Toon's Bottomless Bag of ATs and Tricks
I intend to keep this post as updated and as informative as my previous AT lists. The discussion in this thread will lead to new developments of known ATs and discoveries of new ATs, and all that information will be concisely noted in this post.
If you think you've found a new AT or trick, then this is the place to post it. I would be happy to discuss it, research it, test it and if it all works out, add it to the list. One word of warning; I don't want any posts about future patches removing ATs or tricks. I'm not interested and this is not the place to discuss that.
If I have left anything out including an AT or trick or I have forgotten to say something about one of them, then let me know and I'll fix it. And finally, give me feedback! Did this help you? Did you learn anything? Whatever comes to mind.
Note that the bolded and underlined techs with the red '(Must Know)' next to them are the ones that have proven to be useful and are commonly used at a high level of play and therefore should be learnt. This does not mean that the other ones are useless; it might just mean that they are considered too difficult or situational or unnecessary. This has been done so that if you're picking up Toon, you can prioritise which techs to learn.
I will update this thread every time a new AT or Trick comes out, so if you discover something that isn't on this list or you've found an improvement to something on this list, then let me know what it is and I'll gladly update.
Changes from the previous Toon AT list.
Other than the fact that the techniques below will be different or work slightly differently as this is obviously a new game, I wanted to make a fresh start to the way I format everything.
To begin with, you'll notice that there is no list of stages that the tech can be performed on, no usefulness rating and no credit. I'm willing to consider bringing these features back, but I have left them out for now as they have caused me some problems in the past that don't have anything to do with time or effort. If there is need to mention the specific stages, this will be found somewhere relevant in the explanation.
You will also notice that the classic 'How to Perform:' followed by 'Effect:' is now switched and changed to 'Description:' followed by 'How to Perform:'. The reasoning behind this is that the former works better for a kind of cataloguing process, while the later works better for actually explaining the tech to someone. There's no point talking about what button inputs are happening if the person doesn't first have an idea of what those inputs are meant to be achieving.
I have kept the general layout from the old Toon AT thread, but everything has been re-researched and re-written to make sure that everything is accurate.
I have taken quite a few liberties, no more than I did previously, by way of naming things. A lot of the time, the changes made to names of things have been purely for the sake of fitting in with the more universal smash language found in the smash dictionary.
I hope these changes make sense to you, but just know that I am always open to persuasion if you have anything you'd like to bring up.
Index
Bombs
Z-Dropping Techs
Sliding Techs
Bomb Catching Techs
Spiking Techs
While Holding a Bomb Techs
Boomerang
Momentum Shifting Techs
Gliding
Minimising Lag
The In-between Angles
Arrows
Momentum Shifting Techs
Arrow Locking
Sword Play
Up-special Techs
Nair Techs
Dair Techs
Uair Techs
Dash Attack Techs
General
Running/Pivoting Techs
Grabbing Techs
Zair/Tether Techs
Ledge/Edge Techs
Bombs
Z-Drop
Description: Toon will drop a Bomb. So long as the Bomb is purposefully dropped and not thrown and so long as the Bomb remains 'active' (which just means that it will explode if it touches an enemy hurtbox), then regardless of whether Zair comes out at the same time or not, this is a Z-drop.
How to Perform: While holding a Bomb, hit the grab button in mid-air while keeping the joystick in neutral.
Note: As has been alluded to, it is possible to Z-drop a Bomb without Zair coming out. In order to do this, you must hit the grab button while holding a Bomb immediately following: a SH or FH (known as an 'instant z-drop'), a Ledge jump (known as a 'ledge jump z-drop'), a Footstool, an Aerial, hitstun or the tumble state (depending on how much knockback you receive), being trumped, dropping through a platform, or you must hit the grab button just before an edge cancel, during a skid followed by falling off the edge, on the frame before grabbing the ledge, or on the first landing frame.
Instant Z-Drop (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Z-drop a Bomb without Zair coming out as he leaves the ground from jumping.
How to Perform: While holding a Bomb, press the Jump button, then as Toon is coming out of the Jump squat animation and just before he actually leaves the ground (frame 5 of the jump-squat animation), press the Grab button while keeping the joystick in neutral.
Note: Yes, you only have a 1 frame window to do this on. If you hit grab on frame 4 you'll get a JC throw, and if you hit grab on frame 6 you'll get the usual Zair + Z-drop. If you re-catch the Bomb with an aerial immediately after dropping it, this would be an IZAC. If you Z-drop the Bomb within the opponent's hurtbox, the Bomb will immediately explode on them, and since Z-dropping is lagless and the Bomb explosion doesn't hurt you when activated by an opponent's hurtbox, this leaves you free to combo out of the Bomb explosion with an aerial. Otherwise, you can simply Z-drop it beside them which will explode on the ground a moment later after you're out of range, and this explosion can similarly be used to combo.
Ledge Jump Z-Drop (Must Know)
Description: Toon will do a ledge jump and leave behind a Z-dropped Bomb without doing Zair while in the ledge jump animation.
How to Perform: While holding a Bomb, hang on to the ledge, press the Jump button then immediately hit the Grab button making sure the joystick is in neutral. Unlike the Instant Z-drop, the timing for hitting Grab to Z-drop the bomb is very easy. It can be done instantly after hitting jump or while Toon is in the middle of his flip animation so long as his hands are still on the ledge and of course anywhere in-between. Regardless of your timing, the bomb will always be dropped on the exact same frame, the frame that Toon's hands leave the ledge.
Note: Ledge jump Z-drops can be useful for dropping a bomb off-stage to hit people who are recovering behind you while you get off the ledge which can potentially stage spike them, or to hit people who are simply standing too close to the edge when you ledge jump. It is most effective when used after tethering to the ledge as you can act immediately after grabbing the ledge from a tether and the ledge jump can be buffered to ensure very easy frame perfection.
Airdodge Cancelled Z-Drop
Description: Toon will cancel the initial frames of an airdodge into a Z-drop resulting in the Bomb being dropped behind him rather than in front on him.
How to Perform: While holding a Bomb, Airdodge, then immediately hit the grab button or alternatively hold the airdodge button and immediately hit the attack button.
Note: The use of this tech is clearly going to be rather limited as you are basically resigning yourself to the lag of airdodge all for the sake of Z-dropping the Bomb slightly differently. There are some uses for this tech however. The first is for being able to z-drop a bomb much sooner than normal after an airdodge. Normally you cannot z-drop a bomb after an airdodge until the animation is completely over. Trying to do so will result in a bomb throw. However, if you airdodge, then the moment you can act you do another airdodge, then immediately cancel that second airdodge with a z-drop, this is a way of getting around the problem. It can be used to cover landings as a means of getting a hitbox out instantly after an airdodge as you land. This can potentially save you, but it should not be used haphazardly because if your opponent simply shields out of a run you will leave yourself open for a potentially greater punishment. One other use is simply to z-drop a bomb onto a platform as you run off it. This takes advantage of the fact that the bomb is dropped behind you rather than in front of you.
C4 (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Z-drop a Bomb close to the ground/platform such that it doesn't explode when it lands and instead will sit there being inactive until it explodes due to the fuse on the Bomb running out.
