The Pit Community General Guide - U-Smash Discussion

[CHOMPY]

The General Pit Guide

Moveset Discussion


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-= D-Tilt =-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Discuss Pit's D-Tilt and its place in competitive play.

Things to discuss:

1) Rate the move from 1 to 5 in terms of overall usefulness.
2) Discuss any combos that utilize this move (these can be MU specific).
3) Discuss when is the appropriate time to use the move.
4) Share any tips or tricks you know regarding the move.​

 

[LancerStaff]

Seems like an odd first choice for discussion.

Anyway, I give it a 2. It's fast, but it's best use is for a combo that won't work if the opponent jumps out of the first hit. It's otherwise outclassed by Ftilt in range, damage and knockback, the later even in Pittwo's case.

For combos, it's effective when it works. When Dtilt to DA links, you can usually follow it further with an aerial.

As far as miscellaneous info goes, it no longer spikes, and it also has a blind spot right next to our angels that even Mario can use to avoid the attack.

 

[Ikieri]

I'd it give a solid 3 because as its range is closer you can use it to hit people near the ledge. Sometimes they catch people off guard if they're expecting a forward smash and you can generally follow up from it.

 

[Claxus]

I feel a little weird here, but I say 5/5. It has some impressive range and it's super fast, and I don't think I've ever been punished with it outside of tether shield-grabs, because it has almost no endlag. In other words, one of Pit's fastest and safest pokes, with enough range to space with. Plus, it launches the enemy into a position where they have to play defensive. They have to jump to avoid a follow-up, but then they're above Pit. IMO his best pressure and even punish tool on the ground. Sure, F-tilt has KO power and much more range, but it's not as safe since it has both more startup and endlag.

 

[Strider_123]

D-tilt is best used when an opponent escapes your grab. It is, by no means great though because it does have lag which makes it UN-spammable like R.O.B's down attack grrrr rob! >

 

[Claxus]

D-tilt is best used when an opponent escapes your grab. It is, by no means great though because it does have lag which makes it UN-spammable like R.O.B's down attack grrrr rob! >

I dunno, I'm testing it again now and it's basically as safe as his jab, and it has very nearly the same reach as F-tilt (while being slightly faster). And it's also quick to use repeatedly, not that it's a good idea since I mostly use it for spacing.

 

[CHOMPY]

D-tilt is such a good spacing move to use after you just landed and you just simply want to poke their shield. The move comes out quick and it can stop dead in their tracks against rush down characters, like Greninja, Sheik, ZSS. I also found out you can dtilt to dash attack on certain characters at 0%. I'll have to put further testing to find out what combos can work on certain characters.

I give it a 3

 

[Lenus Altair]

I'd give it a 2.

It's a quick knock up into SH strings at low percents.

I tend to use Dtilt as a jab alternative If I want a quick knockup, especially if you want a little extra range. Really it's kinda the intermediary move between Jab1 and Ftlit in terms of range, speed, and safety (though much closer to jab1 stats.)

It was a better move in Brawl. It's one of Pit's less useful moves now just because hos other moves cover a lot of its potential. It feels redundant. I mean, you might be able to use it to duck occasionally...I guess.

 

[Wintropy]

I'll be generous and give it a four.

Maybe it's because I play a defensive Pit and I'm a fan of Palutena's d-tilt for scuppering speedy approaches, but I find that it's good for. Ahh. Well. Scuppering speedy approaches. It's pretty quick, especially compared to his f-tilt, and can catch fast-paced opponents off-guard if you're clever with its use. For what is essentially a potent trip-up move, it's also got some decent damage and can be useful for keeping your opponent at bay when the going gets tough. If it's the choice between a f-tilt that's good at sending them flying but will leave me at risk at higher percentages and smacking them on the feet with a well-timed d-tilt, I will go for the latter~

 

[CHOMPY]

The General Pit Guide
Moveset Discussion

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-= U-Tilt =-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Discuss Pit's U-Tilt and its place in competitive play.

Things to discuss:

1) Rate the move from 1 to 5 in terms of overall usefulness.
2) Discuss any combos that utilize this move (these can be MU specific).
3) Discuss when is the appropriate time to use the move.
4) Share any tips or tricks you know regarding the move.​

 

[Road Death Wheel]

this move in not baf by design but i give it a 1 on usefullness its compleatly out classes by up smash.

