Air dodge

Snake performs an air dodge.

Air dodging is a technique in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl that does just as one would expect - it gives temporary invincibility frames to the user in the air, preventing attacks from hitting him or her. It has sometimes been described as sidestepping in midair.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Melee, an air dodge is performed by fully pressing L or R while in the air. Air dodging cannot be done if the character is tumbling or reeling. The air dodge halts the character's momentum, either leaving him or her hovering if the Control Stick is not tilted or giving the character a small boost in the direction of the Control Stick. This boost can aid one's recovery, though most air dodging characters cannot sweet spot the ledge, and most up Bs outreach the air dodge.

During the air dodge, the character cannot be hit by attacks, but then enters a helpless state and falls to the ground.

Air dodging into the ground is known as wavelanding, which is the primary component of the wavedash.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Brawl, the air dodge has been revamped. It no longer halts the character's momentum and no longer permits the user to nudge the character by pressing the Control Stick. It simply grants brief invincibility along the character's current line of movement. Following the air dodge, characters are put in their neutral aerial state rather than the helpless state, and thus may attack, jump, or air dodge again following their initial air dodge.

The air dodge can also be used when a character is tumbling or reeling, and is often employed by players to enable action quicker than waiting out their knockback. Using the air dodge at this time does not reduce knockback, a rumour that was started when it was noticed that higher-level CPUs were doing it constantly.

Air dodge invincibility and lag in Brawl

The numbers before the / are the invincibility frames of the air dodge, and the number after the / is the total number of frames taken to perform the air dodge. For example, Meta Knight's air dodge takes 39 frames to perform, but he is only invincible between frames 3 and 29.

3-29 / 39

• Meta Knight

4-29 / 39

• Zero Suit Samus
• Diddy Kong
• Pit
• Squirtle
• Ivysaur
• Charizard
• Ike
• Snake
• King Dedede
• Lucario
• Wario
• R.O.B.
• Olimar

4-29 / 48

• Ice Climbers
• Ness
• Sonic
• Lucas

4-30 / 49

• Bowser

4-29 / 49

• Mario
• Donkey Kong
• Link
• Samus
• Kirby
• Fox
• Pikachu
• Mr. Game & Watch
• Luigi
• Zelda
• Sheik
• Falco
• Yoshi
• Ganondorf
• Wolf
• Toon Link
• Captain Falcon
• Jigglypuff

5-30 / 30

• Marth

4-19 / 49

• Peach

Using Air Dodge As A Recovery: Platform Climbing

A Platform Climb is the opposite of Wavedashing since you angle the control stick Up. Platform Climbing is useful when you get knocked off a stage that has multiple platforms such as Hyrule Temple. In order to Platform Climb, just hold the Control Stick Up Diagonally and Air Dodge. The Platform Climb has less lag time compared to your character's normal Recovery and it can't be negated since you're invincible except it doesn't go as far as your character's normal Recovery. The Platform Climb is most useful when at the peak of your second jump from a short falling distance off the side of the stage (usually 1.5 inches below the edge of the stage at most). The Platform Climb works when your character's second jump doesn't make it to the edge of the stage. Elevation is just like Platform Climbing except you don't angle the Control Stick at all. Elevation is trickier since you don't move at an angle and you're more likely to fall off the stage since Air Dodging doesn't allow you to Edge-hog and leaves you wide open to attacks during the Helpless phase. But you can move slightly during the Helpless phase. Players with strong Recoveries (including Side Special Moves) such as Falco (Falco Phantasm), Fox (Fox Illusion), Link (Spin Attack), Marth (Dolphin Slash), and Roy (Blazer), rarely need to use the Platform Climb or Elevation since their Recoveries are tougher to negate. Characters who have terrible Vertical or Horizontal Recoveries such as Yoshi should use this more often.

Trivia

When an opponent throws an item, if timed right, the air dodge will take the item.