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* Dr. Mario is a heavy trapped in a midweight's body - that is, he hits hard, moves slowly, but also doesn't have the giant hurtbox that most heavies come with. Palutena plays this matchup similarly to how she plays against heavies, and likewise must watch out for Dr. Mario's surprisingly potent kill confirms. |
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* Dr. Mario's biggest weakness is his (lack of) speed, both grounded and in the air. He has several good, multipurpose moves in his normals and specials, and is quite a decent character if allowed to be right next to his opponent. Palutena has the ability to prevent this, both via her own respectable speed as well as her aerials doing a great job of walling Dr. Mario out, particularly {{clr|aerial|Bair}}, as expected. |
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* Keeping Dr. Mario in the air, whether by juggling him or keeping him offstage, is very beneficial for Palutena. His recovery and landings all tend to be reactable and none of his aerials are long enough to contest Palutena's own with any degree of consistency. Palutena's {{clr|aerial|Uair}} and {{clr|aerial|Bair}} are devastating tools that Dr. Mario will have to go to great lengths to deal with while he's in disadvantage. |
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* Watch out for Dr. Mario's kill confirms. {{clr|tilt|Dtilt}} is a fast, low-risk normal that confirms into his up special {{clr|special|Super Jump Punch}} for a powerful kill, but if Palutena is keeping out Dr. Mario well then the real confirms to be worried about start with his neutral special {{clr|special|Megavitamins}}, which have set knockback and a surprising amount of hitstun, meaning that even a slow character like Dr. Mario, if he is running alongside the {{clr|special|Megavitamin}} as it travels, can confirm into basically anything in his kit. Make sure to be aware of the {{clr|special|Megavitamins}} at all times. |
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* {{clr|special|Super Jump Punch}} is a powerful frame 3 OOS option that remains a constant threat throughout a match. A well-spaced {{clr|aerial|Bair}} or {{clr|aerial|Fair}} will prevent an OOS punish but this is still an option that must be kept in mind when pressuring his shield. |
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==== <span style="visibility:hidden;font-size:0">Duck Hunt</span> ==== |
==== <span style="visibility:hidden;font-size:0">Duck Hunt</span> ==== |
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Revision as of 15:23, 22 June 2023
Palutena
Quick MU Navigation
- Banjo will often try to keep Palutena out of his space with his projectile specials, Rear Egg and Breegull Blaster. Palutena has the movement required to outmaneuver these, especially considering Banjo's aerial movment is relatively poor - just choose your positions carefully to slowly work your way in.
- Don't waste time and movement by trying to Counter/Reflect the projectiles, as they're not very powerful and will likely just get interrupted by another incoming projectile.
- Banjo's recovery is very linear - if he is recovering he must do it either from directly below or to the side of the stage. You cannot challenge Wonderwing, but simply dropping from the ledge and Nairing is very reliable at catching his low recoveries.
- Due to his bad air speed, Banjo is pretty weak to Palutena's juggling. If he's in disadvantage in the air, try to track his position and strike with Uairs to keep resetting the juggle. Just make sure to watch out for the occasional Rear Egg he will drop from above.
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- A strange matchup that can force Palutena to play much differently than usual. Bayonetta has some of the best aerial combo starters in the game via her specials Afterburner Kick and Witch Twist that can lead to very damaging combos at any percent. Because of this, it becomes much more risky for Palutena to threaten aerial space like she usually does. Neutral should be played slower and safer, focusing on capitalizing on the Bayonetta player's mistakes rather than trying to rush her down and oppress her with aerials.
- If one of these specials is whiffed near Palutena, she can likely start a punish, including with her own combo aerials. Make sure to understand and respect Bayonetta's threat range when possible.
- If Bayonetta is forced to recover from below the ledge, her up special Witch Twist can very often reach past the ledge before she grabs it. This is vulnerable to Dtilt and even Up Smash.
- Bayonetta's Bat Within mechanic allows her to negate knockback from moves if she is hit during the early frames of her roll, spotdodge, or airdodge. This can allow her to escape many combos that have small gaps in between their hits, including many of Palutena's Down Throw combos. Be aware of this and prepare to punish airdodges from Bayonetta players who are trying to escape after getting thrown.
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- Bowser's weight and size are very favorable for Palutena, giving her access to tools like Nair OOS and allowing her to combo him especially well. Being the heaviest character, however, means it will be difficult to kill Bowser off the top (or in general). Getting a handle on edgeguarding Bowser effectively will finish off many of his stocks without having to worry about him living to ludicrously high percents.
- Bowser while offstage is often forced to be somewhat predictable and vulnerable while recovering. Aerials like Nair and especially Bair are excellent at contesting this recovery and resetting the edgeguard situation.
