- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
I'd like to apologize for the huge amount of text, this is a large topic I've been putting together for a while, it is not a beginner's guide.
Duck Hunt (or Duck Hunt Duo) has some of the most interesting projectiles in the game, and getting the very most out of each of them can be a difficult task. Here are a few basics on how to use them, and what you can do to get the highest percentage out of each of them.
Gunman (Down-B)
Using it effectively
![]()
For simplicity's sake, I will use the names for KidRetro's Duck Hunt Montage.
The gunman is probably my favourite move of Duck Hunt's (as you can tell from my signature), it has many different uses, but the main one is bait. By placing down a gunman you force the opponent to take action, by blocking it they can be grabbed, by jumping they can be attacked (or baited in to air-dodging), or just get hit and be punished during the hitstun. Another effective use is using it to shoot the can, but I will go in to more detail about that later.
It may not always be possible to get the opponent to do what you expect, so reaction time is important, and Duck Hunt is more than fast enough to get the punish. But what if the opponent perfect shields? Well, props to them for learning when each of them fire, and stay patient, gunman is probably one of if not the hardest projectile to perfect shield in the game. Just watch for another opportunity.
Another point of interest with gunman is that they fire at different times, but this is only really noticeable with Thomas Jefferson, who is far faster than the others. Keep in mind that the gunman firing faster will give you less time to get the follow-up.
When using the gunman, an important thing to keep in mind is that you keep all air momentum when using it in the air, thus I have a few useful applications for gunman taking advantage of this characteristic.
Getting the most damage
Gunman isn't the most important projectile for building damage, in fact it's the weakest one Duck Hunt has, even if the most damaging gunman is used. Speaking of the most damaging one, should we go through them? Yeah, let's get it over with.
So by paying attention to which gunmen you've been using, you can predict which one it will be next. Of course this is something that is difficult to keep track of, all for measly percentage, but there is another reason to it. Remember when I said the gunman can be used to shoot the can? Well, this only works with 4 of the 5, Tall Bro is far too tall to shoot the can, by paying attention to when you get Tall Bro in particular, you can avoid trying to do the Gunman X Can Double Shot Extravaganza and messing up.
Clay Pigeon (Side-B)
Using it effectively
The clay pigeon is Duck Hunt's most standard projectile, but even then it is a strange one. It is a zoning tool, as most projectiles are, it can be used to keep the opponent away while extremely quickly building damage.
There are two ways in which the clay pigeon can be thrown, if the user hits the direction and presses B at the same time, the clay pigeon will fly quickly, and closer to the ground. If used normally, it will go slower, but rise higher than the other throw. Using both types to mix-up is the most effective method, but most players will find using the faster throw to be more to their liking.
Here are three very effective ways of using the clay pigeon, but beforehand I will say, clay pigeon has a lot of end-lag, and if used excessively or with poor spacing, the opponent can shield and punish depending on how fast they are, and what you do after the clay pigeon. Just keep in mind, using this attack up-close is a risky move, don't expect to get away punish-free if you're simply spamming it.
Getting the most damage
The damage done by clay pigeon depends on how many shots hit the opponent, if all of them hit, the attack will deal 10%, but this isn't enough. The damage can be boosted to 12% with a very easy trick, a trick so easy you may be doing it already, first let the clay pigeon itself hit the opponent, then hit B again for the shots to come out. The clay pigeon hitting the opponent deals 2%, though this may seem minor, clay pigeon will often be your best move for getting percent, so 2% really adds up.
By adding on the extra 2%, it means that every 5 times you use the 12% clay pigeon, it counts as one extra clay pigeon than if all hits simple connected for 10%.
Trick Shot (Neutral-B)
Using it effectively
Anyone who's vaguely knowledgeable about Duck Hunt knows that this is a long topic, it's basically what Duck Hunt's meta is based around, this is not a can set-up guide, but I will give some basics. Trick Shot (often referred to as "the can") is Duck Hunt's most versatile move, and perhaps the most versatile move in the game. It's a projectile, it's a trap, it's a combo breaker, it assists recovery, it assists landing, it's an edge-guard tool, it's a kill option, and it makes Villagers who don't know the MU blow themselves up.