How to Perform 1: Z-drop a Bomb just before you land on the stage or a platform. If it explodes on top of you, you need to z-drop it later; if you land and throw it, you've pressed grab too late. You have a 3 frame window to do this out of a SH, but only 2 frames out of a SH buffered Bomb Pull.
How to Perform 2: Jump up through a platform and Z-drop the Bomb on your way through at the right time such that the Bomb is directly on top of the platform when it is dropped.
How to Perform 3: Fall through a platform, quickly return the joystick to neutral, and Z-drop the Bomb as soon as you can. It should land perfectly on the platform.
Note: There are few a reasons why you'd want to do a C4. First of all there is the possibility of using it to combo out of when the fuse runs out. The gain is probably minimal, but what's important here is not how much extra damage you're likely to do, but the fact that your opponent will perceive the Bomb sitting there as a threat or potential trick/trap that will make them think twice about approaching until it's gone, giving you a chance to set up. The C4 can also be used at the start of an opponent's fresh stock to give them something to do while their invincibility runs out; people can't resist a free item, especially if it lets them do that one tech they've been waiting to do but otherwise unable to do, only to find out that they have a second or two to do it before it explodes. By picking the item up, they not only waste time, but restrict their options and even potentially get hit by it themselves. Once you have the Bomb on the ground you can choose to pick it back up with a quick aerial then follow up with a bomb throw. It can also be used as a temporary shield against certain projectiles because the Bomb has a small amount of health it can use to absorb attacks before it is forced to explode.
Because it is sometimes difficult to C4 a bomb straight onto the ground, it can be made easier by buffering the z-drop after using an aerial. For example, if you SH and instantly Nair, picking up or catching a bomb as you do, you can buffer a z-drop before you land and it will always do a perfect C4. Other methods will rely on doing a FH onto a platform with an instant aerial, and the aerial used will depend on the distance to the platform.
Note that if you manage to Z-drop the bomb on the frame you land, you will not receive the extra landing lag of the Zair and will have done a 'lagless C4'. To see that you have done this correctly, try holding in the grab button so that you buffer shield and see if you can spot the difference. Using the SH buffered Nair buffered Z-drop method will automatically give you this lagless variation. It's the difference between 5 or 8 frames of landing lag so you know.
Short Hop Bomb Drop
Description: Toon will SH Bomb pull and then Z-drop the bomb on the ground (all in the one SH).
How to Perform: The timing for this is strict (a two frame window to input the z-drop). You must SH then instantly Pull out a Bomb (it must be basically at the exact same time) then make sure you input the Z-drop just before you land (any sooner or latter will cause Toon to throw the Bomb).
Note: It is the most efficient way to C4 a bomb and with practice, the 2 frame window is doable.
Airdodge Cancelled Edge C4
Description: Toon will run off the edge of a platform/stage and leave behind a C4 Bomb right on the edge while he continues to fall and does a Zair.
How to Perform: Pull out a Bomb, Run towards the edge of a platform, then as soon as you run off the edge of the platform, Instantly return the joystick to neutral and Hit Airdodge and the grab button (or alternatively hold the aidodge button and hit the attack button).
Note: This is one interesting use for the Airdodge Cancelled Z-drop. Note that you will of course have to deal with the airdodge lag when you land while doing the Zair.
Slope Bombing
Description: Toon will drop a bomb on the slope without it exploding, the bomb will slowly tumble down the hill and still be 'active'.
How to Perform: Face a slope or slanted platform facing towards the higher end, then either Z-drop the Bomb immediately after you jump or just before you land.
Note: While the Bomb is tumbling, if your opponent touches the bomb it will blow up, if the bomb touches your opponent's shield in this state the bomb will jump up vertically, and if you get in the way of the Bomb, it will stop tumbling.
The Bouncy Bomb
Description: Toon will C4 a Bomb which will land and jump around on the spot and remain 'active'.
How to Perform: First of all you need to be on a stage that either has the screen moving up and the stage moving down or a stage that has some platform that is moving downwards. Then it's a simple matter of C4ing a Bomb on that platform that is moving down relative to the stage's camera.
Note: When the Bomb is bouncing around on the spot, the Bomb is active. This means that if an opponent touches it, it will explode on them. This means you can set up traps that the opponent will have to avoid if they know about it and it gives you the option of comboing out of it. Now as you'd imagine, this is going to be rather stage specific. It works on the windmill of Windy Hill Zone when its turning anti-clockwise, and it will work on any stage with transformations that move you vertically such that the stage is dropping relative to the camera such as Mushroom Kingdom U.
JC Throw (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Dash/Run then slide and throw the bomb.
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb, run in one direction, Jump then instantly hit the C-stick upwards forwards or backwards (alternatively you can just use the joystick to point in the desired direction and use any button to throw the Bomb).
Note: JC simply stands for Jump Cancel. Note that if you use the C-stick (set to smash) to throw the Bomb, you can use the new C-stick mechanics to buffer a Dash out of the JC throw on the first frame possible. Simply hold the C-stick for a brief period in the direction you throw the Bomb (slightly longer than just flicking the C-stick) and continue to hold the Joystick in the desired direction you want to Dash in, and the perfect Dash input will be buffered automatically for you so that you Dash out of the JC throw on the first frame possible. It is also one of the most important techs for you to be able to do, as it essentially allows you to use your good standing throw frame data out of a run to replace your horrendous dash throw frame data.
TC Throw
Description: Toon will Run, briefly turn and face the other way, then throw the Bomb back in the original direction he was running and get a small boost and a slide in that direction.
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb, Run in one direction, Hit the Joystick back in the opposite direction to which you are running then immediately (and at the same time) Hit the Grab button and Hit the Joystick back in the original direction in which you were running. (Yes, you must use the Grab button.)
Note: The Turnaround Cancel Throw is similar to a JC Throw Forwards. There are only a couple of differences. For starters it is way easier to do a light standing throw with the JC throw and likewise it is easier to do a smash throw with the TC throw. (If you want to do a light throw with the TC throw you'll have to Hit the Grab button and lightly tilt the joystick in the direction of the initial run at the same time, and if you don't tilt enough it won't work at all.) The other very interesting difference is that the timing of the TC throw is noticeably delayed when compared to the JC throw. Both of these differences will allow you to mix up your timing (which can be very off-putting). Just like the JC throw you will have a very small amount of lag compared to the long and terrible lag of a dash throw, and just like the JC throw you will get a nice slide in the direction of your throw. The TC throw only works in the one direction; the direction of your initial run. You can't throw the Bomb upwards or downwards out of a turnaround (you know, unless you do a JC throw), and while you can throw it backwards out of a turnaround you don't get the same boost or slide and besides, this can just be done with the attack button, so it's not the same thing.
Slingshot Bomb Throw
Description: Toon will Run and do a 'Dash Turn' then slide while throwing a Bomb (the slide will be further then the JC throw).
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb, Run in one direction, Hold the Joystick in the opposite way to which you are running so that Toon goes into the slow turn-around animation, continue to hold that direction for a short period just after Toon has completed the turn then throw the Bomb in whatever direction you want. (You can also do a JC throw to make the slide even longer).
Note: The root of this tech is the Slingshot, that is, the slide you get out of a Dash Turn. See the Slingshot below.
