Movement and Neutral Options
Basic Magneto movement pattern. Useful for more keepaway-focused styles, as it allows Magneto to retreat to the air, and land a safe distance away from the opponent. Perform a regular jump and airdash upwards to reach superjump height. When at the desired height, repeatedly plink dash reposition horizontally. Once you are a comfortable distance away from the opponent, you can return to the ground by using j.S to cancel Flight, then kara-canceling j.S into Magnetic Blast. If done properly, the Magnetic Blast will protect Magneto from the front as he falls, and can even be hitconfirmed into a combo if the opponent tries to contest it.
- It is important to use a regular jump and upwards airdash, and not a superjump. By reaching superjump height this way, you retain your ability to call assists. This gives you an immediate advantage over opponents who try to chase you to superjump height - you can call your assists, and they can't call theirs.
- You are reasonably protected against attacks from the front when landing with a Magnetic Blast. However, you are not protected from behind, and may be vulnerable to cross-unders upon landing if the opponent is close enough and fast enough. This can be mitigated by continuing to hold (down)forward as you land with the Magnetic Blast input, which will OS block a cross-under attempt.
Plinking a dash input into Magnetic Blast allows Magneto to approach behind the projectile with the maximum amount of coverage and speed. It is a powerful, safe approach tool when mastered.
It may be easier to input the Magnetic Blast input as a full half-circle j.47896L instead of only doing the required 896 motion, especially if trying to perform the input quickly after leaving the ground.
If trying to retreat rather than approach, do not bother plink dashing Magnetic Blast. Plinked backdash Magnetic Blast is significantly harder and not actually faster than just canceling the backdash into a normal Mag Blast input.
Perform an Instant Airdash just off the ground and immediately cancel into Magnetic Blast, falling alongside it. Allows Magneto to cover either his approach or retreat to move around at regular jump height with relatively little risk. This movement option is also useful for several combo routes.
Mixup Theory
General Offensive Options
Magneto's basic offense is built off the strength of his powerful Light normals to generate good frame advantage and dance around his opponent for Left/Right, High/Low, and Strike/Throw mixups all in one. Because his Light normals are fast, cause relatively little blockstun, and can be rapid-fire chained or staggered, it is very dangerous for opponents to mash pushblock against Magneto.
- 2L - Basic Fast low. 2L -> Delay > 2L will bait pushblock, discouraging the opponent from using it and allowing Magneto to perform more advanced mixups.
- j.L - Downward airdashes plinked into j.L can be used to attack with fast overheads (or fakeout a j.L and go Low instead), and then land-cancel the recovery for large block advantage.
- 5L - Whiffs against normal-sized crouching opponents, which can be exploited by whiffing on purpose against an opponent holding down-back and then throwing them. Will also catch opponents trying to chicken-block.
Conversely, Magneto's grounded M and H normals have poor frame advantage and lack strong cancel option that keep Magneto's turn. It is recommended to avoid chaining into them unless you have confirmed a hit.
Basic fast overhead setup. Depending on how you time the airdash down, you can either cross up a crouching opponent or land same-side while attacking with a falling j.L. Mix in 2L lows, empty-jump throws, additional repeated j.L reps, and various timing changes as desired.
Try your best to airdash straight down, rather than down-back or down-forward, when attacking with j.L. This will make any follow-up confirm or additional pressure easier.
All the different variants of this setup would go down here.
Oncoming and Snapback
Basic setup for forcing an opponent to block a large meaty hit on incoming, while supported by any common powerful assist such as Sentinel Drones or Doom Missiles.
The strength of this meaty hit is that Magneto land-cancels j.S while the opponent is still in blockstun. If the opponent attempts a pushblock, Magneto can dash back up to the opponent and throw them out of Advancing Guard recovery.
All the different variants of this setup would go down here.
Magneto has very strong corner carry, but it may actually be preferable to force a Midscreen oncoming mixup, as Magneto's excellent mobility gives him great Left/Right options. This setup forces an opponent just far enough out of the corner for Magneto to get behind them and combo into Snapback, for a Midscreen oncoming mixup.
Because of the Sideswitch as you airdash behind the opponent, input the ending sequence as j.874L, land, 214A.
All the different variants of this setup would go down here.
Counterplay
Basic Option Select using the built in throw OS of a plinked backdash to help defend against basic Magneto High/Low/Throw offense:
- If Magneto attacks with a dash-down j.L, you react block the attack and (hopefully) pushblock Magneto away, slowing down his follow-up attempts.
- If Magneto goes for empty-jump Low, you OS Throw Magneto out of the startup of his 2L.
- If Magneto goes for empty-jump Throw, you will OS tech the throw.
This OS is much less effective if you are locked down by one of Magneto's assists while he is attacking, but it at least allows you to defend against solo Magneto pressure.
