Ganondorf is not the fastest character around. He does not turn like Sheik, jump like Luigi, or run like The Cap’n. In my opinion (which is a little strange to most people) “not fast” does not instantly translate to “not good”. If you ask me, slow can be a bit of a good thing - if nothing else, it makes it much easier to time mid-air moves.
Here’s the second thing I ought to tell you: this is not an “advanced tactics” guide. I cannot wavedash properly for the life of me, no matter how much or with whom I try. And although I can do it just fine, I think that shorthopping is VASTLY overestimated. I’ve only played in two tournaments before, and I don’t have any first-hand experience against the wavedashing, L-canceling, shorthopping speed demons that supposedly inhabit such events, but I still believe that the ability to wavedash would not miraculously make Ganondorf super fast. So this guide will take into account strategies that do not involve wavedashing and the like, and I’ll only mention shorthopping if it’s useful for a low-aerial attack.
Now that I’m done clarifying my stupidity, let’s get on with it.
Right, firstly, let’s go through all of Ganondorf’s pros and cons:
PROS:
Heavy character.
Good rolls.
Excellent smash attacks.
High percentage output.
High knockback.
Spectacular aerial attacks.
Capable of chain throwing.
CONS:
Medium-low running speed.
Unremarkable jumping height and speed.
Some moves have significant lag.
Large character.
Sub-par recovery.
No ranged attacks.
Okay, now that we’ve got a good idea of what we’re working with: my motto is, “speed isn’t everything”. Smash players typically place the higher praise on the swift characters like Sheik and Fox. I’m not saying that Sheik and Fox aren’t good, just that the virtue of speed alone doesn’t automatically make you better than everyone else. In the absence of speed, what you need is significant quantities of POWER. And that, my friends, is something Ganondorf has in droves. Although the value of brute force is often downplayed, if you know how to use it, it can effectively counteract and defeat the quickest of foes. Although they’re going to get more hits in, they’ll need to, because of Ganondorf’s rock-solid weight. And although you’ll not be able to hit as often as they will, you won’t need to, because Ganondorf’s attacks pack a tremendous punch. So in the end, it all evens out. I once read in a Bowser guide, that playing a heavy character (like Bowser or Ganondorf) gives you an immediate advantage, simply because you can always count on your opponent needing more hits to take you out than you’ll need to get them. Obviously, this is an all-too-often ignored truth.
ATTACKS: I’m not going to use all the damn abbreviations most guides do. I think that’s pretty lazy, and even if you know what they all mean, it’s a lot easier to read, for example,
“Mr. Game & Watch’s up-A mid-air attack is far superior to his neutral-A mid-air or his forward-A mid-air, and his wavedash is rather unremarkable.”
than it is to read
“Geedubya’s uair is far superior to his nair or his fair, and his wd is rather unremarkable.”
See what I mean? Both convey the same information, but one is infinitely easier to understand. And it doesn’t take all that much longer to write it all out.
Okay, let’s get down to business:
Neutral-B: Warlock Punch
Priority: pretty high
Damage: about 30%
Knockback: “instant knockout”
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: sick…eningly slow
Range: decent
Overview: this move is not tremendously useful, just because it’s SOOOOO SLOOOOOW. However, it makes up for what it’s missing in speed with sick amounts of power. This alone is not enough to save it, though. This is a VERY situational move – if you can set it up, and if your opponent has any significant amount damage at all, they’re pretty much done for. This should be obvious, but DON’T go around spamming this attack like an idiot, hoping for a lucky hit. Use it very sparingly; try to look for situations where you’re very likely to land a blow. If you do manage a successful hit, you have my permission to laugh hysterically at your opponent – most people don’t EVER use this attack, and point and stare at people who do. This is because Warlock punch is not just SLOW, it’s LOUD. I’m talking brass band wearing Hawaiian shirts loud. Ganondorf roars with fury as he charges the blow. It’s got its uses, though – it’s especially fun to sucker-punch people with this for knockouts while your ally grabs and holds them during the precious seconds it takes to charge this move.
