky to use
The Noob Guide
[COLLAPSE= The Noob Guide]
Welcome to the Noob’s Guide to Samus. This guide is more of a thorough tour for anyone new to playing Samus. It will cover what Samus can do, what her best attacks are, how to kill and survive, and give a basic understanding as to how she should be played.
What can this lady do?
Samus’s best feature and, honestly her saving grace, is her very long Zair which can be used anytime after you jump. She will fire her Grapple Beam forward for quite a distance shocking anyone who touches it for 4-7% that will never stale. With it she can grab ledges, poke very effectively, and even combo with it and she is one of the few lucky characters to get one in the game. Few people know how to deal with its sheer range, so use it often and wisely.
Some of the basic uses for this are firing missiles or little charge shots and following up with a Zair to quickly rack damage or stopping approaches in their tracks. At higher levels one should not rely on this too much or they will get predictable. All of Samus’s aerials can be auto-canceled, which takes away a great deal of landing lag but Zair is special in its near lack of lag, this subtle benefit makes her fast and capable of penetrating most defenses. One should constantly apply Zair at different times in different ways to maximize its versatility and minimize its predictability.
She can constantly shoot projectiles from mid-long range and close in with her ground and aerial moves then breakaway and keep her opponent from following with Zair. Samus is also a mid-speed character so breaking in or running away are not difficult or make her too predictable.
That’s a basic scope of what Samus can do, there’s obviously a lot more she can do but the most important piece of advice would be this: learn to control Samus. This includes:
- Understanding how mobile Samus actually is, contrary to popular belief her movement is actually middling making her deceptively quick at times.
- How and when to auto-cancel her aerials to nullify the lag and aid in combos.
- Becoming familiar with offstage play as Samus is quite good at this.
- Learning to glide toss, shield dash, and her other basic ATs.
Every good player knows how to control their character. This is a simple and often forgotten truth.
What are Samus's Good Moves?
Archetype-wise Samus falls between a jack-of-all-trades and the stone wall archetypes, being able to play in a very flexible manner or solidify her defenses to a greater degree. Her moveset is varied enough that can combat most of the cast on a roughly even level as long as creativity is employed, but here are some of her “good” moves:
Zair
Already covered for the most part already, the sheer range and flexibility of this move should be taken advantage of.
Basic Zair Strings:
Zair > Zair
Zair > Fair
Zair > Missile
Zair > Charge Shot
Zair > Uair
This may seem underwhelming as far as combos go but one thing to keep in mind is that Zair is also Samus’s greatest spacing tool and in combos it functions best mid combo rather than starting one.
Uair
Uair is undoubtedly one of Samus’s best moves, aside from Zair. It’s speed, knockback, and range make it very flexible for pressure and combos. Very few characters have a reliable answer to this move and it has almost explosive combo potential. Spam Uair whenever the chance presents itself and spiral your way to victory.
Basic Uair Strings:
Falling Uair > Uair
Uair > Fair
Uair > Zair
Uair > Bair
Uair > Bair
Uair > Nair
Uair > Ftilt
Uair > Utilt
Uair > Up B
Uair > Uair > Fair
Uair > Uair > Nair
Uair > Uair > Zair
Fast-falled Uair > Jab1 > Ftilt > Fair
These are just the basic combos Uair can start, like Zair this move can be far more effective when used mid combo to create a plethora of follow-ups.
Missiles
These are a must use for Samus. They allow Samus to quickly rack up damage, set up combos, pressure shields, and even refresh other moves. Don’t ever worry about staling this move, it will still build damage rapidly even while dealing 2% a missile later on. They also have no landing lag when fired in the air allowing Samus to position herself in the air after firing missile. Between super and homing missiles, you should rely on homing missiles more as their weaker damage is offset by the utility their homing capabilities give and they are much faster in the air than both grounded and aerial super missiles. When in doubt at range, fire missiles, but always shoot them in the air so you can always reposition yourself.
Fair
This move plays second fiddle to Uair’s combo potential but it nonetheless should be used often with its great speed, range, and low knockback. This move also can be used for approaching rather decently and can lead into many follow-ups and can even lead into kills when auto-canceled.
Basic Fair Strings:
Fair > Fair
Fair > Nair
Fair > Uair
Fair > Zair
Fast-falled Fair > Ftilt
Fast-falled Fair > Utilt
Fast-falled Fair > Dtilt
Fast-falled Fair > Fsmash
Fast-falled Fair > Dsmash
Fast-falled Fair > Jab1 > Dash Attack > Uair
As you can see Fair a large variety of combos as well, though it seems better than Uair from the list what puts Uair above it is its speed and its flexibility mid-combo. Both moves however are great for shield pressure and are quite safe on shield.
Ftilt
This is a very flexible ground move for Samus. While she shines her best in the air, her Ftilt’s speed, range, and ability to space and combo shouldn’t be overlooked. When angled up or down it also will deal more damage and can lead into more interesting follow-ups.
Basic Ftilt Strings:
Ftilt > Dash Attack
Ftilt > Nair
Ftilt > Fair
Ftilt > Uair
Ftilt > Dair
Ftilt > Zair
Ftilt > Charge Shot
Ftilt > Missile
As you can see Ftilt can lead into a nice variety of ground to air combos which can be further strung by referencing the other moves. Don’t rely on Samus’s ground game primarily but make use of it, especially Ftilt.
Dtilt
Dtilt is a versatile move for Samus. It kills, punishes, and can lead into air strings at early percents. This move is her quickest tilt and the range is gigantic on it making it hard to miss with. Despite having some cooldown it is also rather safe on shield allowing you to ready another attack if they happen to shield your finishing blow. Despite its usefulness though it should be saved for killing first and foremost as its speed and range make it very valuable for this purpose and staling it hurts one of Samus’s best kill options.
Important ATs and Tricks?
Samus is a technical character who relies on general ATs and tricks as well as a large list of her own specialized ones. A highly important aspect of playing Samus is that you must buffer the majority of your moves constantly to combo and pressure opponents more effectively.
These are the major stepping stone ATs and skills that form the basic principles for how Samus should be played and will improve her overall play:
-Missile Canceling: Shorthop, fire a missile, land on the ground, repeat, pretty easy right? This is a staple AT for Samus’s projectile game that allows her to quickly fire missiles and remove the landing lag. This can also be applied to charge shots quite well as they are only 1 frame slower. After mastering it double and triple shots can be learned later on.
-Bomb Jump: If Samus stands next to a bomb as it explodes she will go into morph ball and bounce into the air a bit. In the air if you understand the timing of bombs you can lay a bomb, then lay another one while using DI to get to the first one you will bounce up a bit. It’s not really much of an AT but it is very handy for planking and recovery.
-Auto-Canceling Aerials: Auto-canceling is the act of reducing landing lag by landing on the ground towards the beginning or end of an attack. All of Samus’s aerials auto-cancel very well and learning to do so will drastically improve her combo potential and make her feel even faster for opponents.
-Jab Cancel: Simply press A to jab once then press down to crouch. This can lead into tilts and smashes and overall will improve your ground game. Samus also has a jab lock but it’s incredibly situational so don’t expect to get it off often if at all.
-Ledge Falling and Hopping: By pressing down while hanging on the ledge Samus will let go and be able to position herself under the ledge in a very favorable manner. With Ledge Falling she easily poke at opponents with aerials and even Zair with little retaliation. With Ledge Hopping she can ledge fall the quickly jump with a bit of DI to land on the stage without rising very high into the air. These are very useful for planking and getting back onstage from the ledge and should be learned given Samus has an amazing ledge game.
-Shield Dash: While running press shield and let go of the control stick to slide a little bit while your shield is up. This is great for handling very campy or projectile reliant opponents and aids her approach and ground game by making her out of shield options more mobile.
-Glide Toss: Cancel the start of a roll with an item throw via C-Stick to slide while throwing your held item. While Samus can’t produce items herself, against item producing opponents (i.e. Peach, Diddy, R.O.B., etc.) it opens up quite a large amount of options. Samus can use all five types of glidetossing, and considering it’s pretty easy to learn why not use it?
How do you kill with Samus?
These are Samus’s earliest killing attacks that were tested on a Mario on FD without DI.
