Shinymonkey8
Smash Cadet
First of all, I believe camping is an incredibly important part of Fox's game. That little bit of extra damage is sometimes vitally important, and can be the deciding factor of whether you'll get the kill. I always wince whenever I see Foxes who don't or rarely laser.
I don't want to call this a guide yet, since I'm no pro at the SHTL, but I'd like to share how I learned it and my thoughts on it in general. Any Fox pros who want to share valuable information, please post any tips/whatever you know here. If I get enough info, I'll organize it into a guide. I haven't seen an in-depth guide of SHTL anywhere, just a few paragraphs of how to do it for some people, so hopefully this will help the community.
____________
So I was trying to figure out why I kept losing as Fox. I started asking for advice, and I would consistently get, "Camp more," "More lazors," stuff like that. I remember convincing myself that I'll learn it without practicing, and then doing nothing about it.
I started watching more top Fox videos, and noticed that they could SHTL effortlessly and almost never get punished for it. I had tried it a few times (without changing any buttons on the controller), and realized that it was unbelievably difficult and gave up. A few weeks go by again, and I keep getting the same advice. Finally I take it in to practice. Here's where I go into detail on the learning process:
Beginning
I change the 'X' to special so I could move between Jump and Special easily. SHTL is still incredibly difficult to do consistently.
I switch to having 'up' on the d-pad as jump. SHTL is much easier and actually doable since I don't have to move my thumb off of special. I stick with this method for a few days.
I realize I'm getting punished hard everytime I try to SHTL. This is because I can't move back and forth immediately after since my thumb is on the D-pad and not the control stick. I resort back to switching 'X' to special since it is possible to do this with this method.
Summary: The 'X'/'Y' to special method is optimal because it allows you to move around before and after the SHTL.
Learning
What you want to do to start off is go to training mode on Final Destination. Basically, I'm going to go step-by-step of what exercises one should do to perfect the SHTL.
1. To begin, practice sliding or rolling (I find rolling easier) your thumb from 'Y' to 'X' rapidly. Make the roll quick or else you won't get your short hop. What you are doing here is buffering a laser immediately after a short hop. If you're doing it correctly, you shouldn't hear the sound of Fox jumping, only the sound of the laser, and Fox should be doing a short hop and shooting a laser at the apex of the jump. Practice this until you can do it consecutively many times in a row. You cannot perform a SHTL unless you can buffer a laser after a short hop.
2. Add another laser. You won't have to press special immediately after rolling your thumb since you buffered the first laser, but don't wait too long, since Fox will begin the animation for putting his blaster away, and the second laser will have lag. If you're doing this right, Fox should fire two lasers at the top of his short hop.
3. Add the last laser. At this point, you should be rolling your thumb from 'Y' to 'X', and then rapidly press 'X', two more times. I find it easier to wait a moment before adding the last two lasers, since pressing 'X' three times in a row rapidly is difficult. It won't affect anything since luckily, the buffer time for the lasers is lenient enough. If you are doing it right, Fox should jump and fire two lasers at the top of the jump, and then should fire a silent laser (you shouldn't hear the sound) at the bottom. Practice this until you can perform it consecutively. Don't go on to the next steps until you can do this at least ten times in a row.
[COLLAPSE="Random note"]I'm not sure why this happens, but sometimes when I do a single SHTL and stand in place afterwards, Fox will fire all three lasers including the silent laser, but he will also fire one on the ground after the silent laser like some kind of a 'ghost laser'. I am definitely only pressing special three times and yet four lasers come out, but this only happens when I get a specific timing. Any explanations?[/COLLAPSE]
4. Now we get in to moving around. First, start the dash animation by smashing forward on the control stick. Immediately after, let the control stick snap back to the original position and input the SHTL. If you keep the control stick down, you will do an illusion instead of a SHTL. Trust me, this will happen a ton at first, but don't get discouraged. Fox should move forward and then SHTL, carrying a bit of the forward momentum of the dash. If you can't do the SHTL after the dash, start with a single laser and work your way up.
5. Now practice dashing forward SHTL, and then rapidly turning around and dash backward SHTL. The same mechanics of step 4 apply here.
