First - all of sheik's air attacks can be autocanceled effectively out of a short hop (save the down air) but this isn't always your best option due to the fact that some of the moves are too high to hit certain characters or can be more easily punished if blocked on the initial frames of the move when autocanceled. The lag sheik has on her non autocanceled fair/bair/neutral is extremely low. Less even (if i'm estimating correctly) than the lag on most of metaknight's air attacks.
Second - approaching in the air isn't always your best option. If you are playing against a sheild happy opponent that knows how to punish almost everything you use (depending on spacing and your opponent) will be punished if you approach the grounded enemy from the sky. Just keep that in mind. If you are playing an opponent who rarely uses your shield you'll be happily throwing around neutrals back airs and forward airs.
Sheik's neutral air (if you haven't already discovered) is really good.
Strong hitbox does 13% (woot) and the weak hitbox does 5% (still good considering how this setups for everything in the world that a sheik player could want)
The neutral is too good at punishing airdodges and (sort of) tech chasing. If you neutral through an opponent's airdodge at the right moment you will sort of stick to the other character with your neutral, making the weak part of the move hit them when their airdodge ends - your neutral lasts slightly longer than airdodges. At most percents this will lead you into tilts or even a quick dsmash if you want them off the stage (depending on the character you'll want them off more vs less - ganon for instance). At a little bit higher percents that will lead you into an occasional fsmash. If it will knock them back too far for you to actually follow them up you can dash to where you expect they will tech (or where they will probably NOT tech - it's rare to see the weak neutral teched) and punish accordingly.
Basically the weak hit of your neutral is too good and you need to try to make use of it more than you are. It works almost like jigglypuff's neutral works in Melee. Very small knockback but just enough hitstun to the point where you can follow it up with a number of different moves.
Another good use of your neutral is to use it underneath a platform that your opponent will either have to tech on or is simply standing on. If you are below the platforms on battlefield for instance short hopping neutral airs will reach them on top of the platform - often with just enough knockback to knock them down into some tilts. You can alternately up tilt, but if this is blocked or dodged it leaves you more vulnerable so I prefer the neutral air. This doesn't just work on battlefield platforms obviously - it will work on lylat smashville etc etc.
This move also has some edgeguarding potential. Jumping off the edge with your good priority high duration nuetral will oftentimes catch an opponent off guard. A "strong" hitbox neutral will send your opponent further away from the edge and set you up for an edgehog or perhaps some ledgehop/drop back airs to finish the job, and a weak hit nuetral will more often than you'd expect set up for a double jump forward air to punish. Both of these are good. If you don't think you can accurately predict your opponent enough to land the forward airs every time (and you WON'T land them EVERY time) this is yet another option off the edge.
Make sure you don't get greedy with your neutral and just throw it out as an approach ALL the time. If the initial hit is sheilded the opponent has plenty of time to decide how to punish you. This move does not have 2 hits, it is one or the other. An early shielded neutral is just asking to be punished. Be sure not to simply fly all around with this move and trust me - after you figure out all of it's applications this is very tempting.
Sheik's back air (if you haven't already discovered) is also good.
Strong hitbox does 11% and the weak hitbox does 6%
The best part of the back air is that no matter what part of the move hits them it ALWAYS sends them in the direction you kick. If you do a back air while facing the right your opponent will ALWAYS fly left and if you do a back air while facing left your opponent will ALWAYS fly right. This is too good. It's great for quickly getting your opponents off the edge (ledgehop fair -> back air at very low percents leads into tilts and a quick dsmash to get them off the edge for example). It makes a good edgeguard as well because of this.
For example - when playing against a marth player (if you are good enough at your hug timing) the marth's will occasionally start to up b a bit earlier than normal expecting you to grab the edge. Generally speaking this is a good thing for a marth to do because most characters can only hit him with a quick air attack that sends him about to the middle of the stage - in other words he's safely recovered from edgeguarding position. Sheik on the other hand can simply ledgehop a back air (try to do it before the marth will land/grab the edge) and it will send him right back where he came from - off the edge and recovering - thereby keeping you in control. This is great vs a number of characters (although you wont be sending them too far, it's still good to at very least tag on some extra damage or potentially lead into a nice gimp kill).
You can also do similar things with the back air as you can do with the neutral air (although not nearly as effectively). The weak hit of the back air at most percents will send the opponent just barely behind you (and ALWAYS behind you remember so dont look silly and ftilt in the wrong direction).