- Fully Charged Charge Shot 125%
- Fsmash 125-138% (depends on angle, with upwards being the earliest
- Bair 130%
- Dtilt 140%
- Dsmash 144%
- Utilt 153%
- Dair 163% (Bouncing off the stage upward)
- Usmash 167% (Last hitbox only, somehow it can kill if you're really lucky)
Charge Shot kills the earliest but it has many uses outside of killing though, there’s nothing wrong with killing with charge shot but is easily the most predictable kill move Samus has.
Fsmash and Dtilt will typically be used for killing the most with Dtilt being fast, strong, safe and easy to hit with and Fsmash sacrificing some of its speed and range for power. These moves shouldn’t be used much at all outside of killing otherwise when the time comes you will be left in a frustrating position trying to finish off the opponent. Dsmash makes for another good option with its range and speed but it may find itself stale more often because it spaces quite nicely as well. Bair is her only aerial that can kill below 150% but it will only work if you hit with the sweetspot on Samus’s foot.
Outside of knocking opponents offstage, Samus does very well at gimping and spiking her opponents who are offstage. Her projectiles can slow down the opponent’s return and set up favorable spikes for her Dair or let her use other aerials push away the opponent then snag the ledge from them. Being very floaty makes this task much easier because she gains a lot of time to set up and plan her gimp/spike and recover back to the stage.
Keep in mind that the opponent’s weight, DI, damage percent, stage position, and especially move decay all play a role in KOing the opponent, especially for characters who are poor at killing like Samus.
Recovery
A critical part of recovery for all characters is knowing how to DI and momentum cancel. It will allow you to live longer than usual and buy more time to potentially turn the game around if need be.
The correct procedure to momentum cancel with Samus is:
[While aiming towards one of the upper corners immediately when hit.]
HIT -> Uair (fastfalled) -> Bomb
Samus’s recovery consists of 4 major elements:
- 2nd Jump
- Bomb Jump
- Zair
- Screw Attack
Conveniently there are no major flaws in this toolbox. It has a good horizontal and vertical distance between screw attack and Zair alone. Knowing how to DI and momentum cancel properly will make Samus much more frustrating to KO for opponents and add to her ability to be a Stone Wall status. After proper DI, bombs should be your first tool to work with when getting back to the ledge, it should not be difficult to get at least 2 bomb jumps off before needing to use Zair or your 2nd Jump. Zair is great in that its range will allow you to quickly snap to the ledge and potentially let you avoid using your 2nd jump. Screw attack should be the last tool used because it will leave you helpless and if the opponent tries to edgehog you immediately screw attacking could get you SD’ed.
Samus has a great boon in that her floatiness aids her recovery and gives her the time to set up her path to the ledge without much fear. She can also easily mix-up her recovery and become more of a pest to deal with for onstage opponents. Edgeguarding her is typically an unproductive effort so expect your opponent if they come towards you to be going for a spike or pushing you into the sideways blast line. Edgehogging is not very difficult for Samus to overcome. If you’ve been saving your jump and screw attack properly with bombs, on most neutrals you should be about under the ledge of the stage and can easily jump and hit the opponent off with an aerial before snapping on yourself.
Common Mistakes
Giving up early
Samus is not an easy character to pick up or play as. This makes her fairly difficult to use effectively as she is a draining character who requires a lot of patience, practice, and technicality to really tap into her potential. You can be superb one game then failing the next one, one major mistake is overestimating a matchup, yes she is below average but that doesn’t mean she can’t hold her own to some degree. She does require a different mindset to play.
Over Relying on Projectiles/Zair
Yes Samus has a great long range game, but don’t think that they are the best answer for every situation. None of them start below 15 frames except Zair and even that should be used with a little restraint. Use projectiles/zair but make sure you do more than just try to shoot the opponent to death because that plan won’t work.
Running in Recklessly
A common thing I see in newer players who pick Samus up is that they assume she should always be in the middle of the fray and taking her opponents head on. This is a very bad idea. It’s alright to move into close range for aggressive play but even then you should always be aware of your spacing, Samus excels at mid to long range combat and her close range game is average at best.
Being a Sitting Duck
On the other side of the coin is that some players will stick to one spot and assume they never need to approach. This is bad because it means you are making yourself easier for the opponent to get to and more than likely trash your plans. Samus is a character who cannot afford to sit still, it’s too easy for her to get combo’d and she needs as much space as she can get. Using her mobility is a tool in itself and don’t let it go to waste.
Smashing a lot
Samus Fsmash and Dsmash are two of her better killers and while they can help punish and space they should be used sparingly to keep them fresh. Situations will appear where you think that smashing would be best yet you also can use tilts, aerials, and even an occasional grab to punish and space quite well that should be kept in mind.
Falling into Patterns
Good opponents will expect certain things from Samus. Zair is notoriously first, followed by projectile games, and then her aerials to rack damage. Smart opponents will also predict and punish these basic tactics easily. But Samus has a healthy toolbox of mix-ups to bring spontaneity, confusion, and unpredictability into your game. Instead of just shooting stuff, Zair into an aerial. Instead of approaching with missiles>Fair, try charge shot>dash attack. Use your opponents expectations of Samus to your advantage to condition them then mess with their heads, but most importantly, think out of the box and be creative.
Not Updating Your Logbook
What I mean by this is that Samus is not a character can win off dumb luck or just hoping for the best with your attacks. She is a tactical character and you are expected to analyze what your opponent is doing to respond accordingly and try to learn about them a bit even when you’re not playing. Samus has some matchups that will feel seriously out of her favor without proper background knowledge so like in the Metroid Prime Trilogy, you should be learning about the other characters to know what you can take advantage of.[/COLLAPSE]
Physics and Stats
[COLLAPSE=Weight, Air Speed, Dodge Data, etc.]
Unsurprisingly given her heavy armor, Samus is a heavy yet uniquely very floaty character, even while in bulky armor she can still show shades of her natural athleticism.
Samus can wall jump.
Samus cannot wall cling.
Samus cannot crawl.
Weight
Samus is the 7th heaviest character in the game below Ganondorf and above Wario.
[COLLAPSE=Weight List]
1. Bowser (120)
2. Donkey Kong (116)
3. Snake (113)
4. King Dedede (112)
5. Charizard (110)
6. Ganondorf (109)
7. Samus (108)
8. Wario & Yoshi (107)
9. R.O.B. (106)
10. Ike (105)
11. Captain Falcon & Link (104)
12. Wolf (102)
13. Ivysaur & Lucario (100)
14. Mario (98)
15. Luigi (97)
16. Sonic (95)
17. Lucas, Ness, & Pit (94)
18. Diddy Kong (93)
19. Ice Climbers & Toon Link (92)
20. Peach (90)
21. Marth (87)
22. Sheik & Zelda (85)
23. Falco (82)
24. Olimar (82)
25. Zero Suit Samus (81)
26. Fox (80)
27. Meta Knight (79)
28. Pikachu (79)
29. Kirby (78)
30. Mr. Game & Watch & Squirtle (75)
31. Jigglypuff (68)
[/COLLAPSE]
Air Speed
Samus is one of the 9th fastest characters along with Charizard, Lucario, and Zelda.
[COLLAPSE="Air Speed List"]
1. Yoshi (1.32)
2. Jigglypuff (1.27)
3. Wario & Wolf (1.22)
4. Captain Falcon (1.18)
5. Sonic (1.11)
6. Donkey Kong & Mr. Game & Watch (1.08)
7. Lucas (1.05)
8. Bowser, Marth, & Zero Suit Samus (1.03)
9. Charizard, Lucario,Samus, & Zelda (0.99)
10. Ness (0.96)
11. Mario, Snake, & Toon Link (0.94)
12. Ike (0.92)
13. Pikachu (0.91)
14. Falco, Fox, Peach, & R.O.B. (0.89)
15. Ganondorf, Kirby, & Sheik (0.85)
16. Diddy Kong (0.83)
17. Olimar (0.82)
18. Link (0.81)
19. Ice Climbers (0.77)
20. Ivysaur & Meta Knight (0.75)
21. Luigi (0.73)
22. King Dedede (0.66)
[/COLLAPSE]
Fall Speed
Samus is 37th on the fall speed list and the 3rd slowest faller below Zelda and above Peach.
