A mega-compilation of resources I've collected over the years to help me improve at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Although many of these resources are specifically geared towards SSBU, they may be applicable to other fighting games as well. I've tried to only include resources that I've personally watched or read and found to be useful. I am constantly updating this document, so please reach out to me on Discord if there's anything you think I should add or change!

General Resources

Smash 101

Beginners Guides

Modding

Character Data

Game Mechanics

Made by [WhyDo](https://twitter.com/WDBTHtGP)

Made by WhyDo

*Source*

Source

How Tilt Stick Works. Made by SK, originally from Isabelle Discord

How Tilt Stick Works. Made by SK, originally from Isabelle Discord

How Frame Advantage Works

Shield advantage for aerials = shieldstun - landing lag
- For example, you hit your opponent's shield with an aerial. If your opponent can act after 6 frames of shieldstun, and you can act after 9 frames of landing lag, your frame advantage is 6 - 9 = -3
- Technically the formula is (shieldlag + shieldstun) - (shieldlag + frames it takes to land + landing lag). We can ignore shieldlag because these freeze frames are equal on both sides. UFD assumes you land immediately after your aerial connects, but frames it takes to land should be taken into consideration since it's rare to land an aerial immediately after it hits
- Autocancelled aerials. If an aerial is autocancelled, you do not suffer the move's regular landing lag; instead, you land with “hard landing lag” (4 frames for most characters, but 3 for Pichu and 5 or 6 typically for heavy characters) (Note: Autocancelled moves will always incur hard landing lag, even if the move is autocancelled out of a short hop or without fast falling). The formula for autocancelled aerials is shieldstun - (frames between last active frame and start of autocancel + hard landing lag)
  - For example, Pikachu's fair's latest active frame is 27, autocancels starting on frame 32, and deals 3 frames of shieldstun. If autocancelled perfectly, your frame advantage is 3 - (4 + 4) = -5
  - “Frames between last active frame and start of autocancel'' is just another way of saying “frames it takes to land.” In the example above, Pikachu's fair hits on frame 27 but he won't land until frame 32 (Pikachu is in the air on frames 28, 29, 30, and 31, a total of 4 frames)
  - When UFD says a move can be autocancelled on frame 32, that means you can land and start your first frame of hard landing lag on frame 32 (Pikachu is in landing lag on frames 32, 33, 34, and 35, a total of 4 frames; Pikachu is able to act on frame 36)
Shield advantage for grounded moves = shieldstun - endlag
- For example, you hit your opponent's shield with a grounded move. If your opponent can act after 9 frames of shieldstun, and you can act after your move connects and ends (endlag = total frames - startup frames; let's say it's 33 - 8), your frame advantage is 9 - (33 - 8) = -16
- Again, technically the formula includes shieldlag on both sides, but we can usually ignore that. Exception for projectiles, because the opponent suffers shieldlag but the projectile-user does not. The formula for projectiles is (shieldstun + shieldlag) - endlag
- UFD assumes you hit with the first active frame possible. This is not always the case. You'll have less endlag and thus more frame advantage if you connect with a later active frame (this is called a meaty). For example, Lucina's FTilt is -15 on shield, but it's active from frames 8-11. It's -15 when you hit on frame 8, but if you hit on frame 11 (3 frames later), it's -15 + 3 = -12
- However, keep in mind some moves get weaker during later hits and thus deal less shieldstun, so you can't always just add frames to the shield safety listed on UFD
Shieldstun is affected by freshness/staling. A “fresh” move (not one of the last 9 moves you've used) has a freshness bonus and deals 1.05x damage and thus more shieldstun
- When a move is used multiple times, it is assigned a staleness value based on the move's position in the staleness queue (positions 1 through 9 each have their own staleness value; values are added together if the move is in multiple positions)
- A stale move deals (1 - staleness value)x damage. (Note: A position's staleness value is multiplied by 0.85 if the move hits the opponent's shield. The aggregate staleness value is multiplied by 0.3 when calculating knockback.) As a move stales it deals less and less damage and thus less shieldstun, so it becomes less safe. Note that UFD is not consistent with its shield advantage calculation and sometimes assumes a move is fresh and other times does not
- See also dodge staling, which can impact an opponent's ability to escape combos, for example, if their airdodge is staled and comes out slower

