- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
Table Of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Meanings of abbreviations
3. Beginner combos
4. Intermediate combos
5. Advanced combos
6. Mixups, Tricks, and Kill Setups
7. Closure
1. Introduction
What's up guys! Freakzoid9000 is back again with part 2 of my Meta Knight guide. In this guide, I will go over beginner, intermediate, and advanced combos with MK. Note that I will point out if a combo is guaranteed or not, is DI dependent, is a mixup, etc. Also if you're just learning MK, I would recommend that you read my first guide where I introduced the character and his moveset. I'll leave a link to it right here http://smashboards.com/guides/meta-knight-guide-part-1-introducing-the-character.889/. Without further delay, let's hop right into the combos.
2. Meanings of Abbreviations
DA- Dash Attack
DG- Dash Grab
MK- Meta Knight
PP- Perfect Pivot
RAR- Reverse Aerial Rush
DI- Directional Influence
SDI- Smash Directional Influence
SH- Short Hop
DJ- Double Jump
FH- Full Hop
FF- Fast Fall
SD- Self Destruct
GC- Game Cube
Combos in blue text are beginner
Combos in orange text are intermediate
Combos in red text are advanced
3. Beginner Combos
DA/Dthrow > Nair
Total=16%, 17%
Works best between 0-20%
Guaranteed on all forms of DI and is very simple to pull off. This combo is very good for gaining stage control and you can get a potential Dtilt or regrab if your opponent doesn't react properly or doesn't expect it.
DA/Dthrow > NeutralB
Total=Around 30%
Works best between 0-10% from DA and works best between 0-20% from Dthrow
Dthrow to tornado works on DI up or no DI and will work on big, light, some middleweight, or floaty characters regardless of DI. This combo won't work on some characters who DI down and away, namely fast fallers like Sheik, Fox, Link, etc.
DA to tornado works on all forms of DI pretty much and will work on all the cast except on small and floaty on occasions. This combo is good if you want solid damage at the start of a match but it won't lead into any follow ups.
DA/Dthrow > Usmash
Total=15%, 16%
Works best between 0-20% from DA and 0-30% from Dthrow
Guaranteed on all forms of DI. This combo is useful for the reason that it puts your opponent above you for possible follow ups. This is also useful against characters like Fox, Greninja, etc. that DI too low and away for you to get any other follow ups off of Dthrow other than UpB but that's for later %s.
DA/Dthrow > UpB
Total=18%, 19%
Works best between 50-100% when you have no other true follow ups from these two moves
Dthrow to UpB is guaranteed on proper DI away until around the highish %s (70-100%). Note that these %s could vary depending on your rage, the staleness of Dthrow, and the opponent's character size, weight, fall speed, etc. This combo also lasts longer if your opponent DIs toward you, up, or has no DI at all. This is a very solid combo for racking up damage at mid %s but don't use it too much as it could make your UpB stale. Also be sure to use the grounded version since it has more knockback which could lead to some potential kills in certain circumstances.
DA to UpB is guaranteed on all forms of DI except on preemptive DI away at higher %s (+100% or so). These %s could change for the same reasons that I listed above for Dthrow to UpB. Also, make sure you jump and use UpB after DA because it makes the combo last longer and it's more consistent. This is one of MK's most reliable kill setups for how easy it is to pull off and it can be used to rack up damage at mid %s. Sourspot DA is even better at this combo since it will guarantee an UpB regardless of DI and it will kill earlier because sourspot DA sends more vertically.
DA/Dthrow > Fair > UpB
Total=24%, 25%
Works best between 15-45% as a mixup combo
Both combos are guaranteed unless the opponent DIs away after getting hit by the Fair at around 35ish%. If you have rage, do this combo at around 5-25% roughly. Also, make sure that you buffer the UpB so that it comes out on the first possible frame after hitting the Fair. This combo is only really useful for getting some decent damage on your opponent if they don't expect it. I wouldn't recommend going for this if you can't get the UpB after the Fair because there are better combo options than DA/Dthrow into Fair. Only go for Dthrow into Fair at around 0% if you are at the very edge of the stage since that would be your only guaranteed follow up.
DA > Utilt
Total=13%+
Works best between 0-10%
Guaranteed on all DI. This is an alt combo that you can use if you don't want to use Usmash after DA which can lead into other follow ups possibly (hence the reason why I put the + sign).
Dthrow/Fthrow/Bthrow > DA
Total in order=13%+, 15%+, 16%+
Works best between 0-25% from Dthrow, works best at around 0% from Fthrow, works best between 0-10% from Bthrow
Dthrow to DA is guaranteed on DI away or no DI. This will miss if the opponent DIs up. If the opponent doesn't DI or is a floaty, you may want to wait a split second so that you don't DA underneath them.
Fthrow to DA is guaranteed if your opponent doesn't DI away fast enough and you have to use an instant DG Fthrow in order for MK to slide forward which will let the DA connect in time. Also, this combo should only be used against fast fallers, big characters, and certain mid weights.
Bthrow to DA is guaranteed on DI in or no DI. This throw should be used as a mixup to the typical Dthrow since it deals more damage and it sends behind MK which could help if you're near the ledge where Dthrow wouldn't lead into anything. Also, if the opponent DIs away, it leads into a tech chase situation that you can use to your advantage.
Fthrow > UpB
Total=21%
Works best between 80-100%
Guaranteed if your opponent doesn't DI away. Not much to talk about here other than that it is a very quick and effective way to end an opponent's stock since the Fthrow is very difficult to DI because it's so fast. Just be sure to use an instant DG Fthrow otherwise your opponent will be able to DI the combo with ease.
