Learning matchups in the game can be hard when you’re not used to the opposing character. However, when it’s a character that you are the most familiar with, things change. It becomes a battle of the player rather than battle of the character. When the opponent knows your character just as well, it can be tricky. Our very own Lucky talks to us and gives his insight on the Fox ditto matchup for Smash Bros Melee!

Lucky says: At the end of the day, knowing what the character does will help you more than anything as a guideline. You naturally look out and keep the opponents strongest options in mind, so that you can adjust your play on how often they use each tool. Any top player will default to a handful of their character's best options for the most part. It's up to you to notice them and counter them as fast as possible before they can switch it up.

Neutral

With multiple characters to battle against, naturally there are better approaches for different opponents. Generally speaking, picking Fox's most useful aerials and tilts is a good start and with the Fox ditto; many of the high level players opt for a select few approaches depending on how their opponent is playing the neutral. With a character that shares the exact same tools as you, baiting is a massive key to winning the neutral. Going for safer and faster moves is the best way to do this.

Down-tilt is a fantastic tool in the neutral for Fox as it pops them up and gives the potential to start a combo, whether it be with up-tilt or up-air, to start racking up the damage. This goes for up-tilt too. It will catch out an approaching Fox and pop them up to give the same reward. You can also opt for a dash attack while they are shielding but commit to crossing up their shield; this can bait the opposing Fox to grab your dash attack. Beware, some Foxes will catch on to this and will shine out of shield to punish the dash attack, so watch your opponent closely before opting for this move. This can be used more as a mix-up as opposed to a 'fantastic neutral option'. On the flip side, you can shine out of shield your opponent when they try this on you so you can get a tech chase. Having defenses in your neutral is equally important.

Lucky says: Neutral is always about playing the player once you know the matchup. Fox dittos mostly comes down to converting in to a knock-down or grab and the dash dance game is mainly how you go about either. When you simplify the matchup that way, it really comes down to baiting your opponent more than anything.

With aerials, opting for neutral-air, down-air and back-air seem to be the popular picks. Neutral-air will catch out an approaching Fox and down-air is favourable when approaching as you can follow it up with shield, grab or shine to get a knockdown on your opponent. To further play the bait game, Fox can fade these aerials back to trick the opponent and catch them mis-spacing their own approaches. Full hope fade down air drills and fadeback neutral-airs allow you to retreat safely and usually forces the opposing Fox to try and commit to a move. Following that, you can punish this, depending on where you are spaced, perhaps, with one of the previously mentioned tilts. Fadebacks and jump forward waveland back can also make it incredibly tricky for your opponent and can make for a great way to start the neutral mind games. You can catch out an overly aggressive Fox with back-air also. The hitbox extends out much further so it's a great tool in neutral to wall out your opponent.

Lucky says: Learn to overshoot and undershoot your aerials. These two options are absolutely fantastic for testing and punishing your opponents dash dance game. If you undershoot and your opponent doesn't respect it, you will almost guarantee them whiffing their punish on your aerial. Overshooting will be how you humble and make them second guess a dash dance that waits too long. Last would be to learn how to up-tilt out of anything you're doing. You shouldn't necessarily do it whenever you can, but being able to out of anything will help you humble you opponent on trying to whiff punish you.





Punish Game

Fox has some of the strongest punish tools in the game. Many of his moves are hard-hitting, and when strung together, they can snatch away the opponent's stock in a heartbeat. Some simple bits of knowledge can help get you started on perfecting your initial punish and stringing it together with Fox's other moves. For instance, up-throwing your opponent into an up-tilt for no DI around 40% is a solid punish. Alternatively, up-throwing your opponent and wavedashing in to up-tilt around 55% are key ideas in the Fox ditto. Depending on the stage, up-throw into pivot up-smash at kill percent when your opponent has no DI is another easy punish against Fox. Learning the basic punishes on Fox, such as chain grabs on Final Destination are some of the first you need to nail down first. Take a look at any top player in tournament and see what is happening in their Fox dittos. What percents warrant an up-smash that will knock down? What are they doing to punish at mid percents?



Lucky says: I'd also say that waveshine in to down-tilt is a very underrated option when it comes to the ditto. If you do it near the ledge, it becomes a great mix-up which either leads to a free combo extender on DI in, or a free edgeguard on DI away.

