Part 34

Learn Marth's Dancing Blade variations and Ike's powerful but slow attacks in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Includes tips for both characters.

Marth

Marth's Dancing Blade is a highly effective move that racks up damage and can secure kills. Once the move starts, Marth can hold up or down to perform variations. The first hit is always a red slash. The second hit can be an upward blue slash or a red slash. The third hit can be a red slash, an upward blue slash, or a downward green thrust. The final hit offers a potent upward blue slash, a quick red slash, or damaging green downward thrusts. For the first two moves, Marth should generally use red attacks. For the third move, he can mix between the faster red attack and the low-hitting green attack depending on the situation. The fourth move offers strategic choices: the blue hit is a finisher, the red hit is for quick termination, and the green hit racks up significant damage. This move also stalls Marth in the air, making him unpredictable. Marth also possesses a Counter move, which can be useful as a surprise to make opponents cautious, but it is generally not very effective.

Marth cannot wall jump, wall cling, or crawl, and he has only one midair jump. His roll and spot dodge are standard.

Marth generally performs well in most matchups. He is particularly potent against opponents with range issues, such as Mario, Wario, or Captain Falcon. However, Marth must be wary of Toon Link, who is a similarly potent swordsman with projectiles that can trouble Marth significantly.

Ike

Ike is characterized by his slow speed, immense power, and extensive range. As an extreme character, Ike players should expect a roller coaster of advantages and disadvantages. Overall, Ike is slightly above average, but his skewed nature leads to uneven matches.

On the ground, Ike's jab combo, executed by tapping A three times, delivers a punch, kick, and slash combination that deals good damage and is surprisingly quick, though it does not secure kills. All of Ike's tilts and smashes have killing potential. The up tilt and forward tilt are recommended as his primary reliance due to their speed. His down tilt can launch opponents into the air but is too slow to be a key move. For smashes, the up smash is generally the best option when an opening appears, as it kills at very low percentages, hits a large area, and leaves him less vulnerable than other smashes. The forward smash is extremely slow and risky, and should only be used when an opponent makes a significant mistake. The down smash can counter opponents who attempt to roll around Ike but is risky against those who anticipate it, so it should be used sparingly to keep opponents guessing.

In the air, Ike's neutral and back aerials are his most important tools. His neutral aerial hits in a large arc, covering almost his entire body, making it a safe option to create space and deal good damage against aerial approaches. The back aerial is his primary aggressive option, being his fastest move with solid killing power. The other three aerials are strong but should be used sparingly due to their extreme slowness and awkward swing patterns, making them easily punishable.

Ike's down throw is his best throw. At low percentages, it launches the opponent into the air, allowing for follow-up attacks. As the opponent gains damage, it becomes Ike's most effective killing throw. Ike's large arms make grabs easy to execute, so they should be used frequently for damage. If you shield a slow attack, Ike can effectively use his up smash out of shield.

Ike has four useful but niche special moves. Eruption is generally poor on the ground, except for stopping opponents recovering from the ledge. In the air, however, it excels due to super armor during the downward swing, allowing Ike to approach or fall onto opponents with impunity. This move hits very hard, and opponents cannot afford to gamble on hitting the narrow timing windows outside of the super armor, giving Ike a significant advantage when above an opponent. Ike's Counter move is less reliable. It can occasionally force an opponent to end an attack prematurely, but its lengthy animation means Ike can only counter-attack during the middle of it. If an opponent attacks too quickly, Ike cannot retaliate, and he can be punished if he misses.

Aether is a favorite among new Ike players because it has super armor for almost the entire attack, making Ike nearly uninterruptible during recovery. It also allows Ike to safely leap up and deal free damage to opponents.