ZAC
Description: Toon will Z-drop a bomb without Zair coming out then catch it with an aerial.
How to Perform: See 'Z-drop' above for the different ways to Z-drop a Bomb without doing a Zair. Note that some of the variations, such as Z-dropping the Bomb immediately after doing a SH or FH, will actually count as doing an IZAC (below) if you manage to instantly catch the Bomb while rising. The ZAC on the other hand has always been inherently easier to perform as you have more time because the Bomb is Z-dropped either while falling or at around the time when you start to fall.
Note: This allows you to use aerials while holding a bomb. This is good because it means you can follow up with a bomb throw. You'd want to z-drop the bomb either as you are coming out of hitstun or as an aerial is ending if you still have time before you land, allowing you to (DJ and) catch the bomb with another aerial.
IZAC
Description: Toon will Z-drop a bomb while rising out of a SH or FH (such that Zair doesn't come out) and then he will immediately catch the bomb with an aerial while still rising.
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb, Jump then (with the joystick in neutral) quickly Tap the grab button to Z-drop the bomb on frame 5, i.e. the last frame of your jumpsquat (which will z-drop the bomb without Zair coming out), Instantly let go of the grab button, then Instantly catch the Bomb with an aerial.
Note: It is very important that you Z-drop the Bomb at the right time; too early will cancel the jump (resulting in a JC Throw), too late and you'll Zair. It is also extremely important that you are not still pressing the grab button when you use an aerial otherwise Toon will Zair, which can often be mistaken for an incorrectly timed z-drop. You can try tapping or flicking the grab button to make sure you're only pressing it for a split second, whatever works for you. If you do manage to master this tech it means that you can use instant aerials regardless of whether you are holding a bomb or not, making you that much more threatening to approach while you're holding a bomb and making your spam to sword game that much more flexible. You have been warned though, this is very difficult. I'd advise you start out by learning the Instant Z-drop timing.
PIZAC
Description: Toon will stand on a platform holding a Bomb, drop through the platform and perform an aerial which will catch the Bomb.
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb and stand on a platform, hit the joystick part of the way down, just enough so that it makes Toon drop through the platform, then immediately release the joystick to let it return to neutral, then instantly Tap the Grab button and immediately release it (if done quick enough Zair won't come out), then instantly catch the Bomb (which would have otherwise simply sat on the platform) with an aerial.
Note: The key to this is timing. If you blow yourself up, it's because you hit grab too early and cancelled the drop-through with a Bomb throw down (at your feet); if you blow yourself up and you see a white flash, that's because you held down for too long and threw the bomb down as you passed through the platform. If you find yourself doing a Zair then this is either because you were too late hitting grab or you were still holding grab when you went to use an aerial. Because of this, I recommend practising without the aerial for a while to just C4 the Bomb onto the platform without doing a Zair so that you can rule the former mistake out. If you just throw the bomb forwards this either means that you messed up hitting down entirely or somehow you were actually too quick letting go of down and also too quick hitting grab (highly unlikely but theoretically possible).
Instant Bomb Throw (Must Know)
Description: Toon will catch and instantly throw the Bomb (or any other item for that matter, naturally).
How to Perform: Catch (or pick up) a Bomb by Hitting Airdodge, then instantly cancel the airdodge with a Bomb throw in any direction (can be thrown with the c-stick or anything you please).
Note: You don't have to worry about any airdodge landing lag if you instantly cancel an airdodge with an item throw, so that's always nice. You can do this move to a Bomb that you threw up in the air, or to a Bomb that has been C4'd, or you can do it to a Bomb that has been shielded, etc. Where this tech truly shines however is in throwing back item projectiles from the opponent. If you play a character like Toon, it is expected that you will have superior item control, and so this is one of those techs you'll need up your sleeve.
SHDB (Short Hop Double Bomb)
Description: Toon will SH, Throw a Bomb, then instantly catch and throw a second Bomb using the Instant Bomb Throw technique.
How to Perform: There is the platform variation and the non-platform variation. You can either C4 a Bomb on a platform just above you (e.g. one of the side platforms on BF) and then so long as you start this tech beneath it, the Bomb will be there for you to insta-throw, otherwise you'll have to Pull out a Bomb, Tilt Throw it Up, Pull out another Bomb, SH, Throw the Bomb, then catch the second Bomb with an Instant Bomb Throw.
Note: This all has to be done really quickly except for the SH Bomb throw because if you do that too quickly you will JC Throw. An example of another variation you could try is, you Pull out a Bomb, Smash throw it up, Instantly Full Hop, Instantly Pull out another Bomb on your way up, Double Jump, throw the Bomb, catch the other Bomb with the Instant Bomb throw (All done quickly). This variation is less punishable, but it means that you are very high up without your double jump, so I would recommend that you throw the Bombs down if your opponent starts to close in. In fact that's something that should be noted; you can throw the Bombs in any direction you want, not necessarily forwards and not necessarily in the same direction either.
Bomb Fake Out (Must Know)
Description: Essentially this tech involves throwing the Bomb either backwards or Forwards and then finding ways and situations in which Toon can re-catch it. Depending on what it is caught with will depend on whether you choose to re-throw the Bomb again or simply settle with an aerial while holding a Bomb.
How to Perform 1: Pull out a Bomb, Jump Backwards, Throw the Bomb Backwards at the peak of your Jump then instantly re-catch it with an aerial or an airdodge (which can be instantly cancelled into another throw or turned into a Zair while holding a Bomb if you so choose).
How to Perform 2: Pull out a Bomb, Jump Backwards or Forwards, Throw the Bomb in the direction you are drifting just before you land, then Instantly Dash in the direction of the Bomb, quickly Jump and re-catch it with an aerial or an airdodge.
How to Perform 3: While holding a Bomb, Jump Backwards or Forwards, Throw the Bomb in the direction you are drifting just before you touch the ground, then dash Forwards and catch the Bomb with a Dash Attack.
How to Perform 4: While holding a Bomb Dash Forwards, do a JC Throw Forwards then Dash Forwards again on the first actionable frame, then either Jump and catch the Bomb with an aerial or an airdodge, or continue running and catch it with a Dash Attack.
How to Perform 5: While holding a Bomb Dash Forwards, do a JC Throw Forwards then catch the Bomb with a Jab on the first actionable frame.
How to Perform 6: This method only applies to Toon's Custom Bombs as they don't get thrown as far. Pull out a Bomb, Jump Forwards, Throw the Bomb Forwards at the peak of your Jump then instantly re-catch it with an aerial or an airdodge.
Note: Because it is now much more difficult to Z-drop a Bomb without Zair coming out, the BFO has risen to prominence as an effective way to use aerials while holding a Bomb as a replacement for the ZAC. The BFO also works much better in this game because of the fact that if the Bomb blows up because it hits the opponent, Toon won't be damaged by the blast, something which had really hindered the effectiveness of this tech in Brawl because of the fact that a lot of it depends on being close to the bomb within its blast radius if it should hit the opponent. This is the new and surprisingly effective way to stay flashy, so learn this if you want to be cool.
Running Item Pick Up
Description: Toon will Dash towards the Item on the ground, then instead of using his Dash Attack to pick the Item up, he will reach down, pick it up and slide a little.