[COLLAPSE=Fall Speed List]
1. King Dedede (2.73)
2. Link (2.67)
3. Captain Falcon (2.57)
4. Fox (2.56)
5. Snake (2.42)
6. Falco (2.39)
7. Pikachu (2.38)
8. Ganondorf & Ike (2.31)
9. Donkey Kong & Sheik (2.21)
10. Marth & Squirtle (2.10)
11. Diddy Kong, Sonic, & Zero Suit Samus (2.00)
12. Pit (1.99)
13. Wario (1.96)
14. Bowser & Meta Knight (1.95)
15. Lucas (1.92)
16. Kirby, Toon Link, & Wolf (1.90)
17. Charizard & Ivysaur (1.89)
18. Ness (1.83)
19. Olimar (1.82)
20. Yoshi (1.81)
21. Mario (1.79)
22. Mr. Game & Watch (1.74)
23. Luigi (1.71)
24. Ice Climbers, Lucario, & R.O.B. (1.68)
25. Zelda (1.58)
26. Samus (1.50)
27. Peach (1.47)
28. Jigglypuff (1.37)
[/LIST]
[/COLLAPSE]
Walk Speed
Samus is one of the 15th fastest walkers along with Ivysaur.
[COLLAPSE=Walk Speed List]
1. Marth (1.5)
2. Fox (1.45)
3. Sonic (1.40)
4. Zero Suit Samus (1.33)
5. Sheik & Wolf (1.30)
6. Falco (1.28)
7. Diddy Kong (1.25)
8. Pikachu (1.24)
9. Meta Knight & Toon Link (1.22)
10. Donkey Kong, Link, & Squirtle (1.20)
11. Pit (1.18)
12. Yoshi (1.15)
13. Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, & R.O.B. (1.10)
14. Luigi (1.08)
15. Ivysaur & Samus (1.05)
16. Lucario (1.00)
17. Ice Climbers (0.96)
18. King Dedede & Kirby (0.95)
19. Olimar (0.90)
20. Ike (0.88)
21. Ness & Peach (0.86)
22. Captain Falcon & Wario (0.85)
23. Snake (0.84)
24. Lucas (0.82)
25. Bowser & Zelda (0.80)
26. Ganondorf (0.73)
27. Charizard & Jigglypuff (0.70)
[/LIST]
[/COLLAPSE]
Running Speed
Samus is the 20th fastest runner.
[COLLAPSE=Running Speed List]
1. Sonic (3.50)
2. Captain Falcon (2.18)
3. Fox (2.08)
4. Zero Suit Samus (1.93)
5. Sheik (1.92)
6. Meta Knight (1.85)
7. Charizard (1.80)
8. Pikachu (1.76)
9. Diddy Kong (1.72)
10. Marth (1.70)
11. Yoshi (1.68)
13. Toon Link (1.65)
14. Donkey Kong (1.62)
15. Pit (1.58)
16. Mr. Game & Watch (1.55)
17. Bowser (1.53)
18. Ivysaur (1.50)
19. Lucas, Mario & R.O.B. (1.50)
20. Samus (1.45)
21. Falco (1.43)
22. Lucario (1.41)
23. Olimar & Wolf (1.40)
24. Ice Climbers & Ness (1.39)
25. Ike, Kirby, & Squirtle (1.37)
26. Peach, Snake, & Wario (1.35)
27. Luigi (1.34)
28. Link (1.33)
29. King Dedede & Zelda (1.22)
30. Ganondorf (1.16)
31. Jigglypuff (1.10)
[/COLLAPSE]
Spot Dodge
Samus has an average spot dodge.
[COLLAPSE=Spot Dodge List]
2-20 / 22 Link
2-20 / 22 Pikachu
2-20 / 22 Falco
2-20 / 22 Yoshi
2-20 / 22 Toon Link
2-20 / 24 Marth
2-20 / 25 Mario
2-20 / 25 Samus
2-20 / 25 Zero Suit Samus
2-20 / 25 Kirby
2-20 / 25 Fox
2-20 / 25 Game & Watch
2-20 / 25 Luigi
2-20 / 25 Diddy
2-20 / 25 Zelda
2-20 / 25 Sheik
2-20 / 25 Pit
2-20 / 25 Metaknight
2-20 / 25 Squirtle
2-20 / 25 Ivysaur
2-20 / 25 Charizard
2-20 / 25 Ike
2-20 / 25 Snake
2-20 / 25 Peach
2-20 / 25 Ganondorf
2-20 / 25 Ice Climbers
2-20 / 25 Wolf
2-20 / 25 Lucario
2-20 / 25 Ness
2-20 / 25 Sonic
2-20 / 25 Wario
2-20 / 25 R.O.B
2-20 / 25 Captain Falcon
2-20 / 25 Lucas
3-20 / 25 Olimar
3-16 / 25 Jigglypuff
2-20 / 27 King Dedede
2-23 / 30 Donkey Kong
3-24 / 32 Bowser
[/COLLAPSE]
Forward Roll
Samus has the worst forward roll in the cast. Being longer by about ten frames than most of the cast.
[COLLAPSE=Forward Roll List]
5-12 / 23 Metaknight
4-19 / 27 Lucario
4-17 / 27 Pit
4-15 / 27 Zero Suit Samus
4-19 / 29 Diddy
4-19 / 29 Squirtle
4-20 / 31 Kirby
4-19 / 31 Donkey Kong
4-19 / 31 Fox
4-19 / 31 Pikachu
4-19 / 31 Luigi
4-19 / 31 Zelda
4-19 / 31 Sheik
4-19 / 31 Falco
4-19 / 31 Peach
4-19 / 31 Ganondorf
4-19 / 31 Ice Climbers
4-19 / 31 Wolf
4-19 / 31 Ness
4-19 / 31 Sonic
4-19 / 31 Captain Falcon
4-19 / 31 Lucas
3-19 / 32 Jigglypuff
4-19 / 32 Mario
4-19 / 32 Ivysaur
4-19 / 32 King Dedede
4-19 / 32 Olimar
4-19 / 33 Ike
4-21 / 34 R.O.B
4-19 / 34 Yoshi
4-19 / 35 Charizard
4-19 / 35 Marth
4-19 / 35 G&W
4-17 / 35 Snake
4-21 / 37 Wario
4-19 / 37 Link
4-19 / 37 Toon Link
5-20 / 39 Bowser
4-23 / 44 Samus
[/COLLAPSE]
Back Roll
Samus also has the worst back roll in the cast. Being longer by about ten frames than most of the cast.
[COLLAPSE=Back Roll List]
4-19 / 27 Lucario
4-19 / 29 Diddy
4-19 / 29 Squirtle
4-20 / 31 Kirby
4-19 / 31 Donkey Kong
4-19 / 31 Fox
4-19 / 31 Pikachu
4-19 / 31 Luigi
4-19 / 31 Zelda
4-19 / 31 Sheik
4-19 / 31 Falco
4-19 / 31 Lucas
4-19 / 31 Wolf
4-19 / 31 Ness
4-19 / 31 Sonic
4-19 / 31 Ganondorf
4-19 / 31 Ice Climbers
4-19 / 31 Captain Falcon
5-20 / 31 Peach
4-19 / 32 Jigglypuff
4-19 / 32 Mario
4-19 / 32 King Dedede
4-19 / 32 Ivysaur
4-19 / 32 Olimar
4-17 / 32 Pit
4-19 / 33 Snake
4-12 / 33 Metaknight
4-21 / 34 R.O.B
4-23 / 35 Marth
4-19 / 35 G&W
4-19 / 36 Charizard
4-21 / 37 Wario
4-19 / 37 Ike
4-19 / 37 Link
4-19 / 37 Zero Suit Samus
4-19 / 37 Yoshi
4-19 / 37 Toon Link
5-20 / 39 Bowser
4-23 / 44 Samus
[/COLLAPSE]
Air Dodge
Samus has an average airdodge.
