CunningKitsune is one of the dominating smashers of the Midwest. With blazing speed and incredibly technical gameplay, he is never considered a pushover. After watching Cunning play and improve steadily at each Midwest Circuit event, I decided to give him the first ever Not So Common Sense interview for Melee on the overswarm.com; lucky for me, he is as articulate and well-organized with writing as he is with gameplay. Read up, and get into the mind of a fast Fox.


Q: Give me a little information about yourself. Who are you, what is your main character, and how long have you been in the competitive Smash scene?

A: My full name's Anthony Anastasia, better known as CunningKitsune, CKit, or CK to the Smash community. As my username implies (if you know the word "kitsune" in Japanese, that is), I main Fox nearly exclusively. I've been in the competitive Smash scene since November 2004, with my first actual tournament appearance in December 2004.

Q: What got you into the competitive Smash scene?

A: Let's see… I guess it all started back when I actually found Smashboards. I was looking through a good deal of websites one day, trying to find additional information on Melee, and I ended up following a bunch of links that eventually led me to Smashboards. One of the first posts I read there was by UmbreonMow, and it dealt with something called a "shine spike" that Fox could perform that could in theory kill your opponent from 0%. Well, needless to say, I found that very interesting (especially since I had just recently switched to Fox), so I started reading the boards, eventually registering under my current username. One day, a thread popped up from some Smashers in Hammond, IN calling themselves "Team SHEP"; they were calling for some local competition. Since I had been getting the more advanced techniques under my fingers for some time before then, I decided to see how I would fare. I ended up doing better than I expected, and I surprised some of the locals with my technical abilities. It was during this time that a couple friends of mine, known on the boards as "311" and "HoChiMinhTrail," also began to get into the scene, and we started playing on a nigh-weekly basis with the SHEP guys. From there, they hosted a small tournament in December of 2004 called Melee Coliseum, which I somehow ended up winning, and, well… Here I am today.

Q: Why did you pick Fox as your primary character?

A: This is actually kind of funny… And very random. Believe it or not, I actually have not been using Fox since the very first time I picked up this game. My very first character choice was Marth, and he was my "main" back before I knew about Smashboards or higher-level play or anything. Trail and I back then lived a couple minutes from each other, so we would play quite frequently. Back then, he used Link and would fill the stage with bombs, arrows, and just projectiles in general, all while performing such high-level feats as rolling into up-B's. Well, at that time, that kind of stuff worked. Really well. My projectile-less, very low-level Marth couldn't stand up to the barrage, and, frustrated by the projectiles and my own lack thereof, I decided to pick a character who did have one. That character was Fox. I guess my own penchant for Fox was a factor as well; Star Fox for the SNES was the very first game that I actually bought.

Q: Have you ever thought about switching your character after that point, or are you determined to stick with Fox?

A: Not in the slightest; I’m absolutely committed to sticking with Fox and Fox only (at least in tournament play; random friendlies are a whole different story, of course). I’m particularly adamant about staying with Fox because I truly do believe that, when played as he should be played, he has answers to every situation, every character; I guess my “loyalty” to him reflects my desire to prove this to others. Besides that, Fox just suits me as a player; I like speed, technical feats, and being able to move freely, and my character choice clearly reflects that. No other character “feels” as right for me as Fox, basically.

Q: For your character, what three matchups would you consider to be the most difficult and why?

A: Topping that list would definitely have to be Falco. There's just so much that he can do to Fox if he catches him with even one aerial, or even if you do something so seemingly trivial as mistiming a spot-dodge punishment. Everything Falco does inevitably leads to the usual shine combo off-stage, laser to get Fox below the stage, and then edge-guarding with dair, dsmash, etc. You really only have so much room for error against Falco with the ever-present threats of 70+% combos and efficient edge-guarding.

Next, I would have to say Marth, although he's definitely a step down from Falco in my eyes. If the Fox isn't well-versed in DI'ing fsmashes and chain-grabs, sweet-spotting from virtually anywhere, and teching the ledge, he can lose stock very easily and at surprisingly low percents. That's exactly what any character wants to accomplish, much less Marth himself.

Last, I would have to say the IC's. They can just do such horrible things out of grabs, and they have the speed and maneuverability thanks to their wavedash to weave in and out of range and play games with your approach. Add in their double-shield, which makes directly attacking them far more of a technical issue; the fact that you really only get so many miniscule mistakes against a good IC's; and their resistance to non-wall shine combos and you have a harder-than-usual match for Fox.