How to Perform: C4 a Bomb or have any other item on the ground, Run towards it, then just as you're right on top of it, Put the Joystick in neutral then Hit the attack button.
Note: This cannot be done out of the initial Dash animation, Toon has to be actually Running. It is essential that the Joystick is in neutral before you Hit the attack button, otherwise Toon will just pick the item up with his Dash Attack.This could be useful to us because our Dash attack is kinda laggy and this way of picking things up is much quicker.
The Safe Spike
Description: Toon will get hit by the blast of his bomb, then as soon as the hitstun wears off, right before the knockback wears off, he'll use Dair off stage but instead of falling to his death, he will slowly fall down, allowing you to recover once the dair animation has ended.
How to Perform 1: Pull out a bomb, Run towards the edge, Jump, throw the bomb down at the ground just as your falling back down or throw it down on your way up, then Dair.
How to Perform 2: Pull out a bomb, Hang on the ledge, Hit away from the ledge, instantly throw the bomb back at the ledge (making sure you've run out of invincibility frames by this point), Dair.
How to Perform 3: Pull out a bomb, Run off the edge, throw the bomb back at the ledge, Dair.
How to Perform 4: Pull out a Bomb, Jump out off stage or face away from the edge, let the fuse run out and get hit by the timed explosion (best when using the short fuse Bombs), Dair.
Note: Straight up I'm going to warn you that the timing for this has been made much more tricky which in turn means that this tech is much more risky. What I mean by this is that because smash 4 has more hitstun than Brawl, there is a smaller window of opportunity in which you can Dair while still retaining momentum from the blast. If you're going to attempt this, I would recommend you stay on the safe side and input Dair slightly sooner than you'd expect it to come out so as to avoid the plummet. When Toon is slowly falling the Dair, the initial hit of Dair still has the same spiking power; the only difference is that he falls slower. Note that different methods and different bombs will require more or less percentage in order to make this work. If you don't get hit hard enough, it is impossible to do the safe spike.
The Bomb Spike
Description: The blast of the bomb will go through the stage and hit your opponent up into the stage, resulting in a stage spike.
How to Perform: Simply make a bomb explode on the ground near the edge when an opponent is under the ledge, not hanging on without invincibility frames.
Note: This will work on most stages so long as the stage is solid, the edges are roughly at a 45 degree angle or even more horizontal, and so long as the opponent is under the stage itself and not hanging onto the ledge. Having said that, the opponent can still be stage spiked on the right kind of stage while they are hanging on the ledge so long as the bomb hits them on the side furthest away from the stage as the blast will hit them towards the stage. This isn't a bomb spike in the strictest sense as the blast is not going through the stage itself, but it is still a bomb causing a stage spike.
Zair/Tether while holding a Bomb (Must Know)
Description: Toon will use his Zair or Tether without throwing or dropping the bomb.
How to Perform: Pull out a bomb, jump, airdodge, then hit the Grab button (alternatively, hold the airdodge button then hit the attack button).
Note: Zair while holding a Bomb has been nerfed because of the fact that you still get the lag from the airdodge when you land if the Zair animation is still happening; the lag transfers over. Being able to use Tether while holding a Bomb however is still a necessary tech to know and you won't experience any negative side effects.
Boomerang
Side-special Reversal
Description: Toon will Jump either Forwards or Backwards, then immediately Reverse his momentum (sort of like a mid-air bounce off nothing) and turn around to face the other way while throwing the boomerang.
How to Perform: Jump either Forwards or Backwards, Hit Forward special, instantly (within 4 frames) hit Backwards.
Note: All these momentum shifting techniques have their specific uses depending on whether you want to retreat or approach in any given situation. So for example with this one you can jump backwards toward an opponent and then bounce back away from them while throwing a boomerang at them. This can be done with a tilt-thrown as opposed to a smash-thrown boomerang too. To do this simply tilt the joystick when throwing the boomerang then hit the opposite direction as normal. Note also that this technique can be done along the ground to some very small extent only instead of jumping, you run forwards and then the input is the same.
Wavebounce
Description: Toon will Jump either Forwards or Backwards, Reverse his momentum but not the way he is facing and throw the boomerang (though in truth, you are changing the way you are facing twice very quickly so it simply appears as if you haven't changed the direction you were facing).
How to Perform: Jump either Backwards or Forwards, Hit Backwards special, instantly (withing 4 frames) hit Forwards (that is, 'forwards' in relation to the direction you were originally facing when you jumped).
Note: See above notes, only, in the example where you use it to fade away from the opponent while throwing the boomerang, obviously you'd want to jump forwards with this tech instead of backwards.
Running Side-special Reversal
Description: Toon will run in one direction, Reverse his momentum resulting in a small slide, Turn around and Throw the Boomerang back in the direction he just came from.
How to Perform: Run in one direction, Hit Forward special then instantly Hit Backwards.
Note: The effect will not be as impressive when doing the Running Side-special Reversal compared to doing it in the air. Something to remember, different surfaces have more or less grip than others, so the sliding effect will slightly differ between stages. Avoid grass. -that's just a general tip for real life as well.
Running Wavebounce
Description: Toon will run in one direction, Reverse his momentum resulting in a small slide, and throw the boomerang in the same direction he was originally running.
How to Perform: Run, Hit Backwards special then instantly hit the joystick in the direction you were originally running.
Note: See above notes.
Zero Lag Catch (Must Know)
Description: Toon won't stop what he's doing to put the boomerang away.
How to Perform: Throw out a Boomerang, then as it comes back, to cancel out the lag, simply do Anything But stand there, jump and do nothing, or run/walk/pivot.
Note: It's not as big of a deal in this game because the lag from catching a rang has been heavily reduced, but any lag is bad lag.
Catch Lag Replacement (Must Know)
Description: Toon will stop what he's doing to put the boomerang away, and the small amount of lag from catching the boomerang will replace a greater amount of lag that you would have otherwise experienced.
How to Perform: Throw out a Boomerang, perform a certain action and put yourself in the direct path of the returning boomerang such that you will catch it.
Note: This seemingly contradictory tech is the result of the boomerang catch being much less laggy in smash 4. While the zero lag catch tech tells you to avoid the boomerang catch, this tech tells you that there are some circumstances in which catching the boomerang is actually beneficial. Catching any of the 3 boomerangs gives you 9 frames of lag in which you can do nothing, so the idea is to replace laggier situations with the 9 frames of lag. For example, you can replace the landing lag of aerials with the boomerang catch lag. Dair has 40 frames of landing lag, Fair has 17, Bair 22, Uair 21 and Nair 12. If you land with Fair then immediately catch the boomerang, you will almost half the amount of time in which you can do nothing. You can also replace the landing lag of Airdodge in the same way which is 21 frames of landing lag, and the same is of course true for when you cancel airdodge with Zair and land with that instead as the 21 frames of airdodge lag carries over to the Zair. Zair normally has 8 frames of landing lag, so getting 9 frames of landing lag after doing an airdodge Zair effectively cancels out the airdodge landing lag nonsense. Catching the boomerang out of a Run is also the fastest way to return to neutral out of a Run with all your options available. Some actions can be done directly out of a run, but many cannot such as Jab or U-tilt or even a new Dash back in the opposite direction, so by deliberately running into and catching the boomerang, you will be able to use these options after only 9 frames as opposed to 19 frames from doing these actions out of a skid.