Sheik's back air has great range. Short hopping and fading in and out facing the opposite direction of your opponent and mixing up throwing out back airs and just empty short hops is a great way to chip at your opponent's percent but also make them rethink their general approach (which is a good thing). This move simply has an absolute ton of range. Think of how Wolf players occasionally make use of their back air. In the same way as Wolf's this move has deceptive and fantastic range - so think of ways to make use of that to keep your opponents away and give you a bit of breathing room.
The back air is one of the moves that I think should oftentimes NOT be autocanceled (depending on your opponent and overall map positions of course). Short opponents like say olimar or pikachu will simply punish you as you float through the air with your leg dangling over their head - they don't even have a need to sheild. Large characters like Bowser Snake or Dedede will be hit by the initial hitbox of the move - but if they shield the start of the move you are in trouble - just like with your neutral air. Use your own judgement here in the application of the move - I will often times throw it out at the last moment and turn around with a jab or a tilt. Just make sure that however you are using it you aren't acting predictably because it is still easy enough to punish.
Sheik's forwad air (as you've likely noticed) is actually pretty mediocre.
This move does a solid 9% - not too shabby but not too great.
Sure sheik's forward air is one of your strongest (which is laughable) and fastest air attacks. It has the best trajectory of your moves and is a great edgeguarding tool. Overall though this move is pretty meh.
Generally speaking you shouldn't be approaching a grounded opponent with this move ever. If you are going to be approaching a grounded opponent with an aerial you should likely be using a neutral or even a back air. The times of a quick spaced forward air approach are pretty much at an end with brawl. This move is easy enough to avoid on the ground period. In the air the move has more applications - but it won't be your best bet all the time to punish airdodges (neutral as i said above will hit through the airdodge and lead into other things more often than not). This move has deceptive range and priority (and sheik is seriously lacking in priority overall) so vs characters that don't have swords you'll often win in an air battle by throwing out this speedy move. This move at VERY low percents can lead into tilts and is pretty good generally speaking from a ledge hop.
The best application of your forward air is the one that we've likely all discovered already and that is the ever so sweet gimp kill. Sheik can chase opponents off the edge with 1, 2, 3, and sometimes even 4 forward airs and still recover. That means that sheik (unlike a lot of characters) can aggressively chase the opponent LOW off the edge and land a hit. Hitting a majority of the characters that you'll actually be attempting to edgeguard like this with a forward air after they have used their second jump generally means they've just lost a stock (as long as you edgehog effectively - chain hogging is the best way to do this vs a great deal of the characters). The trajectory this move hits other characters at is ideal for this sort of gimp killing. It won't be rare for you to chase your opponent off the edge and land a couple of these in a row off stage. Don't be afraid to pursue them off the edge but don't be too predictable. Sheik's recovery isn't exactly her strongest of areas - so be careful.
Sheik's up air (so far as i know) isn't that great.
This move does 11%
Sheik's up air can be auto cancelled in a short hop. This makes things like guarding platforms above you much more useful. If you get the chance after another air throwing an up air at them will pop them up nicely for an up smash at lower percents or even some tilt followups depending again on percent and di. This move isn't too powerful but keep in mind you likely won't be using it that much. Save it for when it will kill. A quick, surprising and fresh up air makes a good alternate kill move when your opponent is making it hard to land your smashes or other kill moves.
Occasionally if you can land it a nice forward air or back air off the edge on an opponent at almost zero percent into a double jump up air will get you a stage spike (the stage spike likely wont kill at that percent but will lead to an edgehog or will at least set them up for something). I know it's hard to picture but perhaps you'll just have to see that one for yourself.
Overall Sheik's up air doesn't have a ton of application that you could use where an up tilt or another aerial wouldn't be more effective. Even if your opponent is right above you in the air it isn't always best to throw this out when they aren't quite in kill range. I really don't see this move being one of your primaries.
Sheik's down air is pretty bad (we all know this. and ledgehop down air is a frustrating mistake to say the least XD)
This move does only 10% - (I'd expect a few more from such an awkward move)
Basically you have very few uses for this move. If you get knocked really high and off the stage and want a quick way down throwing a down air out before your jumps is effective. Please do not do this often as it is really just asking for punishment. The legitimate application of this move is to use it as a stall and punish. If you are playing against a player that likes to punish you by attacking your approach rather than shield an punish accordingly this move can make a nice mixup for you. For example - playing a marth player that likes to up tilt when you drop from the sky. He will likely up tilt upon seeing movement which will make your down air's stall the greatest thing in the world as you'll drop right after the hitbox has gone away. Don't try this one against ike's up tilt though that'll eat right through. Overall even if you land it theres really no follow up - it has incredibly lag and awkward knockback. This is your worst air by far and is entirely situational.
