There are several layers of offensive moves, which all fill different roles at times.
Neutral Attack
Neutral attacks are like jabs, usually the quickest, lowest-commitment options available to a fighter (though not always—some oddballs have ponderously slow neutral attacks and should look elsewhere for short-notice pokes). Almost all fighters have several stages of a neutral attack combo, which you can speed through either by tapping the Attack button repeatedly, or simply holding it down (fighter-dependent).
Up close, neutral attack combos are quick out-of-shield retaliations and whiff punishers, good when you’re not sure whether you can score something juicier (like an up tilt launcher). Performing just one or two neutral attacks (stopping short of the final neutral attack in a sequence, always the most punishable) can be good for setting up an immediate grab attempt or mix-up. See jab-canceling for execution tips on using interrupted neutral attack combos.
Dash Attacks
Dash attacks are done by pressing the Attack button while holding the control stick to dash or run. Execution-wise, remember that you have to keep holding left or right during the dash/run as you press Attack for a dash attack. Also, producing dash attacks on short notice without room to run is possible using normal inputs, but difficult. You have to register that you’ve snapped the control stick to the side and held it, but you can’t press the Attack button so soon that you trigger a smash attack first.
There’s a trick for an alternate method: if you snap the control stick sideways and hold it, then immediately flick the C-stick sideways too, you get an “instant” dash attack every time. Keep this in mind for situations where a quick dash attack would be great but can be hard to execute normally. This includes situations like throwing someone forward or down, then chasing their bodies with an immediate dash attack, or jumping in on grounded foes with a successful air attack that pops them off their feet, then dash-attacking right away on landing to launch them.
Facing off against attentive foes on their feet, dashing in with a dash attack is usually fairly unsafe, since they might block or dodge and punish you. (Some dash attacks can at least push beyond someone who shields, making them a little safer.) It’s usually better to play more measured and close in with forward movement, lower-commitment ground moves, and short-hopping pokes.
However, when foes are inattentive or off-balance, like if they’re fighting someone else or tumbling from being launched or thrown, about to hit the ground, it’s a great time to rush in and pressure with dash attacks. Tumbling foes who tech poorly can get relaunched by the dash attack, and opportunistic hits against distracted brawlers is kind of the name of the game in free-for-all modes.
Tilt Attacks
If neutral attacks are like light moves, and smash attacks are heavy, tilt attacks can be thought of as medium. Each fighter has a side, up, and down tilt attack. Tilts can be performed either by gently nudging the control stick and pressing the Attack button, or by holding a direction for longer than the smash attack flick window, then pressing the Attack button.
Most up tilt attacks are used as anti-airs and for juggling. Some fighters can use up tilt repeatedly in combos, carrying enemies upward bit by bit, eventually in position for you to jump and chase them with air hits. This is especially true of sweeping up tilts with a broad arc overhead. Side tilt attacks usually consist of midrange pokes, effective for stopping aggressive grounded opponents. Side tilts can often themselves be tilted a bit, by angling the sideways input slightly up or down to alter the side tilt’s trajectory. This is most useful for aiming some side tilts slightly downward while edge-guarding, knocking off ledge-hanging foes. Down tilt attacks are commonly quick pokes, which can sometimes trip, knock down, or pop victims up for a close juggle.
Tilt attacks can be difficult to execute on demand in high-pressure situations due to the hectic and fast-paced nature of the game. Inadvertent smash attacks can result from trying to register tilts on the analog control stick. To alleviate this, you can alter your smash attack flick sensitivity in controller settings. Alternatively, the C-stick can be set to tilt attacks, allowing you to perform them without worrying about fine control stick operations. For example, to dash into a down tilt, you can simply dash and release the control stick, then flick down on the C-stick. If you do this manually, it’s easy to accidentally perform a dash into down smash attack because of the quick control stick movements involved.
Smash Attacks
Smash attacks are ground-based powerhouse moves used to finish off opponents. Smash attacks are performed by flicking the control stick all the way to the side and hitting the Attack button at the same time. All smash attacks can be charged by holding the Attack button upon execution. Charging a smash attack almost always increases the attack’s damage and launching power.
