CJTHeroofTime
Smash Lord
This thread is meant to be a comprehensive, all encompassing guide to Directional Influence in all of its forms as it pertains to our little robot. This will be a collaborative effort, as by no means do I know everything about everything in this guide.
Edit History:
4/29-Added Character-specific section- Everyone please contribute!
4/20- Added a 'Momentum Cancelling' Section to "ROB-Specific DI Techniques", included statements from various others (including JCaez and others). Also created a draft format for the Character Specific Section, but I based some of it off of Swordgard's format; I am awaiting permission to use it.
4/19-First Draft-Created What is DI? section, set up layout, included some diagrams.
Table of Contents
I. What is DI?: A glossary of DI-related terms.
II. ROB-Specific DI Techniques: How to greatly increase the life of your robot!
III. Character-Specific DI: A simple how-to guide of DI'ing specific moves.
I. What is DI?
There have been many guides written about the many different kinds of players and the steps a player must go through as they progress from scrub to pro. Perhaps the most pivotal point on a player's journey is the moment where he asks, "What is DI?" The answer to this question as well as the subsequent learning after this discovery may make the biggest difference out of any techniques a player can learn. So, what is DI?
Directional influence- Directional influence is a broad term, and it refers to a number of ways in which you can influence the direction of your character's movement after getting hit.
Directional Influence- What? Why am I defining it twice? Well, the term directional influence (More commonly known as DI) more specifically refers to the influence you have on your character's trajectory after being hit by a powerful move. To DI, you just hold the control stick in the direction you wish to alter your trajectory. Many people's natural instincts say to DI opposite the direction you are moving. However, these instincts are wrong. DI does not work like a braking system, and it does not affect your total momentum. All it does is alter your trajectory. You still travel the same distance, but when you DI, you curve your trajectory in a more favorable direction.
As you can see, those are three different trajectories after being hit by a powerful smash attack. Each one travels the same distance. Without DI, you are knocked past the blast zones(you get KO'd) but with DI, you survive.
To get the most out of your DI, you want to hold your control stick perpendicular to your motion. This will angle your trajectory as much as possible.
Smash Directional Influence- Smash directional Influence, or SDI, is the act of smashing the control stick or the c-stick (or both-see Double-Stick SDI) during the instant you are being hit by an attack. This will cause your character to literally teleport a slight distance in the direction you smashed. Check out this video. While this isn't too apparent in single hit attacks, it is very useful for breaking out of multi hit attacks, such as Link's Upsmash or Metaknights Tornado, or for breaking out of tilt locks, like Sheik's f-tilt.
Quarter-Circle Smash Directional Influence- QCSDI is a technique for SDI based on a quarter circle. To QCSDI, you pick one of the eight cardinal directions (the notches on your control stick) that you wish to SDI towards. You then circle the control stick between the two notches adjacent to the direction you wish to travel in.
To travel in the direction of the blue arrow, you circle the control stick between the two highlighted notches of the control stick.
QCSDI is used mainly because it is faster and easier than repeatedly smashing the control stick in the direction you wish to travel.
Double-Stick SDI- This is the same as SDI, but instead of just SDIing with either the control stick or the c-stick, you DI with both. This more effective than SDI with one stick alone (?).
Momentum Cancelling- Although not technically 'Directional Influence,' momentum cancelling plays a very large part in surviving powerful hits. Momentum Cancelling is exactly what it sounds like; it is the process of using one of your aerials to 'gain control' of your momentum and slow it down. Generally, a player would use his character's fastest aerial to cancel his momentum, simply because it gives you control of your momentum faster. Different characters have different levels of momentum-cancelling ability, and some characters have attacks that will cancel momentum completely. For instance, Game and Watch's Bucket(down-b) and Donkey Kong's Up-B both cancel all momentum. In general, however, most moves only reduce your momentum. Fast-falling immediately after using an aerial is a great way to further reduce your momentum.
II. ROB-Specific DI Techniques
Momentum Cancelling with our Beloved Robot
Unfortunately for us, our wired friend has one of the worst momentum cancelling abilites. Therefore, momentum cancelling will not have as profound an effect on ROBs survival as it would for other characters. However, you should definitely learn it. It still makes a difference!
First off, most people use airdodges to 'cancel momentum' for the simple reason that an air dodge is the first command you can enter after being hit by an attack. This however, is not advised. Air-dodges do NOT cancel momentum. Just use an aerial to reduce your momentum.
Contrary to what your common sense would tell you, the rocket-based moves ROB has (Bair and Dair) do NOT affect your momentum after a hit. ROB's best Momentum Cancelling option is his Fair, simply for the reason that it has the shortest number of frames out of all of his aerials. Also of note, if you have a gyro in your hand, a gyro toss is even faster than a fair, and for that reason, it is technically your best option. However, it is incredibly circumstantial.
