What does the Fox do? - Advanced Guide to Fox (Update v8 - New Video!)

Basics
So you want to learn to play Fox, eh? Fox has been in the middle range tier ever since Brawl, and as surprising as it is, Smash 4 had no change. However, Fox used to be top tier in Smash 64 and Melee, and since those are the games I started out playing on, Fox will forever be my main.

If you're just coming to this game from the old games, you may be asking why isn't Fox top tier anymore? For starters, all of the "tricks" you could do in Melee (for instance, the Waveshine) can no longer be done. A lot of those depended on wavedashing, which was an exclusive to Melee. Other than that, his stats have been nerfed quite a bit. This includes his speed, however he is still among the top 5 characters in speed.

There is one thing that has made Fox's game a bit better, and that's his recovery. In older games, the Fox Illusion (side - B) was never recoverable from. In Smash 4 however, you are able to use the Firefox (up - B) afterwards, making for an amazing recovery.

Pros and Cons
Pros:

- Amazing speed
- Great recovery
- Successful character for mindgames
- Good amount of combos
- Fast falling
- Ability to control the stage

Cons:

- Light character, easy to get KO'd
- Moves can get predictable (depending on your playing style)
- Terrible Final Smash (Doesn't apply to 1v1)
- Awful range game, only up-close combat
- KO potential only around higher percents

Before I get started, here are some things that you may see throughout the guide that you'll need to know:

Shortened Attack Names, Damage, and Description

Tilts and Natural Attacks

F-Tilt = Forward Tilt Attack - %6 - Fox's roundhouse kick attack. Not very useful in my eyes, but at high percents it can even KO. However, were talking over %200, so I don't find it that useful.
D-Tilt = Down Tilt Attack - %6 - 8 - Fox's tail whips around on the ground. Although it looks like it spins all the way around his body, it only hits on the front side of his body. There is a sweet spot, often call the "tipper" (more info in sweet spot section). This is one of his most useful attacks!
U-Tilt = Up Tilt Attack - %6 - 9 - Scorpion kick into the air, has an effect on both the front and back side of him, dealing the most damage in the back. This is very useful for combos, as well as racking up damage in the beginning.
Neutral = Jab Attack, Neutral A Button - %2 Per Quick Jab, %1 Per Kick, %2 on Spike Kick - Jabs and kicks, these can be combo'd into if you can use it correctly. Most of the time, the kicks should be canceled out so you can lead the jabs into a combo, but the kicks can server their purpose.
Dash Attack - %6 - Running sidekick. This is a great combo starter, for low and high percents. You can see lots of combos for this in the combo section. It's great for racking up damage, as well as leading into kill moves.
Aerial Attacks
N-Air = Neutral Air Attack - %6 - 9 - Flying sidekick in the air. This can be combo'd into very well with a dash attack. It can even KO when at %200.
D-Air = Down Air Attack - %8 - 11 - Fox spiral kicks downward. Like the D-Tilt, this also has a sweet spot (more info in sweet spot section). This is a great move to combo from, and can start combos great as well.
U-Air = Upwards Air Attack - %5 - 11 - One of his best aerials, he flips his tail upwards. This makes for a good kill move at the right percentages. This is also a good move that flows smoothly from throws.
B-Air = Backwards Air Attack - %13 - Back kick in the air. I don't find this being used too much, but it works well for people who edge hog and always jump when recovering from edges. It can also KO, but the percents are so high that it's not that useful.
F-Air = Forwards Air Attack - %4 - 7 - Another one of Fox's best aerial attacks. Spins and kicks a few times out into the air. You'll find yourself combo'ing into this quite a lot, especially from a D-Throw. Keep this one in your toolkit for sure.
Special Attacks
Shine = Down-B - %2 - One of Fox's most notorious attacks. It's main use is reflecting projectiles back at the opponent. It also slows down fall speed while in air. Tip: When fighting Mega Man and you get stuck with one of his sticky bombs, use your shield to cancel out the explosion!
Firefox = Up-B - %14 - 28 - Fox's main recovery move, lights himself on fire and can explode in any direction. This is especially good in Smash 4 because you can use it directly after a Fox Illusion.
Fox Illusion = Side-B - %3 - Fox speeds across the stage a few feet. This move is a great use for his recovery in correlation with the Firefox. This move can KO at really high percentages, but like other moves, it's so high that it isn't too useful.
Blaster = Neutral-B - %2 - Unlike Falco, Fox's blaster doesn't stun his opponents. This makes it useful for racking up damage because it can fire at a decent rate.
Smash Attacks

U-Smash = Up Smash - %16 - 22 (Charged) - Probably Fox's best smash attack. This is a good kill move when you your opponent reaches %100 and over. This can be combo'd into well with dash attacks and D-Airs.
D-Smash = Down Smash - %14 - 19 (Charged) - Fox does the splits and attacks on both sides of him. This isn't too useful, but can KO if you get the enemy damaged enough.
S-Smash = Side Smash - %14 - 19 (Charged) - Fox does a kick in the direction you choose, right or left. This wouldn't typically be used either, but can KO if the enemy is on the very side of the stage and you can hit it right on.

Throws

F-Throw = Forward Throw - %7 - With a strong punch, the enemy goes flying forward. This is useful to an extent, it can be a good KO combo with a good U-Smash at the end.
U-Throw = Up Throw - %8 - Fox throws the opponent up into the air and shoots a few times. Because the enemy can get out of it almost instantly, this shouldn't be used.
D-Throw = Down Throw - %7 - Fox's main throw you should always use for combos. The enemy has to time an air dodge well if they want to escape it, and by the time they do that you can already have done a solid F-Air into them.
B-Throw = Back Throw - %8 - Another throw that should never be used, as it can be easily escaped and can't be used for any combos.

Kill Moves (NOT Combos! See Combos section for ways to lead into these)

- U-Air (%110 - over)
- U-Smash (%100 - over)
- N-Air (%200 - over) Only use this if you've managed to rack up that much damage.
- B-Air (%160 - over)
- D-Smash (%130 - over)

Sweet Spots
Fox has a few moves that have certain sweet spots that allow for the best experience of the move. What is a sweet spot? A sweet spot (SS) is just a certain way you hit your opponent with a move, and each way you use that move could be different depending on how it hits. Here are some moves that have sweet spots that you will need to know if you want to play Fox well:

Tipper (D-Tilt SS): This move is called the tipper because the sweet spot is at the very tip of Fox's tail. If you hit the D-Tilt with anything more near the base of the tail, the opponent will go flying outward at an angle. If you hit with the tip, it will send the enemy straight up. This is useful for combos, especially kill moves.

D-Air SS: You've probably noticed that Fox's D-Air sometimes knocks the player back when you finish it, and sometimes it doesn't. This effect is due to a sweet spot. Usually when using this move, you'll be wanting to go in for a combo, so you want as little knock-back as possible. This can be achieved by using the attack at the peak of your jump (usually a shorthop) and starting it right as you are on top of the opponent. If you start it too late or too early, it will send the opponent flying farther away (sometimes you may want to mix it up, this is a good move to use for mindgames).

U-Air SS: Fox's U-Air also has a sweet spot. This one may not be too useful to do, but actually one that you may want to avoid (unless you're using it to fake out your opponent). His U-Air is considered a kill move, but it can also be a very weak move. It only has the potential to kill if you hit with the majority of the tail. If you hit with the tip (which is sometimes hard to do) it will do nothing more than surprise him that he wasn't KO'd. Usually you will want to use this move to kill, but if you are into very risky mindgames, this can come in handy. Many people tend to let their guard down after they see you've gone for that U-Air, so if that's the case, you can finish him off in a more hilarious way. (Note: I would avoid using this as an actual technique, it is here rather to say that it's not an automatic kill move).

Keeping Control
To play successfully with Fox, you have to use your speed to your advantage. Granted he isn't the fastest character, he is still among the top fastest, and it is one of, if not his strongest trait (this is my opinion, of course. You may think his best trait is something different). I'm going to use a reference from some other guides here, by using the phrase Mindgames. Mindgames are pretty much any trick you can play on your opponent that will fake them out, or do something that you will be expecting. Using these, you will be able to read your opponents moves faster and easier, giving you a better shot for the win. You can fake out your opponent easily by Dash Lag Canceling and by doing lots of rolls, just be sure not to be too predictable; that's where having knowledge of your opponent comes in handy.