Nair > DA/DG
Total=16%+
Works best between 5-25% from the strong Nair and 15-35% from the weak Nair
Guaranteed on any form of DI from my knowledge. If you want the DA/DG to be a true combo, you need to land with the Nair while having momentum toward your opponent. Not a combo that you should be fishing for really in neutral or something but it's a combo that you should try to setup into from other combos/strings. Nair also sets up nicely for a tech chase situation at low %s and it can setup a jab lock if they miss the tech (more on this later).
4. Intermediate Combos
Now those combos that I listed earlier didn't seem all that impressive and were pretty basic, weren't they? Well, those combos can be seen as the combo starters for what I'm about to show you guys. These intermediate combos will take more knowledge on DI, weight classes, gravity, etc. They will finally also combine with the infamous Uair that MK has like the one that I'll list below.
DA > Uair > FF Nair > UpB
Total=32%
Works best between 10-25% approximately and as a mixup combo
Everything is guaranteed unless the opponent has good DI away after the Nair. You also need close to frame perfect inputs and the opponent has to be at specific %s to have this be completely guaranteed, otherwise the opponent may be able to airdodge at some point or they could use a character specific move to escape. This combo is best used against midweights, fast fallers, and big characters.
Dthrow/Fthrow > DA > Uair > FF Nair > UpB
Total=39%, 41%
Works best between 5-20% for Dthrow and works best between 0-10% for Fthrow
Just a variation of the combo I previously listed above.
DA > Usmash > UpB
Total=27%
Works best between 0-20%
This combo is guaranteed if the opponent DIs away or towards you. Won't work if the opponent is directly above you after you hit them with the Usmash. Not much explanation for this one other than you should use a grounded UpB at super low %s and a jump UpB at low %s.
Dthrow/Fthrow > DA > Usmash > UpB
Total=34%, 36%
Works best between 0-15% from Dthrow and works best between 0-10% from Fthrow
Another variation combo of the one above.
DA/Dthrow > 4-6 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 42% or a possible stock
Works best between 10-25% on floaties/lightweights, works best between 20-35% on midweights and fast fallers, and works best between 20-40% on heavyweights. Be wary of your rage as it will make the normal Uair combo happen earlier.
Okay, so there has and still is a lot of misconception revolving around this combo ever since the 1.1.5 patch. Because of this misconception, I'm going to discuss this combo a bit differently by going over why and how it's still guaranteed on the cast, how to perform and practice it, and I'll discuss the control scheme that you need.
First off, this combo is still guaranteed on any DI and SDI that the opponent has if you start the combo at the relative %s that I listed above. This is mainly because of the staleness of the Uairs that you use during the combo. This staleness allows the Uair to not send your opponent into tumble as early as it normally would when it's fresh. If your opponent gets sent into tumble, they are able to easily SDI the combo and escape. But, if you start the combo at the %s I listed earlier, you should be able to stale your Uair enough to not send them into tumble. Warionumbah2 has a really great thread that explains the effects of tumble and the %s that the Uair sends each character into tumble that I'll link right here http://smashboards.com/threads/uair-tumble-s.434712/. There are some other reasons that cause this to be guaranteed like the rage factor and the middle hitbox of MK's Uair, but these reasons need hours of more testing to be accurate and it isn't something that is conventional to do.
There are so many aspects involved in performing this combo like being able to follow DI, knowing when to do it, being able to scale your rage correctly with the combo, etc. But the key concept in performing this combo is your consistency at doing the combo. The way to be consistent at this combo is practice, practice, and more practice. The way I recommend you to practice is to start off doing Uair strings against R.O.B or Peach in smash mode, not training mode, and set their % to around 25%. This should help you get a basic understanding on the angles that Uair will send the opponent and an idea on how to do the combo because the characters that I mentioned are super easy to perform the combo on. Next, I want you to Uair string someone like Sheik, Mario, Falcon, Fox, etc. and put their % at around 20-30%. This is gonna be a bit more difficult but this will teach you to do consistent FF Uairs during your strings. Note that depending on where the opponent gets sent after a DA/Dthrow and what the opponent's character is, you may need to do SH Uair and not FH Uair because FH Uair whiffs at low % DAs. This is noticeable against fast fallers and mid fallers like Sheik and Mario. Anyways, now that you got the Uairs down, start to practice the string against everyone in the cast to learn the specific %s at when to do the combo in a specific MU, learn how many Uairs you can do against a specific character, and etc. Finally, practice doing the Uair strings against different DI patterns like DI away for example. If you don't have a friend to help you practice against DI, you can try and use your feet to control a second controller for DI practice. It's nothing too difficult but it's just really weird to get the hang of.
The control scheme that you need for stringing Uairs isn't anything complex if you were worried about it being that. Basically, all you need to do is map your C-stick to attack, turn off tap jump, and have one of your bumpers or buttons set to jump. Doing this allows you to have full horizontal momentum in the air with the left stick while still being able to jump+Uair at the same time. Note that you may also need a claw grip if you're doing this with the GC controller but I'm not 100% certain because I use the pro controller and not the GC. Ito has a very good video showing off the horizontal momentum with MK that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/ak9DNqItd-E. Also for those wondering, this combo is completely possible with tap jump as well. You just need very quick and precise inputs to use it effectively. Imo, I personally find tap jump much easier to use rather than button jump because I've used it since SBB64 but it's up to your personally preference.
DA/Dthrow > 4-5 Uairs > Fair/Nair
Total=Around 30%+ generally or a possible stock
Works best between 20-30% on midweights and fast fallers and works best between 20-35% on heavyweights
I don't think I have to repeat myself on how this is guaranteed so I'll just go over its applications. This is an alt combo to the standard Uair to UpB that you should use when you are offstage because you may risk the chance of SD'ing if you use UpB far offstage. This combo is actually really interesting because of its potential to kill off the side if your opponent keeps DI'ing away during the Uair string. It can also give you an easy gimp if they survive your combo finisher because it's highly probable that they will have to use all their resources to recover, so all you have to do is stuff them out of one or two of their options and they're dead. Nair has the highest chance of killing off the side since it has a higher base knockback than Fair so try to get as close as possible to the opponent when Uair stringing them. If they are too far away to hit with Nair, use Fair. This combo also seems to connect better without or with low rage.