[COLLAPSE=Air Dodge List]
3-29 / 39 Metaknight
4-29 / 39 Zero Suit Samus
4-29 / 39 Diddy
4-29 / 39 Pit
4-29 / 39 Squirtle
4-29 / 39 Ivysaur
4-29 / 39 Charizard
4-29 / 39 Ike
4-29 / 39 Snake
4-29 / 39 King Dedede
4-29 / 39 Lucario
4-29 / 39 Wario
4-29 / 39 R.O.B
4-29 / 39 Olimar
4-29 / 48 Ice Climbers
4-29 / 48 Ness
4-29 / 48 Sonic
4-29 / 48 Lucas
4-30 / 49 Bowser
4-29 / 49 Mario
4-29 / 49 Donkey Kong
4-29 / 49 Link
4-29 / 49 Samus
4-29 / 49 Kirby
4-29 / 49 Fox
4-29 / 49 Pikachu
4-29 / 49 G&W
4-29 / 49 Luigi
4-29 / 49 Zelda
4-29 / 49 Sheik
4-29 / 49 Falco
4-29 / 49 Yoshi
4-29 / 49 Ganondorf
4-29 / 49 Wolf
4-29 / 49 Toon Link
4-29 / 49 Captain Falcon
4-29 / 49 Jigglypuff
5-30 / 49 Marth
4-19 / 49 Peach
[/COLLAPSE]
[/COLLAPSE]
Moveset
Standard Moves[COLLAPSE=Jab, Dash Attack, Ftilt, Utilt, Dtilt]
Jab (First Hit) ~Straight~
Damage: 3%
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★
Hitboxes: 3 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Weak hitstun
Description: Samus quickly punches with her left arm.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-2 (2) l Active: 3-4 (2) l Cooldown: 5-17 (13) l Duration: 17
Shield Stun: 1 l Shield Advantage: -14 to -13 l FAF: 18
Summary
Despite having weak hitstun, Samus’s jab is very flexible. It can be used to poke moves and projectiles and the 2nd jab is easily canceled into a tilt or smash. Jab canceling also works well mid combo to setup the finisher.
Jab (Second Hit) ~Cannon Hammer~
Damage: 7%
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★
Hitboxes: 3 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Doesn't link properly from Jab1
Description: Samus swipes downward with her arm cannon.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-3 (3) l Active: 4-6 (3) l Cooldown: 7-29 (23) l Duration: 29
Shield Stun: 2 l Shield Advantage: -25 to -23 l FAF: 30
Summary
Samus’s 2nd jab hit unfortunately is not as flexible as her first jab. While it’s nice that is only a frame slower and not more, the main problem comes from it not linking properly to jab1 otherwise it would be a better when in doubt move.
Dash Attack ~Shoulder Tackle~
Damage: 10% (Sweet) 6% (Sour)
KO %: 220% (upwards)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: Beginning of the move
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus charges forward shoulder first to break through the crowd.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-7 (7) l Active: 8-10 (3) (Sweet), 11-16 (6) (Sour) l Cooldown: 19-37 (19) l Duration: 37
Shield Stun: 2-3 l Shield Advantage: -28 to -26 (Sweet), -26 to -21 (Sour) l FAF: 38
Summary
Despite not having any hitboxes extending from Samus this move is actually rather useful. Coming out decently fast makes it useful for punishing and the sweetspot timing can be used to setup juggles at later percentages. Like most dash attacks though, it is susceptible to shield grabs.
Forward Tilt ~Spin Kick~
Damage: 7%, 10% (Angled up or down)
KO %: 225% (sideways)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 4 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus quickly spin kicks in front of her.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-6 (6) l Active: 7-9 (3) l Cooldown: 10-31 (22) l Duration: 31
Shield Stun: 2 l Shield Advantage: -23 to -21 l FAF: 32
Summary
This is typically a common option for jab cancels and there’s no reason not to use it for that. It’s quick, has good range with a little disjoint, and has excellent versatility and spacing capacity. Its range lends it to being a safe poking move on the ground and it also can be used in combos quite nicely.
Up Tilt ~Heel Kick~
Damage: 13%
KO %: 153% (upwards)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus performs a strong axe kick, surprising many with its reach.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-14 (14) l Active: 15-18 (4) l Cooldown: 19-39 (21) l Duration: 39
Shield Stun: 4 l Shield Advantage: -21 to -18 l FAF: 40
Summary
While one of Samus’s longer moves it is a good punishing move for sure. It has two rather large hitboxes and its knockback makes it nice for following up with an aerial. At later percentages it can also be used as a KO move if you want to surprise your opponent.
Down Tilt ~Earth Blaster~
Damage: 14%
KO %: 140% (upwards)
Knockback: ★★★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus crouches down and shoots a blast of fire in front of her
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-5 (5) l Active: 6-8 (3) l Cooldown: 9-39 (31) l Duration: 39
Shield Stun: 4 l Shield Advantage: -30 to -28 l FAF: 40
Summary
A defining kill move for Samus. It has a very large hitbox with noticeable disjoint making it easy to land on unsuspecting opponents. This move can punish and lead into juggles well but it should be saved for killing first and foremost as Samus has too much trouble there as is. Be aware that this move staggers with a lot of cooldown too.
[/COLLAPSE]
Smash Attacks[COLLAPSE=Fsmash, Usmash, Dsmash]
Forward Smash ~Cannon Lunge~
Damage: 13%, 14% (angled up), 12% (angled down) (Uncharged), 18%, 19% (angled up), 16% (angled down) (Charged)
KO %: 132%, 125% (angled up), 138% (angled down) (Uncharged), 105%, 100% (angled up), 110% (angled down) (Charged) (upwards)
Knockback: ★★★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Weakest angled down, strongest angled up.
Description: Samus gut punches opponents with her arm cannon.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-9 (9) l Active: 10-11 (2) l Cooldown: 12-43 (32) l Duration: 43
Shield Stun: 4 l Shield Advantage: -30 to -29 l FAF: 44
Summary
Definitely Samus’s best smash attack and one of her better kill moves choosing to just up and punch her opponents in the gut with her arm cannon. Its range leaves something to be wanted though as it ends at the end of her arm cannon and the hitboxes are not that big; there is also no hitbox on her body to try and help circumvent this. Overall this is great for spacing, punishing, and most especially, KOing, so use it sparingly.
Up Smash ~Cover Fire~
Damage: 4-4-4-5-6 (5 hits, 23% Uncharged), 5-6-5-7-9 (5 hits, 32% Charged)
KO %: 167% (Uncharged), 155% (Charged) (upwards)
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Only the last hit can KO (somehow)
Description: Samus blasts fire above her head.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-10 (10) l Active: 11-13, 15-17, 19-21, 23-25 (3) 27-27 (2) l Cooldown: 29-56 (28) l Duration: 56
Shield Stun: 1-2 l Shield Advantage: -45 to -27 l FAF: 57
Summary
This is a deceptive smash as many newer players assume it has the trapping abilities of smashes like Zelda’s, but this is far from the truth. Even its great disjointed range doesn’t save it from being one of the most situational Usmashes in the game. The best use for this move is to poke through the bottom of platforms for some extra damage or to punish airdodges above you given how long it lasts.
Down Smash ~Spinning Leg Sweep~
Damage: 15% (front) 14% (back) (Uncharged), 21% (front) 19% (back) (Charged)
KO %: 144% (Uncharged), 125% (Charged) (upwards)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: First hit KOs better
Description: Samus sweeps her leg along the ground
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-8 (8) l Active: 9-11 (front), 17-19 (back) (3) l Cooldown: 20-51 (32) l Duration: 51
Shield Stun: 5 l Shield Advantage: -38 to -36 l FAF: 52
Summary
This is a pretty good smash for Samus with a nice little bit of disjoint on her foot. It comes out quite quickly for a smash and covers both sides of Samus making it a great GTFO option. It also serves as one of her better KO options, but its utility for spacing and punishing can be utilized as well.
[/COLLAPSE]
Aerial Attacks[COLLAPSE=Nair, Fair, Bair, Uair, Dair, Zair]
Neutral Aerial ~Chozo Kick~
Damage: 9% (Sweet) 6% (Sour)
KO %: 262% (sideways)
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★★★ l Range: ★★★
Hitboxes: 2 (frames 5-8) 3 (frames 9-24) l Sweetspot: Beginning of the move
Auto-Cancel: Yes
Special Properties: Sex-Kick
Description: Samus quickly kicks forward in the air.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-4 (4) l Active: 5-8 (Sweet), 9-24 (Sour) l Cooldown: 25-45 (21) l Duration: 45
Shield Stun: 2-3 l Shield Advantage: -39 to -36 (Sweet), -36 to -21 (Sour) l Auto-Cancel Shield Advantage: -27 to -11 l FAF: 46
Landing Lag: 9 l Auto-Cancel: Between frames 5-34
Summary
Commonly Nair is used for more defensive purposes with Samus such as breaking combos and it comes out very quickly. Its low knockback makes it a good combo and a great gimping move along with its defensive uses. This move is also a sex kick so it will weaken after frame 8.
