Sheik (Super Smash Bros. Melee)


 * This article is about Sheik's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For other uses, see Sheik.  Also, for information about Sheik's alter-ego, see Princess Zelda.

Announced at E3 2001, Sheik is a character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. She transforms from Zelda by using down+B (Transform), and can transform back into Zelda. By holding A at the stage loading screen, Zelda will automatically transform into Sheik at the start of a match.

Overview
Unbeknownst to many, Sheik is only a disguise used by Zelda in the Ocarina of Time, and is not in any way a different person. She merely uses magic to change her skin and hair color and hide her dominant features. Compared to Zelda, Sheik is nimble and has gorgeous moves, but lacks a strong knockout attack.

The best strategy to use Sheik is to let her flow from one powerful attack into another. Zelda has some techniques with more punch, so in one-on-one battles, it is possible to Transform if needed. However, few players intentionally transform into Zelda except as a recovery technique since Sheik is typically capable of fighting and killing the opponent on her own. Sheik only travels a short way when using Vanish, but the move comes with a small explosion that damages foes around her; additionally, Vanish has a large number of invincibility frames, making Sheik more difficult to hit while she recovers.

Sheik has become quite famous among SSBM smashers. Her easy combo abilities and her technical ability can help her damage opponent's quickly. Since Sheik is quite easy to handle, it has also become a good starter player for beginners. Currently, Sheik is third on the tier list.

Special Moves

 * Neutral B: Needle Storm
 * Smash B: Chain
 * Up B: Vanish
 * Down B: Transform

Pros

 * Quick, comprehensive close game
 * Great range, start-up time, and priority on her tilts, which also have giant hitboxes, minimal lag, and ridiculously long duration, and are arguably the best in Melee
 * Needles compliment her already strong close game, as well neutralizing opponent projectiles
 * Quick, well-ranged throws, and the downthrow is a chain throw against much of the NTSC cast
 * Her F-air move is one of the best finishers in the game as it can be put in almost every combo and sends at a very low angle, making DI comparatively ineffective against it.
 * 3rd jump is very potent due to the teleportation effect, afterburn, and the false 4th jump making it easy to avoid projectiles by riding underneath the level and grabbing the edge easily avoiding attack.
 * Quick Wavedash and Dodge Ability.
 * Her speedy moves let her combo and juggle extremely well, and her F-tilt and downthrow allow her to set-up long combos with ease.
 * Can transform into Zelda if the player has a disadvantage as Shiek, or for her better recovery when knocked far offstage.
 * Very low crouch lets her avoid many projectiles, including Fox's and Falco's lasers.
 * Up Smash is the strongest in the game if sweetspotted at the tip of her hands, and is quick.
 * The range, duration, and large hitbox size of attacks like her up tilt and her down smash, combined with the needles and her mobility, give her a versatile defensive toolbox
 * Needles add to her edgeguarding game
 * Decent fastfall speed
 * Needle canceling makes for a speedy and unpredictable air-to-ground game
 * For the advanced player, reverse needle canceling improves mobility and recovery
 * Can wall jump
 * Vanish and needle canceling allow her to deal damage while stalling the ledge with relative safety, creating great mindgames against ledgeguarders.

Cons

 * Easily juggled/comboed
 * Horrible forward smash
 * Has a very high short hop, slowing her shffl' significantly.
 * Cannot dash-dance effectively due to her beginning animation ending too early
 * Her chain special is very slow, and virtually useless in advanced play
 * Laggy land after using her up B
 * Since Transform is fairly slow and grants no invincibility, swapping in the fairly light, rather sluggish Zelda often ends in dying as Zelda
 * Attacks lack power and are vulnerable to being Crouch cancelled

PAL changes

 * Down throw has a more horizontal send, making it impossible to chain grab or directly follow up if the opponent DIs away from Sheik.
 * Uair is weakened significantly to 10% damage from 12%. This makes it a powerful juggling tool at even high percents (especially against fast fallers), but makes it a terrible KO move.
 * The damage and knockback of the Up Smash tipper hit is slightly weaker, doing 16% damage instead of 17%.

Recovery
Sheik recovery is done by using a mid-air jump and Vanish. Another way of recovery is transforming into Zelda while in the air and using Zelda's up B to get back to the stage. Sometimes there's no need for transforming, so you can do the Smash Attack with Sheik on the air to gain inertia and arrive back on stage.

Sheik has a lot of landing lag after using her up B. Fortunately, her third jump is very easy to sweetspot. One common edgeguarding technique against Sheik is to edgehog, forcing Sheik to land on the platform, and attacking her during the landing lag.

Needle Storm
This is a very fundamental technique that should be applied to all Sheik players. It is recommended that right after the battle starts, After holding the B Button to charge needles, one can press Z, L, or R to save the charged needles. Needles can disturb your opponents while getting back to stage and destroy most projectiles, including Fox's and Falco's lasers and even a Samus' fully charged shot. The Needle Storm can take up to 18% of damage.

When used in midair, the needles will strike not directly in front of Shiek, but at roughly a 45 degree angle from Shiek's position towards the ground. Effective for disrupting and returning to the stage. If thrown after the apex of the jump and below the maximum height of Sheik's single jump, in a technique called needle canceling, the needle storm incurs no significant landing lag, allowing Sheik to combo aerial needles immediately into ground attacks, grabs, dashes, or even more needles. Reverse needle canceling refers to charging needles in the air, then tapping L, R, or Z to stow them. This too produces zero lag, and can be used to efficiently store needles, to grab the ledge, or to increase jump distance.