Guide to Ace Arwing Pilot Fox McCloud

Updated for 2015

by CunningKitsune



Last Updated (Version 6.22): Monday, February 23, 2015

Version 1.00 Created: Sunday, April 18, 2004

Email: cunningkitsune111@gmail.com Version 1.00 Created: Sunday, April 18, 2004Email:





Cover art by Christopher L. Scott ( www.scottyartz.com



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Available in PDF form:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/wu5ph3a8l0ieiuc/Fox_Guide_(2015_Update)_v6.22.pdf

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Guide Outline ​ ------

I. The Basics

A. Introduction to Fox McCloud – [INT0]

1. Pros and Cons – [INT1]

2. Modern Tournaments – [INT2]​ B. Fox’s Moves – [FM0]

1. Ground – [FM1]

a. Neutral A: Jab – [FM11]

b. Neutral A, A: Straight – [FM12]

c. Neutral A, A, A…: Rapid Kick – [FM13]

d. Forward–Tilt: Fox Kick – [FM14]

e. Up–Tilt: Back Kick – [FM15]

f. Down–Tilt: Fox Tail – [FM16]

g. Forward–Smash: Roundhouse Kick – [FM17]

h. Up–Smash: Flip Kick – [FM18]

i. Down–Smash: Fox Split – [FM19]

j. Dash Attack: Jumping Side Kick – [FM110]

k. Taunt – [FM111]​ 2. Air – [FM2]

a. Neutral–Aerial: Flying Kick – [FM21]

b. Forward–Aerial: Tornado Kick – [FM22]

c. Back–Aerial: Reverse Spin Kick – [FM23]

d. Up–Aerial: McCloud Flip – [FM24]

e. Down–Aerial: Drill Kick – [FM25]​ 3. Grabs and Throws – [FM3]

a. Grab – [FM31]

b. Running Grab – [FM32]

c. In–Grab A…: Knee – [FM33]

d. Forward–Throw: Elbow Bash – [FM34]

e. Back–Throw: Skeet Blaster – [FM35]

f. Up–Throw: Star Blaster – [FM36]

g. Down–Throw: Floor Blaster – [FM37]​ 4. Special Moves (Ground or Air) – [FM4]

a. Neutral B…: Blaster – [FM41]

b. Forward–B: Fox Illusion – [FM42]

c. Up–B: Fire Fox – [FM43]

d. Down–B: Reflector – [FM44]​ – [FM1]– [FM2]– [FM3]– [FM4] C. The Physics of Fox – [PF0]​ – [INT0]– [FM0]– [PF0]​

II. The Next Level

A. Advanced Techniques – [ADT0]

1. L–Canceling – [ADT1]

2. Wavedashing – [ADT2]

3. Shield–Grabbing – [ADT3]

4. Short–Hopping – [ADT4]

5. Dash–Canceling – [ADT5]

6. Crouch–Canceling – [ADT6]

7. Dash–Dancing – [ADT7]

8. Jump–Canceled Grabs – [ADT8]

9. Fox Trotting – [ADT9]

10. Short–Hop Laser – [ADT10]

11. Waveshining – [ADT11]

12. Boost Grab – [ADT12]

13. PC Dropping – [ADT13]

14. Moonwalking – [ADT14]

15. Ledge–Canceling – [ADT15]

16. Shield–Dropping – [ADT16]

17. Ledge–Teching – [ADT17]​ B. The Shine – [TS0]

1. Introduction – [TS1]

2. Properties of the Shine – [TS2]

3. Using the Shine – [TS3]

a. Gaining Close–Range Control – [TS31]

b. Shine–Spiking – [TS32]

c. Setting Up for a Combo – [TS33]

d. Countering Shield–Grabbing – [TS34]

e. Edge–Guarding – [TS35]

f. Stopping Horizontal and Vertical Movement – [TS36]

g. Reflecting Projectiles – [TS37]​ 4. Infinites – [TS4]



b. Infinite Wall Drillshine – [TS42]

c. Infinite Jump–Canceled Shine – [TS43]

d. Infinite Drillshine – [TS44]

i. Drillshine Inversion Method 1: Wavedashing – [TS441]

ii. Drillshine Inversion Method 2: Aerial DI – [TS442]​ e. Infinite Forward – Reverse Waveshine – [TS45]​ a. Infinite Down–Wavedash Shine – [TS41]b. Infinite Wall Drillshine – [TS42]c. Infinite Jump–Canceled Shine – [TS43]d. Infinite Drillshine – [TS44]e. Infinite Forward – Reverse Waveshine – [TS45]​ – [TS1]– [TS2]– [TS3]– [TS4] C. Improving Your Game – [IYG0]

1. Introduction – [IYG1]

a. Knowledge Is Power – [IYG11]

b. Going in with a Plan – [IYG12]

c. Crush Your Enemy’s Concentration – [IYG13]

d. Style: Aggressive – [IYG14]

e. Style: Control – [IYG15]

f. Style: Aggro–Control – [IYG16]​ 2. Suggested Practice Regimen – [IYG2]

3. Mind Games – [IYG3]

a. Know Yourself – [IYG31]

b. Know Your Opponent – [IYG32]​ 4. The Power of Spacing and Stage Control – [IYG4]

5. Prediction and the Problem–Solution Methodology – [IYG5]

6. 10 Common Mistakes in General Fox Gameplay – [IYG6]​ – [IYG1]– [IYG2]– [IYG3]– [IYG4]– [IYG5]– [IYG6]​ – [ADT0]– [TS0]– [IYG0]

III. Character Match–Ups

A. S Tier – [ST0]

1. Fox – [ST1]

2. Falco – [ST2]

3. Sheik – [ST3]

4. Marth – [ST4]

5. Jigglypuff – [ST5]

6. Peach – [ST6]

7. Captain Falcon – [ST7]

8. Ice Climbers – [ST8]​ B. A Tier – [AT0]

1. Dr. Mario – [AT1]

2. Pikachu – [AT2]

3. Samus – [AT3]

4. Ganondorf – [AT4]

5. Luigi – [AT5]

6. Mario – [AT6]​ C. B Tier – [BT0]

1. Young Link – [BT1]

2. Link – [BT2]

3. Donkey Kong – [BT3]

4. Yoshi – [BT4]

5. Zelda – [BT5]

6. Roy – [BT6]

7. Mewtwo – [BT7]

8. Mr. Game & Watch – [BT8]​ D. F Tier – [FT0]

1. Ness – [FT1]

2. Bowser – [FT2]

3. Pichu – [FT3]

4. Kirby – [FT4]​ – [ST0]– [AT0]– [BT0]– [FT0]

IV. Beyond the Bracket

A. Single–Player Mode – [SPM0]

B. Fox’s Hidden Taunt – [FHT0]​

V. References and Resources

VI. Closing Words

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Legal Stuff ​

Spoiler



Web sites authorized to possess a copy of this guide as of Monday, February 23, 2015:



GameFAQs:

Facebook:

MediaFire: Smashboards: www.smashboards.com GameFAQs: www.gamefaqs.com Facebook: www.facebook.com MediaFire: www.mediafire.com

Please inform me if you see any unauthorized sites with this guide. Copyright 2004 – 2015 Anthony Daniel Anastasia. This guide may not be placed on any website by parties other than its author or be hosted by any website without advance written permission, except as indicated below. Use of this guide on any website, except as indicated below, or as a part of any public display without the author’s advance written permission is strictly prohibited and is a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. The use of any copyrighted works or images is done under fair use of the material under United States copyright law.Web sites authorized to possess a copy of this guide as of Monday, February 23, 2015:Please inform me if you see any unauthorized sites with this guide.

Contacting the Author ​

Spoiler If you wish to get in touch with me concerning this guide or any other meaningful topic, I invite you to do so. If you send me an email, please include a relevant phrase in the subject line (something along the lines of “About Your Guide” or the like) so that I do not inadvertently overlook your message or mistake it for spam. I will do my best to answer you quickly and to the best of my abilities. If you wish to contact me online, I can best be reached via PM on Smashboards at username CunningKitsune. Thank you in advance for reading this; I hope that it serves you well in improving your Fox as well as your overall Melee game.

About the Guide ​

Spoiler



The first section of this guide, “The Basics,” is about just that. It introduces Fox McCloud as a character and gives information on all of his moves. A thorough statistics list courtesy of Mew2King and co. is included. In addition, listed for each move is its respective frame data along with other supplemental information, courtesy of SuperDoodleMan, as well as a link to that move’s Gfycat video. Also included is hitlag and shield stun frame data compiled by SCOTU and phanna. I thank these individuals for the time and research that they have put into this game and the enormous amount of data that they have made available to the Smash community.



The second section, “The Next Level,” introduces you to high–level Fox play. This section begins with an overview of the various advanced techniques that the vulpine space animal can perform. The next sub–section presents a wealth of information on the infamous shine, including statistics of, techniques with, and uses for the kitsune’s down–B in battle. Finally, the “Improving Your Game” subsection delves into the inner workings of playing Fox on a psychological level and gives the reader insights into play styles and how to optimize the performance of their Fox in battle.



The third section, “Character Match–Ups,” deals with Fox’s match–ups against each and every character in the game, himself included, and comprises the bulk of the guide. The information presented includes relatively detailed analyses, assorted tips and tricks, and various suggestions for each match–up, although no implication is made that these are in any way exhaustive. The match–ups are presented in the same order as the 2013 Community Tier List on Smashboards in order to organize the information in a manner relevant to the current tournament metagame and to make the information more accessible to readers interested in higher–level play.



The fourth section, “Beyond the Bracket,” is dedicated to Fox on non–tournament play terms. It includes a reference to a compilation of Fox’s single–player mode world records, scores, and videos, along with his secret taunt.



The fifth section of the guide provides various useful links to information for most any player, Fox main or otherwise. Topics covered range from tech chasing to technical frame data and beyond.



The sixth and final section of the guide simply gives credit wherever it is due and cites people directly related to and essential for the writing of this guide. The principal aim of this guide is to enhance the reader’s abilities with Fox McCloud on a technical as well as psychological level. Nearly all of the content in this guide is centered on Fox as a one–on–one combatant as singles is regarded as the definitive format for high–level tournament play; however, Fox is also a tremendously powerful doubles teammate and is easily amongst the top partners in the game, and so a small amount of material is included that is relevant for doubles play. Note also that all views and advice contained within apply to Fox in the NTSC version of SSBM (although there is a good degree of overlap between the NTSC and PAL versions, of course). This guide also uses quite a bit of modern Melee jargon (shuffling, short–hopping, waveshining, etc.). Definitions of a good deal of the lingo used in this guide are included, but others may be found in the following post: http://smashboards.com/threads/wave...the-terms-read-first-update-12-23-2007.42749/ The first section of this guide, “The Basics,” is about just that. It introduces Fox McCloud as a character and gives information on all of his moves. A thorough statistics list courtesy of Mew2King and co. is included. In addition, listed for each move is its respective frame data along with other supplemental information, courtesy of SuperDoodleMan, as well as a link to that move’s Gfycat video. Also included is hitlag and shield stun frame data compiled by SCOTU and phanna. I thank these individuals for the time and research that they have put into this game and the enormous amount of data that they have made available to the Smash community.The second section, “The Next Level,” introduces you to high–level Fox play. This section begins with an overview of the various advanced techniques that the vulpine space animal can perform. The next sub–section presents a wealth of information on the infamous shine, including statistics of, techniques with, and uses for the kitsune’s down–B in battle. Finally, the “Improving Your Game” subsection delves into the inner workings of playing Fox on a psychological level and gives the reader insights into play styles and how to optimize the performance of their Fox in battle.The third section, “Character Match–Ups,” deals with Fox’s match–ups against each and every character in the game, himself included, and comprises the bulk of the guide. The information presented includes relatively detailed analyses, assorted tips and tricks, and various suggestions for each match–up, although no implication is made that these are in any way exhaustive. The match–ups are presented in the same order as the 2013 Community Tier List on Smashboards in order to organize the information in a manner relevant to the current tournament metagame and to make the information more accessible to readers interested in higher–level play.The fourth section, “Beyond the Bracket,” is dedicated to Fox on non–tournament play terms. It includes a reference to a compilation of Fox’s single–player mode world records, scores, and videos, along with his secret taunt.The fifth section of the guide provides various useful links to information for most any player, Fox main or otherwise. Topics covered range from tech chasing to technical frame data and beyond.The sixth and final section of the guide simply gives credit wherever it is due and cites people directly related to and essential for the writing of this guide.