Forward-B: Gerudo Dragon
Priority: pretty good
Damage: about 17%
Knockback: good
Knockback direction: upwards
Speed: medium
Range: good
Overview: Gerudo Dragon can actually be used two different ways: on the ground, Ganondorf will uppercut, but in the air, he chops downwards. Either way, the result is the same – your opponent is sent skywards, begging for a combo of air assaults to be initiated. Anyway, one of the best things about this move is, this attack throws Ganondorf forward a respectable distance. If you miss, there will be a few seconds of lag (because he slows and stumbles near the end of the charge), but you’ll probably be a little ways away from your opponent, giving you a small amount of time to recover. If you hit, however, even if it’s only a wall, the lag is greatly lessened, and you do not fall down, leaving you free to follow up with a Vulture Kick, Thunder Drop, Wizard’s Foot, grab, and so on. This system of “hit = less lag” is great, since it means that if a foe shields to block it, you can use Gerudo Dragon to rail on them endlessly, hitting them with it five or six times over a period of a few seconds until their shield breaks. I like charging at my opponent and starting the match with a hit from this move delivered from the air, which usually catches them off guard – there is a split-second before Ganondorf charges forward where he pulls back his fist, and upon seeing it, most people jump in the air to avoid it, but if you jump and deliver from the air, it will hit them whether they jump or not. A quick word of warning, NEVER use Gerudo Dragon near the edge of the stage, because it takes away every possible form of recovery and all of your attacks until you hit the ground again, meaning if you accidentally slip off the edge, you’re done for, hands down. Even so, you should try to use this move occasionally, because it’s relatively safe, very rewarding, and an excellent combo starter.
Down-B: Wizard’s Foot
Priority: medium
Damage: about 15%
Knockback: great
Knockback direction: forwards (ground) or diagonally downwards (air)
Speed: medium
Range: very good
Overview: of all of Ganondorf’s attacks, this one is perhaps best suited for inflicting knockouts. When used on the ground, Ganondorf slides forwards along the surface, plowing through anyone he hits along the way. If he hits a wall while doing this, he’ll flip up into the air, allowing you to deliver an air attack on the way back down to anyone you hit with Wizard’s Foot. When used in the air, however, Wizard’s Foot becomes a very effective angled spike, blasting anyone you hit in mid-air diagonally downwards. If you can get someone in the air near a ledge, a well-aimed hit from this can send them flying down to their doom as you land safely on the edge of the stage. Even with this great spiking ability, I myself still prefer to use it as a ground-based attack. Its knockback truly sends people flying, and it’s VERY easy to use this attack to catch them by surprise. Once you get enough damage on them, you can simply lure them into a hit from a ground-based Wizard’s Foot, and their fate is sealed. Some characters can be put out of commission by this move at only 90% or so, and those that aren’t immediately knocked out will still be sent reeling. I like to use this, then immediately upon coming out of it roll forwards to reposition and do it again. Try not to use this trick to often, though – one of the greatest things about Wizard’s Foot is that it’s so hard to see it coming, but if you use it frequently; your foe may begin to predict it. Another note, use of the Wizard’s Foot will give you back your second jump if it’s already used, so theoretically, you could get infinite horizontal recovery with this move, and it is in fact a staple part of Good Ol’ Ganon’s recovery.
Up-B: Dark Dive
Priority: maximum
Damage: about 17%
Knockback: not good, but not bad
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: medium
Range: good
Overview: I’ve always called this the Shock Hold, which, if you ask me, is far more appropriate than Dark Dive – first of all, it’s not a dark or shadow attack, it’s an electrical one, and second of all, “Dive” implies downwards movement, when this attack actually sends you upwards. Quite a ways, up, I might add – higher than both of Ganondorf’s regular jumps combined, in fact. Another interesting bit of info is that by holding the control stick in the desired direction during the initiation of this attack, you can alter your flight direction in mid-air, even after using up both of your other jumps, and no matter which direction you face in, you can still grab ledges and hang from them while using Shock Hold. These two features, along with the height gain from this move, make it great for vertical recovery; however, there is very little horizontal movement during this attack, so it’s not perfect. If you’re knocked too far away from the stage, even if you have all the height in the world, you probably still won’t make it. Nonetheless, I still prefer it for use as a near-but-below-the-edge-of-the-stage recovery move, rather than an actual attack. This is because its damage, while respectable, is nothing compared to some of Ganondorf’s other attacks and its knockback is one of the lowest out of his entire arsenal. Plus, it’s difficult to initiate as a ground-to-ground attack. This doesn’t mean it’s not fun to throw it in once in a while, but it’s definitely not something to be relied upon. One thing this attack IS very good for, other than ledge grabbing, it defense against air hogs. Almost any aerial assault can be instantly solved by this move, because its grab range is quite a bit further than it appears to be, so you can zap and repel Down-A Mid-Air’ing Links, Down-B’ing Bowsers and Yoshis, and other such attacks. Also, like Bowser’s close-in Koopa Klaw, Shock Hold counts as a grab, and, as such, can go through any attack, and even shielding.
