Jab-Canceling

[Endless Nightmares]

I just thought I'd make a thread about this technique so that more people will know about it. It was relatively obscure in Melee and I think even less people know that it made it into Brawl.

Basically, jab-canceling allows you to perform a character's first jab repeatedly at a faster rate than pressing A, waiting and pressing again. It was useful for pressuring shields and hitting opponents before they could retaliate with a move of their own. Here is what it looked like in Melee.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mJ8zjW3Dy4c

Hugs made great use of this technique, watch it in action at 0:38 of this video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Hc7dZihvAg

There are two ways to jab-cancel.

One is to jab, then crouch some time near the end of the jab to cancel it. Then jab again. So it would go jab [crouch] jab [crouch] etc. at a fast and steady pace. Each character has a slightly different timing for this.

The second way, which I believe to be easier and more effective, is described by Mariownage here:

So basically this is like the speeded up single jab -> repeat: Most people know that if you crouch right after a single jab you can do another single jab at a fast rate. This method is inconsistant becuase you have to time both the tapping down for the reset and pressing A. The new method only recquires you to time the A, and I'm quite certain that it has an instant crouch cancel.

How to do it: Simply hold down to the bottom corner of your control stick, and then slide it to next corner opposite of the direction your character is facing. Then with proper timing start single jabbing like a maniac
For example:

It's very simple and can be buffered by nearly anything, such as wavedashing, dash canceling, spot dodging, shuffled aerials, etc. I'm not sure if it helps every character, ones like marth, roy, ganondorf, pikachu, and pichu (It did seem like it helped to me, but I don't have AR so I can't test)

I think someone like Phanna or Superdoodleman might know about this already or even had posted about this already, please forgive me if this is stealing your thunder.

If you are down tilting you are holding down too far and if you turn around and forward tilt, you are holding too far to the side. It's much easier to consistantly do it with a newer controller as well

As many of you may have noticed, jabs are much better in this game. With the right application this technique can be very useful in Brawl.

I will make a chart of which characters can perform this technique and I will post it here asap.

I know Wario can, for sure.

 

[da K.I.D.]

thats a cool find, and i will be implementing this into my repetoir, asap.... also yay for me i think im first

 

[Doval]

Thanks for making the thread and spreading the knowledge of this technique. However, I disagree with the opinion that jabs are much better in Brawl. Hardly any jab can truly combo into something else in this game, and most (if not all) are punishable by shieldgrabbing. In Melee, jabs could even combo into Smash Attacks.

 

[Flayl]

bowser can but it won't count as a combo in training

 

[Andromeda]

Luigi can't seem to do it with the technique MARIOWNAGE described. He always start to crawl for me.

Meta Knight obviously can't do it. At least it would be quite pointless if he can do this in someway.

I don't think Ivysaur can do it either, at least not with the technique mentioned above.

Some are harder to do than others, it's difficult to do this with some characters that can crawl. At least it was for me when I tried.

 

[ihavespaceblondes]

You kind of have to use the jab - crouch - jab version of the technique with some characters in Brawl, because they'll crawl otherwise (Luigi, Wario). And so many characters have auto rapid jabs that it's worthless for them.
But it still works great with Samus... until the person figures out that "no hitstun" means they can just shield grab or attack you.

 

[Endless Nightmares]

Just to add to Mariownage's technique

In Brawl, you have to jab first, then slide your control stick to diagonal-back, then you can keep jabbing.

 

[Dragmire]

too bad ganon can't do it

 

[blade_master99]

can you get a video of this in action

 

[shal]

yeah oh well... theres always zela!!

 

[Crystanium]

It's strange that I should come across this thread today, considering that my brother and I were trying this out yesterday. I was playing as Samus, and I jabbed and then crouched to the point where the crouching frames were non-existent. Samus was jabbing like crazy. A + crouch + A + A. Oh yeah!

 

[blade_master99]

does this work with ike?

 

[Crystanium]

does this work with ike?