As far as the practical application of this tech is concerned, at this stage I believe that the fast boomerang takes advantage of this tech the best due to the fact that it will always return in a straight path back in the direction from whence it came meaning it will not follow you up out of a SH and end up going over your head, and due to the fact that it will always take the same amount of time for the boomerang to return because it will continue to go forwards even if it hits the opponent, and finally due to the fact that it returns so quickly meaning that there are more chances of you cutting out the maximum amount of lag regardless of your timing. Some examples of practical applications are smash throwing the fast boomerang forwards on the ground then immediately doing a SH aerial, fast falling, landing in what would otherwise be lag but instead immediately catching the boomerang upon landing. Or you could smash throw the fast boomerang forwards on the ground again, immediately SH backwards and airdodge, Zair at any point (can be done while holding a bomb) then landing only you'll immediately catch the boomerang which will replace the airdodge landing lag. The fast boomerang is also really great for canceling the run animation due to the fact that it always goes through the opponent, meaning that you can catch it right up close to the opponent where options like U-tilt can be used to their full effect.
The In-between Angles (Must Know)
Description: Toon will throw the boomerang at an angle somewhere between straight forward and diagonally up / diagonally down.
How to Perform: Looking at a GC controller, note that it has eight indents with 8 flat sides in-between them. Normally when you throw the boomerang you may only think about throwing it either forwards, diagonally up or diagonally down by putting the joystick into one of these indents. Only, on each side that connects these indents, there are unique angles that the boomerang can be thrown. Take for example the side that is in-between forwards and diagonally up, noting that everything said about it applies equally to the side in-between forwards and diagonally down. On this side there are two unique angles that the boomerang can be thrown depending on which indent the joystick is closest to. The differences between them are slight in comparison to how much they differ from their corresponding indent. You must however be relatively in the centre of the side in order for it to work. If you are up against the side and too close to one of the indents, the boomerang will be thrown as if the joystick were in that indent.
Note: It is beneficial to be able to hit the in-between angles on command as it gives you greater accuracy and importantly means that there are less blind-spots in your spam game where an opponent can be safe.
Arrows
Turn Around Special
Description: Toon will Jump Forwards or Backwards, Turn around to face the other way and shoot an arrow.
How to Perform 1: Jump Backwards or Forwards, Lightly tilt Backwards and Hit special.
How to Perform 2: Jump Backwards or Forwards, Tap/flick Backwards (such that the joystick Instantly returns to neutral), then instantly (i.e. within 10 frames of hitting backwards) hit special.
How to Perform 3: Jump Backwards or Forwards, perform an action, toward the last ten frame of that action buffer a neutral special and then hit backwards before the special comes out.
Note: I personally prefer the second flicking method, but whatever works for you. It can be nice to run away, jump and then fire an arrow back at the opponent as you continue to drift away from them.
Special Reversal
Description: Toon will Jump either Forwards or Backwards, and Reverse his momentum and turn to face the other way while shooting an arrow.
How to Perform: Jump Backwards or Forwards, (with the joystick in neutral) Hit special then instantly (within 4 frames) Hit Backwards.
Note: Everything in the note for the side special reversal applies here too, i.e. being able to fade away out of jumping backwards, doing it on the ground etc. Due the the fact that arrows are quicker than boomerangs, there is a possible use for this that the side-special reversal does not have. While risky, it is an option to use this tech to quickly change where you will land; for example, the opponent suddenly runs in and charges a smash and you have no double jump. It is possible to use this to land behind them and avoid the attack depending on the attack. Depending on the attack it may be a better idea to fast fall into an attack or shield or footstool.
Wavebounced Arrows
Description: Toon will Jump either Forwards or Backwards, Reverse his momentum and stay facing the original direction and shoot an arrow (though in truth you'll just be turning around twice very quickly).
How to Perform 1: Jump Backwards or Forwards, Slightly tilt Backwards and hit special, then instantly (within 4 frames) Hit the joystick in the direction you were originally facing.
How to Perform 2: Jump Backwards or Forwards, flick the joystick Backwards such that it immediately returns to neutral and hit special within 10 frames, then instantly (within 4 frames) Hit the joystick in the direction you were originally facing.
How to Perform 3: Jump Backwards or Forwards, perform an action, toward the last ten frame of that action buffer a neutral special and then hit backwards before the special comes out, then within the first four frames of the neutral special Hit the joystick in the direction you were originally facing.
Note: Buffering this out of something can just help with the timing in general even if you end up using method 2. While you will still have to hit the joystick in the direction you were originally facing within that 4 frame window, the time you have to move your joystick back there can be increased using the buffer window.
Running B Reversal
Description: Toon will Run, Turn around and Reverse his momentum resulting in a small slide while Shooting an Arrow back in the direction he came from.
How to Perform: Run in one direction, Quickly return the Joystick to Neutral and Hit special then Instantly Hit Backwards.
Note: For more information check out the Running Side-special Reversal earlier on in this thread.
Arrow Locking
Description: Toon will shoot the opponent with an arrow just after they missed a grounded tech or just after they were footstooled by someone else close to the ground such that they could not tech or just after they were locked by something else e.g. Nair. This will result in the opponent being locked, which essentially means that they temporarily lose control of their character and have no choice but to watch their character attempt to stand back up in place.
How to Perform: Shoot the opponent with an arrow soon after they miss a tech or soon after they land after having been footstooled in the air close to the ground (by someone else e.g. in doubles) or soon after they have been locked by something else.
Note: Once the opponent has been locked, you can either hit them again straight away with any move including another locking move which re-locks them or you can charge an attack and hit them in their 'forced get up'. Unlike in Brawl, we can't use multiple arrows as they are too slow, and dash attack doesn't have locking properties. The best we can get out of this is a single arrow and a guaranteed follow up.
One way to set it up is to land with Zair hitting an opponent who is on high percents (such that Zair forces them into tumble) then immediately shoot an arrow; if the opponent doesn't tech or DJ away etc, then they will be locked; it helps if the opposing character is a fast faller and is highly affected by gravity such that they don't get hit too high which will give them less time to react.
Another way to set it up is to force a ledge-slip. To do this, have the opponent stand with their back to the edge of a platform while on low percents, then hit them with a move that sends them at a horizontal angle, e.g. Nair. The opponent will be pushed back and slip backwards over the edge of the platform, enter their tumble animation, and unless the opponent is floaty, they will be unable to tech or in any way avoid landing in their flop animation, much like being footstooled close to the ground. Therefore, as soon as you're able to, you should follow them to the ground and shoot an arrow, which if you're quick enough will lock them.
Another method of setting up arrow locks is to make use of platforms. Use a bomb to hit an opponent up onto a platform such that they only barely land on it; this will be percent specific for each character. If they miss the tech and you immediately followed up the bomb with an arrow, you will lock them.
Sword Play
Hurricane Boost (Must Know)
Description: Toon will use the custom 2 Up-special 'Hurricane Spin' in the air, only instead of traveling generally horizontally, he will travel a long distance diagonally upwards, greatly increasing his recovery distance.
