Conquer Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with these tips on Pyra, Mythra, and the rest of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2

 A character guide to Nintendo's most successful fighting game, learn how to play each one!

For a few weeks, the already very complete Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a new duo of guests in its roster of characters: Pyra and Mythra . They are the most recent members of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 , which will definitively close the list of fighters in the game with six different contributions: we already know most of them, but by the time you read this there will still be two more to be announced . There are many theories about their identities, but knowing that all of them have already been decided and that Master Masahiro Sakurai is used to surprising us with each announcement, the best we can do is limit ourselves to enjoying what we have.

That is why at 3DJuegos we have prepared a small guide that should help you understand how all the characters of the second pass should be played, with hints and nuances that you may have overlooked during your games and that could be the key to having greatest success in the game. You may already know that the Smash Bros. competitive scene is a very technical environment where everyone is fluent in the frames of each animation or the damage box, and a neutral air strike is summed up as "Nair." If you are not familiar with the subject, do not hesitate to do it (it is a difficult world to master, be careful) although here we do not aim at such a high level: if you already know the basics and want to improve, you are in the right place.

Min Min, from ARMS

A very… flexible character. Bad joke, I know, but I'm talking about a figurative sense: you probably already have in mind that Min Min is played at long distances (it's completely true) but maybe you don't take into account that some of his best combos start from the ground and almost face to face. Try closing space by sliding with down + A, and then pick up the opponent with up + A, jump and hit him again with the air neutral. Simple, predictable, and easy to predict; But if it works, it will allow you to do what this fighter does best: keep enemies at bay in midair. And that's where the whole thing about the extendable arms that gives Min Min shape and meaning comes into play .

What does each one work for? Well, respectively, the Chakram is perfect for canceling jumps (which comes in handy against opponents who jump a lot, like Jigglypuff or Mewtwo); the dragon has the longest range and the Megawatt is a finisher . The trick is that you can smash attacks with not just A's quick shake, but B's as well - even in midair! In addition, both types of attacks have a particularity, and that is that you can press the button lightly to attack at close range, or keep it pressed to stretch your arms. There is much to practice there, but it is possible to express its qualities even more.

Good Min Min players tend to constantly switch arms to suit their needs - it takes no time to do so and does not lose an iota of mobility. It is possible to move and jump while the arms are stretched or the complementary arm is changed, as well as change the direction of the fist up and down, and even harass opponents at a greater distance with the dragon laser . In short, this is all you should practice with this fighter, if you still do not master her very well.

• The starting combo: down + A, up + A, jump, air neutral.
• Familiarize yourself with the distance, speed and flexibility of the three changeable arms.
• The Chakram has a lot of verticality: it cuts jumps or prevents them from grabbing the edges, cancels everything!
• Press lightly to attack at close range, hold to extend.
• Move as the arms are sent, pulling away from the opponent.
• Min Min is a character of commitment: when sending arms or smashes, she is exposed.

Steve and Alex from Minecraft

I have another bad joke up my sleeve, and that is that if Min Min is designed to be flexible, Steve and company are creative characters . Don't go yet: it has an explanation. On his own, this fighter features downright simple repeatable swords and ax slashes that get stronger as you get materials and upgrade the weapon on duty. In theory, doing combos like Steve is a breeze: just chase down the opponent while pressing A. The reality, however, is that there are countless possible variants for every situation, and you'll have to combine these standardized moves with downward air to break through. shields.

You can "catch" enemies within a combo with the normal down, the downward or aerial down followed by two neutral swords or even the upward normal. You can chase the opponent, for example, by placing blocks in the air to get more jumps as it suits you, and this is important because the blocks can be combined with fire or TNT blocks to artificially extend their duration or create new platforms between which lock up your opponents. Alternatively, you can use the cart (side special) to launch (or launch from) it between blocks, or to activate dynamite switches.