Neutral-A Ground: Thunder Punch
Priority: medium
Damage: about 7%
Knockback: good
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: you’ll miss it even if you don’t blink
Range: short
Overview: This is Ganondorf’s fastest attack, period. His palm snaps out so fast that it’s flat-out impossible to dodge unless you can predict the future or something. It also has quite good knockback; however, its damage isn’t great. The only reason Thunder Punch isn’t Ganondorf’s primary attack is that its range is such that it only hits if your foe is practically on top of you. However, it’s still a good move for use in two different situations, both of which will crop up quite often. The first is if you can get your opponent up against a wall, you can repeatedly bash him into it with timed uses of this move, which is almost totally inescapable until they reach a percentage so high that they bounce behind you when they hit the wall. The second is if your foe has you caught in a combo or is otherwise beating you up, just mash the A button until you stand still long enough to get a hit in. It’s unexpected, super fast, and it has enough knockback to get the enemy away from you long enough to reposition for your own assault. At very high percentages, Thunder Punch can actually be used to inflict instant knockouts, but it usually takes around 400% or more for that to happen. And if your opponent gets to even just 250% damage while you’re playing as Ganondorf, yet is still alive, you’re clearly doing something wrong.
Forward-A Ground: Armor Crusher
Priority: good
Damage: about 13%
Knockback: great
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: pretty good
Range: great
Overview: An excellent move in general, Armor Crusher can easily give your enemy second thoughts when trying a frontal attack. One of the best things about Armor Crusher, aside from its excellent range, high priority, good damage, respectable speed, and KO-quality knockback, is the fact that it’s capable of Directional Influence. Tilt the stick a little upwards, and you’ve got something to repel airborne attackers without leaving the ground or using smash attack. Downwards, and you can sweep-kick the shorties that duck under your other attacks, or people on the lower side of a slope. And just point it straight forwards as usual for a great attack to out-range or block most ground based attacks (such as most people’s Forward Smashes and dash attacks). Overall, I love this move, because it can hit people so far away from you so quickly, and it’s got enough knockback to easily knock people out of commission near the edge of the stage. Also, it’s got enough speed that, like Thunder Punch, it can be used to dribble people against the wall, and it can be fun to mix and interchange the two together during this practice. It’s wonderful for cheap Edgeguarding as well – just give them a quick taste of foot as they’re about to land to send them out back where they came from. Abuse this attack, you won’t be disappointed.
Down-A Ground: Sweeping Snake
Priority: decent
Damage: about 12%
Knockback: good
Knockback direction: upwards
Speed: good
Range: very good
Overview: There comes a point during almost every match (I have no idea why) when you suddenly realize, out of the blue, “hey, I haven’t been using Sweeping Snake!” And why not? The range is good, the damage is good, the knockback is good, and best of all, it sends people skyward… where you can follow up with a few hundred uses of Vulture Kick. It’s also quite difficult to predict, so you can throw in a quick one to trip up your foe and then follow up with something more powerful (I recommend Armor Crusher or Iron Shoulder) before they can recover. The only problem with this attack is that it does not actually go along the ground, but rather in a straight line in front of you, meaning if you try to use it on a slope, it is likely that it will either go into the hill and under your opponent (if you’re aiming uphill), or above your foe (if you’re aiming downhill). As such, you should only use it on flat ground, as otherwise you’re just asking to be counter-attacked after what will likely be a miss. The speed of Sweeping Snake itself isn’t bad, though nothing to stare at, but it IS fast in that you can use it again almost instantly after it hits. This attack, along with (surprise) Armor Crusher and Iron Shoulder, should be your primary ground defense and offense against Fox and Falco, amongst others. These three attacks can go right through most (if not all) of Fox’s ground attacks, so if you have quick reaction times, and you use these moves effectively, you can rack up quite a bit of damage (even a few knockouts) without even being hit!
