Dash-canceling
 | This article is in need of additional images. If you have a good image for this article, upload ithere. |
- Not to be confused withdash attack canceling.
Dash-canceling is a technique in theSuper Smash Bros. games that, hence the name, cancels a character'sdashing animation, which can allow them to perform other actions from it. There are several ways to do this.
Jumping[edit]
The simplest way to dash cancel is tojump. Characters who have good aerial attacks, as well as characters with fast air speed values generally benefit greatly from this. InSuper Smash Bros. Melee but not in otherSmash games, some of the momentum from the dash is carried into the character's jump, which can benefit characters with fast running speeds. It is also possible tojump cancel into a standing grab (Melee only) or an up special or up smash (although jump canceling is not necessary to perform an up smash inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. 4 andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, or an up special inUltimate).
Crouching
[edit]
Crouching is available inMelee during therun, which starts anywhere from frame 8 to frame 19, depending on the character. It is thus calledrun-canceling. Canceling with a crouch causes the character to slide a little bit, almost likewavedashing. From crouch, all attacks can be used immediately. Only movement, especially walking, dashing and platform-dropping, are not possible immediately. For these, waiting until the end of the crouch animation is necessary.
Shielding[edit]
Putting up ashield allows the character to do any defensive techniques involving the shield while the game considers one to be standing. This not only allows the character to do aroll orspot dodge, but also agrab without the normal lag of a dashing grab, in addition to jumping. Respectively, inSuper Smash Bros., ashield grab can also be used for dash-canceling when A and Z are pressed simultaneously while dashing.
Pivoting
[edit]
InSmash 64,Melee,Brawl andSSB4, when initiating a dash, quickly tapping the opposite direction before the initial animation ends causes the character topivot while sliding forward. In the former two games, the absence of thereverse aerial rush technique can make pivoting necessary in order for characters to approach withback aerials, for example. Another use is to perform grounded attacks other than dash attacks, dash grabs (standing grabs inSmash 64 because dash grabs do not exist in that game), up smashes and special moves easily, especially ones that are useful approaching/combo tools or whose hitboxes begin from the back. Yet another use is as a general movement option for spacing. This technique does not exist inUltimate.
Smash attacks[edit]
Up smash[edit]
The small delay provided by an initial jump makes it possible to execute anup smash while running. The result is the character sliding a little while performing their up smash. This is usually a good alternative to using the character'sdash attack, which sometimes have more lag than the up smash depending on the character used. Because smash attacks can be charged fromMelee onward, this allows for execution of theslide smash technique. A dash-canceled up smash is made much easier inBrawl,SSB4 andUltimate as because C-stick inputs are read as Tap+A inputs, it is possible to simply flick the C-stick up at any point in the run (including the initial dash) to an up smash.
Down smash
[edit]
InMelee, within the first few frames of a crouch, it is possible to press the attack button to interrupt and perform adown smash, which allows the player to slide while using the down smash if a dash is used first. This is still considered hyphen smashing as the character will slide for a short distance if charged. Down smashes are also useful approach tactics when used in this manner because they tend to sweep the ground. Unlike using the up smash though, the down smash will not causeall of the characters to slide, as some down smashes negate momentum likeLinks. This technique is not available inSmash 64 andBrawl, because it is not possible to cancel the dash with a crouch in these games. While dashes cannot be canceled into crouches inUltimate, canceling a full run into any attack is a built-in mechanic, meaning that down smashing immediately out of a run is possible, but not out of an initial dash.
While it is not possible to slide with a down smash or a forward smash while dashing inSmash 64,Brawl orSSB4, some characters can slide while using their forward or down smashes by doing them whilewalking at their top speed, with an example being theIce Climbers. This is due to those characters having low traction.
Forward smash[edit]
It is possible to cancel a dash with aforward smash in all Smash games through the use of thesmall step forward smash mechanic, which allows a 3 frame window to cancel the dash into a forward smash in the same direction as the dash, and a 1 frame window to forward smash in the opposite direction.
InUltimate, the run-canceling mechanic allows forward smashes to be performed out of a full run by any character.
Special moves[edit]
The player can exit an initial dash using their side or upspecial moves (provided the latter is also jump canceled, though that is not necessary inUltimate) and exit a full run with any special move, which is very useful for approaching.Approaching attack special moves, as well as certain disjointed or projectile special moves, can often be useful if done out of a dash or run. Many special attacks also have goodstunning ability, which allows follow-up into other attacks.
InUltimate[edit]
A universalbuff inUltimate is the ability to cancel a full run into virtually any move, as opposed to only up smash, special moves, dash attack, dash grab, pivot grab, jump, shield, roll or spot dodging. This benefits characters with fast running speeds, characters with fast grounded attacks and characters with disjointed grounded attacks the most. It also benefits certain characters with down tilts that slide them forward along the ground, enabling those characters to use their down tilts as effective alternatives to their dash attacks as approaching attacks. Characters can also perform virtually any attack out of a run turnaround as well, including up smashes without needing to jump first; additionally, the ability to perform any move out of a run turnaround enables characters to slide forward while performing a tilt attack or forward smash in the direction they were running in.
