Optimizing Sora's Combos and Kill Confirms in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Sora's Combo Game
• Low Percent Combos
• Mid Percent Combos and Follow-ups
• Kill Confirms
• Edge Guarding and Ledge Trapping
• Platform Combos and Drag Down Combos
• Conclusion

Introduction to Sora's Combo Game in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In this blog post, we delve into the intricate world of Sora's combos in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We'll explore optimal combo routes at various percentages, kill confirms, alternative routes, and valuable tips to help you master the key aspects of Sora's combo game.

Before we begin, it's important to note that we'll be utilizing the Training Mode Mod, which significantly enhances Ultimate's training mode. This mod allows the CPU to perform proper DI (Directional Influence) and SDI (Smash Directional Influence), as well as mash air dodge. While some of Sora's combos may not display correctly on the combo counter due to frame-tight interactions, we'll ignore the counter for this guide, as it can be unreliable.

Sora's combos often involve frame-tight timing, meaning that the opponent may be able to break out using frame-one escape options. However, not all of these options are practical in a real match. Although you should be cautious of these escape options, don't give up hope on comboing altogether. You can still call out these options and punish the opponent's air dodge lag.

The Training Mode Mod

The Training Mode Mod is a valuable tool that improves Ultimate's training mode significantly. It allows the CPU to perform proper DI and SDI, as well as mash air dodge. This mod is crucial for accurately replicating realistic scenarios and testing combos.

Frame-Tight Combos and DI

Many of Sora's combos are frame-tight, meaning that the opponent may be able to break out using frame-one escape options. However, not all of these options are practical in a real match. Although you should be cautious of these escape options, don't give up hope on comboing altogether. You can still call out these options and punish the opponent's air dodge lag.

Frame Traps and Air Dodge Trapping

Sora makes use of instant double jump (IDJ) a lot, which is where you instantly use your double jump after your regular jump. IDJ nair can be used as an extension to certain routes for more damage and can sometimes help with consistency. We'll go more in-depth with IDJ fair later in the post, but just know that it is effective for comboing. Instant double jump up air (IDJ up air) allows Sora to combo into in-air up special or forward air, depending on the opponent's height and percentage. They may be able to air dodge away; however, because they're still high up in the air, Sora can punish their air dodge lag. This is the concept of air dodge trapping, and you should always be prepared to trap an air dodge after an IDJ up air, in case you can't true combo into anything.

Instant Double Jump and Nair Looping

Technically, Sora can chain nair into itself repeatedly, looping the opponent. However, this guide will not cover these loops as of now, as they're a bit too unreliable to count on. Platforms, character weights, and rage can all mess up these loops. Links to resources about the Training Mode Mod, instant double jump, and nair loops are provided in the description, along with a list of frame-one escape options that you should be wary of.

Low Percent Combos for Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

At low percentages, your main goal when comboing is to start with nair, then follow up with up tilt, and finally, forward air or up air. Combo with nair by performing nair once and then fast-falling to the ground as close as possible. Try to hit the outer hitbox of nair one, as it has the most hitstun.

After the up tilt, a lot of Sora players like to end with up air. Before there, forward air is also possible. All of Sora's combo starters can lead into a nair combo up to a low percent.

With platforms, you can usually full-hop and air onto the platform and extend your combo that way. You can always add in another nair chain or two during these combos, but don't go overboard, as it can become harder to follow up on up tilt past that.

If you're ever not confident in landing up tilt or following up on it, you can just end your combos with forward air right away.

Mid Percent Combos and Follow-ups for Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As the percentage increases, Sora's combo starters start to change. Up tilt can't be followed up on, back air will stop linking, and grab, down tilt, and down throw will send the opponent into a tumble state. Instant double jump (IDJ) up air starts being really useful at this percent.

Under platforms, Sora's moves will start setting up tech chase situations. Double jump up air to up special will start killing from platform tech chases at these percentages. The trick to landing this confirmed kill so early is hitting a meaty up air on the second frame, as it still has a hitbox that can reach the opponent. Hitting this will give you enough frame advantage for up special to connect.

Starting from the down throw, this works from about 49% to 69%. Low percent combos will actually get the opponent right into this percent range. Back air, frame-one air dodges, and one-frame escape options seem to have a smaller percent window, but it should still be possible to land this confirm on them.

Keep in mind that the effectiveness of this confirm will differ depending on the ceiling height of the stage. This confirm can technically be set up from a reverse up air on the ground, but proper DI will make it much harder and more inconsistent. Kill setups off of it can also work as a callout when people are in the air too much above you, but it's pretty hard to land raw like this.

Kill Confirms for Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

While Sora will most likely be getting the majority of his kills through edge guarding or ledge trapping, he still has kill confirms that can help him take stocks.

Down throw will still combo into up smash at high percentages. DI in or DI away will avoid any follow-ups at the ledge. We can use this knowledge to our advantage by conditioning players to DI away, which will make forward throw's angle better for edge guarding.

