Inkling
How to play
Coat your targets in paint by using the ranged attacks from Splattershot and Splat Bomb. Once fully coated, simply use your Splat Roller to close the distance and deliver a final blow with your side smash.
Good for
Inkling’s kit is ridiculously strong. She can effectively cover a wide variety of ranges and can apply a lot of pressure with both her ranged abilities. Meanwhile, the damage multiplier from Ink Attack makes her smash attack even more potent when targets are covered in paint.
Weak at
The majority of Inkling’s attacks use up her precious ink supply. If Inkling's ink levels are low, many of her moves either deal less damage, while other attacks have no effect at all. To make matters worse, refilling Inkling’s ink supply can leave her open to enemy attacks and combos.
Ridley
How to play
Smash your opponent into the ground and send them screaming off the stage with Space Pirate Rush, then use Ridley’s Plasma Breath to force an early recovery. Try to incapacitate your opponent with Skewer as this will give you time to deliver a swift smash attack during their downtime.
Good for
Ridley’s overall size and weight give his attacks a lot of range and knockback. The giant hitbox from Plasma Breath also allows Ridley to effectively force enemy shields, while Space Pirate Rush serves as an excellent gap closer. Ridley even has a triple jump that he can use to perform deadly aerial KOs.
Weak at
Despite having wings, Ridley’s overall recovery is pretty poor. His Wing Blitz offers very little aerial manoeuvrability, while his weight and fast falling speed only add to his woes.
Simon / Richter
How to play
Perform long range smash attacks with Simon’s holy whip, Vampire Killer. Keep your distance and utilise the whip’s superior range to bully your opponent. Try land a ranged side smash to launch foes offstage and begin using your Axe and Cross to safely edgeguard.
Good for
Simon excels at ranged combat and can force his enemy into taking drastic defensive manoeuvres that can be punished with shield-breaking smash attacks and upward throws.
Weak at
Castlevania’s Vampire Hunter has one of the worst air accelerations in the game which can make off stage recoveries fairly difficult. Simon’s range is also compensated by his whip having a very narrow hitbox and a long windup animation.
King K. Rool
How to play
King K. Rool delivers slow but deadly attacks that force his prey into submission. Punish enemy attacks with Gut Check and begin using your side tilts to smack the daylights out of your foe. Try combo your side smash with your down throw to deliver a decisive KO.
Good for
King K. Rool is a highly versatile fighter. His long-distance special moves like the Blunderbuss, and counter moves like Stomach Attack, make him effective in brawls and long-range engages.
Weak at
King K. Rool’s is on the larger side of Smash Ultimate’s roster and while his golden belly may offer a lot of protection, it does make him a glutton for punishment. Avoiding projectiles isn’t really an option for this scaly villain.
Isabelle
How to play
Use Isabelle’s Fishing Rod to sweep your opponents off their feet and send them flying off the stage, or headfirst into a LIoid trap. Keep your distance and let your opponent come to you.
Good for
Isabelle’s abilities allow her to play mind games with her opponents. Her Fishing Rod can bait folks into unwinnable situations that give her an edge in most fights.
Weak at
Isabelle’s Fishing Rod makes up a large part of her KO and combo potential. However, this ability can be nullified by simply blocking. It also has a lot of windup and downtime lag, making it very easy to punish.
Incineroar
How to play
Incineroar’s moves come from professional wrestling, with many being tailored around powerful throws and punches. Focus on grabbing your opponent and toss them into the ground before following up with your side tilts and side smashes.
Good for
This furious feline is great at chaining combos together and can effectively KO opponents without breaking a sweat. If you’re looking for a character that packs a mean punch, then Incineroar is the character for you.
Weak at
Incineroar is hampered by his incredibly slow speed and aerial mobility. As a result, trading with the game’s faster characters can be incredibly difficult.
Piranha Plant
How to play
Piranha Plant’s moves are fantastic at zoning opponents and racking up large amounts of damage. Use the fully charged Poison Breath to bombard your foes with a deadly plume of noxious gas before following up with a deadly side smash. When your foe has been launched offstage, be ready to use Ptooie to instantly stop their recovery.
Good for
This devilish plant is great at area denial and can force aggressive fighters to play more defensively, making it incredibly easy to grapple and combo opponents. Piranha Plant also has fantastic recovery thanks to Piranhacopter’s large flight distance, giving you plenty of opportunities to spike your enemy before safely getting back on stage.
Weak at
Piranha Plant’s bulky nature may be great when you want to play a fighter that can take a hit or two, but it can prove problematic when trying to hit Smash Ultimate’s more mobile characters. Just like most heavyweight fighters, Piranha Plant suffers from slow dashing, lacklustre aerial acceleration, and incredibly fast falling speeds.
Joker
How to play
Joker delivers blisteringly fast attacks that allow players to rush down their opponents, pummelling them with a combination of grabs and aerial combos. In the early stages of the fight, focus on using Rebel’s Guard to rack up Rebellion Gauge charge as this will allow you to unleash Arsene much quicker. Once Arsene is active, you’ll want to go on the offensive and constantly bully your opponent with your empowered neutrals and side smash attacks.
Good for
The Phantom Thief excels at grabs and can juggle foes with well-timed up airs. Joker can also constantly keep his enemies on their toes by zoning them with ranged attacks from Gun and Eiha/Eigaon. If you’re after a fighter that has decent range, excellent combos and fantastic KO potential, then consider adding this terrifying trickster to your collection.
Weak at
Joker may be incredibly strong when he has access to Arsene, but without his Persona sidekick the trickster’s kit is rather lacking – in fact, Joker’s range and overall damage in his normal state makes it's incredibly difficult to rack up the damage needed to KO foes.
Hero
How to play
Barrage your enemy with Hero’s empowered ranged spells and deliver devastating hits with your fully charged physical attacks. Your win condition is largely based around keeping your MP gauge filled at all times during the fight, so be sure to weave in neutrals, aerials, and smash attacks to build the metre up as fast as possible. Be on the lookout for opportunities to use Command Selection’s powerful abilities, as these spells can often give you the power needed to swing a fight in your favour.
Good for
Hero’s well-rounded kit allows him to pummel opponents in close quarter brawls and ranged engages, making him a decent pick in most scenarios. Command Selection’s random nature can also yield some interesting KO opportunities, adding an interesting twist to each match.
Weak at
Hero may be one of the strongest DLC characters in Smash Ultimate, but he does suffer from a poor aerial game due to his slow air acceleration. As a result, juggling enemies and spiking them can be a little on the tricky side. Landing Hero’s fully charged side special also requires a bit of setup, as the lengthy animation often leaves him open to enemy counterattacks, especially when playing against speedier foes.
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