YagamiLight
Smash Champion
I lied, my brief praise is actually never brief, I just have a newfound respect for the Up Air. This move is just usable in so many more situations than would at first meet the eye. This is all mainly me digressing about every single situation I've ever used it in and how effective it is, so feel free to tl;dr me.
As a KO move (Duh).
According to Project Vertical, it kills a Mario (An above average weight character) at 93% while he's on a lower platform of battlefield. It just gets insane the higher up above the stage you go, naturally. I've killed as early as 57% with this move by meeting them at the top of the stage and intercepting them. It's not a spammable move, so it's pretty much ALWAYS fresh.
As a string starter.
At low percents, it sends them RIGHT in front of you. It's a bizarre approach, obviously, but few expect a fast falled Up Aerial, of all things. Thanks to Kirk's topic (You're the best, Kirk!) it has IASA at frame 19, that's pretty early. I always like to jab right afterward, and due to the position it sends them in, the original jab sometimes combat walks itself, making the whole string 34%. Other, more complex things include Up Aerial to Aether, Up Aerial to Down Aerial to Up Tilt: very fancy, elaborate things that will probably end up dealing 40% by the time you're done with them.
As a throw follow-up.
Everyone expects Dthrow to Aether. Very few people prepare for you to chase after them with an Up Aerial that is remarkably hard to dodge, especially since it punishes air dodges so well. Ike has decent initial jump height, so this is definitely a possibility. Up Throwing them onto a platform forces them to make decisions that will also get (generally) Up Aerialed, in total leading to 20%, very handy.
While Ike is recovering.
I love how Aether protects you from above, it's an excellent thing to have. What I DON'T like is that getting to the ledge area itself is difficult when your opponent has some degree of intelligence and realizes that Aether moves forward like 5 feet horizontally. I generally solve thing problem now by just using my midair jump and the Up Aerial at the same time providing a very effective barrier to most forms of attack with the high priority shield. Fair while coming back only hits for around 3 frames. Up Aerial hits for 18. When it ends you're in perfect position for a reverse Aether back to the ledge. Really, I don't get gimped too often anymore (The only thing that may happen is sometimes getting spiked and the hits clashing, but if you see them going for this just pull back and Aethercide them).
While the opponent is recovering.
It's surprisingly hard to properly dodge the Helicopter motion of the Up Aerial. It's a very deceptive hitbox. So, nowadays, instead of going for a mildly predictable Fair, I generally go for an Up Aerial. It clashes with all sorts of things at times too. I've had it collide with a Meta Knight's Shuttle Loop and kill him off the top at a wonderful percentage. The 18 frames it's out for really makes even versatile recoveries think twice. And Ike can do the move TWICE from his initial jump off stage then do a reverse Aether. Now that's what I call edgeguarding. On a side note I hit a Falco out of his Side B with the move yesterday, that made my day.
There's more but it's rather late and I'm rather sleepy. Let's just say that this is one of my most overlooked moves in Ike's entire moveset. It comes out in a quarter of a second, lasts for longer than that and has a very nice cooldown time. It does 14% and kills ridiculously early. It has fantastic range and is an excellent vertical shield. I am using it more and more as time goes on.
Thoughts?
As a KO move (Duh).
According to Project Vertical, it kills a Mario (An above average weight character) at 93% while he's on a lower platform of battlefield. It just gets insane the higher up above the stage you go, naturally. I've killed as early as 57% with this move by meeting them at the top of the stage and intercepting them. It's not a spammable move, so it's pretty much ALWAYS fresh.
As a string starter.
At low percents, it sends them RIGHT in front of you. It's a bizarre approach, obviously, but few expect a fast falled Up Aerial, of all things. Thanks to Kirk's topic (You're the best, Kirk!) it has IASA at frame 19, that's pretty early. I always like to jab right afterward, and due to the position it sends them in, the original jab sometimes combat walks itself, making the whole string 34%. Other, more complex things include Up Aerial to Aether, Up Aerial to Down Aerial to Up Tilt: very fancy, elaborate things that will probably end up dealing 40% by the time you're done with them.
As a throw follow-up.
Everyone expects Dthrow to Aether. Very few people prepare for you to chase after them with an Up Aerial that is remarkably hard to dodge, especially since it punishes air dodges so well. Ike has decent initial jump height, so this is definitely a possibility. Up Throwing them onto a platform forces them to make decisions that will also get (generally) Up Aerialed, in total leading to 20%, very handy.
While Ike is recovering.
I love how Aether protects you from above, it's an excellent thing to have. What I DON'T like is that getting to the ledge area itself is difficult when your opponent has some degree of intelligence and realizes that Aether moves forward like 5 feet horizontally. I generally solve thing problem now by just using my midair jump and the Up Aerial at the same time providing a very effective barrier to most forms of attack with the high priority shield. Fair while coming back only hits for around 3 frames. Up Aerial hits for 18. When it ends you're in perfect position for a reverse Aether back to the ledge. Really, I don't get gimped too often anymore (The only thing that may happen is sometimes getting spiked and the hits clashing, but if you see them going for this just pull back and Aethercide them).
While the opponent is recovering.
It's surprisingly hard to properly dodge the Helicopter motion of the Up Aerial. It's a very deceptive hitbox. So, nowadays, instead of going for a mildly predictable Fair, I generally go for an Up Aerial. It clashes with all sorts of things at times too. I've had it collide with a Meta Knight's Shuttle Loop and kill him off the top at a wonderful percentage. The 18 frames it's out for really makes even versatile recoveries think twice. And Ike can do the move TWICE from his initial jump off stage then do a reverse Aether. Now that's what I call edgeguarding. On a side note I hit a Falco out of his Side B with the move yesterday, that made my day.
There's more but it's rather late and I'm rather sleepy. Let's just say that this is one of my most overlooked moves in Ike's entire moveset. It comes out in a quarter of a second, lasts for longer than that and has a very nice cooldown time. It does 14% and kills ridiculously early. It has fantastic range and is an excellent vertical shield. I am using it more and more as time goes on.
Thoughts?