I can understand how some explorers feel. We go out of our way, risking our lives to scope out some new territory only to have other follow suit take over our space. I remember a time when DIing wasn’t so effective, and recoveries were as straightforward as can be. During these times, all I would have to do is leap off the edge of the stage, and dispense of my enemies when nearly all of their options have been compromised (Remember, I’m Kirby. I have the “jumps”). That was back during the days of MOAST2 (January 2004). Now, the game has traveled so far past that point, that my style of disposal is nearly obsolete.
<p align="center">Â <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/basic03_070605a-l.jpg" title="basic03_070605a-l.jpg"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/basic03_070605a-l.jpg" alt="basic03_070605a-l.jpg" /></a></p>
Edge guarding and recovery is half the game of Smash. If you don’t try to get back from being knocked off the stage, you’ll probably lose all of your matches. If you don’t try and stop your opponent from getting back to the stage, then you’ll probably lose all of your matches. Dying from falling to the bottom of the stage is the quickest most effective killing method.<!--more-->A competent recovery can make or break a character. Just look at Captain Falcon. He has nearly everything. Power. Speed. Charm? One of the reasons he isn’t higher on the tier list is his recovery. Give him a little tap off the edge, and he becomes a flailing infant that needs to be put down for a nap. Captain Falcon only has his up+B to help him recover. Unlike Fox/Falco, his side+B doesn’t allow him to grab the ledge. Unlike Gannondorf, his down+B is too long often putting Falcon in danger making the free jump he gets at the end moot and feckless.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/gal_fz-t01.jpg" title="gal_fz-t01.jpg"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/gal_fz-t01.jpg" alt="gal_fz-t01.jpg" /></a></p>
If a character is only going to recover using one move, they easily become predictable. When a character has options to recovery, they become much harder to predict or “read.” The only thing Falcon has to mix things up is a wall jump and a sweet spot. By hitting the opposite direction when near a wall, some characters will execute a wall jump. This jump doesn’t take away from the character’s mid air jump. Also, there’s a short period of time when wall jumping that the character is invincible. Sometimes Captain Falcon can drop low and use the wall kick to throw off enemy reads. If that doesn’t work, the only thing Falcon has left is his sweet spot.
Technically, all recovering up+B’s have a sweet spot. Some are much “sweeter” than others. Some sweet spots allow for the character to transfer from being invincible with the up+B to being invincible while grabbing the ledge. If Captain Falcon is low enough under the stage edge, he can up+B and grab onto the ledge quickly after the flip at the crest of his jump. In other words, he grabs the edge as quickly as possible leaving as little of his body exposed and vulnerable as possible. Too bad he’s still vulnerable while using his up+B.
In a high level match, Captain Falcon’s options aren’t enough. But he’s not down for the count yet. Captain Falcon is extremely heavy. This makes him hard to kill and hard to knock far off the stage. If he’s not knocked far from the stage, then he naturally has an easier time recovering because the distance is shorter. While using his mid-air jump to get close to the stage, C.Falcon can use his air attacks to fend off anyone attempting to put an end to his life. Because his air attack are exceptionally good, he isn’t a sitting duck off the edge. This is how his character was balanced.
Fox, Link, and Samus have very versatile recoveries. Today I’ll talk about Fox.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fox.JPG" title="fox.JPG"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fox.JPG" alt="fox.JPG" /></a></p>
Fox can use his Fox fire in 16 different angles! While most other characters have little control over the angle and duration of their up+B’s, Fox decided he wanted to be different (and subsequently high tier). Fox can zoom around in any of these directions.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/300px-compassrose16.png" title="300px-compassrose16.png"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/300px-compassrose16.png" alt="300px-compassrose16.png" /></a></p>
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox’s up+B cancels into an edge grab if he’s near the edge at the correct angle.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox has a sweet spot with this move that makes him very difficult to hit.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox has what I like to call Magical Flames. These flames aren’t normal flames. They have the power to burn you even when you think you’re not close to them. You would think, “When fox uses up+B I’ll hit him when he’s charging it.” This is a lot trickier than it would appear because, once again, the flames are magical. Even with a “clean hit and approach” you might be burned just because.
If this wasn’t bad enough, Fox has nearly no lag when he lands on the stage from using his up+B. This means he can immediately defend, run away with is super speed, or worse, attack you with is super powerful attacks.
If this wasn’t bad enough, if he hits you while zooming around, he can recover quickly and finish you off by using his super quick jumps to climb into the sky.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “wow, that’s a lot of stuff. No wonder fox is so goo-” That’s when I cut you off. I’m not done yet.
Fox also has a side+B that’s much faster than his up+B. He can grab on to the stage edge, or try to land on the stage with this move. This move can also be sweet spotted slightly below the edge of the stage (away from danger). If Fox lands on the stage, the lag from this amazing move is minimal. But wait, there’s more. Fox has the ability to shorten the distance of this attack simply by hitting the B button again. So, just when you think you can hit him right before he lands from this attack, he can shorten it to avoid your attack.
But wait, there’s more. If Fox doesn’t feel like coming back to the stage right away, he can stall in mid air by using his reflector (shine) over and over. Moves that stall or hover are critical in throwing off timing.Fox = reflector. Mario = down+B & Cape. Marth = side+B. Peach = B. Way to go Sakurai! You made an overpowered character even more powerful by giving him tons of options that he can kill you from.
Recovery ability is clearly linked to a character’s overall worth. It’s all about balance. This is why Bowser and DK’s up+B’s are hard to hit. If a character doesn’t have weight, then they need some options (Peach, Jigglypuff). If they don’t have options they could use some speed and priority (Marth, Game&Watch). That’s how the balance was designed (at least at first).
