Tactic

A tactic or technique (shortened to "tech" in Smash Bros. terminology) is a simple, or advanced action used in game in order to enhance the playstyle of a character to gain an advantage, whether intentionally programmed or not. This page will generally list a few tips/tactics about the game to keep in mind while playing.

Basics
Stuff that doesn't require too much explaining.


 * Dash Jump: If you jump during dash start, your speed will carry over into the air.
 * Aerial Piovting: All characters can turnaround/pivot while airborne, even while tumbling. This makes reverse signature attacks easier to perform than in smash.
 * PTE Dancing: Many characters whose PTEs allow for free movement around the stage can pivot constantly to "reset" a hitbox and damage opponents faster than normal resulting in around a 1.5~2x increase in damage dealt.
 * Jump cancel up tilt: Jumping and using up knockout with the right analogue stick will become an up tilt (similar to jump cancel up smash). This can also be done with down tilts as well, just use down knockout instead.
 * Z Switch: As an alternative, one can use the Switch button and attack button at the same time to tilt instead of using a knockout attack.
 * Dash Cancel: You can cancel dash with crouch, and nearly every other action in the game. This allows for techniques such as dash dancing to be used.
 * Dash-Dance: Dash dancing in Punch Time Explosion is performed by dashing left and right while canceling your initial dash with crouch. The easiest way to do this is hugging the bottom left and bottom right analouge stick/control pad.
 * Drafting: Oddly, after an up signature is used the air speed of many characters will completely change from normal often times increasing air speed.

Item/Story (Non-"Competitive" Related)

 * Z Cancel: With the exception of Ben, all characters can cancel attacks and entire movements by swapping the story mode character.
 * Frog Hopping: While in frog state, you can still "roll" by holding shield. Since frog is a slow and hard to mobilize status effect frog hopping can be useful to escape attacks.

Break Out
 Break out  is an intended game mechanic that allows players to essentially "break out" of attacks that send players in a tumbling state to increase chances of survival. The methods of breaking out include


 * Jumping (the method the developers suggested in the game manual)
 * Normal attacks (aerials)
 * Signature attacks (specifically ones that influence direction)
 * Grabbing/Throwing an item (item not required)

The objectively best methods are jumping or especially attacking, as using grab will leave you more open and many signature attacks are used for recovering or don't have any directional change applied to the character to properly break out of tumbling. Also by using attack you are able to conserve your jumps.

Side Signature Vertical Influence
 Vertical influence  (which is so far seemingly only applied to the side signature of specific characters) are attacks that do not have a fixated vertical direction but still have set horizontal speeds, which allows them to attack in multiple angled directions based on their current vertical velocity. The most notable example being Kevin's side signature. Characters that display this are:


 * Monkey
 * Kevin Levin
 * Johnny Bravo
 * Him
 * Ben Tennyson (Young)
 * Scotsman
 * Hoss Delgado
 * Toiletnator
 * Aku

Platform Land Canceling
 Platform land canceling  is a tactic used by pressing grab button while jumping onto a platform in order to land faster and is similar to wavelanding in Super Smash bros Melee. This tactic can also be performed by air dodging/shielding but since air dodging cancels your vertical velocity there is slightly more precise timing to it (if not using double jump air dodge; listed below). Aku's neutral signature (along with various other attacks from multiple characters) is also capable of performing this tactic.

In addition, any characters that are sent into the tumbling hitstate will land cancel on top of the platform, allowing some characters to follow up with a combo.

Double Jump Airdodge
A double jump airdodge is acheived simply by pressing jump and shield at the same time while in air. If used right after jumping from the ground, the height of your double jump will be extended slightly. However, if the user did not initially jump off of the ground and is using it after, for example, an up special or trying to recover, the double jump airdodge will only travel in a height similar to a short hop double jump. Due to air dodging having no landing lag, it is able to platform land cancel as well, allowing the user to traverse the stage with more safety than other methods of platform land canceling.

Magic Shifting
An incredibly odd occurence that has still yet to be understood fully. After the use of a signature attack in the air, characters are capable of shifting their character back or forward, allowing for movement to avoid attacks and counter-attack. This is simply done by using a signature attack and using some kind of movement pattern in the general direction where you want to shift.

Attack Turnaround
 Attack turnaround  is an oversight that allows the player to turnaround while using an attack, but oddly only when the initial attack direction is to the right. In order to turnaround, simply press left very quickly after performing an action. The easiest example to perform this with is walking right, and using C stick on a Gamecube controller to charge attack left. This can be used for up and down charge attacks as well, in addition to tilts, grabs, and even signature attacks. Few characters are able to combo two of the same charge attack from using this tactic.

Edges
An  edge  is literally just where a platform ends.

Edge Canceling
Due to the janky nature of this game, many moves can be canceled by simply using it on the edge. Edge canceling can be used to many advantages, such as shortening the time of rolling, canceling attacks entirely, and even as a faster way of manuvering a stage.

Coasting
Another edge related tactic which is defined as an action that wasn't intended to happen off stage, "coasting" along in the air. This is most apparent with dash attacks, and rolling provided you are postioned right.

Super Jumps
Another odd occurence yet to be fully understood. Sometimes when jumping near the ledge and using a lot directional movements, any character can potentially jump to incredible heights. If consistently learned, it could allow for strengthened edge guarding.

Character Specific Super Jumps
There are a few characters that are capable of doing their own super jump, which is done in various circumstances depending on the character. Most if not all are frame perfect inputs making them hard to perform but also  do not require a ledge in order to be used .


 * Bubbles' Super Jump
 * The first super jump discovered, Bubbles can leap the distance of three jumps if she uses up air almost as soon as she touches the ground.
 * Blossom's Mini-Jump
 * Blossom can do a mini-jump when a neutral air is used close to the ground. This generally helps Blossom attack constantly with neutral air and potentially carry foes acorss the stage by just bouncing with neutral air.
 * Aku's Laser Jump
 * Though it is unknown how, Aku is capable of doing a super jump with a well timed laser and jump. This could potentially strengthen Aku's already great edge guarding ability.
 * Him's Super Jump
 * Him has a currently unknown way to perform a super jump with his up knockout, which gets canceled when performed. A possibility is that the up knockout was canceled somehow by an air dodge.

Meteor Smashing
Meteor smashing is a glitch that commonly occurs at edges, but also from the top of character heights. It happens due to some sort of collision detection bug. Normally getting launched into a ceiling object will prompt the tumbling character to go downward. In this case the ceiling detected is at ledges or the top of a character.