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by Zoom, Guest Contributor
Hello, I am Zoom. I have trained around 70 different villager bins each with different playstyles. I have created a few notable villagers such as (Mayor Pwog and Chef Pwog) who have achieved very high placements and even a win!
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AI Issues
Villager has a couple major AI issues that all stem from their Down B. The first issue is with their first Down B move, known as Timber. The main problem with this move is that Villager can sometimes place down a seed mid-air. In addition to this, Villager will use the watering can on nothing. The second Down B AI flaw is one where he will swing his axe over and over again without hitting anything. This is a problem as this move can net Villager some very early kills but can also leave him very vulnerable.
There is one other issue that is worth mentioning and that is Villager’s Neutral B (Pocket). This move can cause Villager to SD against characters who have projectiles at the ledge, since he will try and grab the projectiles that the enemy is throwing. This AI issue unfortunately is unavoidable as Pocket is a built-in move.
Overall Playstyle
Now I will give you a rundown on the various moves that you want to prioritize, and why you should prioritize these moves over others. Villager is meant to be jumpy so don’t be afraid to jump a ton! Aside from that you should be walking the majority of the time. Obviously, you can experiment with other moves that aren’t talked about, but these are the moves I generally use when training my Villager.
Side B (Lloid Rocket):
Lloid Rocket is a fantastic move for Villager, and should only be used when you’re far away. This move is insanely good as it is an AI breaker, meaning that amiibo don’t know how to deal with it and have a tough time being able to dodge it. I recommend using this move a lot on every Villager you train since it helps against a ton of matchups. This move is very good for creating space and doesn’t let the opponent get too close to Villager. I have seen some amiibo SD as a result of a Lloid Rocket. For example Kirby doing a Forward Smash into a Lloid Rocket at high percents.
Aerials:
Villager has some insane aerials, with a very powerful Up and Down Air, and a good poking tool with his Forward and Back Air. You should always make sure to use these aerials when edge-guarding as Villager. These are a top priority when training, so make sure to use them a lot so Villager can make the most out of them. When edge-guarding, I would recommend to mainly go for Down Air. This is because Villager has a simpler time going for Down Air’s and it is a lot easier to gimp with Down Air because it spikes.
Neutral Air is something that can be used, but I personally just avoid it all together as Villager’s other aerials are far superior to it.
The best aerial to land with would happen to be Down Air, so make sure to use it when landing. But, if you would like to switch it up don’t be afraid to use Neutral Air.
Smash Attacks:
Villager doesn’t have the greatest smash attacks, but some of them can be used well.
Forward Smash is terrible. It’s very slow which makes it hard to land and it can be parried very easily as a result. I would not recommend using it at all, but it isn’t a big deal if you accidentally use it a few times.
Up Smash, this is by far Villager’s best smash attack and it should be used as your anti-air. Up Smash at low percents can be followed up by Up Air. I would recommend doing this combo a decent amount to make sure Villager knows how to do it. Overall, this is one of Villager’s best killing moves so make sure to use it a lot.
Lastly, we have Down Smash. Down Smash is a very situational move and it’s best to just use it once or twice during training, so Villager will occasionally use it. Villager knows some built-in combos with Down Smash as long as you teach him to use it. The combos are:
Down Smash > Forward Smash
Down Smash > Up Smash
Down Smash > Jab
Villager will occasionally use Down Smash into Down Smash. This is normal so don’t be worried if he does this. Also, I wouldn’t recommend teaching him Down Smash into jab as the other combos have far more kill potential.
Tilts:
Forward Tilt is Villager’s get off me tool and his go to move for pushing his opponent away. This move should be used anytime Villager is close to you. It doesn’t do very much damage and doesn’t have any real kill potential like Isabelle’s, but it is still a very solid move.
Up Tilt is an alright move which has decent kill potential, but is definitely out-classed by Up Smash. The only times I would use this move is when I know Up Smash won’t connect. It is a decent move, it just has a very short range.
