Assessing Which Aerials to Use and How to Apply Them Properly

[JoBee]

As of recently I have constantly found myself trying to defend the ledge from a recovering opponent. Whenever I attempt to prevent his/her recovery I find myself throwing out some aerial attack such as B-Air or D-Air and finding that they airdodge and now I'm at the disadvantage. May someone please give me some advice for using DK's Aerials and how to execute them against experienced players.

 

[meleebrawler]

Strictly speaking in edgeguarding scenarios...

Fair is very slow but very powerful with good range.
Use it sparingly after conditioning your opponent with his faster aerials.

Nair is the easiest to hit with, especially below the stage.
It's especially good against those with poor recovery.

Bair is good for hitting people without venturing too
far from the stage thanks to it's range and speed.
You can also attempt a stage spike with it if
you're afraid the opponent would hit you with his recovery
if you tried a Nair.

Dair is a fairly standard stomp. Use it like you
would with most Dair spikes.

 

[JoBee]

Thank you very much, that clears it up a bit. Also what would be the uses for DK's down and left/right specials besides spiking opponents in the air.

 

[gamma1]

The left/right specials do spike, but don't forget the also work wonders on shields. I wouldn't do them on someone with a full shield, but if they have a weakened shield then look extra hard for an opportunity to hit with side-b. Side special also can grab the ledge when used. In brawl you could use side special to stall, but it doesn't work that well in this game. He also carries some momentum if you jump and then use side special. So exmple you can side B from the main stage of battlefield onto the platform.

Down-B on stage is a great tool because of its wide range and shield pressure. In the air, it don't do jack to shields and is extremely punishable. I have rarely used it but it DOES have a purpose. I find it very useful against airdodges. I've also used it in some matchups (aka rosalina and luma) to spike when someones on the ledge. If you stand by the ledge, shorthop, immediately Down-b, and fast fall. What happens is the last hit will hit the person holding the ledge. I've suprised a few people who have held on too long thinking they were safe. (Note that for rosalina and luma, if luma is near the ledge with rosa then you can spike luma).

 

[Aninymouse]

Yeah, the more I use it, the more I like the aerial down B spike. It's not weak like side B is, and it's a bit easier to hit with than dair or fair. The long duration of the hitbox also, like gamma1 said, is cool for punishing air dodges.

Sometimes I use fair and accidently hit with the early hitbox, which pops people up in the air... pretty disappointing, considering how tricky the move is to use in general.

 

[JoBee]

Thanks for all the advice guys, it really helps. I have started using down special as my main spiking tool. From the matches I've played already all I have to say is that I love it.

 

[MegaBlaster1234]

Against people who try and recover high from fear of getting spiked by one of the many meteor smashes the Konky Dong has as his disposal, I've found that B-air plus Up-B works AMAZINGLY. The initial hit of Up-B knocks them away, and the following weaker hits are enough to make sure that their aerial momentum just dies and they can't make it back, especially if they don't have a jump left. And thanks to how good your momentum is, you can even hold your Up-B in place as a meatshield to block them for a second before you fly back stage.

 

[Roager]

Down-B spike is slick. I love it.

I also like offstage n-air and b-air. Stage spikes can work at the right damage, and both come out pretty fast.

I think of F-air as a stomp that happens in front of you instead of below you. So as they recover, you can choose between F/D-air based on your vertical relation to them. F-air is also a little slower, so be careful of that. Both have punishable landing lag, but if they're recovering to you, you've got enough control over timing/pace.

Sort of off topic, sorta not: As ledge game goes, you've gotta predict as always. If they're gonna roll, you can grab or down-B for a punish. If they like to jump, you can time an aerial (or even a u-tilt) to interrupt the jump and maybe spike. If they attack on the way up, your best bet is probably the simple shield->punish. If anybody's got other strategies, do tell.

 

[OddCrow]

up-b opponents on ledge as they get up, short hop down-b to catch their jump, and tumble off stage bair to stage spike

 

[dahuterschuter]

If they're above the ledge your Banana Slam or bair are good enough, but I find it's best to stage just off the edge of the stage. If they airdodge then they'll head for the ledge after that usually and be open for a tasty stomp. And if they're below then obviously a short hop simple stomp above the ledge will do it. Keep it simple.

 

[RomanceDawn]

I was playing a very good Ike the other day. He would wait until I grabbed the ledge and he would get off stage and immediately take it from me. As soon as he grabbed he would jump off and back air. It almost seemed guaranteed because I think I was in some sort of helpless state as I was pushed from the ledge. Not sure what I could have done.

Does anyone do anything like this with DK? Or can it be done? It seemed so effective I figured every character can do it in some form but I feel like I don't see it almost at all.

 

[Metalbro]

A lot of good Ganons do that to me. I try to replicate it but they just end up way too low for me to justify doing it.

 

[123outerme]

It's called a ledge trump. You can find more info here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vVug_cxA6A
DK can do the exact same thing. I haven't done it myself, but I've watched Average Joe play at S@X (Look up VGBootCamp for that), and it's great for kills and damage.