Wavedash
A wavedash is a technique in Melee that causes a character to slide along the ground without walking or running. It transfers the momentum of the air dodge into a spurt of ground-based movement. Like l-canceling and Short Hopping, wavedashing is considered an advanced technique, and one of the first techniques smashers learn when they train for tournaments.
Contrary to popular belief, wavedashing is not a glitch, but instead is a necessary byproduct of the game's air dodge mechanics, included to account for instances in which a character's model could air dodge "through the floor" if the game's engine had no mechanism for land fall. The competitive community has thoroughly explored the applications of wavedashing in a match setting and its widely varying uses in modern tournament situations are clearly beyond what was intended during development.
In competitive play, Mewtwo, Luigi and Ice Climbers players make heavy use of wavedashing as their primary movement, while users of nearly every other character wavedash frequently for positioning and maneuvering.
History
When the tournament ruleset allowed items, aerial item catches during an air dodge were safer than grounded item catches. Wavedashing was accidentally discovered when Toadbanjoconker, a Smashboards veteran, attempted such a catch. Henceforth, wavedashing began to enter smashers' repertoires. It didn't become necessary for top level competition until months later.
Technical details
Wavedashing describes a sliding motion that occurs by jumping and then immediately air dodging at a sharp angle into the ground. The length a character slides in his wavedash is determined by a number of factors: by the angle at which he air dodged (low angles yield long wavedashes), how close to ground he was before air dodging (the closer the character, the longer the wavedash), and the character's traction. Low traction yields long wavedashes and high traction yields short wavedashes; thus, characters like Luigi, Ice Climbers, and Marth have long wavedashes, while Peach and Zelda have short wavedashes, generally considered to be less effective.
Additionally, there are surfaces on which characters can wavedash great distances; classic examples are the UFO on Fourside and the oil slick on Flat Zone.
Performing the technique
Traditionally, wavedashing is the technique-to-know for newer players, for a mastery of wavedashing reflects both a nimbleness of fingers and a knowledge of high-level play. It is performed by pressing X or Y (or up on the control stick) to jump, followed immediately by L or R, and diagonally down on the control stick, to perform the air dodge. Ideally, the wavedashing character should slide without ever appearing to leave the ground.
Because wavedashing can be difficult to master, some players train themselves by wavedashing directly from a crouching position, which provides them the opportunity to wavedash only by pressing the two buttons (jump and air dodge) instead of timing a control stick movement as well. This method of wavedashing, however, is slow and not optimal for battle.
The speed of a character's jump also impacts the timing of his wavedash - the time interval between the jump and the air dodge is greater for characters with slow jumps (like Bowser and Link) and smaller for characters with fast jumps (like Fox and Pikachu).
Advantages of wavedashing
While a character is sliding from a wavedash, he is considered by the game to be standing - thus, he can perform any ground attacks that could normally be performed from a standing position, such as smashes, standing grabs and jabs. He also retains all of his standing defensive maneuvers such as sidestepping and shielding. Wavedashing allows a character to move while still having available his ground options, a moving versatility dashing can't match.
Another advantage lies in the ability to wavedash backwards while facing forwards, which allows characters to perform standing attacks while moving both backwards and forwards.
Disadvantages of wavedashing
Despite its versatility, wavedashing requires considerable startup. A character is vulnerable (and not yet moving) while performing the jump and air dodge, and for 10 frames afterwards he is unable to attack (while "landing" from the wavedash). Because of this lag, it is unwieldy for a character to wavedash in close quarters where quick attacks endanger him.
Strategies
Approach
For some characters, wavedashing is a better form of movement than dashing. This is especially true for characters of low traction and a slow dash, such as Luigi, Ice Climbers and Mewtwo. These characters are special in that almost all their movement is best done via wavedashing. They can wavedash long distances faster than they can dash.
One can take the concept of maneuverability from wavedashing a step further, using to dodge enemy attacks and set up a counterattack. A common example of this tactic: a player faces a charging enemy, who will most likely launch a dash attack or short hop aerial from his dash. To avoid being hit, one can wavedash backwards, dodging the attack and landing an attack of his own during the enemy's lag time. Wavedashing in this fashion is very common in approach-based mindgames.
Wavedashing is a quick way to move but is also instrumental in characters' combos and their defense. Characters with poor rolls or sidesteps, such as Samus and Mr. Game & Watch, rely on wavedashing to extricate themselves from difficult situations.
Additionally, the concept of air dodging into the ground provides a useful segue from a character's air game to his ground game. This is especially important for Luigi, whose slow, floaty air game and his speedy ground game lack synergy. A good Luigi player will often follow a short hop aerial with a "waveland" to reposition, giving Luigi a chance to surprise his opponent with a sudden attack or retreat. This technique can only be done by a few characters with a few attacks (other notable examples are Marth's short hop forward aerial and Dr. Mario's short hop back aerial), but for them wavelanding is vital to continuing combos and pressuring the enemy.
Wavesmashing
Wavesmashing is the act of smashing while wavedashing, and is an example of the offensive advantages of wavedashing. Since characters can attack during the slide, a typical offensive movement would be to wavedash forward while smashing, minimizing the startup time of the smash (which would be considerable if a character tried to smash after dashing) and potentially finishing the opponent. Wavesmashing is particularly useful for a character like Luigi whose dash attack is very poor but whose smashes (in Luigi's case, down smash, a vertical launcher) are effective.
Although such terms as "wavetilting" and "wavegrabbing" are not as widely used, they fall under the same blanket concept of wavesmashing: that a character can use many and varied attacks while wavedashing.
Waveshielding
Beginning wavedashers often shield right after wavedashing because they do not quickly remove their finger from the L or R button; this idea can be used to a player's advantage as a defensive technique known as waveshielding, the act of shielding right after wavedashing. It's a safe way to travel because the shield blocks most enemy threats. A player can jump-cancel from his shield into another wavedash, allowing him to move with his shield long distances. In a more offensive sense, waveshielding is also an excellent way to set a shffl'ing adversary up to be shield-grabbed.
In a similar vein, characters can sidestep and roll during their wavedash, both defensive movements that allow characters to avoid enemy projectiles and attacks (including grabs) without forfeiting movement.
Edge-hogging
See: Edge-hogging
Another aspect of wavedashing is that one can fall off platforms backwards, which is impossible by any other technique besides moonwalking, Shorthoping backwards, and shielding an attack. This seeming oddity has a practical use; it allows characters to edge-hog very quickly. A backwards wavedash towards the edge will topple the combatant over the side of the stage where he will immediately grab the ledge, thereby preventing his opponent from doing the same. Generally, this is the fastest and safest way to edge-hog.
Other uses
Here is a list of other uses for wavedashing:
- As touched on previously, wavedashing from a jump-cancelled shield increases a player's defensive options, allowing him a quick retreat or attack from his shield. On a similar note, wavedashing from shine allows Fox and Falco to perpetuate their shine combos.
- One can wavedash directly onto the stage from hanging on the edge by dropping off, immediately double jumping, and then air dodging back on-stage.
- One can waveland onto platforms, a highly useful technique on three-platform stages like Battlefield and Yoshi's Story.
Wavedash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Wavedashing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was removed due to the change in the way the physics engine handles the air dodge, in that its direction is now determined by your aerial momentum, rather than a player's analog input. Landing traction upon hitting the ground in Brawl has been reduced considerably, effectively removing any exploitable movement options brought on by the previous game's mechanics.