*Random trixies*
While bair and dair do not cancel momentum effectively, there are some situations where you may wish to use bair or dair. When you use bair or dair straight out of your knockback from an opponent's hit, you do not get the slight aerial pause that usually goes along with these moves. Instead, you perform the move, but you continue moving with whatever momentum you had when you started the move. At lower percentages, this can cause some floaty movements, which can create some interesting situations with both of these moves.
<more to come, any and all input is appreciated>
Character-Specific DI
Bowser
Jab combo:
Forward smash:
Down smash: Away and Up
Fire breath: Up and away if not within reach of bowser. Up and towards if within reach of landing behind or using a quick aerial.
Captain Falcon
Triple jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Up smash:
Diddy Kong
Jab combo:
Forward smash 1st hit: Up
Dash attack to Up Tilt:
Donkey Kong
Jab combo:
Up B:
Multiple down Tilt: Away
Falco
Jab combo:
Dash attack to Up Smash:
Neutral Air:
Forward Air:
Up Tilt: Up and behind falco
Fox
Jab Combo:
Multiple Up Tilts: Up and towards the way fox is facing.
Foward Air:
Up Air:
Down Air:
Mr. Game and Watch
Jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Back Air:
Multiple Down tilts:
Up Air:
Multiple Up tilts:
Down Throw:
Ganondorf
Neutral Air:
Down Smash:
Ice climbers
Side-B:
Blizzard:
Forward throw/Down throw to fair to ice lock: SDI behind them on the fair and tech it.
Alternating grabs: Sorry, you are screwed
Down Smash
Ike
Jab combo:
Up-B:
Jigglypuff
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Down Air:
King Dedede
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Up Air:
Kirby
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Forward Air:
Down Air:
Link
Jab combo:
Up Smash
Forward Air:
Back Air:
Lucario
Jab combo:
Jab to force palm:
Multiple Forward Airs:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Down Air:
Lucas
Jab combo:
Upsmash 1st hit:
Down Air:
Neutral Air:
Down Tilt:
Luigi
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Tornado ( Down-B ):
Mario
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Tornado (Down Air):
Up-B:
Marth
Jab combo:
Side-B: Towards Marth and Up.
Multiple Down Tilts:
Neutral Air:
Multiple Up Tilts-Up Airs:
Metaknight
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Forward Air:
Back Air:
Multiple Up Airs:
Up Smash:
Down Smash at low % in the middle:
Tornado:
Ness
Jab combo:
Forward Air:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Down Smash:
Up Smash:
Olimar
Jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Up Air:
Up Tilt:
Down Throw to anything:
Peach
Jab combo:
Jab to grab:
Down Air:
Back air 1st hit:
Down Smash:
Down throw:
Pikachu
Jab combo:
Down tilt:
Multiple uptilts:
Downsmash: Up
Forward air:
Down air to the ground:
Back air:
Multiple thunders:
Pit
Jab combo:
Forward smash:
Up smash:
Up Tilt:
Neutral Air:
Up Air:
Side-B:
Pokemon Trainer
Squirtle
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Multiple Up Tilts/ Up Airs:
Ivysaur
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Neutral-B:
Neutral Air:
Back Air:
Charizard
Jab combo:
Forward Smash:
Up Smash:
Forward Air:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Flamethrower:
Up-B:
Rock Smash:
ROB
Jab combo:
Multiple Down tilts:
Down Smash: Up
Multiple Fairs:
Up Air:
Samus
Jab combo:
Up Smash:
Forward Air:
Up Air:
Up-B:
:shiek:
Sheik
Jab combo:
Multiple Forward Tilts:
Up Tilt:
Multiple Bairs:
Snake
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt 1st hit: Towards Snake if close to him to land behind him. Away from him if far.
Down Air:
Neutral Air:
Up Smash:
Sonic
Jab combo:
Up Smash:
Up air:
Side/down B to any attack:
Toon Link
Jab combo:
Forward Smash: Up and towards T.L.
Multiple Bairs:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Up-B ( in the air ):
Up-B ( on the ground ):
Wario
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Up Smash:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Up-B:
Wolf
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Down throw to forward smash:
Forward smash 1st and 2nd hit : Up
Up Smash:
Yoshi
Jab combo:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Multiple Up tilts:
Back Air:
Down Air:
Zelda
Jab:
Forward Smash:
Up Smash:
Down tilt lock:
Neutral Air:
Neutral-B:
Zero Suit Samus
Jab combo:
Side-B: Up
Up-B:
Up Tilt:
Up Smash:
Down Smash: Seriously, don't get hit by this.