 

[LancerStaff]

I'll give it a three. Usmash just whiffs on most characters on the ground and it's more laggy. You'll want to use the move like you would Pit's jab, so right up close basically. I'll switch it up with the jab to keep 'em guessing.

Also I've been hearing of running Utilts lately. Might be useful, hm?

 

[FlareHabanero]

When Pit was revamped, I think changing the old up tilt with the new up tilt is mixed but overall negative. The main positives between the two is that the new attack now has KO potential and slightly better vertical range. However, it can't combo unless you use it at very low percentages. It is possible to combo on characters with a high falling speed in particular, for example at 0% against Fox it's possible that the up tilt can combo into itself or up smash.

However, the problems starts coming in once you realize that anything beyond the specific scenario like mentioned above makes the new attack a lot more impractical. It can't combo into anything that has a reasonable amount of damage or light characters like Jigglypuff. Also despite having more knockback, it can't actually KO until high percentages. The lowest you'll get with a KO is against Jigglypuff at 150%. Also because of it's terrible range and a clean hit requires Pit to be breathing down someones attack, it's very situational attack to use.

Overall, it's easily Pit's worse attack in the game. It has some niche capabilities, but being able to rack up damage against specific characters doesn't compensate for the fact that it has a lot of flaws to it.

I would give it a 1 out of 5 rating in terms of usefulness.

 

[Wintropy]

I'd say two out of five.

It's good if the opponent is above you on a platform and you sneak in underneath them, but on a flat, even stage and fighting a primarily grounded opponent, there's not much use to it. The hitbox also confuses the hell out of me, to the extent that I try like a fool to use it when next to my opponent, only to find that it goes right over them and only hits directly above.

 

[CHOMPY]

Back in Brawl, u-tilt was far more effective for many reasons over what Pit has in Smash 4. Whenever someone was close up to Pit, he was able to simply hit them with his u-tilt, whether they were right above him, or they were standing right next to each other. Now it seems like in this game his u-tilt only hits the player when they are right above his head. The worst part about his move is that there are no true follow up combos after it because the move has enough knock back for your opponent to escape away from whatever move Pit throws next. The move would've been far more useful if they kept Brawls Pit u-tilt, where you can hit the player if they were right next to each other as a "get out of here!" move. The move doesn't kill until 170% (if fresh) against even medium weight. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether or not u-tilts cool down is quicker than u-smash, or if its the same.

All and all, use u-smash over u-tilt instead. Just because the moves are there, doesn't mean you have to use them.

I give it a 1/5. Why would you use u-tilt when you have u-smash that does the same thing, but more range and knock back.

 

[Ikieri]

Really? I guess I must have been using it much differently from you guys. When I use U-Tilt I use it not for combo-ing, but for catching people off guard. If i'm not trying to edgeguard, i'm waiting for them to roll back onto the stage so I can knock them back into the air.
With a well timed U-Tilt it will last long enough to at least get them with the last hit. I'd even say it's an upward jab combo for the air.
It definitely doesn't fit well with his normal repertoire of moves but I still think it's really neat.
So, 4/5.

 

[Claxus]

2/5. It's actually a pretty good move, but it's just too situational. I mean, U-smash is like an enhanced version of it... But U-tilt pretty safe to throw out if they're right above you and leads to better juggling. Still, giving it a lower score because its use is very limited. Looks really cool though.

 

[CHOMPY]

The General Pit Guide

Moveset Discussion
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-= Jab =-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Discuss Pit's Jab (x3) and its place in competitive play.

Things to discuss:

1) Rate the move from 1 to 5 in terms of overall usefulness.
2) Discuss any combos that utilize this move (these can be MU specific).
3) Discuss when is the appropriate time to use the move.
4) Share any tips or tricks you know regarding the move.​

 

[LancerStaff]

It's easy to land, does a good amount of damage, fast, good range, and you can even switch to the infinite if you expect your opponent to attempt sneak past when it's done. It's basically everything besides a KO or combo move. 5/5. Although the second hit will whiff at much higher %s, this is typically long past when you should of KO'd them. I don't believe missing allows an escape.

