Zero Suit Samus Questions & Answers

[Zero]

Practicing item techs in training mode with Mr. Saturn seem to work well. Once you learn how to use items, z-drop, instant catch, glide toss, jump cancelled toss, etc etc, then you play matches and try to apply these to your game.

Remember not to force the item game into your general strategy, but to use the items as an extension of your other options. Basically, what I'm saying is that don't throw the piece at the enemy if something else will work better.

 

[Darky-Sama]

Practicing on Wifi is definantly better if you want experience because a computer cannot DI properly, nor do they abuse ATs nearly as much as a smart player would do. You'd have to tolerate the x.80 frame rate, but it's better than nothing if you can't play good players offline.

Training mode isn't bad either if you want to practice your armor game. I actually thought up some tricks while playing in training mode. At the beginning of the match, pick up an armor piece, run off the ledge, immediately flip jump back onto the stage and use her super jump off one of the extra armor pieces toward the opponent, then throw the armor piece you're holding at them.

It's fun just messing around with stuff like that. Most opponents don't expect ZSS to abuse her super jump, so it's not hard to punish them with that. If they're approaching, you can throw the armor down at them during any point of the super jump. All in all though, you'd be better off just throwing a piece toward them first, then grabbing the second, using the third for your super jump and who knows, maybe they'll be midair by then expecting you to throw the other pieces.

 

[Drae]

Would ZSS and Snake make a good team in doubles? And if so can you explain why or if not can you suggest who would be a better teammate for her?

 

[Darky-Sama]

ZSS can work well with any character.

Snake is one of my preferred doubles partners though because of his high kill potential. There's plenty of gimmicks that you can perform with the entire roster, however. With Snake, you could always perform things such as...

(ZSS) Downsmash -> (Snake) Footstool -> (ZSS) Downsmash -> (Snake) Plant C4 -> (ZSS) Uair -> (Snake) Set off C4.

(ZSS) Downsmash -> (Snake) Footstool -> (ZSS) Downsmash -> (ZSS) Grab -> (Snake) Spaced Fsmash.

Both of those are fairly easy to pull off, be it 2v1 or 2v2, all it takes is knocking one character away long enough (which Snake can do with little effort).

Considering this is Snake we're talking about, it's almost common knowledge that you should play a generally 'assisting' play style as ZSS. Snake doesn't require much babysitting, but in doubles, if not careful he can end up losing a stock extremely early in the match. Which is one of the main problems with Snake in doubles matches. Luckily, ZSS doesn't have much difficulty with assistance, so it's a pretty balanced team. Both characters excel where the other does.

Snake: Kill Potential // Ground Control.
ZSS: DPS // Gimmick // Air Control.

The main thing to watch out for is getting in Snake's way. His tilts can KO ZSS ridiculously easy as well. If you're expecting something from him, down+B just to be safe. It's worth abusing with Snake as your partner.

 

[Blakmane]

If it's not banned in your area, ZSS/G&W is considered the best doubles lineup for her, due to oil panic abuse and G&W's solid selection of kill moves.

I've also seen a lot of ZSS/ness pairings, as downsmash allows ZSS to heal ness on demand.

Ultimately, ZSS pairs well with anyone who kills easily, as it takes off the burden of conserving kill moves such as Uair, Bair and Side B, and her ability to lay down damage means the opponents are more likely to be in kill percentage for the partner to work their magic.

 

[NickRiddle]

If it's not banned in your area, ZSS/G&W is considered the best doubles lineup for her, due to oil panic abuse and G&W's solid selection of kill moves.

I've also seen a lot of ZSS/ness pairings, as downsmash allows ZSS to heal ness on demand.

Ultimately, ZSS pairs well with anyone who kills easily, as it takes off the burden of conserving kill moves such as Uair, Bair and Side B, and her ability to lay down damage means the opponents are more likely to be in kill percentage for the partner to work their magic.

Teams are banned?

 

[Zero]

Not here, as far as I know.

 

[Drae]

I had no idea about the Dsmash --> Footstool, etc, I'll have to try that with my doubles partner next time we play together. I've done the G&W team before so I know its not banned in my area but the stuff about Snake is really good to know. Thanks for the help.

 

[NickRiddle]

D-smash > Charging Snake f-smash > ZSS footstool.
Dunno why you're trying to be fancy. Charged f-smash kills at like 50 from most places.

I do this with Ness.
D-smash > Footstool > Ness PKT2.
Kills at like 40 on DDD.

 

[Blakmane]

Teams are banned?

Never experienced it myself, but i've heard second-hand that the combo is illegal in some tourneys (along with MK/MK). Just covering my bases.

 

[Blakmane]

double post:

Zero suit's jab cancel: can someone explain to me why it's rarely used? I don't get the whole 'can't reliably be cancelled'... is there a random component, or just a small frame window with which to cancel? Are there any guarenteed moves out of ZSS's jab cancel, or does it exist purely to mindgame?

Just curious because there seems to be 0 discussion on it: not sure if this is because it's *that bad*, or just because noone's mastered it yet.

 

[Supermodel From Paris]

We do jab cancel, but it's a mindgame thing and used rarely. The reason is because the window between jab's hitstun and the start of the next possible move is like huge.