Down Tilt is one of the only moves on Villager that I never use. It definitely can be used, I just feel there are better options for him to use than this move. It has a nice hitbox in front of Villager and could be used when the opponent is up close. If I were to use this move I would switch between Down Tilt and Forward Tilt when the opponent gets close.
Grabs:
Villager has really great grabs. I would make sure to use them a good amount so he can capitalize on them. The grabs Villager has are great for getting opponents offstage, starting combos, or even killing! Back Throw is Villagers killing throw and can net Villager some nice kills. Villagers grab combos are as follows:
Down Throw > Forward Air
Up Throw > Up Air
The main grab to focus on would definitely be Down Throw > Forward Air, as I’ve found it can be rather difficult to teach Villager how to do Up Throw into Up Air. The only way to get him to do Up Throw into Up Air is by constantly using Up Throw a bunch of times following it up with Up Air right after.
Down B (Timber):
I explained in the AI Issues section why this move can be a bit problematic for Villager. On the contrary, I do recommend using this move. Down B has a very high KO power if it lands, either by growing or when it gets chopped. Keep in mind, you don’t want to use this move too frequently. Just often enough so every once in a while Villager will use it. A trick I found that helps him use it better is to use all the parts of Down B after one another, making sure the tree gets fully cut. This helps Villager learn to use all parts of Down B instead of just doing one of them, like only watering the plant. Always make sure to use this move when Villager is far enough away to get all parts of Down B done.
Now that you know a bit more about villagers moveset, let’s go over the most optimal strategy for Villager.
The Lloid Spamming Nightmare:
You want to make sure to always spam Lloid Rocket from far away. When close up, make sure to use Forward Tilt as your primary get-off-me tool. Combine that with a ton of jumping to make sure you capitalize on Villager’s great aerials, prioritizing Up Air and Down Air as they have the most kill potential. Edge-guarding is one of Villager’s greatest strengths, that being said you must make sure to always go for gimps. This is one of the easiest ways Villager can get free kills. Very rarely you can use Down B from far away to have a bit more kill power as Villager can sometimes struggle to kill. Up Smash is by far the best thing to use for anti-air, so be sure to use a lot of it so he learns to use it. Also, Up Tilt can be used a tiny bit if you aren’t able to use Up Smash at certain times. Forward Smash is his highest kill power move but don’t use it.
How To Train the Villager Amiibo in Smash Ultimate
The suggested training method isn’t to train it to level 50, since it can be hard to use the right moves or even keep up with Villager past a certain point. I typically stop training around level 31, but around level 20 is also fine. I would also like to talk about the importance of Slow Smash. Slow Smash not only helps to get the timing right but also allows you to use the proper moves at the proper times. So, if you can use Slow Smash, I would highly advise it as it is a good method not only for Villager, but pretty much every other character. From level 1 – 10 you want to make sure Villager has a strong understanding of how to use all of the grounded moves recommended, making sure to incorporate Side B while also edge-guarding. From levels 10 – 20, I propose that you start also using a bit of Down B while doing the same moves you were using from levels 1 – 10. Make sure to use Side B enough, as sometimes he may not use it as much as you want him. When Villager hits level 50, if he isn’t using a move that you want him to, I advise you to restart and make sure to prioritize that move a bit more.
Why It Works
Villager is proficient at breaking the opponents AI with the use of Lloid Rocket, whilst also being extremely versatile offstage by gimping opponents who struggle with their recoveries with ease. Surprisingly, Villager does fairly well against Hero, because Villager can pocket fireballs and dodge most of Hero’s attacks, due to Villager being so jumpy. That being said, Villager is in C tier, and can do fairly well against almost all of the other characters in C tier, having slightly winning or even matchups.
This wraps up my Smash Ultimate Villager amiibo guide, it was very pwog of you for checking it out and good luck during your training!
– Zoom
Amiibo Doctor 