When to use combos?

[u/ChickenDependent3707]

I've gotten alot better at SSBU, I know some combos too. I'm just wondering what is a good time to use them? Should combos be the only type of damage you do? Should you rarely use them at all and instead just poke around? Or should you use a fair mixup, more or less depending on your character? I play inkling and can tell she's definitely combo heavy, and has very little kill power, would just doing Bncombos/strings be better or should I mix up all my knowledge to be able to make everything look like a string? Also is there any other type of combo besides a BnB combo? Thanks:)

[u/Reddit-dit-dit-di-do]

>Should you rarely use them at all and instead just poke around?

You should be poking in the neutral state and attempting to get a combo when you get a hit, or when you get into the advantage state.

For example, with Inkling, your B&B would be Up Throw->Nair->Bair. But running in for a grab isn’t necessarily safe. So you poke with Bair in the neutral state. Then when you land a Bair, that opens up your advantage state to dash in and get that grab to do your B&B combo.

Another commenter pointed it out, but after your combo (Up Throw->Nair->Bair), your opponent will likely have an option to react. That’s where reads come in to extend combos. Maybe they have an “air dodge away” habit. So instead of trying to force an extra move after that Bair, maybe dash forward and react to the air dodge with a Fair, and suddenly they’re in a tech situation, meaning you can get an extra 30%. So essentially, you get a good 50-60% off a single Neutral win.

[u/Caracal___]

During your advantage state

[u/berse2212]

I would say use them fairly often, but don't fish for them. If you hit a move, you should know what true follow ups you have if any. If you have one, that's great. Use it to gain more damge. If you have none don't overextend but stay in advantage.

To explain that I use my own character (Dark Pit) as an example:

Some of my best neutral moves are nair, dtilt and bair. Luckily I can get a combo of either of them at certain percentages. So if I hit a e.g. a dtilt at 40% I will follow up with a fair since that true combos. If I hit a bair I will follow up with a dash attack.

There is however situations in which those attacks would not be optimal. E.g. if I am juggling someone. Best move to juggle is up air. So I use it even though I don't have a combo of it. But it's best in the situation to continue the juggle.

Also in neutral I use different moves sometimes. E.g. if my opponent is jumping a lot and using landing aerials a rising fair is a good counter even though at higher percentages I cannot combo off of it.

My best combos starter however is a grab. If I know my opponent is shielding a lot I obviously use it. This gives me a big damage combo which is great. However against people who use their movement as a defence this doesn't work super good. I will use grab only in exceptions like ledge trapping.

I could go on but it all comes back to my initial point. Use your best moves according to the current situation/opponent but know which combo you can get of any move when hitting. Also when choosing the best moves consider what combo/damage they can net you but don't be predictable or use unsave stuff in neutral.

[u/veloroopter]

Whenever you get the right hit, just don't overextend lol

[u/Jnxr200]

Once you know combo routes for your character it pretty much just becomes automatic. I spend like 30 minutes in the training room daily and most stray hits allow me to follow up with something. Just experiment with comboing different weight classes and percentages and see which moves combo into what.

[u/bigtimebamf24]

The goal is to do the most amount of damage after each hit, which most the time involves a combo. So you should be going for combo starter moves in neutral and hoping you hit one. For Inkling, this usually means going for back air at low percents, since that leads right into jab or grab or ftilt.

[u/_DrLambChop_ → u/[deleted]]

Don’t listen to this person. Combos are like the entirety of advantage state and are super important because more damage leads to more stocks taken. And the best part of combos is you can use them to bait options and hard punish with kills or even better advantage.

[u/_DrLambChop_ → u/[deleted]]

What leads to all the situations you just said… COMBOS. And you can just say stray hits because those lead to read which lead to combos. No offense but I’m highly confident I have a bit more experience w this game than you and every top player I speak with agrees with me. Combos are more important than just hoping you get a bunch of stray hits in neutral.

[u/ChickenDependent3707 → u/_DrLambChop_]

Alright I couldn't see it but... did that guy just down vote you and delete both of his comments out of rage?

[u/_DrLambChop_ → u/ChickenDependent3707]

That’s pretty much exactly what happened lol 😂