Editing Ike (SSB4)

Ike's good [[approach]] is a noticeable divergence from the heavyweight archetype, though it is a trait shared with his fellow heavyweight swordsmen {{SSB4|Shulk}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}. His sword, {{s|fireemblemwiki|Ragnell}}, grants him a very long and disjointed range that is surpassed only by Shulk's Monado and Cloud's Buster Sword. Neutral, forward and back aerials are good approach options: in addition to their ability to [[Auto-canceling|auto-cancel]] with a [[short hop]], the former has low landing lag, whereas the latter two are safe on shield thanks to their high [[shieldstun]]. Forward aerial, in particular, boasts a good damage output, high knockback growth, and large range in front of Ike. Aside from being his most reliable approach option because of these traits, it also makes him a surprisingly difficult character to [[Punishment|punish]] when it is used properly. In addition, his aerials' speed and ranges make him capable at [[Pressure|pressuring]] opponents.

Ike's [[combo]] game consists of numerous moves that are able to flow consistently with each other up to medium percentages. His down tilt, [[Short hop fast fall L-cancel#Short hop fast fall|SHFF]]'d neutral aerial, up throw and down throw all launch opponents at favorable angles, allowing him to follow up with his aerials and thus perform short, yet impressively damaging combos. Up throw is particularly notable, as its low knockback growth enables it to combo into forward or up aerials even at high percentages, which provides Ike with a few invaluable KO set-ups. Although not as consistent as his aforementioned moves, up tilt, forward aerial and back throw also have combo potential: up tilt is a useful anti-air attack that can also be used for [[juggle]]s; forward aerial can combo into itself up to three times at medium percentages when auto-canceled; and back throw can [[Tech-chasing|tech-chase]] into dash attack at low to medium percentages.

All of Ike's smash attacks are among the strongest of their respective kinds; his clean tipped forward smash, in particular, is notably the seventh strongest forward smash in the game. Forward and up smashes both have long ranges, which also grants them utility against both grounded and aerial opponents. Up smash, in particular, covers a wide, overhead arc around Ike; when coupled with its long duration, it is a deadly option while at the edge and for punishing [[roll]]s. Although Ike's smash attacks suffer from extreme amounts of start-up and ending lag, he is not reliant on them to KO.

However, Ike has a number of flaws. His size, weight and falling speed leave him vulnerable to combos and rushdown-oriented characters, which is further compounded by his lack of options to quickly and reliably break out of them. As he is a melee-oriented character, Ike lacks a projectile, putting him at a disadvantage against [[camp]]ing tactics. Ike's weak [[out of shield]] potential further compounds his susceptibility to pressure: his below-average grab range and very low [[traction]] hinder his otherwise great grab game, while he lacks options to immediately retaliate because the overwhelming majority of his grounded moves have moderate start-up lag. By extension, the lag issues within Ike's moveset hinder his overall approach: it renders his grounded approach as comparatively poor and overall predictable, whereas his aerial approach requires proper spacing and timing in order to be effective.

Ike's recovery is also problematic. [[Aether]] and [[Quick Draw]] are highly predictable because they function strictly as vertical and strictly horizontal recovery options, respectively. In addition to rendering Ike susceptible to [[semi-spike]]s, both of these moves are further compounded by specific faults. Quick Draw must be charged in order to cover more distance, and unless it hits an opponent, it renders Ike [[helpless]] and thus cannot be used in tandem with Aether. In comparison, Aether's horizontal distance is almost nonexistent even with directional input, which can lead to an invariable [[self-destruct]] if it is used too far from the edge.

Ike gains some benefits from his [[Character customization|custom moves]]. Both Tempest and Furious Eruption improve his already good edge-guarding potential, yet possess noticeable traits. Tempest charges faster and, like [[Cape]], stalls Ike's descent when used in the air and can [[gimp]] recoveries. In comparison, Furious Eruption is noticeably stronger than Eruption, has more vertical range and launches opponents vertically, which makes it a very potent KOing option on stages with low ceilings. Close Combat grants transcendent priority during its dash, which allows it to ignore projectiles and shields, making it even better for recovering.

Aether Drive functions as a diagonal recovery option unlike Aether and Quick Draw, but covers less vertical distance. Aether Wave is executed faster, making it harder to gimp. It is also an excellent edge-guarding option, as it slings an energy wave upon landing. However, it covers slightly less vertical distance, has little trapping potential, and cannot meteor smash. Paralyzing Counter functions almost identically to [[Disable]]: it allows Ike to [[stun]] the opponent instead of counterattacking, but deals minuscule damage as a trade-off. Lastly, Smash Counter functions oppositely: its much higher damage multiplier enables it to [[one-hit KO]] many strong moves, although its lag is significant enough that many moves with low ending lag will allow the opponent to block the counterattack.