Fair 1 > Tipped DA > UpB
Total=19%
Works best between 70-90% on all weight classes
Guaranteed on any DI the opponent has. Not the most practical combo for MK, but that's the beauty of it. This isn't something that the opponent will likely know about which makes it a decent kill combo at pretty early %s. Fair 1 also leads into a tech chase situation at these %s and sends at an angle similar to Dtilt.
UpB > UpB
Total=24% or a possible stock
Works best between 70-100% on all weight classes
A pretty situational but easy combo to perform. This works best against linear recoveries or when people try to challenge your recovery. Make sure that you hit both hits of UpB before you snap to the ledge otherwise the combo won't work. When you snap to the ledge, buffer the jump option and UpB as quickly as possible to finish the combo. Also as a side note, you can true combo the UpB into Uairs into another UpB at around 40-60% if you're quick enough.
Uair > Grab
Total=4%+
Works best at low %s on all weight classes
This combo is true if you Uair someone on a platform and then land on it to grab them. This also works if you drop off the ledge and Uair back onstage which you then can proceed to grab them of course. Using Uair like this can also lead into other true combos like Uair > Utilt or Uair > Dtilt which can trip and lead into more followups.
5. Advanced Combos
Now we're going to get into the more interesting and cool combos that MK has hidden up his glove. I tip my fedora to Ito for advancing MK's combo game to its absolute limits. Be sure to check out his channel and subscribe for the awesome work that he's done. I'll link it right here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQft5xTnfn6abNDdAL-qitA . Also, everything here is guaranteed unless spoken otherwise. Since that's out of the way, be sure to prepare yourself for even more devastating combos.
DA > Uair > FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > Fsmash/Tornado
Total=Around 45% generally
Works best between 10-30% on all weight classes
If you guys didn't know already, you should know that MK's Bair has an interesting property in that it can meteor if you hit your opponent while FF the move. The importance of this is that if you meteor the opponent into the ground of the stage, it puts them into a tech situation and since MK's FF Bair is so difficult to tech, they will most likely miss their tech 9 times out of 10. If they miss their tech, go for a turnaround Dtilt. This will put them into a lock and it will force them to do a neutral getup when you finish the lock. For more in depth information on locks, check out MySmashCorner's video that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/_ZJx5F0kTms. Anyways, you can get up to 3 Dtilts on the opponent before they are forced to get up, unless you are near the ledge in which case you want to end the lock earlier because they will slide off the stage. The % range that Dtilt stops locking is around 55%. This range is either increased or decreased depending on your rage and the staleness of your Dtilt I believe as well. When you finish the lock, the followup choice is up to you. Use tornado for damage or Fsmash for stage control. There are some characters that don't get put into a tech situation by MK's Bair however. They are Samus, DK, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Ganon, DDD, and Charizard. If you perform the combo on one of these characters, go for a turnaround grab into followups of your choice. This is because these characters suffer lag from the Bair (around 30 frames) and that gives you ample time to get a regrab.
DA > Uair > FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > DA/Utilt > 3-5 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 60% or a possible stock
Works best between 10-30% on all weight classes
The strongest combo in MK's arsenal that can be performed. To execute this combo consistently, you need so much knowledge of how it works. This takes hours of practice and memorization to perform consistently and effectively on every character in the cast. Only go for this combo if you know MK inside and out. Otherwise, go for the more reliable followups that I listed before. Also, if you go for this, space yourself to get a tipped DA because it works so much better than Utilt or a normal DA. Go for a normal DA if it's like against a floaty or something.
DA > Uair > Footstool > 1-3 Dtilts > Followups of your choice
Total=25%+
Works best between 0-15% on lightweights/floaties and works best between 15-25% on midweights
First off, footstools cannot be teched at all. This is a very common misconception that I wanted to get out of the way right now before people start to argue against me. There isn't too much special about this combo other then that it works earlier than the FF Bair lock and it looks cooler. Also, I recommend that you go for this against floaties and characters with low fall speeds because it's very difficult to land the lock against most characters since they will land to the ground way too fast for you to lock them.
DA > Uair > Footstool > First hit of Bair/Nair > Regrab/DA > Followups of your choice
Total=Around 20%+
Works best between 10-25% on midweights, fast fallers, and heavyweights
Since you can't lock most characters after a footstool, you want to use this variation to keep the combo going because you have just enough time to hit them with these moves before they can do anything. If you want a completely guaranteed combo, hit them as close as possible with the first hit of Bair because it will true combo into a grab/DA. A stronger and harder followup after the footstool is going for a Nair. This is more difficult because you have to be pretty precise to hit the sweetspot or sourspot Nair on some characters like Sheik and they have a small chance to possibly escape before or after the Nair if you aren't executing the combo properly. But, you get a lot more reward if you perform this variation instead of the Bair variation.
Dthrow > RAR FF Bair/PP FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > Followups of your choice
Total=Around 25%+
Works best between 0-15% with DI away and between 0-10% with DI up on lightweights/floaties. Works best between 0-35% with DI away and around 0-25% with DI up on all the other weight classes
This combo is absolutely brutal if performed correctly. But use this as a mixup combo to throw your opponent off guard during a match. This is because they can easily airdodge the Bair if you're not close to frame perfect on the combo or they can just DI up to make it harder for you to combo. To land this combo reliably, you should condition the opponent into thinking that you're just gonna do the typical MK combos so that they just prepare for those specific combos and not the Bair lock combo. By doing this, you should be able to land this combo at least 1-3 times during a Bo3 set.