Q: What is your approach when playing against Falco? Are there any stages to watch out for?

A: Against Falco, I tend to play two very contrasting styles seemingly simultaneously. To get in, I play very cautiously, weaving through lasers with out-of-shield wavedashes and full-jumps, and spacing full-jump nairs to get in. Once I get within range or connect with that nair, I switch to an aggressive style and actively pursue the Falco, focusing especially on compensating for his attempts to regain his SHL positioning and anticipating any holes in his game that can open him to a combo starter. If I get the chance to chain-grab, I’d most certainly do that as well. What I strive for in this match-up is maintaining my hold on Falco once I get in, but that can sometimes be tough as getting hit with even a single aerial, laser, or shine can shift momentum away from me so quickly.

As for stages, I’d probably watch out for FD. Yeah, Fox can chain-grab on it, but it also allows Falco a lot more control while removing from Fox many options for free movement. The usual shine combos across the stage hurt as well, especially when followed by the usual laser to edge-guarding.

Q: For your character, what three matchups would you consider to be the easiest to win and why?

A: One would have to be Peach. Provided that the Fox is both technical and patient, he can get a Peach half-way to death with as little as a single extended shine combo, and his speed and laser games force Peach to play on his terms for most of the fight.

Next would be Falcon. It's just hard for him to get in on a wall of shuffled nairs, and shine combos to the stage's edge finished with a shine spike or a dsmash followed with edge-guarding take his stocks very effectively. Of course, he has his tech-chase combos and the like, so the Fox can't afford to be completely relaxed at all.

Last would probably have to be Jigglypuff. I know many players regard her as a "space animal slayer," but when you get down to it, Fox really only needs to do a select few things to shut down most of Jiggs' game plan. If you just force her to you with laser fire, focus play in the center of the stage, and DI left or right whenever you do come in, she'll have a very tough time landing those low-percent Rests and recovery cheap-outs that she relies on to keep up with Fox.

Q: What is your favorite neutral stage and why?

A: That's easily Stadium for me. I really enjoy the changing terrain and how it affects the dynamics of the fight, and the central pit area of the rock terrain is perfect for wall-based infinites. Catching someone in there is always fun.

Q: What is your favorite counter-pick stage and why?

A: Well, for a while, it was Onett, until it was largely banned from tournament play. That stage is simply everything a Fox wants in one place, from the low ceiling to the tech-able houses to the walls perfect for infinites (until a car comes, of course). With that nearly always out of the tournament stage set, I usually go to Corneria and Story, both with low celings and, in the case of Corneria, a long stage that largely negates edge-guarding based games (plus, you can do the secret taunt on it).

Q: A lot of players have taken it up on themselves to camp Corneria with Fox's lasers by running away from an enemy and avoiding combat unless it is a sure victory. Is this a strategy you employ on your counterpicks? What do you think of it?

A: No, I don’t really use that specific strategy at all; it’s just a bit too extreme for my tastes. I suppose that I do use a very much toned down version of that by using lasers and speed to direct the focus of the battle to a specific portion of the stage (for example, trying to force the fight to the middle of the stage if I’m playing a Marth or Jiggs). However, once I succeed in doing that, I go right back to a fighter’s mentality and proceed as usual. In short, I do use Fox’s lasers and speed to dictate the terms of the fight whenever feasible, but I never have and never will use them to stall in such an extreme fashion.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t approve of this kind of strategy at all. To me, it reflects a sort of cowardice, a fear of one’s opponent, and that (again, in my opinion) likewise reflects desperation and weakness. I am well aware of “playing for keeps” and “playing to win” and the like, but I really find it difficult to condone a strategy which sucks all the fun out of the game in the first place. Competition is all well and good, of course; however (and this is just my take on things), I still hold the perhaps- antiquated view that this game is just that, a game, and is meant to reflect a good balance of both fun and competition. I’ll be the first to admit, I do enjoy winning money and placing well in tournament play; however, if I were to gain that money placing through a tactic such as this, I just wouldn’t feel satisfied with myself, really. That’s just my opinion, though.

Q: Your Fox has a very specific style that has been dubbed the "Fast Fox". Was your style of play something that came about naturally as you played, or was it something you had to sit and learn?