How do I do Mindgames?

That is a question that gets asked, commonly, by all players. Not only do you use mindgames while playing with Fox, but they can be used almost by any character. However, back in Melee where this term was used the most, Fox had the most exclusive tricks that he could use for his mindgames, making him the most suited for the term. Here are some things you can use when playing Fox to better your playing style and fake out your opponents.

Tip #1: Dash Dancing
This can be done by quickly dashing back and forth, so fast that you are basically flicking the left stick each direction. If done correctly (and yes, it CAN be done on online games, even with lag) you will be dashing side to side, but in place. You will also see the dust from your feet. Why is this useful? This is useful because you are able to dash in either direction while doing it, without any lag at all. This is a good way to fake out opponents. Make sure you don't always dash to the same side after doing this, or your opponent will start to catch on!

Tip #2: Short Hopping
This may not be good enough to be considered a "tip", but I thought it would be good to include here. Short hopping exactly how it sounds, a shortened jump. This can be done by tapping the jump button very fast and light, as fast as possible really. If you're having trouble, think of the button as if it was on fire. You wouldn't want to burn yourself, so you'd want to tap it as quickly and lightly as possible. Why is this useful? Short hopping comes in handy when you get into combos. Most of the time at low percentages, opponents won't gives you enough room to attack when you use a full jump. That is where short hopping comes in. You will see more of this when we get into the combo section.

Tip #3: Fast Falling
Fast falling is done by tapping downwards on the movement stick at the peak of your jump. This works great in correlation with Short Hopping, as it increases the speed of your fall by a lot. Why is it useful? This is another thing that is very useful for combos. For example, if you wanted to do quicker attacks that make the opponent trapped for a long period of time, fast falling helps a lot there. This will be explained a bit more in the combos section.

Tip #4: Pivoting
Pivoting is where you dash, and then quickly flick the movement stick in the other direction. Why is this useful? This is a very useful technique for grabs, since you can grab right after a pivot. I only recommend this when you get to know your opponent well, usually after the first stock. If you know your opponent does lots of rolls when you dash towards them, you may need to dash for a longer duration, and then you can perform a pivot grab. Pivots don't have to lead into grabs, they can lead into other things such as smash attacks and aerial attacks.

Tip #5: Dash Shield Canceling
Dash Shield Canceling (may be called differently, this is what I call it) or DSC for short, it where you shield after or while dashing. This causes you to completely stop, your character will not slide on the floor. Why is it useful? Not only does it stop all of your movement, allowing you the opportunity for nailing some combos, it is also a shield. Because of this, you are able to perform a grab right after using this technique, making it a powerful one to add to your toolkit. Keep this in mind when going for combos that use throws.

Tip #6: Jab Canceling
Jab canceling is where you tap the attack button twice to do 2 jabs, but you shield right after that so you don't go into the multi-kicks. Why is this useful? This can be used many different ways. First, if you don't like the amount of lag time when using the multi-kicks, you can cancel if you don't want to use those. Second, which is my personal favorite way to use this, is to go directly into a grab. After you grab, you can of course go into any combo you wish. This can be a key thing to use when it comes to combos with Fox.

Tip #7: Shine Lift
I call this the Shine Lift (call it whatever you want). Basically, after you get attacked and are in the air, you shine. This lifts you up in the air just a little bit. Why is this useful? Because many combos are meant to follow you and guess your position in air, this will help against that tremendously. Not only that, but it also slows down your falling speed as well, allowing you to trick your opponent even more.

Tip #8: Ledge Jump Cancel Shine
This move is done from hanging on an edge. Basically, there are three ways to get up from a ledge: hopping straight onto the stage (tapping the movement stick towards the stage), hopping onto the stage with an attack (hitting the attack button), and jumping up from the ledge into the air (hitting the jump button). There is lag that affects how quick you attack when you choose to jump up from the ledge, making you very predictable. This technique cancels that lag, gives your opponent a surprise, and also helps if they are spamming you with projectiles from onstage. You can do this technique by using your shine (D-Special) directly after you press the jump button from the ledge. Why is this useful? It may take some tried to get the timing right, but you will eventually get to the point where you get onto the stage with a shine and no lag instantly. This is a good tool to have because it helps against projectiles tremendously, and will allow you more time to lead into other attacks.

Tip #9: Shine Canceling off Ledges
This has very few uses, in fact you may never actually use this in a match, however if you are the right place at the right time, it may be of some use. Other than that, it's also looks pretty cool . This technique is where you dash off a ledge, but right before you leave the edge you shine (D-Special). This will make Fox float out a little bit with your shine. Why is this useful? There's only one time I actually used this and it actually helped out my gameplay, and that was fighting Samus. On the rare occasion that you fight someone who is gutsy enough to risk one attack or die, this could be useful. In my case, We both had over %100 and only one stock left each. There was no way Samus was going to recover from the distance she was sent, so she decided to release her fully charged cannon to try to KO me before she fell to her death. It would've worked, however, using this technique I floated off the edge with a shine and sent it right back at her fast enough for her to get KO'd from it. Now of course you're probably thinking, "When the hell is that going to happen to me, or something similar even?!" Truth is, I don't know. There could be other ways it's useful for as well, such as enemies throwing items at you from off stage, or even sending the Villager back when it tries to recover using his side special. Play with this one a bit. Other than it being useful, it is a pretty fun thing just to do.

Tip #10: Trumping
Trumping is where you purposely grab a ledge with your opponent on it, causing them to fall off, and when they go back to jump on the ledge again they don't have invincibility frames, allowing you to initiate some attacks. This is a GREAT way to edge guard, considering if the opponent has invincibility frames, they won't waste them, and with this technique you're basically forcing them out of the chance. As far as attacks go once you've done this, some good things would be either a D-Air or a D-Smash. If you hit the D-Air just right, the opponent will knock against the side of the stage and fly outwards, losing a stock. The D-Smash is good too, even if they are around 70-80%, they will most likely lose a stock as well.

Tip #11: Pivots
This is KEY to Fox gameplay. This is what separates the men from the boys in terms of Smash in general, however Fox has a good use in this game with using these. What is a pivot? Pivoting basically means that you turn around in place (or while moving) instantly. You can do this by dashing, and then you quickly flick the movement stick the opposite direction. If you did it right, you will see Fox go into his slide animation, but he will be facing the other way. Timing is key! What is this used for? One great thing I like to use it for is a grab. Because Fox has tremendous speed, he is able to dash and pivot into a grab. However, since you used a pivot, you grabbed on the opposite side of them. This usually catches the opponent off guard, and it is a very smooth transition to other combos and such afterwards. You don't have to do a grab though, another good attack with a pivot is your F-Tilt. Fox has a long slide animation, so his reach is amazing with this, making is F-Tilt pretty powerful range wise. Experiment! These are fun to use, and is good to fake out the opponent if you use these in correlation with regular grabs.

Tip #12: Double Jab Infinite
The Double Jab Infinite (probably goes by other names, this is what I call it) is an infinite using the first two punches of Fox's neutral attack (NOTE: This only work on heavier players, if you tried this on a lighter character they would be able to get out). The key to this is timing. You throw the first to punches, but you don't want to throw a third to initiate the kicks. You keep doing the two jabs, and as close together as you can without throwing out those kicks. It will take practice, but with time, you will have it down. This is good to use because it racks up amazing damage, especially if you use it from the edge of the stage. Also, you can always end up using a grab afterwards and going into a combo. It's also a good, safe way to rack up damage if you don't want to lose a stock. Don't be too risky with this and go for this all game, use it when you can but not too much.

Tip #13: F-Air Footstool Combo!
This is a WICKED combo! This combo works on ALL percents, as well as all characters, however some characters are not recommended to use this on, such as Lucario or Pit. Master this combo, and you are going to do very well as a Fox player. Basically, you do a Short Hop into a fast-falled F-Air, while dragging your opponent down off the stage (when they have been thrown or are trying to recover). After you do this, you can use your second jump to Footstool them, and you can recover while they fall and lose a stock (most likely - unless they are characters with high jumps and/or amazing recoveries). There is a video explaining this, watch it and master this - you'll be glad to have learned it.


