Basic Techniques
Standard Attacks
| Button(s) | Description/notes |
|---|---|
|
An upward slash |
|
|
Two upward slashes |
|
Same as the above, except Marth will continue alternating between the two slashes |
| Forward +
|
Another upward slash, but at a much wider arc |
| Dash +
|
Same as the above, but lower and while running. |
 +
|
Marth jabs his sword low against the floor, hitting his opponent's feet. |
 +
|
Marth Slashes in an arc above him |
| Smash Forward +
|
A large downward slash |
| Smash +
|
He slashes in front of him, then behind him. |
| Smash +
|
He jabs his sword straight up |
| (Lying down)
|
Marth gets up, then stabs behind him, then in front of him |
| (Hanging of Edge)
|
Marth jumps back up from the ledge while slashing with the momentum. |
| Smash Forward + (Holding a weapon item)
|
A unique ability shared with Roy, Marth will actually open with an attack from his sword before following up with an attack with the item he is holding. |
Aerial Attacks
| Button(s) | Description/notes |
|---|---|
|
|
Marth does one slash, then slashes in the other direction. The second slash can hit enemies behind Marth, too |
| Forward +
|
Marth slashes in a mostly downward arc |
| Backwards +
|
Marth slashes behind him. If the attack animation finishes, you are now facing in that direction |
| +
|
Marth slashes in a downward arc |
| +
|
Marth Slashes upwards, the momentum from which causes him to do a backflip |
Special Attacks
| Button(s) | Attack | Description/notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Shield Breaker | Marth holds his sword and charges up. When B is released, Marth slashes in front of him. It is so named, because it can break a shield when fully charged |
| +
|
Dolphin Slash | A rising slash that sends Marth upward a good distance. An opponent hit just when Marth jumps will be sent forward |
| +
|
Counter | Marth protects himself with his sword for a short while. If he is attacked in this time, he will block the attack and counter attack. This does not work for grabs though. |
 ( ) +
|
Dancing Blade | By pressing B three more times, Marth will launch a four hit combo. The attacks can be modified by holding up or down while pressing B, allowing for many different attack combinations |
Throws
| Button(s) | Description/notes |
|---|---|
|
|
He drops his opponent behind him. |
| (or )
|
He simply drops his opponent. |
|
|
Throws his opponent upward. |
| (or )
|
He simply drops his opponent behind him |
Advanced Techniques
Melee Items
It is worth noting that, when smashing with a melee item (i.e. beam sword), Marth and Roy swing their sword first, followed by an item swing. Against low-percentage enemies, the first strike is a great check and provides excellent positioning.
Disjointed Hit Box
Marth’s sword is a disjointed hit box. His sword is not part of his body, and if someone hits his sword you will receive no damage.
Grab Range
Marth has the best non-grapple range in the game, and the grab hitbox extends well beyond where his hands reach. When considering the usefulness of his throws in chainthrows and combos, Marth can be said to have the best grab game in the game.
Foward Air combos
Marth's Forward air comes out and and finishes extremely quickly, and it is possible to pull off another aerial after short hopping a forward air, provided one performs the forward air quickly enough after leaving the ground. This is a crucial aspect of many of Marth's combos. By far the most popular aerials to perform after a short-hopped forward air is either simply another forward air, or an up air to pop them up into the air for an up tilt or a grab.