Notes on SuperDoodleMan’s Frame Data ​

Spoiler IASA (Interruptible As Soon As): Some of the animation can be cut off by doing another action, such as an attack.



Auto–cancel: After an air attack is done doing damage, there is often an animation of the character returning to their falling state, during which you can’t do anything. Some attacks are such that that animation will not give any lag upon landing.



Land fall special lag: After many “B” recovery moves, your character will flash black and not be able to do anything. When they land from this, even though the falling animation may be the same, the time it takes to recover on the ground is dependent on which move you did.

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I. The Basics [TB0] ​

A. Introduction to Fox McCloud

[INT0]

1. Pros and Cons

[INT1]

Pros

- Lightning speed on nearly every move

- Little overall lag

- Is a fast–faller

- The shine

- Fast, clean L–cancels on his bread–and–butter aerials

- Very short short–hops

- Great at controlling the pace of the fight

- A perfect combo character

- Very adaptive playing style

- Fast, effective finishers

- Fast foot speed and overall speed

- Infinites (although less prominent in today’s game)

- Very powerful grab game

​

Cons

- Exceedingly common in tournament play such that virtually every player has at least a moderate amount of experience against him

- Fast–paced, demanding, and often unforgiving controls

- Is a fast–faller

- Many opportunities to self–destruct

- Recoveries can be Caped or edge–guarded relatively well

- Low overall range

- Demanding technicals give rise to consistency issues in the absence of consistent practice or while under pressure or stress​

2. Modern Tournaments

[INT2]

B. Fox’s Moves

[FM0]

1. Ground

[FM1]

a. Neutral A: Jab

[FM11]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/YearlyEdibleHarpseal

Button: A

Damage: 2 – 4%

Speed: Very high

Priority: Low

Range: Relatively short

Knockback: Extremely low

Total frames: 17

Hit frames: 2 – 3

IASA: 16

Window of the second punch: 3 – 31

Second punch starts: 6 (or later)​ Hitlag: 4 frames

Shield stun: 7 frames​ 2 – 4%Very highLowRelatively shortExtremely low174 frames7 frames​

b. Neutral A, A: Straight

[FM12]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/FirmForsakenAngwantibo

Button: A, A

Damage: 2 – 4%, 2 – 4%

Speed: High

Priority: Low

Range: Relatively short

Knockback: Extremely low

Total frames: 20

Hit frames: 3 – 4

IASA: 19

Window of the kick–jabs: 1 – 20

Kick–jabs start: 6​ Hitlag: 4 frames

Shield stun: 7 frames​ A, A2 – 4%, 2 – 4%HighLowRelatively shortExtremely low204 frames7 frames​

c. Neutral A, A, A…: Rapid Kick

[FM13]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/SpotlessSameArmadillo

Button: A, A, A...

Damage: 2 – 4%, 3 – 4%, 1%...

Speed: High

Priority: Low

Range: Relatively short

Knockback: Extremely low

Hits: 3 – 4, 10 – 11, 17 – 18, 24 – 25, 31 – 32

Intermediary animation: 6 frames

One full cycle: 36 frames​ Hitlag: 3 frames per kick

Shield stun: 5 frames per kick​ A, A, A...2 – 4%, 3 – 4%, 1%...HighLowRelatively shortExtremely low3 – 4, 10 – 11, 17 – 18, 24 – 25, 31 – 323 frames per kick5 frames per kick​

d. Forward–Tilt: Fox Kick

[FM14]

Spoiler





Videos:

Upward: http://gfycat.com/SkinnyGrimyDeviltasmanian

Straight: http://gfycat.com/ZigzagSlipperyKoodoo

Downward: http://gfycat.com/PaltryCoarseFowl​ Button: Left/Right tilt + A (forward–tilt)

Damage: 4 – 9%

Speed: High

Priority: Medium–high

Range: Medium; straight variation has longest range

Knockback: Decent

Total frames: 26

Hit frames: 5 – 8​ Hitlag (all angles): 6 frames

Shield stun (all angles): 12 frames​ Left/Right tilt + A (forward–tilt)4 – 9%HighMedium–highMedium; straight variation has longest rangeDecent266 frames12 frames​

e. Up–Tilt: Back Kick

[FM15]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/MenacingEquatorialHydra

Button: Up tilt + A (up–tilt)

Damage: 4 – 12%

Speed: High

Priority: High

Range: Low–medium

Knockback: Decent

Total frames: 24

Hit frames: 5 – 11

IASA: 23​ Hitlag: 7 frames

Shield stun: 14 frames​ Up tilt + A (up–tilt)4 – 12%HighHighLow–mediumDecent247 frames14 frames​

f. Down–Tilt: Fox Tail

[FM16]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/AllTeemingBarnowl

Button: Down tilt + A (down–tilt)

Damage: 5 – 10%

Speed: Medium

Priority: Medium

Range: Low–medium

Knockback: Moderate

Total frames: 29

Hit frames: 7 – 9

IASA: 28​ Hitlag: 6 frames

Shield stun: 12 frames​ Down tilt + A (down–tilt)5 – 10%MediumMediumLow–mediumModerate296 frames12 frames​

g. Forward–Smash: Roundhouse Kick

[FM17]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/BackDistortedAoudad

Button: Left/right Smash + A (Left/Right C–Stick; forward–smash)

Damage: 6 – 15% (20% when fully charged)

Speed: Medium

Priority: High

Range: Low–medium

Knockback: Significant, although not high for a Smash

Total frames: 39

Hit frames: 12 – 22

Charge frame: 7​ Hitlag: 8 frames uncharged, 9 frames charged

Shield stun: 16 frames uncharged, 19 frames charged​ Left/right Smash + A (Left/Right C–Stick; forward–smash)6 – 15% (20% when fully charged)MediumHighLow–mediumSignificant, although not high for a Smash398 frames uncharged, 9 frames charged16 frames uncharged, 19 frames charged​

h. Up–Smash: Flip Kick

[FM18]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/PleasantAdventurousKissingbug

Button: Up Smash + A (Up C–Stick; up–smash)

Damage: 7 – 18% (24% when fully charged)

Speed: High, for a Smash of this caliber

Priority: Relatively high

Range: Medium

Knockback: High

Total frames: 41

Hit frames: 7 – 17

Head invincible (but not snout): 1 – 9

Charge frame: 2​ Hitlag: 9 frames uncharged, 11 frames charged

Shield stun: 19 frames uncharged, 23 frames charged​ Up Smash + A (Up C–Stick; up–smash)7 – 18% (24% when fully charged)High, for a Smash of this caliberRelatively highMediumHigh419 frames uncharged, 11 frames charged19 frames uncharged, 23 frames charged​

i. Down–Smash: Fox Split

[FM19]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/FlatAdorableHorsechestnutleafminer

Button: Down Smash + A (Down C–Stick; down–smash)

Damage: 8 – 15% (20% when fully charged)

Speed: Relatively high

Priority: Relatively high

Range: Medium–high; hits on both sides

Knockback: Decent

Total frames: 49

Hit frames: 6 – 10

Legs invincible on frame: 6

IASA: 46

Charge frame: 2​ Hitlag: 8 frames uncharged, 9 frames charged

Shield stun: 16 frames uncharged, 19 frames charged​ Down Smash + A (Down C–Stick; down–smash)8 – 15% (20% when fully charged)Relatively highRelatively highMedium–high; hits on both sidesDecent498 frames uncharged, 9 frames charged16 frames uncharged, 19 frames charged​

j. Dash Attack: Jumping Side Kick

[FM110]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/RemorsefulGreatGallowaycow

Button: A while running

Damage: 2 – 7%

Speed: High

Priority: Medium

Range: Medium (including horizontal distance traveled)

Knockback: Enough to pop opponents into the air slightly, assuming they are not crouch–canceling

Total frames: 39

Hit frames: 4 – 17

IASA: 36​ Hitlag: 5 frames

Shield stun: 10 frames​ A while running2 – 7%HighMediumMedium (including horizontal distance traveled)Enough to pop opponents into the air slightly, assuming they are not crouch–canceling395 frames10 frames​

k. Taunt: "Come on!"

[FM111]

Button: Up on Control Pad

Duration: 110 frames, or 1.833333... seconds (thanks, Mew2King!)

“Come on!”: 31 (thanks, SuperDoodleMan!)​ Up on Control Pad110 frames, or 1.833333... seconds (thanks, Mew2King!)

2. Air

[FM2]

a. Neutral–Aerial: Flying Kick

[FM21]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/AggressiveUnluckyDinosaur

Button: A (neutral–aerial)

Damage: 6 – 12%; a hit with the later frames of this move (a “soft–hit” neutral–aerial) that is highly staled can inflict as little as 4%

Speed: Very high

Priority: Relatively high

Range: Medium–low

Knockback: Medium

Total frames: 49

Hit frames: 4 – 31

IASA: 42

Auto–cancel: <3 37>​ Land lag: 15 frames

L–canceled: 7 frames​ Hitlag: 7 frames; 6 frames when stale

Shield stun: 14 frames; 12 frames when stale​ A (neutral–aerial)6 – 12%; a hit with the later frames of this move (a “soft–hit” neutral–aerial) that is highly staled can inflict as little as 4%Very highRelatively highMedium–lowMedium4915 frames7 frames; 6 frames when stale14 frames; 12 frames when stale​

b. Forward–Aerial: Tornado Kick

[FM22]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/KaleidoscopicShabbyDalmatian

Button: Towards Tilt + A (Towards C–Stick; forward–aerial)

Damage: Usually 2 – 18% (varies with number of hits and degree of staling)

Speed: Relatively high

Priority: Medium

Range: Medium

Knockback: Very low

Total frames: 59

Hit frames: 6 – 8, 16 – 18, 24 – 26, 33 – 35, 43 – 45

IASA: 53

Auto–cancel: <5 49>​ Land lag: 22 frames

L–canceled: 11 frames​ Hitlag: 5 frames for all hits

Shield stun: 10 frames for first hit; 9 frames for other hits​ Towards Tilt + A (Towards C–Stick; forward–aerial)Usually 2 – 18% (varies with number of hits and degree of staling)Relatively highMediumMediumVery low5922 frames5 frames for all hits10 frames for first hit; 9 frames for other hits​

c. Back–Aerial: Reverse Spin Kick

[FM23]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/ZealousLiquidDuck

Button: Away Tilt + A (Away C–Stick; back–aerial)

Damage: 8 – 15%; a hit with the later frames of this move (a “soft–hit” back–aerial) that is highly staled can inflict as little as 4%

Speed: Very high

Priority: High

Range: Medium

Knockback: Medium

Total frames: 39

Hit frames: 4 – 19

IASA: 38

Auto–cancel: <3 24>​ Land lag: 20 frames

L–canceled: 10 frames​ Hitlag: 8 frames; 6 frames when stale

Shield stun: 16 frames; 12 frames when stale​ Away Tilt + A (Away C–Stick; back–aerial)8 – 15%; a hit with the later frames of this move (a “soft–hit” back–aerial) that is highly staled can inflict as little as 4%Very highHighMediumMedium3920 frames8 frames; 6 frames when stale16 frames; 12 frames when stale​

d. Up–Aerial: McCloud Flip

[FM24]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/QualifiedCostlyIaerismetalmark