☝ **If the attacker's move is -9 on shield, the defender can punish with anything frame 9 or faster (because the attacker can't act until frame 10, at which point they could shield)**; but be sure to add shield drop (11), jump squat (3), or shield grab (4) frames to the defender's out of shield (OoS) option, if applicable

Jump, Up B, and Up Smash out of shield do not incur shield drop frames. So a frame 3 aerial would come out frame 6 OoS because it takes 3 frames to jump and leave the ground
Parrying avoids the 11 frames of shield drop, so the defending player can act immediately out of a parry. Parrying also adds +3 to the defender's advantage (except “indirect attacks,” which can add +9). So if the attacker lands an aerial that is -10 on your shield, that means you are +10 as the defender, and then you can add an additional +3 for the parry, so you are actually +13 (in other words, the attacker cannot act until frame 14)

Hitstun advantage = hitstun (+ landing lag) - endlag/landing lag

For example, if a move is +5 on hit, the attacker can act 5 frames before the opponent (the opponent is -5 and cannot act until frame 6, at which point they could shield)
An opponent in hitstun cannot act, except for directional influence (DI) and teching after they are sent into tumble
An opponent is sent into tumble after a certain amount of knockback (around 80 units). After hitstun ends, a tumbling character can perform most normal actions again, including aerial attacks, jumping, and special moves (all of which end the tumble state)
A combo is true when you hit your opponent before they are able to use a fast-enough escape option. A combo is hitstun true when you hit your opponent while they are still in hitstun. For example, if you use a move that is +5 and then follow up with a move that hits your opponent on frame 5, your follow-up is “hitstun true” because your opponent is still in hitstun and cannot act (unless they are sent into tumble, in which case they can DI and tech). However, keep in mind that even if a combo is true you may not be able to reach your opponent in time if your first move sends them too far away or if your move sends them into tumble and they DI out of range
Advantage on lock, trip, or footstool = opponent's animation length - endlag. Getting locked/tripped/footstooled has a fixed animation length for all characters, therefore advantage is solely affected by your move's endlag, not its hitstun. A move with a faster first actionable frame (FAF; endlag + 1) will have more advantage than a slower move. The endlag for footstooling also has a fixed animation length, so advantage on footstool is always +21. Again, keep in mind that you may need to factor in frames needed to reach where the opponent is
An opponent's landing lag may increase your hitstun advantage if they have to land during or immediately after hitstun (this is assuming they are not sent into tumble, in which case they'd be put into a tech situation instead of landing)
- For example, if your opponent is in 3 frames of hitstun and lands on frame 4 with 2 frames of landing lag, they are inactionable for an additional 2 frames, thereby increasing your hitstun advantage by 2
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5

HS HS HS

LL LL

☝ Keep in mind that an opponent's landing lag may *overlap* with their hitstun. For example, if your opponent is in 3 frames of hitstun and lands on frame 3, one frame of landing lag is shared with hitstun and they are inactionable for an additional 1 frame, thereby increasing your hitstun advantage by 1.
An opponent can SDI down to land earlier and intentionally overlap their landing lag with hitstun to avoid increasing your advantage by more than 1 (the game will seemingly always add 1 frame of advantage, even if landing lag and hitstun completely overlap).

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5

HS HS HS -

LL LL -

F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
HS	HS	HS
			LL	LL

F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
HS	HS	HS		-
		LL	LL	-

Hitstun should not be confused with hitlag, which are just freeze frames where both the attacker and opponent are frozen in place (see also shieldlag). An opponent is able to use smash directional influence (SDI) during hitlag to adjust their position and escape combos or multihit moves

The formula for hitstun in Ultimate is 0.4 * knockback - 1, but it is also affected by a new “speed-up effect” that takes place when a move sends the opponent into tumble. Once a move starts sending into tumble, hitstun frames increase more slowly than in previous Smash games. Manual hitstun modifiers can add to or deduct from hitstun frames