 

[NickRiddle]

double post:

Zero suit's jab cancel: can someone explain to me why it's rarely used? I don't get the whole 'can't reliably be cancelled'... is there a random component, or just a small frame window with which to cancel? Are there any guarenteed moves out of ZSS's jab cancel, or does it exist purely to mindgame?

Just curious because there seems to be 0 discussion on it: not sure if this is because it's *that bad*, or just because noone's mastered it yet.

People can hit you out of it easily.

 

[Drae]

I've tried mixing the jab cancel into my game but I usually just get punished for it. Sometimes if they react slow to it and then punish to late I can get a lucky D-tilt and a couple other times I would just shield after and react to whatever they do, praying it's not a grab.

 

[NickRiddle]

The only time it EVER works is if somebody shields it, and thinks you're going to do all three. They see the pause, drop shield, and get d-tilted.
Other than that... useless...

 

[Darky-Sama]

Downsmash -> Footstool is amazing in teams, I'll just say that much. When/if it comes down to a 2v1, showing off really isn't bad. Mainly because these things are easy and unavoidable. But if you wanna make things quick, yeah.

Go for whatever the partner's best KO option is.

 

[Supermodel From Paris]

BTW, pretty much every time you jab someone in the air you should dtilt after.

 

[Zero]

I suggest do jab x 2 to hitconfirm then dtilt.

 

[noradseven]

ZSS in general is amazing in teams, I have said for a while now ZSS is S tier in teams, B tier in singles.

I've tried mixing the jab cancel into my game but I usually just get punished for it. Sometimes if they react slow to it and then punish to late I can get a lucky D-tilt and a couple other times I would just shield after and react to whatever they do, praying it's not a grab.

Just don't bother it doesn't work out well at all. Just ask phootbag he was probably the most jab heavy ZSS I have ever seen.

 

[Magik0722]

Where can i find zss's hitboxes?

 

[Zero]

The thread is on All is Brawl

 

[Dumbfire]

Its on Aib yeah, you can reqeust them from Sasook if it isn't there yet.

 

[HailCrest]

this thread is glitched up, it's telling me there's 175 pages...

anyway:

because I main lucas, I b-stick. is b-sticking entirely impractical to zss? does it prevent anything that's really critical to zss' game?

 

[Nefarious B]

this thread is glitched up, it's telling me there's 175 pages...

anyway:

because I main lucas, I b-stick. is b-sticking entirely impractical to zss? does it prevent anything that's really critical to zss' game?

If you consider spacing aerials correctly "critical" lol. That's the core of her gameplay... I personally don't think she gains anything by b sticking either, it's simple enough to bstick manually when you want to, which is rare.

 

[quirkynature]

Link can momentum cancel with his B-air. What do I use with ZSS?

 

[HailCrest]

uair

10uair

 

[NickRiddle]

WHAT A STUNNING UP AERlAL.

 

[Zero]

I wish her uair cancelled as well as Pikachu's. Holy crap Pika's just isn't fair.

 

[HailCrest]

inb4mkuair

 

[Nefarious B]

MK's actually has pretty bad lag on cancel, not like you'd ever need to cancel it though

 

[noradseven]

this thread is glitched up, it's telling me there's 175 pages...

anyway:

because I main lucas, I b-stick. is b-sticking entirely impractical to zss? does it prevent anything that's really critical to zss' game?

It makes fast fall back air annoying, it makes fast fall u-air annoying. Sure you can do it, but you air normals are far more important.

As for your specials
neutral B yeah you don't want to use this much if ever.
over B well yeah but its punishable by alot of stuff and takes what 30 some frames to be active.
up B, well your only going to use this during recoveries or super jumps anyways its not hard at all to do without Bsticking.
Down B: This is the only one I could see it being a help on, choosing which direction you want to down B is critical to ZSS gameplay, however is it worth making this easier to making your aerials harder probably not.

 

[Marthos]

While we're talking about controller configurations, what are your thoughts on tap jump? Is there really a practical use to have it either way, or is it just a preference. I for one have it off so I don't waste a jump when doing uairs w/out c-stick.

 

[Nefarious B]

It's good because you don't waste the jumps, it's not really that hard to do uairs because you can cstick it, but up b is much harder and I would often waste a jump while trying to recover which is the worst situation you can lose it

 

[ph00tbag]

The only reason you'd want tap jump on, really ever that I can think of, is for JC throws.

I guess you'd want it on for Yoshi so you can Draconic reverse, but then you don't want to find yourself djing before an Egg Throw accidentally.

 

[Blakmane]

tap jump on means you can do some moves directly out of shield, saving a few frames of lag. This doesn't really bother ZSS anyway because her OOS game is ****.

 

[Nefarious B]

tap jump on means you can do some moves directly out of shield, saving a few frames of lag. This doesn't really bother ZSS anyway because her OOS game is ****.

It's not really difficult to just use x or y to jump and aerial OOS

 

[Zero]

Only move that you can do better OOS with tap jump on is UpB, which only really makes a difference with some characters like Samus and MK, where their aerial upBs differ from their j.upB.

 

[wWw Dazwa]

Marth especially. Marth having tap jump on can make a world of difference for his OOS up+B.

 

[Cia]

dazwa! yo, my ZSS is **** again. I feel like.. she's amazing. idk why, nor do i care. I just wanna ****. let's team for some random tournament.

someday.

 

[wWw Dazwa]

How about NoJohns?