smash_brothers_fox_a.txt - OMG, it's 1165 lines / 55 kb!  What a mess...

---------------------- (72 character width file) -----------------------

             PentaroX's SB Fox Multiplayer FAQ ( 06/04/2K )

       px@pentaro.net | see bottom for copyright/duplication info

Written in memory of that Korean guy who died from playing videogames =P

Also written in honor of Smash Brothers, one of the greatest timewasters
of all time.  I haven't counted, but rest assured, I've wasted countless
hours on said game.  Too bad it was stolen from the rec room where I
regularly play.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why write a SB-Fox FAQ?

- If only because Fox is so unpopular.  Frankly, I would attempt to pull
a Kao Megura ;) and do an entire SB FAQ, but it's been done...over and
over again.  So, no need to do a complete FAQ, but I happen to be known 
as "The Annoyance that is Fox" by my friends.  Yes, I eat, sleep, dream,
and think Fox.  Admittedly, I really don't, but pay no attention to that.

- Having looked over the Fox FAQs on GameFAQs - I found only one, done 
by Dr. Seuss.  It's good, but it doesn't cover multiplayer very well -
rather, it doesn't cover multiplayer, period. :)  Thus, I see no need
to cover singleplayer, but I will do multiplayer.  I've filled this
FAQ with information which I hope is all original and useful.  At least
mostly original.

- I've been playing SB for almost a year, I think.  In any case, I've
played Mario, Luigi, Jigglypuff, Pikachu, Falcon, Fox, Ness, Yoshi,
and more or less mastered (often less ^_-) them all.  I don't play Link
very well, nor Samus, nor DK.  The only two which I see a little bit
of need for (in the way of FAQs) are Fox and Yoshi.  Two of my friends
have completely mastered Yoshi, and having watched them play, ... IMHO
the Yoshi FAQs need a little work.  But anyhow, I use Fox as my primary 
character, if you hadn't already guessed.  And I thought that it 
couldn't hurt to have a Fox FAQ written by someone who plays Fox. =P

What's new?

06/04/2K:

Laziness strikes again.  I didn't upload my faq on 5/8.  Sorry.

I added Yoshi to several sections.  Oops!  Apologies to all Yoshi fans.

I think this is nearly final, unless people request another update or
send me information.  I'm finally getting a new PC soon, and I'm going
to be wasting my time on FF7, FF8, and Lunar: Silver Star Story.  So,
that means less time to SSB.  Furthermore, the copy of SSB that we at
our little 'rec room' use has been _stolen_, and to compound that, I'm
going back home over the summer (I refuse to take any more classes
during summer quarter).  So...that means that I won't have much more to
offer you in the way of this FAQ from this point on.  I might still
rewrite that Edge Guarding section, though.

05/08/2K:

Did a lot of testing with shells and reflecting shields.  If you feel
like doing something REALLY stupid, play a free for all with four Fox
players on shells-only, very high, and wait for red shells.  Throw
the red shell on a small platform.  Sit there and shield.  After your
shield(s) break (three hits), watch the damage rack up.  Even at 999%,
the red shell doesn't send you flying off, so you'll come back alive.
Ridiculous, isn't it?

Also rewrote the Moves section for some better clarity.  I need to
rewrite everything else sometime; this FAQ is just too big now.

Impressive how the game is almost a year old, yet it's still a good
multiplayer game...I hope they hurry up with that sequel.

04/03/2K:

Added a section in General Multiplayer Strategies, corrected info on the
Down+A (air) drill kick (VERY IMPORTANT stuff).  Yes, I know I didn't
upload the 3/19 version.  I'm lazy.  Sorry.

03/19/2K:
Added a few strategies mentioned by Kyle Hawk, some of which I should
have originally added, ans some of which I didn't think of.  Also added
an Edge Guarding section.  I didn't see much use for one, but because
of Kyle's email, I figured I should create one.

I know I've forgotten to add something, but sadly I don't remember what
it was.  Maybe later.

03/16/2K:  
Accidentally forgot to add in stuff about the Up+A arc abuse.
Couple of minor grammatical corrections, and fixed a few typoes.

I think that's about it, though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents:

1)  Basic Move List - Covers important multiplayer moves PLUS important
                      factors like delay, recovery time + distance (as
                      opposed to damage).  Only covers a few moves, but
                      is particularly detailed.
                    - Also covers Duration now that it's been re-written
                      ... and it also has a usage recommendation.

2)  Multiplayer Strategies - self-explanatory
     a) General (includes 1v1 as well as 3-4 player games)
     b) Time FFA / "Battle Royal" 3-4 players
     c) Stock FFA / "Battle Royal" 3-4 players
     d) Time Team - 4 players
     e) Stock Team - 4 players
     f) Edge Guarding - 1-4 players

3)  Quick Credits List

I think this should be a fairly comprehensive (although specific) FAQ
on StarFox.  No, I don't provide history, or cute wittle pictures, or
trivia facts, but I do have the important stuff. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

0.5)  Very Quick Singleplayer Note (I know, I know)

Singleplayer is already covered by Dr. Seuss's excellent FAQ.

However, I wanted to mention one thing - Giant DK should be killed
by using the Reflector.  Since he doesn't move, you can easily rack up
around 350% damage by simply sitting there and shielding.  The only way
he can hit you is by using his Down+A attack, which only sends you up-
wards, so you should be fine.  As for your teammates...they'll probably
all be dead, but oh well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1)  Basic Move List

    0.   Fox's Moves (overall)
    1.   Chun-Li Kick (Tap A repeatedly - ground)
    2.   Dash Attack (Dash+A - ground)
    3.   Upwards Powerhit (Up+A - ground)
    4.   Power Kick (Fwd+A - ground)
    4.5. Non-Smash Power Kick (Fwd, A non-powerhit - ground)
    5.   Clearout Powerhit (Down+A - ground)
    6.   Low Roundhouse Tail-Kick (Down, A non-powerhit - ground)
    7.   Drill Kick (Down+A - air)
    8.   Two-hit Juggle (Up+A - air)
    9.   Laser (B - ground / air)
    10.  Reflector (Down+B - ground / air)
    11.  FireFox (Up+B - ground / air)
    12.  Throw + Backthrow (R or Z+A)
    13.  Roll (Z+direction)