The only way to beat a character with so many options is to lock each one out until there’s virtually nothing the enemy can do but bite the dust. This requires a lot of knowledge and skill, but it is possible. Stay tuned for the Art of Edge Guarding. I’ll tell you how to make your very own Matrix!
<p align="center">Â <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/basic03_070605a-l.jpg" title="basic03_070605a-l.jpg"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/basic03_070605a-l.jpg" alt="basic03_070605a-l.jpg" /></a></p>
Edge guarding and recovery is half the game of Smash. If you don’t try to get back from being knocked off the stage, you’ll probably lose all of your matches. If you don’t try and stop your opponent from getting back to the stage, then you’ll probably lose all of your matches. Dying from falling to the bottom of the stage is the quickest most effective killing method.<!--more-->A competent recovery can make or break a character. Just look at Captain Falcon. He has nearly everything. Power. Speed. Charm? One of the reasons he isn’t higher on the tier list is his recovery. Give him a little tap off the edge, and he becomes a flailing infant that needs to be put down for a nap. Captain Falcon only has his up+B to help him recover. Unlike Fox/Falco, his side+B doesn’t allow him to grab the ledge. Unlike Gannondorf, his down+B is too long often putting Falcon in danger making the free jump he gets at the end moot and feckless.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/gal_fz-t01.jpg" title="gal_fz-t01.jpg"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/gal_fz-t01.jpg" alt="gal_fz-t01.jpg" /></a></p>
If a character is only going to recover using one move, they easily become predictable. When a character has options to recovery, they become much harder to predict or “read.” The only thing Falcon has to mix things up is a wall jump and a sweet spot. By hitting the opposite direction when near a wall, some characters will execute a wall jump. This jump doesn’t take away from the character’s mid air jump. Also, there’s a short period of time when wall jumping that the character is invincible. Sometimes Captain Falcon can drop low and use the wall kick to throw off enemy reads. If that doesn’t work, the only thing Falcon has left is his sweet spot.
Technically, all recovering up+B’s have a sweet spot. Some are much “sweeter” than others. Some sweet spots allow for the character to transfer from being invincible with the up+B to being invincible while grabbing the ledge. If Captain Falcon is low enough under the stage edge, he can up+B and grab onto the ledge quickly after the flip at the crest of his jump. In other words, he grabs the edge as quickly as possible leaving as little of his body exposed and vulnerable as possible. Too bad he’s still vulnerable while using his up+B.
In a high level match, Captain Falcon’s options aren’t enough. But he’s not down for the count yet. Captain Falcon is extremely heavy. This makes him hard to kill and hard to knock far off the stage. If he’s not knocked far from the stage, then he naturally has an easier time recovering because the distance is shorter. While using his mid-air jump to get close to the stage, C.Falcon can use his air attacks to fend off anyone attempting to put an end to his life. Because his air attack are exceptionally good, he isn’t a sitting duck off the edge. This is how his character was balanced.
Fox, Link, and Samus have very versatile recoveries. Today I’ll talk about Fox.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fox.JPG" title="fox.JPG"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fox.JPG" alt="fox.JPG" /></a></p>
Fox can use his Fox fire in 16 different angles! While most other characters have little control over the angle and duration of their up+B’s, Fox decided he wanted to be different (and subsequently high tier). Fox can zoom around in any of these directions.
<p align="center"><a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/300px-compassrose16.png" title="300px-compassrose16.png"><img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/300px-compassrose16.png" alt="300px-compassrose16.png" /></a></p>
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox’s up+B cancels into an edge grab if he’s near the edge at the correct angle.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox has a sweet spot with this move that makes him very difficult to hit.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fox has what I like to call Magical Flames. These flames aren’t normal flames. They have the power to burn you even when you think you’re not close to them. You would think, “When fox uses up+B I’ll hit him when he’s charging it.” This is a lot trickier than it would appear because, once again, the flames are magical. Even with a “clean hit and approach” you might be burned just because.
If this wasn’t bad enough, Fox has nearly no lag when he lands on the stage from using his up+B. This means he can immediately defend, run away with is super speed, or worse, attack you with is super powerful attacks.
If this wasn’t bad enough, if he hits you while zooming around, he can recover quickly and finish you off by using his super quick jumps to climb into the sky.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “wow, that’s a lot of stuff. No wonder fox is so goo-” That’s when I cut you off. I’m not done yet.
Fox also has a side+B that’s much faster than his up+B. He can grab on to the stage edge, or try to land on the stage with this move. This move can also be sweet spotted slightly below the edge of the stage (away from danger). If Fox lands on the stage, the lag from this amazing move is minimal. But wait, there’s more. Fox has the ability to shorten the distance of this attack simply by hitting the B button again. So, just when you think you can hit him right before he lands from this attack, he can shorten it to avoid your attack.
But wait, there’s more. If Fox doesn’t feel like coming back to the stage right away, he can stall in mid air by using his reflector (shine) over and over. Moves that stall or hover are critical in throwing off timing.Fox = reflector. Mario = down+B & Cape. Marth = side+B. Peach = B. Way to go Sakurai! You made an overpowered character even more powerful by giving him tons of options that he can kill you from.
Recovery ability is clearly linked to a character’s overall worth. It’s all about balance. This is why Bowser and DK’s up+B’s are hard to hit. If a character doesn’t have weight, then they need some options (Peach, Jigglypuff). If they don’t have options they could use some speed and priority (Marth, Game&Watch). That’s how the balance was designed (at least at first).
The only way to beat a character with so many options is to lock each one out until there’s virtually nothing the enemy can do but bite the dust. This requires a lot of knowledge and skill, but it is possible. Stay tuned for the Art of Edge Guarding. I’ll tell you how to make your very own Matrix!
