Some Kragg Things

Slideoff Rock Pull Copied to clipboard

If you begin Kragg’s Neutral Special just before he leaves the ground you can effectively create a rock in midair, allowing you to alter your positioning during an otherwise committal option. Performing the technique is simple, just dash, run or wavedash towards the edge of a platform and input the rock pull at least two frames before you would become airborne. If timed successfully, you should keep some of your horizontal momentum to slide off of the platform and fall towards the ground beneath you whilst seemingly pulling a rock out from thin air.

When learning this technique you may find yourself stopping just shy of the edge at first. This is due to an abrupt deceleration of momentum that occurs anytime you pickup a rock, which brings you to a complete standstill by frame 8 of the move. Get used to timing the rock pull closer to the edge and pay close attention to your momentum as you leave the platform, as slight variances that are caused by the method of movement and the rock pull timing can cause Kragg to travel at further horizontally through the air. This can allow you to choose between moving to either nearby platforms beneath you or straight to the stage floor on certain stages, furthering your ability to change your positioning in neutral during your rock pull.

Side Special Instant Ledge Turnaround Copied to clipboard

Turning Side Special around on the edge of the ground or a platform allows you to instantly turn the other way if timed perfectly. This prevents you from losing the hitbox as you normally would during the lengthy 18 frames in the turnaround animation and whips your momentum around to allow you to travel for a much greater distance than usual.

Setup Copied to clipboard

You must be travelling along the ground for 9 frames before you are able to change directions during Side Special. This applies both at the start of the move if you are grounded and then again any time after landing from the air. Due to this, it is possible to position Kragg in a way that this 9th frame of grounded travel time will always coincide with the exact frame that the instant turnaround input must be made so that he may turnaround on the very next frame. There exists only one stage in the game where this relationship between the platform layout and this requirement perfectly aligns: Tower of Heaven.

As you can see, moving from the top platform of Tower of Heaven to either side platform allows for an instant turnaround so simple that even a first timer wouldn’t struggle with it, just hold the stick in the opposite direction any time after you leave the top platform and you’ll turn on the first available frame possible using the buffer from landing. This works about 9/10 times, with only a small failure rate due to unfortunate spacing on the top platform.

Hideout Fastfall Copied to clipboard

Blazing Hideout has a single long platform with a unique height for Rivals, being a bit taller than the standard height platforms which appear on many of the stages in the game. You may have noticed that Kragg’s fullhop does not gain enough height to land on this platform on its own, requiring him to use either a double jump for much more height or an airdodge to waveland onto it from beneath. Another option that is available is to use any of his aerials (except for Neutral Air) to gain a slight upwards boost to land onto the platform, however there is a fourth and even more niche one to learn. When Kragg is holding a rock he does not have access to these other options, which is where your fastfall comes into play.

By fastfalling at the peak of your jump you effectively gain a small amount of height, just enough to land perfectly on the platform while carrying the rock. This is due to the character’s collision box shifting upwards very slightly in the fastfall state, just enough so that you can land on the platform for a small period of time after a fullhop. The inputs are simple, press down to fastfall near the peak of your jump and quickly reset your stick back to neutral so that you are not holding down once the fastfall begins to prevent yourself from accidentally falling through the platform instead.

You can also use this technique to reach the platform with Nair, which as we mentioned does not give the same height boost as Kragg’s other aerials.

Downwards DJ Copied to clipboard

Downwards double jump is a technique which has limited useful applications, but can allow you to mix up your movement in a pretty substantial way. Although not used exclusively with the rock, the downwards double jump technique is most commonly used when jump cancelling your Side Special after hitting one, like in the example below.

To perform this technique, begin your Side Special while in the air and then buffer a jump cancel immediately on hitting any character or object. You will then need to input an immediate fastfall during the hitpause to hitfall the move and effectively double jump towards the ground.