 

[CHOMPY]

Is it possible for Pit to perform a cancelled jab to grab/fsmash, the same way Link and Palutena can do it?

 

[LancerStaff]

Is it possible for Pit to perform a cancelled jab to grab/fsmash, the same way Link and Palutena can do it?

A canceled jab? How so? All I ever knew was canceling it with crouches back in Brawl. Although I'm doubtful Pit can do anything like that.

 

[Laggalot101]

I just tested it in training mode against a lv 9 Bowser set to attack at 1/4 speed... Pit simply cannot cancel his jab into anything else. The problem seems to be that both Pit's first and second jab have more ending lag (assuming you don't proceed with the next jab, of course) than the opponent takes hitstun. I tried it on several percentages as well, from 0 to 100. You might be able to a grab in after either jab if your opponent does not see it coming and chooses to shield, but it's just not reliable, even with perfect timing. I managed to grab Bowser after a jab once, but he already had his shield up by that point. Your opponent can act well bef

In short, no. Pit cannot follow up his first two jabs with anything that isn't his third or infinite jab reliably.

 

[CHOMPY]

I just found a new mix up for Pit with his jab. All you have to do is roll behind them and do that triple jab.
Now if you do it again they will most likely put up their shield and you can get a free grab off from it.

There was a match I did where I performed a jab reset and I was able to catch them off guard with a grab after canceling the 2nd jab. It may work the first time, but the second time around, your opponent will catch on to that very quickly.

 

[ChaoticRoy]

That mix up works with almost all the cast though. Especially Falcon mains, they do it a lot.

Now replying the post.

1. I give the move a 4.5/5. The only reason I don't give it a perfect score is because it can't be followed up into another moves. You are committed to the whole sequence if it hits or you will get punished if your opponent have good reflexes.

2. There is not a real combo to follow up on Jab (yet) but at low percents it leave people in good spots to follow up strings with your aerials.

3. Jab 1 anywhere, any time. It comes out quick, it ends quick, has decent range and it covers even slightly up from Pit. It's really useful for spacing, catching people out of rolls or spot-dodges and punish whiffed moves that have low ending lag. Jab 2 and 3 are less safe but they have a little bit of more range. I don't recommend to go for the full sequence unless you get the Hit-Confirm but sometimes a yolo full Jab works.

The rapid fire is a little bit tricky, I like it more against big heavy characters because they can get stuck there for a long time otherwise I prefer the regular jab combo.

4. I find Rapid-fire Jab is actually good on the ledge thanks to the range and that it can be done infinitely. If you watch that your opponent likes to stand-up or leap from the ledge Rapid-Fire can throw them off really bad. However is punishable if your opponent realize what are you up to.

 

[Chaleb]

Tips for getting the one-two-three? I always mash A on instinct when I'm trying to Jab and go into the Infinite on accident. I know you can hold A to do it but I feel like that's slower than normal (I could be wrong though?)

 

[ChaoticRoy]

Tips for getting the one-two-three? I always mash A on instinct when I'm trying to Jab and go into the Infinite on accident. I know you can hold A to do it but I feel like that's slower than normal (I could be wrong though?)

Yeah, holding the A button does a slower Jab combo.

If it helps you, I mash A 2 times and for the 3rd time I just hold the button a little. It works pretty well for me to get the full combo fast.

 

[Claxus]

I'll say 3/5... It's a jab. And honestly, not the best out there. I think it has among the most endlag in the game for a jab. Like, just press A or AA, then hold shield. For some reason the animation really lingers before the shield pops up. So much so that doing D-tilt is just as safe (I don't know the frame date but they're very similar)... So a lot of times you can just opt for D-tilt's superior range and knockback, using it the same as a jab, unless you want the multiple hits. It's not bad to catch dodges though. But like mentioned above, the strange endlag hardly allows for jab-canceling mixups like most jabs in the game.

And the infinite version of the jab... Just doesn't link properly. Like Diddy Kong's, but far more tolerable. The problem is it's easy to DI and jump out of... I've fought players that escaped it 100% of the time, and I've done the same in Pit mirrors. And... The finishing hit is also struck with some silly long endlag. You can jump out of it and punish him while he's stuck doing the finishing hit. However, the infinite jab is very useful to use on opponents near the edge. It can sort of 'trap' them against the edge if you just hold it down against their shield.