Strategy
When playing Fox, you're main strategy could vary between being offensive, defensive, or trap fighting. Offensive gameplay usually has includes lots of combos at a fast rate to get the opponent off the stage as quick as possible. Defensive gameplay would include almost a hit and run style, getting in short term hits, slowly racking up the percents, to eventually killing the opponent off for a safe stock. Trap fighting is a style where you wait for the right openings, lead into combos and approach as safe as possible. This includes ideas from both defensive and offensive gameplay, and where you will probably use mindgames the most. In my opinion, this is the best way to play Fox, but it isn't the only way.

Offensive Strategy
Playing offensively doesn't necessarily mean that you rush in without any care in the world, but it does have a higher risk factor than the other strategy types. The goal of the offensive player is to get the opponent off the stage as quick as possible, dealing as much damage as they can in a short amount of time.

Approaching: Approaching is the most risky part for the offensive player. That being said, once you are able to get in, you can lead into combos and start dealing damage. Like said in the introduction to this section, you don't just rush in with an attack. That accomplishes nothing, and just turns you into a predictable punching bag. The key to getting in to your fighting range is to fake your opponent along the way. Use as many rolls and shields as you can on your way in. A good technique to use is Tip #5 on the list above, which is Dash Shield Canceling. Using this, you are able to get into your fighting range, and it doesn't leave you vulnerable to an attack afterwards.

Gameplay: Fighting offensively can be defined by one word: combos. After you are able to get into your range to fight, your top priority should be getting your opponent into a grab or other combo starter. As an offensive fighter, you will want to be punctual about when you want to finish them off, and really study the kill moves and how to lead into them. Doing this will allow you to kill the opponent as fast as possible, which is your ultimate goal. Another good thing to do would be to come up with combos that allow for as much damage as possible, not only going by the combos listed in this guide.

Defensive Strategy
Playing defensively is basically playing it safe. If you're not into rushing in, playing mindgames to trick your opponent, or risk taking lots of damage, then this is the fighting style for you.

Approaching: Because defensive fighters play it safe an don't want to take a lot of damage, the best thing to do is let them come to you (this is also a key thing to remember when trap fighting). If your opponent rushes at you, you will want to use your rolls and shield as much as possible. If they are staying back, waiting for you to come to them, don't give in! If you know that rushing in isn't your thing, don't give into the temptation, because they are most likely going to trap you and finish you quickly after.

Gameplay: The bread and butter of defensive fighting relies on your dodges, rolls, and shields. You may use a few combos, but nothing long stream that could end in a severe punishment. Two good techniques that you will want to know for the shield are Out of Shielding (OOS) and grabbing out of your shield. Grabbing out of your shield is self explanatory, you are getting hit while in the shield, and you press the attack button to grab. This is an easy way to lead into short combos and get some good damage in while still playing it safe. OOS is where you are in a shield, and you jump out of it into an attack. A bread and butter move for this you can use is the D-Air. It's simple, does a decent amount of damage, and keeps you safe in the process. Combine this with a fast fall and you've got yourself a good way to rack up damage. Another thing you will want to do is air dodge, frequently, especially after you get thrown into a combo. If you don't want to take damage, it only makes sense that you would want to get out of the combo as fast as you can.

Trap Fighting
Trap Fighting is the style that I play, as I find it suits me the best. Trap fighting requires you to watch your opponent and learn what their strengths and weaknesses are. You usually end up doing good streams of combos and take little damage. This style uses lots of mindgames and techniques that you will need to master if you want to be successful. However, if you do, this is the style that usually has the most success, and is the least predictable.

Approaching: The key to approaching when trap fighting is to bait out your opponent. You can do this by Dash Dancing, lots of unnecessary short hops and fast falls, and rolls. You want to intimidate the opponent as much as possible, because it is at the point where they are the most predictable and start to break down. Once you find out if your opponent is defensive or offensive, that is when you can lead in. Personally, I like to lead in with lots of fake dashes to rolls, but because that is very predictable nowadays, you don't want to do that too often. The key to trap fighting is that you NEVER want to be predictable. If you are predictable, this style doesn't work at all, keep that in mind.

Gameplay: Because baiting out your opponent is crucial to this style, sometimes you can take sacrifices if you want too. One thing I like to do is purposely to something I normally wouldn't, allowing them to get an attack or two in. As I do this, I am constantly watching for how they react, because once you know how they react to most things (whether they use lots of rolls, fakes, or even nothing) is when you will succeed in the battle. Never do the same thing twice (unless it's on purpose, as mentioned above) and maintain control of the battle. Short hops and fast falls are your best friend when trap fighting. These allow you to get your attacks in as fast as possible, leaving little room for them to react. Using your shield is self explanatory as well. Since this is almost a combined style of both offensive and defensive types, using strategies from bot types will help you a lot. This include OOS from defensive, and long streaming combos from offensive. Being a trap fighter takes lots of practice at reading your opponents, so don't worry if you aren't successful at the start. You will get the hang of it eventually, and the few losses on For Glory that you earn from it will be greatly surpassed eventually by your newly learned skills.

Make sure you practice with friends online or even in For Glory, and don't care about any losses you receive. Just like anything else, it takes practice to get good at it. It's important to practice against different types of characters frequently. Examples could be people who use Marth or anyone else with a counter, and people who spam the counter. People who are other trap fighters as speedy characters, going for lots of combos. Defensive players defend against your every attack. People who use characters that spam moves such as Bowser, or suicide moves too. There are things that computers just won't do, and I guarantee that you'll be better against computers if you can beat the majority of people who are online. To sum it all up, PRACTICE!

Combos
This is the fun section, where you can apply what you have learned above into actual situations. I will keep adding to this section as I learn more combos myself. Please remember that you can always lead into other combos yourself depending on your playing style, so don't let these be the only ones in your toolkit, but make sure you use the right ones on the right opponent. Be CREATIVE!

Combos With Throws (Section A)

a1. D-Throw -> F-Air (Low - High Percents)
a2. D-throw -> F-Air -> U-Air (Mid-Range Percents)
a3. D-Throw -> D-Air (Low Percents)
a4. D-Throw -> D-Air -> F-Air (Low/Mid-Range Percents)
a5. D-Throw -> F-Air -> D-Smash (Low Percents)
a5. F-Throw -> Combo (b4) (%0 - could be a good starter if you can get the grab)
For combos off of throws, D-Throws are the way to go if you want the smallest amount of time for the opponent to recover while in air. The ones I listed are almost like combo starters, you can go into tons more after you get the combo started with those.

Combos Without Throws (Section B)

b1. U-Tilt 2x (Use this at %0, or else it can get punished easily.)
b2. U-Tilt 2x -> Grab -> D-Throw -> Any Combo From Throw! (Another good starter combo, if your percent is anything over %15, I would recommend to only use 1 of the U-Tilts.)
b3. Jab-Jab Cancel -> Grab -> D-Throw -> Any Combo From Throw!
b4. Dash Attack -> U-Tilt (Any percent before %15, usually good starter)
b5. Dash Attack -> D-Air (Low Percents)
b6. Dash Attack -> N-Air (Medium Percents)
b7. Dash Attack -> F-Air (Medium Percents)

Kill Move Combos (Section C)

c1. D-Air (Sweet Spot) -> U-Smash (%100 - over - take note that the D-Air will become less useful the higher percent you get)
c2. Dash Attack -> U-Air (%100 - over)
c3. D-Tilt (Tipper) -> U-Air (%110 - over)
c4. D-Throw -> U-Air (%110 - over)
c5. F-Throw -> U-Smash (%100 - over)
c6. D-Throw -> Side-B (%180 - over - if you have the damage racked up, and you want to trick your opponent with a funny KO, this is a good way to finish them off)

For these kill moves, it all depends on the percentage. If you get too high, some of these might not work (except for the obvious up or down smash attacks). If you manage to get the opponent over %160, fake them out as much as you can, and lead in for a good U-Smash or D-Smash.

Another big part of using these kill combos is that you have to take air dodging into consideration. If you know your opponent air dodges your aerial attacks, bait it out with a fake hop or attack, and then move in for the kill.