Button: Up Tilt + A (Up C–Stick; up–aerial)

Damage:

First hit alone: 2 – 5%

Second hit alone: 7 – 13%

Both hits: 9 – 16%​ Speed: High

Priority: Medium

Range: Relatively close–range

Knockback: Relatively high

Total frames: 39

Hit frames: 8 – 9, 11 – 14

IASA: 36

Auto–cancel: <7 26>​ Land lag: 18 frames

L–canceled: 9 frames​ Hitlag: 4 frames for first hit; 8 frames for second hit

Shield stun: 8 frames for first hit; 15 frames for second hit​ Up Tilt + A (Up C–Stick; up–aerial)HighMediumRelatively close–rangeRelatively high3918 frames4 frames for first hit; 8 frames for second hit8 frames for first hit; 15 frames for second hit​

e. Down–Aerial: Drill Kick

[FM25]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/UnequaledHappygoluckyAsianporcupine

Button: Down Tilt + A (Down C–Stick; down–aerial)

Damage: 1 – 19% (varies with number of hits and degree of staling)

Speed: High

Priority: Medium–low

Range: Close–range

Knockback: Nonexistent

Total frames: 49

Hit frames: 5 – 6, 8 – 9, 11 – 12, 14 – 15, 17 – 18, 20 – 21, 23 – 24

Auto–cancel: <4 31>​ Land lag: 18 frames

L–canceled: 9 frames​ Hitlag: 4 frames for each hit

Shield stun: 7 frames for each hit​ Down Tilt + A (Down C–Stick; down–aerial)1 – 19% (varies with number of hits and degree of staling)HighMedium–lowClose–rangeNonexistent4918 frames4 frames for each hit7 frames for each hit​

3. Grabs and Throws

[FM3]

a. Grab

[FM31]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/VibrantSevereKarakul

Total frames: 30

Grab frames: 7 – 8​ 30

b. Running Grab

[FM32]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/DeepBlondAngelfish

Total frames: 40

Grab frames: 12 – 13​ 40

c. In–Grab A: Knee

[FM33]

Button: A... (with a grabbed character)

Damage: 1 – 3%

Speed: High

Hitlag: 4 frames

Shield stun: 7 frames​

d. Forward–Throw: Elbow Bash

[FM34]

Button: Forward (forward–throw)

Damage: 2 – 7%

Speed: High​

e. Back–Throw: Skeet Blaster

[FM35]

Button: Back (back–throw)

Damage: 1 – 7% (varies with number of lasers landed and degree of staling)

Speed: Inversely proportional to the weight of the character being thrown​

f. Up–Throw: Star Blaster

[FM36]

Button: Up (up–throw)

Damage: 1 – 7% (varies with number of lasers landed and degree of staling)

Speed: Inversely proportional to the weight of the character being thrown​

g. Down–Throw: Floor Blaster

[FM37]

Button: Down (down–throw)

Damage: 1 – 4%

Speed: High​

4. Special Moves (Ground or Air)

[FM4]

a. Neutral B…: Blaster

[FM41]

Spoiler



Videos:

Grounded: http://gfycat.com/EasygoingGraciousHorse

Aerial: http://gfycat.com/EntireMajorAtlasmoth​ Button: B...

Damage: 1 – 3% a shot

Speed: High

Priority: None

Range: Very long range, but the lasers themselves disappear after 34 frames (a little more than half a second).

Knockback: None

Ground frame data:



- Shot comes out on frame: 12​ - Total frames (single shot): 23 Air frame data:



- Shot comes out on frame: 10​ - Total frames (single shot): 36 Other data:

- Repeated shots fire every 10 frames

- Laser lasts 34 frames

- Auto–cancels upon landing​ Hitlag: 0 frames when not shielded; 4 frames when shielded

Shield stun: 7 frames​ B...1 – 3% a shotHighNoneVery long range, but the lasers themselves disappear after 34 frames (a little more than half a second).None0 frames when not shielded; 4 frames when shielded7 frames​

b. Forward–B: Fox Illusion

[FM42]

Spoiler

Videos:

Grounded: http://gfycat.com/LeanConstantCalf

Aerial: http://gfycat.com/HalfFlamboyantElver​ Button: Left/Right Smash + B (side–B)

Damage: 3 – 7%

Speed: Actual execution is very fast, but the Illusion possesses an appreciable amount of pre– and post–move lag.

Priority: Low

Range: The Fox Illusion sends you across a far horizontal distance and cuts through opponents. You can control the distance incrementally by pressing “B” again as you are moving when you want to stop.

Knockback: Below average; can send opponents into the air

Total frames: 63

Time to press “B” and stop Fox: 20 – 24

Fox starts moving away: 21

Hit frames: 22 – 25

Can grab edge as early as: 29​ Land lag: 20 frames

Land fall special lag: 3 frames

Hitlag: 5 frames

Shield stun: 10 frames​ Left/Right Smash + B (side–B)3 – 7%Actual execution is very fast, but the Illusion possesses an appreciable amount of pre– and post–move lag.LowThe Fox Illusion sends you across a far horizontal distance and cuts through opponents. You can control the distance incrementally by pressing “B” again as you are moving when you want to stop.Below average; can send opponents into the air6320 frames3 frames5 frames10 frames​

c. Up–B: Fire Fox

[FM43]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/JaggedCreepyHuia

Button: Up tilt + B (up–B)

Damage: 7 – 14% for the moving portion of the Fire Fox; total damage depends on the extent to which the starting flames hit as well as staling, with a range of 1 – 23%

Speed: Medium

Priority: Medium–low

Range: Significant

Knockback: Average

Total frames: 92

Hit frames: 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 43 – 72

When to aim: 42​ Land lag: 6 frames

Land fall special lag: 3 frames

Other data:

- Can grab edge during first part as early as frame 16

- Can grab edge during moving part as early as frame 73 (if firing straight into a wall, if you go downward at the edge, Fox will stop firing to grab it)

- Grabs edges from both sides​ Hitlag: 3 frames for charge–up flames; 7 frames for the Fire Fox itself

Shield stun: 5 frames for charge–up flames; 15 frames for the Fire Fox itself​ Up tilt + B (up–B)7 – 14% for the moving portion of the Fire Fox; total damage depends on the extent to which the starting flames hit as well as staling, with a range of 1 – 23%MediumMedium–lowSignificantAverage926 frames3 frames3 frames for charge–up flames; 7 frames for the Fire Fox itself5 frames for charge–up flames; 15 frames for the Fire Fox itself​

d. Down–B: Reflector

[FM44]

Spoiler

Video: http://gfycat.com/DampSeparateDamselfly

Button: Down tilt + B (down–B)

Damage: 2 – 5%

Speed: Highest possible

Priority: Very high

Range: Close–range, but reaches out a bit on either side of Fox with slightly more range on the back end.

Knockback: A set distance for each character (dependent on traction)

Total frames: 39 (or more)

Hits on frame: 1

Jump–cancelable on: 4 – 21 or release + 1

Reflects on: 4 – 21 or release + 1​ Lag upon release: 19 frames

(Shield) Hit lag: 3 – 4 frames

Shield stun: 7 – 8 frames

Reflection lag: 19 frames

Other data:

- Per SuperDoodleMan: If you Reflector the first frame in the air from a jump, you will fall enough to jump–cancel from the ground on frame 6. So a cycle could take as little as 8 frames.

- Stun time for selected characters: credit to SuperDoodleMan​ Down tilt + B (down–B)2 – 5%Highest possibleVery highClose–range, but reaches out a bit on either side of Fox with slightly more range on the back end.A set distance for each character (dependent on traction)39 (or more)19 frames3 – 4 frames7 – 8 frames19 frames

Spoiler



​ The second number is if they “land.” It happens always from an aerial reflector and sometimes from a land one if it hits their back.

​ - Fox’s shine distance along the ground: adapted from Mew2King’s statistics list; original list compiled and created by element_of_fire.​ adapted from Mew2King’s statistics list; original list compiled and created by element_of_fire.​

Spoiler



---- = Character will fall to the ground



If your opponent is holding no direction, then their own weight and traction determine how far the shine will send them. If they are holding down, their distance will be shortened, and they will stay on their feet. All tests were done on Final Destination. Other surfaces and/or inclines will affect distances.---- = Character will fall to the ground

​

- Character weights (NTSC): Adapted from Mew2King’s statistics compilation, this list of character weights is included here for reference. According to Mew2King, weight measures how far a character is knocked horizontally. Any character with a weight value of 85 or less falls when shined and thus can also tech the shine.

​

Spoiler

​

C. The Physics of Fox

[PF0]

Spoiler



Fox, being the technically–demanding and unforgiving character that he is, can be killed easily and quickly while in inexperienced hands. Players who have not mastered his more advanced techniques tend to spam one or two moves and wonder why their button mashing leads them to repeatedly Illusioning themselves off the stage. The truth is that Fox can be very difficult to KO effectively. He is a fast–faller, one of a few characters, including Falco and Captain Falcon, who fall at an accelerated rate compared to the other fighters. This can work for or against you. If Fox is knocked upwards, his fast falling may allow you to live for another hit or two. On the other hand, if Fox goes flying horizontally too far, he will plummet out of reach of the ledge, onto which your opponent is likely holding. You can increase Fox’s falling speed by holding down on the control stick at the peak of his relatively short jump (a “fast–fall”). Experienced players use Fox’s fast–falling nature to their advantage, plummeting quickly to earth to avoid being juggled and to increase greatly their comboing speed. As a Fox player, you must acquaint yourself with using his fast, precise moves in order to increase your already blinding speed. Once you can implement the more advanced aspects of Fox into your game, such as L–canceling, fast–falling, short–hopping, and wavedashing, you will not be surprised when you can get an opponent well above 100% (or even remove a stock) within the first 30 seconds of the match. All things considered, Fox is overall the fastest character in the game, and his speed will let you live for quite a while if used properly and combined with proper DI and teching.



Below are tons of statistics pertaining to Fox and virtually everything that he does. Note that 1 frame = 1/60 of a second; thus, there are 60 frames in a second. I give an immeasurably huge amount of thanks to Mew2King and those who helped him for finding, recording, and compiling all of these statistics and many, many, many more. Thanks a lot, Mew2King and co.; this section could not exist without you guys. Thanks are also in order for SuperDoodleMan for his frame data cited below each respective move in the above sections as well as for his contributions here in the form of frame data for Fox’s ledge maneuvers, jump, air– and ground–dodges, roll, dash–to–run frames, and turn–jump threshold. I also thank SCOTU and phanna for the frame data relating to hitlag and shield stun as well as for the information concerning get–up attacks.



Respawn invincibility duration (all characters): 2 seconds (120 frames)



Hard shield duration (all characters except Yoshi): 3.6 seconds (215 frames)

Hard shield breaks on frame 216​

Light shield duration (all characters except Yoshi): 30.333 seconds (1,819 frames)

Light shield breaks on frame 1,820

Light shields last 8.46 times longer than hard shields​

Weight: 75

RANKING: 22nd heaviest​

Note: Weight measures how far characters are knocked horizontally. Average = Mario = 100.​

Grabbing Range (Relative Approximation): 12th in game



Grabbing Speed:

Grab:

Total time: 30 frames

First grab frame: 7​ Dash grab:

Total time: 40 frames

First grab frame: 12​

Grab–Attack Starting Speed: 5 frames. RANKING: 2nd in game (among others)



Grabbing Release Power: 2% (this is how much damage a character receives when he or she escapes your grab due to another character hitting you)



Forward/Backward Throw Power Rating: both rankings are out of 61.

