Mario's D-Air and Approaching

[Geou]

My main two questions concerning Mario are these:

1. How should Mario's D-Air be used? When I short-hop it, rarely do most of the hits connect, and its range is tiny. When should it be really used?

2. What's the best way to approach as Mario (for this example, let's say against a Meta Knight)? Turning around to use short hopped B-Airs can be really cumbersome at times, and at low percents it deals very little knockback, allowing the opponent an easy grab. N-Air is useful when unexpected, but when I use it too much it gets me shield-grabbed or spot dodged. Fireballs help, but...

 

[IceAge]

I'm not on my main computer, so I can't really type up a decent response... But, as mario, especially against a metaknight, avoid approaching. Mario plays a good defensive game with fireballs, bair, downsmash and pivot foward smash. Fireballs followed by a dash attack/grab is a good approach, bair is good too.

 

[Fire!]

Your questions seem to go hand in hand with each other. What I do to approach with Mario is Dair. Just short-hop, Dair and move toward your opponet. This move is much better used against bigger chars. like Bower but it can still work with MK. Its also a good way to start into a combo. Once your opponent is caught in the Dair, they take 3-7 damage and are launched diagonally into the air, setting you up for another attack.

 

[Dragonboy2k4]

Hmm,I see.Ill give you guys a little tid bits on how I do that d-air as I think is a great move to annoy shieldgrabers.Its kinda tricky like the dbl sh b-airs.

What I do is I preform the run up d-air to the opponent,but little do some Mario players know,you can jump again with another d-air to break away or potienally follow up and score hits as you rise up.I prefer the combination of C-stick down and up on the analog for better results because if you do it with the A button with the X/Y buttons,you could miss the timing thus leaving Mario for a grab.Other applications can be used with that trick too to throw off your opponents timing such as SH d-air>jump>cape(to stall and turn Mario in a certain direction)>b-air(fastfalled) or whatever you see fit to your playstyle.

 

[TheKO]

When you approach with D-air against an opponent who is shielding, make sure you do it as soon as you jump so you get no lag, and make sure you land behind them so they can't grab you.

It also works really well on opponents who like to side step a lot due to the fact that there are so many hits. Once again though you have to make sure you don't fast fall it in order to get the maximum amount of hits, as well letting the whole attack finish so you don't lag when you land.

One of my personal favorites is to D-air right in front of them but out of grabbing range as a faint, and DI backwards. As soon as you land (make sure not to fast fall it or you'll lag) forward smash. Its really efficient on people who like to shield grab a lot, and because people expect you to lag they think they have an opening and try to run in to only get hit by a forward smash. =] (this works with Double B-airing as well, which in my opinion is better)

Against a meta knight though, I wouldn't suggest the D-air approach too much, its a great combo starter but since hes so small its not too good. I also wouldn't suggest N-air unless your 100% sure it will hit because of its small hit box, and missing it can result in a grab. One of the biggest keys in brawl is spacing and Mario's B-air definitely has that. His B-air has enough range to space your self far enough to not get shield grabbed, and whats great you can do 2 in one short hop AND theres very little lag! These work really well as long as you DI away after you B-air and stay out of grabbing range.

Hope this has helped

 

[Geou]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll practice timing D-Airs better and double B-Airing while using the C-Stick for aerials.

 

[Messiano]

Fireballs, pivot back airs FF up-airs are also pretty nice.