Gameplay Videos
In this section, I will have a few videos linked, as well as some comments and things to look for as you watch them.

Marth Matchup


Whenever I play against characters with a counter attack (in this case, Marth), a key thing I like to do is determine when they like to use it, whether it's occasional or being spammed. A good way to do this, which is how I did it in the video, is give them a good combo and throw them into the air. If you go up to hit them while they are falling down, that is usually when people use their counter attack the most. When I found this out, I knew to watch for it, and whenever I did the same combo, you may have noticed I didn't actually hit them in the air. No, my finger didn't slip, that was done on purpose to bait out the counter.

Peach Matchup


Besides starting out this match with an embarrassing failed grab, and there being a weird glitch of gameplay around the minute mark, you can learn a bit from this video. First off, one thing I noticed is that the player never air dodged or tried to counter my attacks in air, and of course watching it after, I realize that I could have followed up for quicker KO's earlier on in the match. Shame on me. Besides that, my opponent used lots of dash attacks, which I found quite easy to dodge in the later period of the match. I also could have gotten KO'd pretty bad if I fell into the U-Smash they were planning on using, but Fox's shined became my savior. Because it cuts your falling speed by a lot, it's a good tool to use if you know your opponent is going to give yo ua good U-Smash when you hit the floor.

Little Mac Matchup


Ah, some nice gameplay against Little Mac. This, to be honest, was a terrible match for me. Not because I almost lost, but because I was acting stupid a lot of the time. I started off well, trying to bait out his counter attacks, much like I did with my Marth gameplay. I was successful, however despite my best intentions, I went ahead and decided to U-Air him for a KO. Of course he uses his counter, which was stupid of me to think he wouldn't. This wasn't a very good Little Mac player either. This guy was a fan of spamming his dash attacks and side specials, which against me at that time, wouldn't blame him. The right thing to do would be to catch him off guard by being less predictable with my rolls. I also managed to do things a lot more than 3 times, which goes against my normal standard of being unpredictable. I hope you can learn from my mistakes, because that's the only reason I uploaded this one.

Matchups
In this section, I will go over basic matchups. I will not go into detail of each and every player (at least not in this update, that may happen in the future), but rather explain how to fight against different categories of players (for example, heavy characters, light weight characters, counter-attack enabled characters, etc.).

Heavy Characters

Going against a heavy character when playing as Fox is something you should have down, mainly because they are one of the easiest types of characters to against when playing as Fox. These may have less in-depth strategies because for all heavy characters, it's generally the same.

Bowser

Bowser really stepped it up this game. He has been low tier every since his appearance in Melee, but in Smash 4 he is considered Mid tier, and some may even say that he is qualified as top tier.
What does this mean? Basically, his speed has improved tremendously. Of course, it is still nothing compared to Fox, but he isn't someone to take lightly when fighting. His newly found speed only lets him rack up damage even faster.

The obvious for heavy characters is that you have to dodge and fake out the opponent, and not let them get close to you. This goes for all heavy characters, not just Bowser. There are a few things you have to watch for when fighting a Bowser player. He can be very predictable, because many people just like to spam his D-Air or Down-B, which can easily be dodged, however you must look out for it. If you see them using this frequently, you should have no problem dodging and going in for a counter. Another key thing is that he SUICIDES! Bowser is among the few that can grab you, and if at the right place on the stage, can throw you with himself down to the void. Different type of people use this strategy very differently. Some may attempt to suicide before anyone loses a stock, making the gameplay more risky for them both. Others may wait until they get a successful KO, and then use it as a finisher. Both have their ups and downs, but be careful, because it's rare that Bowser players don't use this technique.

Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong hasn't been considered in the high tiers for quite a while. Out of my opinion, he is one of the easiest characters to fight in the game (as Fox, of course). Lots of his moves are slow, his recovery is decent but not great, and relies on lots of power moves (which means lots of lag time when he misses).

Basic strategy for Donkey Kong is to not get hit as much as possible. Obviously that is the case for pretty much every fight you have, but if you let Donkey Kong take control of the fight then he will be able to rack up serious damage, and seeing as how Fox can get KO'd fairly quick, that's not a wise move. He has a charge up move, so try to use that to your advantage. If you see them frequently charging up their punch instead of focusing on the fight, go in for some fakes and see how they react. Most of the time, they will dodge away, jump, or hit you with the semi-charged attack. Do this a few times to read your opponent, and then judge your future attacks based on how they reacted.

Donkey Kong is also a SUICIDER! While not having as big of a suicide as Bowser or Ganondorf, if you are racked up above the %100's, you don't want to fall into that trap. If he tries to suicide with you before getting you into a high percent, you can escape pretty easily, and that just gives you more info on how your opponent plays.

Ganondorf
Ganondorf can be tricky at times, but he is very predictable and if you read your opponent well, you can take him out with ease. He has terrible speed, and like the other heavies, the only thing you really don't want to do is let them charge up an attack on you. Ganondorf's attacks can sometimes be up to in the %40's when fully charged, and if you get by a few of those (hopefully you would be smart enough to dodge the next times) you could be sent flying high, very quick.

Ganon is easy to fight because his speed is terrible, and the amount of lag time after missing an attack is incredibly high. That is a key to fighting Ganon - always look for the opportunity to counter an attack that you know has lots of lag time. For example, his neutral special attack takes a few seconds to charge up, and another second or so to recover from. Watch for moves like these, and exploit them to the best of your ability.

Ganon is also a SUICIDER! Unlike Donkey Kong, this suicide can be fatal no matter what, much like Bowser. He has to be near an edge to suicide you, so if you see them camping over by the edge, you can almost instantly tell that they are waiting to grab you for a suicide kill. Much like Bowser, you have to be cautious depending on when they will suicide. Some people will do it at the start of the match, and some people will finish with it, so keep that in mind.

Charizard
Charizard is considered one of the weaker characters in the game. His attacks don't have great range, his speed isn't good, and his aerial game isn't too hot either, allowing for easy combos with low punish rates.

The only attack that Charizard has that has decent range is his side special, which darts him across the stage, racking up lots of damage in one hit. However, this can be his greatest weakness if the player uses it too much. Because this attack has a fixed range (meaning it goes a specific distance each time they use it, no matter what), if used at the wrong time they could be looking at losing their own stock. This move is EXTREMELY hard to recover from when used near the edge of the stage and going outwards. If you notice them using this a lot, stay near the edge of the stage, and when they use it on you, do a quick roll or ground dodge.

Also, Charizard has a meteor spike (a move that spikes you down directly, and when used off-stage, can be deadly). If you see him constantly going for his down air, then you should use your Side Special to your advantage (Fox Illusion). This move is hard to spike against, and allows for you to get back to the stage with ease.

King Dedede
King Dedede has lots of lag time on his smash attacks, but there are other things to take into account. His moves are slow, but VERY damaging, and can be deadly just after a few hits. His recovery is amazing if it's used vertically. If he's trying to recovery horizontally, he is in for a death. USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE! If you know he has a terrible sideways recovery, knock him to the side of the stage rather than trying to KO him into the sky.

His down special (charged up hammer) can be deadly, but it has lots of lag time and is very predictable. If you see them using this, you can either bait it out and counter after they miss the attack, or go in for a grab before they can even unleash it in the first place. Be careful, this move racks up damage like nothing else!

Finally for King Dedede, he can throw those little spike balls. Luckily for you, you have a reflector! Use this a lot if they are throwing those nasty spike balls, because they do a decent amount of damage and have a decent amount of stun time as well, allowing for an easy combo lead in.


Counter Attack Enabled Characters


Characters with the ability to counter attack can either be good to fight against, or terrible to fight against, it all depends on your opponent. When fighting someone who spams the attack, you are in luck, because the end lag time of the move will allow you for easy bait outs and lead ins for combos.

KEY TO ALL COUNTER ATTACKS: I am not going to explain this in all of the matchups in this section, so I am going to explain it at the beginning. The key to counter attacks is to bait them out, and counter their own counter attack! Usually people use the counter attack after falling from being combo'd, or when you are rushing towards them. Bait these out by doing fake hops, or by doing a simple roll after charging them! Take these into mind when fighting every one of the characters listed in this section!