Up-A Ground: Volcano Kick
Priority: decent
Damage: about 27%
Knockback: “instant knockout”
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: think “snail walking backwards who hasn’t eaten enough”
Range: good
Overview: Volcano Kick can be summarized quite simply: it’s a quieter Warlock Punch that can’t be used in the air. It also takes slightly longer to use. Instead of the crazed roaring and flashy purple light, Volcano Kick simply has Ganondorf raising his foot high into the air, which will proceed to generate some smoke. After a second or two, the smoke will stop, and shortly thereafter Ganondorf will slam his foot down in a fiery and destructive explosion. It’s easier to catch people off guard with this than it is with Warlock Punch, especially in three- or four-person melees, since it makes no sound at all. Other than that, use it the same way you would Warlock Punch: very little.
Dash-A Ground: Iron Shoulder
Priority: good
Damage: about 14%
Knockback: pretty good
Knockback direction: upwards
Speed: quick
Range: good
Overview: DAMN if this isn’t one of my favorite attacks. Iron Shoulder is the perfect dash attack – it’s quick, it’s effective, and it keeps you moving. You can use it to plow people over you into the air, even right through their own attacks, and it’s quite fast – very easy to catch people off guard. Plus, it’s what I call a “sweeper” attack, meaning this shoulder charge can hit people that have tumbled to the ground and are lying prone there. So you can just go back and forth with someone using Iron Shoulder, repeatedly pivoting to knock them through the air again, and giving them no chance to recover, even after they hit the ground. If you can practice a smooth movement going from a medium-percentage Iron Shoulder and then swooping upwards into a Vulture Kick, you’ll find your foe will use less and less forward-smashes, heh heh. Iron Shoulder is a very fluid and multi-purpose attack, and can be used for everything from an endless combination of juggling attacks, to a way to break out of your opponent’s own combos. Like the Armor Crusher, this is a move that was made to be abused.
Neutral-A Mid-Air: Swooping Keese
Priority: decent
Damage: about 12%
Knockback: decent
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: fast
Range: good
Overview: A move for a tight spot, while difficult to aim, Swooping Keese can nevertheless be effective. It releases a quick two-kick attack, both of which will aim out directly in the direction Ganondorf is facing, which is good for getting people to back off if you find them in your face while in mid-air. You can dash-jump into this attack, allowing you to carry it a good ways across the field as you sail through the air, but like I said, it’s pretty difficult to time it so that it actually hits your opponent. Shorthopping vastly benefits Swooping Keese, allowing you to give your foe a swift kick in the face as you leap past them. The attack has low lag as well, even if you touch down in the middle of it. If you can practice its use and grow skilled with it, Swooping Keese is a respectable attack.
Forward-A Mid-Air: Skull Crusher
Priority: very high
Damage: about 17%
Knockback: great
Knockback direction: diagonally forwards-upwards
Speed: slow
Range: short
Overview: Another of Good Ol’ Ganon’s primary knockout attacks, Skull Crusher is powerful downwards mid-air punch. The timing is rather unusual, but it’s very easy to get used to, and soon you’ll find yourself pulling it off flawlessly and frequently. Effective against both grounded and airborne opponents, there’re few things Smash as satisfying as slugging your opponent out of the air with a jump-shot delivered from Skull Crusher. The key is to learn the range of the move and attempt to hit with the very tip of the fist. Once you’ve got that down, you can hit Fox right out of his Foxfire recovery/attack with ease. I can be used as ground-to-ground (this is another attack that is great with Shorthopping), ground-to-air, air-to-ground, air-to-air… all with great results. I’ve found this move to be especially (and unusually) effective versus Peach, but that might just have something to do with the specific strategies of the Peaches that I’ve played against. Either way, there must be something there – I was able to pull this off many, many times, both while they were standing and floating. Shorthopping right into someone’s face with a Skull Crusher is difficult for the foe to avoid. This should be Ganondorf’s main air attack, period. As far as I’m concerned, you cannot be an effective Ganondorf player without being well-versed in the use of Skull Crusher.
