Wavedash
A wavedash is an advanced SSBM technique that causes a character to slide along the ground without walking or running. Wavedashing is used heavily by Luigi and the Ice Climbers for primary movement, while nearly every other character makes extensive use of the technique for positioning and maneuvering.
Technical details
Wavedashing describes a sliding motion that occurs by jumping and then immediately air dodging at a sharp angle into the ground. The length a character slides in his wavedash is determined by a number of factors: by the angle at which he air dodged (low angles yield long wavedashes), how close to ground he was before air dodging (the closer the character, the longer the wavedash), and the character's traction. Low traction yields long wavedashes and high traction yields short wavedashes; thus, characters like Luigi, Ice Climbers, and Marth have long wavedashes, while Peach and Zelda have short, less effective wavedashes.
Additionally, there are surfaces on which characters can wavedash great lengths - the classic examples are the UFO on Fourside and the oil slick on Flat Zone.
Performing the technique
Traditionally, wavedashing is the technique to know for newer players, as a mastery of wavedashing reflects both a nimbleness of fingers and a knowledge of high-level play. It is performed by pressing X or Y to jump (or up on the control stick, which can be difficult), followed immediately by L or R, and diagonally down on the control stick, to perform the air dodge. Ideally, the wavedashing character should slide without ever appearing to leave the ground.
Because wavedashing can be difficult to master, some players train themselves by wavedashing directly from a crouching position, which provides them the opportunity to wavedash only by pressing the two buttons (jump and air dodge) instead of timing a control stick movement as well. This method of wavedashing, however, is slow and not optimal for battle.
The speed of a character's jump also impacts the timing of his wavedash - the amount of time between the jump and the air dodge is greater for characters with slow jumps (like Bowser and Link) and smaller for characters with fast jumps (like Fox and Pikachu).
Advantages of wavedashing
While a character is sliding from a wavedash, he is considered by the game to be in a state of standing - thus, he can perform any ground attacks that could normally be performed from a standing position, such as smashes, standing grabs and jabs. He also retains all of his standing defensive maneuvers such as sidestepping and shielding. Wavedashing allows a character to move while still having available his ground options, a moving versatility dashing can't match.
Another advantage lies in the ability to wavedash backwards while facing forwards, which allows characters to perform standing attacks while moving in varied ways.
Disadvantages of wavedashing
Though characters have an advantage of versatility when wavedashing, the technique itself requires considerable startup. During the period during which a character is jumping and air dodging, he is vulnerable (and not moving), and for a short period afterwards he is unable to attack (while he is "landing" from the wavedash). Because of this lag, it is unwieldy for a character to wavedash in close quarters where quick attacks endanger him.
Strategies
Movement
For some characters, wavedashing is a better form of movement than dashing. This is especially true for characters of low traction and a slow dash, such as Luigi, Ice Climbers and Mewtwo. These characters are special in that almost all their movement is best done via wavedashing. Wavedashing is a quick way to move but is also instrumental in their combos and their defense. Characters with poor rolls or sidesteps, such as Samus and Mr. Game & Watch, rely on wavedashing to extricate themselves from difficult situations.
Additionally, the concept of air dodging into the ground provides a useful segue from a character's air game to his ground game. This is especially important for Luigi, whose slow, floaty air game and his zippy ground game could otherwise never be at greater odds. A good Luigi player will often follow a short hop aerial with a "waveland" to reposition, giving Luigi a chance to surprise his opponent with a sudden attack or retreat. This technique can only be done by a few characters with a few attacks (other notable examples are Marth's short hop forward aerial and Dr. Mario's short hop back aerial), but is vital in continuing combos and pressuring the enemy.
Wavesmashing
Wavesmashing is an example of the offensive advantages of wavedashing. Since characters can attack during the slide, a typical offensive movement would be to wavedash forward while smashing, minimizing the startup time of the smash (which would be considerable if a character tried to smash after dashing) and potentially finishing the opponent. Wavesmashing is particularly useful for a character like Luigi whose dash attack is very poor but whose smashes (in Luigi's case, down smash, which is an excellent launcher and killer) are effective.