I tend only to use power moves, rolls, jumps, and throws.  And 
last, but not least, reflectors...I won't be covering ALL moves.  For
lists of moves go see Dr. Seuss' FAQ.  For exact damage percentages
see anybody else's FAQ.  I only cover the moves I consider to be 
important in a multiplayer game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key/Legend/Glossary:

Delay Time:     Delay before you do the move. _ / Excellent = short \ _
Recovery Time:  Delay after you do the move     \ Terrible  = long  /
Damage:         Relative - %-wise, from low to high
Distance:       Distance against most enemies - low to high
Duration:       Amount of time where you can hit someone during a move
Direction:      Direction enemies go flying in.
                Stun indicates that a move, well, stuns.
Priority:       Priority against other moves.  Laser priority is against
                those with "air immunity" (Yoshi/DK during comeback).

Why am I covering Distance?  Because the % damage often is misleading.
Just because Fox's power kick forward does as much as an Up+A, it 
doesn't mean that it gets the same distance.  Distance is usually the
important factor in whether or not you *KILL* an enemy.

Direction comes in at a close second, since you have to take into
account the fact that a character is more likely to die if you send them
flying horizontally than diagonally upwards with the same damage and
distance.  This is because it is easier to come back onto the edge if
you are up in the air - since gravity pulls you down and most comeback
moves only have so much vertical distance.

NOTE-  Regarding Spikes:  "Spikes" are Down+A / Forward+A attacks which
send the enemy flying _downwards_ which are used off the edge.  Yes,
OFF the edge and IN the air =P, because these can send an enemy flying
straight down into the abyss.  Often considered cheap by most players.
Note that if you don't understand what I mean, try Kirby, who has six
jumps and a drill kick which sends characters flying downward.

Moves which are effective spikes include:  DK's F+A and D+A, Kirby's
D+A, Samus' D+A, Falcon's D+A, Yoshi's F+A, Ness' D+A.  There are more,
but you'll find that these are the ones used most often.  Except for
the Fox Reflector (see Strategies).

I believe that there is a person who is going to cover such things as
Spikes in a Cheap Moves FAQ or something like that.  If so, you might
want to check it out.  I'm guessing it'll appear at gamefaqs.com in the
near future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

0.  Fox's Moves (overall)
-----------------------------------------
Delay:    Excellent  Duration: Varies
Recovery: OK         Distance: Medium
Damage:   Low        Priority: Low

Edge Comeback Distance:  Very Good
Edge Comeback Priority:  Terrible w/o Reflector
-----------------------------------------
Fox is second in speed only to Falcon.  Note that his recovery times
tend to be high while his delay low.  In other words, you as a Fox
player have to use a strike-fast, strike-once, ... run-the-hell-away
kind of strategy.  At least, while you're not juggling.

Also note that Fox is a really easy spike target.  (Read:  If you're a
newbie Fox player, switch to someone else against a good Kirby player.)

1.  Chun-Li Kick (Tap A repeatedly - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Don't Use

Delay:    Good       Duration: Long
Recovery: Bad        Distance: None
Damage:   Very Low   Priority: Very Low

Direction:  Forward / N/A
-----------------------------------------
No distance, terribly recovery time, and a REALLY low priority make
this move very bad.  Don't use this.  Not unless you intend to try
pulling off an infinite combo, and even then, the priority is too
low to be effective enough.

2.  Dash Attack (Dash+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Fairly Effective

Delay:     High     Duration:  Low
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Very Low
Damage:    Low      Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward / Up
-----------------------------------------
The dash attack, while without as much priority as that of Falcon /
Samus / Link, is still a fairly good one.  You don't want to use it
that often because of its low priority (DK can grab you out of this),
it is still an effective move, and I find that it has a bit of combo-
ability after a D+A powerhit.  Note that you should only use this on
characters with higher health, because of the low distance it gets; 
an enemy at low health can easily counter your hit.

3.  Upwards Powerhit (Up+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use Sparingly

Delay:     Good     Duration:  High
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Excellent
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Good

Direction:  Up - Arcs Forward
-----------------------------------------
This is one of the best moves that Fox has.  Use this sparingly,
however, because the duration is very high - you'll notice that Fox
also kicks BEHIND him, with no distance, essentially counting as
recovery time.  Not as good as Mario's Up+A, but still pretty good.

Note - see Strategies for information on taking advantage of this move.

4.   Power Kick (Fwd+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Effective in small doses

Delay:     OK       Duration:  High
Recovery:  OK       Distance:  Good
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Really Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward/Up
-----------------------------------------
Almost works as a dash.  Damage is good if you can connect at the
beginning of the move, but hitting an enemy at the _end_ of the move
isn't quite as good.  Recovery is good for a Fox move, but since the
duration (just like the upwards powerhit) is high, the move isn't all
that great.  Priority is SO VERY LOW that DK and some others can grab
you out of this move.  Yikes.

4.5. Non-Smash Power Kick (Fwd, A non-powerhit - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use sparingly

Delay:     Good     Duration:  Low
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Good
Damage:    Low      Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward/Up
-----------------------------------------
Just a simple roundhouse kick; it comes out a lot faster though.
Don't use this all too much because it hardly gets any distance; keep
in mind that you don't need quick moves like these because you can
easily run away from any troublesome spots anyhow.

5.  Clearout Powerhit (Down+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OK as clearout move
                         Great edge-guard move

Delay:     OK       Duration:  Short
Recovery:  BAD      Distance:  Good
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Really Low

Direction:  Forward / Arcs a little upwards
-----------------------------------------
This move is one that you should probably be using pretty often.
However, you have to remember that the recovery time is terrible,
so if you use the move, you had better hit the enemy or you'll be in
trouble.  I tend to use this as an edge-guarder; the direction is
great and particularly effective against those nasty Link players. :)

6.  Low Roundhouse Tail-Kick (Down, A non-powerhit - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Effective in small doses

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Low
Recovery: Excellent Distance:  Med-high
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Low

Direction:  Up, Arcs Forward
-----------------------------------------
Don't use this all too much; the only reason I have it here is because
it sends people upwards and has no delay / recovery.  Use the move
to buy yourself some time when you have to, or as a comeback move after
someone has hit you.