Overall, I think D-tilt is the best if you want a quick poke. His jabs are the go-to for punishing more dodgy opponents, or if you want to attack when there's no spacing. The endlag on it makes me always second guess using it though, despite it being his fastest attack.

 

[Strider_123]

3/5. sometimes i find its too short in reach but thats more my problem then anything else. i should have zigged when i zagged! down tilt and foward tilt are better for reach. oh speaking of foward tilt...anyone else find it sometimes missing the opponent when they are right in front of me? anyway back to the topic at hand- its best to use with a spot dodging playstyle. i find myself dodging way to often then i should, or rolling. the rapid jab is god awful for me UNLESS i use it at the edge. i find people escape/ counter the last hit. i think kirby has the best connecting jab.

 

[Saimunn93]

I feel inclined to adhere to @ Claxus 's and @ ChaoticRoy 's assessment, although, pertaining the score devoted to the move, I'm leaning towards Claxus's; attributing a 3,5 out of 5 seems reasonable to me. Here's why:

Pros

• Seemingly swift (appears to land the initial hit on frame 5/6, which, if I'm not mistaken, emulates 's D-air) and consecutive jabs succeed the next in rapid sequence (including the initiation of the infinite jab after the secondary jab hit).
• Damage is average / default but certainly not mediocre. In fact I think it rivals the most notorious jab combo in the game (The Gentleman, ladies & gentlemen) in terms of damage infliction (2% + 2% + 5% with an occasional 4% to end the sequence; I assume that the damage on the last hit is 4,75% or so).
• Has excellent reach. It wouldn't outrival 's jab insofar the reach is concerned, but particularly the primary jab hit comprises both a large vertical and horizontal hitbox (for a jab).
• The third hit has a launch trajectory that can put the opponent in unfavourable and sometimes invidious situations (follow-ups depend on the MU / percentage / rage / etc. but generally the diagonal launch is favourable for the Master of the Aerial Compound; U-AIRS ARE IMMINENT)
• The primary hit also has a very.. sinister knockback, in the sense that, despite the lag afterwards, it could still allow for certain follow-ups if enough pressure can be exerted onto the opponent. At a higher percentage, slow-falling heavyweights () & fast-falling lightweights () can be knocked up into a diagonal trajectory and actually allows for a grab upon landing, or even while they are in the hitstun animation. An example of the window that allows for other moves to be inserted is depicted in this video (demonstrated by Nairo playing versus False's) at around 4:10.
  -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHBRERpoYo8
  Nevertheless, this remains situational (see the percentage of False at that point). However, this primary-jab-hit-''cancelling'' could possibly herald a D-tilt, which is another one of the quickest moves in the shed and does not incur any jeopardy when it fails.

Cons

• The myriad of follow-ups as we were acquainted with during the Brawl era is no more.. (no more 1x/2x jab into D-tilt / D-smash / F-smash / F-tilt / Grab etc.). The jab simply incurs too much lag afterwards, and cannot be cancelled manually by tilting down in between move insertion.
  
• The infinite jab isn't the best in the game and is easily DI'd and direly unsafe on shield. Also counter moves (even 's Vision) seem to perpetrate the perpetual hits of the infinite jab fairly easily, and punish it. The infinite jab is always a precarious enterprise..
  
• The secondary hit is fairly weak in terms of knockback, and easily punished.
• He has no empty-impact infinite primary jab (unlike , and i.a., who do possess such feature) to nullify's spindash and dash grab (for instance)

So, to epitomise: a potent jab that indubitably is an invaluable asset in his arsenal and most likely used often by players, but lacks combo'ability and niches to render it an above average jab. While the pros seemingly outweigh the cons in terms of quantity, the implications of the cons relegate the calibre of the jab to 'average'.

If only the follow-up options from Brawl were preserved T.T

 

[LancerStaff]

Not sure about you guys, but I've been rating the moves by how useful they are to Pit and not compared to other characters. It's like how much priority I give it over other attacks.