Forward Aerial ~Aerial Flame~
Damage: 4-3-3-3-5 (18%, 5 hits)
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 3 l Sweetspot: No
Auto-Cancel: Yes
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus uses her flamethrower to scorch opponents in front of her while airborne.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-6 (6) l Active: 7-8, 13-14, 19-20, 25-26, 30-31 (2) l Cooldown: 32-55 (24) l Duration: 55
Shield Stun: 1 l Shield Advantage: -50 to -26 l Auto-Cancel Shield Advantage: -42 to -18 l FAF: 56
Landing Lag: 9 l Auto-Cancel: After frame 46
Summary
This is move is almost pure pressure for Samus and it will have many great uses. It’s quick, combos quite well, pressures shields very nicely, and is a fantastic ledge approach. A very flexible move overall with a disjoint similar to Usmash and can even be used to approach decently onstage, the only weakness it has is that opponents can SDI out of it without a lot of trouble if they know how.
Back Aerial ~Flying Back Kick~
Damage: 14% (Sweet) 10% (Sour)
KO %: 130% (Sweet) 155% (Sour) (sideways)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: Samus’s Foot
Auto-Cancel: Yes
Special Properties: None
Description: Still airborne, Samus gives a powerful back kick to anyone behind her.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-8 (8) l Active: 9-10 (2) l Cooldown: 11-39 (29) l Duration: 39
Shield Stun: 3-4 l Shield Advantage: -28 to -26 l Auto-Cancel Shield Advantage: -24 to -22 l FAF: 40
Landing Lag: 12 l Auto-Cancel: Between frames 9-31
Summary
One of Samus’s better KOing options outside of Dtilt, Fsmash, and Dsmash. The best way to kill with this move is to make sure you hit with Samus’s foot where the sweetspot is to rocket opponents off on a sharp diagonal. Even if sourspotted this move still spaces fairly well and can even set up Dair spikes quite nicely if the opponent is knocked off stage given its shorter animation time and it’s very early auto-cancel. Don’t use it too much though as it can telegraph itself.
Up Aerial ~Spiral Kick~
Damage: 3-1-1-1-1-4 (11%, 6 hits)
KO %: 278% (sideways)
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★★★ l Range: ★★★
Hitboxes: 3 l Sweetspot: No
Auto-Cancel: Yes
Special Properties: Multiple hitbox attack
Description: While in the air, Samus points her legs upward and spins like a corkscrew.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-4 (4) l Active: 5-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15, 17-18, 20-21 (2) l Cooldown: 22-39 (18) l Duration: 39
Shield Stun: 0-1 l Shield Advantage: -34 to -18 l Auto-Cancel Shield Advantage: -30 to -14 l FAF: 39
Landing Lag: 9 l Auto-Cancel: Between frames 5-33
Summary
Samus’s Uair is one of her best pressure moves and one of her best moves overall. It has lots of combo potential, pressures shields very well, and can even lead into frame traps. This is one of Samus’s best damage rackers and should be used whenever the chance presents itself as very few characters have an answer to it from below and its speed and ability to be auto-canceled so quickly make it incredibly safe.
Down Aerial ~Meteor Cannon~
Damage: 15%
KO %: 163% (Bouncing off the stage upwards)
Knockback: ★★★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 2 l Sweetspot: No
Auto-Cancel: Yes
Special Properties: Strong spiking move
Description: Samus powerfully swipes with her arm cannon beneath her.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-17 (17) l Active: 18-22 (5) l Cooldown: 23-48 (26) l Duration: 48
Shield Stun: 5 Shield Advantage: -26 to -22 l Auto-Cancel Shield Advantage: -13 to -9 l FAF: 49
Landing Lag: 9 l Auto-Cancel: Between frames 4-33
Summary
Aside from its start-up, which is a frame longer than Peach’s Fair, it has a good amount of disjoint below and spikes very well, netting the early KOs Samus needs desperately. If shielded this move can be punished however it is also decently effective at whittling shields if spaced properly so all is not lost and it can lead into several combos on grounded opponents.
Z- Aerial ~Grapple Beam~
Damage: 4% (Sour) 7% (Sweet)
KO %: 273% (Sweet, sideways)
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: Tip of Beam (frames 17-18)
Special Properties: Can grab ledges and go through parts of stages.
Description: Samus fires her grapple beam to shock opponents.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-8 (8) l Active: 9-16 (8, Sour), 17-18 (2, Sweet) l Cooldown: 19-59 (41) l Duration: 59
Shield Stun: 1-2 l Shield Advantage: -50 to -40 l FAF: 60
Summary
This is one of the best moves in the game and the best move Samus has. No objections. It’s speed, range, and ridiculous versatility make it the goddess of poking. She can poke, space, recover, gimp, combo, etc. with Zair and it forms the core of her very strong footsies game. This move is very safe and should be used whenever without getting predictable; you’ve shot off your leg in a match if you don’t use Zair.
[/COLLAPSE]
Special Moves[COLLAPSE=Charge Shot, Missile, Screw Attack, Bomb]
Neutral B ~Charge Shot~
Damage: 3% (Uncharged) 25% (Fully Charged)
KO %: 124% (Fully Charged, sideways)
Knockback: ★ > ★★★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Gains knockback, power, and speed based on charge
Description: Samus charges her Power Beam to ready a powerful charged blast.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1- 15 (15) l Active: 16-84 (69) 16-145 (130, Charging) l Cooldown: 16-43 (28) l Duration: 84 (Shot) 145 (Charge Time)
Shield Stun: 1-8 l Shield Advantage: -22 to -7 (Uncharged to fully charged) l FAF: 44
Summary
It’s easy for this move to be used with the very linear goal in mind of only being a kill move. This is not the case however, as this move has a lot of similar uses to missiles, being able to rack damage, mix-up projectile spam, pressure shields, and refresh moves as well. This move can be a good kill move but its ability to function in projectile spam should not be ignored.
Side B ~ Homing Missile~
Tilt: Homing Missile
Damage: 5%
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Homes in onto opponent
Description: Samus fires a homing missile from her arm cannon.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-22 (22, Ground) 1-15 (15, Air) l Active: 23-130 (108, Ground) 16-123 (108, Air) l Cooldown: 23-59 (37, Ground) 16-59 (44, Air)
Duration: 59
Shield Stun: 1 l Shield Advantage: ??? l FAF: 60
Summary
The weaker yet more effective of the two missiles, that defines Samus as a spammer. They come out rather quickly and rack damage pretty rapidly and open a gateway to a massive amount of projectile pressure games. Homing missiles should be the primarily used missile as they travel further and their ability to home in makes it more difficult for opponents to approach you or evade the missiles. Homing missiles also eat spot dodges very well and create many follow ups.
Tap/Smash B ~Super Missile~
Damage: 10%
KO %: 280% (sideways)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★ l Range: ★★★★★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Linear trajectory
Description: Samus fires off a super missile from her arm cannon.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-22 (22, Ground) 1-24 (24, Air) l Active: 23-92 (70, Ground) 25-94 (70, Air) l Cooldown: 23-59 (37, Ground) 25-59 (35, Air) l Duration: 59
Shield Stun: 2 l Shield Advantage: ??? l FAF: 60
Summary
The faster, stronger, and less useful of Samus’s two missiles. While they may seem better on paper and in action, their linear trajectory makes them easier for opponents to dodge and can backfire on Samus if she’s against an opponent with a reflector like the space animals. Super missiles should still be mixed in with projectile spam to rack damage even faster just avoid relying on them more than homing missiles as they become predictable faster.
