- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
To efficiently play Kirby, patience is key.
Approaching:
Most people think that Kirby has trouble approaching, but he has many approach options. I like to approach with short hop fair so that I can fade back with my other jumps if I hit their shield. Dair is also a good approach option, but just make sure that you don't get punished. Also try short hop bair. this can force your opponent to shield and creates a wall that can force them to the edge of the stage.
Punishing & Dair Combos:
Once your opponent makes a mistake, that is when you must go for a down-air. Here are some followups from down air.
dair-grab
dair-down tilt-anything you want (if the d tilt trips)
dair-forward tilt
dair-up tilt-up tilt-up air or back air
Dair to any smash attack is also a reliable kill combo as well. I think it is true but I am not sure.
Grabs & Throws:
You will want to go for a lot of grabs with Kirby. His throws put you in a very advantageous position. Up and down throws are useful for dealing damage (both deal 10%) and up throw and back throw near the edge will be your kill throws.
Tilts:
Kirby has amazing tilts. All of them can be followed up out of down air. Down tilt can trip, which can lead to more % or lead to a kill. Even if you don't follow up right away, it forces a tech chase situation. Forward tilt is very good for poking and setting up space. Up tilt is Kirby's main combo starter and should be used to punish mistakes whenever you can.
Aerials:
Kirby has a great set of aerials with minimal landing lag. I personally use neutral air when I think that I won't be able to juggle the opponent anymore. Using nair near the ground also puts your opponent in a good position where you can run up and grab them, but this is obviously not guaranteed. Forward air is a three hit move that is good for approaching and off stage gimps. It can be followed up out of an up tilt or an up air, and it can also lead into a forward tilt if it is used near the ground. I also ocasionally use it as a quick punish. Up air is a quick juggling tool. It usually won't kill, but it is great for combos, especially when combined with up tilts. At certain percents, double up air into upper cutter (custom up B) is a true combo that can kill. Down air is a great move to punish with, but it can also be used off stage to meteor smash the opponent easily. Back air is overall a great move. It can be very effective out of a short hop, is one of Kirby's best spacing tools, and it can kill. Bair is also very useful offstage.
Specials:
Kirby's specials are pretty laggy, so don't use them a lot. I only use down B when I am 100% sure that I won't be punished by it. If you happen to hit it, it has a lot of kill power and does about 18%. Side B is only good if you get a shield break, because it can kill at about 32% when fully charged. Neutral B is useful for copying abilities, but only use it when you know it will work, because it can be easily punished. The projectile on up B's range got nerfed from Brawl, so now it is mostly used just for recovering.
Other:
Kirby is put in a good position when his back is towards the opponent. This is because of his back air and up tilt, which has a big part of the hitbox behind Kirby. One of Kirby's strengths as a character is forcing the opponent to shield, which can get you a free grab that puts you in a good position.
Killing:
Kirby's smash attacks are relatively quick and have devistating kill power. Back air is his most reliable aerial kill move, and it can be comboed into. Up throw and back throw near the ledge are also good kill options, like I said earlier.
Stages:
Final Destination/ Omega: Decent Kirby stage. No platforms for juggle combos, but there is a lot of room for him to work with in the air. Keep in mind that you could also get comboed harder with no platforms to tech on.
Battlefield: Not a bad stage for Kirby, but there are always better stages. I feel that the platform layout doesn't work too well with Kirby's moveset.
Delfino Plaza: The platforms aren't too good for Kirby, but he can kill early off the top with an up throw during the transformations when the ceiling is low. I recommend counterpicking this stage against heavy characters so that you can kill them earlier.
Lylat Cruise: One of Kirby's better stages. The platforms work well for him, and the wierd ledge physics are no problem to his recovery.
Castle Siege: The first transformation is very small, which works well for Kirby. Counterpick this stage against characters that need a lot of room to work with and do better on roomy stages. The second transformation is a bit too big and wonky for Kirby in my opinion. That is one reason you should try to stay away from this stage if this transformation is giving you problems. Third transformation is pretty much FD.
Smashville: Kirby's second best stage in my opinion. It is relatively small, and the moving platform can help him.
Town and City: I think this is Kirby's best stage. The platforms work well with him, and he can sometimes get an early up throw kill on the high platform in the middle. The relatively close side blast zones also benefit Kirby, as he kills mostly off of the side and can get earlier kills here with back throw and bair. Always counterpick this stage if possible.
Duck Hunt: Pretty good Kirby stage. Can kill REALLY early with an up throw at the top of the left tree. This is a big stage, and sometimes I feel that it is too big for Kirby due to his limited mobility.
Halberd: He can get a really early up throw kill on this stage, but I don't really know how else he can benefit from it.
Summary:
Kirby is a character that needs to be played not too agressive, but also not too defensve. His game is all about forcing the opponent to do exactly what he wants, then punishing hard. Hopefully people will use this guide to develop Kirby's relatively small metagame in smash 4.
This is my first Smashboards post. Let me know if you liked it and tell me if I should make more guides. If this guide is successful, I plan on making a Shulk guide and a Rosalina & Luma guide.
