Shield Dropping in Sm4sh

[Omega_Knight]

Is shield dropping useful to master in Smash 4? I always enjoy practicing AT's for the hell of it but I am wondering if shield dropping has significant advantages in certain situations. I cannot do it consistently especially in the middle of a match so I cannot quite tell if it is useful yet so I was hoping someone with more knowledge could chime in.

By shield dropping I mean when you hold shield on a platform and press down fast enough to fall but not fast enough to spot-dodge. If you press down too slow you just angle your shield.

 

[ぱみゅ]

It's a godlike move for Diddy's Uair.
And a bunch (a lot actually) of other aerials too, but with that one move it's ridiculous.

 

[Jaxas]

It's a godlike move for Diddy's Uair.
And a bunch (a lot actually) of other aerials too, but with that one move it's ridiculous.

That... is a really good point.

Huh, may have to grind until I have this down after all.

 

[Omega_Knight]

Can you input down during shield stun or do you have to wait?

 

[NNOOOBB]

If you ever want to be safe on a platform, you have to learn this technique.

 

[ATH_]

Shield dropping is just another option from the platform, which can save you in situations that you otherwise can't be saved in.
If an opponent notices that you don't shield drop ever, then they'll start picking better options to combat you. Similarly to combating someone who always uses one get up option from a ledge.

 

[Octagon]

I think it is useful because it baits out your opponent so that they don't know what your next movie is gonna be

 

[LiL.Will]

Wait you can shield drop in this game? Whats the timing on performing I couldn't do it at all.

 

[Omega_Knight]

On a platform when you shield you press down. You have to move the control stick slow enough that you do not spot dodge but fast enough so that you drop instead of angling the shield downwards. To give you an idea, it is similar to trying to crouch on a platform instead of dropping down. It does not take long to figure the timing for it. Mastering/doing in a match is a different story though.

Also, I do not have any frame data but it looks like it is a couple frames faster to shield drop as opposed to letting go of shield and dropping afterwards.

Another point, if you drop the ledge and do an aerial if you do it too fast you do a n-air regardless of what aerial you input. You have to wait a little bit for any other aerial to come out. If anyone has any idea as to why Sakurai did this I would appreciate it.

 

[Xygonn]

Very useful for Samus, you can buffer your stick into the shield drop position while charging a CS on a platform and if you push shield you'll shield drop which let's you go to her nice fast Uair (and other options). I haven't tested it myself with other charging characters, but according to this thread http://smashboards.com/threads/charge-shot-cancelled-shield-drop.390785/ this tech is specific to Samus/Wii gunner only.