- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
Miss Me Baby? A Bayonetta Guide (Part 1)
Bayonetta hails from the game Bayonetta, released in 2009. Five years later, a sequel was released, titled Bayonetta 2. Bayonetta was selected as the winner of the Smash Ballot, held to decide on the last new character in Smash 4. Finally released in February 2016, she's got both the moves and the attitude to stomp whoever dares challenge her.
Table of Contents:
1) Introduction
2) Moveset Analysis
3) Combos
4) Edgeguarding and Recovery
5) KO Options
6) Notable Players
7) Fighting Against Bayonetta
8) Useful Links
9) Conclusion
Introduction:
Welcome to my guide! You are most likely here because you want to try Bayonetta out, but want some information on her moves or combos. Perhaps you are already a Bayonetta main but would like to gain a more in-depth understanding of how she works. If that's the case, you should check out Part 2 of this guide here, as this guide is aimed towards people who are new to the character. Maybe you just came to hate on Bayonetta, in which case I must state that this guide is not meant for you. Whatever the reason, I hope that you learn something from this guide.
Moveset Analysis:
A character's moveset is the core of how the character plays. Bayonetta has a very diverse moveset, and has a move for almost every situation. If you would like to see the hitboxes of (almost) all of Bayonetta's moves, click here (credit to Furil for making these). If you would like all the info on the data for Bayonetta, click here to go to Kurogane Hammer.
NOTE: Damage percentages do not factor in rage.
Combos:
If there's one thing Bayonetta is known for, it's her combos. She has one of the best combo games in Smash 4, with a plethora of options for use at any time. While she has a few throw combos (mostly off UThrow at low percents), the majority of her combos begin with a tilt, aerial, or special move.
Edgeguarding and Recovery:
Bayonetta's off-stage and recovery game is one of the strongest in the game. Her aerials are great at keeping your opponents away from the ledge, and she has one of the best recoveries in the game. You can get an opponent off-stage with an FThrow or BThrow, as well as a well-placed Smash attack. Once the opponent is off-stage, don't let the pressure up. You want to make your opponent's life as difficult as possible while recovering.
KO Options:
Racking up damage means nothing if you can't land a KO. There are three main methods of taking a stock with Bayonetta: gimping, aerials and Smash attacks. Each are useful in different ways, and understanding all of them is important.
Notable Players:
These players have shown top-level skill with Bayonetta, and should be respected. All have placed in the top 8 in a national tournament with the character. If you're looking for people to study, these are the ones!
Fighting Against Bayonetta:
Bayonetta is often quite a difficult match-up for many characters. Because she is so different from the rest of the cast, it can be tough to understand how to fight her. While none of this is set in stone, these tips can help you get better when battling Bayonetta.
Useful Links:
The following links provide additional info to supplement what you learned in this guide. More will be added as I discover more helpful resources. Enjoy!
Conclusion:
Thanks for taking the time to read this guide! I hope you have learned a bit more about Bayonetta, and that this guide can help you improve. If you have anything you would like me to add or change, let me know! If you're interested in learning more about Bayonetta, then you can check out Part 2 of this guide here. Once again, thanks for reading!
Bayonetta hails from the game Bayonetta, released in 2009. Five years later, a sequel was released, titled Bayonetta 2. Bayonetta was selected as the winner of the Smash Ballot, held to decide on the last new character in Smash 4. Finally released in February 2016, she's got both the moves and the attitude to stomp whoever dares challenge her.
Table of Contents:
1) Introduction
2) Moveset Analysis
3) Combos
4) Edgeguarding and Recovery
5) KO Options
6) Notable Players
7) Fighting Against Bayonetta
8) Useful Links
9) Conclusion
Introduction:
Welcome to my guide! You are most likely here because you want to try Bayonetta out, but want some information on her moves or combos. Perhaps you are already a Bayonetta main but would like to gain a more in-depth understanding of how she works. If that's the case, you should check out Part 2 of this guide here, as this guide is aimed towards people who are new to the character. Maybe you just came to hate on Bayonetta, in which case I must state that this guide is not meant for you. Whatever the reason, I hope that you learn something from this guide.
Bayonetta has been a center of discussion ever since she was released. She is generally an unpopular character due to her lengthy combos, which many claim to be inescapable, or at least difficult to get out of. She also receives a lot of negativity for being "toxic" or "cheap", and the Spanish Sm4sh community has even banned her from competitive play. Therefore, she remains a largely unexplored character, with very few people dedicated to developing her metagame.
At first glance, Bayonetta is a very unique character. She is a character with several attributes that no other character has, including using her Up Special before and after her double jump, a Side Special that changes names from on the ground to the air, and taunts that can be cancelled part-way through. She can extend her moves with Bullet Arts, and her counter is very different than all other counters. She looks to be quite different than all the other members of the cast, which can turn new players away from Bayonetta.
Bayonetta shines on offense, where she can punish opponents with a multitude of high-damaging combos for any mistake they may make. She is great at edge guarding, due to her aerial Bullet Arts and stellar recovery. Her counter, which slows down time for the opponent, can lead to absurd combos which no other character can do. She can put a large amount of pressure on the opponent with the threat of a combo while chipping away at their percent with Bullet Arts.
However, Bayonetta is not perfect. Her frame data is not the best, when compared to other top-tier characters. Her neutral game, while far from terrible, definitely isn't great, and she doesn't have safe approach options. In addition, she doesn't get any guaranteed combos off of her grabs, making shields a problem for her. She can also struggle in taking a stock.
Abbreviations and Terminology:
Here is a list of abbreviations I will be using throughout the guide.
Attributes:
Weight: 84 (45th heaviest)
Walk Speed: 0.9 (45th fastest)
Run Speed: 1.6 (28th fastest)
Air Speed: 0.97 (36th fastest)
Fall Speed: 1.77 (9th fastest)
Fast Fall Speed: 2.832 (9th fastest)
Jumpsquat: 4 Frames
SH Air Time: 38 Frames
FH Air Time: 54 Frames
Bat Within:
Bayonetta has a unique attribute titled Bat Within. It is activated when she is hit in the first few frames of her airdodge, rolls, spotdodge, and WTime. She will disappear into a cluster of bats, and reappear a bit later. It causes her to received reduced damage from the move she was hit by, as well as removing all knockback she would have taken. If moving, all momentum is retained.
Data (in frames):
Spotdodge: 1-4
Forward Roll: 3-5
Backwards Roll: 3-5
Airdodge: 1-4
Witch Time: 1-4, 17-29
Pros and Cons:
+ Combo Game
Bayonetta has some of the best combos in the game. Her DTilt, UTilt, ABK, WT, and WTime are all reliable combo starters. Her combos themselves can do insane damage, and she even has a couple death combos. Bayonetta's combos are easily one of her strongest points.
+ Punish Game
Bayonetta has a plethora of tools to punish any mistake an opponent may make. DTilt and WT are quick options that almost always lead into combos. WTime is a great option when you read an opponent, and allows you to potentially get an early kill. Bayonetta can also easily condition opponents to air dodge with her combos, which she can read and punish.
+ Recovery
Bayonetta's recovery is very versatile. She can use WT twice, and both ABK and dABK are useful when recovering. She even has a wall cling! She is very hard to edge guard because she has so many options and because WT and ABK have hitboxes to disrupt an opponent's edge guard attempt. Her wall cling is a surprise option to use against opponents waiting at the ledge. She can recover from nearly anywhere on the screen.
+ Unpredictability
Because Bayonetta has so many combo options, she can mix up her combs to surprise the opponent. When an opponent thinks they know what move she will do next in a combo, she can easily switch it on the spot. BA can also create a guessing game for your opponent, making them unsure on whether or not they can punish her.
- Speed
While Bayonetta is by no means slow, she is a bit lacking in the speed department when compared to other top tier characters. Her frame data is sluggish for a top tier, and she isn't overly quick in terms of movement either. Smart opponents can exploit this.
- Neutral Game
Bayonetta has a bad neutral, especially when compared to other high tiers. Her few approach options are easily telegraphed, with HSK being so unsafe on shield that it can be shield grabbed in the middle of the move. You must be patient in the neutral, as being too greedy and unsafe is an easy way to get punished.
- Killing
While Bayonetta excels at racking up damage, she often struggles to net a KO, as she lacks any safe Smashes, or a powerful kill throw. While WTime somewhat makes up for this, it still remains as a weakness in her gameplay.
At first glance, Bayonetta is a very unique character. She is a character with several attributes that no other character has, including using her Up Special before and after her double jump, a Side Special that changes names from on the ground to the air, and taunts that can be cancelled part-way through. She can extend her moves with Bullet Arts, and her counter is very different than all other counters. She looks to be quite different than all the other members of the cast, which can turn new players away from Bayonetta.
Bayonetta shines on offense, where she can punish opponents with a multitude of high-damaging combos for any mistake they may make. She is great at edge guarding, due to her aerial Bullet Arts and stellar recovery. Her counter, which slows down time for the opponent, can lead to absurd combos which no other character can do. She can put a large amount of pressure on the opponent with the threat of a combo while chipping away at their percent with Bullet Arts.
However, Bayonetta is not perfect. Her frame data is not the best, when compared to other top-tier characters. Her neutral game, while far from terrible, definitely isn't great, and she doesn't have safe approach options. In addition, she doesn't get any guaranteed combos off of her grabs, making shields a problem for her. She can also struggle in taking a stock.
Abbreviations and Terminology:
Here is a list of abbreviations I will be using throughout the guide.
FTilt - Forward Tilt
UTilt - Up Tilt
DTilt - Down Tilt
DA - Dash Attack
FSmash - Forward Smash
USmash - Up Smash
DSmash - Down Smash
Nair - Neutral Air
Fair - Forward Air (all three hits)
Fair 1 - First hit of Fair
Fair 2 - Second hit of Fair
Bair - Back Air
Uair - Up Air
Dair - Down Air
BC - Bullet Climax
HS - Heel Slide
HSK - Heel Slide Kick
ABK - After Burner Kick
dABK - After Burner Kick (downward angled)
WT - Witch Twist
DJCWT - Double Jump Cancelled Witch Twist
WTime - Witch Time
BW - Bat Within
FThrow - Forward Throw
BThrow - Back Throw
UThrow - Up Throw
DThrow - Down Throw
BA - Bullet Arts
DJ - Double Jump
SH - Short Hop
FH - Full Hop
FF - Fast Fall
SHFF - Short Hop Fast Fall
OoS - Out of Shield
B&B - Bread and Butter
FAF - First Actionable Frame (first frame able to do a different action)
DI - Directional Input
SDI - Smash Directional Input
FT - Foxtrot
RAR - Reverse Aerial Rush
Here is a link to The Smash Dictionary if you need more definitions for terms used in this guide.
UTilt - Up Tilt
DTilt - Down Tilt
DA - Dash Attack
FSmash - Forward Smash
USmash - Up Smash
DSmash - Down Smash
Nair - Neutral Air
Fair - Forward Air (all three hits)
Fair 1 - First hit of Fair
Fair 2 - Second hit of Fair
Bair - Back Air
Uair - Up Air
Dair - Down Air
BC - Bullet Climax
HS - Heel Slide
HSK - Heel Slide Kick
ABK - After Burner Kick
dABK - After Burner Kick (downward angled)
WT - Witch Twist
DJCWT - Double Jump Cancelled Witch Twist
WTime - Witch Time
BW - Bat Within
FThrow - Forward Throw
BThrow - Back Throw
UThrow - Up Throw
DThrow - Down Throw
BA - Bullet Arts
DJ - Double Jump
SH - Short Hop
FH - Full Hop
FF - Fast Fall
SHFF - Short Hop Fast Fall
OoS - Out of Shield
B&B - Bread and Butter
FAF - First Actionable Frame (first frame able to do a different action)
DI - Directional Input
SDI - Smash Directional Input
FT - Foxtrot
RAR - Reverse Aerial Rush
Here is a link to The Smash Dictionary if you need more definitions for terms used in this guide.
