SSBU/Sora/Strategy

Gameplan Summary

 * Sora's gameplan is to use a mix of Keyblade normals and Magic to slowly create openings in the opponents gameplan, and once a clean hit is established, use his combo game and juggle state to out damage the opponent and eventually use his kill confirms and Edgeguarding to seal off stocks.

Neutral

 * Sora's Nair and Magic will probably be some of the tools you use most often in Neutral. Nair leads to big damage conversions, and Magic can create openings in Neutral and allow Sora to create and maintain stage control. Two moves that help to round out his neutral that may not seem as simple is Back Air and Dash Attack. Back Air is an attack more similar to characters like or, being a disjoint with strong priority. It can beat out approaches and attacks that moves like Nair might not reach, or Fair might trade with. Although he has to face backwards to do it, he can B Reverse Magic to change direction if he needs to. Dash Attack is also a strong tool, as it has has a fast startup, travels a long distance quickly, and can be used as a punish for whiffed attacks and landings due to the hitbox and intangible leg hurtbox as Sora slides on the ground. With a combination of these moves, Sora is able to weave in and out of different Neutral ranges as he sees fit.

Advantage

 * Sora's combo game is particularly strong, not just because of his true combos but also because his combos naturally frame trap. In the case that you mess up a Nair loop or some other type of combo, often the best way to escape is a jump or Airdodge, which Sora can naturally punish. Outside of horizontal frame traps, Sora's juggle game is very strong due to his Up Air. His Up Air covers a huge arc above him, and because Sora is floaty he can trace where the opponent is going to land and cover it accordingly. However, since he's not the fastest character, its important to already be moving in anticipation of where the opponents going to go so that you can react to the opponents air drift.

Disadvantage

 * Sora's disadvantage is not great, as his floaty, slow double jump means he cannot escape out of juggles and the opponents advantage states as other characters can. In addition, because he is floaty, he falls to the ground slower and is easier to keep in disadvantage. His Aerials, although by no means slow, aren't that fast to escape out of pressure and are not always great to land with. While Sora does have a frame 7 counter that can be used against predictable strings, as it does not cover behind him you may find yourself in 50 / 50 situations where you are forced to use an Airdodge and potentially get frame trapped to escape a situation. Sora's Magic, however, can be used to stall himself in the air in case he wants to mix up the time at which he falls at. Going to ledge can sometimes be the best option instead of trying to force yourself out of an opponents advantage state and return to the stage, as he can use drop down Up Air or Fair, or Drop Down or Jump into Magic to potentially take his turn at the ledge.


 * When it comes to getting pressured in shield, Sora has a frame 9 option out of shield in Aerial Sweep. Otherwise, Sora players might use Nair and Up Smash, but both of which are frame 11 and typically will be harder to true punish with.

Stages
Ideal Stages: Small Battlefield, Battlefield, Hollow Bastion These stages have platforms that enable Sora's combos while also providing ways for him to land. Sora is able to juggle his opponents effectively on these stages, and their smaller ceilings are a benefit as Sora often kills vertically.

Good Stages: Town and City, Smashville, Northern Cave, Pokemon Stadium 2
 * These stages are decent for a variety of reasons. Smashvile and Town and City have smaller side blast zones, so Sora is able to net kills earlier via combo finishers like Forward Smash or Edgeguard attempts. However, their taller ceilings mean that Sora will kill vertically later. Northern Cave and Pokemon Stadium 2 are big stages, which can hamper Sora's poor mobility, and may end up in Sora getting camped.

Mediocre Stages: Final Destination, Kalos Pokemon League
 * These stages generally exacerbate Sora's weaknesses, despite their potential use as a counterpick. The lack of platforms and size means that Sora can struggle to escape disavantage and will likely get zoned out, and their blastzones dont allow Sora to get kills as easily. While it may be easier for Sora to do horizontal loops, platform combos are easier and can often times be a simpler way to rack up damage.

Tips and Tricks

 * Stick with Sora and get used to just moving with him, as coming from non floaty characters or non sword characters may throw off your movement.


 * Once you get used to moving with Sora, try interweaving Magic and Combos into your gameplan as you see fit. Don't force it all at once, take it slow and enhance your gameplan instead of changing it.


 * If you need to cycle out Thundaga, be careful that you only cycle when you are in a safe space (offstage or when the opponent cannot dash into you), as bad Thundagas will be punished by good opponents.

Counterplay

 * Just zone him lol
 * If you have characters with good horizontal hitboxes, such as or, you can place active attacks to preemptively cover where Sora wants to get in with Nair. In addition, if your character can quickly get in and do safe, quick shield pressure like , Sora can quickly get overwhelmed and it may be difficult for him to create space and get his Neutral started.