The creative part I was talking about does not only come from the combos, there are many; but also the possibility of creating blocks on stage to use as supports. You can create a wall of blocks to separate yourself from your opponent and calmly undermine the ground, hitting him if he comes from above or mentally preparing yourself if he starts to destroy the wall. Similarly, you can place blocks slightly above the edge of the map and throw opponents up to bounce and fall, or prevent them from grabbing onto the edge with another block. You can use down + A or smash down to negate that recovery, too. With so much to digest, what should you focus on to improve like Steve?

• Create an L-shaped wall to protect yourself while collecting materials. The better the material, the harder it will be.
• Feel free to call the chest when you want to upgrade your weapons, holding the shield and pressing B.
• You can combine the car (which uses a lot of materials, be careful) with the dynamite pressure plate, but also with blocks, use it to trap opponents and send them off the map and more. Just keep in mind that the tank has 7 HP and that you are vulnerable while riding.
• Dynamite explodes with fire. You generally don't want it to be yours, but you can use it as a counterattack for some enemies like Charizard or Bowser.

Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII

The greatest edgelord in the history of video games is in Smash Bros. Ultimate as a sword character (in case you didn't have enough) with an absurd range for his sword strokes and a very cool wing. It is easy to control, but like all the characters in the pass, very difficult to master. Why? Well, because unlike many other fighters, he does not have quick cuts to execute from the ground. In fact, he has practically nothing that does not leave him quite exposed immediately after attacking, which is why playing as Sephiroth involves constantly maintaining an intermediate distance with the opponent and abusing air movements and charged attacks.

Since he is a relatively heavy and slow character, other fighters as fast as Pichu or Mario, and even those who attack from a distance like Falco or Palutena can be problematic. The key is to always have them right within reach of your sword , which is quite respectable, and get them into the air as soon as possible to hit them once or twice with your neutral air, which is very fast, followed by a targeted air. Alternatively, it is possible to grab an opponent, throw him up, and deliver a quick slash by gently pushing the lever upwards. But where Sephiroth really triumphs is on the ledges .

In addition to grabbing under the map, he can jump up to launch quick lunges with his katana and return to the relative safety that this part of the stage brings; and he even has several strategies to deny those who try to return to combat after being thrown into the void. Among them we find the upward special, which can be loaded in any direction and has a huge hitbox, and the neutral special, which has three levels of load: each one has less range than the previous one, but more damage. Use the highest level to blow up anyone who gets close to the edge of the mapping. What should you practice as a Sephiroth to improve your skills?

• Apply loads with the special side and study how long they take to explode. Remember that you can apply even more than three, but they will take longer.
• Try to match the explosion of those same charges with charged smash, or by driving enemies near the edge of the map so that they are thrown.
• A lunge does not have the same effect as the slash. Try to understand the damage of each one and finish with lunges like the aerial backwards, which are more difficult to hit.
• The Special Down Block is a completely unblockable counter for the enemy, but it behaves the same in melee as it does against projectiles and also leaves you exposed. Practice it.

Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2

At the time of this writing, Pyra and Mythra are still very new characters to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster and therefore it is quite difficult to predict for sure how they will play out in the competitive scene. It's a matter of time before the most recognizable faces in the community discover a solid style, and of course, by the time that happens this post will be updated and refloated. That said, there are a couple of little techniques that you can practice as more realistic strategies come along.

• As Mythra, you can use the standing side special, on the ledge of the map, to safely intercept those trying to recover. If you do it from the air, you will fall into the void because it cannot be recovered.
• Combo 0% to KO with Pyra, explained Mew2King on YouTube: using special side, then jumps once and press jump + elusive neutral half of the air as you approach the opponent. The idea is to get the sword back as soon as possible, jab (three neutral hits on the ground) and repeat the process until you can knock out the opponent.
• With Pyra, start offensives with a crouching down slash and then an up slash, or with a downward grip followed by the same. If the opponent fails to tech (by standing up) you can finish off with a running attack.