 

[Claxus]

I mostly pertain my ratings to Pit himself. It's not that I'm rating against other jabs, but it's important to know how his neutral game fares against others to gauge its usefulness. In this case, I just feel D-tilt is (generally) much better as a jab move. Pit's jab is good, but I'd much rather play spacing with D-tilt and other moves making use of his range and speed, I think his jab is a little finicky and not too integral to his play because of its awkwardness. I use it mainly for point blank punishes or catching dodges easily.

 

[Saimunn93]

Not sure about you guys, but I've been rating the moves by how useful they are to Pit and not compared to other characters. It's like how much priority I give it over other attacks.

CHOMPY inquired about the position of 's jab specifically in competitive play (see OP), so to assess it in the light of other (comparable) jab attacks is not necessarily redundant or irrelevant. Especially because jabs are not seldom pitted (no pun intended..) against each other. This is were the frame data at stake becomes relevant; 's jab will lose to 's jab, in terms of speed. Moreover, I am under the impression that jabs are of utmost importance in this iteration of Smash, but that's just intuitive..

Then again, it's absolutely important to take into account the position of the jab in the 'domestic hierarchy'. So one should have a preferential order of move election, and also contemplate the jab in this respect. The complementary suggestion of @ Claxus to use the unassailably prevalent D-tilt over jab when it comes to the autonomous usefulness of the moves is therefore a valid approach. Nevertheless it would not deem jab inferior to D-tilt because D-tilt, while objectively and autonomously preferential, isn't always the go-to move in literally every MU and at literally every occasion during a match. So in order to assess it with the most scrutiny, one needs to interpret the move from multiple angles (autonomously / objectively, vis-a-vis other jabs, vis-a-vis other characters, etc..).

That being said, I stand by my former rating dedicated to the move. But I admittedly could have devoted more time and effort to the comparison insofar his own moveset is concerned.

 

[CHOMPY]

Never use a jab cancel on a laggy HD TV, which cost me a few hits at times T_T.

One thing I learned is that if the player is at high enough percentage where the hit stun comes into play, thats when you can perform a jab to grab on them. Otherwise, your better off either doing a 3-hit jab, or like @ Claxus said, use the dtilt as a spacing move. The only time you should EVER use the rapid hit is if you notice that your opponent gets into the habit of doing a getup (whatever you call that) from like ledge. If Pit had less cool down from the rapid hit, I would use it more often, because of that, your better off using quicker moves like 3-hit and dtilts.

 

[CHOMPY]

The General Pit Guide

Moveset Discussion
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-= F-Air =-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Discuss Pit's F-Air and its place in competitive play.

Things to discuss:

1) Rate the move from 1 to 5 in terms of overall usefulness.
2) Discuss any combos that utilize this move (these can be MU specific).
3) Discuss when is the appropriate time to use the move.
4) Share any tips or tricks you know regarding the move.​

 

[ChaoticRoy]

1) 3.5 / 5 Too much feathers. jk, jk.But I feel it's a solid 3.5 to 4. It has amazing Range, it Auto-Cancels out of a fast falling short-hop and it has a pretty good KB trajectory. However, it has little to none vertical hitbox so hitting things that are low to the ground are risky since you will getting the ending lag and people can hit you from above it.

2) D-throw combos into Fair at low percents on most of the cast, only hyper-light weights being invulnerable to it. Against Fast-fallers You can Chain-grab with fair at low percents and in some occasions you can Wall of Pain them out if a D-throw. Against huge targets like Bowser you can combo F-throw > Fair > U-tilt. Fair also can frame-trap people into a rising Nair. And That's pretty much all I can think about Fair combos right now.

3) Almost anytime, Anywhere. It's personally my main spacing tool because of the good range and being able to auto-cancel out of SH with a Fast fall. It is one of Pit's best move to gimp people thanks to its horizontal KB and it will kill most cast around 80~90% when used Off-stage.

But be careful, while a retreating Fair can be safe on shield most of the time, the faster members of the cast will be able to punish you for using it if you hit their shields. It is best used just outside the opponent's range. Fair is more threatening when it does not hit anything than when it actually does, so take that into consideration when using it.