Forward: 28th place

Backward: 50th place​

Vertical Throw Power Rating: 18th place. Ranking is out of 30.



Blaster Schematics:

10 frames apart; the first shot is 12 frames (exactly 6 shots per second)

Aerial blaster shots are also 10 frames apart; the first shot is 10 frames​

Horizontal Projectile Speed Rating: 1st among selectable characters



Projectile Lasting Time: 34 frames. RANKING: 3rd shortest in game



Falling Speed: 3rd highest in game. Fox has the highest acceleration speed while falling.



Fast–Fall Falling Speed: 48. RANKING: 3rd fastest in game



Landing Recovery Time from a Jump: 4 frames. RANKING: Group B, second best in game (among others)



Jumping Speed: 4 frames. RANKING: Best in game (among others). Every second jump takes 1 frame. [SDM]



Air time: 35 frames

Earliest fast–fall: 18

Fast–fall air time: 27 frames​ Short–hop air time: 21 frames

Earliest fast–fall: 12

Short–hop fast–fall air time: 15​ Second jump earliest fast–fall: 21​ Airborne on frame 4Air time: 35 framesShort–hop air time: 21 framesSecond jump earliest fast–fall: 21​

First Jump Height: 7th in game



Second Jump Height: 6th in game



Total Jump Height: 6th in game.



Ground–Dodge Rating:

Time before invincibility: 1 frame (dodge starts on frame 2)

Invincible time: 14/22 frames (63.6363...%)

Invulnerable 2 – 15 out of 22 frames [SDM]

RANKING: Best in game (among others)​ Video: http://gfycat.com/GrayHarmfulGallowaycow​ 1 frame (dodge starts on frame 2)14/22 frames (63.6363...%)

Air–Dodge Rating:

Time before invincibility: 3 frames (dodge starts on frame 4)

Invincible time: 26 frames (frames 4 – 29)

Invulnerable 4 – 29 out of 49 frames [SDM]

RANKING: Same as every other character except Peach, Zelda, and Bowser​ Video: http://gfycat.com/FamiliarBoilingDarklingbeetle​ 3 frames (dodge starts on frame 4)26 frames (frames 4 – 29)

Roll Rating (both rolls):

Time before invincibility: 3 frames (both rolls start on frame 4)

Invincible time: 16/31 frames (51.612903225806451%)

Invulnerable 4 – 19 out of 31 frames [SDM]

RANKING: Group C, third best in game (among others).​ Video (forward roll): http://gfycat.com/PrestigiousNextGuineapig​ 3 frames (both rolls start on frame 4)16/31 frames (51.612903225806451%) Video (back roll): http://gfycat.com/LoathsomeBeneficialAmericanbittern​

Ledge Attack (<100%):

Horizontal Range: 4th in game

Power: 8% (6% at close range). RANKING: Group C, third best in game (among others)

Total frames: 54

Invulnerable frames: 1 – 21

Hit frames: 25 – 34​ Hitlag: 5 frames

Shield stun: 10 frames​ 4th in game8% (6% at close range). RANKING: Group C, third best in game (among others)545 frames10 frames​ Ledge Attack (≥100%):

Power: 8%. RANKING: Group D, fourth best in game (among others)

Total frames: 69

Invulnerable frames: 1 – 53

Hit frames: 57 – 59​ Hitlag: 5 frames

Shield stun: 10 frames​ 8%. RANKING: Group D, fourth best in game (among others)695 frames10 frames​ Get–Up Attacks:

“Pratfall” Attack: from a face–up position on the ground; 2 hits

Hitlag: 5 frames for each hit

Shield stun: 9 frames for each hit​ “Faceplant” Attack: from a face–down position on the ground; 2 hits

Hitlag: 5 frames for each hit

Shield stun: 9 frames for each hit​ from a face–up position on the ground; 2 hitsfrom a face–down position on the ground; 2 hits

Note: Get–up attacks are not affected by your percentage.​

Ledge Stand (<100%): Total frames: 34. Invincible frames: 1 – 30.



Ledge Stand (≥100%): Total frames: 59. Invincible frames: 1 – 55.



Ledge Roll (<100%): Total frames: 49. Invincible frames: 1 – 34.



Ledge Roll (≥100%): Total frames: 79. Invincible frames: 1 – 62.



Ledge Jump (<100%): Total frames: 51. Invulnerable frames: 1 – 14. Soonest fast–fall: 34.



Ledge Jump (≥100%): Total frames: 51. Invincible frames: 1 – 19. Soonest fast–fall: 39.



Walking Speed: 1st in game



Running Speed: 2nd in game



Running Stopping Speed: 18 frames. RANKING: Best in game along with Falco



Running Turning Speed: 30 frames. RANKING: 16th in game.



Traction Rating: 237 (69.3%). RANKING: 12th in game



Wavedash Length: 13th farthest in game



Ducking Rating: 17th in game



Shield Release Recovery Time: 15 frames. RANKING: Group B, second best in game (among others)



Horizontal Aerial Moving Speed: 26th (slowest) in game



Horizontal Aerial Falling Distance: 25th in game



Forward–Smash Rating: 22nd place



Fully–Charged Forward–Smash Rating: 21st place



Rapid Attack Speed:

Hitboxes are 7 frames apart in rapid “A” (last hit takes 8 frames) in a set of 5 kicks

Total time until set of hits repeats: 36 frames

Average speed: 7.2 frames apart, 8 1/3 hits per second​

Dash Becomes Run at Frame: 12



Turn–Jump Threshold: 17



Item–Related Data:



Clobbering Item Attack Starting Speed (Beam Sword, Home Run Bat, Lip’s Stick, and Star Rod): “A” – 5 frames; forward tilt + “A” – 12 frames; dash “A” – 6 frames​

Item Throwing Speed: “A”/Forward + “A” – 7 frames; Back + “A” – 7 frames; Up + “A” – 6 frames; Down + “A” – 5 frames; Aerial “A”/Aerial Forward + “A” – 6 frames; Aerial Back + “A” – 7 frames; Aerial Up + “A” – 6 frames; Aerial Down + “A” – 6 frames; Dash + “A” – 4 frames. RANKING: Best in game (among others)​

Fire Flower and Ray Gun Shooting Speed Starting Time: 10 frames. RANKING: Group C, third best in game (among others)​

Home Run Bat Smash Attack Speed: 30 frames. RANKING: Group G, seventh best in game (among others)​



Pick–up Speed: 2 frames.

Total Time: 7 frames.

RANKING: Best in game (among others)​ Item Pick–Up Speed (using “A”):

Barrel, Crate, and Party Ball Pick–Up Speed: 24th in game​

Crate Carrying Speed: 26th (slowest) in game.​

Super Scope Shot Rapidness: One shot every 6 frames; 10 shots per second; lasts 5 – 6 seconds if shot nonstop. RANKING: Group A, best in game (among others)​ Don’t let the word “physics” scare you; it simply refers to each character’s innate weight, traction, falling speed, and other similar properties.Fox, being the technically–demanding and unforgiving character that he is, can be killed easily and quickly while in inexperienced hands. Players who have not mastered his more advanced techniques tend to spam one or two moves and wonder why their button mashing leads them to repeatedly Illusioning themselves off the stage. The truth is that Fox can be very difficult to KO effectively. He is a fast–faller, one of a few characters, including Falco and Captain Falcon, who fall at an accelerated rate compared to the other fighters. This can work for or against you. If Fox is knocked upwards, his fast falling may allow you to live for another hit or two. On the other hand, if Fox goes flying horizontally too far, he will plummet out of reach of the ledge, onto which your opponent is likely holding. You can increase Fox’s falling speed by holding down on the control stick at the peak of his relatively short jump (a “fast–fall”). Experienced players use Fox’s fast–falling nature to their advantage, plummeting quickly to earth to avoid being juggled and to increase greatly their comboing speed. As a Fox player, you must acquaint yourself with using his fast, precise moves in order to increase your already blinding speed. Once you can implement the more advanced aspects of Fox into your game, such as L–canceling, fast–falling, short–hopping, and wavedashing, you will not be surprised when you can get an opponent well above 100% (or even remove a stock) within the first 30 seconds of the match. All things considered, Fox is overall the fastest character in the game, and his speed will let you live for quite a while if used properly and combined with proper DI and teching.Below are tons of statistics pertaining to Fox and virtually everything that he does. Note that 1 frame = 1/60 of a second; thus, there are 60 frames in a second. I give an immeasurably huge amount of thanks to Mew2King and those who helped him for finding, recording, and compiling all of these statistics and many, many, many more. Thanks a lot, Mew2King and co.; this section could not exist without you guys. Thanks are also in order for SuperDoodleMan for his frame data cited below each respective move in the above sections as well as for his contributions here in the form of frame data for Fox’s ledge maneuvers, jump, air– and ground–dodges, roll, dash–to–run frames, and turn–jump threshold. I also thank SCOTU and phanna for the frame data relating to hitlag and shield stun as well as for the information concerning get–up attacks.2 seconds (120 frames)3.6 seconds (215 frames)30.333 seconds (1,819 frames)7512th in game5 frames. RANKING: 2nd in game (among others)2% (this is how much damage a character receives when he or she escapes your grab due to another character hitting you)both rankings are out of 61.18th place. Ranking is out of 30.1st among selectable characters34 frames. RANKING: 3rd shortest in game3rd highest in game. Fox has the highest acceleration speed while falling.48. RANKING: 3rd fastest in game4 frames. RANKING: Group B, second best in game (among others)4 frames. RANKING: Best in game (among others). Every second jump takes 1 frame. [SDM]7th in game6th in game6th in game.Total frames: 34. Invincible frames: 1 – 30.Total frames: 59. Invincible frames: 1 – 55.Total frames: 49. Invincible frames: 1 – 34.Total frames: 79. Invincible frames: 1 – 62.Total frames: 51. Invulnerable frames: 1 – 14. Soonest fast–fall: 34.Total frames: 51. Invincible frames: 1 – 19. Soonest fast–fall: 39.1st in game2nd in game18 frames. RANKING: Best in game along with Falco30 frames. RANKING: 16th in game.237 (69.3%). RANKING: 12th in game13th farthest in game17th in game15 frames. RANKING: Group B, second best in game (among others)26th (slowest) in game25th in game22nd place21st place1217

II. The Next Level [TNL0] ​

A. Advanced Techniques

[ADT0]

1. L–Canceling

[ADT1]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

1) Short–hop with “X,” “Y,” or the control stick

2) Your choice of an aerial “A” attack

3) Fast–fall by pressing down on the control stick (as early as frame 12 of your short–hop; this is critical for proper shuffling to reduce empty air time and to allow a fast flow into the L–cancel and subsequent action)

4) L–cancel (pressed earlier than you would think would be necessary in order to compensate for Fox’s extremely quick fast–fall)​

2. Wavedashing

[ADT2]

What it is:

How to do it:

1) Jump with “X,” “Y,” or the control stick (it is not necessary to input the jump command as if you were short–hopping because short–hopping is not a requirement to perform a wavedash)

2) Air–dodge

3) Position your air–dodge at an angle into the ground using the control stick. It is the angle at which you place the control stick for the air–dodge that determines the length of the resulting wavedash; the closer to horizontal, the longer the resulting wavedash.​

Uses:

3. Shield–Grabbing

[ADT3]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

4. Short–Hopping

[ADT4]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

5. Dash–Canceling

[ADT5]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

6. Crouch–Canceling

[ADT6]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

7. Dash–Dancing

[ADT7]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

8. Jump–Canceled Grabs

[ADT8]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

9. Fox Trotting

[ADT9]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

10. Short–Hop Laser

[ADT10]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

11. Waveshining

[ADT11]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

12. Boost Grab

[ADT12]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

13. PC Dropping

[ADT13]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

14. Moonwalking

[ADT14]

