Strategies and Tips for Meta Knight

[_Chrome]

Hey everyone! I've been playing competitive Smash for quite some time now and I was wondering if some of the more experienced MK players/smashers had any tips for this new MK main. I would put myself at an intermediate skill level, seeing as I have skill and great potential yet much yet to learn. I almost won the last PM tournament I competed in even though I was up against some pretty tough competition, yet this wasn't with MK. I feel as though Meta Knight has quickly become my best character and I was looking for some tips to take my game to the next level. Thanks in advance!

 

[Lawn Chair]

What do you struggle with? Weaknesses? Strengths?

 

[MegaAmoonguss]

Do you have netplay? Other people with netplay could probably give even better help by playing you. I personally love netplay but I suck so I don't really think I should be one to give complex game advice lol

 

[_Chrome]

I mostly struggle with tech skill I suppose. It's not that I can't do it, I just recognize that I should improve it to take myself to the next level. I'd have to play the game more to do that though. I have good fundamentals and understand frame data and match-ups, and I'm really good at keeping my opponents with their back against the wall with consistent pressure at ledges, etc. And I have the combos and tech chases down pat.

Ultimately, it's my tech skill in neutral that causes me to lose it against skilled opponents and the fact that I can't play the game all the time. I do have great knowledge about the game, it's just my fingers won't let me do what I want sometimes. Even if I could do what I wanted to, I still wouldn't be a top-level smasher, but I would be noticeably better.

Also I do not have netplay.

 

[Lawn Chair]

Just practice dashing asap out of every action, Aerials, tilts, etc. Move your stick back and fourth without moving from one spot just to get for the feel on your controller what your pivot range is. Practice fast falling frame perfect (Hold shield and short hop repeatedly until you don't see your shield when you land.) That is my advice

 

[_Chrome]

I really like the first suggestion, thank you for that. That's one of the things I see good players do in warm ups that I never really caught on to.

I was also wondering what I should do to win neutral and start combos at low percent against most of the cast, but more specifically against the spacies.

I understand Meta Knight hates crouch cancelling, and his grab is pretty darn short. Also... Falco? I was having quite the trouble against him last night, not only because he's a spacie, but just with the matchup in general. Any tips?

 

[Lawn Chair]

I'd suggest approach with dtilts, running shield, or dash dance and bait the spacie to approach into pivot grab (Melee pivot grab not brawl pivot grab)

Good combo starts with mk are uair, sweetspot dtilt, usmash, uthrow them on a platform, nair, etc.

Main goal is to tech chase them into a combo starter or try to gimp them

 

[Lawn Chair]

I'm gonna make a video right now to explain what I mean

*EDIT*

Playing the neutral against spacies is all about baiting and taking space. When you dash dance you are making your approach very misleading so they may be inclined to throw out an aerial to challenge you. But smart spacies will bait you to commit to a punish and then punish your lag so in that case you want to pretty much "Bait their Bait" Now I only suggest this against people who are higher level spacie players because tbh lower level spacie players will be defeated by dash dance into grab almost 100% of the time. Now if you are having trouble baiting the opponent correctly you can try taking stage space from the spacie as demonstrated in the video above

 

[_Chrome]

I'd suggest approach with dtilts, running shield, or dash dance and bait the spacie to approach into pivot grab (Melee pivot grab not brawl pivot grab)

Good combo starts with mk are uair, sweetspot dtilt, usmash, uthrow them on a platform, nair, etc.

Main goal is to tech chase them into a combo starter or try to gimp them

I've been using tech chases and the like against them, I was just wondering if there was any easy out to the low percents, y'know? It feels kind of like how Sheik has to grind out the low percent against them. Don't get me wrong; I'm great at applying this kind of pressure, it's just frustrating sometimes when the catch me trying to bait them out. :/

 

[Lawn Chair]

I've been using tech chases and the like against them, I was just wondering if there was any easy out to the low percents, y'know? It feels kind of like how Sheik has to grind out the low percent against them. Don't get me wrong; I'm great at applying this kind of pressure, it's just frustrating sometimes when the catch me trying to bait them out. :/

Watch the video btw if you haven't seen it

Spacing fairs I guess?

 

[_Chrome]

I decided to respond before I watched your video. Thank you very much for the video btw, it was really helpful. :D

I would lose patience in neutral and try spacing fairs and nairs sometimes, or going in with dash attacks, which is NOT the way to win neutral consistently. I really appreciate the strategy about controlling space in the stage and maintaining the center. The IASA tip on dtilt with the angled shield was incredibly helpful, as well as the tip about the long dash dances. In fact, when I started boxing in my opponent with the long, gradual dash dances I won neutral quite consistently and subsequently those games. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that I did right.

P.S. The cool thing you did at about the 23:00 minute mark was an auotcanceled nair into dash if that helps.

 

[Lawn Chair]

I decided to respond before I watched your video. Thank you very much for the video btw, it was really helpful. :D

I would lose patience in neutral and try spacing fairs and nairs sometimes, or going in with dash attacks, which is NOT the way to win neutral consistently. I really appreciate the strategy about controlling space in the stage and maintaining the center. The IASA tip on dtilt with the angled shield was incredibly helpful, as well as the tip about the long dash dances. In fact, when I started boxing in my opponent with the long, gradual dash dances I won neutral quite consistently and subsequently those games. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that I did right.

P.S. The cool thing you did at about the 23:00 minute mark was an auotcanceled nair into dash if that helps.

No I know what happened but I wanna find out how to do that consistently. I figured out its about timing the nair while rising but that is all I could figure out

Glad you enjoyed the video

 

[_Chrome]

No I know what happened but I wanna find out how to do that consistently. I figured out its about timing the nair while rising but that is all I could figure out

Glad you enjoyed the video

If you go to Meta Knight's framed data page you'll see that during the first few frames of his nair and dair (I'm not sure about any others) they will auto cancel. So, if you SHFFL a nair tight to the ground then it will autocancel for you. The dair autocancels before the hitbox comes out, when he brings back his sword.

EDIT: Also, I should have no trouble doing the DDing because it's pretty fundamental. I can't thank you enough for the amount of help you've given to me with that video.

 

[_Chrome]

Another thing that I would like a few pointers on is the Meta Knight/Sonic Matchup. It's quite a bit easier than to play the neutral than against spacies, but regardless I wouldn't mind getting some tips. I figure I should let Sonic approach and just avoid his SHFFLs and side-b approaches, all the while DDing and WDing with dtilts and some spaced nairs, uairs and fairs.

 

[Lawn Chair]

Another thing that I would like a few pointers on is the Meta Knight/Sonic Matchup. It's quite a bit easier than to play the neutral than against spacies, but regardless I wouldn't mind getting some tips. I figure I should let Sonic approach and just avoid his SHFFLs and side-b approaches, all the while DDing and WDing with dtilts and some spaced nairs, uairs and fairs.

Post in my thread I made