The can has 8 shots, but it can also be used with other attacks to travel further distances (though each attack counts as a shot), and to even get it to change directions. After every shot/attack, the can travels less and less distance until the final shot where it goes a long distance. Before thinking you can go around smash attacking your cans to get them across the stage, smash attacks count as regular shots, and they very rarely connect. Here are some of the best attacks to use on the can, I will only say the distance and angle for the first hit, later hits differ greatly.
WARNING: A lot of this section is based off experiments and finding patterns, human error may play a role here and I urge people to experiment and correct me if I'm wrong. I want this section to be a community effort, and I will not be finished until I can find a way to get maximum damage every time off of the can.
The can has been the most difficult projectile to get the maximum damage output from, due to a very odd characteristic of the can. It is a 2-hit multi-hit move, one hit for the explosion, and one hit for the can making contact. The explosion is a consistent 8% (not counting staling), meanwhile the can contact damage is mostly random, dealing a maximum (as of this guide) of 7, meaning a maximum total of 15%.
While random chance plays a large role in Trick Shot's damage, there are two methods of getting the most of it, one certainly more effective than the other.
Of course projectiles aren't the only thing that can be used to get as much damage as possible, although Duck Hunt's grab pound is slow, always try and get at least one in depending on percentage, and practice sweet-spotting your aerials. Duck Hunt's biggest obstacle is getting the kill, but that doesn't matter if you can manage to get 180% in the time it takes most to get to 80%.
Try to learn basic grab combos, my favourite being Gunman > Dash Grab > Forward Throw > Dash Attack > Forward-Air > Clay Pigeon their landing, this always helps get through the earlier percentages, and you haven't even used Trick Shot yet, meaning it's not staled at all.
This is not a definitive "this is how you be the best" guide, I want people to take Duck Hunt to the next level, and I don't think players are making the most of Duck Hunt's strengths.
Extra Resources
Duck Hunt (or Duck Hunt Duo) has some of the most interesting projectiles in the game, and getting the very most out of each of them can be a difficult task. Here are a few basics on how to use them, and what you can do to get the highest percentage out of each of them.
Gunman (Down-B)
Using it effectively
The gunman is probably my favourite move of Duck Hunt's (as you can tell from my signature), it has many different uses, but the main one is bait. By placing down a gunman you force the opponent to take action, by blocking it they can be grabbed, by jumping they can be attacked (or baited in to air-dodging), or just get hit and be punished during the hitstun. Another effective use is using it to shoot the can, but I will go in to more detail about that later.
It may not always be possible to get the opponent to do what you expect, so reaction time is important, and Duck Hunt is more than fast enough to get the punish. But what if the opponent perfect shields? Well, props to them for learning when each of them fire, and stay patient, gunman is probably one of if not the hardest projectile to perfect shield in the game. Just watch for another opportunity.
Another point of interest with gunman is that they fire at different times, but this is only really noticeable with Thomas Jefferson, who is far faster than the others. Keep in mind that the gunman firing faster will give you less time to get the follow-up.
When using the gunman, an important thing to keep in mind is that you keep all air momentum when using it in the air, thus I have a few useful applications for gunman taking advantage of this characteristic.
- Short-Hop Wavebounce Gunman - One of the best approach mix-ups for gunman, you will immediately bounce back with all the momentum of DHD's jump. This is extremely useful thanks to Duck Hunt's fast air mobility.
- B-reverse Gunman off the ledge - Can be used to go under the stage and round the other side to the other ledge, while keeping the ledge invincibility (just make sure to jump and up-b). You can go under a large number of legal stages, including Dreamland and Battlefield.
- Short-Hop Turnaround Gunman - A great retreat option for DHD when there is already a decent distance between Duck Hunt and their opponent, as they will have to react to the gunman. Keep in mind that if you get Mad Bro, they will be able to just dash straight past and punish, due to their slow fire time.
Getting the most damage
Gunman isn't the most important projectile for building damage, in fact it's the weakest one Duck Hunt has, even if the most damaging gunman is used. Speaking of the most damaging one, should we go through them? Yeah, let's get it over with.
- Mad Bro - 7%
- Sad Bro - 4%
- Small Bro - 4%
- Tall Bro - 5%
- Thomas Jefferson - 6%
- First time the move is used it can be any of the five, let's say it goes Tall Bro. (there was a 20% chance for Mad Bro)
- Second time cannot be Tall Bro, it goes Small Bro. (25% chance for Mad Bro)
- Third time it cannot be Tall Bro or Small Bro, it goes Sad Bro. (33.3% chance for Mad Bro)
- Fourth time it cannot be Tall Bro, Small Bro, or Sad Bro, it goes Thomas Jefferson. (50% chance for Mad Bro)
- Fifth time it cannot be Tall Bro, Small Bro, Sad Bro, or Thomas Jefferson, meaning it has to be Mad Bro, no exceptions. (100% chance for Mad Bro)
- Sixth time it can be any of the five, and it continues.