7.  Drill Kick (Down+A - air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Avoid like the plague

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Med-High
Recovery: High      Distance:  None
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Low

Direction:  Down
-----------------------------------------
Don't use this.  It doesn't work as a spike, has a really high recovery
time, and doesn't even do enough damage.  To compound things, the
duration is so high that if you try to spike you'll find that by the
time you've recovered, you're too far down to jump back up or FireFox to
the edge.  Believe me, I've tried. :)

8.  Two-hit Juggle (Up+A - air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use often

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Medium
Recovery: Excellent Distance:  Good
Damage:   Good      Priority:  Decent

Direction:  Up
-----------------------------------------
Use this move extensively.  Juggle like a madman.  Does two hits, it's
faster than Ness' U+A move, and Fox's jump is a good one, so it is very
easy to pull off.  I believe this does the most damage of all Up+A
moves, but I'm not sure.  Note that this is not to be used against a
spike, since the priority isn't good enough.  Use the Reflector instead.

9.  Laser (B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use sparingly

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Med-High
Recovery: High      Distance:  Low
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Low

Direction:  Forward, Stuns
-----------------------------------------
It annoys people.  I use this only in two cases:  to chalk up a little
extra damage off the edge and to support my teammate in a team game.

Don't overuse this move, because there is a *special* recovery time
here.  How it works is that if you keep tapping B, there is a low
delay / recovery for each shot, but after you stop, you have some extra
recovery time while Fox puts away his gun.

Also don't use this move while you're coming back from the edge.  The
laser has a tendency to get stuck and you won't be able to use your
comeback-recovery Up+B move.

10.  Reflector (Down+B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OVERUSE.  ANNOY.  KILL.

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Low
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Low-Med
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Good(!)

Direction:  Forward or Backwards, Arcs Down, Stuns
-----------------------------------------
They call me the Annoyance that is Fox (and sometimes also the Whore
Jigglypuff) for a reason.  This is it.  If you play Fox, you MUST
master this move.  It stuns.  It toasts.  It sends people flying
downwards into stealthily planted mines, whirlwinds, acid, and most
importantly the abyss (see Saffron City).  It has enough priority to
counteract Samus and Kirby's spikes, and it can spike people to boot.

The only thing it doesn't do is toast your bread.  This move works
well as a clearout move, and even better in team battles, because you
can send those hawk players down into the waiting and open arms of your
teammates (and they will be in hit stun long enough for your teammate to
hit them).  Since it's so fast, it never hurts to use this often.

Also, this move reflects BOMBS (!) thrown horizontally (not vertically,
alas).  Remeber that the reflector increases damage by about 1.5x each
time you reflect a projectile (red shells can be reflected three times
before your shield breaks).  Also remember that if someone throws a mine
and you reflect it before it lands, it becomes _your_ mine.  Enough on
this move though; see the Strategies section for more info.

11.  FireFox (Up+B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Only to be used as a comeback

Delay:    Terrible! Duration:  Long
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Good
Damage:   Medium    Priority:  Good

Direction:  Depends on where you hit 'em.
-----------------------------------------
Fantastic Four GO!  FLAME ON! ... Too bad this move just isn't all that
great.  I recommend that you only use this as a comeback.  Note that if
someone tries to spike you, point the direction STRAIGHT FORWARD; this
tends to trick them long enough for you to cling onto the edge.  Lucky
for you the move has enough priority to go through lots of stuff.  Bad
news is that the duration is so long that you can be hit out of this
by Link (among others).

12.  Throw + Backthrow (R or Z+A)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  To be overused

Delay:    Good      Duration:  Variable
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Good
Damage:   Medium    Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally up - forwards/backwards
-----------------------------------------
This move doesn't get all that much distance, Fox has short stubby arms,
and low priority to boot - but because Fox is so quick, this move is
very effective.  Run back and forth and throw people; note that forward
and backthrows get similar range / damage / whatever (unlike Falcon who
has to backthrow) so use whichever direction suits you best.


13.  Roll (Z+direction)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OVERUSE

Delay:    Good      Duration:  N/A
Recovery: Good      Distance:  N/A
Damage:   N/A       Priority:  N/A

Direction:  Diagonally up - forwards/backwards
-----------------------------------------
This is simply the best roll in the game.  Roll lots and lots and lots.
It's fast, quick, and you're a small target, plus you have good recovery
from this move.  I find myself rolling _INTO_ people and then using the
Reflector before they have a chance to do something about it.

Fox is the only character around that has a good run, a good roll, and a
good jump, plus speed to boot.  Take advantage of this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) Multiplayer Strategies