Sheik's Z-air
If only. *sigh*
Anways I got bored so I wrote up some information that may or may not be helpful. I'd hope that it is but perhaps it won't be to some of you. If you have information on the airs that you'd like to add or you think I'm incorrect or you'd like clarification on by all means speak up so we can get the optimum information out of the thread.
Second - approaching in the air isn't always your best option. If you are playing against a sheild happy opponent that knows how to punish almost everything you use (depending on spacing and your opponent) will be punished if you approach the grounded enemy from the sky. Just keep that in mind. If you are playing an opponent who rarely uses your shield you'll be happily throwing around neutrals back airs and forward airs.
Sheik's neutral air (if you haven't already discovered) is really good.
Strong hitbox does 13% (woot) and the weak hitbox does 5% (still good considering how this setups for everything in the world that a sheik player could want)
The neutral is too good at punishing airdodges and (sort of) tech chasing. If you neutral through an opponent's airdodge at the right moment you will sort of stick to the other character with your neutral, making the weak part of the move hit them when their airdodge ends - your neutral lasts slightly longer than airdodges. At most percents this will lead you into tilts or even a quick dsmash if you want them off the stage (depending on the character you'll want them off more vs less - ganon for instance). At a little bit higher percents that will lead you into an occasional fsmash. If it will knock them back too far for you to actually follow them up you can dash to where you expect they will tech (or where they will probably NOT tech - it's rare to see the weak neutral teched) and punish accordingly.
Basically the weak hit of your neutral is too good and you need to try to make use of it more than you are. It works almost like jigglypuff's neutral works in Melee. Very small knockback but just enough hitstun to the point where you can follow it up with a number of different moves.
Another good use of your neutral is to use it underneath a platform that your opponent will either have to tech on or is simply standing on. If you are below the platforms on battlefield for instance short hopping neutral airs will reach them on top of the platform - often with just enough knockback to knock them down into some tilts. You can alternately up tilt, but if this is blocked or dodged it leaves you more vulnerable so I prefer the neutral air. This doesn't just work on battlefield platforms obviously - it will work on lylat smashville etc etc.
This move also has some edgeguarding potential. Jumping off the edge with your good priority high duration nuetral will oftentimes catch an opponent off guard. A "strong" hitbox neutral will send your opponent further away from the edge and set you up for an edgehog or perhaps some ledgehop/drop back airs to finish the job, and a weak hit nuetral will more often than you'd expect set up for a double jump forward air to punish. Both of these are good. If you don't think you can accurately predict your opponent enough to land the forward airs every time (and you WON'T land them EVERY time) this is yet another option off the edge.
Make sure you don't get greedy with your neutral and just throw it out as an approach ALL the time. If the initial hit is sheilded the opponent has plenty of time to decide how to punish you. This move does not have 2 hits, it is one or the other. An early shielded neutral is just asking to be punished. Be sure not to simply fly all around with this move and trust me - after you figure out all of it's applications this is very tempting.
Sheik's back air (if you haven't already discovered) is also good.
Strong hitbox does 11% and the weak hitbox does 6%
The best part of the back air is that no matter what part of the move hits them it ALWAYS sends them in the direction you kick. If you do a back air while facing the right your opponent will ALWAYS fly left and if you do a back air while facing left your opponent will ALWAYS fly right. This is too good. It's great for quickly getting your opponents off the edge (ledgehop fair -> back air at very low percents leads into tilts and a quick dsmash to get them off the edge for example). It makes a good edgeguard as well because of this.
For example - when playing against a marth player (if you are good enough at your hug timing) the marth's will occasionally start to up b a bit earlier than normal expecting you to grab the edge. Generally speaking this is a good thing for a marth to do because most characters can only hit him with a quick air attack that sends him about to the middle of the stage - in other words he's safely recovered from edgeguarding position. Sheik on the other hand can simply ledgehop a back air (try to do it before the marth will land/grab the edge) and it will send him right back where he came from - off the edge and recovering - thereby keeping you in control. This is great vs a number of characters (although you wont be sending them too far, it's still good to at very least tag on some extra damage or potentially lead into a nice gimp kill).
You can also do similar things with the back air as you can do with the neutral air (although not nearly as effectively). The weak hit of the back air at most percents will send the opponent just barely behind you (and ALWAYS behind you remember so dont look silly and ftilt in the wrong direction).
Sheik's back air has great range. Short hopping and fading in and out facing the opposite direction of your opponent and mixing up throwing out back airs and just empty short hops is a great way to chip at your opponent's percent but also make them rethink their general approach (which is a good thing). This move simply has an absolute ton of range. Think of how Wolf players occasionally make use of their back air. In the same way as Wolf's this move has deceptive and fantastic range - so think of ways to make use of that to keep your opponents away and give you a bit of breathing room.