Up B ~Screw Attack~
Damage: 2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 (13%, Grounded) 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 (12%, Aerial)
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★★★ l Range: ★★★★
Hitboxes: 4-1 (last hit) l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus quickly performs her iconic screw attack, shocking opponents who touch her.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-4 (4) l Active: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28 (2, Grounded, Aerial ends on 25-26) l Cooldown: 29-49 (21, Grounded) 27-47 (21, Aerial) l Duration: 49 (Grounded) 47 (Aerial)
Invincibility: 3-7 (Grounded), 3-4 (Aerial) l Shield Stun: 0 l Shield Advantage: ??? l FAF: -
Summary
This is Samus’s best ground, out of shield, and possibly anti-air option. Samus will jerk up pretty quickly into the air so it is a difficult move to respond to and deals a nice 10-13%. This move also is another asset to Samus’s shield pressure game, practically eating shields for snacks and easily getting them closer to breaking. On stages like Battlefield this move really shines in platform control. The grounded version is better but the aerial one is useful too being able to combo out of aerials like Uair rather well.
Down B ~Bomb~
Damage: 9%
KO %: N/A
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★ l Range: ★
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Bomb lacks a contact hitbox
Description: Samus goes into her Morph Ball mode and drops a bomb then comes out of Morph Ball as the bomb explodes 1/3rd of a second later.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-11 (11) l Bomb: 12 (1) l Cooldown: 13-59 (47) l Proxy: 63-80 (18) l Hit: 81-82 (2) Duration: 82
Shield Stun: 1 l Shield Advantage: ??? l FAF: 60
Summary
While they lack a contact hitbox, for recovery and planking these guys are very handy, being able to make it very difficult to gimp and edgeguard Samus or force her off the ledge. When used more erratically they can help break you out of combos or grabs and help keep opponents from pursuing you for a second. She can also do her Bomb Jump from the Metroid games both on the ground and in the air.
[/COLLAPSE]
Grabs/Throws[COLLAPSE=Grab, Pummel, Fthrow, Bthrow, Uthrow, Dthrow]
Pummel ~Chozo Chop~
Damage: 1%
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: No
Special Properties: Will not hit Bowser more than once via glitch
Description: Samus quickly strikes the opponent with her palm.
Summary
Samus has a good pummel, being very quick and great for refreshing moves whenever you grab an opponent, which likely won’t happen a lot considering how easy Samus’s grab is to punish. If you do land a grab though you should get a pummel or two in before throwing as it always helps.
Frame Data
Standing Grab
Start-up: 1-16 (16) l
Active: 17-30 (14) l
Cooldown: 31-93 (63)
Duration: 93 l
FAF: 94 l
Hitboxes: 4
Dash Grab
Start-up: 1-16 (16) l
Active: 17-30 (14) l
Cooldown: 31-73 (43)
Duration: 73 l
FAF: 74 l
Hitboxes: 4
Pivot Grab
Start-up: 1-18 (18) l
Active: 19-32 (14) l
Cooldown: 33-95 (63) l
Duration: 96 l
FAF: 97 l
Hitboxes: 4
Fthrow ~Beam Throw~
Damage: 9%
KO %: Beyond 300% (sideways)
Knockback: ★★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: N/A
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: N/A
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus quickly throws her opponent forward.
Frame Data
Startup l Hit l Cooldown l Duration
Heavy l 1-19 (19) l 20 (1) l 21-50 (30) l 50
Light l 1-11 (11) l 12 (1) l 13-28 (16) l 28
Summary
This is one of the better throws for Samus, having good knockback, a healthy amount of follow ups, and spaces quite nicely. Any of Samus’s long ranged attacks make great follow ups for this but the weakness of it is that it is harder to follow up with on lighter opponents.
Bthrow ~Reverse Beam Throw~
Damage: 8%
KO %: Beyond 300% (sideways)
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: N/A
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: N/A
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus heaves her opponent behind her.
Frame Data
Startup l Hit l Cooldown l Duration
Heavy l 1-14 (14) l 15 (1) l 16-59 (44) l 50
Light l 1-8 (8) l 9 (1) l 10-34 (25) l 28
Summary
This throw is rather nice for spacing, ending combos, and even setting up gimps.
Uthrow ~Beam Launch~
Damage: 1-1-1-1-1-4 (9%, 6 hits)
KO %: 250% (upwards)
Knockback: ★★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: N/A
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: N/A
Special Properties: Opponent’s weight affects how many hits they take aside from last hit
Description: Samus spins her opponent above her then shocks them.
Frame Data
Startup l Hit l Cooldown l Duration
Heavy l 1-16 (16) l 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 34 (1) l 35-50 (16) l 50
Light l 1-9 (11) l 10, 13, 14, 20 (1) l 21-28 (8) l 28
Summary
I find this better for heavyweights over lightweights as they take more hits from it. However this move is great for putting opponents in one of Samus’s two favored zones but unfortunately it doesn’t really have any follow ups, however it is the best throw for killing, yet this isn’t saying much.
Dthrow ~Beam Slam~
Damage: 6%
KO %: Beyond 300% (upwards)
Knockback: ★ l Speed: ★★★ l Range: N/A
Hitboxes: 1 l Sweetspot: N/A
Special Properties: None
Description: Samus suddenly whips her opponent to the ground.
Frame Data
Start-up: 1-18 (18) l Active: 19 (1) l Cooldown: 20-41 (22) Duration: 41 l FAF: 42
Summary
Sadly this doesn’t chain grab like many other Dthrows but it still has its uses and good follow ups. This move is best at lower percentages as opponents will bounce too high later on and should be switched to Uthrow since it is better at putting opponents in the air.
[/COLLAPSE]
Approaching
[COLLAPSE=Approaching]
Contrary to some belief, Samus actually is quite flexible when it comes to approaching.
- Zair
- Zair>Dash Attack
- Zair>Aerial
- Projectile>Dash Attack
- Projectile>Aerial
- Fair
- Shield Dashing
- Glidetossing (If you catch an item while against an item spawning opponent)
Even though Zair seems like the best way to approach I actually recommend against using it as a primary approach as it is a better move to add in combos rather than start them and it will become very predictable quickly for the opponent. Typically missile canceling twice then following up with an aerial or ground attack while the opponent shields the missiles is a solid way to get in and build damage. Charge Shot can also be used to mix it up with missiles in approaching and also has nice pressure capabilities so you won't lose much. If you happen to catch an item while up against opponents like Peach or Diddy Kong you can use this to your advantage as Samus has a good glidetoss with a long throw to break into their space.
Keep in mind when approaching:
* Distance between you and opponent.
* The range of their attacks vs. yours, even with their back turned.
* Make sure your choice of approach has a higher reward than risk.
* Don’t rely on one or two approaches, use as many as you can.
[/COLLAPSE]
Understanding Samus's Projectiles (and Zair)
[COLLAPSE=Samus's Projectiles]
Samus’s projectiles are a major part of playing her and give her a good boon but mindlessly shooting will not win a match. You must give purpose and reason for using missiles, charge shots, and Zair otherwise you’ll leave no surprises to the opponent. First and foremost, her projectiles should be mixed in with her air and ground game for maximum efficiency and unpredictability.
The Grapple Beam (Zair)
The first of Samus’s one should be acquainted with is her Zair which has incredible flexibility and is very safe being a virtually lagless poke that never stales. It is a major part of both offensive and defensive play and also plays a role in recovery too. Zair is disgusting in how versatile it is and is easily one of the best moves in the game from its sheer flexibility. It is easy to be tempted to rely on this constantly but moderation should advised otherwise your opponent will figure out how to break through Samus’s greatest tool. Zair is her saving grace and is vital to playing Samus at her best.
Uses:
* Approaching
* Offensive and Defensive Pressure
* Building Walls
* Camping
* Spacing
* Combos
* Gimping
* Damage Racking
* Surprise KO Move
Charge Shot
Charge Shot is a solid addition to Samus’s repertoire that also has quite a bit of flexibility but not to the ridiculous levels of Zair. The shots are a bit slow and don’t come out until frame 16 but this move still has several uses despite being a bit slow. A common use for this move is charging it to stage 8 and saving it for the finishing blow; while this is a useful purpose for charge shot there are more uses to it than just KOing as it becomes predictable rather quickly. Personally I prefer to use it to mix up my pressure game and will charge shots half to almost done just so I can’t give my opponent the constant reminder I have a decently powerful projectile ready via glowing arm.