4) Fair animation makes Pit extend his body in a horizontal way rising his hurtbox from the ground a litttle bit more making it incredibly good to avoid projectiles like Samus and Lucario's Neutral-B and most ground moves. If you want to avoid a non anti-aerial ground attack but you don't want to get air-dodge landing lag a Fair will be able to do the trick in most situations.

 

[FlareHabanero]

I mainly like this move because the duration can make for a frame trap scenario. It's also more safe to use against countering since the first few hits cause the counter to be at minimum power.

 

[LancerStaff]

5/5. Another bread-and-butter move for our angels. It has reach, speed, an unexpected amount of launch power, comboability, gimpability, and a few unique properties to round it out. It's a shame the hiyiyiya doesn't have it's reflector powers from Brawl though.

It has some tricky parts however. It has a blind spot big enough for Pit to stand in it right up close, and short hopping with it can be finicky. Basically, doing the move as fast as you can will result in most of it whiffing even Mario if you don't fastfall correctly. Even if you do, all of it's hits won't connect and it'll deal less damage. Against shorter characters you're better off performing the move "incorrectly" to ensure a hit. As a wi-fi player, it's stuff like this combined with lag that makes me hesitant to use it on the ground...

Also, can we talk about his Dair next? I think it's something that's underutilized.

 

[CHOMPY]

Combos:

- At around 50%, you can do a dthrow to fair. It works really well when your near the l edge of the stage doing it as well, and fair pushes them back further.

-At earlier percentage, you can do a nair > fair.

Spacing:

If your opponent is approaching towards you too much with their aerials, punish them with your fair. Try to predict where they're going to land next. When using the fair and they are above you, fair before they fall into that spot. In other words, pretend your hitting it in mid air instead of trying to chase after them with your fair, and thats how you land a hit on someone. Keep in mind as your landing that you can space your self with fair to land safely. If you hit their shield bubble, you'll get shield grabbed.

How to take it to the next level!:

The best tactic i've used with it is when my opponent is trying to recover back on stage, I simply perform a fast fall fair, and that should end their stock real soon. By that point, they have already used up all of their jumps. Its a medium risk-medium reward. If it misses, then your left in the position to recover, while your opponent edgeguards you. When it lands, the move has a horizontal knockback and it will send your opponent far enough that they only have their up B option to recover. Try to keep track on how many jumps they have used.

- I also believe that you can perform a wall of pain on certain characters, like Zelda and other heavies. That I could make a topic thread on what characters you can pull off a wall of pain on. The tactic has been done before and it works.

I give it a 4/5, only because the move only hits them horiztontally and doesn't cover a ton of range vertically (in comparison to Marth/Lucinas fair)

 

[ShadowSlashX]

I give it a 5/5. I use it for practically everything. Makes gimping fairly easy since it stays out for a bit. I didn't like the move at first, but I've gotten used to it since then. Dthrow into Fair is good at the edge to set up for some edgeguarding. It can follow lots of grounded moves(dash, Dtilt, jab). Most of what I had to say has been covered already by more experienced players so I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Saimunn93]

@ CHOMPY - nice to see that you are elaborating the 'move specific examination' series with another sequel in prompt succession; it keeps the boards vivid!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

On-topic:

F-air is another stellar aerial move in 's already formidable aerial toolbox. I am devoting a 4 out of 5 to this move, and here is why:

Pros (knockback, lag, reach, speed, combo'ability):

• This is, taking into account the aerial manoeuvrability and plethora of jumps of , arguably one of the best gimp moves in the game. The unrelenting knockback of the move absolutely decimates double-jumpers with feeble recovery moves (huehuehue.. yea, <50% F-air gimped stocks are really ringing those boxing bells) and exerts pressure onto characters that either have multiple jumps or vigorous recovery moves. The knockback alone raises the value of this move immeasurably.
  
• Unlike his other aerial attacks, this lag will scarcely cause additional lag upon landing if used while short hopping and fast falling immediately afterwards. His N-air, D-air, B-air and U-air will incur additional lag. This attribute renders it a secure spacing tool, which also greatly improves the viability and therefore the awarded rating.
• It's not solely an infallible spacing tool because of the virtually lagless landing, but also because of its reach. The range of the move is excellent and it's also swift enough for punishes.
• Because it's so swift in frames and virtually lagless, it can be securely implemented into miscellaneous move sequences or frame traps. Numerous people have already adduced throw into F-air sequences, but I will address this issue in the 'Cons' section (and hope it will become manifest why I have enlisted it there).