6. This is where it gets difficult. You're going to start accidentally illusioning ALL THE TIME. Now you need to learn to dash forward and do a SHTL the opposite direction. To do this, you need to smash forward on the control stick to start the dash, and then when Fox is dashing, rapidly smash it in the opposite direction. This will start the turn-around animation. While Fox is turning around, you need to SHTL. At first, you can wait later in the turn around animation and then jump so you can get a feel for the timing, but eventually, it should all be one quick motion. Remember to let the control stick snap back to center position. Do this back and forth until you can get it consistently.
7. The hardest one, in my opinion. Now, do a reverse SHTL, but when you reach the ground, continue moving the same way you came from by dashing forward. Then do another reverse SHTL. Then start doing it the other way. Now you should be dashing right and shooting three lasers left twice, and doing the same thing the opposite way.
8. Once you can do this, start changing it up. Dash forward SHTL, Dash backward SHTL, just make sure you got this down in muscle memory.
Applying
9. Now you need to start implementing the SHTL into your game. Once you feel comfortable, change the computer (whom you've been lasering all this time and is probably somewhere in the 999% unless you've given to temptation and Usmashed him, I hope I'm not the only one...) to 'Walk' mode. Follow it and run around it, lasering the whole time, using the SHTL and reverse SHTL techniques you learned.
10. Once you have this down, change the computer to 'Attack' mode and start with a low level CPU. Follow it around with your SHTL and avoid its attacks. This will help your spacing and make sure you don't get punished often.
11. Continue gradually increasing the CPU level until you're at lvl 9. Try some real matches with a lvl 9. You will find yourself gradually forgetting to laser as the fight goes on. Basically, you need to make it a habit of lasering in the down time, ALWAYS. Laser after a forward throw instead of dashing after and trying to follow up. Do a full hop and laser when the opponent has been sent flying and is falling down towards the ledge. I'm still nowhere near good at always remembering to laser. Put a sign on your TV that says 'laser' if you think it will help! Just get it hammered in your head to LASER LASER LASER.
12. Not much to do from here. Try it against other people and continue to improve over time.
____________
This is how I learned how to SHTL, but everyone has different styles of learning, so it may not work for some people.
I think SHTL is actually easier to perform than a SH silent laser or a Short Hop Double Laser (second laser silent). This is simply because SHTL does not require any major timing of hitting the special button like a silent laser does. This is just my opinion though.
If anyone sees anything wrong or has anything they'd like to add, or even wants to share their experience in learning how to SHTL, please don't stay silent about it! Hopefully this thread saves some people some time in practice mode.
I don't want to call this a guide yet, since I'm no pro at the SHTL, but I'd like to share how I learned it and my thoughts on it in general. Any Fox pros who want to share valuable information, please post any tips/whatever you know here. If I get enough info, I'll organize it into a guide. I haven't seen an in-depth guide of SHTL anywhere, just a few paragraphs of how to do it for some people, so hopefully this will help the community.
____________
So I was trying to figure out why I kept losing as Fox. I started asking for advice, and I would consistently get, "Camp more," "More lazors," stuff like that. I remember convincing myself that I'll learn it without practicing, and then doing nothing about it.
I started watching more top Fox videos, and noticed that they could SHTL effortlessly and almost never get punished for it. I had tried it a few times (without changing any buttons on the controller), and realized that it was unbelievably difficult and gave up. A few weeks go by again, and I keep getting the same advice. Finally I take it in to practice. Here's where I go into detail on the learning process:
Beginning
I change the 'X' to special so I could move between Jump and Special easily. SHTL is still incredibly difficult to do consistently.
I switch to having 'up' on the d-pad as jump. SHTL is much easier and actually doable since I don't have to move my thumb off of special. I stick with this method for a few days.
I realize I'm getting punished hard everytime I try to SHTL. This is because I can't move back and forth immediately after since my thumb is on the D-pad and not the control stick. I resort back to switching 'X' to special since it is possible to do this with this method.
Summary: The 'X'/'Y' to special method is optimal because it allows you to move around before and after the SHTL.
Learning
What you want to do to start off is go to training mode on Final Destination. Basically, I'm going to go step-by-step of what exercises one should do to perfect the SHTL.
1. To begin, practice sliding or rolling (I find rolling easier) your thumb from 'Y' to 'X' rapidly. Make the roll quick or else you won't get your short hop. What you are doing here is buffering a laser immediately after a short hop. If you're doing it correctly, you shouldn't hear the sound of Fox jumping, only the sound of the laser, and Fox should be doing a short hop and shooting a laser at the apex of the jump. Practice this until you can do it consecutively many times in a row. You cannot perform a SHTL unless you can buffer a laser after a short hop.