Backward-A Mid-Air: Hidden Gauntlet
Priority: high
Damage: about 16%
Knockback: great
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: very fast
Range: short
Overview: One of the ultimate surprise attacks. This swift reverse-punch can catch people unawares in so many situations it’s just plain funny. Right when they think you’re about to beat them down with Skull Crusher and they roll behind you, you whip out the Hidden Gauntlet and smack ‘em anyways. An effective and surprising alternative to the aforementioned crusher of skulls, Hidden Gauntlet can be used in many ways, although most of them involve tricking your opponent into thinking your about to use a completely different attack. After whipping it out, it holds for a couple of seconds, so even if the initial attack misses, you can still hit. Its downfall is in its range, which is comparable to that of an airborne Thunder Punch. Otherwise, it would be almost as good AS Skull Crusher. But the small range, combined with the greater lag and lessened knockback, secures its position. Definitely a good move, as it’s almost never expected.
Down-A Mid-Air: Thunder Drop
Priority: extremely high
Damage: about 22%
Knockback: very great
Knockback direction: downwards (mid-air) or upwards (ground)
Speed: slow
Range: decent
Overview: FOOMP! The Thunder Drop (also known as the Thunder Squash) is a VERY effective KO move. In the air, it’s a spike, and quite a nice one at that, on the ground, it sends the hapless foe flying straight up like a bottle rocket! Jumping off the edge of the stage, spiking a recovering foe with Thunder Drop, and flipping back to safety using your second jump and Shock Hold is easy as pie, although it will take some practice first. Its main weakness is, surprise surprise, its lag if you hit the ground before it has completely finished its animation. Teching can, of course, solve this problem if you can remember to do it every time, but the lag is still something to watch out for. Even without its great KO’ing abilities, Thunder Drop is an excellent move, as it inflicts a massive amount of damage for a non-Smash-attack, and is wonderful for building up percentage on the enemy before going in for the kill. The knockback that Thunder Drop gives on the ground allows you to inflict inescapable KO’s during very low percentages on some stages. This attack also has some lag before the actual release of the move, but the timing is pretty easy to learn, and it’s not all that slow – the only reason it’s ranked that way above is the lag if you hit the ground. Nailing someone as they come up to hit you with a mid-air attack as you land and sending them screaming back down, slamming them into the ground, is obviously very amusing.
Up-A Mid-Air: Vulture Kick
Priority: very good
Damage: about 12%
Knockback: very high
Knockback direction: upwards or forwards (depending on angle)
Speed: fast
Range: very good
Overview: This is plain and simple Ganondorf’s best juggling move! If you learn how to catch people with it, when to mix a different move in, and how to judge their landing spots, you can keep them in the air from around 40% to knockout. Other than juggling, Vulture Kick has a plethora of uses at almost any altitude. The 360-degree movement of this flipping kick can hit a foe from any direction, IF you learn the timing per angle, which is quite difficult; you can set up all sorts of hits while still keeping the element of surprise. Dropping from above into a Vulture Kick and sending the foe reeling is a favorite tactic of mine, since Vulture Kick’s “ground lag” is almost non-existent, and it’s hard to see it coming. Even though this move can hit from any angle, it is at its most powerful when you hit with the very tip of Ganondorf’s foot as it passes the horizontal axis in front of him. Vulture Kick is also probably amongst Ganondorf’s best Edgeguarding attacks, and can kick most characters right out of their Up-B recoveries. I would use this attack very often.
Forward-Smash: Nightmare Lunge
Priority: very high
Damage: about 22%
Knockback: extremely great
Knockback direction: diagonally upwards-forwards
Speed: medium
Range: pretty good
Overview: First Ganondorf pulls back to ready his strike, then he lunges forward and slams the foe with his elbow. The back-then-forwards movement of this move means the beginning of the attack can be used to actually sidestep (not the literal sidestep technique, obviously) an incoming attack, then counter it with your own smash attack! The speed is pretty good, and the knockback is obviously quite good as well. Nightmare Lunge also sends your foe upwards, so that you can juggle them for a bit even if the initial attack doesn’t kill. One of the best things about Nightmare Lunge is that most people will easily misjudge its range, so you can catch them by surprise with the tip of the attack.