Ledge trump > 2-4 Uairs > Bair
Total=Around 20% or a possible stock
Works best at mid %s on all weight classes but I need further testing for this combo
As many know, a trump into Bair is true with MK if you're fast enough at it and it's a very good way to end a stock at around 80%. But what many don't know is that you can trump into an Uair with MK. This is very significant because you can chain multiple Uairs together to get the opponent closer to the blast zone and finish them off with a Bair kill potentially at like 60% or something. Ito has a good demonstration of him doing this in a real match which I'll link right here https://youtu.be/17pLbe7YJfE.
DA > SH Uair > DJ Uair > Landing Uair > 4-6 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 50% or a possible stock
Works best between 12-22% on fast fallers only but I need more testing on this combo
This is definitely an interesting combo to say the least. This is because the Uair nerf actually makes this combo a lot more reliable to use which is kinda funny but it's still difficult to do. If you have trouble performing this combo, you can instead go for an Usmash into UpB after the triple Uair shenanigans which is like 38% or you can go for a pivot grab which I believe is true but don't quote me on that.
6. Mixups, Tricks, and Kill Setups
In this final section of the guide, I'll pretty much be wrapping things up by covering the miscellaneous things that MK can do. Beginner MKs, don't worry about this stuff until you get the basics down and then come back to this. If you guys have any suggestions on what can be added here like frame traps, new mixups, tricks, be sure to let me know and I may add it.
Ftilt 1 or 2 > Dtilt/Grab/UpB
All of these mixup options are what I find to be the best options out of an Ftilt. I recommend that you do these mixups at higher %s as that is when they work best. Also, you can get creative with these mixups like doing Ftilt 1 > Dtilt > DG Fthrow > UpB. This does around 28% and it is a reliable kill setup if you perform it between 70-100% usually. Before I forget, you should know that Ftilt 1 > UpB is a kill confirm at high %s. To know more about this, check out this guide that explains more about it http://smashboards.com/threads/new-meta-knight-kill-confirm-in-smash-4.427016/.
First 2 hits of landing Fair > Grab/Usmash/Dtilt and etc.
This is a pretty decent setup to start your usual MK combo mumbo jumbo. While the followups that I listed aren't true, they are pretty reliable at covering different defensive options that the opponent might make.
FF Bair > Dsmash/UpB
Another kill setup that is a bit underutilized. It's a pretty decent way to end an opponent's stock because it's pretty easy to perform, the FF Bair is super hard to tech, and you have two variations to kill. One being the UpB which is useful for killing from center stage and the Dsmash which is useful for killing from the edge of the stage. Both of these options kill a character like Mario at around 105% without rage and when the moves are fresh. Some scenarios of how to land this confirm are reading an opponent's airdodge, or spacing the Bair out to beat an opponent's attacking option.
Footstool > Dair
There isn't much to talk about with this other than that landing a grounded/aerial footstool can lead into a guaranteed Dair. This will pretty much become second nature if you plan on maining MK because it's super easy to land footstools with him.
Nair > Tech chase/Jab lock
There isn't too much discussion about this setup so I decided that I would talk about it here. Starting at around 20% for most characters, Nair will send the opponent into a tumble state in which they are forced to tech the ground. The problem for the opponent is that Nair sends them at a very low and horizontal angle which makes it pretty hard to tech. If the opponent isn't prepared for this tech, you can get a free jab lock with Dtilt if you are close enough to them. If you aren't close enough, go for a DA.
Dair > Tech chase/Jab lock
I don't feel the need to go in depth with this mixup because Jamurai already did with the thread that he posted about it and I'd basically be repeating what he said. I'll link his post right here http://smashboards.com/threads/dair-to-dtilt-lock-s-and-notes.433593/. Go show him some appreciation for his really hard work that he did on this because this takes hours for us people to lab these things.
Dtilt > DownB/UpB
If you guys didn't know, Dtilt starts to put the opponent into a tech chase situation at high %s. This is significant because it allows for MK to have another safe kill confirm setup against the cast. Jibmil created a guide about this that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/vPBAMvCI73A. Also, I recommend you go for DownB against heavyweights and UpB vs. all other weight classes because your UpB will most likely not kill heavyweights from the staling. UpB will kill the other weight classes just fine and it's a bit safer than DownB but it's up to personal preference on what you want to do.
Edge Cancelled Jab > NeutralB/UpB
Edge canceling a jab is a unique property to characters with multihitting jabs such as MK, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, etc. To perform a jab cancel, all you have to do is activate your multihitting jab near the edge of a platform or near the ledge of the stage and you have to hit your opponent without letting the finisher of the jab activate. This allows you to fall off the ledge/edge without any lag. So, what are some of the applications of this tech? Well, you can buffer special attacks like MK's UpB or NeutralB for example and combo them from the jab. This isn't something to be going for because of how situational it is but it's good information to keep in the back of your head.
7. Closure
And there you have it. This took such a long time to make and I hope I helped anyone who read this guide. This was really fun to make but gosh dang, I had to put so much work into this to make sure everything was correct, organized, and explained well for you guys. For part 3 of the guide, I want you guys to give me a topic to discuss about MK. I'll pick the most requested one that I see. Also, I want to hear your criticism on this guide. Was it bad, good, did I improve, what can I improve on, etc. If you want to learn or play smash with me, follow me at my stream on twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/freakzoid9000. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrxP168SwkbEgP9h4qCaVA. Anyways, I guess that wraps things up so as always, stay freaky my freaks! Cya guys later.