Attributes:
Weight: 84 (45th heaviest)
Walk Speed: 0.9 (45th fastest)
Run Speed: 1.6 (28th fastest)
Air Speed: 0.97 (36th fastest)
Fall Speed: 1.77 (9th fastest)
Fast Fall Speed: 2.832 (9th fastest)
Jumpsquat: 4 Frames
SH Air Time: 38 Frames
FH Air Time: 54 Frames
Bat Within:
Bayonetta has a unique attribute titled Bat Within. It is activated when she is hit in the first few frames of her airdodge, rolls, spotdodge, and WTime. She will disappear into a cluster of bats, and reappear a bit later. It causes her to received reduced damage from the move she was hit by, as well as removing all knockback she would have taken. If moving, all momentum is retained.
Data (in frames):
Spotdodge: 1-4
Forward Roll: 3-5
Backwards Roll: 3-5
Airdodge: 1-4
Witch Time: 1-4, 17-29
Pros and Cons:
+ Combo Game
Bayonetta has some of the best combos in the game. Her DTilt, UTilt, ABK, WT, and WTime are all reliable combo starters. Her combos themselves can do insane damage, and she even has a couple death combos. Bayonetta's combos are easily one of her strongest points.
+ Punish Game
Bayonetta has a plethora of tools to punish any mistake an opponent may make. DTilt and WT are quick options that almost always lead into combos. WTime is a great option when you read an opponent, and allows you to potentially get an early kill. Bayonetta can also easily condition opponents to air dodge with her combos, which she can read and punish.
+ Recovery
Bayonetta's recovery is very versatile. She can use WT twice, and both ABK and dABK are useful when recovering. She even has a wall cling! She is very hard to edge guard because she has so many options and because WT and ABK have hitboxes to disrupt an opponent's edge guard attempt. Her wall cling is a surprise option to use against opponents waiting at the ledge. She can recover from nearly anywhere on the screen.
+ Unpredictability
Because Bayonetta has so many combo options, she can mix up her combs to surprise the opponent. When an opponent thinks they know what move she will do next in a combo, she can easily switch it on the spot. BA can also create a guessing game for your opponent, making them unsure on whether or not they can punish her.
- Speed
While Bayonetta is by no means slow, she is a bit lacking in the speed department when compared to other top tier characters. Her frame data is sluggish for a top tier, and she isn't overly quick in terms of movement either. Smart opponents can exploit this.
- Neutral Game
Bayonetta has a bad neutral, especially when compared to other high tiers. Her few approach options are easily telegraphed, with HSK being so unsafe on shield that it can be shield grabbed in the middle of the move. You must be patient in the neutral, as being too greedy and unsafe is an easy way to get punished.
- Killing
While Bayonetta excels at racking up damage, she often struggles to net a KO, as she lacks any safe Smashes, or a powerful kill throw. While WTime somewhat makes up for this, it still remains as a weakness in her gameplay.
Moveset Analysis:
A character's moveset is the core of how the character plays. Bayonetta has a very diverse moveset, and has a move for almost every situation. If you would like to see the hitboxes of (almost) all of Bayonetta's moves, click here (credit to Furil for making these). If you would like all the info on the data for Bayonetta, click here to go to Kurogane Hammer.
NOTE: Damage percentages do not factor in rage.
(Move images coming soon!)
Ground Attacks: The most useful ground attacks for Bayonetta are her Jab and Tilts. Jab does a lot of damage on its own, and Ftilt and DTilt are good pokes. They are all good combo starters as well. Her Smash attacks should be saved for hard reads, or for when the opponent is in WTime, as they are quite laggy. Finally, DA is very situational, and the least useful of her grounded attacks.
Aerial Attacks: Bayonetta has great aerials overall. Fair is crucial to many of her combos, while Nair is a fantastic edgeguarding tool. Bair and Uair make good combo finishers, and have respectable kill power at high percents. Dair is a good spike off-stage and has great kill power.
Special Attacks: Bayonetta's specials are very important, both in neutral and in combos. BC is a good anti-SH option as well as a dangerous edgeguarding tool. ABK and WT make up the B&B of her combos, and give her a diverse recovery. WTime is an amazing counter that benefits from countering quick, weak moves.
Throws: Bayonetta's throws are arguably the weakest portion of her attacks. Her grab range is sub-par, and she has no guaranteed combos out of a throw. Generally, dash/pivot grabs are better than standing grabs, as they have more range. FThrow and BThrow are good for positioning, and UThrow and DThrow serve as semi-combo throws. No Bullet Arts for throws, sorry...
Ground Attacks: The most useful ground attacks for Bayonetta are her Jab and Tilts. Jab does a lot of damage on its own, and Ftilt and DTilt are good pokes. They are all good combo starters as well. Her Smash attacks should be saved for hard reads, or for when the opponent is in WTime, as they are quite laggy. Finally, DA is very situational, and the least useful of her grounded attacks.
Jab: 
Damage: 1.5% (Hit 1), 1.5% (Hit 2), 2.7% (Hit 3), 6% (Finisher)
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: Hit 1 (26), Hit 2 (31), Hit 3 (34) Finisher (46)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a three hit combo with her handguns, followed up by a series of rapid skulls.
Analysis: Bayonetta's Jab does a lot of damage, dealing up to 19%. In addition, it is quite hard to SDI out of, making it one of the more useful jabs. It comes out on frame 9, making it her third-fastest grounded attack. As with all jabs, the attack can be cancelled mid-way into another attack. This is useful for landing a Dtilt at low percents. In general, a combo beginning with DTilt will do more damage than the rapid jab at low percents. At high percents, it does good damage and can make it a lot easier to get the kill.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead after every hit. BA for Jab1 can be used when you are decently far away from the opponent as an alternative to DTIlt BA, as it does less damage but comes out faster. BA for the Rapid Jab should always be used, as it is an easy way to tack on extra damage. Those are the only places you should be using BA in Jab.
Forward Tilt:+
Damage: 3.5% (KIck 1), 3% (Kick 2), 8.5% (Kick 3), 15% (Total)
First Active Hitbox: 12
FAF: Kick 1 (32), Kick 2 (40), Kick 3 (43)
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a series of three kicks, with the third kick launching opponents into the air.
Analysis: FTilt is similar to Jab in several ways. Because the three kicks require three different presses of the A button, Bayonetta can cancel her FTilt into a different attack, just like Jab. They both do large amounts of damage when compared to the rest of the cast's. While Jab comes out faster and (usually) does more damage, FTilt sends the opponent at a better angle for Bayonetta. If you are close to the edge when you land a WTime, the first hit of FTilt can combo into DSmash for a spike. It should be noted that the third hit of FTilt has an absurdly large hitbox that can be used to surprise opponents. Pivot FTilt is a useful surprise option to catch opponents chasing you.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets in the direction her leg is pointing. Not too much use for Bullet Arts here as BA for FTIlt1 do the same amount of damage as Jab1 BA, but isn't as fast. Don't use BA for the other two hits of FTilt. Just don't.
Note: The first and second hits of FTilt can be crouched under by certain opponents.
Up Tilt:+
Damage: 5% (Hit 1), 6% (Hit 2), 11% (Total)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 27
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta swipes her gun upwards in a half-arc, with a point of light appearing at the end.
Analysis: UTilt is a secondary combo starter to use at low percents. The second hit is a good anti-air, and can combo into WT/Uair. The first hit is a good combo tool at low percents, but DTilt is generally a better option because of its larger range. UTilt is a fantastic option to start combos in Wtime, if you aren't close to the edge.
Bullet Arts: Shoots a round of bullets straight upwards. Not really a good use for BA here, as you have better ways of tacking on damage on an airborne opponent.
Note: When used on a grounded opponent, both hits of UTilt will not connect unless the opponent is tall. The first hit of UTilt can be crouched under by certain opponents.
Down Tilt:+
Damage: 6% (Close), 7% (Tip)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 26
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta sweeps her leg in front of her while crouching.
Analysis: DTilt is one of Bayonetta's best combo starters. It comes out quickly, has decent reach, and combos into all of her aerials, ABK, and WT. It is often her best punish option, as she can combo with it at nearly all percents. DTilt is also one of her best options OoS because of its range and speed. It is overall one of her best grounded moves.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from both her legs and her hand, with one of her legs and her hand facing forwards, and the other leg facing behind her. Arguably the most useful grounded BA move she has, as it does a max of 10% damage. This makes it a great way to pressure the opponent into approaching you. It takes a decently long time to start it up, however, especially when compared to the BA on her other tilts.
Tip: Bayonetta has one of the shortest crouches in the game. She can duck under a variety of moves, and punish with a DTilt. It looks really slick, too!
Dash Attack:+
Damage: 10% (Early), 8% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 15
FAF: 47
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta dashes across the ground after a short delay, performing her Stiltetto technique from her games.
Analysis: Bayonetta's DA is quite a niche move. It is horribly unsafe on shield, doesn't combo, and doesn't deal a whole lot of damage. Its only real use is as a far-away punish when other moves won't reach. It can also be used to punish opponents who air dodge into the ground. Most of the time, you will have better options than DA.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead. DA is laggy enough on its own, and the BA for it are severely outclassed by Jab1 BA and FTilt1 BA. Please don't use it.
Forward Smash:
Damage: 14-19% (sourspot), 16-22% (sweetspot)
First Active Hitbox: 19
FAF: 68
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the fist of Madama Butterfly, which punches forward at a slight downward angle.
Analysis: FSmash has the best reach out of Bayonetta's smash attacks. It kills quite early off the side, but requires a good read to land. It is mostly outclassed by USmash and DSmash in WTime, as DSmash spikes at the ledge and USmash true combos from DTilt in WTime for a kill.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead. For the same reasons as DA BA, don't use it.
Note: FSmash can be crouched under by certain opponents when standing close to Bayonetta.
Up Smash:
Damage: 17-23%
First Active Hitbox: 18
FAF: 65
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the fist of Madama Butterfly, which punches straight upward.
Analysis: USmash is Bayonetta's best smash attack, with the least amount of start-up and end-lag. It has good vertical reach and knockback. It is a good punish option at high percents, but shouldn't be used at low percents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from both her hands, one firing straight ahead and one firing upwards. Interestingly enough, her hand shakes (for lack of a better word) when firing upwards. Not really any use for the BA here, either.
Down Smash:
Damage: 20-28%
First Active Hitbox: 20
FAF: 69
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the heel of Madama Butterfly, which stomps directly downwards. Bayonetta also does a little stomp.
Analysis: Bayonetta's DSmash is good for spiking, but little else. It is the laggiest of her smashes, but also does the most damage. It doesn't kill on stage until roughly 130% (no rage), but it can kill extremely early offstage. It is quite useful at the edge in WTime, as FTilt, FSmash, DTilt, and UTilt can all lead to a DSmash spike.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets directly downwards from her foot. While seemingly useless, there is actually an active hitbox on her foot while firing, giving it a niche as a way to cover most get-up options from the ledge. This does take some practice to get used to the timing.
Tip: If you begin charging DSmash at the ledge, an opponent recovering high will inevitably air dodge. Wait for it, and release it once their air dodge is done.
Damage: 1.5% (Hit 1), 1.5% (Hit 2), 2.7% (Hit 3), 6% (Finisher)
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: Hit 1 (26), Hit 2 (31), Hit 3 (34) Finisher (46)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a three hit combo with her handguns, followed up by a series of rapid skulls.
