Modifing the Ken Combo for DI

[Silver Sytos]

So I, like many other marth players, started by watching videos. Inevitably we all saw the ken comboes, the fair to dair. However, in actual matches its much harder to pull off because everyone knows about it and does their best not to get hit by a humiliating ken combo.

So my question is how to modify the normal fair at center, full jump into a dair so it works more often against opponents who know how to DI. My problem usually is that if i get that sweetspotted fair, they DI away and I can't hit them with the dair without endangering my chances of comign back onto the stage.

I was thinking about it and some options might be:
1) Hit with a different part of the fair, still near the center so that they pop up, but at a different angle from what they expect
2) Jump and then DI that jump left/right to catch the person in the dair's sweetspot

Dunno if these are really valid or not. Help please.

 

[Dark Sonic]

What do you mean hit with the center? Don't you normally sweetspot the fair when ken comboing. The most you can really do is use your jump to catch them with the dair. You have to follow their DI as much as you can.

 

[KyloWinter]

Sometimes I don't sweetspot the Fair, mostly when the character is at higher percents. Then they won't go up too high for my dair. And hopefully they are at such high percents that they fly too far away.

 

[Dark Sonic]

With good DI the ken combo won't work if you don't sweet spot the fair. They will go too far away for you to follow. I'd rather just tip the fair and then jump and Nair them or something instead of missing a free kill trying to be fancy.

 

[balladechina212]

Two things you can do to the Ken combo if your opponent DIs:

1. Fastfall after the fair if they DI downward. If you don't fastfall, your dair will most likely miss.
Example here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2AmIpFbdYo at around 1:05.

2. If they go too high up after the dair, DJ to a reverse up-B. Not only is it sexier than the Ken combo, it will also humiliate your opponent beyond belief (especially if you survive).

 

[Eaode]

If you want to be really flashy, and its their last life, you can do this:

If they dont pop up enough, skip the double jump and just Dair suicide. It looks awesome.

 

[Eternal phoenix Fire]

I just think that if you miss the chance to get the combo and the character is at a certain height from the ground,just go for an F-smash.

Even though the Ken combo may be technical and very useful,there are better situations without it.

 

[knightpraetor]

well, usually they di away rather than up or down..so the best bet is to just nair as sonic said if they aren't in range..

but it is annoying..all that work setting up for a ken combo and then they have the gall to DI


the humanity of it

 

[Randizzle]

I think it's good to have a variety of combos out of the fair, sweetspot and non-sweetspot. Sometimes if they DI to avoid the dair, they might be DIing into a nair or an fsmash (usually involves platforms) or a shield breaker. Be creative so they aren't always safe from comboing whenever they DI to get out of a ken combo. Also, if they DI away so that you'd have to suicide in order to ken combo, try starting it closer to the middle of the stage more often. That way you'll be able to get a kencombo and still make it back safely.

 

[knightpraetor]

not sure when you'd prefer a shieldbreaker..is there any reason you'd prefer that over just nairing if they're out of range? i assume if you just wanted to kill them you'd nair or fsmash...so usually the other aerials are used to hope for more comboing..but if they're high enough on damage to di out usually then they won't be able to be comboed by a fair or shieldbreaker right?