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
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
4-30 / 49
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
4-19 / 49
Trivia
When an opponent throws an item, if timed right, the air dodge will take the item.