1. Introduction
2. Meanings of abbreviations
3. Beginner combos
4. Intermediate combos
5. Advanced combos
6. Mixups, Tricks, and Kill Setups
7. Closure
1. Introduction
What's up guys! Freakzoid9000 is back again with part 2 of my Meta Knight guide. In this guide, I will go over beginner, intermediate, and advanced combos with MK. Note that I will point out if a combo is guaranteed or not, is DI dependent, is a mixup, etc. Also if you're just learning MK, I would recommend that you read my first guide where I introduced the character and his moveset. I'll leave a link to it right here http://smashboards.com/guides/meta-knight-guide-part-1-introducing-the-character.889/. Without further delay, let's hop right into the combos.
2. Meanings of Abbreviations
DA- Dash Attack
DG- Dash Grab
MK- Meta Knight
PP- Perfect Pivot
RAR- Reverse Aerial Rush
DI- Directional Influence
SDI- Smash Directional Influence
SH- Short Hop
DJ- Double Jump
FH- Full Hop
FF- Fast Fall
SD- Self Destruct
GC- Game Cube
Combos in blue text are beginner
Combos in orange text are intermediate
Combos in red text are advanced
3. Beginner Combos
DA/Dthrow > Nair
Total=16%, 17%
Works best between 0-20%
Guaranteed on all forms of DI and is very simple to pull off. This combo is very good for gaining stage control and you can get a potential Dtilt or regrab if your opponent doesn't react properly or doesn't expect it.
DA/Dthrow > NeutralB
Total=Around 30%
Works best between 0-10% from DA and works best between 0-20% from Dthrow
Dthrow to tornado works on DI up or no DI and will work on big, light, some middleweight, or floaty characters regardless of DI. This combo won't work on some characters who DI down and away, namely fast fallers like Sheik, Fox, Link, etc.
DA to tornado works on all forms of DI pretty much and will work on all the cast except on small and floaty on occasions. This combo is good if you want solid damage at the start of a match but it won't lead into any follow ups.
DA/Dthrow > Usmash
Total=15%, 16%
Works best between 0-20% from DA and 0-30% from Dthrow
Guaranteed on all forms of DI. This combo is useful for the reason that it puts your opponent above you for possible follow ups. This is also useful against characters like Fox, Greninja, etc. that DI too low and away for you to get any other follow ups off of Dthrow other than UpB but that's for later %s.
DA/Dthrow > UpB
Total=18%, 19%
Works best between 50-100% when you have no other true follow ups from these two moves
Dthrow to UpB is guaranteed on proper DI away until around the highish %s (70-100%). Note that these %s could vary depending on your rage, the staleness of Dthrow, and the opponent's character size, weight, fall speed, etc. This combo also lasts longer if your opponent DIs toward you, up, or has no DI at all. This is a very solid combo for racking up damage at mid %s but don't use it too much as it could make your UpB stale. Also be sure to use the grounded version since it has more knockback which could lead to some potential kills in certain circumstances.
DA to UpB is guaranteed on all forms of DI except on preemptive DI away at higher %s (+100% or so). These %s could change for the same reasons that I listed above for Dthrow to UpB. Also, make sure you jump and use UpB after DA because it makes the combo last longer and it's more consistent. This is one of MK's most reliable kill setups for how easy it is to pull off and it can be used to rack up damage at mid %s. Sourspot DA is even better at this combo since it will guarantee an UpB regardless of DI and it will kill earlier because sourspot DA sends more vertically.
DA/Dthrow > Fair > UpB
Total=24%, 25%
Works best between 15-45% as a mixup combo
Both combos are guaranteed unless the opponent DIs away after getting hit by the Fair at around 35ish%. If you have rage, do this combo at around 5-25% roughly. Also, make sure that you buffer the UpB so that it comes out on the first possible frame after hitting the Fair. This combo is only really useful for getting some decent damage on your opponent if they don't expect it. I wouldn't recommend going for this if you can't get the UpB after the Fair because there are better combo options than DA/Dthrow into Fair. Only go for Dthrow into Fair at around 0% if you are at the very edge of the stage since that would be your only guaranteed follow up.
DA > Utilt
Total=13%+
Works best between 0-10%
Guaranteed on all DI. This is an alt combo that you can use if you don't want to use Usmash after DA which can lead into other follow ups possibly (hence the reason why I put the + sign).
Dthrow/Fthrow/Bthrow > DA
Total in order=13%+, 15%+, 16%+
Works best between 0-25% from Dthrow, works best at around 0% from Fthrow, works best between 0-10% from Bthrow
Dthrow to DA is guaranteed on DI away or no DI. This will miss if the opponent DIs up. If the opponent doesn't DI or is a floaty, you may want to wait a split second so that you don't DA underneath them.
Fthrow to DA is guaranteed if your opponent doesn't DI away fast enough and you have to use an instant DG Fthrow in order for MK to slide forward which will let the DA connect in time. Also, this combo should only be used against fast fallers, big characters, and certain mid weights.
Bthrow to DA is guaranteed on DI in or no DI. This throw should be used as a mixup to the typical Dthrow since it deals more damage and it sends behind MK which could help if you're near the ledge where Dthrow wouldn't lead into anything. Also, if the opponent DIs away, it leads into a tech chase situation that you can use to your advantage.
Fthrow > UpB
Total=21%
Works best between 80-100%
Guaranteed if your opponent doesn't DI away. Not much to talk about here other than that it is a very quick and effective way to end an opponent's stock since the Fthrow is very difficult to DI because it's so fast. Just be sure to use an instant DG Fthrow otherwise your opponent will be able to DI the combo with ease.
