brickman
Smash Lord
Like any good self deprecating fox, I'll start off by noting that I'm not an exceptional fox player, but I've played fox long enough to know my way around the character. Furthermore, I've been able to develop some pretty creative strategies and have adopted a relatively infuriating style.
One of my favorite tactics occurs when fox is edge guarding against fox, falco, falcon and marth. (I'm sure it applies to other characters, I just don't frequently play against them). The tactic is relatively simple, it involves shinning and staying in your shine and falling for a varied period of time (fox is able to jump out of his shine at several stages, I'm not sure what the frame data is) and then back airing your opponents return.
I'm particularly good at timing, so I usually wait for them to have limited options in their get backs and then make a choice (most of these attack choices cover multiple options of return for your opponent).
An example is in order. Let us say we find ourselves edge hogging on dreamland as our falco opponent is at 70% and is re-approaching the stage from an above the stage position on the left side of the stage.
There are several options available for falco in his turn (lets cover a few just to understand how this tactic can be used). Falco's options are among the following: normal forward b back onto the stage, short forward b onto the ledge, up-b at up-right, up-b straight, up-b down and to the right. (these can also be varied with shine stalls of their own to confuse the timing). They may also choose to air doge onto the stage. This is simple from that position, they may also wait to drop still further and approach the level of the ledge and then may do a forward b up b (they may also do this slightly above the ledge and simply try to go directly back onto the main stage).
Here is how you can combat just about all of those. Counter their shine stall with your own [ (For determining and matching their timing variations) (Do this in all instances)] this will give you the ability to time their move, and you can jump out of it to hit 2/3 of the firefox angles and both of the forward b returns). If they choose to continue to drop down to slightly above the stage or directly with the stage, you can jump out of your shine stall and time a back air and kill them.
Doing this with consistency requires familiarity with the various return scenarios of your opposing character and the timing of each of these moves. It also requires a deep familiarity with the timing and windows at which you can jump out of your shine stall. With practice and understanding, this becomes an exceedingly effective mechanism for guarding the edge from various return patterns and is probably one of the most effective guards in terms of overall probability.
One of my favorite tactics occurs when fox is edge guarding against fox, falco, falcon and marth. (I'm sure it applies to other characters, I just don't frequently play against them). The tactic is relatively simple, it involves shinning and staying in your shine and falling for a varied period of time (fox is able to jump out of his shine at several stages, I'm not sure what the frame data is) and then back airing your opponents return.
I'm particularly good at timing, so I usually wait for them to have limited options in their get backs and then make a choice (most of these attack choices cover multiple options of return for your opponent).
An example is in order. Let us say we find ourselves edge hogging on dreamland as our falco opponent is at 70% and is re-approaching the stage from an above the stage position on the left side of the stage.
There are several options available for falco in his turn (lets cover a few just to understand how this tactic can be used). Falco's options are among the following: normal forward b back onto the stage, short forward b onto the ledge, up-b at up-right, up-b straight, up-b down and to the right. (these can also be varied with shine stalls of their own to confuse the timing). They may also choose to air doge onto the stage. This is simple from that position, they may also wait to drop still further and approach the level of the ledge and then may do a forward b up b (they may also do this slightly above the ledge and simply try to go directly back onto the main stage).
Here is how you can combat just about all of those. Counter their shine stall with your own [ (For determining and matching their timing variations) (Do this in all instances)] this will give you the ability to time their move, and you can jump out of it to hit 2/3 of the firefox angles and both of the forward b returns). If they choose to continue to drop down to slightly above the stage or directly with the stage, you can jump out of your shine stall and time a back air and kill them.
Doing this with consistency requires familiarity with the various return scenarios of your opposing character and the timing of each of these moves. It also requires a deep familiarity with the timing and windows at which you can jump out of your shine stall. With practice and understanding, this becomes an exceedingly effective mechanism for guarding the edge from various return patterns and is probably one of the most effective guards in terms of overall probability.