- 2-framing Bowser's up special Whirling Fortress with Palutena's Dtilt is very consistent, and successfully doing it will almost always result in a combo of Dash Attack or Bair. This is an incredibly useful tool for Palutena in the matchup.
- The Bowser player will likely try to avoid this Dtilt by waiting longer than usual before using Whirling Fortress or recovering high. Be aware of these mixups and punish accordingly when possible.
- Palutena can hit Bowser out of shield relatively easily due to his size allowing Nair OOS to connect, but pressuring Bowser's shield is dangerous as well - his up special Whirling Fortress OOS is particularly fast and reliable for him. Bair and Fair can escape this punish if spaced.
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- Many of Bowser Jr's approach options can be contested and beaten with Bair, which means it is up to the Bowser Jr player to find and make openings of their own. Trying to mix up Bair with empty hops and other approaches in neutral can be oppressive for Bowser Jr if done well.
- One of Bowser Jr's main tools for approaching and closing space is his side special Clown Kart Dash, which if prepared for can be reacted to with Bair to beat it out. Aside from that, virtually all of Bowser Jr's approaching tools consist of his aerials, which generally can be beaten with Palutena's.
- Bowser Jr's Fair and Bair can outrange Palutena's Nair and Fair, but are slower. Again, mix up your approaches and try to catch Bowser Jr preemptively - right after he jumps, but before he can use an aerial.
- Trying to 2-frame with Dtilt can be dangerous, as not only is it inconsistent in this matchup, Bowser Jr players have a trick where they use their up special to recover, then airdodge past the ledge to try to catch an edgeguarding opponent unaware with the follow-up hammer attack.
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- Compared to the rest of the cast, and especially someone with Palutena's above-average mobility, Byleth is very slow both on the ground and in the air. However, many of Byleth's normals can make up for this by attacking at a distance with respectable strength and size. As Palutena, understanding where Byleth can strike at any moment and weaving around that range will allow for the neutral wins needed to take stocks.
- All of Byleth's aerials are very formidable and need to be respected. Their Fair and Bair are excellent long-range horizontal pokes, and Uair is a large multihit that juggles well and will kill. And of course, Byleth's Nair is very safe and an excellent combo starter and filler... does any of that sound familiar?
- Luckily, despite Byleth clearly taking some pages from Palutena's playbook, Palutena has the tools to work around their very solid aerial game:
- Byleth's Fair and Bair are likely the things to watch out for the most; they will outrange any of Palutena's aerials and are quite strong. However, the hitboxes are somewhat thin vertically, and Palutena can take advantage of that. Approaching Byleth from a diagonal angle will help with this, and unlike Byleth, Palutena has the air speed and jump height to position herself in that position frequently.
- Palutena can't directly contest Byleth's Uair from above, so you will need to be careful to avoid it (as well as their up special Sword of the Creator, which is a hitgrab that also cannot be directly contested). Again, Palutena has the mobility to do so, and it will likely be up to the Byleth player to find reads to take stocks while juggling.
- Byleth's Nair is actually prone to getting beaten out by Palutena's own. Since Byleth will likely be trying to use it in a similar way to Palutena - shorthopping near and around their opponent - trying to pre-empt their Nair with your own can work out well.
- Luckily, despite Byleth clearly taking some pages from Palutena's playbook, Palutena has the tools to work around their very solid aerial game:
- Byleth can be deceptively tough to edgeguard - their up special tethers to the ledge from very far away, allowing them to mix up their recovery, and because it's a tether it will be virtually impossible to Dtilt at the ledge. If Byleth is forced to recover from directly below the ledge a falling Nair will likely hit and reset the edgeguard, but other than that it may be best to stay onstage and take advantage of Byleth's poor movment by focusing on ledgetrapping.
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- Usually a relatively straightforward matchup. Captain Falcon has the speed and tools to force his way in and start combos, but Palutena has the same. Palutena can play the spacing game a bit better than Falcon, but it's necessary to know when to switch to overwhelming him and playing aggressively, as comboing Falcon can result in a lot of damage due to his size.
- None of Falcon's moves are disjointed or intangible, meaning Bair will beat out anything if timed and spaced properly.
- Edgeguarding Falcon can be valuable due to his linear recovery, but always be aware of the risks of challenging his recovery specials Falcon Dive and Raptor Boost.
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- A fast-paced, volatile matchup. Chrom's speed and disjoints can actually contest and overwhelm an unprepared Palutena in neutral, both on the ground and in the air. Palutena must strike preemptively to effectively gain advantage. Try to get an understanding of how the Chrom player prefers to approach, particularly how they move in the air. When possible, catch Chrom trying to jump in with an aerial with a preemptive Nair or Bair, or catch his landing with a well-timed Dash Attack.