Analysis: Bayonetta's Jab does a lot of damage, dealing up to 19%. In addition, it is quite hard to SDI out of, making it one of the more useful jabs. It comes out on frame 9, making it her third-fastest grounded attack. As with all jabs, the attack can be cancelled mid-way into another attack. This is useful for landing a Dtilt at low percents. In general, a combo beginning with DTilt will do more damage than the rapid jab at low percents. At high percents, it does good damage and can make it a lot easier to get the kill.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead after every hit. BA for Jab1 can be used when you are decently far away from the opponent as an alternative to DTIlt BA, as it does less damage but comes out faster. BA for the Rapid Jab should always be used, as it is an easy way to tack on extra damage. Those are the only places you should be using BA in Jab.
Forward Tilt:
+Damage: 3.5% (KIck 1), 3% (Kick 2), 8.5% (Kick 3), 15% (Total)
First Active Hitbox: 12
FAF: Kick 1 (32), Kick 2 (40), Kick 3 (43)
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a series of three kicks, with the third kick launching opponents into the air.
Analysis: FTilt is similar to Jab in several ways. Because the three kicks require three different presses of the A button, Bayonetta can cancel her FTilt into a different attack, just like Jab. They both do large amounts of damage when compared to the rest of the cast's. While Jab comes out faster and (usually) does more damage, FTilt sends the opponent at a better angle for Bayonetta. If you are close to the edge when you land a WTime, the first hit of FTilt can combo into DSmash for a spike. It should be noted that the third hit of FTilt has an absurdly large hitbox that can be used to surprise opponents. Pivot FTilt is a useful surprise option to catch opponents chasing you.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets in the direction her leg is pointing. Not too much use for Bullet Arts here as BA for FTIlt1 do the same amount of damage as Jab1 BA, but isn't as fast. Don't use BA for the other two hits of FTilt. Just don't.
Note: The first and second hits of FTilt can be crouched under by certain opponents.
Up Tilt:
+Damage: 5% (Hit 1), 6% (Hit 2), 11% (Total)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 27
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta swipes her gun upwards in a half-arc, with a point of light appearing at the end.
Analysis: UTilt is a secondary combo starter to use at low percents. The second hit is a good anti-air, and can combo into WT/Uair. The first hit is a good combo tool at low percents, but DTilt is generally a better option because of its larger range. UTilt is a fantastic option to start combos in Wtime, if you aren't close to the edge.
Bullet Arts: Shoots a round of bullets straight upwards. Not really a good use for BA here, as you have better ways of tacking on damage on an airborne opponent.
Note: When used on a grounded opponent, both hits of UTilt will not connect unless the opponent is tall. The first hit of UTilt can be crouched under by certain opponents.
Down Tilt:
+Damage: 6% (Close), 7% (Tip)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 26
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta sweeps her leg in front of her while crouching.
Analysis: DTilt is one of Bayonetta's best combo starters. It comes out quickly, has decent reach, and combos into all of her aerials, ABK, and WT. It is often her best punish option, as she can combo with it at nearly all percents. DTilt is also one of her best options OoS because of its range and speed. It is overall one of her best grounded moves.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from both her legs and her hand, with one of her legs and her hand facing forwards, and the other leg facing behind her. Arguably the most useful grounded BA move she has, as it does a max of 10% damage. This makes it a great way to pressure the opponent into approaching you. It takes a decently long time to start it up, however, especially when compared to the BA on her other tilts.
Tip: Bayonetta has one of the shortest crouches in the game. She can duck under a variety of moves, and punish with a DTilt. It looks really slick, too!
Dash Attack:
+Damage: 10% (Early), 8% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 15
FAF: 47
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta dashes across the ground after a short delay, performing her Stiltetto technique from her games.
Analysis: Bayonetta's DA is quite a niche move. It is horribly unsafe on shield, doesn't combo, and doesn't deal a whole lot of damage. Its only real use is as a far-away punish when other moves won't reach. It can also be used to punish opponents who air dodge into the ground. Most of the time, you will have better options than DA.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead. DA is laggy enough on its own, and the BA for it are severely outclassed by Jab1 BA and FTilt1 BA. Please don't use it.
Forward Smash:
Damage: 14-19% (sourspot), 16-22% (sweetspot)
First Active Hitbox: 19
FAF: 68
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the fist of Madama Butterfly, which punches forward at a slight downward angle.
Analysis: FSmash has the best reach out of Bayonetta's smash attacks. It kills quite early off the side, but requires a good read to land. It is mostly outclassed by USmash and DSmash in WTime, as DSmash spikes at the ledge and USmash true combos from DTilt in WTime for a kill.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead. For the same reasons as DA BA, don't use it.
Note: FSmash can be crouched under by certain opponents when standing close to Bayonetta.
Up Smash:
Damage: 17-23%
First Active Hitbox: 18
FAF: 65
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the fist of Madama Butterfly, which punches straight upward.
Analysis: USmash is Bayonetta's best smash attack, with the least amount of start-up and end-lag. It has good vertical reach and knockback. It is a good punish option at high percents, but shouldn't be used at low percents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from both her hands, one firing straight ahead and one firing upwards. Interestingly enough, her hand shakes (for lack of a better word) when firing upwards. Not really any use for the BA here, either.
Down Smash:
Damage: 20-28%
First Active Hitbox: 20
FAF: 69
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta summons the heel of Madama Butterfly, which stomps directly downwards. Bayonetta also does a little stomp.
Analysis: Bayonetta's DSmash is good for spiking, but little else. It is the laggiest of her smashes, but also does the most damage. It doesn't kill on stage until roughly 130% (no rage), but it can kill extremely early offstage. It is quite useful at the edge in WTime, as FTilt, FSmash, DTilt, and UTilt can all lead to a DSmash spike.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets directly downwards from her foot. While seemingly useless, there is actually an active hitbox on her foot while firing, giving it a niche as a way to cover most get-up options from the ledge. This does take some practice to get used to the timing.
Tip: If you begin charging DSmash at the ledge, an opponent recovering high will inevitably air dodge. Wait for it, and release it once their air dodge is done.
Aerial Attacks: Bayonetta has great aerials overall. Fair is crucial to many of her combos, while Nair is a fantastic edgeguarding tool. Bair and Uair make good combo finishers, and have respectable kill power at high percents. Dair is a good spike off-stage and has great kill power.
Neutral Air:->
Damage: 8% (Early), 6% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 33
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a mid-air spin kick, hitting both sides.
Analysis: Nair is a great OoS option for Bayonetta. It can stop an opponent's approach, and is extremely safe on shield. It also has the least amount of landing lag of all her aerials. Nair BA are good for chip damage, and adds up over time. At low percents, Nair sends opponents into the tumble animation. This can lead to several combos, such as Nair > Grab or Nair > DTilt. Nair is also a great tool when edge guarding. It hits on both sides, and sends them at an awkward angle to recover from.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from all her guns while rapidly spinning around. Fires horizontally from her hands, and diagonally downwards from her feet. One of her most useful BA overall, there are several ways to utilize this. It is a great edgeguarding option, as the BA extends the active hitbox Nair has, making it difficult to air dodge through it. It also provides useful chip damage in the neutral as short hopping Nair while using BA can usually net an extra percent each time it's used.
Forward Air:->+
Damage: 3% (First Hit), 2.2% (Second Hit), 6% (Third Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 27 (First Hit), 32 (Second Hit), 36 (Third Hit)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a three hit combo in midair with her hand and feet guns.
Analysis: Fair is arguably Bayonetta's best aerial for combos. Similar to Jab and FTilt, Fair requires three separate presses of the A button, which means that it can be cancelled midair. Fair also carries Bayonetta with the opponent for the first two hits, which is useful for extending combos. It comes out on frame 7, which makes it her fastest aerial. SHFF Fair can combo to things such as Grab and Jab, but takes precise timing.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead for the first two hits. Fires a round of bullets from all her guns on the third hit, firing two directly upwards and downwards, and the other two diagonally downwards. While the whole "firing straight ahead" thing is quite useful on the ground, it is completely useless in the air. The BA for the third hit can potentially be used to hit opponents beneath you, but most of the time, they'll just attack you through it. Don't use it on any of the hits.
Tip: It's good to practice WT > DJ Fair, as it is essential in some mid percent death combos. After the first WT, you need to DJ forward and execute a Fair as quickly as possible. It is a true combo, and is most useful around mid percent (31-70%). You can do it at low percents as well, but Fair1 hits them at a bad angle for WT.
Back Air:->+
Damage: 13% (Clean), 10% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 11
FAF: 30
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta executes a powerful kick behind her.
Analysis: Bair is another good option OoS for Bayonetta. Throwing this out in the neutral is a good option to combat approaches. It comes out decently quickly and is extremely safe on shield. It can be used as a combo finisher after ABK if WT and Uair won't connect, though it isn't true. It is also useful as a tool to hit opponents recovering high, as it's speed may catch them off.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets at the same angle as her leg. The awkward angle makes the BA for Bair not very useful.
Up Air:->+
Damage: 9%
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 30
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs an acrobatic kick in a 180 degree arc above her.
Analysis: Uair is a good kill confirm at high percents, being true out of ABK and DTilt starting at mid percents. At low percents, it can combo into itself and WT out of DTilt, but Fair is usually more reliable. Landing Uair is good for combos as well, leading into Grab and Bair. Uair BA are good for catching airdodges, and can be used to edge guard as well.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from all her guns while rapidly spinning around. While the bullets themselves aren't useful, the extended hitbox is quite useful for juggling, since it is nigh impossible to airdodge through. It can potentially be used for edgeguarding as well, but Nair is generally better for that.
Note: Uair begins behind Bayonetta, so in order to perform a landing Uair, she must be facing away from her opponent.
Down Air:->+
Damage: 7% (Sourspot), 9% (Sweetspot), 5% (Landing Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 18
FAF: 48
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta holds out her leg and performs a midair somersault into a high-speed fall, attacking with her outstretched leg.
Analysis: Dair is fantastic for killing, taking a stock as early as 70% on stage. Her heel is the sweetsop, and is a good spike. If you use it offstage, it can spike opponents, and you will still be able to recover with WT. It can also be used as an unexpected OoS option to surprise close opponents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from her foot once she hits the ground. Not very much use for this, as it does basically the same thing as BA Dtilt, but does less damage and takes longer to activate. Don't use it.
Note: If you land the sourspot of Dair, it will not spike. Be careful using it offstage.
->Damage: 8% (Early), 6% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 33
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a mid-air spin kick, hitting both sides.
Analysis: Nair is a great OoS option for Bayonetta. It can stop an opponent's approach, and is extremely safe on shield. It also has the least amount of landing lag of all her aerials. Nair BA are good for chip damage, and adds up over time. At low percents, Nair sends opponents into the tumble animation. This can lead to several combos, such as Nair > Grab or Nair > DTilt. Nair is also a great tool when edge guarding. It hits on both sides, and sends them at an awkward angle to recover from.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from all her guns while rapidly spinning around. Fires horizontally from her hands, and diagonally downwards from her feet. One of her most useful BA overall, there are several ways to utilize this. It is a great edgeguarding option, as the BA extends the active hitbox Nair has, making it difficult to air dodge through it. It also provides useful chip damage in the neutral as short hopping Nair while using BA can usually net an extra percent each time it's used.
Forward Air:
->+Damage: 3% (First Hit), 2.2% (Second Hit), 6% (Third Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 27 (First Hit), 32 (Second Hit), 36 (Third Hit)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs a three hit combo in midair with her hand and feet guns.
