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by Ruffles
Hello! My name is Ruffles! I’m able to write this guide for you today. I have been helping Olirik lab the Inkling Amiibo, and at the time of this writing I have the #1 Vanilla Ranked amiibo on Amiibots. Anyways, with that out of the way, let’s get started!
AI Issues
Inkling’s notorious problem is that it can’t refill ink on its own. This problem is not to be ignored because Inkling is known for its ink mechanic (which is if the opponent is covered in ink, the opponent gains more damage than before). The way to fix this issue is to always refill ink no matter what.
There is another problem that Inkling has, which has to do with their Side Special. When it uses its Side Special, it will always hold a Smash Attack of any sort. If you want to train your Inkling to use Side Special, make sure to not use it as much, if not, at all. They also tend to SD when using Side Special too much offstage.
Overall Playstyle
For this guide, we’ll be covering the defensive playstyle. Defensive playstyles are not too different from the aggressive counterpart.
Defensive Inkling tend to play it safe and stay onstage. They always refill ink and go for grabs. Defensive Inkling will also need to consistently Perfect Shield (or Parry) to not get their shield broken. Defensive Inkling also uses Up Air as a juggling tool instead of Up Smash. Finally, defensive Inkling don’t go offstage to edgeguard ever. Besides those things, defensive style Inkling should be doing the same things as the aggressive counterpart.
How to Train the Inkling amiibo
Now that we got the important things out of the way, it’s time to finally explain how to train a Defensive Inkling.
Smash Attacks
For your first (and most important) main move, you’ll want to use Forward Smash. Forward Smash should be your #1 used move when making your Defensive Inkling. It doesn’t waste too much ink, and does decent knockback. So Forward Smash should be your go-to move.
As for the other Smash Attacks, you’ll want Up Smash mainly as an anti-air option. Up Smash uses a lot of ink, so you’ll have to be careful on using it on training. You also don’t want your defensive Inkling to spam Up Smash, so be aware of that.
As for Down Smash, you’ll want to use that as a “back off” or roll read option. You can also use Down Smash as a edgeguard option (but I suggest using Down Tilt because although it doesn’t kill as early, it’ll get the job done on some characters).
Tilts/Jabs
Speaking of Tilts, use Forward and Down Tilt as another “back off” option. For Up Tilt, if you want to train Inkling as fully Optimal as you want it to be, avoid Up Tilt. And for Up Tilt, you’ll want to use this move only when the opponent is above you; to follow it up with an Up Air.
For Jabs, it is not recommended to use it, but for defensive Inkling, you’ll want to use just a bit of Rapid Jab to cover the opponent with ink. Otherwise, it’s not recommended at all to use.
Air Attacks
For your Air Attacks, you don’t want to use them out of Neutral. Instead, use them out of grab combos. For example: Down Throw into Forward air or Neutral Air. For Up Throw, Up Air, I highly recommend you to train it to kill with Up Throw Up Air, because the combo will kill as early. You’ll want to Up Throw and then Full Hop, then do your second jump while pressing Up Air at the same time. This combo is known as the “Booyah” combo.
Grabs
Grabs are not usually seen in most optimal amiibo, but they’ll be useful to use when in combat. You’ll want to use a decent amount of Forward Throw. It covers the opponent in ink, so you’ll want to use it to your advantage. You want to use Down Throw at earlier Percents to do some small combos like Down Throw to Neutral Air or Forward Air. For Up Throw, you’ll want to use that AT LEAST on 80% to 120% and confirm it with Up Air. Finally, you’ll want to use Back Throw as close to the ledge as possible for kills.
Specials
It is not recommended to use most of the specials because Inkling won’t know how to use them. The only Special that should be questioned is Side Special. This move has its risks and rewards. Your Inkling will bury the opponent, but it could lead to them charging a Smash Attack. Something that should NEVER happen at all on any Amiibo. The other risk is massive loss of ink. Ink is the most important part of the Inkling Amiibo moveset. Which is why you should ALWAYS refill ink no matter what when training Inkling. So use Side Special cautiously when training Inkling. You may also use Side Special offstage to recover. Just don’t use it too much.
Spirit Loadout
If you want to make a Vanilla Inkling, you can skip this part, but if you want to make a Spirits Inkling for Spirit Amiibo vs Amiibo or Raid Bosses, well look no further. The following spirits that are mentioned here are recommended to use:
- Weapon Attack (A must have)
- Physical/Foot Attack
- Toss & Meteor
- Move Speed Up
- Landing Lag Down
If you want your Inkling to be a Raid Boss and not a Competitive Amiibo, use the following:
- Auto Heal
OR
Conclusion
Congratulations! Now you know how to make your Inkling a champ!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide (it’s my first guide lol) and I hope your Inkling becomes a shining star! I sure do enjoy helping others to become Inkling trainers. I’ve been currently working with Olirik (Inkling trainer who’s been studying the Inkling amiibo for over 2 years now) and have grown a fond interest on the Inkling amiibo. I hope you have a wonderful day! See ya! (Extra credit goes to Olirik)
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