Cons (damage / hitbox, lower in move hierarchy ergo outclassed by other aerials in most situations)

So I've been investigating the following thread lately - http://smashboards.com/threads/interesting-pit-combos-followups-options-and-other-things.382019/ - and came to notice that people use F-air often, while I generally abstain from using it unless I find myself in a typically offensive, 'gimping' scenario. Like I have posted in the abovementioned thread, I think that the move is simply outrivalled by other moves of (other aerials, in fact) and here's why:

1. The move has an erratic hit counter that only seems to register a 'damage tick' when the opponent is struck with a full cycle of the spinning blades OR simply has an empty-hitbox (please allow me to refer you to the other thread, once again). In combination with its meager damage output (4-7%, knowing that the accumulated 3x 1% hits scarcely are warranted hits), this move is not quite the 'damage racker'. The 'empty-hitbox' phenomenon is also manifestly present in N-air (and presumably U-air, although I've found it to be more evident in the former move; deserves more research!), bringing me to my next point:
2. N-air prevails over F-air in terms of damage. While I'm on the stage, I tend to use N-air rather than F-air, because it's more generous on the counter ticks and actually has more damage output if the opponent is struck by the entire move. N-air also creates an ''impregnable'' sphere around that has a hitbox priority which is pretty great (similarly to U-air; you'd need a D-air to outrival the hitbox priority of U-air).
   Furthermore, I would profess that (like I did in the other thread), D-air is also more reliable, combo'able, and simply stronger aerial than F-air. D-air is an aerial that I love beyond conventional boundaries; a solid and predetermined 10% damage if struck successfully, combos into itself against heavies, combos into N-air and plenty of other moves in various situations, has an integrated meteor smash mechanism and is incredibly secure for spacing if utilised wisely (short hopping into D-air can be so safe if used properly and not recklessly) And omg we really need to discuss D-air in any of the sequels in this series, so PLEEEEASE @ CHOMPY ;3. But to pit it against the F-air, at least, the damage application is much more reliable, and it has great reach and whatnot. Illustrative would be that if I were to use 10 aerials in a match (excluding U-airs and B-airs), I would probably use 6 D-airs, 3 N-airs and 1 F-air, not discriminating by MU / stage / percentage etc. Just to convey the point I'm trying to make about utility, and practical use (so do not go hate-mode on the; BUT WAT B0T HAVVY KERAKTERS?!!). And then there were the follow-ups after throws:

D-throw combos into Fair at low percents on most of the cast

Dthrow into Fair is good

After having read your posts - and by what I'm about to say I do not even remotely intend to assault you personally nor devalue, depreciate, contest or degrade your post in their entirety - I thought like; Wtf, why don't you use F-throw -> dash attack -> D-air / N-air (respectively vs heavies / lights) / even U-smash against some characters, or the orthodox D-throw -> U-smash / N-air combos? These are virtually always more damaging, more reliable and easier to land. Dash attack deals more damage than F-air, U-smash deals more damage than F-air, U-air deals more damage than F-air, dash attack (at lower percentages) knocks the opponent into the D-air / N-air / U-smash zone etc. Although I might interpret it incorrectly in the sense that you're merely stating that the move combos after an F-throw (for instance), instead of that you use it that way over the by myself mentioned combos, you seemed quite unequivocal about that you'd actually use it that way (please correct me if you meant otherwise XD)


So to summarise:
It's beyond peradventure a good move, but extremely situational. The high rating is nevertheless awarded because the move can net you early gimp-stocks, which already makes it a tremendous asset. Early stock kills at low percentages just redeem that one single use of a F-air off-stage, period. Therefore it cannot be relegated to lower rated moves, in my opinion, in spite of the fact that there are other moves that serve a similar purpose when it comes to spacing, comboing and, to emphasise, dealing damage. N-air, U-air and D-air comprise said facets, and do it in an even improved fashion.

Oh and the aesthetics on the move are insaaaaane; spinning blaaadez n shizz ;d