A: I'd say it was more a natural thing for me. Once I started practicing the advanced techniques, I found that half of the fun I was having while playing was technically challenging myself to go still faster, to become still more technical; the reactions I got from spectators added to that drive (I admit, I am a bit of a show-off, at times). The fact that I very early on learned of Mofo's Fox and his technical aptitude also helped push me to become still more technical; back then, I aspired to become as technical or still moreso than him, and I aimed for a style similar to his.

Q: Does your speed give you any specific advantages at the highest level of play?

A: I think it gives my Fox a sort of surprise factor. You know that he's supposed to be naturally fast, but sometimes you underestimate just how far he can be pushed, and that catches opponents off guard sometimes. My speed and technical game also allow me to punish severely even the slightest of mistakes, something that's always a plus at any level.

Q: Has there ever been a situation where your speed has worked against you?

A: I wouldn't say it's necessarily one pin-point situation; for a time, it was rather a long period of time where it worked against me. I at one point began to rely so much upon my technical prowess and speed that I lost sight of the more subtle aspects of the mental game, mind games, anticipation, and so on, all of which are key to succeeding at the highest levels of play. Only recently have I really begun to change my mindset and combine high speed and technical strength with intelligent gameplay.

Q: What do you fear playing more, characters that move as fast as you or characters that focus on capitalizing on your mistakes?

A: Probably characters that move as fast as me. I do often count on my speed to create and punish openings, and that is easier on a slower, more easily anticipated opponent. Equally fast characters force me to step up the mental game while still keeping the technical game sharp; it's really the only way to find or consciously create openings that would be far more frequent in slower characters. Faster characters are also better at creating and punishing openings in the first place.

Q: Several characters can chain-grab Fox or, in the case of Captain Falcon, tech chase them to death. This slows down Fox's game to a crawl and puts the match almost exclusively in the hands of your opponent. What do you do to avoid these situations? What do you do if you are caught in them?

A: Basically, I try to avoid playing stupidly or sloppily. If I see that they're trying to set me up for a grab with dash-dance spacing, I either try to compensate for their movement or force their move with laser fire; if I want to hit a shield from a decent height, I'll try to hit the rear of the shield to remove grabbing as an option entirely; if I'm going to shuffle into a shield, I don't plan on missing the shine or jab and getting shield-grabbed. Honestly, getting grabbed is when most of Fox's troubles start in the first place. I guess my game plan is "don't get grabbed."

If I do end up in one of those situations, I make certain to get the proper DI going to escape the chain-grab early, or I DI off-stage and jump to sweet-spot the ledge, etc. If that fails, I make sure to DI the follow-ups, which are usually very easily anticipated for each character, and go from there. If my opponent tries to start up some tech chasing off a grab, I try my best not to be predictable, to anticipate what he wants me to do and instead do the complete opposite.

Q: Your technical skill is something to be admired by even the top players of the game. How do you practice your technical skill, and what advice would you give someone who wants to be as technical?

A: I actually have a fairly set routine when it comes to practicing tech skill, but I add a few things here and there as well. I usually just go into no-time Melee mode (so I can use the C-stick) and practice various maneuvers on level-1 computer opponents of the tournament-viable characters. I aim to pull off combos that actually can work in a tournament-level situation, and I play as such. I do this for usually around half an hour each and every day, if possible, but during the week of a major tournament I may increase this to an hour or so. Of course, I do prefer to play with actual human opponents, but this routine helps to keep me sharp at all times and is always available to me.

I have a couple pieces of advice for those wishing to be as technical as me. First, be prepared to dedicate yourself a bit to a proper practice routine to keep yourself sharp and to improve on a daily basis. Second, make sure that technical ability is not your only aspiration. While it does help to have complete control over your character's technicalities, it does not help simply to charge into any fight head-on, expecting your tech to overpower your opponent each and every time. That doesn't work at higher levels. When you reach that level of play, you can (and should) begin to focus less so on technicals (since by then you really should have them under your fingers) and far more so on the mental game. Keep that in mind at all times.

Q: What combos do you practice, and against what characters?

A: Well, against any shine combo-able characters (Sheik, Peach, Falcon, Marth, etc.), I generally practice cross-stage waveshines and repeated waveshines (except on the lower-traction characters in that set) to jump-canceled grabs and usmashes, following up as appropriate. Against those who fall from the shine, I practice jab set-ups into grabs and usmashes and the subsequent follow-ups. These are only a few specific examples of what I do during practice, of course.

Q: Do you think practicing against level 1 CPUs is essential for everyone? Would you practice against them if you always had the option to play against human beings?

