Is it worth it?

[Bdawg22]

So i've played SSBM alot in the past and just recently. I thought i was the bomb at it because I could beat everyone around. I checked out some videos of pro's (plank or whatever) because i play shiek and was wow'd at what this game really is. I started learning to wavedash/short hop and find both extremely difficult. Almost impossible at this point for me to actually incorporate it into my normal style without making me worse. I guess what I want to know is how long it takes most of you to start actually feeling comfortable using wavedash/shorthop/shuffle/edge hogging in order to become a better player. Because quite frankly it is getting extremely frustrating and sort of taking the fun out of the game for me while failing =). So in the words of david after the dentist "Will this be forever..........?"

 

[Tee ay eye]

Let me work it
I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it
It esrever dna ti pilf nwod ngath ym tup I

hmmm

a month?

 

[CaptainCrunch]

Tech skill comes on its own if you play a lot. Don't focus so much on learning tech skill, but more so in finding people better than you or at your level and playing alot. if you take one technique at a time and incorporate them as you play, they soon become habit.

 

[CableCho57]

Yes it's worth it! Why do you think we all play? If you don't want to take the time and play a lame version then play brawl =P. but this game is so awesome it will be worth it.

 

[PGH Carroll]

you'll get the hang of it, dont worry.
If your anything like me it will come in pieces and overtime it will feel normal.
month or two..

 

[weon - X]

you'll get used to it in a couple of months, but its allot harder to know when and how to apply all these techs

edit: oh yeah its definitely worth it

 

[CaptainCrunch]

The important part is just to have fun with it. If you love to compete and want to be the best, go to tourneys and face people who are way better than you. Getting owned is the best way to learn. the game isn't all tech skill. Tech skill is just there to unlock your characters potential and give you more options, but some characters like jiggs, shiek and marth, require very little tech skill and are easy to play well with technically.
The big part in getting better is predicting, and punishing your opponent.

 

[Bdawg22]

Ya I understand, here is the problem I play against people who are on my level. I'm just a little better, I beat them probably 70% of the time. I love to be competitive and whatever I need to do to become better I guess is worth it. So I guess now that that is figured out. What would you guys recommend as far as getting better playing shiek primarily. I dont know of anyone or any competitions to seek out and I'm somewhat confident there is little of it seeing that I live in Utah. So would I be better off practicing wave-dashing/short hopping etc on practice mode or try to use them in my 1v1's with my roommate (i've tried and its extremely frustrating)? And as far as the technical skills go which are most important for shiek to know?

 

[Leviathan741]

Dude it is so worth it...eventually shuffling and wavedahsing will be kindergarten skills 2 u cuz u'll realize that their is always a hihger level except for mang0.....

Playing cf is definently worth it and his taunt is FTW

 

[john!]

Start with wavedashing, teching, and jump-canceled grabbing. Those are easy and really important for Sheik. Watch these three vids for reference.

But the best way by far to get better is watching videos. Search for Amsah, Drephen, Plank, and Korean DJ on YouTube. They are legendary Sheik players. But play around with other characters too... I and many others changed their mains when they started using advanced techniques.

 

[Paixy]

watch videos and practice. wavedashing was hard for us all at the start. takes a week-month to pull it off consistently.

 

[ETWIST51294]

Paixy, you've been here for a long *** time.

 

[Zodiac]

I love telling this story XD, I was once very much like you, before I got into the competitive scene I was really good, I never lost, i do mean I NEVER lost. In fact It got so boring I stopped playing all together, until I learned that there were techniques I didnt master yet, like wave dashing and stuff, and that there were tournaments even! I got really excited and started practicing them all, incorporating them. I was link main with sheik as a secondary. But my style was so developed that I actually got worse, so I decided I wouldnt use them until I found a way for them to flow into my style.

