Weekly Move discussion: U-Air

[OFY]

This board lacks real Sonic discussion.

So, I've decided to make a weekly move discussion thread. Every week we pick one of Sonic's moves/at's and discuss on how we apply or how we can apply it in different ways to our game. I will describe a brief description of the current

This week: U-Air

Sonic's U-air is a 2-hit move, but when short hopped only one of Sonic's legs hits the oppenent causing 3% damage, obviously when both legs do connect with the opponent 6% dmg is inflicted. But when you do SH this move and FF it, and connect with the one leg you do have enough time to jab, grab, or use any of Sonic's B specials, FF it, and connect with the one leg you do have enough time to jab, grab, or use any of Sonic's B specials, as far as I tested.

My take on U-Air.

 

[InterimOfZeal]

If you FF it on the enemy and get just the first part, you can link it into a utilt, and mebbe another uair. I just utilt again, though.

I like how it scoops people from the side, the move has wicked range. Still, against anyone that knows how to DI, it's harder to land the second hit.

Or maybe my spacing just sucks on this move.

We should probably just talk about all of his aerials, or more than just uair. It's a simple move, for me at least. When we get to dair and bair, Imma be happy.

 

[MarKO X]

which part of uair spikes? and how bad is this spike? i've never seen it, but heard of it and heard that it wasn't even that useful, but I think it would be good to know... just in case that one situation shows up and...

 

[OFY]

which part of uair spikes? and how bad is this spike? i've never seen it, but heard of it and heard that it wasn't even that useful, but I think it would be good to know... just in case that one situation shows up and...

You're thinking of USmash.

 

[TwinkleToes]

^Nah, I've seen Anthinus semi-spike with the first hit of uair. Forgot who it was against, but what he did was run off the level at them and uair. It was wicked.

The move has ridiculous vertical range but the horizontal range is "meh."

 

[Tenki]

Actually, it seems like D-air, F-tilt, U-air hit 1, F-air final hit, SDJ hit, and N-air can be greatly influenced by DI so that they semispike in the true sense.

U-air1 is not bad for a juggle starter. It also seems to kinda have a tiny extension past the graphics box upwards as well as sideways.

I like how U-air2 outprioritizes pretty much everything above it.

My main problem with the move is the 'lag time' between the first and second hits. I've had computers AIRDODGE the second hit, and sometimes if I want to 'tip' with the 2nd hit, I tend to take too long to hit.

 

[KirbyandSonicrock14]

My question is what else can we do with the up air instead of just combos all the time?

 

[TwinkleToes]

I use it a lot at the start of the game so people don't try to dair me ever :O
I love this move so much... Probably my favorite attack to spam.

 

[Boxob]

You stole and improved upon my idea.

You bitch.

 

[R4ZE]

i'd like to discuss ceiling kills with this move.

On some characters i thought that i couldnt use this move to ceiling kill them because for example:

DDD's dair had a pretty easy time beating out sonics uair. but them i guess as i got better with sonic i learned some way to alter the timing, or maybe just execute eit more precisely, and now i seem to be able to beat out most dair's with sonic's uair. now the only problem i have is getting right under the opponent to connect it right... but i was thinking about practixing combining Side-b and up-b to get into the right position since i always run to shor tor too far.. other wise i could use a sheild cancelled side-b

what methods to you use for getting into the right position for ceiling kills with u-air?

 

[Tenki]

U-air combos or at the least, sets up into spring>U-air at 60-80% (middleweights), if that helps you any.

To get it to actually "hitstun" combo, you have to hit with the "forward/upper" part of the first hit, and the second hit will set up perfectly for another one.

 

[ROOOOY!]

what methods to you use for getting into the right position for ceiling kills with u-air?

If at a low percentage (well, lowish) :
Up throw > Uair > Spring > Uair

But that's pretty predictable once you've Uaired for the first time so there's no point.

And if at a high percentage :
Just a Up throw to springed uair lol.

I swear I Uaired through a Tlink's Dair once. :\
I know the second hit of the Uair has more priority (?) and power, but enough to do that?

 

[TwinkleToes]

^The range is definitely greater. It's just hard because he's dropping so fast.

 

[Anthinus]

Great move. Have good range in both sides (begining of the move) and a good hitbox over him, is quick and after the first part of the move (the one that deals 3%) you have little or no lag if you land. Good to combo near ground.
If you hit with the first part of the move you send your opponent away of you: in front or behind your self (this is how you can stage spike).
I use it a lot, but I prefer when:
-I'm returning to the stage after a Near Edge Dair
-Dash Attack->Spring->Uair
-on FD: Walljump->Uair (the hitbox hurts people waiting for you over the edge).

Thats all for now. I'm in a hurry

 

[R4ZE]

i think sonic's uair can out priority most dair's, it just has to be timed correctly.

 

[MarKO X]

i think sonic's uair can out priority most dair's, it just has to be timed correctly.

Whoa... I thought uair fails in priority. that's why you gotta end up hitting most people with it from the sides. Like, I know for a fact that the uair fails against MK's dair, Link and TL's dair, and Lucario's twostep(dair), just to name a few.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[TwinkleToes]

I know you're wrong for both the Links. Pretty sure you're wrong about Lucario and MK too.

Check your timing. If the second hit isn't what you're attacking with then yes you may get out-prioritized.

 

[Browny]

lucarios dair is god tier

sonics Uair can go through TL, G&W dair on a regular basis, the timing and spacing is a little odd though. i think you have to only hit with the invisible hitbox that extends out to the sides. adult links is the same, but really the risk vs reward on trying to take on that thing is never worth it.

 

[TwinkleToes]

Never worth it... unless... you're godlike and can get it every time... as I can... :O

 

[Blapius]

On the subject of ceiling killing, D3's Up-B is extremely easy to punish with Sonic's Uair during his "hangtime" frames. When D3 "hyup"s up, follow him with a spring and give him a little Uair tickle as he reaches his peak.

 

[da K.I.D.]

since most ppl expect it from me at this point ive gotten into the habit of doing:

up throw around 100% to spring to Airdodge, to up air, since sonic has a medium fall speed, if you air dodge, you can position yourself better, and youll still be high enough in the air for the up air to kill them

 

[MarKO X]

I know you're wrong for both the Links. Pretty sure you're wrong about Lucario and MK too.

Check your timing. If the second hit isn't what you're attacking with then yes you may get out-prioritized.

Still baffled and eager to learn...

If you have to time it right and space it right, then doesn't that mean that in general Sonic's uair is out-prioritized with these dairs?

 

[TwinkleToes]

Still baffled and eager to learn...

If you have to time it right and space it right, then doesn't that mean that in general Sonic's uair is out-prioritized with these dairs?

Ok forget a second about priority and ask how practical it is to uair juggle someone in a fight. I would say both Links are very easy to juggle especially if you come in at them at an angle. Lucario and MK are definitely more difficult to juggle since they can spam their dairs which is problematic.

 

[MarKO X]

Ok forget a second about priority and ask how practical it is to uair juggle someone in a fight. I would say both Links are very easy to juggle especially if you come in at them at an angle. Lucario and MK are definitely more difficult to juggle since they can spam their dairs which is problematic.

agreed. the juggling ability of Sonic's uair is something that's about as old as the annoucement of Sonic itself. Where you have to attack with it to do that varies by the character you fight, but I'm kinda disputing the priority of the attack in general, since most of the time, you can't go straight on and hit with like you can with, say, Marth's, Pit's, or Olimar's.

 

[TwinkleToes]

I guess I don't actually have any facts (hitbox/hurtbox disjointedness and such), but I do know the range is longer than the guys you mentioned.

 

[Napilopez]

Uair rox. That simple.
I think the issue people have with Uair being outprioritized is that they try to connect witht he first hit from above. the first hit doesnt have much range upwards, the second hit has insane range, it outprioritizes almost any aerial really.

And btw, I know for sure Uair outprioritizes Olimar's Dair, the second hit atleast.

 

[R4ZE]

my advice to you is just practice it. ... i mean u can even just wait a split second longer than normal to execute it when you going against peolpe like lucarario. I know i have uair'd people while they were spamming dair (lucario)


also another idea is to go beside them and bair or hit with the first hit of uair.


and if u miss at first with uair, somtimes it works to keep spamming it, or bair...
I've noticed that sonic usually falls slower than the characters I fight, so if i keep hitting uair or bair, they endup meeting it at some point.


Also i'd like to throw in that, sonic is all abotu timing... I play against players that play me every day and they know how to fight my sonic, so throwing off my attack times by a split second is basicly the only way i can get hits on them. that concept follows through for uair a lot.

 

[Napilopez]

I definately agree, to me Sonic is one of the most timing intensive characters there are, what with his huge speed, yet many laggy attacks(both warmup and cooldown lag).

Which is why he's an absolute pain to play online.