How to Perform: First of all you need to be hit by something that gives you knockback momentum. This can be anything from being blown up by the timed fuse of your own held bomb (any bomb will do) to being hit or even spiked by an opponent. Then it's just a matter of hitting Up-B at the right time (only works with the hurricane spin of course). You want to use Up-B when you are definitely no longer in hitstun (that's the key, you have to use it later than you might think), but you don't want to wait too long either. The timing will depend on what your percent is and how hard you were hit. If you use Up-B too early you will rise upwards the same small distance that you otherwise would have only you won't get the amazing horizontal distance that is expected of the Hurricane Spin. If you use Up-B too late, you will get a normal Hurricane Spin.
Note: This AT greatly increases Toon's recovery potential meaning that the Hurricane Spin becomes the best Up-B for recovering by far under the right conditions. As I said, the timing will depend on how hard you were hit and at what percent you were on. For example, if you are under 10% and a normal bomb hits you due to the fuse running out, you don't have to worry about using Up-B too early and can simply use it straight away and you'll get the boosted effect. The best way to get the hang of this is to play around with it yourself. Once you get a feel for the timing, you'll find that it isn't too difficult to know when you need to use Up-B regardless of what hits you. You can use this trick to go deep off stage so long as you have a bomb, and it will allow you to recover from being spiked in situations where you've already used your double jump, which covers some of the main weaknesses of the Hurricane Spin.
Ledge Grab Cancel
Description: While recovering with Up-special, near the end of the move Toon normally snaps to the ledge, but this tech allows him to continue doing his Up-special and only grab the ledge when you want to.
How to Perform: When you're Recovering, Use Up-special towards the ledge, then simply Hold Down (let go of down whenever you want to grab the ledge).
Note: This can be useful if someone is standing near the edge expecting you to snap to the ledge, but instead you decide to not grab it immediately, just long enough so that you can hit them. If the opponent throws out a move that hits horizontally or below the stage however, you are putting yourself at risk. I would also certainly not recommend going completely past the ledge unless you know that the Up-special will connect. One other good way to use this tech would be while trying to gimp someone; you jump off-stage and throw out aerials, if they miss you go to recover with Up-special, perhaps facing away from the stage to throw out more hitboxes in their direction, then you hold down to deliberately avoid grabbing the ledge so that they grab the ledge first, then you can come down and grab the ledge immediately after them, potentially setting up a trump situation. Obviously the effectiveness of this will depend on the recovery tool used by the opponent though.
Nair Double Hit
Description: The first hit of the Nair will hit on the closest hitbox towards Toon such that the sword animation is passing right through them; this particular first hit will hit them back through Toon and into the second hit of Nair (similar to D-smash).
How to Perform: Simply use Nair when you’re passing through your opponent such that the first hit only barely hits them.
Note: This is a great way to rack up damage which is especially needed due to the damage nerfs on this attack.
Dair Stall
Description: Toon will get hit by an attack, then as soon as the hitstun as worn off he will Jump and use Dair and float in place at the peak of the double jump in the animationof a Dair until the Dair has finished.
How to Perform: Get hit hard by your opponent or your own bomb, Jump and then Dair at practically the same time, just as your about to fall back down (i.e. just as the hitstun is wearing off but while there is still some momentum left over from the knockback).
Note: The timing is strict, too early and you slowly fall the Dair, too late and you'll Dair and plummet as usual. If you Jump to the left or right when you hit Jump and Dair together, you will float sideways in the direction of the Jump.
Note that if instead you don't jump and just use Dair, you will of course slowly fall the Dair, but if you delay Dair just long enough to hold the joystick either left or right and drift slightly in that direction, then assuming that you still have just enough momentum to slowly fall the Dair, you will slowly fall the Dair diagonally in the direction of your drift. The angle that you fall will depend on how much you were able to drift before you Dair'd, and that will depend on how much knockback you received in the first place.
Dair Recovery Stall
Description: Toon will get hit hard off stage, then just as the hitstun has worn off and while htere is still some knockback left over from being hit, he'll double Jump up in a Dair animation and float back towards stage at the peak of his jump until the Dair animation is complete.
How to Perform: It's really the same as the Dair Stall only the application for it is different here. Get hit off stage by your opponent, hold the joystick towards stage (for the duration of this tech), then as soon as you can, Double Jump and instantly Dair (pretty much at the same time). Works best if you can hold the joystick towards stage and C-stick the Dair.
Note: This will only work on medium to high percents (because of the momentum needed for it to work). Other rules apply like you need to make sure you have enough momentum and you obviously need to be sure you have a double jump. By doing this tech, you will recover higher and further than normal, which is good, but it will also take away your double jump which will limit your options. Note also that the Dair Stall tech is more difficult to perform over all because of the increase in hitstun resulting in a shorter period of time in you have no hitstun and yet still retain some momentum, which just means that this is much more difficult and therefore much riskier in smash 4 than it was in Brawl.
Sliding Dair
Description: Toon will use Dair, land on a slanted surface and slide a long way while pulling his sword out of the ground (the steeper the surface, the further he slides).
How to Perform: Simply Jump, and use a Dair directly over a slanted surface.
Note: This can make Dair less punishable if you miss. Obviously this tech is stage dependant.
Dair Water Stall
Description: Toon will Jump in the water, Jump up then instantly 'dive' with Dair really far down in the water. He will swim back up to the surface after a few moments completely unscathed.
How to Perform: Go on to any stage with water, get in the water, Jump out of the water and instantly Use Dair.
Note: This can be used to stall out entire sections on Wuhu Island by swimming underneath certain things and remaining underwater until the stage moves on. (It doesn't work on the rocks, but you can go underneath the two red floaties holding up the metal bar when they dip upwards) This is similar to 'rudder stalling' on the old Brawl pirate ship stage. Toon will start swimming back up to the surface, but something will get in the way so he'll be in his swimming up state under the water where you can't get touched for as long as you want or until the stage moves on.
Dair Shockwave
Description: Toon will do a Dair and land on a platform with an opponent beneath the platform such that the Dair hitbox doesn't hit them, but the landing hitbox does. The Landing hitbox will do 5% damage but no hitstun and they will be pushed to the left or right depending on which side of them the landing hitbox touched, and the length of the slide will depend on how high their percent is.
How to Perform: For the purpose of explaining, I will use the stage Battlefield. Stand on either the left or right platform and make sure that your opponent (or friend in teams as the case may be) is under the platform that you're standing on. Then Jump and Dair directly over them (or begin to fall through the platform and immediately Dair).
Note: When the character gets hit they receive no hitstun. This means that whatever move they were using or were about to use is completely unaffected, in fact, they'll get to do that move with a slide if they are on the ground. Also, unlike the normal Dair push, the Dair Shockwave's effect actually increases with your opponent's percentage. This means that although at first it appears to do nothing much, if you get your opponents percent to anything higher then say 50%, you will notice a considerable difference. The stages are very character specific because it's difficult to avoid the Dair's normal hitbox so some platform heights will work for some characters, while other characters might require higher or lower platforms.
Directed Dair
Description: After hitting an opponent with Dair, Toon is able to direct his falling movement slightly to the left or right because you completely regain control of your ability to drift backwards and forwards, only you continue to fall fast.