Although such terms as "wavetilting" and "wavegrabbing" are never used, they fall under the same blanket concept of wavesmashing: that a character has many options available while wavedashing.
Waveshielding
When you first learn to WD, you will likely end the dash with the shield up, due to holding the trigger for too long. You will probably want to try and work past this so that it doesn't happen all the time. However, waveshielding will allow you to advance on characters without inhibitions or threat. Moving with the shield up can be dead useful in approaching, and the fact that you can wavedash out of a shield adds some extra goodness as well. Along with shielding during a wavedash also come rolling and spot-dodging, both with their advantages. Wavedashing into spot-dodges can be great to avoid projectiles without sacrificing movement in certain instances. Waveshielding also allows shield-grabs from your wavedashes, too, so you can have some fun with that, as well.
Edge-hogging
If you are hanging onto the edge of the stage, no other character can grab onto it. So if a recovering opponent has used all 3 jumps and is hoping to grab the edge and you're already there...they're screwed. If you wavedash backwards off the edge of the stage, you will automatically hang from the edge. Once you can wavedash consistently, this is a touch safer than jumping or SHing backwards off the edge. If you roll from the edge after edge-hogging, you gain a few frames of invincibility, and the ledge is still considered occupied, so this can help evade certain up+b attacks while still causing them to miss the ledge.
Mind games
This is the main aspect of wavedashing. The speed and mobility that wavedashing allows along with the freedom to do anything grants you the ability to have excellent mind games that utilize wavedashing... However, this is not something that can really be taught. Once you can wavedash consistently, you'll start noticing places where you can use it and as your mind games improve, you should be able to come up with some pretty neat stuff using wavedashing. You can check out pro videos such as ones of Yagi's Luigi for ideas, but I can't guarantee you'll actually see the mind games. Mind games are more in the fight, in the head of the player... Whether in high-level or just regular play without advanced tactics, you still want your opponent to be tricked into a position where you can attack them. Dash forward, and your opponent is probably going to attack, right? you get hit. Dash forward, wavedash back... your opponent attacked before you wavedashed back and now suffers from the lag of their failed attack. So you punish. That's a really simple and generic example, but it gets the point accross. Mind games... Simply put, mind games are the game.
Here's some more assorted information about wavedashing's uses... You can wavedash straight from the ledge by dropping and immediately jumping and airdodging onto the stage. This can get you back onto the stage quickly to meet an approaching opponent. Wavedashing also cancels the things that jumping cancels... For instance, since you can jump out of a shield, you can wavedash out of a shield. This also allows for waveshines, or wavedashing out of the shine, a vital part of various infinites with Fox, whether the waveshine is forward to follow the opponent or downward, just to cut off the shine without leaving you in the air. Stages with platforms also open up some new opportunities with waveadshing, since you can jump up through a platform and then airdodge so you wavedash accross it. This allows for some versatility on stages like Battlefield.
For the most part, though, you'll find use for wavedashing on your own. These things are just outlines of some more general uses. The ways you can use it vary with each character, but pretty much the entire cast can benefit from it regardless of whether their wavedash is as long as Luigi's or as short as Peach's. The best wavedasher in the game is arguable Samus', simply because she can put it to great use. Quite like with penises, the longer isn't always the better. It's more of how you can use it.
With some practice, wavedashing becomes second nature. Most who do it get to the point where they can accomplish it 100% of the time with no problem. Wavedashing is not always necessary to your game, as there are some pros that don't wavedash, however it is very useful. It is also not a glitch, or in any way cheap. It is merely an aspect of the physics in the game, and is referred to in the actual game as the "super dash technique". It's the most versatile of the advanced techniques and can help ANY character's game. It's not necessary, but it sure as hell isn't useless. It's moving while standing still! So experiment with it. I'm sure you'll find some nice ways for it to improve your game.
Credits
FAQ by Tobias Xelkythe and XiF, all rights reserved. [1]