- Chrom is infamously vulnerable offstage, and Palutena has a particularly easy time directly edgeguarding his recovery special Soaring Slash due to the windboxes on her Fsmash and Dsmash.
- Proficient Chrom players will perform every mixup possible in order not to get gimped after getting knocked offstage. Refrain from getting too eager with edgeguards and try to react to what Chrom is doing to properly gimp him and take his stock.
- All of Chrom's normals are fast, disjointed, and either strong or combo starters. Being aware of his threat range and defending against it (by staying just outside of it, by parrying, or by preempting it) is very important in this matchup.
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- Both Cloud and Palutena want similar things in the matchup - spacing with large aerials and trying to keep the other in disadvantage as long as possible, particularly by juggling. Cloud's aerials, especially Bair, are relatively safe and should be prepared for. Like when fighting similar characters, Palutena will find success in neutral by trying to catch Cloud as he jumps with Nair or Bair, rather than trying to directly contest him afterward, and by catching landings with Dash Attack.
- That isn't to say it's impossible to contest Cloud in the air - his approaching aerials have weaknesses against Palutena in the air-to-air game. Fair is slow to start up, meaning Palutena has a more generous window to catch Cloud with a move before it comes out. Dair can be parried and punished on reaction. Bair is fast and safe but will lose to Bair with good timing... but it may be safer to not contest Bair in particular, as it's very low-risk for Cloud.
- Get comfortable with parrying Cloud's aerials. Parrying Fair, Nair, or Dair will usually allow for a punish, and parrying Bair is a good way to prevent yourself from giving up space when in neutral, but it will likely still be safe unless spaced poorly.
- The last hit of Cloud's side special Cross Slash, both regular and powered up with his Limit Gauge, can be parried with good timing after shielding the rest of the attack. If done successfully Palutena has a true punish with a buffered Fsmash to take a stock or gain positioning, or Dash Grab to start a combo if percents are lower.
- Cloud has a very potent OOS option in his up special Climhazzard, and when pressuring his shield you must be prepared for this option. All of Palutena's aerials can be punished with Climhazzard OOS with the exception of Fair and Bair, only if spaced as far as possible.
- Taking stocks by gimping, 2-framing, or edgeguarding is one of the aspects of the matchup that is strictly better for Palutena.
- Offstage Nair or Bair, or even standing on the ledge and using Autoreticle are all options Cloud players will be forced to work around by trying to mix up their recovery. Don't overextend carelessly, however, especially if Cloud still has a double jump or a charged Limit Gauge.
- 2-framing with Dtilt has some nuance in this matchup. Cloud can force the upwards hit of Climhazzard to hit an edgeguarding Palutena and likely beat a Dtilt attempt by recovering past the ledge. If Cloud can't afford to do this, Dtilt is much more likely to hit, and will reset a potent advantage state.
- Spacing a Dsmash or Fsmash to hit Cloud with its windbox will gimp him if he recovers too high.
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- Corrin is a character on the slower side, but they make up for it with a respectable burst option in their side special Dragon Lunge as well as several long-reaching aerials that are either quick combo starters or - in the case of Bair - a safe, strong spacing option and kill move. As with a lot of other disjoint-wielding characters, try to understand their threat range and play just outside of it while using pokes to create openings when possible.
- Almost all of Corrin's combos begin with falling aerials - mostly Fair, Nair, and Uair, all of which are large, relatively safe on shield, and begin upwards combos that lead into juggles. Expect a lot of air-to-ground pressure from Corrin and prepare to work around it by parrying or using Dash Attack to beat it out directly.
- Corrin's most reliable OOS tool is rising Nair, which is fast at frame 6 but will likely not kill or start any combos since it must be done rising OOS. After parrying, however, they can punish some moves with Dragon Lunge which can potentially be deadly. Watch out for these options and pressure carefully.
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- A matchup that requires patience, precision, and awareness from both sides. Diddy Kong is quite a well-rounded character, and possesses many tools that can be difficult or annoying to deal with as Palutena. Be aware of what moves Diddy likes to use and situations he likes to set up, and understand what moves Palutena can use that prevent those while staying safe enough to avoid getting hit with his Banana Peel.
- Always be aware of Diddy's side special Monkey Flip, where Diddy players like to use it and where you may be vulnerable to it.
- Diddy players tend to use Monkey Flip when recovering high above the stage to mix up their horizontal position. Palutena has the jump height to contest this on reaction if you're prepared.
- When put into a tech chase situation, Monkey Flip is a popular punish. Mix up and delay your tech timings to prevent getting hit and being put into disadvantage.