A. General
~~~~~~~~~~
        General more or less applies to 1v1 games AS WELL AS to 3/4
player games.  Time, Stock FFA and Team tend to talk specifically about
3- or 4- player games.

	The moves I tend to use are the ones listed above, and as I've
mentioned, I don't use the Tap-A move very much - I don't find it to
be useful.

	If you intend to play Fox, here's a list of priorities to
master.  These are especially important in a Team game.

        1)  Dashing and rolling.  Very important.  If you can't, then
            don't play Fox, play a slow character.

        2)  Up+A attacks.  To practice, I would suggest Mario, who has
            one with insane priority and DISTANCE.  Remember, Up+A has
            priority over Down attacks, with the exception of Ness,
            Samus, Link, Kirby, and Yoshi.  With Mario, you have
            priority over Ness and Samus as well, and often Link too.
            Keep in mind that Kirby/Yoshi's Down+B's are very hard to
            counter, Yoshi's especially (since Yoshi's Down+B clears
            out as well).  Yes, of course you should realize that Kirby
            is invincible during his brick form, however this is easy to
            counter.

            This can be faked.  Let them try to come down and attack you,
            either from the side or from above, then roll out of the way.
            At this point you can do any attack you so choose.  Kyle
            suggests that you do this if someone is guarding the towers
            on the side of Saffron City.  IMHO you should be the one
            guarding the towers (or the helipad) because that's where you
            use the reflector shield.

            - Note:  This isn't so great with Yoshi, because Yoshi's
              "Hip-Drop" or diving attack as I would prefer to call it
              clears the area out.  Even if you block, or roll, there's
              a chance you won't be able to run back and throw.

            *** NEW 3/16 ***

            Abusing the Up+A forward-arc:  In certain levels, but most
            specifically the Mario level, you can send an opponent
            flying into the flat thing above the moving platform.  This
            should effectively knock them down and forwards, which can
            very often result in a kill because of the distance it gets
            (keep in mind that Up attacks tend to yield more distance -
            it takes a lot more distance to kill with a star finish than
            by hitting someone off the edge).  I can't believe I forgot
            to put this in, but I did.  *shrug*

            *****************

        2.5)Juggling attacks.  This goes without saying.

                 - Juggling a Kirby is a little different:
                 - 1)  Up+A ground if possible
                 - 2)  Up+A air, as many times as needed
                 - 3)  As Kirby decides to stone, jump up and reflector.

        2.7)Attacking from above, which can be done in three ways:

                 - Using the Down+A Air Drill.  It's quick, but IMO most
                   people will expect it and counter using an Up+A.
                   Furthermore, even if you hit, you can expect a quick
                   counter because you have a terrible recovery time on
                   the drill kick.
                 - Coming down straight above, then moving in one
                   direction and using the Forward+A air kick thingy.
                   If you can trick your opponent into using an Up+A,
                   then you can hit them during their recovery time.
                   (Credit to Kyle Hawk for mentioning this)
                   Note that this hardly gets any distance.
                 - Using the Reflector Shield.  This is my personal
                   favorite, but that's because I tend to be kind of
                   reckless as they come ^_-.  It works really well if
                   the enemy/opponent is still recovering.  I would
                   suggest doing this only during advantageous
                   situations, i.e. if you're in Saffron / Zebes or
                   if they're at low health (this allows you to do some
                   damage, stun, and have an opportunity to do another
                   attack for more damage.)

        3)  Throwing with R.  Run.  Throw.  Roll.  Throw.  Dash.  Throw.
            This HAS to be practiced, because Fox's throw has very low
            priority, and Fox's stubby little arms can barely reach in
            front of him.  As previously mentioned, Fox has speed on his
            side; and as such his throw becomes very effective, as
            terrible as it would normally be.

        4)  The Reflector Shield.  If you want to practice attacking
            with the shield, I suggest you try practicing Luigi's Up+B
            first, as it is a similar attack and Luigi has similar
            jumps.  However, since Fox has such a quick Reflector shield
            it shouldn't matter all too much.

                 Here's what you can reflect:
                 - People (as a stun/attack move)
                 - Yoshi.  Steal his jump.  :)  Very cheap, though, so 
                   don't do that very often.
                 - As mentioned various times, Ness and Jigglypuff.  If
                   stealing Yoshi's jump is cheesy, this is the Big
                   Stinky Bleu Cheese of Cheeses.  It's easy.  Too easy.
                   (Read below this section for details...)
                 - Projectiles, as you may have guessed.  Link's Bombs
                   and Boomerang, too.  Consider Link's bombs much like
                   Bob-ombs, except weaker.
                 - Most items, as you may also have guessed.  Not too
                   effective against Pokeballs, though.
                 - Mines are a special case; you gain ownership of any
                   mines which you reflect.  And of course, you can
                   reflect people INTO mines.
                 - Green shells retain their added damage bonus after
                   you reflect them.  Reflect a shell three times, and
                   if it's still around, you can pick it up and kill
                   people at 0% occasionally!
                 - Red shells can be reflected three times.  Note that
                   red shells get *NO* distance; reflecting a red shell
                   only adds damage to the counter (and lots of it).
                   Note that the 'explosions' will _pause_ the game, and
                   everyone will know that you've hit someone with a red
                   shell. :)
                 - Bob-ombs!  This is important:  You can only reflect
                   those thrown HORIZONTALLY.  If someone throws from 
                   below or above...RUN.  You will reflect the bomb 
                   but it will then explode, sending you flying away.
                 - Yoshi's Stomp - two little stars come out from the
                   point of impact.  You can reflect those, but not
                   very effectively.
                 - Kirby's Final Cutter projectile - Very effective
                   against Kirbies who dare to come back.  And if they
                   do make it onto the edge, Fox Spike them and they'll
                   have to use the Final Cutter again.
            What can't you reflect?