Shulk

Shulk is tricky. Besides having great power attacks, he can change different stats to his advantage, giving him better jump, smash power, speed, etc. Here is a list of the different arts he uses, and their advantages/disadvantages:

Jump: Using his jump art, Shulk can increase his jumping power by A LOT! However, the downside to this is that he can take in more damage. When he uses this art, and he uses it smart, it will most likely be when he knocks you off stage and can use his spike. If this is the case, a simple air dodge will do. Take advantage of extra damage he will receive while in this art!

Speed: In this art, Shulk's speed increases, coming to a tie with Sonic's speed. While this can be challenging for Fox (because you use your speed to your advantage), he deals less damage and has a lower jump height. You can use this to your advantage by stringing in combos faster due to his new jump height. Also, because he deals less damage, don't be afraid to go in and charge a bit more than normal. Of course, don't be stupid either!

Shield: The shield art allows Shulk to increase his weight, defense, and shield strength. The downside is that he moves very slow, has a lessened jump height and doesn't deal as much damage. Treat this as you would a heavy character! Usually people use this when they have lots of damage, and want to reset a KO for a little bit longer than normal. Because he moves so slow, if you can manage to knock him off the side of the stage, his recovery is worse as well, and will usually end in his life. (There is a possibly he will switch from the Shield to Jump art in order to save himself in this situation, but it is VERY hard to do and very unlikely that it will happen.)

Buster: Buster increases Shulk's damage that he can deal. However, he takes more damage himself, and the knockback on his attacks are weakened as well. If you can manage to not get hit, and go in for successful counters, that will be the key to beating his Buster art. Take advantage of the fact that he takes more damage (much like with the Jump art), just make sure not to get hit, because those attacks are painful with even more damage added on.

Smash: The Smash art increases the amount of knockback Shulk deals. The downside is that he deals less damage, and has a lighter weight, allowing for easier KO's. The same principle of not getting hit applies here, take advantage of his lessened weight and KO him faster. Fox is a somewhat light character, and can get KO'd fast, so this art is deadly when fighting as Fox. Be careful, but take advantage of it too!

On top of having all the arts, he also has a meteor spike and a counter attack! Those are two of the best moves in the game to have! However, counter attacks are predictable if used too often. If you see your opponent using a counter too often, you can bait it out easily! Usually if you combo'd them into the air, they will try using it as their falling down, so you can bait it out there by doing a fake jump. After they use the counter, fast fall and go in for the attack!

As for the meteor spike, it's most likely used when he has his Jump art enabled. However, that's not the only time he can use it (though in his case, it's the best time to use it). His smash attacks can be quite range worthy too, so make sure you stay out of his range when fighting up close.

Little Mac

Little Mac is faster than Fox, which can be a problem. (This would also be under section of players who are faster than Fox, but decided to place it here instead.) Some of his moves can be predictable, especially if spammed, and that's a key to beating this stubborn guy.

For the counter attack, you have to bait it out like any other counter. This is fairly easy to do, and because the lag time is so immense, you'll be able to counter it like a breeze. Usually (from my experience playing against him online) people who play Little Mac use the counter while falling from a combo or when they see you rushing in.

His side special (the dive punch) is a move that people constantly tend to spam online. If this is the case, good for you, because this can't be recovered from if done off an edge! Use this to your advantage! Stand by the edge and bait it out, a well timed roll can do the trick for a clean dodge. Remember, YOU have to be controlling the fight, not him! If the other player is controlling the fight, you better switch it around because you won't win that way.

Greninja

Greninja is fast, has a counter attack, and has a projectile. If the counter is spammed the entire match (sound stupid, but lots of people do), you will easily be able to bait it out and counter it.

Another big part of Greninja is the projectile. Seeing as how you have a reflector, this should be a no brainer. If you see them charging up their projectile, just use your shine. Take note whether or not they charge it up all the way, or just shoot it as is. Determining this will make it easier for you to judge how far away you need to be when they're charging it up, as well as whether or not they'll actually release it at the end, or somewhere in the middle.

Greninja's D-Air is very predictable, and if done off the side of the stage, can not be recovered from. There are some people who are stupid enough to do that, so if you fight one of them, be sure to bait them and use that to your advantage. Also, if you see them lining up to do that attack, it has a bit of lag time when it misses, so if you do a quick roll you should be able to counter it nicely.

Marth/Lucina

Marth and Lucina are under the same category mainly because they are so similar. (For this sake, I am just going to refer to them both as Marth, because it's easier.)

Marth has a counter attack, a good vertical recovery, and a very strong neutral special attack. However, Marth is one of the easier characters to play against because he is so predictable.

Counter wise, you should be able to bait out a counter by now. If you need to know some basics, look at the past few characters with counter attacks. I gave some basic tips on how to bait them out. As far as everything else about Marth goes, there's only one thing you should watch, and that's his neutral special.

The neutral special for Marth is the charged up sword poke. This can rack up damage if charged all the way, and can even take down your entire shield. If there's one thing you don't want to do when you see them using this move, it's to use your shield, because it WILL NOT WORK! However, because this has lots of lag time, and takes a while to charge (if they decide to charge it all the way) you should be able to dodge and counter this fairly easily.

Lucario

Lucario is a weird character. Good news is, he uses a projectile, his attacks are generally pretty slow, and he has a counter (only good news if you know how to counter it well, which you should by now). Bad news is, he has a very good recovery, and his attacks have decent range. That's really the only bad news though!

Because he has a projectile, you should be able to counter it easily with your reflector. Most of the time, I either see stupid people use it right out in the open, and usually the people who do that, don't take the time to realize it may be reflected back at them. If they charge it up and save the projectile, they will most likely use it when they're close to you to maximize the speed, or when you're trying to recover off the stage. If they're trying to get you from off the stage, go back and look at the last few tips that involve shines under the Keeping Control section. If not, just try to keep your distance!

The other thing that's tricky about Lucario is his recovery. Because he can recovery well vertically and horizontally, I would personally try to go for a KO to the sky. That makes the most sense to me, rather than having him being knocked around for damage most of the time. If you want the fastest KO, that's going to be the way to go when fighting Lucario.

Palutena

Palutena has very slow, predictable attacks. Ontop of that, she has a counter, as well as a reflect power, and even a projectile (to an extent).

When Palutena uses her neutral special, which is her projectile, the best thing to do is to dodge. I know what you're thinking: "But Fox can reflect projectiles, can't he? Why shouldn't we do that!" The problem with reflection Palutena's projectile is that is really has no use, as it won't likely go back to hit her unless you are within fighting range, so you might as well reduce the lag time you have and just dodge.

Because she has a reflector, you can actually use that to your advantage. You have a blaster, and if you keep shooting her, she is bound to use the reflector at some point, so sometimes you can bait out the reflector by shooting once or twice. By doing this, it allows for you to get in close and follow up for some combos, and if nothing else, just intimidates the player.

Ike

People who use Ike, usually use him because he has power moves. If he didn't have those power moves that kill easily, people would just play Marth, because of his speed. Because his moves are so deadly, they are also very slow and can be predictable.

The main move that Ike players will try to use are the side special and neutral special. Those are his best sword attacks that deal the most damage, and the side special can cover a lot of the stage. However, these both happen to be charge up moves, so if you can get in fast enough, you should be able to lead in with a good combo. If you think that's too risky, or your opponent sees it coming already, try to bait out the attack, because those attacks both have a good amount of lag time at the end, so that would be the safe way of getting a combo started from those moves.

KO'ing Ike should be done to the sky, instead of to the side. Why? His side special also works for recovering distance well, so it would be hard for you to KO him that way, as opposed to a good upwards KO at least. Also, a combo that I haven't seen many people who play Ike use (but they honestly should, because it's a good combo) is an up throw to his up special. That combo works on pretty much any percent up until the %90's, and when you're in the range, you can get KO'd easy from Ike anyway. Not many people use that because they're so power hungry that they don't even think of combos, but I would suggest staying away from getting grabbed from Ike, because you will get KO'd very fast if he has you in that trap.