What it is:

How to do it:

“Step 1: First trigger the dash animation by smashing the control stick to the right or left.​

Step 2: Next you must move the control stick from the dash position all the way to the opposite side. The trick is that you must not go through the center.​

Step 3: Then you smash the control stick to the opposite side, and then back to where you started, like you are dash dancing.”​

Uses:

15. Ledge–Canceling

[ADT15]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

16. Shield–Dropping

[ADT16]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

17. Ledge–Teching

[ADT17]

What it is:

How to do it:

Uses:

B. The Shine

[TS0]

1. Introduction

[TS1]

2. Properties of the Shine

[TS2]

3. Using the Shine

[TS3]

a. Gaining Close–Range Control

[TS31]

b. Shine–Spiking

[TS32]

c. Setting Up for a Combo

[TS33]

d. Countering Shield–Grabbing

[TS34]

e. Edge–Guarding

[TS35]

f. Stopping Horizontal and Vertical Movement

[TS36]

g. Reflecting Projectiles

[TS37]

4. Infinites

[TS4]

a. Infinite Down–Wavedash Shine (corner or wall required)

[TS41]

b. Infinite Wall Drillshine (corner or wall required)

[TS42]

c. Infinite Jump–Canceled Shine (corner or wall required)

[TS43]

d. Infinite Drillshine (flat stages only)

[TS44]

i. Drillshine Inversion Method 1: Wavedashing [TS441] ​

What it is: An inversion of the infinite drillshine in which you wavedash to the other side of the victim, causing your shine to push them in the opposite direction.​

How to do it: On the wavedash portion of the drillshine, instead of wavedashing to the opponent, you wavedash past the opponent to his or her other side. Now, your shine will push them in the opposite direction, where you can continue the infinite.​

Breakdown: Make sure to watch your spacing on this variant. You must make it all the way to the other side of your opponent in order for your shine to push them the other way; this requires well–executed, long wavedashes that require you to pay special attention to the angle of your control stick during the wavedash’s air–dodge component (recall that the angle closest to but not entirely straight will yield the longest wavedashes).​

ii. Drillshine Inversion Method 2: Aerial DI [TS442] ​

What it is: Another inversion of the drillshine in which you DI to the other side of the opponent during the Drill Kick (down–aerial) portion of the infinite. At that point, your shine will send them in the other direction, ready to be drillshined again. This variant is easier to perform than the first method and also works on the two otherwise un–infinitable characters, Sheik and Ganondorf, who both slide 10 feet when shined instead of the usual 9–and–below feet; this is because this inversion method produces 11 feet of movement total (2 feet is added because of the additional aerial movement during the DI of the Drill Kick). The following videos demonstrate the use of this inversion technique on Link and Marth, respectively: Another inversion of the drillshine in which you DI to the other side of the opponent during the Drill Kick (down–aerial) portion of the infinite. At that point, your shine will send them in the other direction, ready to be drillshined again. This variant is easier to perform than the first method and also works on the two otherwise un–infinitable characters, Sheik and Ganondorf, who both slide 10 feet when shined instead of the usual 9–and–below feet; this is because this inversion method produces 11 feet of movement total (2 feet is added because of the additional aerial movement during the DI of the Drill Kick). The following videos demonstrate the use of this inversion technique on Link and Marth, respectively: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URMO3BaxlLA and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5wSmcYDVno .​

How to do it: On the Drill Kick portion of the drillshine, you must press the control stick to DI yourself during your Drill Kicks to the complete other side of your target.​

Breakdown: Again, watch your DI trajectory on this one. Remember that you must have enough DI as well as enough forward momentum to make it to the complete other side of your target.​

e. Infinite Forward–Reverse Waveshine (Peach, Link, and Zelda only)

[TS45]

C. Improving Your Game

[IYG0]

1. Introduction

[IYG1]

a. Knowledge Is Power

[IYG11]

b. Going in with a Plan

[IYG12]

c. Crush Your Enemy’s Concentration

[IYG13]

d. Style: Aggressive

[IYG14]

e. Style: Control

[IYG15]

f. Style: Aggro–Control

[IYG16]

2. Suggested Practice Regimen

[IYG2]

1) 20XX Melee Training Hack Pack​

This Melee modification provides a number of features that prove quite useful for practicing, including infinite shields, computer opponents that DI and tech in varying manners, red flashes for missed L–cancels, and save states to practice specific scenarios and execution strings in rapid succession. Although this pack is of course not absolutely required to practice on your own, it will equip you with tools to get more out of your sessions than you otherwise could. Please see the link below for instructions on how to set up this immensely useful mod.​

2) Tournament–legal stages only​

It is heavily suggested to confine practice settings to the currently–accepted tournament–legal stages. See the link below for a list of these stages.​

3) Focus mainly on tournament–caliber characters during execution drills​

To make the best use of your time, you should generally choose tournament–level characters as your “sparring partners” on which to practice execution strings as you are most likely to see such opponents in tournament play. Naturally, most of these characters will reside in the top “S” tier of the tier list, but this is not always the case; a good number of potential tournament opponents, including Samus, Ganondorf, and Luigi, are found in the second–highest “A” tier. Of course, if you have trouble with a particular character, you should focus your efforts on improving that facet of your game.​

4) At least 30 minutes of practice and execution drills daily​

Consistent practice is key to cementing the muscle memory that you build during your practice sessions and making certain that you can execute Fox’s various movement options, attacks, and techniques whenever you so desire. You may wish to increase the length of your practice sessions as a tournament draws near, particularly for regional, national, and international events. While you are still early in your development, these sessions generally should focus on a single objective until you achieve an acceptable level of competency in that regard. As you progress and get a greater portion of Fox’s technical game under your fingers, your daily practice may focus more so on general movement and execution of a number of techniques and strings to cement still further your overall technical proficiency.​

5) Create and follow a plan of action based upon your current execution strengths and weaknesses and your current level of play​

This final consideration is the most important of all. Creating a practice plan of action will do wonders to focus your improvement efforts and to ensure that you do not overlook any foundational components of Fox’s technical game. Such a plan is meant to be individualized with respect to your current level of technical aptitude and overall level of play; this requires a detailed, honest self–examination of your game and your own respective strengths and weaknesses with regard to Melee’s myriad feats of execution.​

What follows is an example of such a plan of action intended for new Fox players who are not at all familiar with the “next level” of technical skill required to play the space animal in the modern tournament scene. This plan presents a prioritized list of the essential techniques needed to function as a competent Fox player. It is intended to be completed from top to bottom and is organized in such a way that the techniques build upon base competencies established near the start of the plan. For each item in this list, you should dedicate at least half an hour to honing your abilities with that skill followed by a personal challenge to execute “x” repetitions of that technique in a row without committing an error (with the number of repetitions increased with each session). In this regard, note that you should practice the “core” competencies, located towards the top of this list, for a greater amount of time (and thus require of yourself a significantly larger number of successful repetitions) than would be spent on those towards the bottom of the list. Finally, as stated above, your personal action plan must be individualized. For example, if you are already proficient at shuffling, you can opt to begin your plan at the wavedashing section; or perhaps you experience greater difficulty with SHDL than with shuffling and waveshining, in which case the SHDL should receive a comparatively greater amount of your attention.​

Suggested Plan of Action ​

- Basic recovery sweet–spots (Illusion, various Firefox angles, Firefoxes from below the stage)

- Dash–dancing (revisit regularly as you gain knowledge of each character’s effective range)

- Double–jump sweet–spot from below the ledge

- Shortened Illusions

- Shield angling

- Ledge–teching (this can be drilled by placing proximity mines on the undersides of applicable stages)​

Core Concepts 1: SHFFLing and Shine Work

1. Individual SHFFL components (short–hop, fast–fall, L–cancel)

- With every aerial (with the most emphasis on your neutral–aerial, followed by your down– and back–aerials) as well as without aerials for short–hopping and fast–falling

- Practice the various L–cancel timings for connecting with a target at various heights (for example, early and late neutral–aerials), shielded and unshielded, and for missing your target. Pay close attention to the timing required to L–cancel and short–hop successfully (especially the down–aerial’s L–cancel timing). The 20XX pack is indispensable in this regard, but you can also practice against a maximum handicap Bowser with damage ratio set to 0.5. Note also that the Ice Climbers can significantly change the timing of your cancels and fast–falls if you land an aerial on them, with or without their shields.

- Include fast–falling and L–canceling full–jump aerials as well at this point, especially in the scenario of performing an aerial while jumping towards a platform.

- Practice and perfect the SHL (not the SHDL at this point) alongside your short–hop training.​ 2. SHFFLing

- Combine the individual techniques in section 1 above for each of your aerials at various heights, shielded and unshielded, and for missed aerials; include the Climbers’ double shields and double hitboxes as well.

- Focus first on mastering the shuffled neutral–aerial, then your shuffled down– and back–aerials.​ 3. L–canceling and shuffling into shines, runs, and jabs

- Combine the individual techniques in section 1 above for each of your aerials at various heights, shielded and unshielded, and for missed aerials; include the Climbers’ double shields and double hitboxes as well.

- Focus first on your neutral–aerial, then on your down– and back–aerials.​ 4. Shine cancels (full–jump and short–hop)

5. L–canceling and shuffling into shine cancels (full–jump and short–hop)

- Combine the individual techniques in section 1 above for each of your aerials at various heights, shielded and unshielded, and for missed aerials; include the Climbers’ double shields and double hitboxes as well.

- Focus first on your neutral–aerial, then your down– and back–aerials.

- Spend a greater amount of time with short–hop shine cancels as opposed to full–jump shine cancels.​

Core Concepts 2: Grab Game and Jump–Cancel Utilities

1. Jump–canceled grabs

- Pay special attention to maximizing the distance of your jump–canceled grabs.​ 2. Shine–grabs

- Practice with scenarios similar to your SHFFL training.​ 3. Running jump–canceled up–smash

4. Up–smash out of shield

- Make certain to consider the effects of shield stun on your timing for this maneuver.​ 5. Grab follow–ups

- Focus largely on the common tournament characters (especially Fox, Falco, Marth, Sheik, and Puff); place special emphasis on your up– and back–aerials, mainly, as well as running jump–canceled up–smashes against the space animals.

- Spend time practicing the timing and angles required to land only the second hit of the up–aerial against various characters at various percents.​

Core Concepts 3: Wavedash–Based Techniques

1. Wavedashing

- Forwards and backwards, into and out of runs and dash–dancing

- Include wavedashing out of shield, wavelanding on platforms, from the ledge, and to grab the ledge

- It is recommended to practice wavedashing from the ledge (also called “ledge–dashing”) regularly due to the technique’s great utility but high price to be paid for mistakes.​ 2. Waveshining

- Forwards and backwards, missed and connected​ 3. Drill to waveshine

- Forwards and backwards, missed and connected (with special attention to shielded drills’ L–cancel timings)

- Become comfortable with performing one or two drillshine repetitions, but do not devote time to perfecting wall–free infinites or repetitions in excess of two to three.​ 4. Waveshine follow–ups

- Forwards and backwards

- Start with the higher–traction characters (especially Sheik, Peach, and Falcon) and work your way up to the lower–traction characters (with an emphasis particularly on Marth).

- Up–smash (in place and running jump–canceled), grabs (in place and running jump–canceled), jab resets, repeated waveshines, drillshine​

Odds and Ends

1. Shine–aerial shield pressure

- Practice the various aerial timings, e.g., early versus late neutral–aerials.​ 2. Ledge–canceling

- Focus especially on ledge–canceling your Illusion at various lengths and on various stages.​ 3. SHDL

- For the purposes of consistency of execution, consider using the control stick for the SHDL’s short–hop.