                 - MOST physical attacks.  You do, however, have
                   priority over some, especially if you're right on
                   top of (i.e. in the air) whatever person.
                 - Bombs and Bob-Ombs from above, as prev. mentioned.
                 - Kirby shooting people out
                 - Ness, on his PK-high Thunder buzz, or whatever you
                   prefer to call it.
                 - Yoshi's egg shards.  Be careful...IMHO it's not
                   worth it to reflect Yoshi's Flying Eggs of Doom.
                   Since Yoshi's egg-throwing has a terrible recovery
                   time, I would suggest that you run through and beat
                   Yoshi down while you can.

            However, reflecting is only half of the story.  Reflector
            shields are meant to be used as weapons.  Try Saffron City,
            against Jigglypuff, Link, Samus...Hm, maybe DK, but not a
            good DK player.  Stand on the right edge or left edge and
            get them to high enough health...then use your shield and
            send them flying far down BETWEEN the buildings.  

            One more note -- this works very well against Ness.  You 
            can steal Ness' PK Thunder by jumping above him, and 
            shielding.  Or just plain out attack him with your shield.
            Either way, if you're successful, you have a guaranteed
            Ness kill.

            In order to effectively use the shield as an attack, you
            have to know when and how to shield.  Try jumping from
            below and shielding.  Coming in from above and shielding.
            Rolling into an enemy and then shielding.  Shielding
            people after they come back from their recovery move.

            Also know which direction you send people in.  I find that
            I like the Link stage (esp. with mines >:) because you can
            shield people into the whirlwind, and if there are mines
            around, you can send them into the mines.  Remember, in
            air the move sends people forward and down, and on the
            ground the move sends people straight forwards _ALONG_ the
            ground.  The beauty of it all is that the move gets a lot
            of stun time.

            If someone tries to spike you, shield.  This works against
            Kirby and Samus fairly well, but not DK as well, and never
            against Ness.

            If you've mastered the art of using the reflector as an
            attack weapon, you could always try Jigglypuff...sleep
            around a whole lot...all of these shield strategies will
            likely work with Jigglypuff as well.  However, note that
            Jigglypuff has a terrible jump, which means you'd have to
            change your strategy a wee bit.

            Anyhow.  Levels on which the Shield is VERY effective:
                 - Saffron City
                 - Planet Zebes (when the lava is up)
                 - Kirby's and Yoshi's levels
                 - Mushroom Kingdom!  The Mario stage with the
                   bumper.  Not the ancient one.
                 - Hyrule Castle - send people into the whirlwind.
                 - All levels when mines are on; you can send people
                   into mines below by hitting them with the shield.

            And levels on which you should resort to regular moves:
                 - Fox stage (except for the part about reflecting the
                   shots from the Arwing)
                 - Ancient (8-bit) Mario stage.  Throw.  Enough said.
                   Oh yes, and be sure to kill the Piranha Plants, you
                   get brownie points for that :)
                 - Other large levels.

            People on which the Shield is lethal:
                 - Ness, Jigglypuff
            People on which the Shield is effective:
                 - Fox, Samus, Link, Falcon, DK
            People on which the Shield is damn annoying:
                 - Yoshi, Kirby
            People on which you shouldn't OVERuse the shield:
                 - Pikachu, Mario, Luigi

            I call the Reflector the "Fox Spike" if only because
            it spikes very effectively.  Jump off the edge, shield,
            then come back.  It's useful.  Really.  See below for
            details...oh yes, and you can perform a Fox Spike after the
            enemy uses a comeback move and barely gets on the edge.
            Just stand there and Down+B him/her/it.

            Finally (no, really, I mean it), you may wish to use the
            Down+B as an "edge-guarding" move.  If someone is coming
            back from off the edge, or if they're just coming back from
            a jump (!!!), jump up towards them and use your reflector!
            Very often this works better than using an Up+A because your
            opponent will find that *GASP* his/her jump is now missing.
            I tend to kill a lot of the Falcons and Links of the world 
            using this.

        5)  Locating items.  If you find capsules and eggs, don't throw
            them at people - jump up and throw them down, pick up the
            item (if there is one), and use it.  If it's a mine, then
            discreetly throw it down.  You're Fox.  See Fox.  See Fox
            Run.  Run, Fox, Run.

Having mastered those (phew!), you will probably find that Fox is:

Good against
        - Jigglypuff.  No, not everybody is good against Jigglypuff,
          believe me.  Jigglypuff has no vertical comeback.  So,
          shield a lot.  On the edge, off the edge.  The Fox Spike
          is extraordinarily useful against Jigglypuff.  Of course,
          your Up+A and other powerhits should do well too.
        - Link.  Link has no comeback either.  Two words - Fox Spike.
          Note, however, that Link's comeback, although with less
          priority than Samus', has more range, and so I find myself
          getting hit occasionally by it.
        - Ness.  Ness may be a pain normally...but the important part
          is to send Ness off the edge.  Fox Spike (in the air) when
          he uses a PK Thunder.  Either you'll hit him and send him
          further off the edge, or else you'll reflect his Thunder.
          If you're just off the edge, though, he'll spike you.
        - Most Pikachu players.  You can throw them like mad.  Don't
          overuse your shield or you'll be really sorry.  And try to
          stay ON the platform by all means.  Juggle, too.

So-so against
        - Samus.  Samus' comeback doesn't get too much vertical, but
          it has priority.  And of course you can't easily kill Samus
          using regular techniques, because of the insane Bomb-bomb-
          screw comeback distance - not to mention that Samus is
          quite a heavyweight.  However, your edge-guard is really
          effective against her / it.
        - DK, who has no vertical comeback but can effectively
          out-throw (remeber, he has long arms =P) you, among other
          things.  Again, use your edge-guard.
        - Yoshi.  Yoshi is a lightweight's nightmare; luckily Fox isn't
          _that_ much of a lightweight.  Stay BELOW Yoshi.  BELOW.  You
          don't want Yoshi to come from below and then Down+A you to
          high health, and then combo with an Up+A to send you into