Most smash attacks are punishable when shielded (and even more so when whiffed), making them high-risk, high-reward attacks. However, they can be essential tools in your arsenal, allowing you to threaten KOs at early damage percentages. Notable up smash attacks include those that have broad hitbox coverage and/or low start-up times, making them effective for launching aggressive foes into the upper blast zone.
Side smash attacks are generally solid edge-guarding attacks. If you can create enough time and room to charge up a smash attack while your opponent is offstage, you can time your release for a potential KO. In the neutral game, they can be heavily punished if you whiff them.
Down smash attacks are usually double-sided clear-out attacks. They’re great for getting rid of enemies surrounding you in hectic situations, but can leave you extremely vulnerable if you miss or have them shielded. Some down smash attacks are good for edge-guarding, either for two-frame punishes against ledge-hanging, or for punishing ledge-recovery rolls.
Grabs
An unshieldable attack initiated by pressing the Attack+Shield buttons together. There’s also a Grab button assigned by default, which you can relocate if you like.
After grabbing someone, a grappler can opt to pound them with grab attacks, before hurling them with a throw. Victims can struggle with inputs while stuck in a grab, shaking out if the aggressor doesn’t throw quickly enough.
A fighter’s grab is usually one of the fastest moves they have (though never the fastest), key in scaring opponents away from shielding all incoming offense. When dropping shield, grabbing is always the fastest possible retort a defender can muster. When you’re shielding an incoming move and want to hit back, you have to release the Shield button and buffer/tap the input for your out-of-shield attack of choice. But to shield-grab while blocking, since you’re already holding the Shield button, all you have to do is hold down the Attack button too. If foes are close enough to grab after blocking, a shield grab is always your surest option. This is why it’s smart to poke from the max range of good attacks, or to aim jump-in air moves to cross over and land at defenders’ backs, negating the threat of retaliatory shield grabs.
Grab range is usually pretty short, equivalent to a fighter’s neutral attack or slightly worse. Naturally, grabbing during a dash adds some extra reach by virtue of the dash’s forward inertia. But a fighter’s dashing grab hitbox is often larger than when merely standing still. This is especially true when grabbing right after starting a pivot; most fighters have extra-large grabbing hitboxes when pivoting, the better to pull in someone running overeagerly at their heels. However, note that grabbing out of a dash or pivot universally adds three extra frames to a grab’s normal start-uplag.
Throws
After grabbing an enemy, you can opt to throw them with one of four throws: front, back, up, or down. Each fighter’s four throws have distinct uses and properties. Some throws deal more damage than others, while some are designed to set up juggling opportunities, tech traps, or guaranteed follow-up attacks. Choosing which throw to use is generally intuitive. If close to a ledge, you want to throw your ensnared opponents off the stage. To rack up more damage, you can go for an up or down throw, setting up a combo or mix-up opportunity (this is fighter-dependent).
Since grabs are a core component of your arsenal, learning which throws lead to more potential damage is vital for optimizing a fighter’s damage output.
Air Attacks
Air attacks are executed while airborne, whether popped up tumbling by enemies or jumping and hopping under your own agency. Since the best movement in Smash usually occurs while airborne, air moves are extremely important.
Neutral air attack is usually the quickest air move, just like neutral attack on the ground. It often has a decent active period, even hitting on both sides like an aerial clear-out option. Forward air attack is usually a more directed poke, aimed at a specific forward angle. Back air is usually a variation on forward air attack, with some twists—like higher damage, but more starting and ending lag, or a shorter active period. It’s not uncommon for back airs to be a fighter’s best general air-to-air and air-to-ground poke, forcing the use of conscious reverse rush movement to keep your back to foes. Depending on the fighter, this logic for neutral, front, and back air might be all scrambled, so it’s ultimately case by case.
Up air attack and down air attack are a little more universal. Up air is virtually always an upward swiping move, great for chasing tumbling enemies and jumpers above. Down air attack is usually a precise, downward-aimed spike, capable of meteor smashing victims if it hits squarely from above.
Whether you set the C-stick to produce smash attacks or tilts, it can produce air moves when jumping around. Performing air attacks with the C-stick makes it easier to use the control stick for fast-falling when desired.