Smash 101: Combat tactics masterclass

There's a lot more to shielding than just soaking up damage. The shield in Brawl is a great combative tool that you can use to set up all kinds of satsfying retaliation.

#1,Power-shielding

What it is: Timing the activation of your shield to get a major defense bonus.

How you do it: Activate your shield just before an attack hits. You’ll hear a clang to confirm you’ve got it right. It can be a tricky one to time in a heated Brawl, but when you’ve learned how to pull it off you'll be using it all the time.

Why you should use it: Properly-timed power-shielding will totally nullify your recovery time from a physical attack, meaning you can retaliate straight away while your opponent cools down from their assault. Yum.

#2, Shield-throwing

What it is: A brilliant little move that lets you retaliate from a blocked physical attack straight into a throw. It’s a great table-turner.

How you do it: Shield your attacker’s flurry of fists and feet, then hit the throw button as soon as you get a window. You can even do it while still shielding, making the whole process very quick and very easy.

Why you should use it: Your shield will cancel directly into a grab, Street Fighter-style, and the balance of power will deposit several tons of violent favour directly upon you. Block to lure your opponent in, then use their aggression against them and send them sky high.

#3, Shield-smashing

What it is: Similar to shield-throwing, but it lets you unleash an upward smash attack immediately into your opponent’s smug face.

How you do it: You can jump directly out of a shielding stance, and exploiting that trick will let you unload a smash with serious speed. The way it works is thus.

Do a standard Up + B smash while still shielding, but slam the stick upward a fraction of a second before you press the button. Jumping in Brawl has a slight delay of a few frames after the command is entered, so by holding back on the B button input you’re actually fooling the game into thinking you’re about to jump, having it cancel the shield for you, and then turning the jump into a smash before you even leave the ground.

Why you should use it: It’s one of the best and most surprising retaliations around. It’s fast, powerful and will usually catch your opposition totally off-guard. Plus you’ll get a few valuable seconds of thinking time as they helplessfly flail through the air.