So by paying attention to which gunmen you've been using, you can predict which one it will be next. Of course this is something that is difficult to keep track of, all for measly percentage, but there is another reason to it. Remember when I said the gunman can be used to shoot the can? Well, this only works with 4 of the 5, Tall Bro is far too tall to shoot the can, by paying attention to when you get Tall Bro in particular, you can avoid trying to do the Gunman X Can Double Shot Extravaganza and messing up.
Clay Pigeon (Side-B)
Using it effectively
The clay pigeon is Duck Hunt's most standard projectile, but even then it is a strange one. It is a zoning tool, as most projectiles are, it can be used to keep the opponent away while extremely quickly building damage.
There are two ways in which the clay pigeon can be thrown, if the user hits the direction and presses B at the same time, the clay pigeon will fly quickly, and closer to the ground. If used normally, it will go slower, but rise higher than the other throw. Using both types to mix-up is the most effective method, but most players will find using the faster throw to be more to their liking.
Here are three very effective ways of using the clay pigeon, but beforehand I will say, clay pigeon has a lot of end-lag, and if used excessively or with poor spacing, the opponent can shield and punish depending on how fast they are, and what you do after the clay pigeon. Just keep in mind, using this attack up-close is a risky move, don't expect to get away punish-free if you're simply spamming it.
- Landing Side-B - One of Duck Hunt's biggest problems is landing, and apart from throwing a can down as a little bit of extra coverage, the clay pigeon is extremely useful. If they are on the ground ready to dash and attack where you land, fast fall down and use the clay pigeon to knock them away. I find this especially effect against most Captain Falcon players.
- Pivot Side-B - It's simple, dash away from your opponent, then hit the analog stick/circle pad towards them and press B. A great way of keeping your opponent away from you.
- Anti-Landing Side-B - Similarly to how this move can make your landing safer, it can make your opponent's landing more dangerous, in most cases your priority should be up-airing your opponent for the greatly sought after kill, but if they get past that, throwing a clay pigeon at them as they land can get them back in to the air so they can be attacked again, often with forward-air.
Getting the most damage
The damage done by clay pigeon depends on how many shots hit the opponent, if all of them hit, the attack will deal 10%, but this isn't enough. The damage can be boosted to 12% with a very easy trick, a trick so easy you may be doing it already, first let the clay pigeon itself hit the opponent, then hit B again for the shots to come out. The clay pigeon hitting the opponent deals 2%, though this may seem minor, clay pigeon will often be your best move for getting percent, so 2% really adds up.
By adding on the extra 2%, it means that every 5 times you use the 12% clay pigeon, it counts as one extra clay pigeon than if all hits simple connected for 10%.
Trick Shot (Neutral-B)
Using it effectively
Anyone who's vaguely knowledgeable about Duck Hunt knows that this is a long topic, it's basically what Duck Hunt's meta is based around, this is not a can set-up guide, but I will give some basics. Trick Shot (often referred to as "the can") is Duck Hunt's most versatile move, and perhaps the most versatile move in the game. It's a projectile, it's a trap, it's a combo breaker, it assists recovery, it assists landing, it's an edge-guard tool, it's a kill option, and it makes Villagers who don't know the MU blow themselves up.
The can has 8 shots, but it can also be used with other attacks to travel further distances (though each attack counts as a shot), and to even get it to change directions. After every shot/attack, the can travels less and less distance until the final shot where it goes a long distance. Before thinking you can go around smash attacking your cans to get them across the stage, smash attacks count as regular shots, and they very rarely connect. Here are some of the best attacks to use on the can, I will only say the distance and angle for the first hit, later hits differ greatly.
- Down-tilt - Sends the can at approximately 1/3 of the distance of FD at a low trajectory (around 20 degrees). Short hop Trick Shot moving forward places the can at the perfect distance to be down-tilted. Standing Trick Shot to forward roll also gives perfect spacing for it to be down-tilted.