Analysis: Fair is arguably Bayonetta's best aerial for combos. Similar to Jab and FTilt, Fair requires three separate presses of the A button, which means that it can be cancelled midair. Fair also carries Bayonetta with the opponent for the first two hits, which is useful for extending combos. It comes out on frame 7, which makes it her fastest aerial. SHFF Fair can combo to things such as Grab and Jab, but takes precise timing.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets straight ahead for the first two hits. Fires a round of bullets from all her guns on the third hit, firing two directly upwards and downwards, and the other two diagonally downwards. While the whole "firing straight ahead" thing is quite useful on the ground, it is completely useless in the air. The BA for the third hit can potentially be used to hit opponents beneath you, but most of the time, they'll just attack you through it. Don't use it on any of the hits.
Tip: It's good to practice WT > DJ Fair, as it is essential in some mid percent death combos. After the first WT, you need to DJ forward and execute a Fair as quickly as possible. It is a true combo, and is most useful around mid percent (31-70%). You can do it at low percents as well, but Fair1 hits them at a bad angle for WT.
Back Air:
->+Damage: 13% (Clean), 10% (Late)
First Active Hitbox: 11
FAF: 30
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta executes a powerful kick behind her.
Analysis: Bair is another good option OoS for Bayonetta. Throwing this out in the neutral is a good option to combat approaches. It comes out decently quickly and is extremely safe on shield. It can be used as a combo finisher after ABK if WT and Uair won't connect, though it isn't true. It is also useful as a tool to hit opponents recovering high, as it's speed may catch them off.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets at the same angle as her leg. The awkward angle makes the BA for Bair not very useful.
Up Air:
->+Damage: 9%
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 30
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta performs an acrobatic kick in a 180 degree arc above her.
Analysis: Uair is a good kill confirm at high percents, being true out of ABK and DTilt starting at mid percents. At low percents, it can combo into itself and WT out of DTilt, but Fair is usually more reliable. Landing Uair is good for combos as well, leading into Grab and Bair. Uair BA are good for catching airdodges, and can be used to edge guard as well.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from all her guns while rapidly spinning around. While the bullets themselves aren't useful, the extended hitbox is quite useful for juggling, since it is nigh impossible to airdodge through. It can potentially be used for edgeguarding as well, but Nair is generally better for that.
Note: Uair begins behind Bayonetta, so in order to perform a landing Uair, she must be facing away from her opponent.
Down Air:
->+Damage: 7% (Sourspot), 9% (Sweetspot), 5% (Landing Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 18
FAF: 48
Kill Potential: High
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta holds out her leg and performs a midair somersault into a high-speed fall, attacking with her outstretched leg.
Analysis: Dair is fantastic for killing, taking a stock as early as 70% on stage. Her heel is the sweetsop, and is a good spike. If you use it offstage, it can spike opponents, and you will still be able to recover with WT. It can also be used as an unexpected OoS option to surprise close opponents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from her foot once she hits the ground. Not very much use for this, as it does basically the same thing as BA Dtilt, but does less damage and takes longer to activate. Don't use it.
Note: If you land the sourspot of Dair, it will not spike. Be careful using it offstage.
Special Attacks: Bayonetta's specials are very important, both in neutral and in combos. BC is a good anti-SH option as well as a dangerous edgeguarding tool. ABK and WT make up the B&B of her combos, and give her a diverse recovery. WTime is an amazing counter that benefits from countering quick, weak moves.
Bullet Climax:
Damage: 1.35% (Uncharged), 2.7% (Charged)
First Active Hitbox: 17
FAF: 71 (Uncharged, Full Move)
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta fires high-speed bullets from her hand or feet guns. The bullets can be charged indefinitely.
Analysis: BC is most useful as an edge guarding tool and aerial approach stopper. The bullets do not fire parallel to the stage, but rather at a slight upward angle. This makes it perfect to stop opponents who SH a lot (ZSS, Jigglypuff). It has the potential to kill opponents at high percent far offstage if they get hit by the charged bullets. You can cancel the move while charging, simply by pressing the shield button. From there, you can roll, grab, spotdodge, or jump. This is useful to fake out opponents.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Note: Do not use this move up close, as it is extremely unsafe on shield and can be punished easily.
Heel Slide:+
Damage: 9% (Early), 8.5% (Middle), 8% (Late), 6% (Kick)
First Active Hitbox: 15
FAF: 72 (HS), 78 (HSK)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta slides forward on the ground, with her foot enveloped in a bright aura. If the B button is held down, she ends with a 180 degree kick above her.
Analysis: HS is an interesting move. Most of the time, you will be using HSK over regular HS, as HSK sets up many combos. Both versions are very unsafe on shield, and an opponent can actually shield grab you while in the regular HS. It is a decent approach option and a good far away punish. Because you slide so low to the ground, you can actually slide underneath some projectiles and moves, such as Link's arrows or ZSS's grab. HSK reliably combos into WT and Uair at low percents, and HS can lead into UTilt at low percents. If they air dodge the UTilt, you can punish with a Jab or DTilt.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from her foot while sliding. The bullets are virtually useless, but using the BA for the slide allows the kick to happen. At low percents, use it to get the kick.
After Burner Kick:->+
Damage: 6% (Early/Late Hit), 7% (Middle Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 32
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta kicks forward in the air at a slight upward angle, with a bright aura around her foot.
Analysis: ABK is a fantastic move, both for combos and recovery. At low - mid percents, it combos into Bair, Uair, and itself. Unfortunately, as of Patch 1.1.6, ABK > Uair is very unreliable as a kill confirm at high percents. ABK is used in nearly all of Bayonetta's combos. While recovering, it covers good horizontal distance and bounces Bayonetta upwards if it hits a wall. The fact that it has a hitbox combined with its speed makes it hard to edge guard against. Keep in mind that executing combos involving ABK at low percents are unreliable, as the knockback from an ABK at low percents generally isn't enough to follow up with anything. It's best used in combos at mid percents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets in front of her from both her feet, one diagonally upwards and the other diagonally downwards. You'll want to have as little end lag as possible after using ABK, so do not use the BA under any circumstances.
Tip: If you execute an ABK just after you jump, you have just enough time to do a Bair, which is good to surprise opponents who shielded the ABK.
Note: The second ABK is only possible if the first ABK hits the opponent. However, a second ABK is possible even if they shield it.
After Burner Kick (Downward Angled):->+ or
->
Damage: 6.5% (Kick), 5% (Landing)
First Active Hitbox: 8
FAF: 44 (Air), 32 (Landing)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta kicks diagonally downwards, with a bright aura around her foot.
Analysis: After the 1.1.6 patch, much of what made this move good was removed. It no longer combos into anything except itself at low percents, and even that isn't true. Therefore, it is no longer a viable approach option, as you can't start any combos after it. It isn't even good for damage, as it now only deals 6.5%. Its only real use now is as an evasive tool while recovering from above.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Witch Twist:+
Damage: 7% (Ground), 6% (Aerial)
First Active Hitbox: 4
FAF: 29
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta spins upwards, engulfed in a bright aura all around her.
Analysis: WT is Bayonetta's fastest move (in terms of start up), which makes it a good OoS option and combo tool. WT OoS is a great punish option at anytime, as it leads into ABK, Fair (if you're quick) and Uair. It can also be used as an escape option if you're getting comboed. WT did see a nerf in Patch 1.1.6 in that it has a a smaller hitbox and is easier to SDI out of. However, it also made it combo into ABK at higher percents. In terms of recovery, while it doesn't go very far, you can use it twice if you DJ after the first WT. It has hurtboxes on all sides except the bottom, which makes it difficult to edge guard. Use it often.
Bullet Arts: Fires bullets from all guns. This adds more damage to WT, but gives it more endlag, making it impossible to use in combos. Only use it if you can't get a followup afterwards.
Tip: There is a technique called Double Jump Cancelled Witch Twist (DJCWT for short) that allows you to WT twice in a row and still have your DJ left. To perform it is simple; just perform a WT, then DJ, but do another WT in the first few frames after you DJ. If performed correctly, you should WT twice in a row, and still be able to DJ afterwards. This is important in several combos, and is a good mix-up option while recovering to fake out opponents who thought you would DJ.
Note: If you use BA WT in a combo, you will have increased endlag. Don't use BA WT in combos.
Witch Time:+
Damage: N/A
First Active Counter Frame: 5 (Bat Within frames 1-4 and 17-29)
FAF: 50
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta does a short backwards flip. If she is hit at any time during the flip, the opponent who hit her becomes surrounded by a purple aura, and their movement is slowed down.
Analysis: WTime is the best counter in the game, bar none. This move is a very easy way to set up death for your opponent, whether it be by a death combo or a DSmash spike. If you land this, you can combo virtually anything into anything. What's also great about this move is that it doesn't matter how powerful the move you counter is; you can still do great damage. This allows you to punish things like Jabs and DTilts in a way no other counter can. And the cherry on top is that you can't be grabbed while the counter frames are active. The only downside is that if you whiff it, the amount of time they are stuck in it is reduced.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Damage: 1.35% (Uncharged), 2.7% (Charged)
First Active Hitbox: 17
FAF: 71 (Uncharged, Full Move)
Kill Potential: Low
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta fires high-speed bullets from her hand or feet guns. The bullets can be charged indefinitely.
Analysis: BC is most useful as an edge guarding tool and aerial approach stopper. The bullets do not fire parallel to the stage, but rather at a slight upward angle. This makes it perfect to stop opponents who SH a lot (ZSS, Jigglypuff). It has the potential to kill opponents at high percent far offstage if they get hit by the charged bullets. You can cancel the move while charging, simply by pressing the shield button. From there, you can roll, grab, spotdodge, or jump. This is useful to fake out opponents.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Note: Do not use this move up close, as it is extremely unsafe on shield and can be punished easily.
Heel Slide:
+Damage: 9% (Early), 8.5% (Middle), 8% (Late), 6% (Kick)
First Active Hitbox: 15
FAF: 72 (HS), 78 (HSK)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta slides forward on the ground, with her foot enveloped in a bright aura. If the B button is held down, she ends with a 180 degree kick above her.
Analysis: HS is an interesting move. Most of the time, you will be using HSK over regular HS, as HSK sets up many combos. Both versions are very unsafe on shield, and an opponent can actually shield grab you while in the regular HS. It is a decent approach option and a good far away punish. Because you slide so low to the ground, you can actually slide underneath some projectiles and moves, such as Link's arrows or ZSS's grab. HSK reliably combos into WT and Uair at low percents, and HS can lead into UTilt at low percents. If they air dodge the UTilt, you can punish with a Jab or DTilt.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets from her foot while sliding. The bullets are virtually useless, but using the BA for the slide allows the kick to happen. At low percents, use it to get the kick.
After Burner Kick:
->+Damage: 6% (Early/Late Hit), 7% (Middle Hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7
FAF: 32
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta kicks forward in the air at a slight upward angle, with a bright aura around her foot.
Analysis: ABK is a fantastic move, both for combos and recovery. At low - mid percents, it combos into Bair, Uair, and itself. Unfortunately, as of Patch 1.1.6, ABK > Uair is very unreliable as a kill confirm at high percents. ABK is used in nearly all of Bayonetta's combos. While recovering, it covers good horizontal distance and bounces Bayonetta upwards if it hits a wall. The fact that it has a hitbox combined with its speed makes it hard to edge guard against. Keep in mind that executing combos involving ABK at low percents are unreliable, as the knockback from an ABK at low percents generally isn't enough to follow up with anything. It's best used in combos at mid percents.
Bullet Arts: Fires a round of bullets in front of her from both her feet, one diagonally upwards and the other diagonally downwards. You'll want to have as little end lag as possible after using ABK, so do not use the BA under any circumstances.
Tip: If you execute an ABK just after you jump, you have just enough time to do a Bair, which is good to surprise opponents who shielded the ABK.
Note: The second ABK is only possible if the first ABK hits the opponent. However, a second ABK is possible even if they shield it.