Nair > DA/DG
Total=16%+
Works best between 5-25% from the strong Nair and 15-35% from the weak Nair
Guaranteed on any form of DI from my knowledge. If you want the DA/DG to be a true combo, you need to land with the Nair while having momentum toward your opponent. Not a combo that you should be fishing for really in neutral or something but it's a combo that you should try to setup into from other combos/strings. Nair also sets up nicely for a tech chase situation at low %s and it can setup a jab lock if they miss the tech (more on this later).
4. Intermediate Combos
Now those combos that I listed earlier didn't seem all that impressive and were pretty basic, weren't they? Well, those combos can be seen as the combo starters for what I'm about to show you guys. These intermediate combos will take more knowledge on DI, weight classes, gravity, etc. They will finally also combine with the infamous Uair that MK has like the one that I'll list below.
DA > Uair > FF Nair > UpB
Total=32%
Works best between 10-25% approximately and as a mixup combo
Everything is guaranteed unless the opponent has good DI away after the Nair. You also need close to frame perfect inputs and the opponent has to be at specific %s to have this be completely guaranteed, otherwise the opponent may be able to airdodge at some point or they could use a character specific move to escape. This combo is best used against midweights, fast fallers, and big characters.
Dthrow/Fthrow > DA > Uair > FF Nair > UpB
Total=39%, 41%
Works best between 5-20% for Dthrow and works best between 0-10% for Fthrow
Just a variation of the combo I previously listed above.
DA > Usmash > UpB
Total=27%
Works best between 0-20%
This combo is guaranteed if the opponent DIs away or towards you. Won't work if the opponent is directly above you after you hit them with the Usmash. Not much explanation for this one other than you should use a grounded UpB at super low %s and a jump UpB at low %s.
Dthrow/Fthrow > DA > Usmash > UpB
Total=34%, 36%
Works best between 0-15% from Dthrow and works best between 0-10% from Fthrow
Another variation combo of the one above.
DA/Dthrow > 4-6 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 42% or a possible stock
Works best between 10-25% on floaties/lightweights, works best between 20-35% on midweights and fast fallers, and works best between 20-40% on heavyweights. Be wary of your rage as it will make the normal Uair combo happen earlier.
Okay, so there has and still is a lot of misconception revolving around this combo ever since the 1.1.5 patch. Because of this misconception, I'm going to discuss this combo a bit differently by going over why and how it's still guaranteed on the cast, how to perform and practice it, and I'll discuss the control scheme that you need.
First off, this combo is still guaranteed on any DI and SDI that the opponent has if you start the combo at the relative %s that I listed above. This is mainly because of the staleness of the Uairs that you use during the combo. This staleness allows the Uair to not send your opponent into tumble as early as it normally would when it's fresh. If your opponent gets sent into tumble, they are able to easily SDI the combo and escape. But, if you start the combo at the %s I listed earlier, you should be able to stale your Uair enough to not send them into tumble. Warionumbah2 has a really great thread that explains the effects of tumble and the %s that the Uair sends each character into tumble that I'll link right here http://smashboards.com/threads/uair-tumble-s.434712/. There are some other reasons that cause this to be guaranteed like the rage factor and the middle hitbox of MK's Uair, but these reasons need hours of more testing to be accurate and it isn't something that is conventional to do.
There are so many aspects involved in performing this combo like being able to follow DI, knowing when to do it, being able to scale your rage correctly with the combo, etc. But the key concept in performing this combo is your consistency at doing the combo. The way to be consistent at this combo is practice, practice, and more practice. The way I recommend you to practice is to start off doing Uair strings against R.O.B or Peach in smash mode, not training mode, and set their % to around 25%. This should help you get a basic understanding on the angles that Uair will send the opponent and an idea on how to do the combo because the characters that I mentioned are super easy to perform the combo on. Next, I want you to Uair string someone like Sheik, Mario, Falcon, Fox, etc. and put their % at around 20-30%. This is gonna be a bit more difficult but this will teach you to do consistent FF Uairs during your strings. Note that depending on where the opponent gets sent after a DA/Dthrow and what the opponent's character is, you may need to do SH Uair and not FH Uair because FH Uair whiffs at low % DAs. This is noticeable against fast fallers and mid fallers like Sheik and Mario. Anyways, now that you got the Uairs down, start to practice the string against everyone in the cast to learn the specific %s at when to do the combo in a specific MU, learn how many Uairs you can do against a specific character, and etc. Finally, practice doing the Uair strings against different DI patterns like DI away for example. If you don't have a friend to help you practice against DI, you can try and use your feet to control a second controller for DI practice. It's nothing too difficult but it's just really weird to get the hang of.
The control scheme that you need for stringing Uairs isn't anything complex if you were worried about it being that. Basically, all you need to do is map your C-stick to attack, turn off tap jump, and have one of your bumpers or buttons set to jump. Doing this allows you to have full horizontal momentum in the air with the left stick while still being able to jump+Uair at the same time. Note that you may also need a claw grip if you're doing this with the GC controller but I'm not 100% certain because I use the pro controller and not the GC. Ito has a very good video showing off the horizontal momentum with MK that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/ak9DNqItd-E. Also for those wondering, this combo is completely possible with tap jump as well. You just need very quick and precise inputs to use it effectively. Imo, I personally find tap jump much easier to use rather than button jump because I've used it since SBB64 but it's up to your personally preference.
DA/Dthrow > 4-5 Uairs > Fair/Nair
Total=Around 30%+ generally or a possible stock
Works best between 20-30% on midweights and fast fallers and works best between 20-35% on heavyweights
I don't think I have to repeat myself on how this is guaranteed so I'll just go over its applications. This is an alt combo to the standard Uair to UpB that you should use when you are offstage because you may risk the chance of SD'ing if you use UpB far offstage. This combo is actually really interesting because of its potential to kill off the side if your opponent keeps DI'ing away during the Uair string. It can also give you an easy gimp if they survive your combo finisher because it's highly probable that they will have to use all their resources to recover, so all you have to do is stuff them out of one or two of their options and they're dead. Nair has the highest chance of killing off the side since it has a higher base knockback than Fair so try to get as close as possible to the opponent when Uair stringing them. If they are too far away to hit with Nair, use Fair. This combo also seems to connect better without or with low rage.