Peach

Peach is an odd character. She has a variety of attacks, ones that can be used at range, and good up close attacks too. She is a bit floaty, and her attacks are sluggish, but her ability to float makes her a tough opponent.

I've played good players and bad players who use Peach, and it's obvious who knows what they're doing and who doesn't. Besides having a counter attack, her recovery special also deals good damage, she can throw those little sprouts (not too bad, as you can reflect them with your shine) and she can float. Floating is the biggest part that you'll have to get used to, especially if they know how to use it well.

Usually, the advanced Peach player will start by floating right about at your head level, and then use her D-Air. This is a good way that she can rack up damage, and can be quite annoying really. There's no perfect way I've found to defend against this as I've only played three people total online who used Peach, but what I found to be the most useful was either dodging the D-Air attacks with a roll and knock her off the air with a F-Air or N-Air, or use your side special, which is the Fox Illusion to knock her down. You want to get Peach out of the air if she's floating in an offensive style.

However, there are other players who use her floating ability to their defensive advantage, like when falling from a combo, which makes it harder to follow up into from a combo. If they do this, they usually wait out their maximum float limit, and will eventually fall. Try to mirror their movement on the ground and predict where and when she will fall. If you do this, you'll have a better shot leading into another combo. Make sure to take air dodges into account, because if you don't, that could wreck your whole plan.


Characters Faster than Fox

One of Fox's greatest attributes is his speed. Without being the fastest player in the match, it can get quite tricky. This is the case for Sonic, Captain Falcon, and Little Mac, as they are the only characters who are faster than Fox. (I already covered Little Mac in the counter attack section, so if you want a matchup for him, check it out there.)

Sonic
Fastest character in the game, with lots of combo potential. This is where you are going to have some trouble. Using intimidation tactis and lots of fakes could either make or break you here. If you haven't mastered faking or reading your opponent, then that may not be a good strategy to use here. The best thing to do for Sonic is to be defensive (obviously, if you can master reading and judging your opponent, that will work a hell of a lot better).

Sonic has a combo that is pretty much standard to use, in low and high percents. It starts with his down special or side special (spinning in a ball, and then releasing himself) and then leads into an up air attack. The reason this is standard for Sonic, is because of his up special, which goes incredibly high. Using this, he's able to continue this combo no matter how high you go, and he will eventually use it for a KO move. Fortunately for you, this combo really only works at low and high percents, but not mid-range. It's a risky and bold move, but if you can get into the mid-range percents (%30 - 65) and stay there, that is your best bet for making him lose his combo potential.

If you are stuck in the high percents, and you see Sonic is using that same combo (or some other variation, there are other ways for him to get you into the air like his up throw) then a well-timed air dodge will help tremendously against it. Because he uses his up special to reach you at the top, he loses a lot while on the way down, and that is your chance to recover.

Generally, his attacks don't have much lag time, but his neutral special does, which is his homing attack. A nice roll can keep you from getting hit by this, and better yet, a good lead in to a combo as well. Sonic players tend to use this a lot, so mix up the direction of your roles to keep the match under your control.

General rule of thumb for Sonic matches: Most of the time, they will use their side or down special, which is the spinning ball attack. Despite what you may think, you can actually smash attack or even dash attack while they're on their way towards you, and you won't take any damage. Attacking them on their way towards you usually makes them stop using that move, which is good, since it's really his only good combo starter

Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon is, to say the least, very good in this game. His combo potential is amazing, with so much to do. He has a ton of kill moves, and a variety of ways to set them up. He also has a meteor spike. Oh, and on top of that, he's faster than Fox. That's okay though, because here are some tips when fighting the Falcon.

Because his combo game is so strong, you have to be careful to not get caught up in it, because you'll be there for a while due to most of the combos being "true" (true combos are ones that you can't get out of, no matter what). Probably the only weakness of Captain Falcon is that some of his moves are predictable and can sometimes be slow. Good examples of those are the Falcon Punch, his side smash, and up smash. His Falcon Kicks are also very predictable, however they aren't necessarily considered "slow". When dealing with someone who uses the Falcon Kick a lot, they are usually doing it to clear space on the stage, or to recover after you landed a combo on them. If they're clearing space on the stage, try to judge your distance and go in for a grab or dash attack right when the kick is about to end. If they're doing it from the air, you're in luck, because that gives you a good opportunity to dodge and go in for a grab due to the lag time of his landing.

A typical Captain Falcon player who knows what they're doing, will usually use the up air A LOT. That is one of the biggest combo moves for him, and honestly they should be using it, because it is quite good. However, air dodging at the right time can take care of that quite easily.

If the player is stupid enough to actually use the Falcon Punch at all, punish them hard with a nice grab combo or dash attack combo from the opposite side. That move is terribly slow, so make it worth your while if they ever end up using it in the match.

The last thing to note is the Falcon Knee. This is dangerous. Not only does it sparkle when it hits you right, but it can KO you in the %70's. The best lead in they usually use for this is a down throw (I used to play Falcon a lot, take that from experience). Another good way they lead into it is with a dash attack. If you can avoid getting dash attacked or grabbed, you should be fine.
Be cautious of his meteor smash! He will use this likely when your trying to recover, and you're in your Firefox state. This can be deadly at low percents, so watch out!


Floaty Characters

Floaty characters, being Jigglypuff and Kirby, are probably the toughest characters to play against as Fox. Why? Easy! Fox relies on his streams of combos to rack up damage, and realistically, you just can't land easy combos on these guys.

Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff has an amazing air game. Due to this, though, her ground game is quite terrible. You won't see many Jigglypuff players on the ground most of the time, as they will be in the air for their own benefit. You have to use your speed to your advantage here, as Jigglypuff is very slow, and her moves are slow as well.

General rule of thumb for Jigglypuff: For combos, I would NOT suggest using any throws! She is a floaty character, and those honestly will just not work unless you do lots of double jumps. Stick to dash attacks and lead ins like that for combos, they work better for her character type.

Because Jigglypuff is a floaty character, not many combos will work on her, which is where it gets hard. You are going to need to put in lots of double jumps to actually land the combos near the early percents. However, they get KO'd easily, so get them to a decent percent and it should be fairly easy from there.

Because she uses her air game to her advantage, Jigglypuff usually does lots of air dodges. In addition, she uses lots of back air attacks and down air attacks to rack up the damage. Beware of her punch attack, because that can be quite deadly in the high percents.

Jiggly's recovery is decent, but not as good as Kirby's. You may not know, but Jigglypuff doesn't have an extra recovery move. It is replaced with her Sing attack, which puts any enemy that gets near her to sleep. Sounds useful, but it's actually very hard to fall into that trap. A good dash attack will solve that, and you will be able to combo into that fairly easy. However, if she does put you to sleep, you better get up as fast as possible because she can do her Sleep attack and pretty much insta-KO you if your percent is over %50.

The sleep attack is a big part of Jiggly's gameplay. It has been increased power-wise from Brawl, and can KO at decent percents. It's pretty hard to hit, which is why people only try to use it after using the Sing attack (unless they are VERY gutsy). However, there is another way she can use this, that I haven't seen many people use. Earlier in this guide, I talked about out of shield attacks (OOS). These are attacks that you can jump directly from a shield and preform. Well, you guessed it, Jigglypuff can jump out of shield, fast fall and use her Sleep attack. That is one of her most deadliest moves. I have never seen it actually used online, but I've used it quite a bit, and it really does work, so keep your eyes open for that.

Her Sing and Sleep attacks also have lots of lag time, so you should be able to get in after a missed attack to go into a good combo. However, if you do manage to get KO'd from a Sleep attack, don't sweat it, just make sure that you use her lag time to your advantage. Spawn in as quick as you can and try to attack her while she is still asleep.

The last tool Jiggly has in her toolkit is her roll attack. This is a charge up attack, and can be deadly if it hits you straight on, but the best thing you can do is just do some well timed dodges. Usually she uses this for recovery, and maybe if you're lucky, she'll misjudge her distance and suicide

Kirby

Kirby is a bit different from Jigglypuff. The same principle about not using throw combos still applies, but not as much, because Kirby does weigh just a little bit more than Jiggly. Kirby players tend to stick to the down special, which is the Rock attack, and also use lots of dash attacks. You also have to be cautious of Kirby sucking you up. If they do suck you up, and take your weapon, that's a win for you, because you have a reflector and Kirby doesn't. However, Kirby players have been known to suck you up by edges, spit you out underneath the stage, and recover afterwards, allowing for an easy KO. Of course, you have to be in high percents to actually stay in Kirby's mouth that long without escaping, but it's still a sneaky move.

