Skip to main content

Gameplay basics

Damage, knockback, and combos​

Attacks increase an opponent's percentage. Higher percentages make attacks launch opponents farther, allowing a strong hit to send them into a blast zone. A fighter cannot act during hitstun, which lets the attacker connect additional moves into a combo.

Attacks that launch downward are called spikes. A sufficiently strong spike can send an opponent through a platform. Some weak attacks can briefly lock a collapsed opponent in place; this is called a jab reset.

Fast-falling and hit-falling​

  • Fast-fall: tap Down while airborne to fall more quickly.
  • Hit-fall: fast-fall as an attack connects or immediately afterward. A hit-fall can begin even while the fighter is moving upward.

Wavedashing and wavelanding​

  • Wavedash: press Jump and Air Dodge together while grounded to perform a quick forward dash.
  • Waveland: air-dodge into a platform to snap onto it, including while moving upward.

Sliding off an edge immediately after landing with an aerial cancels that aerial's landing lag.

Shields, parries, and techs​

Holding Shield avoids attacks, but shielding for too long or blocking too many attacks will break the shield and leave the fighter vulnerable.

Release Shield just as an attack connects to parry it. A successful parry briefly stuns the attacker or reflects a projectile.

Press Shield just before colliding with a surface after being launched to tech, cancelling the remaining knockback. Hold Left or Right while teching on the ground to tech-roll in that direction.

Recovery​

Most up-special attacks provide vertical movement and are a fighter's main recovery tool. Up specials can be cancelled into a wall jump, and performing a wall jump restores the fighter's up special. Some side specials can also be cancelled into a wall jump.

Air dodges can avoid attacks and help cover distance back toward the stage.

B-reversing​

Move opposite the direction the fighter is facing as a special attack begins to perform a B-reverse. This turns the fighter around and reverses their momentum.