- Monkey Flip is an ever-present threat, particularly if you're cornered or on a platform. Diddy is great at threatening space in order to get you into one of these positions, so be aware of your stage positioning and contest space when you can.
- When pressuring Diddy's shield, be very careful about potential punishes on unsafe or poorly-spaced aerials. Directly out of shield Diddy doesn't have many options that won't just reset neutral, but if Diddy catches onto your timing and begins to parry consistently, this could result in a Dtilt combo starter or a Banana Peel throw, both of which are very undesirable to get hit by. Mix up spaced, safe aerials with empty hop approaches to apply consistent pressure.
- Diddy players have a 2-framing trick where they drop off the stage and throw a Banana Peel at the corner, leaving it lingering to catch recoveries before comboing into an aerial. Be prepared to tech to avoid getting stage-spiked by Fair or Bair, or mix up and delay the timing of your recovery to avoid this trick altogether.
- Diddy's aerials are fast, but none of them are disjointed and they all lose to Bair. Focus on spacing and walling Diddy out if he attempts to approach actively.
- If Diddy is forced to recover from far away, he must either use Monkey Flip or Rocketbarrel Boost, both of which are relatively linear and are vulnerable to a lingering Nair from the ledge. In general, be aware of when you can extend your advantage state, but be careful not to overextend or use unsafe options too regularly.
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- Donkey Kong is a character that possesses many weaknesses that Palutena excels at taking advantage of, yet will still steamroll careless players who don't know what to watch out for. A Palutena player who is comfortable with her gameplan will likely find themselves in an advantageous position, but a good Donkey Kong player will doubtless have prepared extensivewly for this matchup.
- Palutena's combos are at maximum effectiveness on a character as big and heavy as Donkey Kong. Get comfortable with the timing of Palutena's bread-and-butter combos as Donkey Kong will almost certainly eat more Nairs and Uairs during a normal combo than the vast majority of the cast.
- This applies even further due to Donkey Kong being susceptible to Nair OOS from Palutena on everything but extremely well-spaced aerials or tilts. Use this to your advantage as much as possible to make the Donkey Kong scared of touching your shield more than you are of touching his.
- Palutena's edgeguarding is also extremely effective against Donkey Kong - his slowness in the air combined with the very reactable nature of aerial Spinning Kong means he's susceptible to easy Bairs, Nairs, or even Dairs offstage. Not only that, but Dtilt 2-framing is remarkably consistent on DK - keeping him offstage long enough will almost guarantee a stock.
- Don't get too overeager to hit DK - misspacing something on his shield, or just near him in general, will result in a damaging grab combo or kill confirm. Try your best to make him come to you and react to his approaches accordingly.
- Donkey Kong's Bair, funnily enough, is also one of the best in the game, and is fast enough and long enough to contest Palutena's Nair as well as air-to-air her in neutral. Again, try to focus on reacting to his approach options rather than trying to get too eager with your own.
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- Dr. Mario is a heavy trapped in a midweight's body - that is, he hits hard, moves slowly, but also doesn't have the giant hurtbox that most heavies come with. Palutena plays this matchup similarly to how she plays against heavies, and likewise must watch out for Dr. Mario's surprisingly potent kill confirms.
- Dr. Mario's biggest weakness is his (lack of) speed, both grounded and in the air. He has several good, multipurpose moves in his normals and specials, and is quite a decent character if allowed to be right next to his opponent. Palutena has the ability to prevent this, both via her own respectable speed as well as her aerials doing a great job of walling Dr. Mario out, particularly Bair, as expected.
- Keeping Dr. Mario in the air, whether by juggling him or keeping him offstage, is very beneficial for Palutena. His recovery and landings all tend to be reactable and none of his aerials are long enough to contest Palutena's own with any degree of consistency. Palutena's Uair and Bair are devastating tools that Dr. Mario will have to go to great lengths to deal with while he's in disadvantage.
- Watch out for Dr. Mario's kill confirms. Dtilt is a fast, low-risk normal that confirms into his up special Super Jump Punch for a powerful kill, but if Palutena is keeping out Dr. Mario well then the real confirms to be worried about start with his neutral special Megavitamins, which have set knockback and a surprising amount of hitstun, meaning that even a slow character like Dr. Mario, if he is running alongside the Megavitamin as it travels, can confirm into basically anything in his kit. Make sure to be aware of the Megavitamins at all times.
- Super Jump Punch is a powerful frame 3 OOS option that remains a constant threat throughout a match. A well-spaced Bair or Fair will prevent an OOS punish but this is still an option that must be kept in mind when pressuring his shield.
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Palutena