After Burner Kick (Downward Angled):
->+ or-> Damage: 6.5% (Kick), 5% (Landing)
First Active Hitbox: 8
FAF: 44 (Air), 32 (Landing)
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta kicks diagonally downwards, with a bright aura around her foot.
Analysis: After the 1.1.6 patch, much of what made this move good was removed. It no longer combos into anything except itself at low percents, and even that isn't true. Therefore, it is no longer a viable approach option, as you can't start any combos after it. It isn't even good for damage, as it now only deals 6.5%. Its only real use now is as an evasive tool while recovering from above.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Witch Twist:
+Damage: 7% (Ground), 6% (Aerial)
First Active Hitbox: 4
FAF: 29
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta spins upwards, engulfed in a bright aura all around her.
Analysis: WT is Bayonetta's fastest move (in terms of start up), which makes it a good OoS option and combo tool. WT OoS is a great punish option at anytime, as it leads into ABK, Fair (if you're quick) and Uair. It can also be used as an escape option if you're getting comboed. WT did see a nerf in Patch 1.1.6 in that it has a a smaller hitbox and is easier to SDI out of. However, it also made it combo into ABK at higher percents. In terms of recovery, while it doesn't go very far, you can use it twice if you DJ after the first WT. It has hurtboxes on all sides except the bottom, which makes it difficult to edge guard. Use it often.
Bullet Arts: Fires bullets from all guns. This adds more damage to WT, but gives it more endlag, making it impossible to use in combos. Only use it if you can't get a followup afterwards.
Tip: There is a technique called Double Jump Cancelled Witch Twist (DJCWT for short) that allows you to WT twice in a row and still have your DJ left. To perform it is simple; just perform a WT, then DJ, but do another WT in the first few frames after you DJ. If performed correctly, you should WT twice in a row, and still be able to DJ afterwards. This is important in several combos, and is a good mix-up option while recovering to fake out opponents who thought you would DJ.
Note: If you use BA WT in a combo, you will have increased endlag. Don't use BA WT in combos.
Witch Time:
+Damage: N/A
First Active Counter Frame: 5 (Bat Within frames 1-4 and 17-29)
FAF: 50
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta does a short backwards flip. If she is hit at any time during the flip, the opponent who hit her becomes surrounded by a purple aura, and their movement is slowed down.
Analysis: WTime is the best counter in the game, bar none. This move is a very easy way to set up death for your opponent, whether it be by a death combo or a DSmash spike. If you land this, you can combo virtually anything into anything. What's also great about this move is that it doesn't matter how powerful the move you counter is; you can still do great damage. This allows you to punish things like Jabs and DTilts in a way no other counter can. And the cherry on top is that you can't be grabbed while the counter frames are active. The only downside is that if you whiff it, the amount of time they are stuck in it is reduced.
Bullet Arts: N/A
Throws: Bayonetta's throws are arguably the weakest portion of her attacks. Her grab range is sub-par, and she has no guaranteed combos out of a throw. Generally, dash/pivot grabs are better than standing grabs, as they have more range. FThrow and BThrow are good for positioning, and UThrow and DThrow serve as semi-combo throws. No Bullet Arts for throws, sorry...
Grab/Pummel:+
Damage: 3% (1.5% per hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7 (Standing), 9 (Dash), 10 (Pivot)
FAF: 31 (Standing), 38 (Dash and Pivot)
Kill Potential: N/A
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly hits the opponent twice, reminiscent to her Slap punish from her games.
Analysis: Bayonetta's grab is very standard for grabs. The range is a bit short, but it isn't overly difficult to get a grab, especially since opponents will generally shield a lot. Her pummel is interesting because it does two hits for each pummel. It's quick enough so that you can always get a pummel in at 0%. Remember to always pummel at least once after getting a grab.
Tip: A good way to get grabs is by using a technique called Tomohawking. To perform, simply SH towards the opponent as if you were going to use an aerial. Then, just FF and dash grab them. They likely put up their shield once you did the SH, which leaves them open for a grab.
Forward Throw:
Damage: 10%
First Active Hitbox: 14
FAF: 43
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta viciously rams her shoulder into the opponent.
Analysis: Fthrow is Bayonetta's most damaging throw, and is good for tacking on extra percent and positioning at low percents. At high percents, this can kill at the edge, so it's best not to stale it too much. Overall her most useful throw.
FUN FACT: When Bayonetta performs her forward throw, she will sometimes say "Juunen hayain da yo!" (十年早いんだよ!; Ten years too early!), which is a reference to Akira Yuki's famous quote from the Virtua Fighter series.
Back Throw:
Damage: 9%
First Active Hitbox: 14
FAF: 50
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly kicks her opponent behind her.
Analysis: BThrow is best used as a positioning throw to get opponents offstage. It can also be used as an alternative damage throw to FThrow, if you don't want to stale it, as it only does 1% less.
Up Throw:
Damage: 7.5%
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 36
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly kicks her opponent above her.
Analysis: UThrow has little use except at low percents, when it is a decent combo throw that combos into WT. If you land a grab at low percents, UThrow is usually your best option. Once the opponent reaches mid percent, UThrow doesn't do much, as the best you can do is punish an air dodge. It doesn't get anything guaranteed, and it is also her least damaging throw.
Down Throw:
Damage: 8%
First Active Hitbox: 20
FAF: 47
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta viciously stomps on her opponent.
Analysis: DThrow is mostly outclassed by the rest of Bayonetta's throws. In terms of damage, both FThrow and BThrow beat it, and it won't ever kill at relevant percents. For combos, nothing is really guaranteed, but at low percents, you could go for a DTilt if they don't shield. At mid percents, both Fair and Uair are possible, but you have better throw options to use at that percent range. It overall isn't very useful.
+Damage: 3% (1.5% per hit)
First Active Hitbox: 7 (Standing), 9 (Dash), 10 (Pivot)
FAF: 31 (Standing), 38 (Dash and Pivot)
Kill Potential: N/A
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly hits the opponent twice, reminiscent to her Slap punish from her games.
Analysis: Bayonetta's grab is very standard for grabs. The range is a bit short, but it isn't overly difficult to get a grab, especially since opponents will generally shield a lot. Her pummel is interesting because it does two hits for each pummel. It's quick enough so that you can always get a pummel in at 0%. Remember to always pummel at least once after getting a grab.
Tip: A good way to get grabs is by using a technique called Tomohawking. To perform, simply SH towards the opponent as if you were going to use an aerial. Then, just FF and dash grab them. They likely put up their shield once you did the SH, which leaves them open for a grab.
Forward Throw:
Damage: 10%
First Active Hitbox: 14
FAF: 43
Kill Potential: Medium
Overall Usefulness: 4/5
Move Description: Bayonetta viciously rams her shoulder into the opponent.
Analysis: Fthrow is Bayonetta's most damaging throw, and is good for tacking on extra percent and positioning at low percents. At high percents, this can kill at the edge, so it's best not to stale it too much. Overall her most useful throw.
FUN FACT: When Bayonetta performs her forward throw, she will sometimes say "Juunen hayain da yo!" (十年早いんだよ!; Ten years too early!), which is a reference to Akira Yuki's famous quote from the Virtua Fighter series.
Back Throw:
Damage: 9%
First Active Hitbox: 14
FAF: 50
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly kicks her opponent behind her.
Analysis: BThrow is best used as a positioning throw to get opponents offstage. It can also be used as an alternative damage throw to FThrow, if you don't want to stale it, as it only does 1% less.
Up Throw:
Damage: 7.5%
First Active Hitbox: 9
FAF: 36
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 3/5
Move Description: Bayonetta quickly kicks her opponent above her.
Analysis: UThrow has little use except at low percents, when it is a decent combo throw that combos into WT. If you land a grab at low percents, UThrow is usually your best option. Once the opponent reaches mid percent, UThrow doesn't do much, as the best you can do is punish an air dodge. It doesn't get anything guaranteed, and it is also her least damaging throw.
Down Throw:
Damage: 8%
First Active Hitbox: 20
FAF: 47
Kill Potential: None
Overall Usefulness: 2/5
Move Description: Bayonetta viciously stomps on her opponent.
Analysis: DThrow is mostly outclassed by the rest of Bayonetta's throws. In terms of damage, both FThrow and BThrow beat it, and it won't ever kill at relevant percents. For combos, nothing is really guaranteed, but at low percents, you could go for a DTilt if they don't shield. At mid percents, both Fair and Uair are possible, but you have better throw options to use at that percent range. It overall isn't very useful.
Combos:
If there's one thing Bayonetta is known for, it's her combos. She has one of the best combo games in Smash 4, with a plethora of options for use at any time. While she has a few throw combos (mostly off UThrow at low percents), the majority of her combos begin with a tilt, aerial, or special move.
Bayonetta's combos are quite extensive, and she has tons of options. Because of this, you can "customize" a combo into whatever suits you best. For example, DTilt > Fair1 is a common beginner for a combo. After the Fair1, you have several options. You can continue the Fair, do an ABK, or do a WT. If you don't feel confident you can continue the combo (lag or nervousness), the you can use Fair. If you have trouble getting good followups after WT, use ABK. If they are at too low of a percent to get much out of an ABK, you can WT. This allows for incredible complexity in her combos, and keeps your opponent on their toes.
It's interesting to note that the majority of Bayonetta's true combo strings are at mid percent, not at low percent. At low percent, moves like ABK don't give the opponent enough hitstun to perform a true combo into a finisher, such as Uair. At mid percents, those moves do give the opponent enough hitstun to true combo into a finisher. Fortunately, most everything else in a combo will be true at low percents, with only the finisher avoidable.
Once you land a combo starter, don't hesitate. Always have something in mind and know what you're going to do next. It's important to at least understand the basics of her combos to properly capitalize after landing a combo starter. It's also important to not use the same combos over and over again in a match. A smart opponent will be able to recognize that, and get out of the combo the next time you try it.
It's interesting to note that the majority of Bayonetta's true combo strings are at mid percent, not at low percent. At low percent, moves like ABK don't give the opponent enough hitstun to perform a true combo into a finisher, such as Uair. At mid percents, those moves do give the opponent enough hitstun to true combo into a finisher. Fortunately, most everything else in a combo will be true at low percents, with only the finisher avoidable.
Once you land a combo starter, don't hesitate. Always have something in mind and know what you're going to do next. It's important to at least understand the basics of her combos to properly capitalize after landing a combo starter. It's also important to not use the same combos over and over again in a match. A smart opponent will be able to recognize that, and get out of the combo the next time you try it.
Combo Starters:
These are moves that are fantastic for beginning combos. Remember them well...
Down Tilt:
DTilt is a great combo starter, with followups for all percents. It's her fastest tilt, and second fastest attack overall. When spaced properly, it is safe on shield, and is also a good option in the neutral. One of her best combo starters.
In order to get the best followups out of DTilt, it's best to hit with the base. The tip can still combo, just not as reliably. However, the tip is safe on shield. The base is best as a punish, as it is hard to land a base hit safely in the neutral.
Up Tilt:
UTilt combos into a lot of moves reliably at low percents, and it comes out as fast as DTilt. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the best horizontal range, making DTilt a better combo starter in most situations. It's good to catch opponents above you, as the second hit reliably combos into Uair and WT.
Forward Air:
Fair is the easiest of Bayonetta's aerials to begin a combo with, due to the fact that you move with the opponent. SH Fair is the best way to hit a grounded opponent. From there, you can go into a grab, ABK, or WT. DTilt, while not true, can still be used at low percents if you FF immediately after the Fair. This takes practice to get good at, but shouldn't be forgotten.