- Start with stationary SHDL’s and proceed to retreating SHDL’s.​ 4. Shining out of shield

- Make certain to consider the effects of shield stun on your timing for this maneuver.​ 5. Shield–dropping

- Make certain to consider the effects of shield stun on your timing for this maneuver.​ 6. Double–shining

- Your goal is to be able to perform your double–shines without leaving the ground.​ 7. Double–shine follow–ups​

3. Mind Games

[IYG3]

a. Know Yourself

[IYG31]

b. Know Your Opponent

[IYG32]

4. The Power of Spacing and Stage Control

[IYG4]

5. Prediction and the Problem–Solution Methodology

[IYG5]

6. 10 Common Mistakes in General Fox Gameplay

[IYG6]

1) Full–jumping too often

2) Approaching with early full–jump neutral–aerials

3) Continuing an approach after connecting with neutral–aerial to shine

4) Reflexively shining after an in–place tech

5) Relying too excessively on up–aerials rather than back–aerials

6) Ledge–hopping with down–aerial when your opponent has stage control

7) Trying to land full–jump falling back–aerials around center stage in the neutral game

8) Not making use of light–shielding or shield angling

9) Not using down–aerial or late–hit neutral–aerials at low percents

10) Not making use of shine–grabs

III. Character Match–Ups [CMU0] ​

A. S Tier

[ST0]

1. Fox

[ST1]

Media

Leffen vs. Hax: Submitted by reddit user Winnarly, this set showcases a number of facets of the Fox ditto, ranging from edge–guarding and shine–spiking to on–stage grab combos and aerial usage. At 7:49, note how Leffen’s missed full–jump neutral–aerial approach allows Hax to move in with a neutral–aerial of his own, granting him the opening needed to finish his opponent’s last second–game stock. The early portion of the third game on Final Destination contains a few examples of how even missing an aerial against an opposing Fox can leave you vulnerable for just long enough to forfeit easy percentage or your position. For example, at 8:18, Leffen’s missed neutral–aerial approach prompts him to buffer a protective roll away, giving Hax just enough time to land a knockdown with a run–in shine and read the Swedish Fox’s inward roll for a grab (note as well how Leffen opts to DI behind Hax on the second up–throw, which allows him to escape due to an execution error; this occurs again at 8:23). Notice as well how Hax makes use of full–jump neutral–aerials in the set’s third game to control the air space and poke at Leffen at the ledge, where a successful hit could spell disaster in combination with an edge–guard; still more interesting is Leffen’s adjustment at the 10:19 mark, where he attempts to cut through the full–jump neutral–aerial with the high priority of the turn–around up–tilt. The exchange at 10:30 is especially instructive, showing the high cost of being shined near the ledge; the resulting disadvantageous position eventually leads to Leffen forfeiting a stock to another shine after being forced below the stage with a ledge–hopped down–aerial.



Submitted by reddit user Winnarly, this set showcases a number of facets of the Fox ditto, ranging from edge–guarding and shine–spiking to on–stage grab combos and aerial usage. At 7:49, note how Leffen’s missed full–jump neutral–aerial approach allows Hax to move in with a neutral–aerial of his own, granting him the opening needed to finish his opponent’s last second–game stock. The early portion of the third game on Final Destination contains a few examples of how even missing an aerial against an opposing Fox can leave you vulnerable for just long enough to forfeit easy percentage or your position. For example, at 8:18, Leffen’s missed neutral–aerial approach prompts him to buffer a protective roll away, giving Hax just enough time to land a knockdown with a run–in shine and read the Swedish Fox’s inward roll for a grab (note as well how Leffen opts to DI behind Hax on the second up–throw, which allows him to escape due to an execution error; this occurs again at 8:23). Notice as well how Hax makes use of full–jump neutral–aerials in the set’s third game to control the air space and poke at Leffen at the ledge, where a successful hit could spell disaster in combination with an edge–guard; still more interesting is Leffen’s adjustment at the 10:19 mark, where he attempts to cut through the full–jump neutral–aerial with the high priority of the turn–around up–tilt. The exchange at 10:30 is especially instructive, showing the high cost of being shined near the ledge; the resulting disadvantageous position eventually leads to Leffen forfeiting a stock to another shine after being forced below the stage with a ledge–hopped down–aerial.

Silent Wolf vs. Leffen: Another reddit submission by Winnarly, this set sees these players square off in Evo 2014's semifinal pools. At 0:29, Silent Wolf sets up an up–throw with a drill, but Leffen successfully DI’s behind him, forcing a follow–up error and escaping with minimal damage. Silent Wolf Smash DI’s Leffen’s run–in shine at 1:09 (note the higher altitude at which the shined Fox is sent); this gives Silent Wolf enough time to react and land an escape tech, thus preventing any knockdown follow–ups. Note at 2:28 how Leffen times a Fire Fox ledge stall to protect his shine spike attempt with invincibility frames. At 6:55, Silent Wolf sets up a platform down–aerial reset using an up–throw and is able to connect with an up–smash due to his opponent failing to DI the drill’s multiple kicks off the platform; the Swedish Fox corrects this error very early in the set’s final game. 7:12 provides an example of the impact of percentage on the viability of jab resets; while Leffen succeeds in landing both the shine knockdown and the jab, Silent Wolf’s high percentage causes him to pop up when jabbed rather than stand up slowly. The first lost stock of the set’s final game provides a number of good learning points. First, Leffen’s unintentional shield grab allows Silent Wolf to connect a shine near the ledge, thus setting up an edge–guard and simultaneously forcing his adversary to use his double–jump. Without having to consider additional recovery timings due to the forced loss of the double–jump, Silent Wolf opts for a neutral–aerial to cover a number of Illusion timings and heights; this allows him to intercept the recovery attempt and close out the stock with well–timed back–aerials. Leffen’s seemingly innocuous double–jump at 8:34 clears the way for his opponent to run into his space with a shine, which earns Silent Wolf a knockdown, a jab reset, and a total of 52%. During this sequence, take note of Silent Wolf’s shine tech trap after the initial up–smash; the shine causes Leffen to slam into the ground earlier than would be expected for a typical up–throw to up–smash sequence, which leads to a missed tech and subsequent punishment.



Another reddit submission by Winnarly, this set sees these players square off in Evo 2014's semifinal pools. At 0:29, Silent Wolf sets up an up–throw with a drill, but Leffen successfully DI’s behind him, forcing a follow–up error and escaping with minimal damage. Silent Wolf Smash DI’s Leffen’s run–in shine at 1:09 (note the higher altitude at which the shined Fox is sent); this gives Silent Wolf enough time to react and land an escape tech, thus preventing any knockdown follow–ups. Note at 2:28 how Leffen times a Fire Fox ledge stall to protect his shine spike attempt with invincibility frames. At 6:55, Silent Wolf sets up a platform down–aerial reset using an up–throw and is able to connect with an up–smash due to his opponent failing to DI the drill’s multiple kicks off the platform; the Swedish Fox corrects this error very early in the set’s final game. 7:12 provides an example of the impact of percentage on the viability of jab resets; while Leffen succeeds in landing both the shine knockdown and the jab, Silent Wolf’s high percentage causes him to pop up when jabbed rather than stand up slowly. The first lost stock of the set’s final game provides a number of good learning points. First, Leffen’s unintentional shield grab allows Silent Wolf to connect a shine near the ledge, thus setting up an edge–guard and simultaneously forcing his adversary to use his double–jump. Without having to consider additional recovery timings due to the forced loss of the double–jump, Silent Wolf opts for a neutral–aerial to cover a number of Illusion timings and heights; this allows him to intercept the recovery attempt and close out the stock with well–timed back–aerials. Leffen’s seemingly innocuous double–jump at 8:34 clears the way for his opponent to run into his space with a shine, which earns Silent Wolf a knockdown, a jab reset, and a total of 52%. During this sequence, take note of Silent Wolf’s shine tech trap after the initial up–smash; the shine causes Leffen to slam into the ground earlier than would be expected for a typical up–throw to up–smash sequence, which leads to a missed tech and subsequent punishment.

Silent Wolf vs. Lucky: The 1:39 mark contains an example of the back–aerial cleanly beating the neutral–aerial, pointing to the Reverse Spin Kick’s air supremacy as well as its utility in protecting your space from aggressive neutral–aerial approaches. At 3:55, Silent Wolf punishes Lucky’s missed tech out of a neutral–aerial with a down–tilt and links that hit to a down–smash with the aid of a soft–hit back–aerial and a side platform. Shortly afterwards at 4:35, he also links an up–tilt into a lethal up–smash on Dream Land’s top platform using a soft–hit back–aerial. 4:50 provides an example of teching a shine spike on the underside of the stage; in this case, Lucky’s proximity to the ledge allows his up–B’s charge–up hitboxes to block Silent Wolf from stealing ledge invincibility frames for an easy shine spike. At 9:06, you can see a very precise Illusion ledge–cancel from Silent Wolf on Stadium’s righthand side; however, this is not a commonplace platform ledge–cancel but rather one involving the stage’s strange and counterintuitive “phantom ledge” located a short distance towards center stage.



The 1:39 mark contains an example of the back–aerial cleanly beating the neutral–aerial, pointing to the Reverse Spin Kick’s air supremacy as well as its utility in protecting your space from aggressive neutral–aerial approaches. At 3:55, Silent Wolf punishes Lucky’s missed tech out of a neutral–aerial with a down–tilt and links that hit to a down–smash with the aid of a soft–hit back–aerial and a side platform. Shortly afterwards at 4:35, he also links an up–tilt into a lethal up–smash on Dream Land’s top platform using a soft–hit back–aerial. 4:50 provides an example of teching a shine spike on the underside of the stage; in this case, Lucky’s proximity to the ledge allows his up–B’s charge–up hitboxes to block Silent Wolf from stealing ledge invincibility frames for an easy shine spike. At 9:06, you can see a very precise Illusion ledge–cancel from Silent Wolf on Stadium’s righthand side; however, this is not a commonplace platform ledge–cancel but rather one involving the stage’s strange and counterintuitive “phantom ledge” located a short distance towards center stage.

Fiction vs. Lucky: This losers quarterfinals set between these two West Coast mainstays showcases a number of good reads, punishes, and up–aerial strings. At 9:20, notice how Fiction’s hasty full–jump back–aerial gives Lucky the timing cue to run in and grab safely. Lucky also makes excellent use of his back–aerial edge–guard for the set’s final stock; by grazing Fiction with his back–aerial while moving towards his opponent, Lucky is able to land a follow–up shine that seals the set in his favor.



This losers quarterfinals set between these two West Coast mainstays showcases a number of good reads, punishes, and up–aerial strings. At 9:20, notice how Fiction’s hasty full–jump back–aerial gives Lucky the timing cue to run in and grab safely. Lucky also makes excellent use of his back–aerial edge–guard for the set’s final stock; by grazing Fiction with his back–aerial while moving towards his opponent, Lucky is able to land a follow–up shine that seals the set in his favor.

Silent Wolf vs. SFAT – Do You Fox Wit It? Winners Quarterfinals and Losers Finals: At 5:02 in the winners quarterfinals set, notice how Silent Wolf’s telegraphed aerial from the side platform misses and makes him vulnerable to a grab. In a match–up as fast–paced as the Fox ditto, even such relatively miniscule details as missed aerials can cost you dearly, especially given the speed of the jump–canceled grab. Another major take–away point of this set is how both players aim to control and act from center stage; you can see that they position themselves as such during their combos and neutral game movement, and they also mix in the occasional buffered inwards roll to sneak away from the ledge. At 1:14 in the losers finals set, Silent Wolf back–throws SFAT off of the stage and fakes a chase for the shine spike; this causes SFAT to respond with a double–jump to low–altitude Illusion in anticipation of the shine, allowing Silent Wolf to double–jump back to the stage after the fake and land the finishing blow. This set also shows a number of instances of efficient edge–guards involving shine kills and edge–hogging.



