Reverse aerial rush

A reverse aerial rush (RAR) is a backwards jumping technique in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The RAR can be done with standard controls or with a GameCube controller using B-Sticking. Either method is best used with characters who have fast or otherwise useful back aerials.

Application

To perform a RAR, the player must be running, and cannot be in the initial dash animation (limiting the usefulness of the RAR for characters with long initial dashes, such as Captain Falcon and Sonic). If the player presses the control stick backwards to turn around but jumps as soon as the turnaround begins, the character will jump backwards while keeping the running momentum. The result is a jump like a normal jump out of a run, except that the character is facing the other direction.

The main purpose of using a RAR is to attack with a back aerial in front of the character. This is especially helpful for characters with very strong or effective back aerials (e.g. Ike or Mr. Game and Watch) and/or slow, ineffective forward aerials. It is also useful for attacking a player behind with a special move or aerial. Using some moves quickly enough out of a RAR can cause the character to not turn around.

Auto RAR

To perform an auto RAR, one needs to have the C-Stick set to special moves, as opposed to smash attacks. While a character is running, the player can press the C-Stick in the opposite direction of the run. The character will then do the RAR jump where another action can be taken.

Notes

Interestingly, if the RAR is performed in training mode at 1/4 time, the character will not turn around, but will still jump.

Characters that benefit

• Ike (His bair is his fastest move and lethal)
• Mr. Game & Watch (Disjointed hitbox turtle, as well as easy rack-up damage)
• Ness (Easy sweet-spotting with his bair kick could KO someone quickly)
• Snake (Useful for KOing and if DACUS is getting predictable)
• Toon Link (His bair is used to start lethal aerial combos)
• Wolf (His bair has good knockback and is a good horizontal killer)
• Mario (His bair also has good knockback)
• Falco (His bair has better knockback and range than all of his other aerials, makes bair a viable aerial approach)
• Donkey Kong (His bair is very fast, and can be used twice - barely - in one short hop)
• Zelda (Easy lightning kick on medium-to-large characters, due to Zelda's bair coming out faster than her fair)
• Lucas (Bair is a spike, useful during edgeguarding)
• Ganondorf (Bair is faster than fair and uair can gimp at the end of the hitbox as well as combo into more Uairs off-stage.)
• Yoshi (Bair is excellent if the opponent is shielding your approach)
• Kirby (Bair is one of his best kill moves. It has the speed and power and can be done multiple times. Also known as the Fence of Pain)
• Jigglypuff (Bair is good for racking up damage, and overusing fair could reduce the Wall of Pain's effectiveness)