It works with:

• Mario
• Donkey Kong
• Link
• Samus
• Fox
• Luigi
• Pit
• Falco
• Ike
• Yoshi
• King DeDeDe
• Wolf
• Bowser
• Wario
• Toon Link
• R.O.B.
• Captain Falcon
• Jigglypuff
• Lucas

It doesn't work with:

• Marth
• Diddy Kong
• Shiek
• Meta Knight
• Ivysaur
• Snake
• Ganondorf

It has trouble with:

• Zero Suit Samus
• Kirby
• Squirtle
• Charizard
• Ice Climbers
• Lucario
• Ness
• Sonic

It's pointless with:

• Pikachu
• Mr. Game & Watch
• Zelda
• Peach
• Olimar

 

[Tristan_win]

It works with:



It doesn't work with:

[*]Shiek
[/list]

Bull ****

I've used this countless times with sheik and it does work.

Edit: I also just notice that you miss spelled Sheik thus better proving my point that your testing is flawed

 

[Andromeda]

It doesn't work with:

• Marth
• Diddy Kong
• Shiek
• Meta Knight
• Ivysaur
• Snake
• Ganondorf

It works with the bolded ones.

 

[1HKO]

I will also add this to my Jiggz repetoire! just as soon as my workload lowers.

 

[Doval]

Dryn, you must be doing it wrong. Every character can do it, and it's only redundant or pointless for characters with only one A attack (Ganondorf, Meta Knight), characters with turbo jabs (e.g. Ness's d-tilt, Pikachu's jab), or characters whose AAA is essentially a faster version of the first hit in the combo (e.g. Marth.)

And yes, like 56k said, characters that crawl can simply jab first, then hold diagonal back and use the next jab as the character begins to crouch, but before it starts to crawl.

I can't think of a good situation to use this though.

 

[Crystanium]

Bull ****

I've used this countless times with sheik and it does work.

Edit: I also just notice that you miss spelled Sheik thus better proving my point that your testing is flawed

My spelling is irrelevant. I could have called her Ninja, and it wouldn't make any difference. However, if you are able to use it with Sheik, then that's fine. I wasn't saying my list was flawless. I was simply laying things out, and I was expecting correction. Goodness. Some people need to calm down. Errare humanum est. It's a shame that many don't admit that.

Dryn, you must be doing it wrong. Every character can do it, and it's only redundant or pointless for characters with only one A attack (Ganondorf, Meta Knight), characters with turbo jabs (e.g. Ness's d-tilt, Pikachu's jab), or characters whose AAA is essentially a faster version of the first hit in the combo (e.g. Marth.)

And yes, like 56k said, characters that crawl can simply jab first, then hold diagonal back and use the next jab as the character begins to crouch, but before it starts to crawl.

I can't think of a good situation to use this though.

I might be doing it wrong. I was thinking about that when I went further with some of the characters. I noticed that the timing differs for each character as well. You can easily pull it off with Mario. However, your words seem contrary to Andromeda, who bolded Ganondorf as being capable of performing this.

I haven't tried using the d-back, because I thought that if I did it that way, that the character I was playing as would turn the other way around. I suppose I'll have to try it that way, but I can't say I'll do well. Anyway, you're right again, Doval.

 

[MysticKenji]

You can do the second method with the C-stick, too.

 

[Doval]

However, your words seem contrary to Andromeda, who bolded Ganondorf as being capable of performing this.

Ganondorf CAN do it, but it's utterly pointless. Why jab, hold down and back, wait until you see Ganondorf crouch, and jab again, when you could simply buffer the next jab so it executes on the first possible frame?

This technique is essentially a way to bypass an AAA combo's window of opportunity for continuing the combo. Most AAA combos can be continued even after your character has returned to a neutral position (extreme example: Ike's AAA.) By crouching, the game "breaks" the combo so that hitting A again will result in the first hit all over again. However, you can do the second hit in most combos sooner than you can loop the first hit by jab canceling, and this is horribly punishable with a shieldgrab anyways.

