How to Play Isabelle in Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Isabelle is one of the few newcomers to join the fight in Smash on Switch. While most of her kit is borrowed from Villager, she has a few surprises up her sleeve that set her apart from the competition. If you want to learn how to use her effectively in combat, here’s everything you need to know about how to play Isabelle in Smash Bros Ultimate.
We’ll teach you the ins and outs as well as her moves, strengths, weaknesses, and strategies.That said, let’s dive right into it.
Attacks and Special Moves
Right from the moment you play her, it’s pretty obvious to see that Isabelle takes after her other Animal Crossing counterpart – the Villager. Both characters share plenty of moves, from their grab to their forward smash in Smash Bros Ultimate.
However, there are a few key differences with some of their attacks. Isabelle’s dash attack has her throwing a brown pot instead of a sapling, which falls faster and doesn’t go as far. Moreover, her up and down aerial will always guarantee two turnips, making her strikes much more consistent.
Isabelle’s pretty speedy and has faster aerial and grounded mobility at the cost of being lighter and more floaty in Smash Bros Ultimate. This basically means that she’s much more prone to getting launched and is extremely squishy. Still, she has plenty of ways to head back into the battlefield with her up and side special.
That said, you’ll want to be careful when facing against bigger enemies like Bowser, Charizard, King K. Rool, and Donkey in Smash Bros Ultimate. These enemies can deal some pretty hefty damage and leave Isabelle in a bad spot.
Unfortunately, her smash attacks generally lack range, so she’ll have to get in close to use some of her abilities in Smash Bros Ultimate. Her forward smash is strong but has poor range and is easily punishable, so you should rely more on her down smash instead. You can also poke and pressure enemies with her forward aerial, which is one of her few ranged attacks.
Neutral Special – Isabelle grabs any items or projectiles within range and stores them in her pocket. She can take it out at any time and use it against her enemy, with projectiles gaining some extra damage.
Side Special – She throws out a line from her fishing rod that can be used to hook in enemies, items, or as a recovery tool. If you hold down B, you can wait for an enemy to get close and reel them in. Can be blocked by a shield.
Up Special – Isabelle uses balloons to propel herself in the air. It’s a great recovery tool, but enemies can pop her balloons and leave her helpless.
Down Special – She will plant a trap on the ground that she can activate manually or when an enemy walks over it. When triggered, Lloid will launch in the air and snag along any enemies caught up in its range.
Isabelle’s Strengths and Weaknesses in Smash Bros Ultimate
Strengths
- Quick and agile
- Has some of the best aerial recovery moves in Smash Bros Ultimate
- Her side special has great range
Weaknesses
- Squishy and easy to launch
- Punishable, poor smash attack range
- Her neutral special is useless in stages with no items and when enemies have no projectiles
Isabelle Strategies and Tips for Smash Bros Ultimate
Isabelle’s main strength lies in her agility and recovery in Smash Bros Ultimate. She can dance around her foes and easily escape from sticky situations by simply jumping or even straight up running away.
Her fishing rod is one of her better moves in Smash Bros Ultimate thanks to its range. She can use this to hook in enemies and send them flying across the map or as a way to hook onto the edge of the stage as a tether recovery.
On top of that, you can even use her rod in midair to drag an enemy down the stage with you or fling them out of it instead. Its slow windup makes it easily punishable, however, so you have to be crafty when using it.
Her trap is a great way to zone enemies and give you some space if they come running after you. Since Isabelle can control her trap, she can set enemies up and activate herself if they come to close or even somewhere on top of it. If you’re fighting against three or more other players, make sure to lay the trap somewhere where characters usually go, such as the center of the stage or on accessible platforms.
Don’t be afraid to abuse her forward aerial to poke your enemies and keep them at bay. It’s also a great launching ability once you’ve managed to damage your enemy enough as well.
That wraps up everything you need to know about how to play Isabelle in Smash Bros Ultimate. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks on the game, be sure to take a look at out expansive Smash Bros Ultimate guide wiki.
Here are a few other guides to help you get started:
- How to Play Inkling
- How to Play Incineroar
- How to Play Ridley
- How to Unlock All Characters
- How to Level Up Spirits