Downward-Smash: Donkey Kick
Priority: very high
Damage: about 20%
Knockback: very great
Knockback direction: forwards
Speed: medium-high
Range: pretty good
Overview: A forwards-backwards kick. The first, frontal kick pulls them back into the second, rear-facing kick, which will send them upwards, and has surprisingly high knockback – if you can learn when to use it; this can be a good KO move. Donkey Kick can also be used in much the same way as Hidden Gauntlet, in that you can lure someone into thinking you’re using a different move and rolling behind you, only to be hit in the face with the second kick. This is a pretty situational attack, though, because if you don’t hit, you’re left open to pretty much any attack from the other direction. It’s possible to use Donkey kick as an Edgeguarding attack – reel in a recovering foe with the frontal kick, and send them flying again with the rear one. I prefer Nightmare Lunge as a general Smash Attack, but Donkey Kick definitely has its uses too.
Upward-Smash: Windmill Kick
Priority: extremely high
Damage: about 32%
Knockback: extremely great
Knockback direction: upwards
Speed: fast
Range: very good
Overview: This is Ganondorf’s most powerful attack, and is actually one of the three most powerful Smash attacks in all of SSBM, both percentage-wise and knockback-wise. The attack is a very swift double upwards spinning kick; the first kick does damage and has some good knockback, and the second, almost immediately following kick, secures an awesome 32% damage between itself and the previous blow and sends people flying. If you can hit someone with both kicks, and they have anywhere near 100% damage (not hard to do with some of Ganondorf’s attacks), they’re finished. There are actually two ways to hit with Windmill Kick; you can hit with the feet, which send the foe upwards, or you can hit with the center of the attack, the upper legs, in what I have dubbed a “Fan Kick”, which sends the victim forwards at a rather alarming speed. Three successful Windmill Kicks and an Armor Crusher are enough to get someone up to over 100% damage! Windmill Kick is very fast, too, so you can use it again almost immediately after it finishes. It also combos very well with Ganondorf’s Up-Throw.
Z: Grab
Range: short
Overview: Range is meh, speed is good. What more is there to say? Ganondorf’s Dash-Grab doesn’t suffer from as much lag as most other Dash-Grabs, but other than that, nothing to see here.
Grab-A: Armored Knee
Damage: about 3%
Distance:
Overview: Eh, whatever. I try to hit my opponent with at least two of these before throwing, but it’s more of a bonus, not an asset. Although, sometimes it can be worth grabbing someone just to Knee them five or six times, even if you don’t manage to throw them before they escape. Not the best way to rack up damage, but if you’re good at catching people after they’ve escaped a grab, it can be useful nonetheless.
Grab-Forward: Gut Punch
Damage: about 9%
Distance: pretty good
Overview: Not enough tumble for my liking, be not really bad, either. Still, I prefer pretty much any of the other throws to this one. One thing that can be said for it is that it’s probably Ganondorf’s fastest throw. It’s also good in multi-person melees, for throwing one person into another.
Grab-Backward: Blind Mule Kick
Damage: about 9%
Distance: pretty good
Overview: A decent, if slightly slow, throw move, Blind Mule Kick sees Ganondorf tossing the foe into his waiting rear kick, which is basically an infinitely weaker version of the second kick in Donkey Kick. His leg goes out far enough while kicking that you can sometimes hit other people with it as well. Sends people at a nice forwards angle.
Grab-Downward: Dirt Nap
Damage: about 7%
Distance: good
Overview: This throw swings the foe forward and hurls them to the ground, and usually manages to bounce them right off of it. A lovely little chain throw, if you turn around immediately after using Dirt Nap (the throw bounces them slightly behind you), and if your foe is not yet at ridiculous percentages, you can grab them right out of the air for another toss with relative ease. Alternatively, you can throw them down and then knock them away with Thunder Punch or Armor Crusher.
Grab-Upward: Jaw Breaker
Damage: about 7%
Distance: pretty good
Overview: Oh-ho. Now THIS is a combo-throw! It’s very simple to follow up this throw with Windmill Kick at medium percentages, which will obviously be very effective and damaging. Nightmare Lunge is also a great combo, and is a bit more likely to hit. Alternately, a simple Thunder Punch can be thrown in.
