Part 40

Tilts: Snake's up tilt has a hit area that extends far above and in front of him, offering solid KO potential and speed. His down tilt is useful for poking under shields and launching opponents into the air.

Smashes: Snake's forward smash is an incredibly powerful but slow killing move, best used sparingly. His up smash is a mortar shot that can be charged to vary height, excellent for controlling space above Snake.

Running Attack: Snake has a quick running attack that can end with him on the other side of the opponent, even if they shield. This can be canceled into a sliding up smash, which is dangerous and hard to punish. To cancel the dash attack into up smash, use down on the c-stick for the dash attack, then up + grab for the up smash.

Aerials: Snake's aerials are powerful but slow. His back and up aerials are quick attacks for air combat, but the back aerial has significant landing lag, requiring hits with the tip of his feet if landing is necessary. His neutral aerial has multiple kicks, racks up damage, and is best used lower to the ground with the intent of landing during it. His down aerial also racks up damage with slightly more landing lag, making it ideal when hits are nearly guaranteed. The forward aerial has a spiking sweet spot but is slow and unsafe, used very seldom.

Grab Game: Snake's down throw is unique, placing the opponent on the ground in front of him, with no tech or directional influence possible. Opponents can only perform a get up attack, stand up normally, roll left, or roll right. Snake should use a dashing grab for rolls and a shield grab for get up attacks or standing. Accurate prediction can lead to chained down throws. His up throw is solid for setting up up tilts against very low percent opponents.

Special Moves: Snake's Nikita missile is a slow projectile, but its steerability makes it useful for edge guarding or dislodging entrenched opponents. Steer it in straight lines for speed, and it can be canceled by shielding, causing it to drop and explode. Snake's down smash is a proximity mine that can be charged; it's slow to plant but effective when placed just out of range of his forward tilt and jab combo. His down special is a remote mine that plants quickly and can be used in the air for recovery or to stick onto opponents for a guaranteed hit. Keep remote mines farther away than down smash mines for detonation time. In the air, dropping a remote mine and blasting himself with it can aid recovery and restore his Cipher. Sticking remote mines on opponents allows for easy follow-ups.

Cipher: Snake's recovery technique, Cipher, ascends predictably and slowly but allows for attacks afterward. He can perform a neutral aerial upon landing for defense or alternate Cipher with down special mines for complex recoveries.

Grenades: Grenades offer many options. Tapping forward, nothing, or back while throwing varies distance, but hitting shield while holding a grenade drops it as a standard item. Time throws to detonate near opponents. Using shield to drop a second grenade instantly drops the first, knocking grenades out of enemy hands. Grenades are solid projectiles that can kill.

Other: Snake cannot wall jump.