At 5:02 in the winners quarterfinals set, notice how Silent Wolf’s telegraphed aerial from the side platform misses and makes him vulnerable to a grab. In a match–up as fast–paced as the Fox ditto, even such relatively miniscule details as missed aerials can cost you dearly, especially given the speed of the jump–canceled grab. Another major take–away point of this set is how both players aim to control and act from center stage; you can see that they position themselves as such during their combos and neutral game movement, and they also mix in the occasional buffered inwards roll to sneak away from the ledge. At 1:14 in the losers finals set, Silent Wolf back–throws SFAT off of the stage and fakes a chase for the shine spike; this causes SFAT to respond with a double–jump to low–altitude Illusion in anticipation of the shine, allowing Silent Wolf to double–jump back to the stage after the fake and land the finishing blow. This set also shows a number of instances of efficient edge–guards involving shine kills and edge–hogging.

SFAT vs. Lucky: The first game of this set highlights the Fox ditto’s brutal combo and punish game on Final Destination. Overall, both players succeed in landing important off–stage shines and back–aerials throughout the course of the contest, but they also each make costly errors that reflect the volatile nature of the Fox ditto.



The first game of this set highlights the Fox ditto’s brutal combo and punish game on Final Destination. Overall, both players succeed in landing important off–stage shines and back–aerials throughout the course of the contest, but they also each make costly errors that reflect the volatile nature of the Fox ditto.

Hax vs. Silent Wolf – Do You Fox Wit It? Winners and Grand Finals: This match–up provides a number of rousing games showcasing the technicality, speed, and precision execution of the modern Fox ditto. Starting with the winners finals set, Hax executes a shine out of shield at 0:49, complete with a waveland to reestablish his neutral game mobility, to defuse Silent Wolf’s pressure and ultimately take his opponent’s second stock. Hax’s technical errors in the third game, notably his air–dodges and the off–stage down–aerial, reflect the importance of playing quickly while still restraining oneself from inputting buttons during certain key situations, especially when cornered by the ledge. At 10:06, notice how Silent Wolf has the presence of mind to DI Hax’s down–aerial inwards towards center stage, preventing the subsequent shine from forcing him off–stage. In the fourth game of winners finals, it is important to notice during the sequence starting at 10:24 how Silent Wolf times his ledge grabs such that he can protect his back–aerial edge–guards with invincibility frames from the ledge. The final stock of winners finals brings up another key point of the Fox ditto; in the last exchange of this set, Hax’s back–aerial cuts cleanly through the opposing neutral–aerial at 14:18, putting Hax in control.



This match–up provides a number of rousing games showcasing the technicality, speed, and precision execution of the modern Fox ditto. Starting with the winners finals set, Hax executes a shine out of shield at 0:49, complete with a waveland to reestablish his neutral game mobility, to defuse Silent Wolf’s pressure and ultimately take his opponent’s second stock. Hax’s technical errors in the third game, notably his air–dodges and the off–stage down–aerial, reflect the importance of playing quickly while still restraining oneself from inputting buttons during certain key situations, especially when cornered by the ledge. At 10:06, notice how Silent Wolf has the presence of mind to DI Hax’s down–aerial inwards towards center stage, preventing the subsequent shine from forcing him off–stage. In the fourth game of winners finals, it is important to notice during the sequence starting at 10:24 how Silent Wolf times his ledge grabs such that he can protect his back–aerial edge–guards with invincibility frames from the ledge. The final stock of winners finals brings up another key point of the Fox ditto; in the last exchange of this set, Hax’s back–aerial cuts cleanly through the opposing neutral–aerial at 14:18, putting Hax in control.





The grand finals set between these two competitors contains a number of excellent punishes, shines, and knockdown conversions. Of note is Silent Wolf’s back–throw DI trap at 6:36. To understand this trap, first consider the players’ position. At the edge of Story’s top platform, if Silent Wolf were to up–throw and Hax were to DI right (that is, in the direction that Silent Wolf is facing), Hax would escape with minimal damage; in this context, DI’ing to the right away from the platform seems to be the optimal choice. Knowing this, Silent Wolf instead opts to back–throw, which sends Hax to the left; he also throws in a knee prior to the throw itself to give Hax more time to DI. In combination with the rightwards DI originally intended for the up–throw, the left–facing back–throw’s knockback distance is reduced, permitting a follow–up soft neutral–aerial to finishing down–smash. Another very subtle but important decision occurs at 11:53, where Hax tosses in a jab after his dash attack lands to catch Silent Wolf before he can tech; this allows Hax to transition into a grab and a finishing up–smash tech chase on the platform. Throughout the set’s final game, Hax also makes use of jabs in the neutral game to interfere with his opponent’s delicate timing and movement in close–quarters situations.

Mew2King vs. Colbol: In this losers semifinals set, M2K showcases his edge–guarding prowess and potent defensive game against Florida Fox main Colbol. In contrast, Colbol opts for creative off–stage decisions, such as a shine–turned back–aerial (0:38), as well as more orthodox measures like down–angled forward–tilts (1:36). In the third game on Final Destination, note Mew2King’s execution of the chain grab and his attention to Colbol’s percent, particularly his decision to transition out of the chain with an up–tilt at around the 50% mark.



In this losers semifinals set, M2K showcases his edge–guarding prowess and potent defensive game against Florida Fox main Colbol. In contrast, Colbol opts for creative off–stage decisions, such as a shine–turned back–aerial (0:38), as well as more orthodox measures like down–angled forward–tilts (1:36). In the third game on Final Destination, note Mew2King’s execution of the chain grab and his attention to Colbol’s percent, particularly his decision to transition out of the chain with an up–tilt at around the 50% mark.

2. Falco

[ST2]

Counterpicks

Yoshi’s Story : Story is an excellent pick against defensive Falcos and for aggressive Foxes; in both scenarios, the stage’s small size and close blast zones accelerate your kill rate while maximizing your ability to chase, corner, and knock down your opponent. The stage’s underside also provides you with a solid surface on which to tech Falco’s edge–guarding options. However, do note that the bird can also make use of Story’s features, particularly by stringing together combos on its platforms, the efficacy of which is enhanced by the close side blast zones.​

Pokemon Stadium : As desirable a stage as ever, Stadium provides a low ceiling to cater to an aggressive style by facilitating early vertical kills as well as an appreciable amount of room that serves defensive play well. In addition, the transformations generally favor the Fox player. That said, you should be aware that Stadium’s ledges and lack of a central top platform do make your recovery more difficult and riskier. If you are having trouble handling an aggressive Falco or are yourself an innately defensive Fox, you may opt for Dream Land over Stadium, with the understanding that your vertical kills will be compromised and your opponent will likewise benefit from the stage’s ample space, although you do gain a top platform there. Similarly, more defensively–oriented Falcos sometimes opt to counterpick to Dream Land themselves to give them additional breathing room against pressure–heavy, aggressive Foxes.​

Bans/Strikes

Final Destination : While not nearly the “hard” counterpick that it once was, Final Destination nevertheless should be a choice ban for most Fox players unless they are particularly confident in their ability to DI Falco’s shine combos, avoid shines in general, and land and execute chain grabs. Note also that you do not have any platforms with which to maneuver around your opponent’s SHL fire. At higher levels of play, Falco’s natural advantages here are diluted while Fox’s largely remain intact; otherwise, FD is a more than reasonable choice for your stage ban.​

Fountain of Dreams : Fountain is yet another hotly–contested stage in this match–up. While it does not merit the use of a ban to the same degree as Final Destination, Fountain of Dreams can cause you some distress with its high ceiling, close side blast zones, and unique platforms, which your opponent can readily control with his down–aerial and waveland shine combos. That said, some Fox players are also comfortable here; the vulpine space animal can also utilize the platforms well as both offensive and recovery options, and he can set up off–stage kills that nullify Fountain’s high ceiling. This stage also provides a solid underside for use in ledge teching.​

Media

Lucky (Fox) vs. Westballz – The Big House 4: A submission by reddit user ContemplativeOctopus, this losers side, top eight set showcases a number of crucial facets of this match–up, including the power of Fox’s down–aerial against his partner pilot (although the exchange at 9:44 also presents the perils of inadvertently hitting a shield with this move). Lucky also does well throughout the set in avoiding Westballz’s up–tilt set–ups and maintaining control of his surroundings with well–placed neutral–aerials to box out the Falco player. 3:25 provides yet another example of the importance of DI’ing the bird’s seemingly innocuous up–throw; by following a forward–facing trajectory, Lucky sets himself up for a killer down–aerial from Westballz. At 6:52, notice Lucky’s choice of the neutral–aerial to punish the spot–dodges. While a jump–canceled grab out of his dash dance was also a possible option, you should note that Fox’s grab has only two active frames (7 – 8 for the standing grab and 12 – 13 for the dash grab) compared to the much more generous timing window of the neutral–aerial; in light of the threat of a shine immediately after Falco’s spot–dodge, choosing the safer yet still effective aerial option is generally the correct choice in such a scenario. At 7:24, Lucky spaces his neutral–aerial after connecting with Westballz’s shield such that Westballz cannot easily connect with an out–of–shield shine. Another important point to take away from this set is Lucky’s use of full–jumps; he makes use of them to avoid the Falco’s up–tilts and auto–cancel back–aerial walls and also to escape ledge traps, all while avoiding punishment by jumping only after Westballz has committed to or telegraphed his choice of an option.





Leffen (Fox) vs. Mango – The Big House 4: Submitted by reddit user Winnarly, this match provides an example of how a Fox should handle Falco’s laser game. You should notice how Leffen aims to maintain just enough distance between Mango and himself such that he is close enough to punish any openings or successful powershields yet is still far enough away to dodge incoming attacks and aggressive mix–ups. As well, he makes use of jumps, run–in powershields, wavedashes and shines out of shield, and wavelands onto platforms to work his way around Falco’s SHL pressure. Also pay close attention to how Leffen utilizes full–jump down–aerials to breach Mango’s defenses from above; when spaced to account for defensive up–tilts, your down–aerial can set up for a knockdown via shine or an outright grab, as Leffen demonstrates at 7:42. The sequence starting at 0:36 draws attention to the caution required when deciding whether or not to pursue Falco off–stage for a shine spike; in this instance, Leffen misses his shine and his meteor spiked by the Phantasm, which leads to a lethal down–aerial despite the successful meteor cancel. At 3:06, Mango opts for a double ledge–hopped laser return; however, the lasers are too high, allowing Leffen to duck under them and shine the hapless Falco off–stage to set up a game–ending back–aerial edge–guard. In the set’s final game, Toph adds insightful comments regarding how Mango DI’s the up–throw chain grab as well as the value of shortening the Illusion against Falco’s down–smash edge–guard. The aerial at 9:32 is particularly instructive in terms of giving up openings for out–of–shield shines, which Leffen was spacing well against up until this point; you should notice how high up on the shield that the Fox player’s neutral–aerial connects, giving his opponent an easy cue for the subsequent shine punish. The Swedish Fox also misses his DI on Mango’s up–throws, repeatedly ending up in front of Falco and being hit with aerials as a result.



