Gonna write an advanced Meta-Guide now for you guys, since I’m bored.
ADVANCED PLAY METAKNIGHT
Alright by now you know how to play meta. You know what his moves do, you know their ranges and all that, but now you need more. There’s a lot more to winning with MK than just knowing how to tornado and how to sweet spot and up.B. Here are some notes on his moves and matchups that I think might be helpful.
u.tilt: This move is REALLY underrated among metaknight users. It’s definitely his best anti air move, it’s got a huge hit box and lots of active frames, not to mention it’s disjointed so it will stick through a lot of things. In fact, the hitbox is so big that you can beat out a lot of character’s “ass slam” down B type moves, like yoshi, bowser, and dedede (up B). Try to keep someone above you on a platform and pressure them with this. If they drop through they get hit. if they don’t block they get hit. If they do anything except block, they probably get hit. This move can also kill at higher percents if you haven’t been using it so don’t neglect it. Especially on upper platforms, you can easily kill around 100% if you’re at the top platform of BF.
f.tilt - This move actually is a lot better than I thought it was initially. I use this as my main ground approach when trying to space certain characters. If you approach slowly and wait for them to whiff / attack and then block, this move is wonderful. It’s got a lot of range and it’s fast, and it also sets up for air combos. At low percents you can hit with this then run up and grab, it’s very sneaky. Instead of using d.smash on the ground and for punishes, WORK THIS INTO YOUR GAME. It does more damage and it saves move decay on down smash for actually killing.
**d.tilt - d.tilt trips people up and also has a ton of range. I like to use it after a short hop f.air to sneak it in there. If it connects, often times you can run up and throw even if they didn’t trip and get it in. People have the tendency to block after being hit by this move. If they trip you can get a free throw up close or a free f.tilt. Use this at max range to frustrate someone and force them to jump.
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f.smash - Originally, I thought this move was ass. I still think this move is ass, but it’s got some winning points to it I didn’t initially see from before. For one, it has slow start up. This is actually good. MK has TONS of other practically instant moves, so if your opponent is spamming spot dodges, place this where you would normally place another attack and it will usually hit them as they come out of spot dodge. The other thing is that ALL the start up is in the charge animation. When you release the button it comes out in 1 frame. It’s got a lot of priority and because you never use it, it kills at high percents. It also beats out tornado and a lot of other moves, so standing back and doing it when someone is about to approach and then releasing as they get in range is a good way to hit with it. It’s also good to use as someone is landing from an air dodge, charge it and hit them right as they touch the ground. Also note this move has 0 recovery so you pretty much have frame advantage after someone blocks this.
d.smash - the back hit has a sweet spot on it, and also hits harder than the front portion. Try to land this to kill someone.
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Up B** - This move has a ton of sweet spots. If you use it with them to your back in the air, it hits them behind you, as well as with them above and slightly behind you. Directly in front of him and at the peak of the front arc as the best spots for horizontal and forward kills. Another thing of interest is that up B on the ground is considered a different move than up B in the air and move decay applies seperately. Up B on the ground kills Vertically, so use it around 120-140% to get those kills if you haven’t been using it. Also something of interest you can do is ground up B, glide attack as you land and then ground up B again. This is very difficult to beat for most characters and just standing there will force them to get hit eventually. Sneak it in there every now and then.
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d.air** has a sweet spot below and to the side of mk at his front. Try to space it when you edge guard with it so you can get some early kills.
**n.air - this move has a ton of active frames, use it to kill air dodges and spot dodges. It also KOs well when you use it inside a person and has 2 hits. You can short hop it and still have time to d.air before landing, n.air again, or jump and continue air shenanigans. Work it into your game vs dodgey people, or use it vs. someone hanging on the ledge to get a ledge spike.
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ADVANCE TORNADO TECH
Tornado is practically an unbeatable move for many characters. Knowing the approach with it and knowing when to use it will really improve your win ratio with MK.
For one, doing tornado at ground level leaves you open. The weak point of the move is around the base in the bottom-ish area. A lot of characters can hit you out of it if they direct a move at this spot, so if you jump up and then do it, it’s suddenly impossible to beat out. A good example of this is vs DK, as when you do it at head level or so, he suddenly has no moves to beat it out with.
Also note that as shield’s shrink, if you make it so the only portion of their body that the tornado is touching is the part sticking out of the shield, you can make this move unblockable. It’s especially effective vs large characters.
Also note that this move beats out most physical attacks. Use it defensively for when you think someone will approach and then use it to counter then. This works great vs snake’s f.tilt and running attack. Knowing when your opponent will attack allows you to use tornado to counter their attack and get free hits in with it.
Also note that tornado beats out almost any projectile that’s not a laser or a thrown item. If someone goes into spam mode to keep you away, use this as an approach. If someone has a laser that DOES beat it out, jump up above their laser range and tornado down into them. You can avoid the projectile and hit them at the same time.
Also note that lighter characters pop out of tornado faster than others. It’s difficult to describe, but hitting B at a certain rhythm to make it rise slowly instead of quickly will keep a lot of characters in it that would normally fall out. It’s difficult to describe so practice in training mode with different timings until you get the feel for it.
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Misc Info**
A big aspect of MK’s game is his edge guarding. Try to feel out a player and predict if they will go high or low with recovery. If they go low, try to ledge spike them with a d.air or a reverse shuttle loop. If they go high, jump up and intercept with f.air, or kill them with up. B. If they start air dodging, jump up like you’re going to up. B and then wait for them to air dodge, and then up B as they come out of it.
Ledge Unblockables - Note that this is a Brawl mechanic not specific to MK. If a character is at the ledge and is attacked while blocking, they fall off and go into tumble mode. Now, if you do a multi hit move as they guard at an edge, your move becomes unblockable. MK can take big advantage of this with f.air and b.air. If they’re on a platform above you blocking, jump up and f.air them so it pushes them off. The last 2 hits should be unblockable because the first knocked them off.
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Vs Snake** - Don’t get close to him. Fight at your MAX range on the ground and look out for f.tilt, punish if with your own f.tilt and try to keep him off balance. Tornado rapes snake if he doesn’t have a grenade, so use it to counter him when he tries to attack and also keep him in the air with it. Killing snake early is key to beating him, as long drawn out fights WILL result in snake killing you before him. Up. B and nair beat his up B. Use them wheneve ryou can and as early as possible before snake can air dodge out of his up B to kill him. Also note that if snake air dodges as you up B, his cypher will hit you and you’ll be able to up B again. Use this to continually try to kill him if he’s far off the stage.
I’ll add more as it comes to me.