COMBOS: Ganondorf has such a variety of moves that he can combo with great versatility, and I’ll list some of my home-brewed ones here. Granted these are more “short move chains” than actual “combos”, but I’ll admit it: combos aren’t really my speciality. My play style is a little more frenzied. If a move is listed in parenthesis, it is optional, and is not essential to the flow of the combo. If two moves are listed next to each other in brackets, you can choose one or the other.
Right Triangle: Wizard’s Foot, Thunder Drop.
Overview: You have to be near a wall to do this. Use Wizard’s Foot to plow through the foe, bounce upwards off the wall with it, and then land back on top of the enemy with Thunder Drop, fast-falling if you think you need to. A simple combo, yet people don’t usually expect another attack so quickly after the Wizard’s Foot.
Toss-‘N-Swat: Grab, Gut Punch, (Gut Punch), Up-Throw, Thunder Punch (Wizard’s Foot).
Overview: I wouldn’t recommend more than two Gut Punches, or else they’ll usually break free of your grip. If the Thunder Punch knocks them over but doesn’t send them too far, you can follow up with the suggested Wizard’s Foot for extra damage. This is a nice way to get a bit of damage on the foe and then get them away from you before they can retaliate by punching them right out of the air after throwing them.
Plow Shot: Iron Shoulder x2, (Iron Shoulder), [Vulture Kick], [Skull Crusher].
Overview: Go back and forth through your foe with iron shoulder, and if you think you can get away with it, do it a third time. The leap up and finish the chain with a Vulture Kick or Skull Crusher, based on their current altitude. Nice damage, and hard to avoid.
Sweeper: Vulture Kick, Skull Crusher.
Overview: This will only work well if you’re on a platform beneath your opponent. Leap into a smooth Vulture Kick underneath them, landing on their platform. As soon as you land, dash and jump off the platform after them and increase their frequent flyer miles with the Skull Crusher. A good finisher when your foe is in the upper percentages.
Dark Juggler: Gerudo Dragon x2 (Gerudo Dragon x2), Shock Hold.
Overview: This works best at low percentages. Flip your foe with back-and-forth Gerudo Dragons, two to four, depending on how far they’re flying, and then expel them from your presence by leaping into the air and attacking them with Shock Hold. This is very difficult for the enemy to escape from once it’s started, but it hinges on your being able to recognize the percentages at which it’s most effective.
PLAYSTYLE NOTES: Learning the physics of a character’s movement is key, no matter which you’re playing as. When you get used to one character’s set of physics, it can be very difficult to pick up someone else. Luckily, Ganondorf has some very average and simple-to-learn physics. His physics are ideal for making full use of his mid-air attacks; not floaty, but not quickly dropping, like Fox or The Cap’n. His speed and turning are both average – no danger of running off a ledge during a frenzy. Ganondorf is often stereotyped as being slow as molasses, but he’s actually quite quick in most of his moves – although some of them DO have a rather disgusting amount of lag on them (see Warlock Punch and Volcano Kick, in particular). These moves are exceptions, however; not the norm as far as Ganondorf’s moveset goes. Ganondorf’s physics and mid-air attacks combine to make every one of said attacks benefit greatly from shorthopping and fast-falling, particularly Skull Crusher and Thunder Drop. And of course, Ganondorf’s weight is one of his main assets. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: any high-weight character like Good Ol’ Ganon has an instant advantage, and in Ganondorf’s case, even more so of one, because unlike other characters such as Bowser, he’s not just heavy, he also has speed.
As Shin_Ganondorf says in his excellent guide, when playing as Ganondorf, act as though you are always playing against a hyperactive and deadly Sheik. Keep on your toes, and try not to stand still for long. If you can keep the pressure on your foe, they’ll eventually get tired and begin to falter, and that’s when you really give them a beating they won’t forget! With Ganondorf, even if you’re only dealing a hit every quarter minute, that’s still enough to make the foe nervous. Just remember to give the foe a burst of maniacal laughter from me after every knockout!
There’s not much more to be said about Ganondorf. I’ve given his moves and told you when best to use them, and I’ve rambled for a while about his playstyle, his physics, and the ideal Ganondorf-playing mentality. So just go out and Thunder Drop a Link!