Welcome to my new Smash Ultimate column. I’ll be covering some tips and tricks for you to improve your game in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Whether you’re looking to take on the competition in locals or just want to get better at a game you love, I‘m here to help you improve!
Over the last few months of coaching players, I’ve noticed a common trend among my students: playing on defense becomes their Achilles heel. In other words, once you’re no longer in control of neutral, your game begins to crumble.
With that said, I want to help you improve your mental game with some tips. With proper direction, you will at least know what to do. You just need to know how and when to do it.
Disadvantage State
Anytime the opponent launches you, it propels you into a disadvantage state. When getting knocked into hitstun, you’ll find yourself tumbling downwards while your opponent prepares to juggle or KO you with an aerial. Losing your mobility in the air, you’ll become more prone to damage than you are in neutral.
When you’re tumbling to the ground, you only have access to your aerials and specials which may or may not hit below you. Likewise, when recovering to the stage from the side, you also run the risk of being launched by an edgeguard or spiked into oblivion at an early percent.
Furthermore, being a platform puts you in a disadvantage state as well. Therefore, you’ll want to avoid diving down into your opponent and perhaps avoid them in order to reset neutral.
Getting Back to Stage from Above
Depending on your fighter, you may have several options to cover you. For instance, Cloud and Link can hit below with Down Aerial. Joker can use Rebel’s Guard or Ryu and Ken can use Focus Attack to absorb hits while landing.
Another option would be to snap the ledge from above. Instead of engaging your opponent below, pick the safest defensive option and attempt to reset neutral. By chasing you offstage, your opponent also runs a risk of losing stage control as well.
Not only can you go for the ledge from above but you can go for it from below as well. There’s no problem with fastfall airdodging past the ledge and recovering back up to snap. Just be aware of your ledge options when your opponent attempts to ledgetrap you.
Recovering from the Side
When you’re launched horizontally, your main goal is to recover back without getting spiked or edgeguarded. However, your opponents can make this harder when they prepare to go offstage and end you. Naturally, the common approach to return to the ledge often involves airdodging or using your Up B, Side B, or tether recovery move.
However, many players tend to hold forward to get back to stage. This makes their approach predictable. It pays to maneuver around your opponent. Read if they’re planning to approach so you don’t hold forward into their KO move.
Remember to use your special moves to stall your momentum as well. Terry’s Power Wave, Cloud’s Cross Slash, and Mario’s Cape can throw off your opponent’s timing to punish you. If you main Ike, you can use Quick Draw to autocancel to the platforms. Bowser, Lucario, and Greninja can also use their recoveries to mix up for an above recovery. Yes, Bowser’s Whirling Fortress can be used to sink through platforms if you hold down as he’s falling.
Using Your Tools to Your Advantage
The point of this lesson isn’t to give you the basics of recovery. Rather, it’s how to respond to your opponent’s pressure. You will want to know all of your main’s tools. If you use Terry and just Crack Shoot to Rising Tackle back to the stage, your pattern might be susceptible to an edgeguard. But if you mix up Power Wave, Power Dunk, and airdodge into the ledge, your mixup option could bring you back safely.
The basic tutorials teach you about jumping, using Up B, and airdodging. Every character has special moves that can be used to their advantage. Whether you use a B-reverse, a stalling move, or a lateral move like Green Missile, you always have a chance to recover to the stage.
Read Your Opponent and Remember to Breathe!
Above all else, your recovery relies heavily on your ability to read out your opponent. It’s more than just pressing buttons to get back to stage. If your opponent is ready to juggle you for moving left, move right. If they’re mixing up, move to snap the ledge instead.
Reading makes the difference between whether you choose an offense or a defense option. It’s the difference in whether you choose to go for the ledge from a horizontal angle or if you prefer to hug the wall and move in close with a vertical recovery. Checking your opponent’s positioning and how they plan to edgeguard you is key to how you recover before you commit to an action.
The other thing to remember is to breathe. Players in disadvantage state tend to crumble due to the pressure. But this is where your ability to adapt truly shines. Can you maintain your composure and read your opponent’s actions before you commit? Stay conscious of this while you practice your recovery. Remember this every time you get launched by an opponent.
Next time, I want to cover fundamentals including edgeguarding, ledgetrapping, and approaching. I hope you enjoyed this read and learned something from it. Be sure to follow my blog for more Smash tips in the near future!
Want to book me for a coaching session? Follow this link to my Metafy page. I can teach you more.