Most Kirby players use the Rock move the most. No matter how they use it, it's good for you, because it's predictable and can be countered easily. Some people let the rock actually hit the stage, while others get out of the rock while in mid air. If they use it and hit the stage, you can go up for a grab and combo that way. If they get out of it mid air, you can use that lag time against them and go in for a good air combo.

Kirby's dash attack is something I see used often online, while it is still predictable and has some lag behind it. A well timed dodge can take care of this, and then you can lead in for a combo.

Another omve Kirby players tend to use a lot (and I really don't know why) is the hammer move. This is a charge up move, and it lessens their movement down to a crawl. This is a good move for you to just go in and dash attack for a combo, or you can dash in and bait it out with a good roll, and then go in for another combo. Either way, there's lag time on both ends, so it's a win win for you.


Medium/Light Weight Characters

Having the biggest majority of characters, the medium/light weights usually rely on hand to hand combat, but they also have lots of tools for fighting long range, so watch out.

Mario

Mario is the most general character, and pretty much the mascot of Smash. He is good overall, and fairly easy to use, making him popular for beginning characters. That being said, he has some pretty crucial combos that you won't want to be a part of, however there are lots of ways to fake him out and gain the initiative.

One of the worst combos you don't want to get trapped into is his down throw to U-Tilt. If he does this as the beginning, he can rack up around %40 in only seconds. Try to avoid getting grabbed by Mario in general, because he can also KO you at high percents with his back throw.

There are 2 moves that you should take note of when playing against Mario: his water blaster, and his fireballs. Since the water blaster is a charge up move, this will allow you to sneak in for a grab or dash attack before he can finish. If you see that he likes to release the water before it's fully charged, fake that out by dashing in and rolling out of the way. After that, use the end lag time to punish him. Fireball defense is basic, being a projectile. Generally, I would say to use your shine and reflect the fireballs back at him, because most of the time his lag time is too much that he won't be able to rush in for a surprise attack.

Lots of Mario players tend to knock you off the stage, and then stun you in air with the fireball. Watch out for those, as it could mean the difference between losing a stock, or getting back on the stage. Try using some of the ledge-Shine tips from the Mindgames section to defend against this if he is constantly throwoing the fireballs off the edge at you.

Mega Man

Mega Man is fairly easy to fight as Fox, because he relies on most of his attacks being projectiles. The reflector is KEY to beating Mega Man, so keep that in mind, and practice all of the Mindgame tricks listed that involve shines.

As aid above, practicing the Mindgame tricks is useful here. Make sure you master the Ledge Jump Cancel Shine, because if Mega Man is trying to edge guard you with his blaster, it will get sent right back at him. (Try not to do this too much, it can be punished if he figures out your timing.)

Air dodging is something to use a lot while playing against him as well. One of his most notable combos is an upwards attack, going into an U-Air (shooting tornadoes upwards). If you're able to air dodge these, you should be fine when you land back on the ground.

One trick that I found out while playing against Mega Man is that if he uses his side special (the sticky bomb), you can hold down your reflector, and it will automatically cancel out all of the damage. That being said, you should try not to get hit with it in general, and instead try to send it back at him for maximum efficiency.

Wario

Wario is considered a weak player in my opinion, but don't underestimate him, because I know several people who use him well. Most Wario players rely on his motorcycle, for both attacking and recovering.

The main thing you have to do is watch for the motorcycle. Wario is somewhat slow, so you should be able to maneuver around him easily. If you see him using his cycle, a good dash attack or side smash can almost always take it out, but it takes decent timing. If he jumps off the cycle, make sure you knock it off the edge or blow it up, because you don't want the chance of him eating it to regain bits of health.

If Wario is using the cycle to recover, a good U-Air can solve the problem, especially if they use it high up in the air. None of his grabs follow up well, so if you get grabbed don't worry, his combo potential is weak.

Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. is another odd character. He has many different types of attacks, making for a good range game, nice up close attacks, and a decent recovery that can sometimes KO. Though, his moves aren't too predictable, even though they can be pretty slow, so you have to constantly watch and try to read their strategy.

Bowser Jr. does have a projectile, which is the little robots that he lets roam around and explode when they reach you. Use your reflector on this every time, no matter what it will end good for you. He can also shoot cannonballs, if you use your reflector on this one too it will also turn out good for you.

One thing you'll want to try to avoid is being grabbed or getting caught up in his up special, both can be very deadly. His up special is where he jumps out of his vehicle, letting it explode at the bottom of the stage, and he comes back down able to swing his hammer. The blast from his vehicle exploding can be very deadly, but easy to dodge. Also, if you dodge the hammer swing that he usually does on his way back down, it opens up opportunities to lead in for other combos. His smash attacks are somewhat slow and have lag time, especially his side smash (also applies to his dash attack). If you can manage to dodge it, you should have no trouble starting up a combo.

You also need to watch for his side special, which is his vehicle sliding across the stage (much like Sonic's side special, or even Yoshi's). This is much easier to dodge than Sonic or Yoshi's side special, and after you dodge it you can lead in with a nice dash attack.

Link/Toon Link

I am putting these two together because they are very similar, except for a few moves, which I will go over when necessary. Both Link's have a variety of attacks, making for a very strong range game, as well as powerful up close combat.

Because the Link's use projectiles, using your reflector is a MUST! Whether or not you're going up against their bow and arrow, their boomerangs (either one, the tornado with Link and the regular one with Toon Link), you must always have good timing with your reflector. A lot of the time, if they spam charge and shoot their arrows, keep reflecting it because they eventually need to let go. If they don't seem to let go, you can fake by quickly deactivating the reflector, and activating it a split second after. This works very well, and is hard for the opponent to guess when you're going to end your shine.

Both Link's also have one very predictable move, that I'm sure if you've played against them online, you already know what it is - their D-Air (Downwards sword spike). Toon Link does his a bit faster, but can't be recovered from as easy. Link has better recovery from his, but doesn't go as fast or as powerful. Still, if you see them using these moves, you will be able to predict where they land, allowing for easy lead ins to combos.

Link's attacks are pretty slow, for both of them. However, if they land, they are very powerful and can KO easily if they time it right. Intimidating the opponent is good hear, because if you can bait out their attacks, you'll be able to go in for an easy grab or dash attack. This also applies to both of the Link's grabs - it is VERY laggy at the beginning, meaning if it misses, you're in luck for an easy combo.

Luigi

Luigi is a very light character. He isn't fast, however he has amazing combo potential. His horizontal recovery is good but can be punished easily, and his vertical recovery isn't as good as Mario's, because it makes him go straight up instead of diagonally.

Lots of people who use Luigi stick to his dash attack. If your opponent does this, consider it a good thing, because it has lots of lag time and you should be able to dodge it and lead in for a nice combo. The only other good combo starter that Luigi has uses a throw, so try not to get grabbed. He doesn't have a great range game, his fireballs don't go that far, and his up close attacks have very limited range. Because he isn't that fast, you should try to shoot him with some lasers when he is far away, it'll still allow you some time to put your gun away and move out of the way of an incoming attack.

Two main things you have to worry about when fighting Luigi: he has a meteor smash, and his Up-Special. The meteor smash is his D-Air, and he jumps very high, so watch out for that when you're trying to recover back to the stage. His up-Special can kill most characters around %60, so be careful of that as well. If you see your opponent going for that a lot, it has a lot of lag time, so try to predict where he will land and go in for a combo.

Villager

Be happy if you get Villager as an opponent, because he uses lots of projectiles. I don't suggest using lasers against him because he can essentially "pick them up" and use them for his own good. His recovery is great both vertical and horizontal. However, a good opportunity to send him back to the stage is when he uses his Side-Special, you can use your reflector (either on stage or in air, it isn't that risky because your falling speed will be slowed down) and send him back out for a stock.

