DKwill
Smash Lord
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 1,232
- Location
- Planking the ledge 185 times over.
- 3DS FC
- 3497-1934-6087
After Apex 2012, I think it's safe to say that Japan spends a lot more time in training mode than we do. I'd say it's a good idea to follow suit and improve to be the best we can be with DK, as well as discover new mix-ups and strategies to improve our character's metagame.
I practiced in training mode for a long period of time yesterday. I should probably do that more often because while messing around, I've found out a few more tricks that I think are useful.
A lot of these might be known, and as you guys know I like to mess around with up-b cancels constantly lol. But I'll list my practicing regimen anyway, and what I think could be used more =)
1) First, practice slow dropping through a side platform on Battlefield with MK. Why MK, you ask? Because this is the best way to practice the proper buffering and also to determine that you are performing it correctly. When you drop through a platform with MK and use up air, if you buffer a jump + up air IMMEDIATELY, you will have time for an additional 2 up airs, followed by the beginning frames of neutral air. When perfected, you will be able to drop through the platform and without ever touching the ground: fall up air, jump up air 2x, n-air, land on BF platform.
A cool application of this practice is that you will now be able to slow drop an up air, into buffered shuttle loop cancel. If you hold down as soon as the shuttle loop begins, you will auto drop through the platform laglessly (reminiscent of the Japanese players' shuttle loop cancels that were flaunted at Apex haha)
2) Now, what was the purpose behind that? Well, now that you've mastered slow dropping from a platform it becomes very useful. For instance, one such use I've found for DK is to slow drop, double jump + up air (which now covers a majority of the platform since it is only slightly above platform level), into buffered up-b which will laglessly land on top of the Battlefield platform. If the up air connects, this will actually combo at mid/low percents if you follow their DI with up-b instead of opting for the platform cancel.
I'm sure there are many other cool applications with this subtle platform technique, so be sure to experiment!
3) When practicing DK tech skill, I made sure to perform a few JC up-b OoS, and then I moved onto running shield into JC up-b OoS. Similarly, a few reps of JC up smash OoS followed by running shield into JC up smash OoS. I'm sure there are uses for these, because they are too cool looking not to. Also, I have an idea of how to apply up smash out of shield aside from on reaction. There may be a way to bait out opportunities for it...
4) Which leads me to what I mastered as of Apex 2012. Props to all the Marth mains out there (especially Mr. R <3) who have always made use of this dashing technique. I believe it may be correlated to true pivoting, but I am honestly not savvy on the terminology being that I hardly follow the boards anymore =P
I believe this technique increases DK's movement/mix-up options by a large margin, as well as increases his overall ground speed/coverage. If you've ever noticed a Marth dashing away, then immediately dash back in with dancing blade seemingly without pause- it's bc there is a specific input required! I noticed Rich Brown asked about this recently so this is for you too bro lmao. This alone has had me excited enough to enter training mode and mess around.
Here it is: Fox trot away, followed by an immediate dash input in the same direction, then a dash in the opposite direction. There is a certain rhythm to the dash inputs that is easy to demonstrate in person but is difficult to describe in words. The best way I can describe it is to fox trot (away), then dash dance (same direction into opposite direction). When performed correctly, you will have created space between you and your opponent, as well as closed the gap almost immediately.
This may not seem useful for DK at first, but with the proper mix-ups... it's amazing. It gets DK out of a dangerous space very quickly, and then allows for a pressuring follow up. I have used it just recently in a bracket match with MikeHAZE, an amazing Marth player obviously =P, who relies on zoning and perfect spacing. Some mix-ups include double fox trotting away before dashing in, fox trot away then dashing in with a shield (power shields are actually very easy to perform with this), fox trot away then dashing in with up-b (great option for pressure since most people will have unshielded by the time you give them space).
In the case of applying this fox trot to dash dance with JC up smash OoS, I've found that characters that like to zone with f-air (MK, Marth, etc.) will have trouble reacting right away. You can catch their zoned f-air with a powershield, and then JC up smash OoS. I've yet to pull it off, but I have had my fair share of powershields, though I usually opt for shield drop down smash.