A: I don’t think everyone absolutely has to practice like that. Many are content with just human practice, but I’m one of those people who want perfect execution, and so I take the extra step to ensure that my tech is always sharp by practicing against level 1’s. I think that I would still practice against them even if I could always play against humans; again, I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I would gladly take another opportunity to improve and to maintain my abilities.

Q: Fox has some excellent combos that cannot be escaped at certain percentages, and all good Fox players abuse those combos. Unlike most Fox players, you almost always are able to stop a combo before it is pushed to far, and save yourself from being attacked mid-combo. How do you know when to stop following your opponent? What do you do when you know the combo has ended and pushing it will result in trading hits?

A: How do I know… Well, really, the most I can tell you is just that it's a sort of "feeling" I get. It's not so much an actual thought in my mind saying "Alright, it's gone far enough, and it's not completely safe to go on" as it is a sort of instinct that it's time to break off. By now, I can just see that my next attack would come in at an awkward angle, or wouldn't get there in time, etc., and so I just stop myself beforehand. When I see that the combo is over, after pulling back, I try to read my opponent's response to what has just happened and set up another string. Many times they'll jump and try to counter with an aerial, or air-dodge, or try to fall to the ledge, etc.; I aim to read their next move and just set up another situation similar to the one from which I just released them.

Q: Do you think this came about because of experience, or is it just a natural talent you have?

A: Definitely from experience. When I first started, I didn’t have this sort of vision at all; now it is instinctual.

Q: How do you normally attempt to get knockouts with Fox?

A: I actually tend to switch up my knockout choices depending on both the opposing character and the stage itself. The actual position of the characters on the stage also plays a role in my decisions. Obviously, most of the time, I choose to kill vertically, as that is Fox's forte. If, however, I land a grab on a fast-faller near the ledge, I'd probably opt for a bair instead of an uair, for example, to get them off-stage and set up for a potential low-percent kill instead of giving them air time over the stage by juggling. Against any of the shine combo-able characters, I tend to go for those to set up for grabs and usmashes, with slight adjustments made from match-up to match-up. I'm not too much of a shine-spiker, but I will try to take the opportunity to land one if I can. I tend to be more combo-oriented, though. Basically, I guess my routes for taking stock are quite dynamic. It's all about decision making for me.

Q: How are you most often killed when you are Fox?

A: That would have to be by getting edge-guarded. That's practically every character's main mindset when it comes to facing a Fox, and everybody knows how to cheap out his recovery options by now. I have also been frequently killed by coming up from the ledge with an attack too quickly and being out-spaced, but I've fixed that now.

Q: How did you fix it? How do you avoid being gimped off the edge with Fox?

A: I play a lot more patiently once I grab the ledge now. I actually think a step ahead and anticipate my opponent’s reverse wavedash or sprint and just stay put until I can find a safer or less predictable means of regaining the stage. I’ve also been incorporating wavedashing onto the stage from the ledge into my game, something that I’ve rarely done beforehand that now helps throw another curve at my opponent.

If I get knocked off-stage, I try to think what my opponent would want me to do to put myself into a vulnerable position, and I act contrary to their expectation. Sometimes I’ll intentionally place myself very close to the bottom wall of the stage so that I can tech even if I am hit. I’ve been working on ledge-teching recently as another option to safeguard my recovery as well. Anything that gives me another shot at coming back is fine by me.

Hot Seat Question: There are a lot of good Fox players out there. A lot. If you had to rank all of the Fox players that you knew of that were playing competitively, who would be the player one ranking ahead, and who would be the player one ranking behind? Why is that player below you?

A: Hot seat question indeed. This one took me a good deal of thought, but in terms of Fox alone, I would have to say that FASTLIKETREE would be one ahead and Tink one behind. Regarding Tink, I would place him ahead of myself as a player in general, but looking solely at his record as a Fox player, I can’t say that his current record with the character is noticeably better than my own. His Fox seems to be slipping repeatedly against opponents whom he beforehand would have little to no trouble dispatching (and against whom he should convincingly take the set when the match-up is seen in the bracket alone). He has also been drifting further and further away from Fox lately, as if losing confidence in him, and trying more characters even in the midst of tournament play; I really think that this has had a pronounced effect on his abilities with the character. Basically, it is his consistency with Fox which I’m calling to attention here, and consistency is, in my opinion, one of the differentiating components in such rankings. I think at this time that his Falco is stronger than his Fox, but I can’t take that into account in these specific rankings, of course.