Charge Shot also works as a great mindgame when fully charged. It makes opponents far more wary of being hit and they’ll try to read everything you do which you should take advantage of. Tactics like baiting with missiles to make the opponent shield then fire firing charge shot as they drop their guard will maximize its use. Overall use charge shot in a way other characters use items so make mindgames, bait and punish, form traps, etc.
Uses:
* Building Walls
* Camping
* Combos
* Gimping
* KO Move
* Damage Racking
* Pressure
* Mindgames
* Refreshing Moves (At least I do)
Missiles
Missiles are a staple to Samus’s projectile game undoubtedly, being able to shoot 2-3 of these rather quickly is not something to sneeze at. Learning Missile Canceling is a must because of how helpful missiles are to Samus’s chances of winning, being able to rack up damage pretty rapidly and refresh other moves on the side. With homing and super missiles that can both be shot whenever the mix-ups can be kinda stupid when played right and give Samus a strong pressure or walling tactic. Both missiles have flaws though; don’t expect either to kill for starters because it won’t happen till impractical percentages. The weakness of homing missiles is that they are slow to a degree and can be dodged and shielded easily by a good opponent. Super missiles are faster and stronger than homing missiles but lack the named function of homing in on opponents.
From this it might seem super missiles are better but this really isn’t the case, because missiles should be shot in the air homing missiles become more ideal because they come out 7 frames faster in the air than on the ground and 9 frames faster than super missiles in the air. This might not seem like much but in a frame intensive game like Brawl, 7-9 frames is a lot as that is almost 1/6th of a second. Homing missiles are also better because they are less likely to backfire on you against reflector bearing opponents, as where super missiles can easily be sent back at you as fast as you shoot them. Homing missiles also travel a little farther as well, so overall homing missiles should be used first but super missiles should be mixed in to keep from falling into noticeable patterns.
Uses:
* Pressure
* Camping
* Approaching
* Building Walls
* Combos
* Damage Racking
* Refreshing Moves
* Gimping
Bombs
Bombs may lack their contact hitbox, but for recovery they are quite handy still and make preserving that 2nd jump an easier task and also aid in planking and offstage play. On some occasions with a particularly aggressive opponent I may shorthop into a bomb and DI into another one to cover my escape and gain some space back. Bombs also can be used for a unique method of platform control and zoning and can be great shield bait as well as an edgeguarding tool. However bombs have such a long animation (60 frames before you can act) it is advised that you think about what you are doing before laying a bomb because they can be punished easily.
Uses:
* Recovery
* Planking
* Slowing down aggression (when used smartly)
* Mixups
* Edgeguarding
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Grabbing as Samus
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As anyone who touches Samus notices, her grab is slower and laggier than dial-up internet. Despite its range and multiple hitboxes its speed makes it seem unusable for some. Like many aspects of Samus, her grab is quite technical and needs to be timed and spaced appropriately to be useful and rewarding. ATs that make grabbing with Samus easier are Pivot Wave Grabbing and Boost Grabbing which are universal techniques that all characters can use.
Pivot Wave Grabbing
Pivot Wave Grabbing is useful for both offensive and defensive play and allows Samus to space her grab so she doesn’t have to fear eating a combo for punishment. The execution is simply Dash > Pivot + Grab which should make Samus pivot grab with a noticeable yet short slide. The slide also makes Samus’s grab a little harder to read and with proper spacing should let you more easily snag your opponent when mixed into your gameplay properly. It’s a little tricky to get the timing down at first but learning it allows Samus to improve her already good mix-up game.
Boost Grabbing
Boost Grabbing allows Samus to transfer the momentum of her dash attack into her dash grab. The execution is Dash > C-stick Down > Z, the timing is a bit tricky if you’re haven’t practiced any form of dash attack cancel. It’s quite useful given her dash grab is her safest grab having 20 frames less cooldown than her other grabs making it a little harder to punish with good timing. By implementing boost grabbing the slight slide Samus gets makes it less predictable and easier to snag opponents with proper spacing.
Even with these universal ATs, Samus still has fairly technical grabs and still will have to make good reads for either AT to be effective. Defensive players likely will have an easier time learning the spacing with these tools as they already are constantly reading the opponent to set-up mindgames and keep the lead.
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Understanding the Ledge
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Samus is one of the best characters when it comes to playing on the ledge of the stage. She has the largest ledge sweetspot in the game and can easily grab the ledge from a similar distance that Snake’s disjointed tilts hit. Her floatiness also aids her in being able to plank safely for a very long time as she easily has the time to set up her recovery to snap back on to the ledge. She also has a good variety of moves that allow her to poke beneath the ledge at opponents who may try to force her off.
In short the ledge is an incredibly safe place for Samus to be save for a few characters with very good anti-ledge games (i.e. Marth) and it should be utilized if you feel you need to breathe for a few seconds to regain your thought process if you feel you’ve lost control of the match. Granted Samus only has 50 ledge grabs she can use in a tournament so if you go to the ledge, make it count and worthwhile, there are some MUs where you will burn through ledge grabs.
Moves on the Ledge
As stated already, aside from having the largest ledge sweetspot Samus has many tools for fighting opponents while on the ledge. A key thing to know how to do before you can effectively fight on the ledge though is to understand and be able to easily perform ledge hopping to make you harder to hit, make your attacks more difficult to deal with, and quickly approach back onto the stage.
In defensive play the ledge serves as a cornerstone for Samus as she has a wide variety of options there and her floatiness greatly minimizes the pressure at quickly performing your action and recovering again. Most of Samus’s aerials are very effective for fighting on the ledge however we will cover her most effective tools.
Zair
Samus’s Zair plays a great role in her ledge game alongside her onstage game. She can use it to grab the ledge three times making it useful for a quick stall or edgehogging recovering opponents. She can also use it to attack through the stage and let it poke underneath the opponent’s feet. She can also use this with ledge hopping to fire her grapple beam as she comes onto the stage making it a great ledge approach.
Uair
Uair is very good for poking opponents while on the ledge given its speed and Samus’s size and long legs. By dropping from the ledge, bomb jumping, then using the 2nd jump to get under the ledge Samus can quick poke for a few percent at opponents trying to swipe her off then use bombs and screw attack to snap back on. She can also use this move as a mix-up ledge approach though its lesser range makes it less popular than Zair or Fair.
Fair
Fair is an excellent ledge option for Samus. It has great range, pokes through the stage like Uair, and is fantastic for getting back onstage as a ledge approach and even starting combo in doing so. Utilizing the same techniques for Uair this move is easily a great choice for opponents foolishly trying to swipe you off the ledge.
Missiles
These become even more versatile given their already good onstage capacity when used on the ledge. With these Samus can effectively camp on the ledge and pressure approaches so she can strike from the ledge. However compared to her aerials they are a bit slower and require more spacing so they are not recommended for ledge approaches, but for ledge camping go for it.
Charge Shot
Like missiles charge shot gains more flexibility on the ledge as well for a camping tool. It has many of the same uses as missiles however a fully charged shot can be used as a surprise ledge approach when spaced properly which helps make up for its reduced capability at pressuring approaches.
Bombs
Bombs may not be reliable onstage but offstage they are quite ridiculous being very easy to DI with and set up Samus’s planking game and recovery. Letting go of the ledge then bomb jumping makes it much easier to save that 2nd jump and land aerials under the stage or set up a spike on an opponent who dares to try and take over Samus’s territory. Bombs should typically be the first thing used while attacking so you can keep your precision for snagging the ledge again and not accidentally SDing from a tech error.
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Advanced Techniques
[COLLAPSE=ATs List]
Universal Techniques
Jab Cancel
Description: By jab canceling, Samus will jab once then instead of following up with her 2nd jab she can use a tilt or smash instead.
Input: Press A once then press down.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is quite useful for ground combos or even starting combos by quickly poking with jab and following up with a tilt. It can also be used to turn Jab1 into a poking move against other attacks given its speed.
Jab Lock
Description: Like many jab locks this is extremely situational. The opponent must be in a falling state and bounce off the ground once, which Utilt and Dthrow set up well but still make it very unlikely to work. After the opponent bounces walk forward then jab once, rinse and repeat that last step.
Input: Walk forward and jab once repeatedly.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: Like I said this is incredibly situational, but if the opportunity presents itself it can be quite rewarding. Against a wall this will rack up considerable damage making the KO come faster for us.
