G&W's Up Aerial = Amazing

[Mr. Escalator]

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Hi everyone, I'm Mr. Escalator!

I was a long time contributor for the G&W board back in Brawl, and I recently just picked up the character again after a hiatus playing other characters. I wanted to get some discussion flowing about Mr. Game & Watch's SECRET BEST AERIAL -
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Up Aerial.​

Up Aerial (Spitball Sparky)

Frame Data, found HERE

Spoiler: Frame Data of UAir

Uair
Frame 6-12: 7% 20b/60g (KO@ 449%) 94°
Frame 6-12: 0% 100f/120w 80° Unblockable
Frame 6-12: 0% 100f/70w 80° Unblockable
Frame 20-22: 9% 55b/98g (KO@ 165%) 90°
Frame 20-22: 0% 100f/120w 80° Unblockable
Frame 20-22: 0% 100f/70w 80° Unblockable
Max Damage: 16%
Article generated on real frame 1
Enables transition to Uair landing state (landing lag) on real frame 6

+12 frames of landing lag

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PROS:

• Disjointed frame 6 aerial, with low landing lag and a lingering hitbox
• High KO Power, can kill surprisingly low on Platforms
  
• Tied for the most damaging Up Aerial in the game
• Guaranteed set-ups into move, and has true-combo KO percents
• Windbox maintains Advantaged state, and can juggle very well (Windbox is HUGE)
• Windbox can abuse poor recoveries w/ free fall, and can kill outright if timed right
• Windbox helps make G&W impossible to edgeguard

CONS:

• Slightly small damaging hitbox, and it doesn't hit below G&W
• Requires semi-precise aerial movement to chain both hits
• Rage and high percentages make it difficult to chain the first hit - You will have to use your double jump with it

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Combos:

Soon.​

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Thoughts:
As you can see, there are tons of benefits to the move with very few downsides. Furthermore, the downsides can be played around if you're precise with it. The frame data is great, the reward is huge, and it's very forgiving!

The most obvious advantage of this aerial is that it combos out of D-Throw, and it provides G&W a 'Hoo-hah'. This works against every character at varying percents, providing an easy way to kill opponents from a grab. I recommend every G&W master the percentages that this kills. You can also true combo at higher percents for a guaranteed kill by landing a FF Nair on the ground and following up with a jumping UAir.

One of the coolest things is just how unique it is compared to other Up Aerials. While Fox's Up Aerial is just as damaging and has similarly high KO potential, G&W's Up Aerial has the huge versatility provided by the Windbox associated with his move. This can really help G&W's ledge play, and it makes his juggles that much more fearsome.

Game & Watch's most blatant strengths is juggling opponents above himself, and this is one of the biggest reasons as to why he has this strength (The others being his aerial acceleration, semi-invincible Usmash, his burst UpB, and his damaging aerials). It can turn a burst movement aerial like TLink's DAir or Ganon's Wizkick into an easy punish by lagging their high-priority moves. Even a 'whiffed' G&W UAir can provide, or maintain, his advantage on opponents above him.

It's pretty good.

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Discussion:
I wanna hear what other G&W mains think! Share some of your cool tech and and videos/gifs/vines showcasing this sIcKnAsTy move. I'll post some more thoughts about the move when I get home - I really want to talk about Planking, and UAir's role in it.

I think it defines G&W so much that it could be argued to be G&W's best aerial, and it's a candidate for top 10 (maybe Top 5) Up Aerials in the game period, honestly. It's just a very non-obvious candidate among the other outwardly strong aerials. I'd personally rank BAir as his best aerial, but UAir as the second (NAir a very close third).

Anyway, what do you all think?

 

[Routa]

Hmmm... It is nice attack indeed (but it ain't as good as his Bair), but I think its biggest problem is that it is multi hit. I personally rarely get both of the hits. I mean in my opinion the first hit has a bit too much KB to be a reliable damaging/KO move. But it can be used for nice mix ups (I once made Faptain to float over FD with it and edge-guarded his recovery with Dair). But in my opinion it gets overshadowed by his other aerial moves which are in the end overall better than Uair.

But after all... I just use him as my pocket character... So I might not be the best player to ask these kinds of questions.

 

[Sixell]

So, looking at the frame data, what does the "unblockable" part mean? Is the move actually unblockable or is there something I'm missing?

I really want to talk about Planking, and UAir's role in it.

Also, isn't planking impossible in Smash 4?