2. Add another laser. You won't have to press special immediately after rolling your thumb since you buffered the first laser, but don't wait too long, since Fox will begin the animation for putting his blaster away, and the second laser will have lag. If you're doing this right, Fox should fire two lasers at the top of his short hop.
3. Add the last laser. At this point, you should be rolling your thumb from 'Y' to 'X', and then rapidly press 'X', two more times. I find it easier to wait a moment before adding the last two lasers, since pressing 'X' three times in a row rapidly is difficult. It won't affect anything since luckily, the buffer time for the lasers is lenient enough. If you are doing it right, Fox should jump and fire two lasers at the top of the jump, and then should fire a silent laser (you shouldn't hear the sound) at the bottom. Practice this until you can perform it consecutively. Don't go on to the next steps until you can do this at least ten times in a row.
[COLLAPSE="Random note"]I'm not sure why this happens, but sometimes when I do a single SHTL and stand in place afterwards, Fox will fire all three lasers including the silent laser, but he will also fire one on the ground after the silent laser like some kind of a 'ghost laser'. I am definitely only pressing special three times and yet four lasers come out, but this only happens when I get a specific timing. Any explanations?[/COLLAPSE]
4. Now we get in to moving around. First, start the dash animation by smashing forward on the control stick. Immediately after, let the control stick snap back to the original position and input the SHTL. If you keep the control stick down, you will do an illusion instead of a SHTL. Trust me, this will happen a ton at first, but don't get discouraged. Fox should move forward and then SHTL, carrying a bit of the forward momentum of the dash. If you can't do the SHTL after the dash, start with a single laser and work your way up.
5. Now practice dashing forward SHTL, and then rapidly turning around and dash backward SHTL. The same mechanics of step 4 apply here.
6. This is where it gets difficult. You're going to start accidentally illusioning ALL THE TIME. Now you need to learn to dash forward and do a SHTL the opposite direction. To do this, you need to smash forward on the control stick to start the dash, and then when Fox is dashing, rapidly smash it in the opposite direction. This will start the turn-around animation. While Fox is turning around, you need to SHTL. At first, you can wait later in the turn around animation and then jump so you can get a feel for the timing, but eventually, it should all be one quick motion. Remember to let the control stick snap back to center position. Do this back and forth until you can get it consistently.
7. The hardest one, in my opinion. Now, do a reverse SHTL, but when you reach the ground, continue moving the same way you came from by dashing forward. Then do another reverse SHTL. Then start doing it the other way. Now you should be dashing right and shooting three lasers left twice, and doing the same thing the opposite way.
8. Once you can do this, start changing it up. Dash forward SHTL, Dash backward SHTL, just make sure you got this down in muscle memory.
Applying
9. Now you need to start implementing the SHTL into your game. Once you feel comfortable, change the computer (whom you've been lasering all this time and is probably somewhere in the 999% unless you've given to temptation and Usmashed him, I hope I'm not the only one...) to 'Walk' mode. Follow it and run around it, lasering the whole time, using the SHTL and reverse SHTL techniques you learned.
10. Once you have this down, change the computer to 'Attack' mode and start with a low level CPU. Follow it around with your SHTL and avoid its attacks. This will help your spacing and make sure you don't get punished often.
11. Continue gradually increasing the CPU level until you're at lvl 9. Try some real matches with a lvl 9. You will find yourself gradually forgetting to laser as the fight goes on. Basically, you need to make it a habit of lasering in the down time, ALWAYS. Laser after a forward throw instead of dashing after and trying to follow up. Do a full hop and laser when the opponent has been sent flying and is falling down towards the ledge. I'm still nowhere near good at always remembering to laser. Put a sign on your TV that says 'laser' if you think it will help! Just get it hammered in your head to LASER LASER LASER.
12. Not much to do from here. Try it against other people and continue to improve over time.
____________
This is how I learned how to SHTL, but everyone has different styles of learning, so it may not work for some people.
I think SHTL is actually easier to perform than a SH silent laser or a Short Hop Double Laser (second laser silent). This is simply because SHTL does not require any major timing of hitting the special button like a silent laser does. This is just my opinion though.
If anyone sees anything wrong or has anything they'd like to add, or even wants to share their experience in learning how to SHTL, please don't stay silent about it! Hopefully this thread saves some people some time in practice mode.