The formula for shieldstun in Ultimate is d * 0.8 * t * m + 2, rounded down

d = damage the move would have done if not shielded
t = 0.725 for smash attacks, 0.33 for aerial attacks (excluding grab aerials and landing hitboxes), and 0.29 for indirect attacks (such as projectiles)
m = a manual shieldstun multiplier that is specified for each hitbox

$$
shieldstun = d * 0.8 * t * m + 2
$$

Knockback is a complex formula that is predominantly based on the amount of damage dealt (but using 0.3x the freshness/staleness value) and the opponent's percentage after damage is added, but also factors in a move's base knockback (BKB; distance traveled at 0%), knockback scaling/growth (KBG; how much knockback increases as percent increases), the opponent's weight, and other variables such as rage. Knockback can also be reduced if the opponent has armor (knockback resistance)
- If a move has fixed knockback (FKB), then d is set to that value, and p is always 10. As a result, knockback with FKB is independent of damage dealt (and ignores the freshness/staleness modification) and the opponent's percentage, but is still dependent on the other factors
The 1v1 multiplier deals 1.2x damage in a match between two players with items off, however it is applied after knockback and does not affect hitlag, hitstun, or shieldstun

Fundamentals

Movement & Positioning

Art of Smash Ultimate - Training Exercises
- Interval Timer for IzAw's Training Exercises
Smash Ultimate Movement Guide Part 1 - General Movement Drills
Smash Ultimate Movement Guide Part 2 - Aerial Movement Drills
Smash Ultimate Movement Guide Part 3 - Special Movement Drills
Smash Ultimate Movement Guide Part 4 - Platform Movement Drills
Stage Control Guide
Stage Control and Key Positioning
Coaches Corner Podcast Episode on Stage Control
“Reposition and React” (overcommitting and guessing vs reacting, positioning yourself in a “reactive stance,” anticipation vs reaction, watching your opponent's character model)
IzAw's Guide to Movement and Positioning
MoS | Trixx Explains Burst Range and Positioning
How to Leverage Burst Range
How to Approach With Non-Linear Options
Spacing, Timing, and Avoiding the Corner
Ramses Explains Movement
The Tweek
Micro Dashing
Tempo Training
Smash's Forgotten Movement Tech (doing nothing)
Dabuz's Training Technique to Improve Movement (unmap shield)
IzAw's 5 Levels of Approaching
- Level 0 - Not in burst range
- Level 1 - In burst range (Poké Ball distance)
- Level 2 - Safe pressure
- Level 3 - Call-outs (trying to hit the opponent)
- Level 4 - Mixups

Neutral

From [Neutral.mp4](https://youtu.be/tjmnNbG0HAw) by Krackatoa

From Neutral.mp4 by Krackatoa

Made by mellowfermion, [@Fermion_Adam](https://twitter.com/Fermion_Adam)

Made by mellowfermion, @Fermion_Adam

The Neutral Triangle (space-based)
- Poking
  - Putting out a hitbox to cover space
  - Poking beats an opponent who is overshooting
  - Poking loses to an opponent who is reacting
- Reacting
  - Waiting for the opponent to make a move and then reacting
  - Reacting beats an opponent who is poking
  - Reacting loses to an opponent who is overshooting
- Overshooting
  - Hitting where you think the opponent will be
  - Overshooting beats an opponent who is reacting
  - Overshooting loses to an opponent who is poking
Machaboo's Three-Structure (time-based)
- Preemptively covering space (oki-waza)
  - Putting out hitboxes to cover space or beat a certain option
- Establishing offense (ate-waza)
  - Doing a move that will hit a waiting opponent
- Passively waiting (sashi-kaeshi)
  - Waiting for the opponent to make a move and then reacting
IzAw's 3 Intentions from burst range
- Safe shield pressure (45%)
  - SH, land aerial, dash away. Be ready for opponent to roll, punish OOS, jump, or stay
  - If opponent unshields and overshoots, you can land aerial into something else, like a tilt
- Bait and punish (45%)
  - Dash away and react, or dash-shield in and react
- Call-outs and burst options (10%)
  - Risky
  - You can call out a shield, attack, or jump, but that means you'll be wrong roughly 2/3rds of the time, and that's not a consistent way to play
Ramses' 3 Intentions
- Aggression
- Defense
- Waiting
Ramses' Attack RPS (Attack Yomi) (time-based)
- Intercept → Set-up → Waiting → Intercept
  - Intercept:
    - Fast but laggy
    - Dash attack, rising aerials, Falco SideB
  - Set-up:
    - Slow but safe
    - Landing aerials, Young Link Bomb, Samus CS
  - Waiting:
    - Playing with time to change the situation
    - Shield, FH, dash back, walk
5 Options After Pressuring Opponent's Shield
- Shield
- Attack
- Full hop
- Dash away
- Spotdodge
- (Crouch)
4 Options After Opponent Pressures Your Shield
- Challenge with a fast out of shield option
- Call out what the opponent does after hitting your shield
- Disengage (roll, jump, dash away)
- Reverse pressure
5 Scenarios to Anti-Air
- Burst range neutral
- After opponent pressures your shield
- After you pressure opponent's shield
- Hanging on ledge
- Off stage when opponent double jumps in

