Zelda’s lightning kick (in this case, Forward Air (FAir)) has a strange animation that sharply raises her ECB then drops it slightly immediately following. Using this to land on a platform is referred to as an aerial interrupt (AI). Timing this aerial interrupt can land Zelda, auto-cancel for 4 frames, and leave Zelda actionable on platform. This is likely the fastest way to land and be actionable on a side platform on all stages.
FAir AI is extremely useful if not critical in the modern meta to bring Zelda up to speed. It is her fastest way to reach a side platform on any stage and drastically improves her mobility and power, as being on platform is one of the best places to be to maximize Zelda’s power and mobility. In addition, FAir AI enables speed enough to up-throw an opponent to a side platform, FAir AI, and tech-chase grab. It is also exceptionally easy to buffer shield drop from by holding shield and shield drop angle during the landing lag, and you can quickly warp to platform and begin passing through it with shield drop to maximize your movement and attack options.
The most influential stage to apply fair AI is battlefield. The fastest possible AIs are 2 non-overlapping frame perfect windows, either double-jump on frame 5 after jumpsquat and FAir on frame 4 after double jump, or frame 4 and 5, respectively. Actionable on the platform on frame 28, counting the first jumpsquat frame as 1, every other option to be actionable on a side platform is slower, with a reasonably lenient window to input a slower AI and be actionable between frame 33 and frame 39, making it reasonably safe to attempt without the risk of floating upwards without being able to act through a platform throwing a kick.
The speeds of options to be actionable on Battlefield side platform:
FAir AC AI: Frame 28
No-Impact Landing: Frame 32
UAir AC AI: Frame 33
Similar frame advantages are available on other stages. Other stages also afford the ability to waveland off of side platform and FAir AI onto top platform; Battlefield’s top platform is too high to do so.
FAir AI is also one of the strongest albeit hardest ledge options Zelda has available to her, granting 7 galint (grounded actionable ledge intangibility) on a stage with flat walls, 10 galint on Yoshi’s, or 13 galint on Battlefield.
Leave a Reply