Approaching:
Most people think that Kirby has trouble approaching, but he has many approach options. I like to approach with short hop fair so that I can fade back with my other jumps if I hit their shield. Dair is also a good approach option, but just make sure that you don't get punished. Also try short hop bair. this can force your opponent to shield and creates a wall that can force them to the edge of the stage.
Punishing & Dair Combos:
Once your opponent makes a mistake, that is when you must go for a down-air. Here are some followups from down air.
dair-grab
dair-down tilt-anything you want (if the d tilt trips)
dair-forward tilt
dair-up tilt-up tilt-up air or back air
Dair to any smash attack is also a reliable kill combo as well. I think it is true but I am not sure.
Grabs & Throws:
You will want to go for a lot of grabs with Kirby. His throws put you in a very advantageous position. Up and down throws are useful for dealing damage (both deal 10%) and up throw and back throw near the edge will be your kill throws.
Tilts:
Kirby has amazing tilts. All of them can be followed up out of down air. Down tilt can trip, which can lead to more % or lead to a kill. Even if you don't follow up right away, it forces a tech chase situation. Forward tilt is very good for poking and setting up space. Up tilt is Kirby's main combo starter and should be used to punish mistakes whenever you can.
Aerials:
Kirby has a great set of aerials with minimal landing lag. I personally use neutral air when I think that I won't be able to juggle the opponent anymore. Using nair near the ground also puts your opponent in a good position where you can run up and grab them, but this is obviously not guaranteed. Forward air is a three hit move that is good for approaching and off stage gimps. It can be followed up out of an up tilt or an up air, and it can also lead into a forward tilt if it is used near the ground. I also ocasionally use it as a quick punish. Up air is a quick juggling tool. It usually won't kill, but it is great for combos, especially when combined with up tilts. At certain percents, double up air into upper cutter (custom up B) is a true combo that can kill. Down air is a great move to punish with, but it can also be used off stage to meteor smash the opponent easily. Back air is overall a great move. It can be very effective out of a short hop, is one of Kirby's best spacing tools, and it can kill. Bair is also very useful offstage.
Specials:
Kirby's specials are pretty laggy, so don't use them a lot. I only use down B when I am 100% sure that I won't be punished by it. If you happen to hit it, it has a lot of kill power and does about 18%. Side B is only good if you get a shield break, because it can kill at about 32% when fully charged. Neutral B is useful for copying abilities, but only use it when you know it will work, because it can be easily punished. The projectile on up B's range got nerfed from Brawl, so now it is mostly used just for recovering.
Other:
Kirby is put in a good position when his back is towards the opponent. This is because of his back air and up tilt, which has a big part of the hitbox behind Kirby. One of Kirby's strengths as a character is forcing the opponent to shield, which can get you a free grab that puts you in a good position.
Killing:
Kirby's smash attacks are relatively quick and have devistating kill power. Back air is his most reliable aerial kill move, and it can be comboed into. Up throw and back throw near the ledge are also good kill options, like I said earlier.
Stages:
Final Destination/ Omega: Decent Kirby stage. No platforms for juggle combos, but there is a lot of room for him to work with in the air. Keep in mind that you could also get comboed harder with no platforms to tech on.
Battlefield: Not a bad stage for Kirby, but there are always better stages. I feel that the platform layout doesn't work too well with Kirby's moveset.
Delfino Plaza: The platforms aren't too good for Kirby, but he can kill early off the top with an up throw during the transformations when the ceiling is low. I recommend counterpicking this stage against heavy characters so that you can kill them earlier.
Lylat Cruise: One of Kirby's better stages. The platforms work well for him, and the wierd ledge physics are no problem to his recovery.
Castle Siege: The first transformation is very small, which works well for Kirby. Counterpick this stage against characters that need a lot of room to work with and do better on roomy stages. The second transformation is a bit too big and wonky for Kirby in my opinion. That is one reason you should try to stay away from this stage if this transformation is giving you problems. Third transformation is pretty much FD.
Smashville: Kirby's second best stage in my opinion. It is relatively small, and the moving platform can help him.
Town and City: I think this is Kirby's best stage. The platforms work well with him, and he can sometimes get an early up throw kill on the high platform in the middle. The relatively close side blast zones also benefit Kirby, as he kills mostly off of the side and can get earlier kills here with back throw and bair. Always counterpick this stage if possible.
Duck Hunt: Pretty good Kirby stage. Can kill REALLY early with an up throw at the top of the left tree. This is a big stage, and sometimes I feel that it is too big for Kirby due to his limited mobility.
Halberd: He can get a really early up throw kill on this stage, but I don't really know how else he can benefit from it.
Summary:
Kirby is a character that needs to be played not too agressive, but also not too defensve. His game is all about forcing the opponent to do exactly what he wants, then punishing hard. Hopefully people will use this guide to develop Kirby's relatively small metagame in smash 4.
This is my first Smashboards post. Let me know if you liked it and tell me if I should make more guides. If this guide is successful, I plan on making a Shulk guide and a Rosalina & Luma guide.