The back air is one of the moves that I think should oftentimes NOT be autocanceled (depending on your opponent and overall map positions of course). Short opponents like say olimar or pikachu will simply punish you as you float through the air with your leg dangling over their head - they don't even have a need to sheild. Large characters like Bowser Snake or Dedede will be hit by the initial hitbox of the move - but if they shield the start of the move you are in trouble - just like with your neutral air. Use your own judgement here in the application of the move - I will often times throw it out at the last moment and turn around with a jab or a tilt. Just make sure that however you are using it you aren't acting predictably because it is still easy enough to punish.
Sheik's forwad air (as you've likely noticed) is actually pretty mediocre.
This move does a solid 9% - not too shabby but not too great.
Sure sheik's forward air is one of your strongest (which is laughable) and fastest air attacks. It has the best trajectory of your moves and is a great edgeguarding tool. Overall though this move is pretty meh.
Generally speaking you shouldn't be approaching a grounded opponent with this move ever. If you are going to be approaching a grounded opponent with an aerial you should likely be using a neutral or even a back air. The times of a quick spaced forward air approach are pretty much at an end with brawl. This move is easy enough to avoid on the ground period. In the air the move has more applications - but it won't be your best bet all the time to punish airdodges (neutral as i said above will hit through the airdodge and lead into other things more often than not). This move has deceptive range and priority (and sheik is seriously lacking in priority overall) so vs characters that don't have swords you'll often win in an air battle by throwing out this speedy move. This move at VERY low percents can lead into tilts and is pretty good generally speaking from a ledge hop.
The best application of your forward air is the one that we've likely all discovered already and that is the ever so sweet gimp kill. Sheik can chase opponents off the edge with 1, 2, 3, and sometimes even 4 forward airs and still recover. That means that sheik (unlike a lot of characters) can aggressively chase the opponent LOW off the edge and land a hit. Hitting a majority of the characters that you'll actually be attempting to edgeguard like this with a forward air after they have used their second jump generally means they've just lost a stock (as long as you edgehog effectively - chain hogging is the best way to do this vs a great deal of the characters). The trajectory this move hits other characters at is ideal for this sort of gimp killing. It won't be rare for you to chase your opponent off the edge and land a couple of these in a row off stage. Don't be afraid to pursue them off the edge but don't be too predictable. Sheik's recovery isn't exactly her strongest of areas - so be careful.
Sheik's up air (so far as i know) isn't that great.
This move does 11%
Sheik's up air can be auto cancelled in a short hop. This makes things like guarding platforms above you much more useful. If you get the chance after another air throwing an up air at them will pop them up nicely for an up smash at lower percents or even some tilt followups depending again on percent and di. This move isn't too powerful but keep in mind you likely won't be using it that much. Save it for when it will kill. A quick, surprising and fresh up air makes a good alternate kill move when your opponent is making it hard to land your smashes or other kill moves.
Occasionally if you can land it a nice forward air or back air off the edge on an opponent at almost zero percent into a double jump up air will get you a stage spike (the stage spike likely wont kill at that percent but will lead to an edgehog or will at least set them up for something). I know it's hard to picture but perhaps you'll just have to see that one for yourself.
Overall Sheik's up air doesn't have a ton of application that you could use where an up tilt or another aerial wouldn't be more effective. Even if your opponent is right above you in the air it isn't always best to throw this out when they aren't quite in kill range. I really don't see this move being one of your primaries.
Sheik's down air is pretty bad (we all know this. and ledgehop down air is a frustrating mistake to say the least XD)
This move does only 10% - (I'd expect a few more from such an awkward move)
Basically you have very few uses for this move. If you get knocked really high and off the stage and want a quick way down throwing a down air out before your jumps is effective. Please do not do this often as it is really just asking for punishment. The legitimate application of this move is to use it as a stall and punish. If you are playing against a player that likes to punish you by attacking your approach rather than shield an punish accordingly this move can make a nice mixup for you. For example - playing a marth player that likes to up tilt when you drop from the sky. He will likely up tilt upon seeing movement which will make your down air's stall the greatest thing in the world as you'll drop right after the hitbox has gone away. Don't try this one against ike's up tilt though that'll eat right through. Overall even if you land it theres really no follow up - it has incredibly lag and awkward knockback. This is your worst air by far and is entirely situational.
Sheik's Z-air
If only. *sigh*
Anways I got bored so I wrote up some information that may or may not be helpful. I'd hope that it is but perhaps it won't be to some of you. If you have information on the airs that you'd like to add or you think I'm incorrect or you'd like clarification on by all means speak up so we can get the optimum information out of the thread.