Something you do not want to get in the way of is his tree. If he grows one of those trees, stay as far away as you can from it, because that can deal massive damage and kill at low percents. Another thing you should look out for is when he is hanging onto a ledge, people often try to shoot the slingshot and get in some points, but if they do this they leave themselves open if they miss. Go in for a good F-Air or B-Air if they try this. They may try it when you are the one recovering as well, be careful of that. Also, if you see them using their Up-Special above the stage, wait for them to fall down and predict the landing, you should be able to lead a combo in from that. Besides that, just block all the projectiles and you should have no problem.

Olimar

Olimar relies almost ENTIRELY on his pikmin! Without them, his attacks are very, very limited. A good priority of yours should be to dodge the pikmin at all costs, and make sure that there are as little of them on stage as possible. Besides that, his vertical recovery is decent, but again, it requires pikmin. The animation for pulling up pikmin has a bit of lag, so that will open you up for lots of combos.

Without his pikmin, the only attacks he can do is his tilts and his neutral attack! Keep that in mind when fighting Olimar, because the less attacks he has to use, the better!

Also, different pikmin have different uses. I'm not going to include all of them here, but the Red pikmin is the one they will use for smash attacks since it does the most damage. A good Olimar will know the order of the pikmin, and use that to his advantage, so be careful of that! Luckily, most of his attacks are laggy, which leaves lots of openings for you.

Wii Fit Trainer

Wii Fit Trainer (WFT) has lots of short range attacks, a long range attack, and a decent recovery. The downfall for WFT is her speed. If you can roll or short hop and fake out their attacks, you will be able to get in for a grab, or at least a dash attack into a combo. Lucky for you, her long range attack is a projectile. Some characters will use this at obvious times, other will not, so try to read them. They will either use it right after they charge it (noob move), right after you fall on the floor (kind of predictable), as your getting up from the ledge, or while your flying off the stage. You can use Tip #8 from the Mindgames section to help from getting back onto a ledge if they try shooting it with you then. As for the other times, it can be predictable most of the time, so try to read your opponent. Who knows, they may never even use the projectile, and just generate it to intimidate you.

All of the rest of WFT's attacks are very short range, a bit like the range of Luigi's attacks. You should be able to get in and out without taking a scratch most of the time due ot your speed. Also, the combo potential of WFT is very limited, so don't worry too much if you get grabbed, there's not much they can do that will rack up damage.

Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario isn't just a clone of Mario with different projectiles. There are some key differences that make this Mario more than just another one in a costume. First, his cape doesn't stall (stall means it stops your falling movement for a little bit, much like Fox's Shine). Also, his combo potential is a lot less than Mario's. A common combo from Mario is his D-Throw to U-Tilt, but Dr. Mario does more knockback on that, so it doesn't work as well. The projectiles are obviously different, doesn't change too much, but he may end up using them while you're trying to recover from an edge (look at Tip #8 in the Mindgames section). Another thing is he doesn't have a meteor smash like regular Mario does, which is a good thing for you. Lastly, his Up-Special is much more powerful than Mario's, so be careful of that. It can kill at around 90% if you get caught in a grab combo.

For defeating Dr. Mario, I would go take a look at Mario's character matchup. I would play him exactly the same. It is actually a bit easier, because you don't have to worry about him using a meteor smash, or even using his water to keep you off the stage. Go back and read Tip #8 from the Mindgames section, that will help you with the projectiles if that's becoming a problem for you.

Pit/Dark Pit

I am combining these two (much like I did with Link and Toon Link) because the differences aren't large enough in my opinion to make separate matchups. The only differences are the speed, Dark Pit is just a little bit slower even though it's not too noticeable. Pit's arrows travel farther and faster than Dark Pit. However, Dark Pit does greater overall damage, only by a little bit. I'm going to refer to them both as just Pit for simplicity.

When fighting Pit, you need to take note of how good his Up-Special is, and the fact that he uses a projectile. Also, he has a reflector as well, so I would not personally shoot him with your lasers. Pit players often rely on his arrows, so knock them down with your reflector, that simple. Pit also has decent aerial attacks and can often trap Fox in his spammed neutral attack for about 30% or so. Pit does have quite a bit of lag after moves though, so go in for some combos after he does a dash attack, because I guarantee that he will at some point.

Pacman

Pacman is a weird character with lots of strange attacks. He plays a decent range game by charging up his projectiles. The projectiles all have different uses too, so I would go look those up (I am not going to list them all here). The very last projectile that he can charge to is the most deadly, and it's also the fastest. Good thing you have your Shine! Use it to reflect those nasty projectiles. He can also uses his Down-Special (throwing the fire hydrant downward) as a meteor smash, so watch out for that when you're trying to recover. You will be vulnerable in your Firefox state, so watch him carefully.

Pacman's recovery is quite good, but it can also help save you too. If you are falling off the edge at the same time as him, and he uses his up-Special, you can take advantage of it and use it too! Just make sure you don't get hit with an aerials along the way.

Another key thing to fighting Pacman is to take advantage of the lag time on his grabs. He has lots of lag time on his grabs, so if you dodge or short hop over, you can lead in for some combos.

One more thing that you can do to bait out his projectiles is to dash into a shield. Most of the time, while they are charging up their projectile, they will panic and just throw it. If you dash and shield, you will cancel out the damage, and you can either go in for a dash attack or a grab afterwards and beat out that lag (dash attack is risky, so I would go with a grab if you're close enough).

Ness

Ness has a lot of combo potential, kill moves, and can even regenerate health. However, his recovery is terrible if they don't know how to use it right, and most of hits moves has decent lag time after if they miss.

Normally, I would say to play it safe and NOT shoot your laser at all. You can follow that rule if you'd like, if you don't shoot, no chance of him regaining and health. I am quite a risky person, and I like to shoot the laser and bait out his Down-Special. It has decent lag time on it, so if I can bait it out I can manage to get in for a combo. That is very risky, so do it at your own risk. If you want to play it safe, just don't shoot at all, and you'll be fine.

Fast falling will help you when fighting Ness. A good combo he likes to use is a dash attack into a double N-Air. You can stop the second one by fast falling (normally, or you could even try to air dodge it if you're fast enough) and then get him while he still has that lag time on him. Watch out for his dash attack, it is one of his best combo starters!

I've also noticed that Ness players tend to use their D-Throw. This is another great combo starter for Ness, so try not to get grabbed, at ALL! Once you're up in the air, they can keep shooting the PK thunder at you to juggle you, and trust me it isn't fun.

Watch out for the PK fire, because that is what lots of Ness players do to initiate grabs. If you're quick enough, you can reflect it at him and show him your combo skills, if you don't know %100 that you will be able to reflect it though, I would suggest just moving out of the way. That move also has lots of lag time after, so if you roll towards him, you could grab him and go in for a combo.

Lastly, his Up-Special (PK thunder) is what he uses to get back up onto the stage. However, he can also use it as a weapon, and not necessarily by hitting you directly. If he uses it on himself to smash into you, it deals a lot of damage and can kill at low percents. If you see them leading into this, use that tremendous amount of lag time against him.

Pikachu

Pikachu has decent speed, a projectile, a good recovery (if they use it to it's full potential) and medium combo potential. Lots of Pikachu's combos rely on his dash attack, as well as throws, so try not to get grabbed.

The projectile Pikachu uses (lightning) is easy to block with your shine, but don't let that get the best of you. Just like blocking any other projectile with your shine, you leave your self potentially open and vulnerable for a grab or dash attack. Pikachu's speed is no match for yours, so generally you will be fine no matter what as long as you're thinking on your feet, but you can never be too sure.

Pikachu's dash attack has decent lag after it, and is pretty easy to read, so be sure to dodge those as much as you can so you can get easy lead-ins for combos. One combo that Pikachu will tend to throw at higher percents (around 80-100) is an Up Throw to his Down Special, which is where he brings down the lightning onto him. This will drag you with it as it comes down, finishing with a big hit, so try not to get grabbed during the higher percents, this IS what they will do, hands down.

MORE CHARACTERS COMING SOON

Thanks for reading this guide! I hope that you learn a thing or two from it. I will keep updating certain sections, such as combos, as I learn more. Stay tuned for future updates, and have a great day!

- Postknowledge