Down throw to up smash is never normally a true kill confirm with DI in or DI away. If it does connect, it usually won't hit the sweet spot, so it won't kill. It works fine on no DI, but this isn't realistic in a real match. If we include a dash forward for a single frame, we can barely connect the sweet spot on DI. This is a frame-perfect maneuver and can be impossible on two-frame air dodges.

We do have a trick to make this confirm work better against the majority of characters. Pivot down tilt will make Sora slide back while he attacks, allowing the sweet spot of up smash to connect better on DI. This makes an excellent whiff punish option, as players will usually be holding DI away after moving towards you. The down tilt secures the up smash's connection.

Edge Guarding and Ledge Trapping with Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

You may remember this combo from earlier where we use forward air to drag down into jab or up special. On most characters, this is all we can really get from a forward air drag down. However, fast fallers are different. Fast fallers can be hit with a down tilt, which can lead into a lot of combos or another forward air. Instant double jump forward air makes this more consistent. Regular short-hop forward airs can work too, but they're less damaging and consistent, though they may be preferred in certain scenarios.

I will provide an update if anything consistent is discovered, but for now, forward air drag downs are only truly reliable on fast fallers. That being said, there is one instance where forward air drag downs can drag down non-fast fallers. This can happen when you combo onto a platform. Sora can get a lot of mix-up combos on triplats.

Platform Combos and Drag Down Combos for Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

With platforms, Sora can get a lot of mix-up combos and extend his combos further. By full-hopping and airing onto a platform, you can continue your combos. Platforms also allow for tech chase situations and drag down combos.

Forward air can drag down opponents, leading to potential follow-ups. On fast fallers, Sora can even hit a down tilt after a forward air drag down, which can lead to more combos or another forward air. Instant double jump forward air makes this more consistent.

While regular short-hop forward airs can work for drag downs, they're less damaging and consistent, but may be preferred in certain scenarios. Forward air drag downs are only truly reliable on fast fallers, but there is one instance where they can drag down non-fast fallers as well: when you combo onto a platform.

Conclusion

That concludes our comprehensive guide on Sora's combo game in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We've covered optimal combo routes at various percentages, kill confirms, alternative routes, and valuable tips to help you master Sora's combos.

It's important to note that while I've aimed to provide a comprehensive overview, I'm not an absolute master on Sora. He hasn't been out very long, and there may be some combo routes that I've missed or helpful tips that I've glossed over. Feel free to let me know if you're struggling with anything or if you find something important that I didn't talk about. I'll do my best to respond to any comments.

This video was a significant undertaking for someone who has never attempted to put together and edit an informational video like this before. It was a fun process, and I'll be making a lot more videos on Sora and Smash in general, so please subscribe if you'd like to see that content.

Mainly, I'll be producing informational content. Currently, I'm thinking about making videos that go more in-depth with counterplay, frame-one escape options, or specifics on the up air to up special kill confirm. Feel free to comment with topic suggestions for future videos.

FAQ

Q: What is the Training Mode Mod?
A: The Training Mode Mod improves Ultimate's training mode by allowing the CPU to DI, SDI, and mash air dodge properly.

Q: What are frame-tight combos?
A: Frame-tight combos are combos where Sora catches the first frame or two of the opponent's air dodge startup, but since they are still in hitstun, the combo counter does not recognize it as a true combo.

Q: What is instant double jump (IDJ)?
A: Instant double jump (IDJ) is where you instantly use your double jump after your regular jump. Sora makes use of IDJ a lot, especially with nair and up air.

Q: What are some low percent combo starters for Sora?
A: At low percents, Sora's main combo starters are nair, up tilt, and forward air.

Q: How does Sora's combo game change at mid percents?
A: As the opponent's percent increases, combo starters like up tilt and back air start to stop linking, and moves like down tilt and down throw will put the opponent in tumble. IDJ up air becomes more useful at these percents.

Q: What are some of Sora's kill confirms?
A: Sora has kill confirms like down throw into up smash (with proper spacing and pivoting), forward air drag downs into up air or up smash, and IDJ up air into up special at high percents.

Q: How can Sora edge guard and ledge trap effectively?
A: Sora can condition opponents to DI away from him by using down throws at high percents, which can help set up forward throws for better edge guarding. Down tilt can also be used as a whiff punish to catch DI in.

Q: How do platforms affect Sora's combos?
A: Platforms can allow Sora to extend combos by full hopping and airing onto the platform. Moves like up air can also set up tech chase situations under platforms.

Q: What are some helpful tips for improving Sora's combo game?
A: Practice fast falling close to the ground after nair, hitting the late hitboxes of up air for frame advantage, and spacing moves properly to connect sweet spots like up smash. Also, be aware of opponent DI and frame traps.

Q: What future topics might be covered in more videos?
A: Potential future video topics could include more in-depth analysis of counterplay, frame trap options, and specifics on the up air to up special kill confirm.