          oblivion.  Yikes.

Not so great against
        - Kirby.  Has a good spike, hard to Fox Spike, doesn't have
          to use Final Cutter often.  Luckily, Kirby is weak.  You'll
          have to resort to throws and regular moves.  I don't know
          very many kirbies who actually absorb powers because they
          like being able to eat people and spit them out.  A good
          Kirby will be a pain to kill...
        - Falcon, who can EASILY out-throw you.  Plus, Falcon has
          really good moves like an Up+A (air), the Falcon Kick,
          a good spike, and ... some other stuff.  Luckily, you can
          pull off a Fox Spike on him, provided his comeback doesn't
          hit you first.
        - Link on certain levels is actually hard, because his attacks
          have fairly good priority.  So you want to meet a Link on a
          small stage.  Some Link players are REALLY good and tend not 
          to fly off the edge very often...
        - Good Pikachu players can edge-guard.  Pikachu is THE edge-
          guarding master, with attacks which hit above (Down+B), below
          (B projectile goes either 45 degrees down OR crawls the edge),
          and forward (the Forward+A attack gets a lot of range).  I
          don't know about you, but I would use Mario or Luigi against
          Pikachu instead.
        - Good Ness players on big stages.  Ness is slower than Link but
          has priority like no other...and his throw.  Whew.  Use only
          A attacks, and try to get him off the edge ASAP.  Preferably
          with the Fox Spike, as that forces him to use PK Thunder.

A-2.  Hi-Damage Multiplayer Games
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Shielding gets a lot more distance on high-damage (say 150-200%)
games.  I find that I can instantly kill most enemies at 0% when near a
ledge, and even more so when they're at higher damage.  Link, Samus,
Falcon, DK, Jigglypuff, et al.  That's right, I said 0%.

B.  Time FFA, or Battle Royal as you might call it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Fox is great on Time FFA.  He's fast.  He's cute.  He's really
stunning with those good looks.  Um, actually what I mean to say is that
he's effective.  And quite so, at that.

        Having said that, Fox is an assassin of sorts.  To play him, you
need to be able to go in quickly, running, jumping, and/or rolling,
strike fast (his better moves have little delay time), and run ASAP.
Remember that most of his better moves also have a recovery time,
besides the Reflector, which means that you have to be precise in your
attacks.  The idea is to throw them far away enough to make your
getaway.

        Since we're talking FFA, your main strategy is to run in, attack
and escape.  Steal kills whenever you can, because that is how you win
in a Time FFA game.  Let everyone else duke it out while you run off,
grab an item (always listen for that clink sound!), and then obliterate
everyone with it (hope for Pokeballs).  Note that if you find capsules,
ALWAYS - ALWAYS jump up and throw them on the ground.  Most of the time
you want the item inside the capsule.  Even if it's a fan, which you can
use in juggles (Use your Up+A, then jump upwards and throw the fan
upwards, because the fan makes people fly towards the sky).

        The Laser is completely worthless in FFA unless you have enough
distance between you and the enemy.  Plus, remember the recovery time is
bad.  Remember that even if you rack up a lot of damage, that doesn't
mean you'll get the kill, especially if you're too far away to use a
proper power-hit.  Use mostly throws, because of their speed.  Juggles
take time and don't send people far enough; use them sparingly and only
when you're certain that everyone else is far away.  You probably also
will want to use the regular powerkick.

        In all FFA games, use the Reflector shield rather than the
Down+A move to clear out.  Why?  Because unless you're certain you can
clear everyone out, somebody will come in and attack you.  The reflector
stuns and clears out the enemy with just enough distance for you to
attack again.  This is particularly important to remember.

        For those who have been playing lots of 1v1 games, keep in mind
that this is quite different from 1v1.  You don't have quite as much
time in 1v1 to pick up items, because you're constantly being followed.

C.  Stock FFA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Stock probably isn't one of Fox's strong points, because he's a
weak character...especially on FFA.  Because this is Stock FFA we're
talking about, you want to stay away from everyone else.  Let them
kill each other as they please while you pick items up, heal, and such.

        1v1 Stock, which it will eventually be, is probably a bit
tougher.  Expect a heavyweight (DK, Samus, etc) to emerge victorious as
your final opponent (assuming you're still alive), and so you'll need
to use every last trick in your inventory. :)  Consider it to be a test
of skill.

        In summary - Stock is the same as FFA but considerably harder,
so use a lot more fleeing and a lot less attacking.  Remember, it
doesn't really matter who gets the kills.

D.  Time Team
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Time Team is a completely different story altogether.  You now
have a teammate.  Fox works best as a "primary" character and not as
a support character, but can do both fairly well anyhow.

	If you have a partner like Ness or Samus with strong powerhits,
shield them into your partner's arms.  Be gentle and loving. :)  Kill.
Never forget that the shield stuns.  This helps whether you're the
primary or support character.  If you're primary, you can stun people
and then hopefully power-hit them.  But as support, you want to stun
enemies to help your partner out of a jam, clear yourself out, or of
course to allow your partner to kill said person.

        Team games, of course, make the Blaster Shot USEFUL.  While it's
not necessarily quite as good as Mario's Fireball (believe me), it still
comes in quite handy.

        Keep in mind that in all team games you often have the same
tactics, i.e. throw one guy off the edge and concentrate on another,
stick around your teammate, et cetera.

        3v1 Time Team: if you're part of the 3 (keep in mind that 3v1
usually occurs with a nice handicap for the 1), be careful.  3v1 Time
is much like 3v1 stock, because you die a lot and you probably won't
get too many kills.  If you're the 1, run around a lot and throw until
the cows come home.

        In all Time Team games, feel free to run in to the fray with
your partner and kill lots of things.  Hopefully enemies and not
teammates. :)  However, as in a FFA game, you want to take advantage
of Fox's speed to pick up items.  If you see a tomato/heart, you may
need to pick it up yourself, because Fox can't guard all too well.

        As far as reflecting PROJECTILES and not PEOPLE (wow!) goes,
remember to stand in _front_ of your partner.  Kinda helps. :)  And
if you see a bob-omb nearby...why not let an opponent pick it up and
throw it at you?  If you reflect it, that is.  Of course, if you don't
reflect it, your partner gets the kill, which is perfectly fine too.

        More on Teams:  I see very little need to list the characters
that Fox makes a good team with.  There are plenty.  The only chars
