User blog:Plasmaster/Smash Study Hall: Cloud

Hey there Smashers! Welcome back to the Super Smash Bros. strategy guide blog series, Smash Study Hall! Plasmaster here.

Well, I got Cloud for Christmas and tried him out on For Glory...

I CAN'T HANDLE THE POWEEEEEEER! Seriously though, Cloud is OP...in one on one matches. In team matches he can be easily rushed down, but this guide series is for one on one matches specifically, so forget I said any of that!

First off, let's get into Cloud's gameplay style. Cloud's gameplay is centered around his Limit Break. His Limit Break is his most powerful tool, so it is important to charge it up when you can.

Cloud's neutral special Blade Beam is faster and stronger on the ground, and is slower and weaker in the air. Due to this slow speed and low attack power, I would advise using it often in the air. When using it on the ground, it can be a good way to block enemy projectiles; it is also a great edge-guarding tool. The Limit Break version of this move is definitely one of the less useful Limit Breaks. It has increased speed and becomes a multi-hit attack; it can kill around 120% on most characters, but doesn't deal much damage or knockback compared to the other Limit Breaks.

Cloud's side special, Cross Slash, is a great combo finisher and a good way to put some damage on opponents. It can be easy to punish if the opponent shields it, so either grab the shielding opponent right away or stop pressing the special attack button to cancel the Cross Slash and then grab. Cross Slash combos out of down throw, making the down throw a great way to set up a kill using the Limit Break version of this move. Limit Break Cross Slash deals the most damage out of all of his Limit Breaks; it is an excellent kill move when all of the hits connect with an opponent around 110%. Many edge-guarding opponents will expect Cloud to use the up special Limit Break, but if Cloud is able to get back to the edge without the need for it, a great way to surprise an edge-guarding opponent is to use the Cross Slash on them; an opponent with high enough damage could even be killed by the Limit Break version, though either version of the move will work for this surprise attack.

Cloud's up special, Climhazzard, works better as an attack than it does a recovery. It can be a great combo finisher or a surprise attack for opponents approaching from the front. Pressing the button again will send Cloud back down with a second attack, which is a great way to launch opponents caught in the first slash. This should not be done off-stage or Cloud will SD. The Climhazzard is also a good edge-guarding tool, catching opponents trying to recover high with it and then launching them off-stage again with the second slash. However, it lacks in terms of recovery. The recovery can get the job done if Cloud is near the edge, but in any other situation you will need the Limit Break version of the move to recover reliably. The momentum from the up special will be able to keep Cloud moving through the air for a little while even after the attack ends. The attack itself with the Limit Break version does deal more damage and could kill near the ceiling, but the second slash will not reliably hit because opponents are not carried all the way up with Cloud as with the normal version of the move.

Cloud's down special, Limit Charge, is what his gameplay is centered around. The charge can be canceled and stored by shielding or air-dodging, allowing Cloud to attack an approaching enemy and then continue charging. When an opponent has been launched off-stage, start charging the Limit Charge; when the opponent starts to near the edge, again, cancel and store the charge and get into edge-guarding position. The Limit Break down special, Finishing Touch, only deals 1% but has great knockback and kill power at mid-high percentages. The Finishing Touch, because of its low damage and base knockback, should never be used on an opponent that just got back to the stage after being K.O.'d. Any opponent below 60% should never even see this move being used.

Now for Cloud's regular attacks. Remember that Limit Charge is not the only way to charge up Limit Break; attacking opponents with regular attacks is another effective method of charging the Limit Break; Limit Charge works faster, but it should not be continuously used or a smart opponent will be able to punish Cloud during the charge. Alternate between attacking opponents and using the Limit Charge; use the attacking method to damage opponents and get them off-stage, and once they are off-stage use the Limit Charge to charge up faster while it is safer.

Cloud's jab is a good combo starter at lower percentages; the sword strike can be good for getting opponents off-stage at mid-high percentages.

Cloud's forward tilt is a good spacing move though it does have some ending lag on it. It cannot reliable combo into anything though it can be a good combo finisher. Up tilt is a great move that can combo into itself at lower percentages; once it stops comboing into itself, an up air can be a good combo finisher. Cloud's down tilt is a fantastic combo starter because it will launch opponents into the air; it can easily be followed up with any aerial attack, save for the back air. Cloud's dash attack is a good approach option and has some good launch to it, making it a good tool for getting an opponent off of the stage.

Cloud's smash attacks are all very deadly when used in the right situation. His up smash is a deadly attack that will kill off the ceiling just below 100% on most characters. It is also good for punishing frontally approaching opponents; it does not hit behind Cloud and actually weakens as it gets nearer behind him. His forward smash is a great kill move capable of killing most characters between 80 and 90%. It also deals some good shield damage when fully charged. His down smash combos out of his down throw at lower percentages and because of its horizontal knockback it can be difficult for opponents to recover to the stage from, making it an excellent edge-guarding move.

Cloud's aerials are among his best tools. His neutral air covers a wide area around him, can easily be integrated into a combo, and because of its wide range it can gimp and edge-guard effectively. His forward air is a great edge-guarding move and will meteor opponents when sweet-spotted. Cloud's up air easily combos out of down tilt; it is a great juggling move and killing attack off the ceiling. Cloud's down aerial is a powerful meteor-smash attack and when attacking from above it can combo into up smash at lower percentages. Cloud's back air has some lag on it but has some good launch. Unfortunately, it is difficult to integrate it into combos and edge-guards, so it doesn't have too much use other than dealing damage.

Cloud's down throw combos into up tilt, Cross Slash, forward tilt, forward smash, and down smash. All of his other throws are rather lackluster, though his up throw can combo into up air for a kill set-up. Forward and back throw are only good for getting opponents off-stage.

So, there you have it folks! Cloud is a character that heavily relies on his Limit Break mechanic; all you have to do as a player is decide when the right time is to attack and when the right time is to charge it up. The Limit Break move should never be used immediately; once you get the Limit Break, decide which Limit Break move you want to use, bide your time, add damage onto the opponent with regular attacks, wait for an opening, and then strike! If you follow these simple steps, you will find that you can get the most out of your Limit Break.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on Cloud! I also hope this helped you to improve your Cloud game!

If you have any questions, please let me know down in the comments. While you're at it, let me know what other characters you'd like to see!

Until next time, keep on breaking limits and leave it to Heropon!