Quick Dash Attack (QDA)
Description: While dashing press down on the C-stick to execute a dash attack more quickly than normal.
Input: Press sideways on the Control Stick and press the C-stick down.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This technique is nice in that allows Samus’s already somewhat quick dash attack become a better mix-up option and makes it easier to combo and even approach with.
Hyphen Smash
Description: By running and pressing the C-stick up Samus will slide a bit while performing a Usmash for full damage.
Input: Dash then press the C-stick up.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: Given Usmash is fairly situational with its weak knockback, being easy to DI out of, and high cooldown making it more mobile via hyphen smash gives it better utility. Like with a normal Usmash it is best to use this to poke under platforms to take advantage of the large disjoint.
Auto-Canceling
Description: By landing at a certain point in the animation for an aerial attack the landing lag will be canceled.
Input: Land on the ground when the auto-cancel frame is available, fast falling can also help.
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Uses: This is ludicrously useful for Samus given all of her aerials auto-cancel very well. Using this will improve your combo and close range pressure game as Samus will be able to seamlessly transition from an aerial attack with little lag into whatever she desires to use next.
Shield Dash
Description: By running then immediately shielding while releasing the Control Stick Samus will slide with her shield up a very short distance.
Input: While running, shield, and immediately let go of the control stick.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is invaluable for dealing with campy opponents and gives Samus a convenient way to move while power shielding projectiles to approach. It also can serve as a good mix-up approach as she has decent out of shield options.
Shield Grab
Description: By pressing A while shielding, Samus will drop her shield to grab the opponent.
Input: While shielding, press A to grab.
Difficulty: Very Easy
Uses: The basic use for this would be to shield an opponent’s attack then grab them. This can be combined with the shield dash to shield incoming attacks then grab the opponent for a more mobile defensive grab. However Samus does not have a fast grab so good timing is necessary for this to be effective.
Glide Toss
Description: By canceling a roll with an item throw, Samus slides as the item is thrown in any direction.
Input: Roll, and during the first 2 to 5 frames, press A or the C-stick to throw the item.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: Against item generating characters this will help level the playing field for Samus. She gains a decent slide and has a great throwing distance allowing her to do a variety of things.
Ledge Fall
Description: By pressing down while on the ledge Samus will let go of the ledge and start descending.
Input: While on the ledge press down.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is something that must be learned to make use of Samus’s ledge game and is needed in order to ledge hop appropriately. Ledge falling makes for an easy way to position Samus under the ledge so she poke with her aerial moves at the opponent very safely.
Ledge Hop
Description: After ledge falling by using Samus’s 2nd jump with some DI she will be able land on the stage without rising far above the stage.
Input: Ledge Fall > DI’ed 2nd Jump.
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: This is the other ledge technique that opens a gateway to the reason why Samus is a queen on the ledge. Ledge hopping can be mixed with aerials and projectiles to give her a formidable approach back onstage and even allow her to start combos with certain attacks. You don’t always have to land back onstage is the best part, once you learn the spacing of Samus’s ledge sweetspot you can easily camp with missiles and charge shots or pop up like a cartoon animal to smack the opponent with an aerial then immediately snap onto the ledge safely.
Zair Techniques
Double Zair
Description: By buffering a Zair while jumping Samus can fire her grapple beam again while in the air as she falls.
Input: Full hop + Buffered Zair -> Falling Zair with possible 2nd jump is need be
Difficulty: Relatively Easy
Uses: For starters two Zairs in the air is pretty nice. This is great along with Triple Homing Missiles in creating a strong wall and improving Samus's already strong defensive game. It can also be used aggressively in quirky combos but it definitely shines more on the defensive.
Short Hop Fast Fall Zair (SHFFZ)
Description: After short hopping quickly press Z and fast fall for Samus to release just the tip of her Zair.
Input: Short hop > Zair + Fast fall.
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: This makes for a nice close range only mix-up since you sacrifice range for speed with this AT. It is good for using Zair spacing potential to throw off opponent’s as they won’t see the fully extended grapple beam and wonder how you did that.
Double Jump Fast Fall Zair (DJFFZ)
Description: By short hopping and buffering a low 2nd jump, Samus can fast fall a fully extended Zair forward.
Input: Short hop + Buffered 2nd jump > Fast fall > Zair.
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: This AT is great for hitting short characters or opponents trying to crawl towards you. It gives Samus a nice quick way to create a wall with Zair making it an excellent defensive technique. It will take a few tries to master though but it pays off for aggressive defensive players alike, be aware that it is a bit slower because you have to double jump it first.
Zairing Through the Stage
Description: By ledge falling and positioning yourself under the ledge, Samus can fire her Zair under the stage to poke at the opponent’s feet.
Input: Ledge Fall > Bomb Jump (2nd jump also works) > Zair.
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: This is a very fun technique once you get planking down. After poking at opponent’s foolishly trying to swat you directly off the ledge they’ll try to space back a bit and that’s when you hit them with this. It makes for a great way to give you space to get back on stage as your opponent will likely back off even further after one hit.
Tether Recovery
Description: While offstage by using Zair if close enough it will automatically snap Samus to the ledge.
Input: While offstage press Z if close enough to the stage.
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: The use is in the name. It makes for a great asset of Samus’s recovery and makes it more variable and difficult to predict.
Ledge Refreshing
Description: By ledge falling then quickly pressing Z Samus will quickly snap back onto the ledge.
Input: Ledge Fall > Z
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is great for a minor stall and edgehogging. Keep in mind that you only have 3 uses though so be very wise in how you implement this.
Projectile Techniques
Charge Cancel
Description: While charging the charge shot press shield to save what you have charged immediately.
Input: Neutral B > Shield
Difficulty: Very Easy
Uses: This is good for saving your charge shot since you should always have at least a 3rd to half charged shot at all times.
Low Charge Shot
Description: Just before landing press Neutral B or whatever button you designated to special to release a charge shot lower to the ground.
Input: Special Button
Difficulty: Moderate - Difficult
Uses: This is good for hitting short characters with and knocking opponents off of ledges. A fully charged shot is basically a larger moving Dtilt along the ground making it great for surprise value.
Missile Cancel
Description: By firing a missile in the air Samus will land on the ground with virtually no lag, it also works for charge shot. This is a very repeatable technique that allows Samus to shoot more projectiles sooner.
Input: Jump/Short hop > Neutral/Side B
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is a bread and butter AT for Samus, it opens up a lot of options and is needed to be able to form a solid projectile pressure game.
Double Missile Cancel
Description: After missile canceling Samus can fire another missile/charge shot upon landing.
Input: Missile Cancel > Land > Neutral/Side B
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This AT is nice but it tends to be outclassed by just plain missile canceling because Samus is immobile while firing the 2nd missile. Feel free to mix it in but don’t use it more than plain missile canceling because the immobility can leave you open against opponents who are good with powershield approaches.
Triple Missile Cancel
Description: By full hopping while buffering a missile Samus puts herself in a position where she can jump and buffer another missile then fall while firing a third one.
Input: Full hop + Buffered missile > 2nd Jump + Buffered missile > Falling + missile
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: You may have notice that I didn’t mention charge shot for this one, the reason being is that the first and second shots would be pointless because they wouldn’t hit anything. Overall though this is definitely a more defensive AT but it serves as a great brick wall for Samus as three homing missiles converge on the opponent. I also don’t recommend using super missiles for this AT either because they have the same problem as charge shot.
Bomb Canceling
Description: By pressing down while laying bomb on the ground Samus will not suffer any lag that would be present without holding down the control stick.
Input: Bomb + Down
Difficulty: Easy
Uses: This is nice for mix-ups. I like to buffer tilts and dash attacks out of it personally.
Spider Ball
Description: While walking or dashing toward the edge of the stage and going off of it, quickly lay a bomb and DI back onto the stage. This should give the appearance of Samus’s morph ball rolling onto the stage as a bomb fall offstage.
Input: Walking/running offstage > Bomb + DI back onstage
Difficulty: Moderate
Uses: This is a fun mix-up in its own right. With good timing you can knock opponents off the ledge, however the timing makes it a bit situational.
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Credits
* Xyro's Ultimate Samus Guide:
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=185822
* StealthRaptor's Frame Data
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=300763
* KillerJawz's hitbox video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZnDCwIkFlg
