What are Crossups?

[Kaiduru Zeta]

I recently heard the term and didn't know what they were? What are they and what use are they?

 

[⑨ball]

Crossups are essentially attacks that cross over or under your opponent. In traditional fighting games like Street Fighter this means your opponent has to change the motion they are holding to continue blocking or reverse the motion they'd usually use in order to retaliate. In Smash Bros. because opponents can also pass through each other another layer of cross ups is introduced.

In Smash 4 they still retain the use of confusing your opponent's options, but because shield is relegated to one button, crossups mainly serve as a way to avoid OoS options.

 

[Fancykong]

Funny you should mention Street Fighter. I've found that in close quarters, the step that Ryu takes in his Fsmash makes him pass through WFT, causing him to be safe him to be safe from shield grabs and sometimes both sides of Ftilt. OOS Bair works in their place, though.

 

[Kaiduru Zeta]

So in a way Ftilt is a crossup?

 

[Fancykong]

Ftilt doesn't keep moving from one side of the enemy to the other (the actual crossup), so it isn't one. You can technically make jab into a crossup by using RTAC, but there are usually better options like SH Nair.

 

[⑨ball]

So in a way Ftilt is a crossup?

The biggest point in understanding a crossup is that you hit on one side while ending up on the other.

Appearing to be going in to hit on one side and passing over or through to the other can be considered crossups too, but are less effective as they give your opponent more time to react. In this way dash through pivot ftilt,bair, and grab can be handy.

Funny you should mention Street Fighter. I've found that in close quarters, the step that Ryu takes in his Fsmash makes him pass through WFT, causing him to be safe him to be safe from shield grabs and sometimes both sides of Ftilt. OOS Bair works in their place, though.

Lots of characters do this to WFT actually. Not all of them pass through, but being extremely close makes things whiff as often as crouching does(ex:Sheik's fair).

As for Ryu, crouching is so good in this mu I pretty much only shield to bait him. His hitstun and shield damage otherwise definitely encourage a more precise style to be sure.
@ Kaiduru Zeta if you have Ryu, that's another character that's pretty good at crossups. His fair is actually designed to do additional shield damage if you crossup with it, so you can get a good gist on how they work just by practicing that.