When playing the dittos, getting a knockdown can lead to a tech chase into grab. Grab is so important to Fox when trying to start a punish, as his up-throw leads to so many options. Another classic from Fox is up-throwing your opponent and up-airing them for huge damage is a must practice against any character. Regardless of percent, up-throw is a huge starter for Fox, so make sure to get that grab. Knockdown with Fox can help that and practising the tech chase will help you reap the benefits. Continuing combos at mid-percents instead of 'panic up-smashing' is also very important. At mid-percents, many players will end their combo punish with an up-smash instead of up-tilting to continue the punish. Learn when up air juggling will lead to another up-air and learn when to cut it short and just back-air for a juggle opportunity.

Beware, despite how good Foxes moves are, you can't go in all guns blazing. A common mistake of Foxes everywhere is that they may neutral-air their opponent at low percents and the player ends up getting crouch cancel shined. Another is up-throw up-smash at percents which don't lead to a knockdown, which can ultimately leave you open to be punished. Learning how to counteract the opposing Fox's punish game is important too. Learning to SDI up-throw falling up-air away, for example, is crucial because it avoids fast fall first hit up-air into up-tilt, which can be a massive combo starter. Looking into the Uncle Punch mod to learn how to SDI out of certain Fox combos. Watch how the professional players DI out of combos and how they survive each hit; even the smaller hits in the neutral that avoid the tirade of damage following that neutral win.

Lucky says: The punish game will separate a low level Fox player from a Fox player with potential to push to the top level. Although, the composure to make good decisions and not push too hard for your punish game is what truly makes a great Fox player.





Edgeguard and Recoveries

In NTSC especially, Fox's up-B move length is incredible and his side-B move, Phantasm, is a quick way to return to the stage when time isn't on your side to recover. However, Fox does struggle to make it back sometimes without the ability to mix-up. Things to consider when recovering with Fox are, "Is the opponent ready enough to cover my Phantasm back to the stage?", "Can they cover certain options in time?", and "Will they expect a specific angle and commit to covering the wrong option?" You have the ability to choose whether you'd like Fox to land on a platform, the stage, or the ledge. In addition to this, you have the ability to mix-up the timing in which you get there. Players regularly opt for the ledge but angle upwards and fall to the ledge after their Firefox has finished its animation. This can bait the opponent to cover a high option or the ledge option at the wrong time. Alternatively, if you believe the opponent isn't ready to cover the speed of your Phantasm, you can opt to use that instead. Tricking your opponent is key to recovering. However, remain aware of where you Firefox; if you're too close to the stage or at an easy area in which the opponent has plenty of time to shine or back-air your Firefox, your stock will end much sooner. Be aware of your Firefox heights.

Lucky says: Fox has a crazy amount of mix-ups and you mostly want to take advantage of how your opponent reacts to your angles and heights more than anything. I highly recommend watching top level players in the ditto and pay attention to where they up-B. Usually at specific heights you can angle your up-B to become a huge mix-up if they don't challenge the up-B before you take off.

Following the previous paragraph, your edgeguarding comes down to staying aware of the options your opponent has. Are you quick enough to cover a Phantasm? Where do you need to be to cover all the options? With Firefox, you have much more time to edgeguard but you have to stay ready for a Phantasm. Especially when Phantasm can pop you up and it can lead to big damage from your opponent. Know when to catch them out with a shine or a back-air when they Firefox at a bad height. You can see top level players punish bad Firefox heights so you can get an idea of where you can capitalise on that.

Lucky says: It's all about covering the ledge. Assume your opponent will Phantasm in to the stage since it's faster and harder to react to. If they Phantasm, you already have it covered, and if they don't, you have plenty of time to react to their Firefox and grab the ledge to start the same process over again. Do a low back-air from the ledge to cover it and then react to your opponent going high.

Putting together the pieces of a fantastic Fox is not an easy one. Watching the professional players will help greatly; you can study what options they choose at specific percents, you can study their edgeguard options, how they recover and how often they mix it up, how they choose to bait in the neutral and so on. Ask yourself if you react similarly. There are plenty of Fox players who also analyse on their stream and will give you insight to Melee tech you may not have realised existed or tips you hadn't thought about! With that, try your best and good luck in your pools!

If you want to keep up with Lucky's daily life updates, Melee career, tournament dates and stream schedule, you can follow him on Twitch and Twitter!