Heel Slide/Heel Slide Kick:
HSK is a great combo starter at low percents, as it true combos into Uair and WT. At higher percents, when the kick doesn't reach, I like to do just the HS and go for an UTilt. If they airdodge, punish with a jab or DTilt. While they are good combo starters, be careful about when you use them, as they are very unsafe on shield, and you cam even get shield grabbed during the HS.
Witch Twist:
WT is Bayonetta's fastest move in terms of start up, which makes it a great OoS option. It also leads into several key combo moves, including Fair, ABK, and dABK. It hits on both sides and above her, which makes it even easier to hit opponents. However, remember not to use BA WT as a combo starter, as it has more endlag. This move is susceptible to SDI, so don't use it too much or the opponent will catch on and use SDI to escape. It's a great combo tool, but be careful about excessive use.
Witch Time:
While WTime doesn't technically have damage or knockback, I included it here because it sets up literally anything. If you land it, you can follow up with any move of your choice. Note that if you whiff it, the amount of time they are stuck in it decreases, so use it wisely.
These are moves that are fantastic for beginning combos. Remember them well...
Down Tilt:
DTilt is a great combo starter, with followups for all percents. It's her fastest tilt, and second fastest attack overall. When spaced properly, it is safe on shield, and is also a good option in the neutral. One of her best combo starters.
In order to get the best followups out of DTilt, it's best to hit with the base. The tip can still combo, just not as reliably. However, the tip is safe on shield. The base is best as a punish, as it is hard to land a base hit safely in the neutral.
Up Tilt:
UTilt combos into a lot of moves reliably at low percents, and it comes out as fast as DTilt. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the best horizontal range, making DTilt a better combo starter in most situations. It's good to catch opponents above you, as the second hit reliably combos into Uair and WT.
Forward Air:
Fair is the easiest of Bayonetta's aerials to begin a combo with, due to the fact that you move with the opponent. SH Fair is the best way to hit a grounded opponent. From there, you can go into a grab, ABK, or WT. DTilt, while not true, can still be used at low percents if you FF immediately after the Fair. This takes practice to get good at, but shouldn't be forgotten.
Heel Slide/Heel Slide Kick:
HSK is a great combo starter at low percents, as it true combos into Uair and WT. At higher percents, when the kick doesn't reach, I like to do just the HS and go for an UTilt. If they airdodge, punish with a jab or DTilt. While they are good combo starters, be careful about when you use them, as they are very unsafe on shield, and you cam even get shield grabbed during the HS.
Witch Twist:
WT is Bayonetta's fastest move in terms of start up, which makes it a great OoS option. It also leads into several key combo moves, including Fair, ABK, and dABK. It hits on both sides and above her, which makes it even easier to hit opponents. However, remember not to use BA WT as a combo starter, as it has more endlag. This move is susceptible to SDI, so don't use it too much or the opponent will catch on and use SDI to escape. It's a great combo tool, but be careful about excessive use.
Witch Time:
While WTime doesn't technically have damage or knockback, I included it here because it sets up literally anything. If you land it, you can follow up with any move of your choice. Note that if you whiff it, the amount of time they are stuck in it decreases, so use it wisely.
Combos:
I will be organizing combos primarily by what move they start with. Then, they will be categorized by what percent they work at, as well as the length of the combo. They will also be color-coded based on this chart:
Green - True
Yellow - Reliable Link/Followup
Orange - Situational
If a combo looks like this:
DTilt > Fair2 > WT > ABK > ABK > Uair
Then it means that Dtilt > Fair2 is true, but Fair2 > WT is not. However, it is still a reliable option and is difficult to escape. WT > ABK is true, but the second ABK can be airdodged out of with good DI. Finally, ABK > Uair is true.
The combos are organized into four categories that determine what percent range they work at. The four categories are Low Percent (0-30%), Mid Percent (31-70%), High Percent (71-120%) and Very High Percent (121+%).
At the end of every combo, there is a percentage marked in gray, indicating the amount of damage that combo does. Some combos also have a (Death) sign at the end. This means that this combo is usually a death combo.
Remember that since I will only be listing a few easy combos for each move, this is not anywhere close to the number of combos Bayonetta has. The combos listed are meant to help you understand how Bayonetta's moves flow into each other. Once you're ready for all the combos, go to Part 2 of the guide.
Up Tilt (Second Hit): The second hit of UTilt is good to catch people in the air above you, as if they air dodge, you can punish with a Jab or DTilt. Note that these combos work if you get both hits of UTilt as well, as it still has the knockback of the second hit.
Low Percents:
UTilt > USmash - 21%
UTilt > FH Fair - 17%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 24%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Bair/Uair - 34%/30%
UTilt > SH Uair > Bair/Uair - 28%/24%
UTilt > SH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 30%
UTilt > SH Uair > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 33%
UTilt > FH ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 31%/27%
UTilt > FH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
UTilt > FH ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
UTilt > FH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 32%
UTilt > WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 32%/30%
UTilt > WT > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 36%/33%
UTilt > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
Mid Percents:
UTilt > FH Uair > DJ Bair/Uair - 28%/24%
UTilt > FH Uair > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 36%
UTIlt > FH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 30%/28%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
High Percents:
UTilt > DJ Uair - 15%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 30%/28%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 32%/30%
Very High Percents:
UTilt > DJ Uair (Death) - 15%
Down Tilt: DTilt is one of the best ways to start a combo, since it's safe and launches the opponent at a favorable angle for combos. You can follow up with basically any aerial attack.
Low Percents:
DTilt > UTilt* (Both hits) - 14%
DTilt > Charged USmash - 23%
DTilt > SH Fair - 17%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 33%/30%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > Bair - 31%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 33%
DTilt > WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 32/30%
DTilt > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
DTilt > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
Mid Percents:
DTilt > SH Fair - 17%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > Uair - 27%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 32%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 30/28%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
High Percents:
DTilt > FH Fair - 17%
DTilt > FH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 28%/29%
DTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > FH Uair - 15%
DTilt > FH ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 26%/27%
DTilt > FH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 33%
DTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 28%/26%
Very High Percents:
DTilt > FH Uair - 15%
Falling Forward Air: Bayonetta's Fair is unique in that each hit carries Bayonetta with the opponent. This means that if you normally hit the first hit of Fair while falling, you will bounce back up along with your opponent. This is useful, since you don't have to deal with any landing lag in the combo.
Low Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair - 29%
Falling Fair1 > ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > Bair/Uair - 31%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 29%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 34%/30%
Mid Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 25%
Falling Fair1 > ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 27%/25%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 32%/30%
High Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 23%24%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 29%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 30%/31%
Very High Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > DJ Nair - 17%
Heel Slide/Heel Slide Kick: While horribly unsafe on shield, both HS and HSK are great combo starters. At low percents, HSK is more useful, as it is more reliable and does more damage. It's best to hit with the beginning of the slide, as it places opponents more directly above you, and also makes the kick easier to land.
Low Percents:
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 39%/37%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 44%/40%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 42%/40%
Mid Percents:
HSK > FH Uair > DJ Bair/Uair - 37%/33%
HSK > FH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 38%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 37%/35%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 40%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 42%/40%
High Percents:
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 37%/35%
Very High Percents:
HS > FH Fair - 20%
Witch Twist: WT is a fantastic combo starter because it is her fastest move and hits on both sides of her. However, you need to be fairly close to the opponent for it to connect. Don't be afraid of whiffing it, as you can escape with a DJ or dABK. This is arguably your safest combo starter, so use it often. Note that the only real difference between a grounded WT and an aerial WT is that the aerial version does 1% less than the grounded version.
Low Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 29%/27%
WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 32%/28%
Mid Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 27%/25%
WT > DJ ABK > WT > ABK > Uair - 34%
WT > DJ ABK > ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 36%/34%
High Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 27%/25%
WT > DJ ABK > WT > ABK > Uair (Death) - 34%
Witch Time: WTime is an amazing move because you can combo virtually anything into anything. Percent doesn't matter much here, but if they are at a high percent (90+%), then a charged Smash attack will likely kill them. Also keep in mind that before you do a Smash attack, if they are still in an attack animation, you should do a quick Jab or DTilt to make sure the Smash doesn't clank with whatever attack they were using.
I will be organizing combos primarily by what move they start with. Then, they will be categorized by what percent they work at, as well as the length of the combo. They will also be color-coded based on this chart:
Green - True
Yellow - Reliable Link/Followup
Orange - Situational
If a combo looks like this:
DTilt > Fair2 > WT > ABK > ABK > Uair
Then it means that Dtilt > Fair2 is true, but Fair2 > WT is not. However, it is still a reliable option and is difficult to escape. WT > ABK is true, but the second ABK can be airdodged out of with good DI. Finally, ABK > Uair is true.
The combos are organized into four categories that determine what percent range they work at. The four categories are Low Percent (0-30%), Mid Percent (31-70%), High Percent (71-120%) and Very High Percent (121+%).
At the end of every combo, there is a percentage marked in gray, indicating the amount of damage that combo does. Some combos also have a (Death) sign at the end. This means that this combo is usually a death combo.
Remember that since I will only be listing a few easy combos for each move, this is not anywhere close to the number of combos Bayonetta has. The combos listed are meant to help you understand how Bayonetta's moves flow into each other. Once you're ready for all the combos, go to Part 2 of the guide.
-If there are two percents listed at the end of a combo, the first percent corresponds to the first slashed move. The second percent corresponds to the latter slashed move.
-If Fair is in a combo, assume it is all three hits unless otherwise specified.
-If (Death) is listed at the end of a combo, but there are two options for the final hit, assume only the latter move causes death.
-If there is an asterisk at the end of a move, it means to go to that move combo section for further followup information.
-All combos are tested in Training Mode against Mario. Rage, DI, and SDI may affect combo results.
-If Fair is in a combo, assume it is all three hits unless otherwise specified.
-If (Death) is listed at the end of a combo, but there are two options for the final hit, assume only the latter move causes death.
-If there is an asterisk at the end of a move, it means to go to that move combo section for further followup information.
-All combos are tested in Training Mode against Mario. Rage, DI, and SDI may affect combo results.
Up Tilt (Second Hit): The second hit of UTilt is good to catch people in the air above you, as if they air dodge, you can punish with a Jab or DTilt. Note that these combos work if you get both hits of UTilt as well, as it still has the knockback of the second hit.
Low Percents:
UTilt > USmash - 21%
UTilt > FH Fair - 17%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 24%
UTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Bair/Uair - 34%/30%
UTilt > SH Uair > Bair/Uair - 28%/24%
UTilt > SH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 30%
UTilt > SH Uair > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 33%
UTilt > FH ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 31%/27%
UTilt > FH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
UTilt > FH ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
UTilt > FH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 32%
UTilt > WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 32%/30%
UTilt > WT > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 36%/33%
UTilt > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
Mid Percents:
UTilt > FH Uair > DJ Bair/Uair - 28%/24%
UTilt > FH Uair > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 36%
UTIlt > FH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 30%/28%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
UTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
High Percents:
UTilt > DJ Uair - 15%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 30%/28%
UTilt > FH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 32%/30%
Very High Percents:
UTilt > DJ Uair (Death) - 15%
Down Tilt: DTilt is one of the best ways to start a combo, since it's safe and launches the opponent at a favorable angle for combos. You can follow up with basically any aerial attack.
