Aerial attacks have a long landing lag which can easily be punished by opponents. However, certain aerials are programmed with "auto-cancel" frames at the beginning/ending frames, meaning that if anything interrupts the aerial during these frames (like landing) the aerial will be cancelled and the game will act as though you hadn't input anything.
Consequently, if aerial attacks are timed such that their auto-cancel windows occur at landing you will not experience normal aerial attack landing lag, as the aerial is auto-cancelled by the landing itself. This effectively allows you not only to execute aerials with a timing that avoids punishable landing lag, but also to exploit aerial auto-cancel windows to land without lag in different mixup situations.
- Cannot be reeling or in hitstun as you land, as attacks can't come out.
- Must use an aerial attack with auto-cancel frames. Check Kurogane Hammer to determine which frames of your character's aerial attacks are auto-cancellable.
- Fall towards a stage or platform. This can be out of a hop, jump, tumble, etc.
- Time an aerial such that its auto-cancel frames occur at the moment of landing.
- Time aerials to land without lag and immediately attack again, potentially creating a combo string
- Can interrupt a tumbling state just before landing with an aerial with an auto-cancel window in its beginning frames, effectively transitioning seamlessly from tumble to instantly moving/attacking/defending on stage (as opposed to falling into a prone position or teching), which can potentially surprise opponents as a mixup
- Can be used during the interruptible frames at the end of an air dodge, allowing you to avoid air dodge landing lag (aka the Dodge Cancelling advanced technique).
- Can create otherwise impossible combo strings
- Mixup option to surprise opponents by landing out of tumble without lag and being able to attack instantly.
- Some auto-cancel windows are short (only a few frames) and difficult to time consistently, if mistimed can cause landing lag leaving you vulnerable.
