What are some tricks to managing your character's direction?

[Deleted member]

When I want to do something like approach with a bair, I usually mess it up. Also when you're shielding and facing the wrong way, what's the fastest way to turn around and approach the enemy? I still often confuse my direction when doing aerials.

 

[Chesstiger2612]

If you jump, the direction when you press jump gets read.
So for example, I run in, then press jump, then I change my stick direction and input attack: Back-Air.
I run in, then I change my stick direction, then press jump and input attack: Forward-Air (in the other direction).
Reversals of b moves turn you around (holding the opposing direction and then inputting the move).
Some moves also turn you around, like Marth's bair.

One popular method to change the direction you face while keeping momentum is the RAR (Reverse Aerial Rush).
You dash in, reverse stick direction, press jump, reverse stick direction again and then getting airbourne.

 

[Beats]

As mentioned above, RAR is a great way to approach with bair. Just be aware of what you want to be doing in the air before you hit the ground because changing directions in the air is often much more limited. Obviously if you have multiple jumps life puff or kirby this doesn't apply. Turning in the air varies from character to character, with things like shine turn-arounds or marth side special. Just be aware of your options.

OoS options when being attacked from behind you are often things like nair, up special, shield dropping, etc. Again, your options depend on your character. Although sometimes you may want to reset to neutral instead.

 

[Bellioes]

RARing is the easiest way to approach an opponent with aerials that hit behind your character.

Also, using c-stick to perform your aerials while DIing in another direction can help you keep your momentum in one direction while performing an aerial from another direction ie. approaching with Bairs.

For shielding in the wrong direction, Im assuming dropping your shield and turning around is not an option. In that case, theres no safe way to do it quickly as far as I know. This is what makes crossups on your opponent's shield a lot safer. Its a lot harder to punish someone who is applying pressure from behind your shield for this very reason. Your safest bet is to throw out an aerial that hits behind you ( if the opponents attack that hit behind you has sufficient lag) or just wavedash away and reset the game to neutral.

 

[Bazkip]

Also, using c-stick to perform your aerials while DIing in another direction can help you keep your momentum in one direction while performing an aerial from another direction ie. approaching with Bairs.

That's not DI. DI is only when altering your trajectory after being hit. Affecting your momentum in the air is simply called drifting.

 

[Bellioes]

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I knew they were two different terms but could never explain how until now lol

 

[DrinkingFood]

Thank goodness somebody corrected him on that so I wouldn't have to lol

 

[Deleted member]

That sounds like a useful tech I'll have to get down, thanks!

 

[Fortress]

Just focus on the most basic of basic fundamental movements: the dash, the short hop, the fast fall. Knowing what you can do with those three movement options alone will open up a degree of control over your character that you might not know you had.

Smash is all about movement. Good movement will beat the most tech-heavy of opponents if they're not skilled enough in their fundamentals to utilize those options. I used to be the brainiac player of the group who put tech skill above all else, but my spacing was crap, my mindgames weren't developed, and I had no control of my character, despite knowing all of the techniques that I could perform with them, and being able to perform them as well. Until I learned to move myself around on the screen, I wasn't able to use what I knew to its fullest extent. Movement will allow you to use that tech, string those moves together in the most effective way possible, and position yourself in the safest manner you can.

In my opinion, it starts with just those three movement techniques; dashing, fast falling, and short hopping. Having control over those will allow you control over the options out of them, and so on, and so on.

 

[chaosscizzors]

this might be obvious to you but i see in your signature you play charizard. characters with multiple mid air jumps can change their direction by jumping and holding left or right on the control stick. it's vital that you learn how to change direction *and* how to prevent yourself from changing direction when you don't want to.

i see this was mentioned before but you can use special moves to change direction in mid air as well. marth for example can use the first swing of his dancing blade to change direction somewhat quickly (not really, but it's the fastest option you have with marth if i'm not mistaken). sometimes i'll use this to change direction while recovering so i can use bair but really it's not important with marth since he has a superior fair. speaking of that, marth's bair is the only (i think) areal a attack that will change your direction in mid air if you let the entire move's animation play (as in not landing before the attack completes). link can turn around while pulling a bomb if you angle the control stick slightly left or right while pulling a bomb. that will work for any dB and uB. you can also change direction in the air by throwing an item in the direction you're not facing. you can change direction with neutral specials by hitting the control stick in a direction quickly, letting the stick go back to neutral and then press B. this is great on characters like shiek and donkey kong because you can then cancel the nB's charging animation with a quick press of the shield button. you can do something similar by pressing a direction just after your nB animation begins. you can also change direction with some specials like the spacie's reflectors and g&w's bucket by pressing a direction while performing the attack.

i hope this was helpful for you. good luck and practice practice practice.