And a side note: I used this move to kill a kirby off the ceiling while using his up b. I have it recorded and I can upload the replay through Smash 4's online thingy so that you guys can see that, but yeah. It's a pretty good move.

 

[NouveauRétro]

So, looking at the frame data, what does the "unblockable" part mean? Is the move actually unblockable or is there something I'm missing?



Also, isn't planking impossible in Smash 4?

And a side note: I used this move to kill a kirby off the ceiling while using his up b. I have it recorded and I can upload the replay through Smash 4's online thingy so that you guys can see that, but yeah. It's a pretty good move.

Accidentally killing someone with G&W's uair windbox is like a rite of passage. If you play him enough it just happens, and it's beautiful. Here's mine:

 

[Neb]

Developing a trap around off-the-ceiling kills would be a worthwhile topic of discussion. It would balance his death-to-KO ratio, and possibly present a better option than to land the second hit outright, since uair can KO at any percent when timed in conjunction with a jump, or other form of acceleration.

As far as planking goes -- how can it be done successfully?

 

[Mr. Escalator]

@ Sixell the Unblockable part is referring to G&W's Windbox on Uair. It goes through shields and pushes them ever so slightly to the side (because they are obviously grounded while shielding). This means that G&W still stales Uair (and unstales other moves) even if they shield it i.e. on a platform or through the stage while offstage. Kinda useful, but pretty minor.

Accidentally killing someone with G&W's uair windbox is like a rite of passage. If you play him enough it just happens, and it's beautiful. Here's mine:

I like the prospect of developing a trap of Uairing after an 8 Hammer. I'll implement this into my games and see if I can get some KOs from it.

Also, isn't planking impossible in Smash 4?

As far as planking goes -- how can it be done successfully?

Good questions! When I use the term Planking, it's not anywhere near the level of what G&W (or MK) could do back in Brawl, due to the new ledge mechanics. In fact, it can be lethal to even attempt against certain characters! It's still in the spirit of what G&W used to do on the ledge, however, and so I call it Planking.

G&W can successfully play on the ledge against many characters through smart use of Sharking Nairs/Uairs, a (practically) completely safe ledge drop, a burst movement UpB with invincibility, and an assortment of miscellaneous tools (Chef, Bucket stalling,UpB parachute glide, etc). I've been able to avoid Dsmash punishments through Nairing through the stage, as well as using upB to bypass auto-snapping the ledge and hitting with a Fair. I've also been able to UpB away from the ledge and drift back into it with the parachute to avoid charged smashes.

I've used it in a few matches in tournament, and it has been very successful (but you have to know when to quit!! - I only do it for 1-3 repetitions). Lesser experienced players will challenge you far too often, which can result in an easy kill. Be aware of who you are facing, and adjust! Like I said, I don't try this against everyone, and I don't do it long enough to give the players inexperienced with this strategy time to adapt.

It's hard to explain, but I hope this helped. It's not true Planking, but it's some pretty campy ledge-play.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnx7jP7k2V0

 

[Deleted member]

Semi wall of thoughts here. Some of it may sound like rubbish but it's mainly just my opinions.

Up-air is definitely one of G&W's best aerials, along with N-air and B-air. It's a kill move (if landed correctly), a stalling move, and an anti-edge guard move which helps G&W recover from really low places. Plus it comes out relatively fast and wasn't butchered from it's brawl incarnation (like F-air and D-air, the two aerials that really got the shaft this time around).

The only thing that hinders his Up-air is the knockback growth on the first hit because it makes the second hit harder to land at later percents. In some cases, the first hit props the opponent above G&W, and the opponent is pushed up by the windbox and escapes mostly unharmed. Other times, when you do land the second hit, it's just a hair short of killing the opponent, and they'll be at too high a percent to be hit with it again. It's a frustrating move because of how specific you have to be with it, but if you know how to use it right it's really good.

Generally, G&W can either kill really early (IE:9 hammer, Oil Panic), moderately late (IE: Dthrow->Up-air, Gimping), or not at all. I say this mostly from observation, because I've watched several G&W matches where the opponent can live to ~180% and G&W just struggles to kill them with anything. Usually something janky like the landing hit of B-air or dash attack kills them after a while, but until then G&W is just trying to kill them with anything to no avail.

The thing I've noticed with G&W is that he really shines at low percents, but struggles later on when he's trying to and a kill.