5) I also practiced the invincicopter quite a bit, and for the life of me I have yet to be able to perform it consistently. =/ If you guys have any tips (*cough Ripple cough*), please let me know what makes it easier for you. Even harder still is the running shield into descending variation, because there seem to be little to no visual/auditory ques to work with.
6) A neat trick I picked up from Europe is the auto fall through platform cancel, notably on Smashville since that's the stage where it gets the most use. As opposed to a normal platform cancel (flicking the control stick down upon reaching the height of the platform out of a full hop), this cancel allows for you to immediately land and descend immediately. It is executed by pressing down + Z simultaneously upon reaching the level of the platform. You can also use down + L or R, whichever you are comfortable with. The trick though, is to platform cancel with an air dodge since that is what allows you to instantly drop through.
Applications for DK so far that I've started using: instant drop through to up-b lagless land! This will allow for sharking through the moving Smashville platform and then landing on top of it, which is great because those hitboxes carry into follow ups if any of them connect and you follow their DI =)
The best, and most fun way to practice this is to perform it over and over consecutively. As in full jump from the ground, platform drop to jump, platform drop, etc. In theory, you can perform this AT infinitely without ever touching the ground again lol. It's good to master if you are into ultimate mind games, because who is going to see double platform drop to up air/Giant punch coming? =P Beware though, this is risky because you can be hit at any time. It might look amazing, but it's definitely vulnerable.
7) One of the last things I messed around with was full hop d-air/f-air on Battlefield, to buffered up-b lagless land on the side Battlefield platforms. Both moves are slow as hell, but have great hitboxes for covering the top platform! D-air hits on DK's face, so it can connect unexpectedly, and then you can land safely on the side platform with up-b. F-air is very slow, but sweeps the entire top platform with its outward knockback hitboxes, and can also lead to follow ups with up-b, even if they are shield pushed off the platform.
8) Oh, and just a basic tip that has helped me out tremendously- know which moves are 100% punishable by down smash out of shield and go for it! Also, try to bait unsafe aerials on shield while sitting on a platform with DK. Hold your shield, angle it down, and then if they so much as unsafely space up air with ZSS, shield drop down smash! It connects surprisingly low, and leads to great punishes/early kills due to the height of the platform ^_^
Please feel free to post what you guys practice on your own time, as it may help other DK's in their personal training experience! I'm also very interested as to what you guys have mastered and what mix-ups you've come up with.
I practiced in training mode for a long period of time yesterday. I should probably do that more often because while messing around, I've found out a few more tricks that I think are useful.
A lot of these might be known, and as you guys know I like to mess around with up-b cancels constantly lol. But I'll list my practicing regimen anyway, and what I think could be used more =)
1) First, practice slow dropping through a side platform on Battlefield with MK. Why MK, you ask? Because this is the best way to practice the proper buffering and also to determine that you are performing it correctly. When you drop through a platform with MK and use up air, if you buffer a jump + up air IMMEDIATELY, you will have time for an additional 2 up airs, followed by the beginning frames of neutral air. When perfected, you will be able to drop through the platform and without ever touching the ground: fall up air, jump up air 2x, n-air, land on BF platform.
A cool application of this practice is that you will now be able to slow drop an up air, into buffered shuttle loop cancel. If you hold down as soon as the shuttle loop begins, you will auto drop through the platform laglessly (reminiscent of the Japanese players' shuttle loop cancels that were flaunted at Apex haha)
2) Now, what was the purpose behind that? Well, now that you've mastered slow dropping from a platform it becomes very useful. For instance, one such use I've found for DK is to slow drop, double jump + up air (which now covers a majority of the platform since it is only slightly above platform level), into buffered up-b which will laglessly land on top of the Battlefield platform. If the up air connects, this will actually combo at mid/low percents if you follow their DI with up-b instead of opting for the platform cancel.
I'm sure there are many other cool applications with this subtle platform technique, so be sure to experiment!
3) When practicing DK tech skill, I made sure to perform a few JC up-b OoS, and then I moved onto running shield into JC up-b OoS. Similarly, a few reps of JC up smash OoS followed by running shield into JC up smash OoS. I'm sure there are uses for these, because they are too cool looking not to. Also, I have an idea of how to apply up smash out of shield aside from on reaction. There may be a way to bait out opportunities for it...