A submission by reddit user ContemplativeOctopus, this losers side, top eight set showcases a number of crucial facets of this match–up, including the power of Fox’s down–aerial against his partner pilot (although the exchange at 9:44 also presents the perils of inadvertently hitting a shield with this move). Lucky also does well throughout the set in avoiding Westballz’s up–tilt set–ups and maintaining control of his surroundings with well–placed neutral–aerials to box out the Falco player. 3:25 provides yet another example of the importance of DI’ing the bird’s seemingly innocuous up–throw; by following a forward–facing trajectory, Lucky sets himself up for a killer down–aerial from Westballz. At 6:52, notice Lucky’s choice of the neutral–aerial to punish the spot–dodges. While a jump–canceled grab out of his dash dance was also a possible option, you should note that Fox’s grab has only two active frames (7 – 8 for the standing grab and 12 – 13 for the dash grab) compared to the much more generous timing window of the neutral–aerial; in light of the threat of a shine immediately after Falco’s spot–dodge, choosing the safer yet still effective aerial option is generally the correct choice in such a scenario. At 7:24, Lucky spaces his neutral–aerial after connecting with Westballz’s shield such that Westballz cannot easily connect with an out–of–shield shine. Another important point to take away from this set is Lucky’s use of full–jumps; he makes use of them to avoid the Falco’s up–tilts and auto–cancel back–aerial walls and also to escape ledge traps, all while avoiding punishment by jumping only after Westballz has committed to or telegraphed his choice of an option.Submitted by reddit user Winnarly, this match provides an example of how a Fox should handle Falco’s laser game. You should notice how Leffen aims to maintain just enough distance between Mango and himself such that he is close enough to punish any openings or successful powershields yet is still far enough away to dodge incoming attacks and aggressive mix–ups. As well, he makes use of jumps, run–in powershields, wavedashes and shines out of shield, and wavelands onto platforms to work his way around Falco’s SHL pressure. Also pay close attention to how Leffen utilizes full–jump down–aerials to breach Mango’s defenses from above; when spaced to account for defensive up–tilts, your down–aerial can set up for a knockdown via shine or an outright grab, as Leffen demonstrates at 7:42. The sequence starting at 0:36 draws attention to the caution required when deciding whether or not to pursue Falco off–stage for a shine spike; in this instance, Leffen misses his shine and his meteor spiked by the Phantasm, which leads to a lethal down–aerial despite the successful meteor cancel. At 3:06, Mango opts for a double ledge–hopped laser return; however, the lasers are too high, allowing Leffen to duck under them and shine the hapless Falco off–stage to set up a game–ending back–aerial edge–guard. In the set’s final game, Toph adds insightful comments regarding how Mango DI’s the up–throw chain grab as well as the value of shortening the Illusion against Falco’s down–smash edge–guard. The aerial at 9:32 is particularly instructive in terms of giving up openings for out–of–shield shines, which Leffen was spacing well against up until this point; you should notice how high up on the shield that the Fox player’s neutral–aerial connects, giving his opponent an easy cue for the subsequent shine punish. The Swedish Fox also misses his DI on Mango’s up–throws, repeatedly ending up in front of Falco and being hit with aerials as a result.

Leffen (Fox) vs. PPMD: Leffen’s outstanding opening combo in this set merits closer examination. Notice how he times the last two up–aerials in this series such that only the second hit connects; this circumvents the problem of Smash DI on the weaker initial hit, maintaining the combo and lengthening the punish.



Leffen’s outstanding opening combo in this set merits closer examination. Notice how he times the last two up–aerials in this series such that only the second hit connects; this circumvents the problem of Smash DI on the weaker initial hit, maintaining the combo and lengthening the punish.

Mango (Fox) vs. PPMD: The first game of this MLG Anaheim 2014 winners semifinals clash sees Mango utilizing Battlefield’s platforms for Illusion ledge–cancels, making his recovery far safer and more difficult to punish. Take note of the final stock, in which the Fox player utilizes down–smashes to place the opposing Falco into a greatly disadvantageous position below the stage, forcing PPMD to use his double–jump and thus opening himself for a lethal, simple shine spike. Another important point is how Mango’s away Smash DI on Falco’s down–aerial at 4:25 causes the follow–up shine to miss, paving the way for this finishing sequence. Mango DI’s well in general throughout this set on moves ranging from down–aerials to shines and even dash attacks.



The first game of this MLG Anaheim 2014 winners semifinals clash sees Mango utilizing Battlefield’s platforms for Illusion ledge–cancels, making his recovery far safer and more difficult to punish. Take note of the final stock, in which the Fox player utilizes down–smashes to place the opposing Falco into a greatly disadvantageous position below the stage, forcing PPMD to use his double–jump and thus opening himself for a lethal, simple shine spike. Another important point is how Mango’s away Smash DI on Falco’s down–aerial at 4:25 causes the follow–up shine to miss, paving the way for this finishing sequence. Mango DI’s well in general throughout this set on moves ranging from down–aerials to shines and even dash attacks.

Hax (Fox) vs. PPMD: PPMD exhibits a wide range of Falco’s punish options against Hax here, making ample use of the bird’s vaunted down–aerial to land low–percent kills in all manner of situations.



PPMD exhibits a wide range of Falco’s punish options against Hax here, making ample use of the bird’s vaunted down–aerial to land low–percent kills in all manner of situations.

Hax (Fox) vs. Zhu: This Justice 4 losers finals set provides a good example of a Falco played with a more patient, measured pace. As with the Leffen vs. Mango set, notice the distance at which Hax spaces himself from Zhu, just close enough to threaten but far enough away to keep his defensive and retreating options open. In multiple instances throughout this set, Zhu utilizes a descending laser at a short distance above the ground to cover his landing without having to commit to an aerial, often supplemented with a dash attack as a set–up. At 0:48, note how Hax’s high, inwards–moving back–aerial on Zhu’s shield allows Zhu to land a shine. The final stock of the second game highlights how you can follow up with a lethal shine a string or move that sends a higher–percent Falco off–stage. At 10:26, notice how Hax’s early–start, full–jumped neutral–aerial causes him to connect high with a weaker hitbox, opening himself to Falco’s shine counter.



This Justice 4 losers finals set provides a good example of a Falco played with a more patient, measured pace. As with the Leffen vs. Mango set, notice the distance at which Hax spaces himself from Zhu, just close enough to threaten but far enough away to keep his defensive and retreating options open. In multiple instances throughout this set, Zhu utilizes a descending laser at a short distance above the ground to cover his landing without having to commit to an aerial, often supplemented with a dash attack as a set–up. At 0:48, note how Hax’s high, inwards–moving back–aerial on Zhu’s shield allows Zhu to land a shine. The final stock of the second game highlights how you can follow up with a lethal shine a string or move that sends a higher–percent Falco off–stage. At 10:26, notice how Hax’s early–start, full–jumped neutral–aerial causes him to connect high with a weaker hitbox, opening himself to Falco’s shine counter.

Hax (Fox) vs. PPMD: PPMD showcases Falco’s unnerving SHL control over the ground game in combination with dash–dances, wavedashes, and strategic shields to set up for an out–of–shield shine. On Fox’s end of the battle, Hax shows the potential of run–in powershields, landing aerials off of the miniscule amount of stun from the powershielded enemy laser.



PPMD showcases Falco’s unnerving SHL control over the ground game in combination with dash–dances, wavedashes, and strategic shields to set up for an out–of–shield shine. On Fox’s end of the battle, Hax shows the potential of run–in powershields, landing aerials off of the miniscule amount of stun from the powershielded enemy laser.

Colbol (Fox) vs. PPMD: Colbol exhibits excellent recovery mix–ups and execution against PPMD’s fearsome Falco in this MLG Anaheim 2014 set. Note particularly his use of shine stalls to enable him to time his off–stage double–jumps between PPMD’s lasers. However, the Falco player makes good use of his FD counterpick, trouncing Colbol with an especially efficient last–stock kill.



Colbol exhibits excellent recovery mix–ups and execution against PPMD’s fearsome Falco in this MLG Anaheim 2014 set. Note particularly his use of shine stalls to enable him to time his off–stage double–jumps between PPMD’s lasers. However, the Falco player makes good use of his FD counterpick, trouncing Colbol with an especially efficient last–stock kill.

SFAT (Fox) vs. Mango: At 1:22, notice how Mango angles his shield upward; this in combination with SFAT’s very high falling back–aerial allows the Falco player to land a shine out of his shield. As commentators D1 and Prog point out, SFAT also makes good use of drillshines to counter crouch–cancels and give himself opportunities when Mango is at low percents. They also point out how Mango utilizes top platforms to cover his full–jump aerials, preventing the opposing Fox from easily taking advantage of misses or landing lag.



At 1:22, notice how Mango angles his shield upward; this in combination with SFAT’s very high falling back–aerial allows the Falco player to land a shine out of his shield. As commentators D1 and Prog point out, SFAT also makes good use of drillshines to counter crouch–cancels and give himself opportunities when Mango is at low percents. They also point out how Mango utilizes top platforms to cover his full–jump aerials, preventing the opposing Fox from easily taking advantage of misses or landing lag.

3. Sheik

[ST3]

Counterpicks

Final Destination : A popular ban for Sheik players, FD even further restricts her recovery game by denying her access to platforms, which also limits her needle–cancel opportunities. As well, the uninterrupted length of the stage allows Fox to abuse shine combos to a greater extent than on most other stages and also to harass Sheik more effectively once he knocks her airborne.​

Pokemon Stadium : Stadium remains as viable a counterpick option as ever against Sheik thanks to its low ceiling along with its horizontal length, which allows you to survive your opponent’s forward – aerials more reliably and play the blaster keep–away game to augment your offense.​

Yoshi’s Story : A good option for more aggressive Foxes owing to its small size, this stage’s low ceiling and platforms enhance your vertical punishment game. However, its closer sides also improve the lethality of Sheik’s forward–aerial, and she can also make use of the platforms herself with needle canceling. All things considered, Story is not as powerful a counterpick against Sheik as Stadium or FD, but it certainly is a viable stage for Fox players who seek to keep the pressure on their opponents.​

Bans/Strikes

Fountain of Dreams : With a high ceiling, side platforms, and close side blast zones, Fountain provides Sheik with a number of important advantages while reducing your vertical kill potential and stifling your speed and mobility.​

Dream Land : Dream Land’s high ceiling improves Sheik’s survivability against your vertical kill mechanisms, and its side platforms offer her a few additional recovery options. That said, note that you need not necessarily focus on vertical kills at all times; with your waveshine to down–smash and subsequent edge–guarding, you can also take stocks at the ledge or accumulate enough damage to earn a vertical kill regardless of the stage or opposing DI. The stage’s sheer size also allows you a great deal of room with which to abuse a blaster–based keep–away style. Furthermore, your recovery benefits from Dream Land’s platforms as well.​

Media

Lucky (Fox) vs. Mew2King: In this Kings of Cali 4 losers semifinals set, Mew2King highlights Sheik’s edge–guard and off–stage options as well as her neutral–aerial’s ability to cut off mistimed follow–ups with a quick counterattack. The disastrous second game, in particular, showcases how quickly this match–up can spiral out of control should the Fox player become predictable or overzealous while off–stage or near the ledge in general.



In this Kings of Cali 4 losers semifinals set, Mew2King highlights Sheik’s edge–guard and off–stage options as well as her neutral–aerial’s ability to cut off mistimed follow–ups with a quick counterattack. The disastrous second game, in particular, showcases how quickly this match–up can spiral out of control should the Fox player become predictable or overzealous while off–stage or near the ledge in general.

SFAT (Fox) vs. Flash: Flash, a Sheik sensation from Japan, showcases Sheik’s punish game in this second–round pools set; note the use of the down–aerial to extend his combos and add on enough percent to ensure lethal forward–aerials along with strategic needle usage to clip SFAT’s jumps and low Fire Foxes. On SFAT’s end, pay close attention to how he chooses back– and neutral–aeri