How to Perform: Simply use Dair to hit someone and then hold left or right depending on which direction you want to fall in.
Note: The control is only minimal, but it does allow us to Dair slightly off-stage and then still make it back if we actually hit them. If anything though, this is more something you want to keep in mind so that you don't accidentally find yourself plummeting off stage when you thought you were perfectly safe doing a Dair on stage.
Uair Stall through the Edge of the Stage (Must Know)
Description: Toon will move away from the ledge, Jump under it and stick his sword up through the stage so it reaches the other side and stay there for half a second then fall back down and Up-special to the ledge again.
How to Perform: Hang off the Ledge, Hit away from the Ledge, Double Jump underneath the stage and Instantly use Uair (then Use Up-special to grab the Ledge again).
Note: This move allows you to attack from under certain stages near the edge. You can move left or right when you're 'stalled' under the stage. You're of course not really stalled; it's just the momentum of the Double Jump that keeps you up while you're using Uair. The U-air can be poked through many stages, but in order to get the stalling effect, the stage near the edge must be thin, flat and solid.
Instant Dash Attack (Must Know)
Description: Toon will instantly use his Dash attack from a standing position.
How to Perform: Initiate a Dash in one direction then instantly Hit the C-stick Down.
Note: This can be used to use your Dash Attack when standing right on the edge; this is un-recommended though for obvious reasons. What this tech gets past is what would normally occur if you tried to do an instant dash attack with just the joystick and the attack button, that is, it would result in an F-smash.
General
RAR (Reverse Aerial Rush) (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Run in one direction then Jump Backwards in the original direction you were running.
How to Perform: Simply Run in one direction, Flick the joystick Backwards then almost instantly Jump (Usually a SH); this will carry over some of your original forward momentum, but you can then hold the joystick back in that original direction (now it would be holding Backwards) for a smoother looking transition.
Note: This can be useful for both attacking and retreating. For attacking you can use Bair in the direction of you run as a quick and far-reaching poke, letting you hit the opponent in situations where you otherwise wouldn't have reached in time. As a retreating tool you can run away from your opponent and then just as an example you can do a SH Zair back in their direction to cut off their approach or use a SH Fair if you want to leave your options open. It's just a very fundamental technique that should be learnt to gain more control over your character and open up more options.
Fox Trotting (Must Know)
Description: Toon will travel across the stage in short Dash bursts without ever entering into the Run animation.
How to Perform: Simply initiate a dash in one direction by flicking the joystick and returning it to neutral, then toward the end of the dash, rinse and repeat.
Note: If you want to turn around without having to bother with the turn around animation, do a single Dash Dance at the end of one of the Dashes, to be specific, do a dash and then toward the end of it initiate another dash in the same direction and then immediately interrupt it with yet another dash input back in the other direction, at which point you can continue doing dash inputs in this new direction or transition into a run.
Slingshot
Description: Toon Runs, turns around in the Dash Turn animation, the slides out of the Dash Turn while doing certain attacks.
How to Perform: Run (not Dash), Hit and hold Backwards until Toon is out of the whole turning animation and has gained back some speed in the other direction, then feel free to input a D-tilt, or D-smash, or Utilt, etc. while sliding forwards.
Note: Not all moves will let you keep your slide, e.g. F-smash. Note that you can do a simple pivot while in your slide animation allowing you to do all the sliding moves while sliding Backwards.
Perfect Pivot (True Pivot) (Must Know)
Description: Toon makes an initial Dash in one direction then cancels the initial frames of that Dash by simply turning around on the spot (i.e. by doing a pivot).
How to Perform: Hit either backwards or forwards to make the initial Dash, then instantly Flick the opposite direction, letting the joystick return to neutral instantly (such that it is only held for a single frame).
How to Perform 2: With A + B = smash turned on and the C-stick left as 'smash', hold attack and special, hit the joystick left or right, then almost immediately hit the C-stick back in the opposite direction. It would help if you had a control set up that made this easier, e.g. assign attack and/or special to a shoulder button.
Note: This tech is all about micro-spacing. For Link this will mean the difference between using attacks too close or using them at the tip of his sword. It allows you to quickly and slightly alter your position and immediately give you all your options back like Jab, U-tilt, D-tilt and D-smash. It can be used in conjunction with Foxtrotting to allow you to do all these options out of a Dash (which is otherwise impossible) or simply to adjust your spacing more effectively as required.
Stutter Step F-smash (Must Know)
Description: Toon will inch slightly Forwards and use F-smash.
How to Perform: You cancel the initial frames of a Dash with a F-smash, so hit the joystick either forwards or backwards then instantly hit the C-stick in the same direction.
Note: This can be used in conjunction with Foxtrotting to allow you to do an F-smash immediately after a Dash, otherwise, used by itself the difference in the range it gives your F-smash is minimal.
Kara Smash (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Dash forward, initiate another Dash then immediately F-smash.
How to Perform: This tech revolves around the ability to interrupt the initial frames of a Dash with F-smash, otherwise known as a stutter-step. This is combined with the act of moving around with Dashes, i.e. Foxtrotting. In other words, initiate a dash in any direction (as many as you want, but generally just the one or two), then toward the end of that dash, initiate another dash and immediately hit the attack button to do an F-smash in the direction of your dash or use the C-stick set to smash to do an F-smash in any direction.
Note: This is a great way to adjust your spacing and F-smash, especially if you have the c-stick set to smash as you can more easily use it to retreat and then F-smash back in the direction you came from which is great for punishing approaches. It is slightly faster than simply walking and using F-smash, enough that it makes a difference worth noting. Link's walk is pretty fast though so obviously other characters would get a better use out of this tech. Note that you can actually do the F-smash back in the direction you came from without the c-stick. What you need to do is Dash, then at the end of the dash initiate another dash in the same direction then interrupt that Dash with another Dash back in the other direction (i.e. do a single Dash Dance) and hit the attack button for an F-smash. But then, the retreating version isn't needed any more because it's possible to F-smash backwards straight out of a Run. Simply run in one direction, hit backwards, immediately let go of the joystick and hit the c-stick set to smash in the direction you are now facing. Without the c-stick it's a bit more difficult; either try to time it by hitting the joystick backwards out of a run and the attack button at the same time, or run in one direction, let the joystick return to neutral so that you skid, then hit the joystick backwards and hit attack.
Pivot Grab (Must Know)
Description: Toon will Run, then turn around and Grab while Sliding Backwards.
How to Perform: Run in one direction, hit the Grab button and then instantly hit Backwards.
Note: Pretty good move here, especially considering that our Back-Throw is now deadly. Running past people who are standing closer towards the edge then pivot grabbing them into a Back-Throw kill is a great application of this tech. Note that if you hit the grab button after hitting backwards you will get a Pivot F-tilt instead.
Tether Cancel
Description: Toon will go to tether the ledge but the tethering process will be cut short at some point and the tether will be instantly retracted, whether it be the very moment after you sent out the tether or well after all the swinging is done and you're just hanging there, or perhaps somewhere in between.
How to Perform: Simply hit down at any point after you've hit the grab button near the ledge to tether.
