#3, The air-steer 

What it is: A way of controlling your mid-air movement to reduce the risk of being sent flailing off the stage.

How you do it: Pull the stick hard towards the stage as soon as you get smashed away from it. To do this one effectively you’ll have to keep an eye on your damage meter and be ready for the big hits, but once you’ve got used to the timing you’ll be able to drop it into your default roster of tactics without even thinking about it.

Why you should use it: Simply, it can save you the match. With double-jumps and ariel attack movements at your disposal after receiving a smash, you can actually cover a lot of ground when trying to work your way back to safety. Using a bit of air steering before you start flipping around will let you really make the most of your recovery attempt.

 #4, The Ukemi

What it is: The art of ensuring that you don’t ricochet off the scenery like a rubberised pool ball when your damage meter is high.

How you do it: Hold down the shield button just before you hit a wall or the ceiling after recieving a big hit.

Why you should use it: It will save your life. Unpredictable, high-speed rebounds can be impossible to recover from even when using air-steering and double-jumps, so the best way to deal with them is to make sure they don’t happen at all. Timing an ukemi right will soften your impact to virtually nothing, ensuring the worst that you’ll suffer is a relatively sedate descent back down to earth.