Edge Guarding With Bananas
By AlphaZealot | Published: July 9, 2008 7:46pm EST
 One of the simplest uses of bananas is for edge guarding. Here, bananas can serve many functions. Function 1: Throwing, by pressing Down-B, two bananas with your back to the edge can disrupt the opponent recovery. This will cause two bananas to move slowly through the air and will create a temporary barrier that the opponent must pass before getting to the edge. Consider influencing the trajectory by jumping or by performing the Smash Down-B instead of the regular Down-B. Function 2: Throwing bananas that are already in your hand can work similar to function 1, but with a different trajectory. Bananas in this case have much more range but not as much arc. Consider using the peanut gun prior to throwing a banana or two at a recovering opponent. Bananas can also be thrown directly downward against a recovering opponent, just jump off the stage while holding a banana and press down on the C-stick (another option is Z-dropping the banana). A great example here is against Pit. Once Pit activates his Up-B, any hit will make him lose his wings and fall, bananas therefore offer a virtuously risk free way of hitting Pit while he is below the stage. Throwing bananas downward toward the edge can likewise force players to leave their edge hog position, this can also be done by throwing a banana from a distance toward the edge. Function 3: Place one or both bananas right next to the edge. An opponent who tries to roll or perform a get up attack from the edge will immediately trip and can be easily punished. An experienced opponent will know this and choose one of three other options -Option 1: If the opponent jumps immediately then be prepare to meet them in the air with an attack. The D-Air works great here because you can send them back down into the bananas. -Option 2: If the opponent drops down and then jumps into an attack, they may pick up a banana. This is why is may be beneficial to have two bananas lying by the edge. With this setup, you can punish them with a dash attack upon landing, or they may misjudge their spacing and trip. Using a D-Air or another air attack, like with option 1, could also work, but is more risky because there is a high chance your air attack will simply cancel with the opponents and you will both receive damage. The benefit here though, if you choose an attack like the F-Air, is that they will be sent back off the stage. -Option 3: If the opponent edge stalls or attempts to use a projectile attack (ROB or Pit), then attempt to frustrate them by using the methods described in function 2. They may also be susceptible to Diddy’s D-Air or Up-B attacks, but consider these risky. If it turns into a projectile war between an opponent off the edge and Diddy, then Diddy will have the advantage if you remain patient. Remember, keeping a safe position is usually a better decision then making a risky move that could lead to a suicide or the opponent regaining his ground. |