Fair 1 > Tipped DA > UpB
Total=19%
Works best between 70-90% on all weight classes
Guaranteed on any DI the opponent has. Not the most practical combo for MK, but that's the beauty of it. This isn't something that the opponent will likely know about which makes it a decent kill combo at pretty early %s. Fair 1 also leads into a tech chase situation at these %s and sends at an angle similar to Dtilt.
UpB > UpB
Total=24% or a possible stock
Works best between 70-100% on all weight classes
A pretty situational but easy combo to perform. This works best against linear recoveries or when people try to challenge your recovery. Make sure that you hit both hits of UpB before you snap to the ledge otherwise the combo won't work. When you snap to the ledge, buffer the jump option and UpB as quickly as possible to finish the combo. Also as a side note, you can true combo the UpB into Uairs into another UpB at around 40-60% if you're quick enough.
Uair > Grab
Total=4%+
Works best at low %s on all weight classes
This combo is true if you Uair someone on a platform and then land on it to grab them. This also works if you drop off the ledge and Uair back onstage which you then can proceed to grab them of course. Using Uair like this can also lead into other true combos like Uair > Utilt or Uair > Dtilt which can trip and lead into more followups.
5. Advanced Combos
Now we're going to get into the more interesting and cool combos that MK has hidden up his glove. I tip my fedora to Ito for advancing MK's combo game to its absolute limits. Be sure to check out his channel and subscribe for the awesome work that he's done. I'll link it right here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQft5xTnfn6abNDdAL-qitA . Also, everything here is guaranteed unless spoken otherwise. Since that's out of the way, be sure to prepare yourself for even more devastating combos.
DA > Uair > FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > Fsmash/Tornado
Total=Around 45% generally
Works best between 10-30% on all weight classes
If you guys didn't know already, you should know that MK's Bair has an interesting property in that it can meteor if you hit your opponent while FF the move. The importance of this is that if you meteor the opponent into the ground of the stage, it puts them into a tech situation and since MK's FF Bair is so difficult to tech, they will most likely miss their tech 9 times out of 10. If they miss their tech, go for a turnaround Dtilt. This will put them into a lock and it will force them to do a neutral getup when you finish the lock. For more in depth information on locks, check out MySmashCorner's video that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/_ZJx5F0kTms. Anyways, you can get up to 3 Dtilts on the opponent before they are forced to get up, unless you are near the ledge in which case you want to end the lock earlier because they will slide off the stage. The % range that Dtilt stops locking is around 55%. This range is either increased or decreased depending on your rage and the staleness of your Dtilt I believe as well. When you finish the lock, the followup choice is up to you. Use tornado for damage or Fsmash for stage control. There are some characters that don't get put into a tech situation by MK's Bair however. They are Samus, DK, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Ganon, DDD, and Charizard. If you perform the combo on one of these characters, go for a turnaround grab into followups of your choice. This is because these characters suffer lag from the Bair (around 30 frames) and that gives you ample time to get a regrab.
DA > Uair > FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > DA/Utilt > 3-5 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 60% or a possible stock
Works best between 10-30% on all weight classes
The strongest combo in MK's arsenal that can be performed. To execute this combo consistently, you need so much knowledge of how it works. This takes hours of practice and memorization to perform consistently and effectively on every character in the cast. Only go for this combo if you know MK inside and out. Otherwise, go for the more reliable followups that I listed before. Also, if you go for this, space yourself to get a tipped DA because it works so much better than Utilt or a normal DA. Go for a normal DA if it's like against a floaty or something.
DA > Uair > Footstool > 1-3 Dtilts > Followups of your choice
Total=25%+
Works best between 0-15% on lightweights/floaties and works best between 15-25% on midweights
First off, footstools cannot be teched at all. This is a very common misconception that I wanted to get out of the way right now before people start to argue against me. There isn't too much special about this combo other then that it works earlier than the FF Bair lock and it looks cooler. Also, I recommend that you go for this against floaties and characters with low fall speeds because it's very difficult to land the lock against most characters since they will land to the ground way too fast for you to lock them.
DA > Uair > Footstool > First hit of Bair/Nair > Regrab/DA > Followups of your choice
Total=Around 20%+
Works best between 10-25% on midweights, fast fallers, and heavyweights
Since you can't lock most characters after a footstool, you want to use this variation to keep the combo going because you have just enough time to hit them with these moves before they can do anything. If you want a completely guaranteed combo, hit them as close as possible with the first hit of Bair because it will true combo into a grab/DA. A stronger and harder followup after the footstool is going for a Nair. This is more difficult because you have to be pretty precise to hit the sweetspot or sourspot Nair on some characters like Sheik and they have a small chance to possibly escape before or after the Nair if you aren't executing the combo properly. But, you get a lot more reward if you perform this variation instead of the Bair variation.
Dthrow > RAR FF Bair/PP FF Bair > 1-3 Dtilts > Followups of your choice
Total=Around 25%+
Works best between 0-15% with DI away and between 0-10% with DI up on lightweights/floaties. Works best between 0-35% with DI away and around 0-25% with DI up on all the other weight classes
This combo is absolutely brutal if performed correctly. But use this as a mixup combo to throw your opponent off guard during a match. This is because they can easily airdodge the Bair if you're not close to frame perfect on the combo or they can just DI up to make it harder for you to combo. To land this combo reliably, you should condition the opponent into thinking that you're just gonna do the typical MK combos so that they just prepare for those specific combos and not the Bair lock combo. By doing this, you should be able to land this combo at least 1-3 times during a Bo3 set.