- Ledge attack - Sends the can at approximately 3/4 of the distance of FD at a moderate trajectory (around 35 degrees, it may not seem like much more, but keep in mind that mashing the B buttons sends the can at a 45 degree angle)
- Back-air - Sends the can at just under 1/2 of the distance of FD at a low trajectory (around 20 degree). Doing a back-air on the can causes shots to send the can in the opposite direction, this also applies to knockback, causing opponents to be knocked towards Duck Hunt for combos.
- Can > Throw > Trick Shot - This is a simple case of placing a can down, and throwing your opponent back in to it to blow them up. Can placement; which throw to use; and when to shoot the can, they all depend on percentage; where your opponent is; the weight of your opponent; the stage; and your opponent's DI. In most cases it will be a back-throw or a forward-throw, but if you are on a stage with platforms and the can is above you, up-throw or down-throw may be used.
- (During Short Hop) Can > Gunman > (On landing) Dash Grab > Back-throw > Trick Shot > Up-Air > Up-Air - This one can be difficult to pull off depending on your opponent, first short hop, mid-hop send out a can and immediately after the end lag use gunman, dash forward, throw the opponent back in to the flying can, they should be knocked back toward you for a double up-air.
- Make sure for double up-air, you do jump > up-air > mid-air jump > up-air.
- If you get Tall Bro or Thomas Jefferson, this will probably not work, due to Thomas Jefferson shooting the can too quickly for you to get the dash grab, so you just get blown up, and Tall Bro just missing the can altogether, if you do get either of these you can dash back for a pivot side-b to cover yourself, and try again when the opportunity arises.
- This mainly works at lower percentages, but it can work at higher ones, just keep in mind where they're going to go when you back-throw, and you will probably only get one up-air, if any.
- Can > Trick Shot behind opponent - Input instructions don't work particularly well for this, the idea behind this one is placing the can behind your opponent. With this it's a battle for stage control, but, if you gain it then they will be forced back towards your can. The can doesn't last very long, around 12 seconds, but during this time they will be cautious of the can behind them. With a gunman you can bait an option and force them or knock them back in to the can, where they will be sent back further and totally lose all stage control.
WARNING: A lot of this section is based off experiments and finding patterns, human error may play a role here and I urge people to experiment and correct me if I'm wrong. I want this section to be a community effort, and I will not be finished until I can find a way to get maximum damage every time off of the can.
The can has been the most difficult projectile to get the maximum damage output from, due to a very odd characteristic of the can. It is a 2-hit multi-hit move, one hit for the explosion, and one hit for the can making contact. The explosion is a consistent 8% (not counting staling), meanwhile the can contact damage is mostly random, dealing a maximum (as of this guide) of 7, meaning a maximum total of 15%.
While random chance plays a large role in Trick Shot's damage, there are two methods of getting the most of it, one certainly more effective than the other.
- Avoid staling the move, outside of training mode, the lowest damage I've gotten from Trick Shot is 7% total, lower than the normal 8% of just the explosion, this means the explosion itself has staled and is dealing no where as much damage as it should. Mix up your moves, the more offensive you are and the more of other attacks you're using, the less stale Trick Shot is, meaning a much higher damage output.
- Try for a 3-hit combo. That's right, 2-hits isn't even the maximum, 3-hits can be achieved by using Trick Shot on the can with perfect timing as it hits your opponent, meaning the reticle hits as well for an absolutely amazing 1%. Okay, it's not much, but when a can is detonated under your opponent, the extra 1% is guaranteed every time.
- Almost every time when using this in any situation other than when the opponent is on top of the can, the Trick Shot will cause the can to go over your opponent's head. Keep this in mind when trying this out.
Of course projectiles aren't the only thing that can be used to get as much damage as possible, although Duck Hunt's grab pound is slow, always try and get at least one in depending on percentage, and practice sweet-spotting your aerials. Duck Hunt's biggest obstacle is getting the kill, but that doesn't matter if you can manage to get 180% in the time it takes most to get to 80%.
Try to learn basic grab combos, my favourite being Gunman > Dash Grab > Forward Throw > Dash Attack > Forward-Air > Clay Pigeon their landing, this always helps get through the earlier percentages, and you haven't even used Trick Shot yet, meaning it's not staled at all.
This is not a definitive "this is how you be the best" guide, I want people to take Duck Hunt to the next level, and I don't think players are making the most of Duck Hunt's strengths.
Extra Resources