which I find are very bad with Fox are Ness and Jigglypuff, who make
for very bad support and are completely offensive characters - which
Fox will probably have trouble supporting.  It's possible, just not
very. :)

E.  Stock Team

        Stock is one of Fox's worst nightmares; as this is a test of
your skill as a Fox player.  On a 2v2, you'll have to try playing 
support by throwing players off the edge and then double-teaming the
remaining player.  Remember that credit for kills means nothing; you
simply want the opponents to lose lives.  (Careful with mines; make
sure your partner knows where they are.)

        3v1 is a much happier story.  Let the other two people on your
team attack, while you run off and monopolize the item supply.  And if
you're the one against three opponents, hope for a handicap because any
handicap makes the Fox Spike much more effective.  I find that a 9-5
handicap is completely and utterly deadly to the opposing team.

        If your teammate is gone, I suggest you let him/her steal a life
because having a damage sink is always good.  I find that Fox is pretty
good as an independent character because of his awesome speed and self-
preservation capabilities. :)

F.  Edge Guarding

        Keep in mind that excessive edge guarding is considered to be
cheap.  Really cheap.  However, Fox can easily be edge-guarded himself
(since the FireFox has a terrible delay time).

        Credit for this section goes to Kyle Hawk, as I wouldn't have
created the darn thing if he hadn't emailed me. =P

        This section is divided up by character.  Each section contains
information about edge-guarding the individual character, and getting
back onto the edge against said character.

        Furthermore, I'm going to rewrite this section in the next
version of this FAQ, because it's messy, among other things.

1.  In General

        Edge guarding is usually best served by staying a little bit
away from the edge.  You're going to have to ensure that nobody else
is coming after you, or else there will be no edge guarding for you...
Anyhow, the general tactic is to let them get back on, and then use a
forward powerhit or something like that during their recovery time.
A lot of people like Forward+A, a bunch like Up+A, a lot like Down+A.
Most people like to use Down+A, because of the clearout range.  It's
case dependent, really, but I prefer Down+B, as I've mentioned.

        Admittedly, however, the Down+A is VERY effective as an edge
guarder because of the direction.  I find that I've been using it a
lot more lately because of that one reason.  The recovery is still
particularly bad, though, so make sure you're safe enough.

        The second Fox edge-guard tactic is to jump off the edge and
use a forward air attack to send the enemy flying further off the edge.
I wouldn't recommend this at low health because it doesn't get much
damage, but at higher damage it can (obviously) be fatal.  In general,
I would Fox Spike instead (i.e. use the reflector shield instead of a
forward air-attack).  This allows you to send them downwards, which
as previously mentioned is quite useful.  Obviously a Fox Spike can
be countered easily, so be careful.

        A bunch of people use the Laser.  Self-explanatory.  Don't
overuse it, because it just isn't that effective.  It's just a few
extra 5% hits.

        When someone is guarding against you, you may not have much of
a future with your particular life.  If you must use the Fire Fox, then
do so away from the edge so you can't be spiked as easily (Kirby will
have to jump three times which is enough time for you to get your move
off).  Try to hang onto the edge instead of coming back on...it's safer,
since you can use a comeback attack or else roll back on.  Remember-
if you don't have to use a Fire Fox, DON'T.

2.  Mario

        To edgeguard Mario, follow the general strategy.  A good Mario
probably has a habit of fireballing as he falls, and so you could 
reflect those or just shield/evade.  Doesn't really matter, unless you
can manage to get them to hit Mario.  Mario has an anti-spike comeback,
so you can't use the Fox Spike.  Just use your standard moves.

        Coming back against a Mario edge-guarder is a bit more painful.
Mario can spike and he can send fireballs if you go below him.  So,
use a FireFox at a decent horizontal distance if you must; otherwise
try to land on solid ground and roll out ASAP.  Stay away from his
breakdance(Down+A ground), it can easily be deadly.

3.  Luigi

        See Mario.  Possibly more annoying, because the fireballs go out
forwards, so you can't FireFox from a horizontal approach, you have to
be above or below and thus closer to the edge, which means that Luigi
can spike you.  Not good.  However, the worst part is that if you
FireFox, he can easily Fire Punch you.  I don't get it.  I would imagine
that Johnny's Fantastic Four Flame On is much cooler than Ken's Flaming
Shoryuken.  Oh well.

4.  Fox

        Fox only has one spike - the Fox Spike - but it is really
effective against Fox.  Why?  Because the Fire Fox is a piece of junk.
Jump out.  Fox Spike.  Fox Spike again if you need to, but otherwise
come back yourself.

5.  Samus

        Samus wouldn't be all that bad, if it weren't for the fact that
Samus can often get back without having to use a comeback attack, and
that you can't Fox Spike because of the Screw Attack.  So use your
standard stay-on-the-edge tactic.  Laser if you must.  I find that
Down+A works better against Samus than, say, Link because of the limited
range of the Screw Attack.

        Coming back against Samus is really terrible - Samus has a
blaster, a spike, bombs, a good powerhit, the works.  Hope that your
teammate saves you. =P  Also remember that you can counter the spike
with your shield - but it takes timing.

6.  DK

        Edge-guarding DK isn't such a problem because he's a large
target for laser shots, you can hit him easily with a fox spike, and
you can hit him out of the Spinning Kong.  Furthermore, DK can be
sent into the abyss if you use your regular stay-away-from-the-edge
tactic, and then use the reflector shield - remeber, DK has very
little vertical comeback distance.

        But coming back, DK is worse than Samus for a reason:  DK's
spike has more priority, is larger, and DK can go out further than
Samus because the Spinning Kong lets him come back.  And DK has two
spike moves to boot.  Once again, if you don't have to Fire Fox,
DON'T.  If you value your life, don't use it.  Unless you have to. ;)

7.  Pikachu

        Pikachu has the best recovery move, hands-down.  Such a pain,
because there is no point in Fox Spiking, and your Spike can be
countered easily with the electric air drill.  Do whatever you can.
In this case, a laser or two might be nice, you're just trying to rack
up the damage so you can whack him out of the skies later with a good
powerhit.

        ... but coming back, Pikachu is a nightmare of an edge-guarder.
Lucky for you, he has no spike.  Unluckily, he has a projectile that
follows the Mario Fireball trajectory, and can also climb down the side
(if you decide to hang onto the edge) - plus he has a powerhit which
is annoying PLUS a down+b Call Lightning move which covers the entire
air area.  Hope your Pikachu isn't skilled at said techniques.

8.  Jigglypuff

        Jigglypuff is second to Ness as far as Fox Spiking goes.  The