Low Percents:
DTilt > UTilt* (Both hits) - 14%
DTilt > Charged USmash - 23%
DTilt > SH Fair - 17%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 33%/30%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > Bair - 31%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 29%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 33%
DTilt > WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 32/30%
DTilt > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
DTilt > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
Mid Percents:
DTilt > SH Fair - 17%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > SH Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > Uair - 27%
DTilt > SH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 35%
DTilt > SH ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 32%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 30/28%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
DTilt > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 33%/31%
High Percents:
DTilt > FH Fair - 17%
DTilt > FH Fair1 > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 28%/29%
DTilt > FH Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 26%
DTilt > FH Uair - 15%
DTilt > FH ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 26%/27%
DTilt > FH ABK > ABK > WT > DJ Fair - 33%
DTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair - 21%
DTilt > FH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 28%/26%
Very High Percents:
DTilt > FH Uair - 15%
Falling Forward Air: Bayonetta's Fair is unique in that each hit carries Bayonetta with the opponent. This means that if you normally hit the first hit of Fair while falling, you will bounce back up along with your opponent. This is useful, since you don't have to deal with any landing lag in the combo.
Low Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair - 29%
Falling Fair1 > ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > Bair/Uair - 31%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 29%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 34%/30%
Mid Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 25%
Falling Fair1 > ABK > WT > DJ ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 27%/25%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 30%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 32%/30%
High Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 23%24%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair - 20%
Falling Fair1 > WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 29%/27%
Falling Fair1 > WT > ABK > ABK > DJ Nair/Uair - 30%/31%
Very High Percents:
Falling Fair1 > ABK > DJ Nair - 17%
Heel Slide/Heel Slide Kick: While horribly unsafe on shield, both HS and HSK are great combo starters. At low percents, HSK is more useful, as it is more reliable and does more damage. It's best to hit with the beginning of the slide, as it places opponents more directly above you, and also makes the kick easier to land.
Low Percents:
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 39%/37%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 44%/40%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 42%/40%
Mid Percents:
HSK > FH Uair > DJ Bair/Uair - 37%/33%
HSK > FH Uair > WT > DJ Fair - 38%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 37%/35%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Uair - 40%
HSK > SH WT > DJ ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 42%/40%
High Percents:
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair - 30%
HSK > SH WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 37%/35%
Very High Percents:
HS > FH Fair - 20%
Witch Twist: WT is a fantastic combo starter because it is her fastest move and hits on both sides of her. However, you need to be fairly close to the opponent for it to connect. Don't be afraid of whiffing it, as you can escape with a DJ or dABK. This is arguably your safest combo starter, so use it often. Note that the only real difference between a grounded WT and an aerial WT is that the aerial version does 1% less than the grounded version.
Low Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 35%/31%
WT > DJ Fair2 > WT > Fair/Uair - 29%/27%
WT > DJ ABK > ABK > Bair/Uair - 32%/28%
Mid Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > ABK > ABK > Uair - 31%
WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair - 27%/25%
WT > DJ ABK > WT > ABK > Uair - 34%
WT > DJ ABK > ABK > WT > Fair/Uair - 36%/34%
High Percents:
WT > DJ Fair - 18%
WT > DJ Fair1 > WT > Fair/Uair (Death) - 27%/25%
WT > DJ ABK > WT > ABK > Uair (Death) - 34%
Witch Time: WTime is an amazing move because you can combo virtually anything into anything. Percent doesn't matter much here, but if they are at a high percent (90+%), then a charged Smash attack will likely kill them. Also keep in mind that before you do a Smash attack, if they are still in an attack animation, you should do a quick Jab or DTilt to make sure the Smash doesn't clank with whatever attack they were using.
Edgeguarding and Recovery:
Bayonetta's off-stage and recovery game is one of the strongest in the game. Her aerials are great at keeping your opponents away from the ledge, and she has one of the best recoveries in the game. You can get an opponent off-stage with an FThrow or BThrow, as well as a well-placed Smash attack. Once the opponent is off-stage, don't let the pressure up. You want to make your opponent's life as difficult as possible while recovering.
Edgeguarding High:
Back Air: This move takes people by surprise a lot. It's best used when the opponent is just trying to drift back on stage. A RAR Bair is decently fast, and has a lot of kill potential. You can also run the same direction they are falling, then jump backwards and Bair. This move is extremely potent when edgeguarding, so always keep it in mind.
Bullet Climax: A charged BC knocks the opponent a good distance away, and can even snipe an opponent recovering high at high enough percents. You can keep firing it after the charged shots have disappeared to create a wall that the opponent is forced to air dodge through, which leaves them open to being gimped down below.
Edgeguarding Sideways:
Down Smash: DSmash is primarily useful for interrupting telegraphed horizontal recoveries, such as Ike's or Ganondorf's Side B. This move is extremely good at getting low to mid percent gimps, as it always spikes-it has no sourspot! This is the move that your opponent should fear when off-stage. If they aren't using a move, make sure to wait for their inevitable air dodge of panic before releasing it.
Neutral Air: Nair is good for knocking opponents away from the ledge. Nair BA is especially good as it lasts for basically as long as you want. It's also good for interrupting quick horizontal recoveries, such as Fox's Side B. It's often your best option to edgeguard sideways.
Bullet Climax: A charged BC knocks the opponent a good distance away, and can even snipe an opponent recovering high at high enough percents. You can keep firing it after the charged shots have disappeared to create a wall that the opponent is forced to air dodge through, which leaves them open to being gimped down below.
Edgeguarding Low:
Down Smash: This should only really be used on opponents hanging on the ledge without any invincibility frames, as it nets an easy spike. It can also be used to interrupt an opponent's vertical or horizontal recovery, if it doesn't sweetspot the ledge. Other than that, it doesn't have much use, as the move is still mostly above stage.
Neutral Air: Down below the stage is where Nair really shines. It knocks the opponent at a very difficult angle to recover from, especially if they've burned their double jump. In addition, BA extends the hitbox of the move as long as necessary, while keeping the knockback roughly the same. It's also good at interrupting recoveries with no hitboxes, such as Pit's or Rosalina's Up B. Nair is definitely one of your most useful moves for edgeguarding low.
Down Air: Dair is great at interrupting all sorts of recoveries, even those with hitboxes. Note that the move only spikes at her heel, so make sure to hit with that. The best way to recover after a Dair is with WT. It's often best to just rapidly press Up + B, even while the Dair is active (this is known as buffering). Finally, make sure to start the Dair above the stage. If you start it too low, you will go too far down and lose a stock before you can WT.
Recovering:
Bayonetta has a fantastic recovery, which allows her to go very deep whilst edgeguarding. While her double jump isn't spectacular, her specials and wall cling more than make up for it. Bayonetta's main threat while recovering is the loss of her double jump, as this prevents her from using a second WT. Be careful about when and how you use your double jump.
After Burner Kick: ABK is your best means of horizontal recovery. It travels a good distance and even has a bit of vertical gain. What's really good about it is that it has no delay (unlike Fox's Side B), doesn't leave you vulnerable after using it (like Ganondorf's Side B), and doesn't need to be charged (like Pikachu's Side B). The hitbox can throw opponents off as well. It's very useful when recovering anywhere except up high. Note that if you get hit after using ABK, you can use it again, even if you didn't hit an enemy.
After Burner Kick (Downward Angled): This is what you should use when recovering high instead of ABK. Often times this move will bring you right to the ledge, and if it goes below the ledge, you have WT. However, be careful not to accidentally use it when below the stage, as you likely won't recover. Even if you're above the stage itself, this move is quite useful at evading an opponent's attacks.
Witch Twist: Bayonetta's primary method of vertical recovery. It has hitboxes all around her, making it difficult to edgeguard. When recovering low, this should be the first move you use. If you want to confuse the opponent, you can attempt a DJCWT, but you must be careful about not accidentally wasting your double jump in the process. Just like ABK, if you get hit after using WT, you can use it again, even if you've already used your double jump.
Wall Cling: Bayonetta has an amazing wall cling. If you are fighting on a stage that has walls extending to the bottom of the stage, getting to that wall and using a wall cling is your main priority. Wall clinging gives you time to plan out what you need to do next without the opponent breathing down your neck. In addition, you can wall jump off a wall immediately after you wall cling off of it. This gives you a large amount of vertical height. You can substitute the wall jump for an ABK or WT as well. Overall, wall clinging is extremely beneficial when recovering.
Back Air: This move takes people by surprise a lot. It's best used when the opponent is just trying to drift back on stage. A RAR Bair is decently fast, and has a lot of kill potential. You can also run the same direction they are falling, then jump backwards and Bair. This move is extremely potent when edgeguarding, so always keep it in mind.
Bullet Climax: A charged BC knocks the opponent a good distance away, and can even snipe an opponent recovering high at high enough percents. You can keep firing it after the charged shots have disappeared to create a wall that the opponent is forced to air dodge through, which leaves them open to being gimped down below.
Edgeguarding Sideways:
Down Smash: DSmash is primarily useful for interrupting telegraphed horizontal recoveries, such as Ike's or Ganondorf's Side B. This move is extremely good at getting low to mid percent gimps, as it always spikes-it has no sourspot! This is the move that your opponent should fear when off-stage. If they aren't using a move, make sure to wait for their inevitable air dodge of panic before releasing it.
Neutral Air: Nair is good for knocking opponents away from the ledge. Nair BA is especially good as it lasts for basically as long as you want. It's also good for interrupting quick horizontal recoveries, such as Fox's Side B. It's often your best option to edgeguard sideways.
Bullet Climax: A charged BC knocks the opponent a good distance away, and can even snipe an opponent recovering high at high enough percents. You can keep firing it after the charged shots have disappeared to create a wall that the opponent is forced to air dodge through, which leaves them open to being gimped down below.
Edgeguarding Low:
Down Smash: This should only really be used on opponents hanging on the ledge without any invincibility frames, as it nets an easy spike. It can also be used to interrupt an opponent's vertical or horizontal recovery, if it doesn't sweetspot the ledge. Other than that, it doesn't have much use, as the move is still mostly above stage.
Neutral Air: Down below the stage is where Nair really shines. It knocks the opponent at a very difficult angle to recover from, especially if they've burned their double jump. In addition, BA extends the hitbox of the move as long as necessary, while keeping the knockback roughly the same. It's also good at interrupting recoveries with no hitboxes, such as Pit's or Rosalina's Up B. Nair is definitely one of your most useful moves for edgeguarding low.
Down Air: Dair is great at interrupting all sorts of recoveries, even those with hitboxes. Note that the move only spikes at her heel, so make sure to hit with that. The best way to recover after a Dair is with WT. It's often best to just rapidly press Up + B, even while the Dair is active (this is known as buffering). Finally, make sure to start the Dair above the stage. If you start it too low, you will go too far down and lose a stock before you can WT.
Recovering:
Bayonetta has a fantastic recovery, which allows her to go very deep whilst edgeguarding. While her double jump isn't spectacular, her specials and wall cling more than make up for it. Bayonetta's main threat while recovering is the loss of her double jump, as this prevents her from using a second WT. Be careful about when and how you use your double jump.
After Burner Kick: ABK is your best means of horizontal recovery. It travels a good distance and even has a bit of vertical gain. What's really good about it is that it has no delay (unlike Fox's Side B), doesn't leave you vulnerable after using it (like Ganondorf's Side B), and doesn't need to be charged (like Pikachu's Side B). The hitbox can throw opponents off as well. It's very useful when recovering anywhere except up high. Note that if you get hit after using ABK, you can use it again, even if you didn't hit an enemy.
After Burner Kick (Downward Angled): This is what you should use when recovering high instead of ABK. Often times this move will bring you right to the ledge, and if it goes below the ledge, you have WT. However, be careful not to accidentally use it when below the stage, as you likely won't recover. Even if you're above the stage itself, this move is quite useful at evading an opponent's attacks.
Witch Twist: Bayonetta's primary method of vertical recovery. It has hitboxes all around her, making it difficult to edgeguard. When recovering low, this should be the first move you use. If you want to confuse the opponent, you can attempt a DJCWT, but you must be careful about not accidentally wasting your double jump in the process. Just like ABK, if you get hit after using WT, you can use it again, even if you've already used your double jump.