Edit History:
4/29-Added Character-specific section- Everyone please contribute!
4/20- Added a 'Momentum Cancelling' Section to "ROB-Specific DI Techniques", included statements from various others (including JCaez and others). Also created a draft format for the Character Specific Section, but I based some of it off of Swordgard's format; I am awaiting permission to use it.
4/19-First Draft-Created What is DI? section, set up layout, included some diagrams.
Table of Contents
I. What is DI?: A glossary of DI-related terms.
II. ROB-Specific DI Techniques: How to greatly increase the life of your robot!
III. Character-Specific DI: A simple how-to guide of DI'ing specific moves.
I. What is DI?
There have been many guides written about the many different kinds of players and the steps a player must go through as they progress from scrub to pro. Perhaps the most pivotal point on a player's journey is the moment where he asks, "What is DI?" The answer to this question as well as the subsequent learning after this discovery may make the biggest difference out of any techniques a player can learn. So, what is DI?
Directional influence- Directional influence is a broad term, and it refers to a number of ways in which you can influence the direction of your character's movement after getting hit.
Directional Influence- What? Why am I defining it twice? Well, the term directional influence (More commonly known as DI) more specifically refers to the influence you have on your character's trajectory after being hit by a powerful move. To DI, you just hold the control stick in the direction you wish to alter your trajectory. Many people's natural instincts say to DI opposite the direction you are moving. However, these instincts are wrong. DI does not work like a braking system, and it does not affect your total momentum. All it does is alter your trajectory. You still travel the same distance, but when you DI, you curve your trajectory in a more favorable direction.
As you can see, those are three different trajectories after being hit by a powerful smash attack. Each one travels the same distance. Without DI, you are knocked past the blast zones(you get KO'd) but with DI, you survive.
To get the most out of your DI, you want to hold your control stick perpendicular to your motion. This will angle your trajectory as much as possible.
Smash Directional Influence- Smash directional Influence, or SDI, is the act of smashing the control stick or the c-stick (or both-see Double-Stick SDI) during the instant you are being hit by an attack. This will cause your character to literally teleport a slight distance in the direction you smashed. Check out this video. While this isn't too apparent in single hit attacks, it is very useful for breaking out of multi hit attacks, such as Link's Upsmash or Metaknights Tornado, or for breaking out of tilt locks, like Sheik's f-tilt.
Quarter-Circle Smash Directional Influence- QCSDI is a technique for SDI based on a quarter circle. To QCSDI, you pick one of the eight cardinal directions (the notches on your control stick) that you wish to SDI towards. You then circle the control stick between the two notches adjacent to the direction you wish to travel in.
To travel in the direction of the blue arrow, you circle the control stick between the two highlighted notches of the control stick.
QCSDI is used mainly because it is faster and easier than repeatedly smashing the control stick in the direction you wish to travel.
Double-Stick SDI- This is the same as SDI, but instead of just SDIing with either the control stick or the c-stick, you DI with both. This more effective than SDI with one stick alone (?).
Momentum Cancelling- Although not technically 'Directional Influence,' momentum cancelling plays a very large part in surviving powerful hits. Momentum Cancelling is exactly what it sounds like; it is the process of using one of your aerials to 'gain control' of your momentum and slow it down. Generally, a player would use his character's fastest aerial to cancel his momentum, simply because it gives you control of your momentum faster. Different characters have different levels of momentum-cancelling ability, and some characters have attacks that will cancel momentum completely. For instance, Game and Watch's Bucket(down-b) and Donkey Kong's Up-B both cancel all momentum. In general, however, most moves only reduce your momentum. Fast-falling immediately after using an aerial is a great way to further reduce your momentum.
II. ROB-Specific DI Techniques
Momentum Cancelling with our Beloved Robot
Unfortunately for us, our wired friend has one of the worst momentum cancelling abilites. Therefore, momentum cancelling will not have as profound an effect on ROBs survival as it would for other characters. However, you should definitely learn it. It still makes a difference!
First off, most people use airdodges to 'cancel momentum' for the simple reason that an air dodge is the first command you can enter after being hit by an attack. This however, is not advised. Air-dodges do NOT cancel momentum. Just use an aerial to reduce your momentum.
Contrary to what your common sense would tell you, the rocket-based moves ROB has (Bair and Dair) do NOT affect your momentum after a hit. ROB's best Momentum Cancelling option is his Fair, simply for the reason that it has the shortest number of frames out of all of his aerials. Also of note, if you have a gyro in your hand, a gyro toss is even faster than a fair, and for that reason, it is technically your best option. However, it is incredibly circumstantial.