 

[Andromeda]

I bolded Ganondorf, because by the tilting-stick diagonaly you can constantly use Ganondorfs jab faster than you can if you just hit A without tiltling the stick. So Ganondorfs jab must be able to cancel.

EDIT: ... as Doval just explained.

 

[Doval]

I bolded Ganondorf, because with the tilting-stick diagonaly you can constantly use Ganondorfs jab faster than you can if you just hit A without tiltling the stick. So Ganondorfs jab must be able to cancel.

EDIT: ... as Doval just explained.

I'm saying the opposite. Mashing A is faster because you buffer it. Crouching cancels buffered commands.

This tech does absolutely nothing to shorten the jabs themselves. You can't do the next jab any sooner than you would be able to do, say, up-smash. The IASA frames are absolutely the same. All you're doing is canceling the combo so the next time you hit A, you won't get the next hit.

 

[blade_master99]

so basically for ike is it possible to pull off A-A jab cancel utilt?

 

[Doval]

so basically for ike is it possible to pull off A-A jab cancel utilt?

No. The point of the tech is to be able to loop the first hit in the AAA combo. Jab Canceling does absolutely nothing to shorten the jab's IASA frames.

 

[OFY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l94S-6nn1o

 

[Dark Sonic]

^^Can't Samus up B out of that. I know Marth can, and I think Sonic can. But at the same time it's not actually decreasing the lag on the jab, just closing the window for continuing the jab combo. You could shield in the same timeframe that you could crouch.

 

[Evan BlazE]

thanks for the tip

 

[Fire!]

this is something i might use

 

[Dolphin-Safe]

I'm saying the opposite. Mashing A is faster because you buffer it. Crouching cancels buffered commands.

This tech does absolutely nothing to shorten the jabs themselves. You can't do the next jab any sooner than you would be able to do, say, up-smash. The IASA frames are absolutely the same. All you're doing is canceling the combo so the next time you hit A, you won't get the next hit.

I don't know about this game, but in Melee you could use the IASA frames on single jabs to interrupt it with any move but another jab. Since you could not IASA the jab with another jab, frame perfect jab cancelling with 1 crouch frame allowed Zelda and Ganondorf to jab->jab 2 frames sooner than simply using A alone.

Are you entirely sure that was changed in Brawl and it now allows IASAing single jabs with another jab?

 

[Vro]

Thank you 56K for your post, and of course MARIOPWNAGE. Dryn thank you for the list, altho it seems slightly flawed, it's a good starting place.

 

[Ulevo]

It works with:

• Mario
• Donkey Kong
• Link
• Samus
• Fox
• Luigi
• Pit
• Falco
• Ike
• Yoshi
• King DeDeDe
• Wolf
• Bowser
• Wario
• Toon Link
• R.O.B.
• Captain Falcon
• Jigglypuff
• Lucas

It doesn't work with:

• Marth
• Diddy Kong
• Shiek
• Meta Knight
• Ivysaur
• Snake
• Ganondorf

It has trouble with:

• Zero Suit Samus
• Kirby
• Squirtle
• Charizard
• Ice Climbers
• Lucario
• Ness
• Sonic

It's pointless with:

• Pikachu
• Mr. Game & Watch
• Zelda
• Peach
• Olimar

Did you try Jab Canceling with some characters that have good Forward Tilt Combos, like Meta Knight and Snake?

 

[Ulevo]

Oh, for the record, here's an awesome video, and it happens to have Jab Canceling around the start of the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n26RZd8nzeQ

I personally use this a lot with Ike for Mind Games and extra hits.

 

[Endless Nightmares]

That's different =O

 

[MARIOWNAGE]

I C wut u did thar

 

[Crizthakidd]

the vid u posted by hugs was awsome lol. good shield pressure.

anyway... dont pple jjap cancel by shielding at the last frames? or is this better this way by the quatre circle back

 

[MARIOWNAGE]

Roll back of stick makes you less prone to errors