Puff Punch or Pound or whatever you call it has a terrible recovery
time.  Use that time to Spike.  Jigglypuff is as good as dead.

        Jigglypuff isn't that much of a problem to come back from,
either.  However, be careful because Jigglypuff CAN indeed spike
(although he/she/it has to sacrifice a life in order to do so) - and
if you use the Fire Fox and land on solid ground, your recovery time
allows the enemy Jigglypuff to Sleep like the Whore (tm) that she is
and ... um ... kill you, pretty much.  Fox is a lightweight as far
as damage intake goes, and the Sleep gets really good distance, so be
careful.

        There exist a few players who prefer to float above you and
attempt to pull off a Down+A drill kick combo, following up with a
Down+B or Up+A.  Here, you have a few options.  I prefer to hold down
and jam on the B button rapidly, because the delay time on the
Reflector is faster than that of the sleep.  However, watch your
opponent's style, because some prefer Up+A, which can easily be faster
than your shield.  In that case, block or roll out of harm's way.

9.  Captain Falcon

        Eh?  I forgot to add in Falcon last time.  Oh well.  Anyhow,
Falcon is much like Link.  Has a terrible comeback, but the comeback
attack itself DOES have a bit of priority - in fact more than Link's,
and if you get hit by it then you've just saved Falcon.  In other
words, let him get BACK on before you spike him.  Lasers will probably
do well too, since his comeback is a lot worse than, say, Samus'.

        Falcon, I find, is quite a pain when edgeguarding, because he
has the Falcon Kick and a very good power kick - often I find that a
good Falcon player will stay away from the edge and power kick as soon
as you get back.  He has a spike and an air throw, which can mean
trouble.  I don't have much to say, really, just hope your teammate
gets there and distracts him. =P

10. Ness

        Throw away your regular edge-guarding tactics against Ness
for the most part.  What you want to do is to jump above him and
shield as soon as his second jump is used up.  Ness is pretty much
dead as soon as that happens.  This is a GREAT way to steal kills
... or simply to kill, for that matter.
        You can also let him finish his comeback, and then throw him
off afterwards.  Not much of a problem.

        When coming back - Ness has a good spike, but his jumps are
mediocre, so his spike isn't always effective.  As always, if you 
have to firefox, get some horizontal distance - and make sure it's
far away enough from PK Fire range.  Also keep in mind that if he 
decides to use PK Thunder cheese, you may be in for some trouble.
If he stays away from the edge, expect a baseball bat or (more
likely) a yo-yo.  If you manage to land on solid ground without
using a FireFox, I suggest you jump back up immediately.

        Also, I don't remember which FAQ I noticed this in, but it
was quite correct - most Ness players don't understand how to play
Ness and so they sit there and throw.  In other words, a novice
Ness player is no problem, but a good Ness can be annoying, because
of his priority and that annoying throw. :)  (Yes, I've play Ness
myself; I tend to edge guard with ... the yo-yo, PK Fire, the bat,
and PK Thunder, from most to least.)

        One more thing - I don't know how cheap it is considered to be
using the Reflect PK Thunder (off the edge) technique, but if the Ness
player is a novice, I suggest you don't do this.  Rather, do this
against a good Ness player, because a good Ness player would sooner do
the same sort of thing against you.

11. Link

        Link can be Fox Spiked at high health, because his comeback
just isn't that great.  Otherwise, follow the usual tactics.  Down+A
works like a charm -- that is, if you can pull it off.  His comeback
is bad, but being able to chop people to the sides is a nice perk...for
Link, that is.

        On the other hand, Link doesn't have a spike, just a bunch
of really good edge guarding techniques.  Watch out for the air
slash attacks (Up+B / Fwd+A), the boomerang and bomb, and the sword.
I suggest a firefox from below if you must--Link's sword has priority
over the FireFox.  Also note that using the Fire Fox from below is
dangerous because Link may have enough time to take out a bomb and
throw it downwards.  Or, even worse, throw a boomerang downwards.


12. Kirby

        The only difference between Kirby and other characters is
that if Kirby uses the Final Cutter, you should move away and shield.
Also use your shield when Kirby is at high health, as it forces him
to do a Final Cutter to get back, allowing you to shield again and do
some more damage.

        However, Kirby is a pain when coming back - if only because a
'good' Kirby player will be spiking like mad.  Good luck, that's about
all I can say.  Usually I prefer to change to Luigi/Mario against a 
Kirby (because of the recovery move, and also because of their Anti-
Lightweight moves - Up+A for Mario and Up+B for Luigi... and also L,
since the Luigi Taunt is ultimately superior to all other forms of
attack).

        The only real advice I can give you, actually, is to do one of
two things against the spike:  FireFox straight horizontally, which
often tricks the Kirby player, and to counter with a Reflector, which
has enough priority against the Drill Kick, but is still hard to pull
off consistently.

13.  Yoshi

        Yoshi is easy to edge-guard.  That is, if you like Fox Spiking.
I find it cheap, but it's kind of fun-- so I recommend that although you
have to do this at least once(^_^), keep the number to a maximum of two
or three times.  However, Yoshi has that amazing air priority during his
jump, so you won't be able to spike him very often.

        Stay away from the edge when edge-guarding Yoshi, as some Yoshi
players like to egg you off the edge when coming back.  However, the
advantage of staying near the edge is to use your Down+A, which can
often guarantee a stolen jump.  I tend to let Yoshi come back though,
and attack afterwards.

        Yoshi isn't too bad against, coming back.  However, there are a
few things which you should keep in mind.  His eggs are a pain.  His
edge-guard Down+A is CRAZY.  His Up+A hit is WORSE.  And he has a spike
to boot.  Luckily he doesn't have the jumps to pull off the spike, and
you should be able to FireFox past him or else cling onto the edge.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

3)  Quick Credits List

In no particular order:

Friends - Quasipun, Darkforce, CowGoddess, Syveril, a particular J.
          Rheuben who spent a little too much time on this game,
          J. Kubicki (a Fox player), and some others.  All of which
          play SB. ... P.Cheung (DK) for coining the term "spike,"
          and some others.  Yes, I know about 30 or so people who play
          SB.  Often a scary thought, is it not?

Contribs- Kyle Hawk for a bunch of edge-guarding strategy and other
          information.  'Preciate it very much.  ^^)

You     - I suppose for reading this.  :)

This document is copyrighted work by PentaroX.
If you wish to use this document in any way, such as on your website, 
give me an email, and don't alter this text file.  And no, you may not
use this commercially or sell it translated into Swahili in printed
form.  Have a nice day.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
