0:33In ARMS, you win when your opponent's HP
falls to zero. So you need to land some hits.
Try practicing on a stationary opponent to
learn the ropes. Next work on curving your
ARMS to hit a mobile opponent. Then work
in some throws, which have a wide hit box,
making them easier to land. To get some
practice, check out "Punching" in Training.
0:43Let's switch our focus from attacking to
dodging. If you never get hit, you'll never
lose! You'll also want to master the art of
guarding. And don't forget that you can
deflect incoming throws with a well-timed
punch. To get some practice, check out
"Trading punches" and "Don't get thrown"
in Training.
0:35When your rush gauge fills up, you can
unleash a rush attack! It's a chance to deal
huge damage, so you want to be proactive
about looking for an opening. The rush
gauge fills up a little bit each time you
attack, and it will also fill a bit each time
you charge up or take damage. Check out
"Rush practice" in Training to learn more.
0:33You should always try to guard when it feels
like you won't be able to avoid an incoming
attack. Guarding for long enough also gives
you a charge. If you take damage while
guarding, dash to stop guarding and go
for a counter! Keep in mind that you can't
guard against throws and also that if you
guard for too long, your ARMS will break.
Still, even if you mostly keep it in your back
pocket, it's a good idea to learn how and
when to guard properly.
0:32ARMS have only so much durability. When
they're about to break, you'll see "!" pop up
to let you know. Their durability will
decrease when you take attacks on the
extendable, defenseless portion of your
arms or when guarding against enemy
attacks. When an ARM breaks, you'll have
reduced mobility for a short time. When an
opponent has a broken ARM, that's a great
chance to attack. ARM durability will repair
over time, so when you see that "!" pop up,
plan your next moves carefully.
0:25If you input a direction while getting up
from a knockdown, you'll do a roll in that
direction. Try to roll to whatever position
you think is most advantageous. If an
opponent is aiming to hit you right out of
your recovery, you can fake them out by
rolling to one side but then immediately
dashing in the opposite direction. You can
also roll backward to get some distance
from your opponent or roll forward to
close in on them.
0:36Broadly speaking, ARMS fall into three
different basic categories based on flight
path: straight, curved, and homing. Straight
is the standard. You have a lot of freedom
to steer them where you want, but on the
other hand, steering them is entirely up to
you. Curved ARMS can, well, curve around
obstacles and will also target automatically.
Homing ARMS are all pretty idiosyncratic.
If you're finding it hard to target your
opponent, you might want to experiment
with ARMS with different flight paths.
0:36Different ARMS have different weights.
When ARMS of the same weight collide,
they'll bounce off each other. If the weights
are different, the heavier ARM will deflect
the lighter one and keep going. If you can
grasp at a glance how the different weights
work, attacking could be your greatest
defense. During a rush attack, the weight
of your ARMS will increase by one level.
If you're using heavier ARMS than your
opponent, unleashing a rush should blast
through any incoming attack.
1:24Fire guarantees a knockdown if it connects.
Electric temporarily immobilizes. Wind
sends opponents flying, and you can even
juggle them once they're airborne. Ice
freezes them in place so you can throw or
bring the hammer down. Stun, well, stuns for
a second, giving you a chance at a follow-up
attack. Explosion will do a lot of damage
over a large area, but that damage can harm
you as well. Blind obscures an opponent's
vision for a time. Poison slowly drains health
and can add up to big damage over time.
1:00Choosing ARMS Strategically
If you're finding you just can't win, it might
be that your ARM selection isn't the best.
If you want to try some new ARMS, select
Get ARMS to play the ARM Getter. Once
you've got some new ones, switch 'em in
and try 'em in a fight. You want to have
three different ARMS with good balance
equipped so you'll be prepared for anything
your opponent brings into battle. If you're
up against someone using a Guardian and
you don't have a curving ARM available,
you'll be in a really tough spot.
0:43If you wanna rise above beginner status,
you basically need to cut simple one-two
punch combos and throws out of your
arsenal. If you've got both ARMS out, you'll
hardly be able to move your body at all. But
if you're only punching with one ARM at a
time, you'll keep a lot of mobility. If you're
on the offensive, it's prudent to punch with
only one ARM at a time. Only send out both
ARMS when you see a big opening. It's also
a good technique to dash when you punch.
Don't just stand in the same spot!
0:38Jump attacks are powerful, but if your
opponent dodges, you're going to be a
sitting duck on the way down. So don't jump
willy-nilly. Pick your spots for jump attacks.
If it looks like your opponent is aiming for
your landing spot, do a dash in midair to
land somewhere else. Normally you can
only use one air dash per jump, but some
fighters are special...
0:39When your opponent is attacking with both
hands or doing simple jumps, those are
great opportunities for you to counterattack
a defenseless opponent. In short, an
opponent's attack is your chance to counter.
You should also make good use of the
temporary invincibility you gain right when
you start a rush attack. To get some
practice, check out "Anti-jump practice"
and "Trading punches" in Training.
0:39When you punch, the closer you are to an
opponent, the slower your ARM will return
to you, and the farther you are, the faster
it will return. For this reason, you're not as
open to counterattacks when fighting at a
distance, so you can be aggressive. If you're
fighting up close, it's easier to get countered,
so be careful. Speeds also vary between
ARMS. You want to find the spacing that
works best for you and try to maintain it.
0:43If you're attacking a lot, your rush gauge is
going to fill up faster. One school of thought
is that when your gauge fills up, you should
just use it right away. But it's also good to
be flexible and think about what's going
to happen in the next round. Maybe you
should save it? If you're aiming to use it as
a counter, repeatedly charging to build up
your rush gauge can also be a good strategy.