 

[Routa]

Uair is very very very unreliable KO move. I mean I have KOed more opponents with Up-B and Jab (yeah...). And even Fair is better KO move than Uair. Why? No windbox and it isn't a multi-hit move. If both of the hits connected more often, I could see it as reliable KO move.

(Sorry for my bad english)

 

[Mr. Escalator]

Uair is very very very unreliable KO move. I mean I have KOed more opponents with Up-B and Jab (yeah...). And even Fair is better KO move than Uair. Why? No windbox and it isn't a multi-hit move. If both of the hits connected more often, I could see it as reliable KO move.

(Sorry for my bad english)

I don't know what to say to you, then. UAir requires some skill to reap the rewards, but it should be killing far more often than UpB (and, to a lesser degree, Jab). I recommend practicing the DThrow -> UAir combo at kill percentages, and you should have a VERY consistent KO move. Naked UAir kills are also a thing in juggles, too.

The problem is once you get past 'Hoo hah' combo percents, UAir starts becoming harder and harder to chain at higher percentages. It's a difficulty for G&W to get kills in general when you get to a certain damage threshold. It's as @1337President put it.

The beauty is that UAir PROVIDES G&W a 'sweetspot' percentage where he doesn't struggle to KO. It's good.

...and for the record, I do actually agree/think BAir is a stronger move for G&W, but I see more potential in UAir.

 

[NouveauRétro]

@ Sixell

I like the prospect of developing a trap of Uairing after an 8 Hammer. I'll implement this into my games and see if I can get some KOs from it.

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It had more to do with Zelda attempting to teleport away.
I've gotten kills from 8 hammer to uair, but that usually happens because I true combo the hits( 8 hammer sends them pretty high, I've killed a C.Falcon around 70% with this).

I've done that a couple times, and it seems the clincher is if the opponents teleport or use a fast-dashing attack. Zelda and Palutena's teleport and Fox's Phantasm are good examples. If the opponent tries to recover high with those moves, and you hit them with the windbox up there, they have a tendency to just up and die off the top. Zelda and Fox(I've yet to see it happen to Mewtwo because no one ever plays him) are especially vulnerable to this because they seem to lose any downward momentum when activating the offending moves, making it very easy to shove them off the top.

Odd and situational, but I've been able to put it to use in actual matches if I read the opponent correctly. Killed a Fox at 40% a couple weeks ago.

 

[NotAsian]

K all gws need to keep the ko% page open for each match haha that's what I do till I remember each character anyway I have not had any luck killing with just the wind box they always go sky high but never die anyone know what that's about do they have to get hurt right before? Also just killed diddy at 93% with jab in rage haha WTF

 

[KnightofPizza]

If they were to buff this move, I would hope that it would decrease the knockback on the first hit to make it connect more with the second hit, it would make it a much more viable aerial option, especially since all of his other aerials are so good.

 

[Mr. Escalator]

Does anyone know specifics on Stale moves in this game compared to Brawl?

It had more to do with Zelda attempting to teleport away.
I've gotten kills from 8 hammer to uair, but that usually happens because I true combo the hits( 8 hammer sends them pretty high, I've killed a C.Falcon around 70% with this).

The gut reaction to 8 Hammer's ice is to jump away ASAP, so trapping with UAir sounds promising, and was what I was saying I'd try (which I haven't yet haha) - If they don't mash out fast enough, it's a true combo into UAir's hitbox, BUT if they mash fast enough to jump out they could be killed or put into a worse juggle scenario by UAir's windbox. Sounds like it could be neat-o.

Unreliable, though, since it's Judgement.

 

[Mr. Escalator]

I updated the thread a bit, as I have played more and more with this move. A few key things I changed:

• After testing, UAir doesn't refresh stale moves like it did in Brawl. DTilt's windbox does, though, so it may have to be due to the damaging nature of it. I removed that bit :^(
• Included mention of the true combo of FF Nair Landing -> UAir at high kill percentages.
• Added the -Con of rage/high percents affecting the first hit and how you have to sometimes use your double jump as you UAir to chain.
• Changed some wording to reflect that I think BAir is better, but UAir is defining of G&W.
• COMBO SECTION - I left it blank, so we need to fill it in.

So, for the combo section, what are our true UAir combos?
DThrow -> Uair
FF NAir -> UAir
Dthrow -> NAir -> UAir
UAir -> UAir ?
Anything specific? Anything else?

Toot toot, my friends. Toot toot.