Note: You can avoid fast falling when you cancel the tether if you quickly flick the joystick down only part of the way. Alternatively, so long as you are rising, hitting down as hard as you want won't FF. If you still have your double jump, this can create some interesting situations in which the opponent thinks you have only the option of retracting the tether and snapping to the ledge, but in fact you can cancel the tether then immediately double jump and hit them with an aerial for example. This is especially true if you telegraph the tether by airdodging first. In fact you can use an airdodge to avoid an attack then immediately retaliate and punish the lag of that attack by cancelling the airdodge with tether (the moment the opponent's attack has ended) then cancelling the tether and hitting the opponent with a DJ aerial. If this wasn't obviously amazing enough, consider the situation where an opponent jumps out at you to hit you with an aerial only to have that aerial dodged and then immediately have you do a DJ Dair spike before their aerial has even ended. If you're holding a Bomb, instantly tether cancelling will allow you to z-drop the bomb and be able to catch it with an aerial or else just z-drop the bomb off-stage leaving you free to react to what happens whether the bomb was dropped inside of the opponent or dropped down on the opponent. Once you've tether cancelled you can immediately tether or grab the ledge because tethering the ledge doesn't count as grabbing it and so it won't make the ledge unavailable to you for the next second. I guess I should mention that if you let yourself tether then swing, and then toward the peak of the swing on the other side you lightly tap down to tether cancel without fast falling, this will result in the momentum being carried over from the swing which can be used for going under stages for example, not that you'd want to do that or anything.
Tether Trump (Must Know)
Description: Toon will tether the ledge as someone is recovering towards it and he'll reel in the tether to grab the ledge the moment after the opponent grabs the ledge.
How to Perform: Simply jump out off stage either backwards or while throwing something backwards to turn you around to face the ledge, then hit the grab button to tether and either hit it again very quickly or hit up on the joystick to reel the tether in without buffering a ledge attack. It's all about the timing of when you reel the tether in so watch your opponent's recovery carefully as the optimal thing to do is grab the ledge the very moment after your opponent does.
Note: Ok to explain, let's first cover the basics. A trump is where a character is forced off the ledge by another character who grabbed the ledge after them. The order in which characters grab the ledge is most important when deciding which of them is trumped; the deciding factor is not which character held onto the ledge first but which character entered their ledge grab animation first. This is important as for example tethering to the ledge has a shorter ledge grab animation, so while it can appear as though the tethering character grabbed the ledge first as they were the first to hold onto the ledge, it is possible for them to have entered their ledge grab animation after the opponent, meaning that the tethering character, having entered their ledge grab animation second, is under no threat of being trumped. When you grab the ledge normally there is a period of time in which you cannot act but also cannot be trumped; the very moment you can act is the moment you can also be trumped if you don't buffer a ledge option. The only ledge options that can be buffered is ledge attack, ledge roll, and ledge jump, meaning that ledge get-up cannot be buffered, nor can hitting away from the ledge to let go of it; if you try to do a ledge get-up or let go of the ledge you will be trumped. When you grab the ledge with a reeled in tether however, you can act immediately and be trumped immediately (if you don't buffer a ledge option). [It doesn't really matter so much if you are trumped out of a tether though because the opponent will be stuck on the ledge for the full amount of time allowing you to DJ recover, or in other words, trumping a reeled in tether ledge grab is the equivalent of doing a trump at the worst possible time.] With a normal trump you have to try to time it so you grab the ledge immediately after the opponent does, otherwise you'll still be stuck waiting on the ledge while the opponent is being trumped and you could miss out on getting a follow-up. But because the tether allows you to act immediately when you grab the ledge, you don't have to time it perfectly at all. Even with the latest/worst timing, you are still able to act the very moment the opponent gets trumped, allowing for easy followups such as hit away DJ Bair, Bomb throw to Fair/Uair, or Aerial Up-B. But the opponent can avoid these by buffering 1 of the three bufferable ledge options right? Correct. The non-perfect tether trump can be avoided by buffering a ledge option which you will typically be unable to punish. But if you do time the tether reel in perfectly such that you grab the ledge the very moment after the opponent does, it won't matter if they buffer a ledge option because you'll have that option covered too, as I'll explain. When you do a perfect tether trump you find yourself in an extremely beneficial situation. If you immediately do a normal ledge get-up (remember, this cannot be buffered so it requires timing), the opponent is still forced to do a bufferable ledge option otherwise they will be trumped, or in other words, you still technically occupy the ledge while getting up, meaning that the opponent can be trumped while you are in the middle of getting up off the ledge. Remember; doing a ledge get-up or hitting away from the ledge to let go of it cannot be buffered and so these are not options that the opponent can use to avoid being trumped by the perfect tether trump while you are getting up off the ledge, and any attempt to do so in this situation will just get them trumped. If they are trumped then you will find yourself on-stage ready to punish their recovery because you know that they cannot go to the ledge again, otherwise they will completely leave themselves open to being hit due to not receiving any invulnerability frames. If instead they do buffer a ledge option (only ledge attack, ledge roll, or ledge jump) you will be in a prime position to punish any of these options as you will already be on-stage and you will know for a fact that one of these options must be used to avoid the trump and you will know for a fact that one of these options must be done at a very specific time which makes punishing much easier.
Instant Tether Trump (Must Know)
Description: The same as the Tether Trump above (read it first for more information), only specifically the fastest way to use it.
How to Perform: On a normal stage you need to have your back right up against the ledge, SH backwards out off stage continuing to hold backwards, and hit the grab button from the 3rd airborne frame, then reel it in. On Dream Land however, so long as you start with your back to the ledge, you just need to hold jump, hold backwards and hit grab quickly, even within the jumpsquat frames because it will buffer a tether which will activate on the first airborne frame, then simply reel it in.
Note: Toon's instant tether trump is relatively easy to perform. Try working in a RAR first to really catch the opponent by surprise.
Fall Through Zair (Must Know)
Description: Toon will use his Zair and as it is coming out, he will pass through platforms without the Zair being interrupted or cancelled.
How to Perform: Be above a platform in the air, then on your way down hold Down and use Zair at any point.
Note: Best used while fast falling as you will still want to cancel that Zair by landing on the ground asap. Can be used as a surprise attack (for example, you could use a well spaced Fall Through Zair on the middle top platform of BF to poke someone on the side platforms on your way down), but more importantly it is sometimes the only way to have a Zair out at full range if you want to fast fall and there's a platform in the way (e.g. through one of the side platforms of BF).
Edge Cancelling (Must Know)
Description: Toon does a certain action such as an airdodge and drifts forwards towards the edge of a platform or the stage, lands near the end of it and slides off which completely removes any remaining animation and lag from the previous action, in this case the airdodge.
How to Perform: Simply jump towards the edge of a platform or the edge of the stage, hold the joystick forwards, do an action that can be ledge cancelled and aim you movement so that you land on the very end of the platform or stage and then slide off due to your momentum moving forwards.
Note: This can also be done with Arrows, airdodge and Zair (including an airdodge to Zair) to completely cut their ending lag allowing you to do any other action immediately. The arrows have to be fired before you land on the edge and you have to fall off forwards in order for it to work. This allows us to do lagless Zair's while holding a Bomb too.
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