Aerial attack
An aerial attack is any attack that is performed in midair that is not a special move. Their official terms vary between titles; they are known as midair attacks in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and air attacks in Brawl and Smash 4. Aerial attacks play an especially large role in competitive play because they can be L-canceled and can be performed after a short hop, greatly reducing their lag and start-up time compared to ground attacks. Making use of aerial momentum is a crucial part of making most aerial attacks good spacing tools. Most aerial attacks deal moderate damage (9%-14%).
The types of aerial attacks are listed below, with a list of their typical uses:
- Neutral aerial: Usually fast, weak moves that are good for out of shields or negating attacks; some are sex kicks that deal less damage as time passes.
- Forward aerial: Tend to have large hitboxes, making them good for edgeguarding and combos; several throughout the game are notorious for being terrific general combat tools, such as Marth's in Melee and Sheik's in Smash 4. Some are even meteor smashes like mario's or donkey kong's foward aerials
- Back aerial: Often the fighter's strongest aerial, compensated with a small hitbox or long startup lag. Some combine speed and power to make them a fighter's most reliable aerial KO move, such as those of Zero Suit Samus and Mario in Smash 4.
- Up aerial: Many are useful juggling tools with good chainability and a wide range, being a big part of many fighter's aerial combos.
- Down aerial: Almost always an attack with drill, stall then fall, or meteor smash capabilities, making them capable tools for landing or offstage edgeguarding.
Gliding characters also possess a glide attack, which is used when attacking out of gliding.
Also, characters with a tether recovery or a wall-grapple usually possess an extra aerial attack, which is used by pressing the grab button.
| Attacks in the Super Smash Bros. series | |
|---|---|
| Standard ground attacks | Neutral attack · Dash attack |
| Tilt attacks | Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Crouching attack |
| Smash attacks | Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash |
| Aerial attacks | Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial · Grab aerial · Glide attack |
| Throws | Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw |
| Get-up attacks | Floor attack · Edge attack |
| Special moves | Neutral special move · Side special move · Up special move · Down special move · Command-input move · Final Smash |