Advantage

From [The Mind of MKLeo: Ledgetrapping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmRPEV8NU-s&list=PLnMW28u-oYdnGr3VG3NBvYBGXtWjznbv3&index=7)

From The Mind of MKLeo: Ledgetrapping

Disadvantage

Game Sense, Adaptation, & Matchups

IzAw on Reading Habits
How to Adapt Using Provoking Moves
Applying Safe Pressure to Learn Defensive Habits
How to Actively Adapt to Your Opponent Mid Game
How to Read Your Opponent - Practicalities Podcast
How to Stop Autopiloting Mid Game
ESAM Explains Why Autopilot Is Good
How to Play Around Win Conditions
Thinking in Sequences
SmashConceptions: Sequences
How to Fight Every Character
MKLeo on Creating a Gameplan
Ramses on Creating a Gameplan
Ramses on Playing Reactively and Preemptively
Why You're Losing to Quickplay Flowcharts
Approaching a Match (intentions, momentum shifts)
Understanding Game Phases
10 Baits You Can Use Today
An Anti-Zoning Guide
How to Approach Campers
How to Deal with Projectiles [1]
How to Deal with Projectiles [2]
How to Deal with Safe Moves
How to Deal with Mashers
How to Fight Sword Characters
Coaching Session with Mew2King
Overextending and Greed
Smash Stage - A resource compiling top player opinions on their character's best/worst stages
Ramses' Gameplan Template
- Per range, I think of my strongest tool
  - I think of the general counters to this tool
    - → Then we need an answer to these counters
- Neutral
  - Long range [Outside of burst range]
  - Mid range [Within burst range but outside of close range]
  - Close range [The range in which there are so many options that there is no clear RPS]
- Advantage
  - Juggle
  - Platform
  - Offstage
  - Ledgetrap
  - Corner
- Disadvantage
  - Juggle
  - Platform
  - Offstage
  - Ledgetrap
  - Corner
Questions To Stay Focused
- What do they do after I hit their shield?
- What do they do after they hit my shield?
- How do they like to recover? High, low, mid?
- What's their preferred getup option?
- How do they like to approach? Ground, rising air, landed air?
- How do they edgeguard or ledge trap?
- Do they tech? How?
- How do they get out of disadvantage?
- Do they mash an option to escape combos?
- How do they escape when cornered?
- How do they get off a platform?
- Did they airdodge or lose their jump?

From [The Mind of Nairo & Light: Aggressive Neutral](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vh3W5KllPE&list=PLnMW28u-oYdnGr3VG3NBvYBGXtWjznbv3&index=3)

General Resources

Smash 101

Beginners Guides

Modding

Character Data

Game Mechanics

How Frame Advantage Works

Fundamentals

Movement & Positioning

Neutral

Advantage

Disadvantage

Game Sense, Adaptation, & Matchups

Improvement & Mentality

Practice

VOD Review

Mentality

Physical Health

Tournaments, Finding Games, & Community Resources

Universal Tech

Character Resources

Mario

Donkey Kong

Link

Samus / Dark Samus

Yoshi

Kirby

Fox

Pikachu

Luigi

Ness

Captain Falcon

Jigglypuff

Peach/Daisy

Bowser

Ice Climbers

Sheik

Zelda

Dr. Mario

Pichu

Falco

Marth

Lucina

Young Link

Ganondorf

Mewtwo

Roy

Chrom

Mr. Game & Watch

Meta Knight

Pit / Dark Pit

Zero Suit Samus

Wario

Snake

Ike

Pokémon Trainer

Diddy Kong

Lucas

Sonic

King Dedede

Olimar

Lucario

R.O.B.

Toon Link

Wolf

Villager

Mega Man

Wii Fit Trainer

Rosalina And Luma

Little Mac

Greninja

Palutena

Pac-Man

Robin

Shulk

Bowser Jr.

Duck Hunt

Ryu

Ken

Cloud