Wall Cling: Bayonetta has an amazing wall cling. If you are fighting on a stage that has walls extending to the bottom of the stage, getting to that wall and using a wall cling is your main priority. Wall clinging gives you time to plan out what you need to do next without the opponent breathing down your neck. In addition, you can wall jump off a wall immediately after you wall cling off of it. This gives you a large amount of vertical height. You can substitute the wall jump for an ABK or WT as well. Overall, wall clinging is extremely beneficial when recovering.
KO Options:
Racking up damage means nothing if you can't land a KO. There are three main methods of taking a stock with Bayonetta: gimping, aerials and Smash attacks. Each are useful in different ways, and understanding all of them is important.
Gimping:
Gimping is the act of taking an opponent's stock by interrupting or negating the opponent's recovery. Because Bayonetta has such a great off-stage game, gimping an opponent is a very effective method of landing an early kill. For more information on gimping, see the Edgeguarding section.
Aerials:
When on-stage, aerials are generally the safest method of ending a stock, as they have much less start-up and end-lag than her Smashes.
Back Air: The most reliable aerial for killing with. Bair makes a great KO option since it is difficult to punish if the opponent shields it. Try to hit with the tip, since that has the most knockback.
Up Air: Uair is not a very good kill option on a grounded opponent, but it can kill surprisingly early when near the top blast zone. It reliably combos out of UTilt on the ground, and WT and ABKin the air, though WT is more reliable at higher percents.
Down Air: While it may be most known for its off-stage prowess, Dair has a surprisingly large amount of knickknack on-stage as well. You can use it out of a SH, or while landing. Try to hit with her foot and not her leg, as the foot has the most knockback.
Smash Attacks:
Bayonetta's Smash attacks have a large amount of range and knockback, but unfortunately are very laggy, meaning that normally they should only be saved for hard reads. However, should you land a WTime at high percents, a charged Smash attack almost always kills. Just remember to knock the opponent out of their attack animation first.
Forward Smash: Though it possesses the best horizontal reach of all her Smashes, FSmash is laggier than USmash, and has a blind spot very close to Bayonetta. If you do use it, try to hit with the fist and not the arm.
Up Smash: The best Smash attack to use on-stage, as it is the fastest in both start-up and end-lag of all her Smashes. It launches the opponent almost vertically, meaning that it doesn't matter how close to the edge you are if you need to kill with it. Most of the time, you'll be using this instead of FSmash.
Down Smash: While on-stage it's the worst of the three Smashes in kill power and speed, it can kill incredibly early if you hit an opponent off-stage with it, since it spikes. Don't use it on-stage at all, but be on the lookout for any opportunity to use it off-stage.
Gimping is the act of taking an opponent's stock by interrupting or negating the opponent's recovery. Because Bayonetta has such a great off-stage game, gimping an opponent is a very effective method of landing an early kill. For more information on gimping, see the Edgeguarding section.
Aerials:
When on-stage, aerials are generally the safest method of ending a stock, as they have much less start-up and end-lag than her Smashes.
Back Air: The most reliable aerial for killing with. Bair makes a great KO option since it is difficult to punish if the opponent shields it. Try to hit with the tip, since that has the most knockback.
Up Air: Uair is not a very good kill option on a grounded opponent, but it can kill surprisingly early when near the top blast zone. It reliably combos out of UTilt on the ground, and WT and ABKin the air, though WT is more reliable at higher percents.
Down Air: While it may be most known for its off-stage prowess, Dair has a surprisingly large amount of knickknack on-stage as well. You can use it out of a SH, or while landing. Try to hit with her foot and not her leg, as the foot has the most knockback.
Smash Attacks:
Bayonetta's Smash attacks have a large amount of range and knockback, but unfortunately are very laggy, meaning that normally they should only be saved for hard reads. However, should you land a WTime at high percents, a charged Smash attack almost always kills. Just remember to knock the opponent out of their attack animation first.
Forward Smash: Though it possesses the best horizontal reach of all her Smashes, FSmash is laggier than USmash, and has a blind spot very close to Bayonetta. If you do use it, try to hit with the fist and not the arm.
Up Smash: The best Smash attack to use on-stage, as it is the fastest in both start-up and end-lag of all her Smashes. It launches the opponent almost vertically, meaning that it doesn't matter how close to the edge you are if you need to kill with it. Most of the time, you'll be using this instead of FSmash.
Down Smash: While on-stage it's the worst of the three Smashes in kill power and speed, it can kill incredibly early if you hit an opponent off-stage with it, since it spikes. Don't use it on-stage at all, but be on the lookout for any opportunity to use it off-stage.
Notable Players:
These players have shown top-level skill with Bayonetta, and should be respected. All have placed in the top 8 in a national tournament with the character. If you're looking for people to study, these are the ones!
9B
Location:
Salem
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Location:
Tournaments:
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Location:
Japan
Tournaments: Sumabato 8 (2nd)
Sumabato 9 (1st)
Shots Fired 2 (5th)
Umebura 22 (9th)
KSB 2016 (7th)
Battle Arena Melbourne (BAM) 8 (3rd)
Notable Matches: Sumabato 9 (1st)
Shots Fired 2 (5th)
Umebura 22 (9th)
KSB 2016 (7th)
Battle Arena Melbourne (BAM) 8 (3rd)
9B vs. Komorikiri (Sumabato 8)
9B vs. Edge (Sumabato 8)
9B vs. Nasubi (Sumabato 9)
9B vs. Ranai (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. Ally (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. Dabuz (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. hacyappy (Umebura 22)
9B vs. RAIN (Umebura 22)
9B vs. Kamemushi (KSB 2016)
9B vs. Ranai (KSB 2016)
9B vs. Abadango (BAM 8) - So hype!
9B vs. Mr. R (BAM 8)
9B vs. Edge (Sumabato 8)
9B vs. Nasubi (Sumabato 9)
9B vs. Ranai (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. Ally (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. Dabuz (Shots Fired 2)
9B vs. hacyappy (Umebura 22)
9B vs. RAIN (Umebura 22)
9B vs. Kamemushi (KSB 2016)
9B vs. Ranai (KSB 2016)
9B vs. Abadango (BAM 8) - So hype!
9B vs. Mr. R (BAM 8)
Salem
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Salem vs. Nairo (KTAR XVII)
Salem vs. Pugwest (KTAR XVII)
Salem vs. Marss (KTAR XVII)
Salem vs. Nairo (Shots Fired 2)
Salem vs. MR. R (Shots Fired 2)
Salem vs. Dugan (Do or DI)
Salem vs. Tweek (Do or DI)
Pink FreshSalem vs. Pugwest (KTAR XVII)
Salem vs. Marss (KTAR XVII)
Salem vs. Nairo (Shots Fired 2)
Salem vs. MR. R (Shots Fired 2)
Salem vs. Dugan (Do or DI)
Salem vs. Tweek (Do or DI)
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Pink Fresh vs. Remzi (Glitch)
Pink Fresh vs. MVD (Glitch)
Pink Fresh vs. Mr. R (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. ADHD (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. Hyuga (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. Marss (KTAR Saga)
Pink Fresh vs. Mr. R (KTAR Saga)
ikepPink Fresh vs. MVD (Glitch)
Pink Fresh vs. Mr. R (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. ADHD (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. Hyuga (Pound 6)
Pink Fresh vs. Marss (KTAR Saga)
Pink Fresh vs. Mr. R (KTAR Saga)
Location:
Tournaments:
Sumabato 9 (7th)
Sumabato 11 (3rd)
Notable Matches:Sumabato 11 (3rd)
ikep vs HIKARU (Sumabato 11)
ikep vs. Earth (Sumabato 11) (Dabuz analysis)
ikep vs. Aki (Sumabato 11)
ikep vs. Kie (Sumabato 11)
Komorikiri (Secondary)ikep vs. Earth (Sumabato 11) (Dabuz analysis)
ikep vs. Aki (Sumabato 11)
ikep vs. Kie (Sumabato 11)
Location:
Tournaments:
Notable Matches:
Fighting Against Bayonetta:
Bayonetta is often quite a difficult match-up for many characters. Because she is so different from the rest of the cast, it can be tough to understand how to fight her. While none of this is set in stone, these tips can help you get better when battling Bayonetta.
First of all, the Beefy Smash Doods made an amazing video on how to fight Bayonetta, which I would highly recommend watching.
These are tips talked about in the video to help in the Bayonetta match-up.
These are tips talked about in the video to help in the Bayonetta match-up.
- Attack when she has lag
- Grab a lot, as it can't be WTime'd
- Go for true followups
- Bait out WTime for non-true followups
- Projectiles are immune to WTime
- Force her to approach, as she has few approach options
- Rolls and air dodges are long-lasting and punishable
- Remember that HSK does hit behind her
- Don't air dodge out of HS > HSK; jump
- Most of the time, DI-ing diagonally down is the best to get out of combos
- Mix up your DI
- SDI!!!
- Using SideB/UpB in the air gives her more landing lag; very punishable
- Don't challenge her recovery - be careful when edgeguarding her
- Counters are good while edgeguarding, if your character has one
- ABK above the ledge is punishable
- Get experience in the match-up; fight lots of Bayonetta players
Useful Links:
The following links provide additional info to supplement what you learned in this guide. More will be added as I discover more helpful resources. Enjoy!
Bayonetta Match-Up Thread - Information on some of Bayonetta's match-ups
Secrets of the Umbra: Bayonetta Metagame Discussion - Information on Bayonetta's metagame, including moveset, neutral, and tech
Bayonetta Hitbox Visualiztion - Visuals on the hitboxes of all of Bayonetta's moves, in case you missed it in the Moveset Analysis section
Crescent Valley: Umbra Witch Data & Research Repository - In-depth information on all of Bayonetta's data
Patch 1.1.6 Discussion - "The Witch Hunt is Over" - Information on Bayonetta post Patch 1.1.6
Bayonetta Combo & Followup Thread! (WIP) - More information on Bayonetta's combos
The Smash Dictionary - A comprehensive list of all Smash terms and definitions
1.1.6 Analysis - ZeRo - An analysis of Bayonetta after the 1.1.6 patch
Bayonetta Stage Discussion Thread - Information and discussion regarding good stages for Bayonetta
Bayonetta - Kurogane Hammer - Information on all of Bayonetta's raw frame data, in case you missed it in the Moveset Analysis section
Secrets of the Umbra: Bayonetta Metagame Discussion - Information on Bayonetta's metagame, including moveset, neutral, and tech
Bayonetta Hitbox Visualiztion - Visuals on the hitboxes of all of Bayonetta's moves, in case you missed it in the Moveset Analysis section
Crescent Valley: Umbra Witch Data & Research Repository - In-depth information on all of Bayonetta's data
Patch 1.1.6 Discussion - "The Witch Hunt is Over" - Information on Bayonetta post Patch 1.1.6
Bayonetta Combo & Followup Thread! (WIP) - More information on Bayonetta's combos
The Smash Dictionary - A comprehensive list of all Smash terms and definitions
1.1.6 Analysis - ZeRo - An analysis of Bayonetta after the 1.1.6 patch
Bayonetta Stage Discussion Thread - Information and discussion regarding good stages for Bayonetta
Bayonetta - Kurogane Hammer - Information on all of Bayonetta's raw frame data, in case you missed it in the Moveset Analysis section
Conclusion:
Thanks for taking the time to read this guide! I hope you have learned a bit more about Bayonetta, and that this guide can help you improve. If you have anything you would like me to add or change, let me know! If you're interested in learning more about Bayonetta, then you can check out Part 2 of this guide here. Once again, thanks for reading!
Low Percent: 0-30%
Mid Percent: 31-70%
High Percent: 71-120%
Very High Percent: 121+%
I'm glad that you enjoyed the rest of the guide!