*Random trixies*
While bair and dair do not cancel momentum effectively, there are some situations where you may wish to use bair or dair. When you use bair or dair straight out of your knockback from an opponent's hit, you do not get the slight aerial pause that usually goes along with these moves. Instead, you perform the move, but you continue moving with whatever momentum you had when you started the move. At lower percentages, this can cause some floaty movements, which can create some interesting situations with both of these moves.
<more to come, any and all input is appreciated>
Character-Specific DI
Bowser
Jab combo:
Forward smash:
Down smash: Away and Up
Fire breath: Up and away if not within reach of bowser. Up and towards if within reach of landing behind or using a quick aerial.
Captain Falcon
Triple jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Up smash:
Diddy Kong
Jab combo:
Forward smash 1st hit: Up
Dash attack to Up Tilt:
Donkey Kong
Jab combo:
Up B:
Multiple down Tilt: Away
Falco
Jab combo:
Dash attack to Up Smash:
Neutral Air:
Forward Air:
Up Tilt: Up and behind falco
Fox
Jab Combo:
Multiple Up Tilts: Up and towards the way fox is facing.
Foward Air:
Up Air:
Down Air:
Mr. Game and Watch
Jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Back Air:
Multiple Down tilts:
Up Air:
Multiple Up tilts:
Down Throw:
Ganondorf
Neutral Air:
Down Smash:
Ice climbers
Side-B:
Blizzard:
Forward throw/Down throw to fair to ice lock: SDI behind them on the fair and tech it.
Alternating grabs: Sorry, you are screwed
Down Smash
Ike
Jab combo:
Up-B:
Jigglypuff
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Down Air:
King Dedede
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Up Air:
Kirby
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Forward Air:
Down Air:
Link
Jab combo:
Up Smash
Forward Air:
Back Air:
Lucario
Jab combo:
Jab to force palm:
Multiple Forward Airs:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Down Air:
Lucas
Jab combo:
Upsmash 1st hit:
Down Air:
Neutral Air:
Down Tilt:
Luigi
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Tornado ( Down-B ):
Mario
Jab combo:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Tornado (Down Air):
Up-B:
Marth
Jab combo:
Side-B: Towards Marth and Up.
Multiple Down Tilts:
Neutral Air:
Multiple Up Tilts-Up Airs:
Metaknight
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Forward Air:
Back Air:
Multiple Up Airs:
Up Smash:
Down Smash at low % in the middle:
Tornado:
Ness
Jab combo:
Forward Air:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Down Smash:
Up Smash:
Olimar
Jab combo:
Neutral Air:
Up Air:
Up Tilt:
Down Throw to anything:
Peach
Jab combo:
Jab to grab:
Down Air:
Back air 1st hit:
Down Smash:
Down throw:
Pikachu
Jab combo:
Down tilt:
Multiple uptilts:
Downsmash: Up
Forward air:
Down air to the ground:
Back air:
Multiple thunders:
Pit
Jab combo:
Forward smash:
Up smash:
Up Tilt:
Neutral Air:
Up Air:
Side-B:
Pokemon Trainer
Squirtle
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Multiple Up Tilts/ Up Airs:
Ivysaur
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Neutral-B:
Neutral Air:
Back Air:
Charizard
Jab combo:
Forward Smash:
Up Smash:
Forward Air:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Flamethrower:
Up-B:
Rock Smash:
ROB
Jab combo:
Multiple Down tilts:
Down Smash: Up
Multiple Fairs:
Up Air:
Samus
Jab combo:
Up Smash:
Forward Air:
Up Air:
Up-B:
:shiek:
Sheik
Jab combo:
Multiple Forward Tilts:
Up Tilt:
Multiple Bairs:
Snake
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt 1st hit: Towards Snake if close to him to land behind him. Away from him if far.
Down Air:
Neutral Air:
Up Smash:
Sonic
Jab combo:
Up Smash:
Up air:
Side/down B to any attack:
Toon Link
Jab combo:
Forward Smash: Up and towards T.L.
Multiple Bairs:
Multiple Up Tilts:
Up-B ( in the air ):
Up-B ( on the ground ):
Wario
Jab combo:
Down Air:
Up Smash:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Up-B:
Wolf
Jab combo:
Forward Tilt:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Down throw to forward smash:
Forward smash 1st and 2nd hit : Up
Up Smash:
Yoshi
Jab combo:
Multiple Down Tilts:
Multiple Up tilts:
Back Air:
Down Air:
Zelda
Jab:
Forward Smash:
Up Smash:
Down tilt lock:
Neutral Air:
Neutral-B:
Zero Suit Samus
Jab combo:
Side-B: Up
Up-B:
Up Tilt:
Up Smash:
Down Smash: Seriously, don't get hit by this.
