Marth (SSBB)/Forward aerial

Hitbox visualization showing Marth's forward aerial.

Overview[edit]

Marth does a forward vertical slash from top to bottom with his sword, doing 10% damage on the base of the sword and 13% with the tip. Known officially as Flag Cut and nicknamed the Fly Swatter by the community, the move has a lot of positive traits that empower Marth in the neutral game and push him up Brawl's tier list; although it doesn't have much knockback if it hits on the hilt or the sides of the blade, it has KO potential at around 150% when tippered, and can KO earlier when used near the edge of the stage. It hits with an arc which covers his entire front body from frames 4 to 7, making it an extremely useful move for spacing, edgeguarding, and approaching in the air, due to its very quick startup and a disjointed hitbox that gives it long range, and, when used properly with reads on a recovering opponent, can create a wall that is difficult for most fighters to get through without being damaged. With its disjoints, even against longer ranged moves which greatly extend their hitbox, like King Dedede's back aerial, it is possible to space away from the move and still hit the opponent without risk of getting hit by taking advantage of the opponent's extended hurtbox. At low percents, due to its low end lag and good damage, it is an excellent combo starter and is commonly used multiple times in a row to rack up damage, or it can be combined with other aerial attacks; however, its ability to lead to a Ken Combo has been nerfed, oftentimes requiring the opponent to DI or drift towards Marth for his down aerial to land.

With its range, speed and low amount of end lag, it can be a great tool to offensively pressure the opponent when spaced correctly. The move only has 9 frames landing lag, making it very difficult to whiff-punish. The move also has a frame advantage on shield of -4/-8 (when not tippered & tippered respectively), both in the case of hitting a shield exactly one frame before landing. If Marth lands the sourspot, he can shield any Out of Shield punish (except for Mario's Super Jump Punch) and if the opponent tries to grab him, he can either Dolphin Slash or spot dodge through the grab, making it perfectly safe. The tipper is theoretically punishable; however, the opponent is pushed too far away to punish Marth in the majority of cases, especially when spaced properly, making the tipper even safer on shield.

Considered Marth's best aerial and arguably the best forward aerial in the game, the move's only noticeable flaw is its low amount of active frames, making it require precise timing to consistently space with it. In addition, it provides very little protection close to his body, making him susceptible to fighters who can navigate around the large forward-facing hitboxes.