4) Which leads me to what I mastered as of Apex 2012. Props to all the Marth mains out there (especially Mr. R <3) who have always made use of this dashing technique. I believe it may be correlated to true pivoting, but I am honestly not savvy on the terminology being that I hardly follow the boards anymore =P
I believe this technique increases DK's movement/mix-up options by a large margin, as well as increases his overall ground speed/coverage. If you've ever noticed a Marth dashing away, then immediately dash back in with dancing blade seemingly without pause- it's bc there is a specific input required! I noticed Rich Brown asked about this recently so this is for you too bro lmao. This alone has had me excited enough to enter training mode and mess around.
Here it is: Fox trot away, followed by an immediate dash input in the same direction, then a dash in the opposite direction. There is a certain rhythm to the dash inputs that is easy to demonstrate in person but is difficult to describe in words. The best way I can describe it is to fox trot (away), then dash dance (same direction into opposite direction). When performed correctly, you will have created space between you and your opponent, as well as closed the gap almost immediately.
This may not seem useful for DK at first, but with the proper mix-ups... it's amazing. It gets DK out of a dangerous space very quickly, and then allows for a pressuring follow up. I have used it just recently in a bracket match with MikeHAZE, an amazing Marth player obviously =P, who relies on zoning and perfect spacing. Some mix-ups include double fox trotting away before dashing in, fox trot away then dashing in with a shield (power shields are actually very easy to perform with this), fox trot away then dashing in with up-b (great option for pressure since most people will have unshielded by the time you give them space).
In the case of applying this fox trot to dash dance with JC up smash OoS, I've found that characters that like to zone with f-air (MK, Marth, etc.) will have trouble reacting right away. You can catch their zoned f-air with a powershield, and then JC up smash OoS. I've yet to pull it off, but I have had my fair share of powershields, though I usually opt for shield drop down smash.
5) I also practiced the invincicopter quite a bit, and for the life of me I have yet to be able to perform it consistently. =/ If you guys have any tips (*cough Ripple cough*), please let me know what makes it easier for you. Even harder still is the running shield into descending variation, because there seem to be little to no visual/auditory ques to work with.
6) A neat trick I picked up from Europe is the auto fall through platform cancel, notably on Smashville since that's the stage where it gets the most use. As opposed to a normal platform cancel (flicking the control stick down upon reaching the height of the platform out of a full hop), this cancel allows for you to immediately land and descend immediately. It is executed by pressing down + Z simultaneously upon reaching the level of the platform. You can also use down + L or R, whichever you are comfortable with. The trick though, is to platform cancel with an air dodge since that is what allows you to instantly drop through.
Applications for DK so far that I've started using: instant drop through to up-b lagless land! This will allow for sharking through the moving Smashville platform and then landing on top of it, which is great because those hitboxes carry into follow ups if any of them connect and you follow their DI =)
The best, and most fun way to practice this is to perform it over and over consecutively. As in full jump from the ground, platform drop to jump, platform drop, etc. In theory, you can perform this AT infinitely without ever touching the ground again lol. It's good to master if you are into ultimate mind games, because who is going to see double platform drop to up air/Giant punch coming? =P Beware though, this is risky because you can be hit at any time. It might look amazing, but it's definitely vulnerable.
7) One of the last things I messed around with was full hop d-air/f-air on Battlefield, to buffered up-b lagless land on the side Battlefield platforms. Both moves are slow as hell, but have great hitboxes for covering the top platform! D-air hits on DK's face, so it can connect unexpectedly, and then you can land safely on the side platform with up-b. F-air is very slow, but sweeps the entire top platform with its outward knockback hitboxes, and can also lead to follow ups with up-b, even if they are shield pushed off the platform.
8) Oh, and just a basic tip that has helped me out tremendously- know which moves are 100% punishable by down smash out of shield and go for it! Also, try to bait unsafe aerials on shield while sitting on a platform with DK. Hold your shield, angle it down, and then if they so much as unsafely space up air with ZSS, shield drop down smash! It connects surprisingly low, and leads to great punishes/early kills due to the height of the platform ^_^
Please feel free to post what you guys practice on your own time, as it may help other DK's in their personal training experience! I'm also very interested as to what you guys have mastered and what mix-ups you've come up with.
