- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
Hi! My guide will go over how to play the neutral, edgeguarding, ledge pressure, basic combos, basic kill confirms, and advanced techniques from my experience as a fox main. I hope you enjoy it.
Neutral - Fox's neutral game primarily revolves around the use of lasers, nair, and bair. These moves as well as tomahawk grabs make up his neutral. Nair is good when used to cross up shields. Bair is used to space, since it has very little landing lag fast falling after hitting shield is relatively safe. Lasers can be used, but use them wisely. They can be used to force approaches by brawler type fighters, but if someone like mac reads the lasers he can dash across the stage before you can act.
Edgeguarding - Being one of the fastest fallers in the game combined with a linear recovery makes going off stage not the best option as Fox. As fox you'll want to go for up-tilt or d-tilt 2 frames. If you can afford to there also is the option of going for drag down fair to footstool to take stocks from characters with bad recoveries such as DK, Mac, and Cloud. This game is far different from melee but shine can still be used to an extent off stage. Recoveries like Diddy Kong and Bowser Jr. will have very little chance to return from a shine.
Ledge Pressure - Fox is very good covering ledge options in different ways. I wouldn't recommend trying to up smash neutral get up due to strict timing, instead don't commit and go for jabs. This can also condition the opponent to roll were up smash or up tilt are effective punishes. If the jump option is read doing lagless up-air can combo into itself for lots of damage.
Basic Combos - Fox's up-tilt will combo into itself at low percents, on fast fallers it doesn't combo until around 15%. At about 60% up-tilt starts to lead into up-air. Close to 0% D-throw can combo into f-air into up-air, but if your opponent DIs down and away it may not connect. D-throw at the ledge can also lead to fair footstool for the stock on bad recoveries. Jab 12 can string into other moves but it is just a mixup.
Basic Kill Confirms - In order to kill with fox you either need a hard smash attack read or to get the setup at the right percent. Past 120% killing starts to become read based only with hard commitment. Around 95% the weak hit of nair can either true combo into up smash or they're very likely to miss the tech. Dair into up smash also works starting at the same % as nair. Up tilt to up air is also a kill confirm from approximately 90-120%.
Advanced Techniques
-Tech chase setup- A f-throw from fox around 40% will force your opponent to tech. The opponent now can either miss, tech in place, tech roll away, or tech roll in. Chasing them with a hip check or pivot angled down f-tilt into up smash covers 3 of the 4 options. The hip check true combos catching missed techs and tech in place and up smash catches the tech roll away. The opponent is safe if they tech roll in, but that's where you can condition them and make the read. This can be started with an f-throw around 40, close range d-tilt around 50, and an f-tilt around 80.
-Footstools- Fox's up-tilt combos into itself at low percents and around 35% with good timing up-tilt can combo into a footstool then lock with a weak nair on the way down. This cycle can be repeated till about 80% when nair no longer locks.
Found this one out thanks to Void
-AC Dair- Performing a full hop fast fall dair will allow you to connect the last hit with no end lag. This can be used many ways including landing AC dair to perfect pivot up-tilt, AC dair to up-air strings, AC Dair to rar bair, and at mid percents AC dair into footstool nair locks.
-Creative combos- There are a plethora of high damaging combos as fox that would literally take forever to explain. Most will consistent of the 2 footstool locks, D-throw drag down fair to f-tilt angled down lock, AC dair to aerials, and maybe a firefox finisher.
If you don't already study amazing fox players like CLG Void, Elevate Larry Lurr, Feel Tension, and Xzax. If you need any fox advice on matchups there is a fox discord group with in depth explanations on most matchups. I hope you all enjoy playing as the Fox Mccloud and for me that's Mission Compreet!
Neutral - Fox's neutral game primarily revolves around the use of lasers, nair, and bair. These moves as well as tomahawk grabs make up his neutral. Nair is good when used to cross up shields. Bair is used to space, since it has very little landing lag fast falling after hitting shield is relatively safe. Lasers can be used, but use them wisely. They can be used to force approaches by brawler type fighters, but if someone like mac reads the lasers he can dash across the stage before you can act.
Edgeguarding - Being one of the fastest fallers in the game combined with a linear recovery makes going off stage not the best option as Fox. As fox you'll want to go for up-tilt or d-tilt 2 frames. If you can afford to there also is the option of going for drag down fair to footstool to take stocks from characters with bad recoveries such as DK, Mac, and Cloud. This game is far different from melee but shine can still be used to an extent off stage. Recoveries like Diddy Kong and Bowser Jr. will have very little chance to return from a shine.
Ledge Pressure - Fox is very good covering ledge options in different ways. I wouldn't recommend trying to up smash neutral get up due to strict timing, instead don't commit and go for jabs. This can also condition the opponent to roll were up smash or up tilt are effective punishes. If the jump option is read doing lagless up-air can combo into itself for lots of damage.
Basic Combos - Fox's up-tilt will combo into itself at low percents, on fast fallers it doesn't combo until around 15%. At about 60% up-tilt starts to lead into up-air. Close to 0% D-throw can combo into f-air into up-air, but if your opponent DIs down and away it may not connect. D-throw at the ledge can also lead to fair footstool for the stock on bad recoveries. Jab 12 can string into other moves but it is just a mixup.
Basic Kill Confirms - In order to kill with fox you either need a hard smash attack read or to get the setup at the right percent. Past 120% killing starts to become read based only with hard commitment. Around 95% the weak hit of nair can either true combo into up smash or they're very likely to miss the tech. Dair into up smash also works starting at the same % as nair. Up tilt to up air is also a kill confirm from approximately 90-120%.
Advanced Techniques
-Tech chase setup- A f-throw from fox around 40% will force your opponent to tech. The opponent now can either miss, tech in place, tech roll away, or tech roll in. Chasing them with a hip check or pivot angled down f-tilt into up smash covers 3 of the 4 options. The hip check true combos catching missed techs and tech in place and up smash catches the tech roll away. The opponent is safe if they tech roll in, but that's where you can condition them and make the read. This can be started with an f-throw around 40, close range d-tilt around 50, and an f-tilt around 80.
-Footstools- Fox's up-tilt combos into itself at low percents and around 35% with good timing up-tilt can combo into a footstool then lock with a weak nair on the way down. This cycle can be repeated till about 80% when nair no longer locks.
Found this one out thanks to Void
-AC Dair- Performing a full hop fast fall dair will allow you to connect the last hit with no end lag. This can be used many ways including landing AC dair to perfect pivot up-tilt, AC dair to up-air strings, AC Dair to rar bair, and at mid percents AC dair into footstool nair locks.
-Creative combos- There are a plethora of high damaging combos as fox that would literally take forever to explain. Most will consistent of the 2 footstool locks, D-throw drag down fair to f-tilt angled down lock, AC dair to aerials, and maybe a firefox finisher.
If you don't already study amazing fox players like CLG Void, Elevate Larry Lurr, Feel Tension, and Xzax. If you need any fox advice on matchups there is a fox discord group with in depth explanations on most matchups. I hope you all enjoy playing as the Fox Mccloud and for me that's Mission Compreet!