Ledge trump > 2-4 Uairs > Bair
Total=Around 20% or a possible stock
Works best at mid %s on all weight classes but I need further testing for this combo
As many know, a trump into Bair is true with MK if you're fast enough at it and it's a very good way to end a stock at around 80%. But what many don't know is that you can trump into an Uair with MK. This is very significant because you can chain multiple Uairs together to get the opponent closer to the blast zone and finish them off with a Bair kill potentially at like 60% or something. Ito has a good demonstration of him doing this in a real match which I'll link right here https://youtu.be/17pLbe7YJfE.
DA > SH Uair > DJ Uair > Landing Uair > 4-6 Uairs > UpB
Total=Around 50% or a possible stock
Works best between 12-22% on fast fallers only but I need more testing on this combo
This is definitely an interesting combo to say the least. This is because the Uair nerf actually makes this combo a lot more reliable to use which is kinda funny but it's still difficult to do. If you have trouble performing this combo, you can instead go for an Usmash into UpB after the triple Uair shenanigans which is like 38% or you can go for a pivot grab which I believe is true but don't quote me on that.
6. Mixups, Tricks, and Kill Setups
In this final section of the guide, I'll pretty much be wrapping things up by covering the miscellaneous things that MK can do. Beginner MKs, don't worry about this stuff until you get the basics down and then come back to this. If you guys have any suggestions on what can be added here like frame traps, new mixups, tricks, be sure to let me know and I may add it.
Ftilt 1 or 2 > Dtilt/Grab/UpB
All of these mixup options are what I find to be the best options out of an Ftilt. I recommend that you do these mixups at higher %s as that is when they work best. Also, you can get creative with these mixups like doing Ftilt 1 > Dtilt > DG Fthrow > UpB. This does around 28% and it is a reliable kill setup if you perform it between 70-100% usually. Before I forget, you should know that Ftilt 1 > UpB is a kill confirm at high %s. To know more about this, check out this guide that explains more about it http://smashboards.com/threads/new-meta-knight-kill-confirm-in-smash-4.427016/.
First 2 hits of landing Fair > Grab/Usmash/Dtilt and etc.
This is a pretty decent setup to start your usual MK combo mumbo jumbo. While the followups that I listed aren't true, they are pretty reliable at covering different defensive options that the opponent might make.
FF Bair > Dsmash/UpB
Another kill setup that is a bit underutilized. It's a pretty decent way to end an opponent's stock because it's pretty easy to perform, the FF Bair is super hard to tech, and you have two variations to kill. One being the UpB which is useful for killing from center stage and the Dsmash which is useful for killing from the edge of the stage. Both of these options kill a character like Mario at around 105% without rage and when the moves are fresh. Some scenarios of how to land this confirm are reading an opponent's airdodge, or spacing the Bair out to beat an opponent's attacking option.
Footstool > Dair
There isn't much to talk about with this other than that landing a grounded/aerial footstool can lead into a guaranteed Dair. This will pretty much become second nature if you plan on maining MK because it's super easy to land footstools with him.
Nair > Tech chase/Jab lock
There isn't too much discussion about this setup so I decided that I would talk about it here. Starting at around 20% for most characters, Nair will send the opponent into a tumble state in which they are forced to tech the ground. The problem for the opponent is that Nair sends them at a very low and horizontal angle which makes it pretty hard to tech. If the opponent isn't prepared for this tech, you can get a free jab lock with Dtilt if you are close enough to them. If you aren't close enough, go for a DA.
Dair > Tech chase/Jab lock
I don't feel the need to go in depth with this mixup because Jamurai already did with the thread that he posted about it and I'd basically be repeating what he said. I'll link his post right here http://smashboards.com/threads/dair-to-dtilt-lock-s-and-notes.433593/. Go show him some appreciation for his really hard work that he did on this because this takes hours for us people to lab these things.
Dtilt > DownB/UpB
If you guys didn't know, Dtilt starts to put the opponent into a tech chase situation at high %s. This is significant because it allows for MK to have another safe kill confirm setup against the cast. Jibmil created a guide about this that I'll link right here https://youtu.be/vPBAMvCI73A. Also, I recommend you go for DownB against heavyweights and UpB vs. all other weight classes because your UpB will most likely not kill heavyweights from the staling. UpB will kill the other weight classes just fine and it's a bit safer than DownB but it's up to personal preference on what you want to do.
Edge Cancelled Jab > NeutralB/UpB
Edge canceling a jab is a unique property to characters with multihitting jabs such as MK, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, etc. To perform a jab cancel, all you have to do is activate your multihitting jab near the edge of a platform or near the ledge of the stage and you have to hit your opponent without letting the finisher of the jab activate. This allows you to fall off the ledge/edge without any lag. So, what are some of the applications of this tech? Well, you can buffer special attacks like MK's UpB or NeutralB for example and combo them from the jab. This isn't something to be going for because of how situational it is but it's good information to keep in the back of your head.
7. Closure
And there you have it. This took such a long time to make and I hope I helped anyone who read this guide. This was really fun to make but gosh dang, I had to put so much work into this to make sure everything was correct, organized, and explained well for you guys. For part 3 of the guide, I want you guys to give me a topic to discuss about MK. I'll pick the most requested one that I see. Also, I want to hear your criticism on this guide. Was it bad, good, did I improve, what can I improve on, etc. If you want to learn or play smash with me, follow me at my stream on twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/freakzoid9000. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrxP168SwkbEgP9h4qCaVA. Anyways, I guess that wraps things up so as always, stay freaky my freaks! Cya guys later.
