Doc's role: Aeiral or ground fighter?

[iharfor]

I am a shffling *****, but I have recently starting looking at doc's ground game. Which is he best at? I figure aerial, which do you choose for you aggression?

[Cyris_P]

You can't really choose either. Doc's ground game is necessary for juggling and getting the other person in the air. Once in the air you can pull air combos (and more juggling) on them. Then there's grabs for KO's on the ground, and the mega punch for an arial knockout. To sum up, both are needed for combos and for KOs, so you can't have one without the other.

[iharfor]

Right, but I think players tend to sway in one area over the other. I tend to sway aeiral. I have significant air time over ground time. So I decided to practice with a level 9 computer, only using the joystick, A, and L. I understand level 9 can be predictable, but my goal was to sharpen my reflexes, and get any idea as to what was the best possible move for any given situation. I chose falco as my opponent becuase he is continusouly in your face. Anyway, it really helped my reflexes on ground and in air, it also seemed to strengthen my coordination with him. I suggest you try it.

[Cyris_P]

I've spammed certain moves in the past too in order to perfect them, but there is no 'perfect' move for any situation. The key to this game is using not only an effective move, but using one that you can get away with. One that the opponent does not think is coming. That's why mind games are so important. The shffled nair charge is a great move, but if you use it when the opponent expects it, then they'll just wavedash out of the way and punish you in a way your parents never could. You have to make use of Doc's entire arsenal to know when each move will be effective and to know if your current strategy can be changed for the better.

[Mr1337]

I stick to aeirals mainly. Bair/Nair/ Fair/UAir are all way too good not spam. Although I do love Doc's throws.

[iharfor]

Yeah, all those are good. But I have just recently realized how good his tilts are. Many times when I dont have enoungh time to pull off an aerial or smash before they attack, I block, but I have found that a quick A move stops them right in their tracks and allows me to pull of a smash or aerial.

[chesterr01]

Dr. Mario has to be in the air and on the ground too, all the time, lol. When pill rushing or pill retreating for example, you want to put pressure High and Low. The air game is great, but the grabbing game is one of Doc's strength.

Personnally, most of the time, when approching I want to be at short hop or full jump level. When close to the opponent, I want to stay on the floor and get my grabs on the opponent. I always want to be the agressor [exception to that, Fox and Captain Falcon, maybe Falco, that can be more agressive than all others IMO and limit Doc's openings; in that case, I want to be a little tiny bit of passiveness...passivity... whatever]. One thing that is common when playing everybody is that you have to be able to grab them in any situation since Dr. Mario has one of the best grabbing games in the game. Short range indeed, but he has so many set up moves. :)

Versus projectile characters and high priority characters, you want to stay at short hop and full jump level. They usually fight at lower altitudes.
Versus Falco, you should cape back some lasers, jump over them most of the time and shield others.
A nair spamming Captain Falcon is, imo, in the top 3 of the most difficult matchups for Doc (Sheik, Marth, CF). The only way I've found to get in are full jump dairs, sometimes even double jumped. Dair, fastfall get under him and grab, or jab grab, or upsmash grab. At higher % you can dair into uair into a follow up easily. The dair works very well to get inside tough defenses, use it well. I use it versus all jumping fast fallers, great way to rack up damage, great grab set up. (one of the most underrated moves in the game)

In other cases, you can alternate between all levels. The dair will usually lead to the ground game anyway. Jabs are great dsmash and grab set ups. Them grabs lead to easy smashes, and easy aerials. Learn to use long wavedashes to fake out the enemy, because wavedashing enables faster movement for Doc, and the length of the WD is great. Use it to follow techs if you want to, but still if you can see the fair as a sure option, go for it.

[dr.d]

I switch off from Ground to air it all depends on the character that your fighting and their fighting strategy. but ya in the air i use nair / uair/ bair/ uair. also dair if it's a fox or not usuall i can get all the drill kicks in then just fair them which is fun. as for the ground i just wavedash to down grab or just pill the Fsmash. but ya my doc is deadly to certain characters.

[stuntcuum3571]

Chet knows what he is taking about. My Doc(muchlike all my characters) is a SHFFLing fiend. I use Bair a lil more than I prolly should, and sex kicks less. But Doc should be surface to air and air to surface, seeing nas how he is one of the fewe characters that can start and finish combos well either way

[The Black Knight]

Mario has always been known to be an all-around character for a long, long time. I always liked to think of him (Dr. Mario) as an aerial player, but if SSBM wanted to take Mario, slow him down, and power him up, in essence, he would be considered a 'ground player.' However, it also depends on the opponent. Against a strong ground player, the effects of Dr. Mario's smash attacks (His main ground weapons) could be nullified entirely, leaving the game up to aerials and pills, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but make for a more predictible fighting style. Against an aerial character, one could argue that Doc's Air moves are a tad uncontrolled in comparison, but it mostly depends on the player's prefered style of usage what type of player he is considered.