Flash foward about four months, I have practiced all the advanced techniques, I know how to do them on a whim, I just dont becuase I cant incorporate them into my style right. Im at an anime convention melee tournament and Im playing friendlies as sheik. and suddenly I get pinned down and i was in a situation I couldnt get out of and I WAS going to get nailed with an attack, and then it hit me.. Wave dashing! I realized I could wave dash out and then run back in after his attack during his lag. And I did it perfectly since I had been practicing, after that I started using wavedashing just a means to escape with sheik, over the years it grew and now I can incorporate into my style no problem.

But you should know, that while wave dashing is very useful, sheik is not a character that can use it as well as someone like marth or fox. Before you get down wave dashing I would say focus on just l-canceling, thats more important by a long shot for sheik, in fact, as a sheik player wave dashing would be fifth or so on my list of advanced techniques to learn, I think I use wave landing more than sheik than wave dashing (These are essentially the same technique)

For a sheik main
1.L-canceling
2.Chain grabbing using JC grabs (One of the easier techs to learn)
3.Edge hogging techniques
4.Ledge hops
5.Ledge stalling techs
6.Off stage game development
7.Wave dashing

Haha after thinking about it most techniques are more important than wave dashing for sheik. you may have some of those developed already, but as a player who mains sheik just as much as I main link those are the things that I would learn first.

And oh yea, its worth it. as for finding tournaments go to regional zones and check out your region.

 

[MarioMariox2]

I had that feeling when I started out as well (See: http://www.smashboards.com/news/blogs/151419/2941/ssbm-a-recollection-of-my-development).

I felt like l-cancelling and wavedashing were too hard and I seemed to suck worse when I tried using them early on. But After gradually mastering them (alongside watching vids), I can't seem to do without them. Go with the basic stuff fist, like dashdancing or shorthopping. Those quick techs will eventually lead on to the greater things, as long as you take the plunge.

 

[A Pimp Named Slickback]

depends on how much you practice

wavedashing with sheik takes like half an hour to get down

incorporating it into your game comfortably could take a week or two to a month of consistent play

mastering all the uses and aspects of the wavedash could take years

 

[demodemo]

l cancelling?

sheik?

if you want to learn to shffl play falcon

seriously sheik all i do is wavedash, but thats not even neccesary. sheik's main game is just being gay. learn to chain attacks together, find out what connects to what. thats whats important! sheik's shffled aerials suck d

 

[Stev]

Incorporating stuff into your play is more like being able to realize when you can use stuff WHILE you're playing. Sometimes it's cuz you saw someone do it in a vid, sometimes it just hits you, sometimes you do it by accident, sometimes you try to give it a shot and it works. It takes time. Eventually you'll figure it out.

 

[The Star King]

Am I the only one who was able to incorporate wavedashing, L-Canceling, and other ATs really easily, like in a week maybe? I know I learn things faster than most people, but still.

I'm a weirdo lol >_>

 

[Eggm]

They advanced techniques make you bad at first, but once you first incorporate them into your game and "get it" that satisfying feeling that overruns your body will answer your question. I remember practicing WDing back and forth across FD for days when i first started, then making some one whiff an Ariel with WD back f smash just felt sooooooooooo good. Mess around with other characters for awhile. You can always come back to sheik, but she's kinda hard to tell if you l-canceled correctly and her Shffl's are really hard even for a seasoned player. Mess around with Ganon. Once you start Wding back into tilts or SHffl fairing a lot and ****** your friends you'll feel good.

Edit : don't listen to demodemo. Shieks shffl's are great. Watch amsah videos from pound 4 or any tec0 video. They are just hard to do and incorporate into your game even for good players so learn it on other characters and just have fun with the game.

 

[#HBC | Mac]

whenever yu play someone. Just wd to move. WD obsessively, try to do to it all the time. You'll learn pretty fast how to do it consistently, and when you should and shouldn't do it.

 

[Massive]

Sheik is one of the few characters you don't have to be amazing with tech skill to play competently.
That aside, you NEED to crosstrain.

It's much easier to play well if you're intimately aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all of your possible opponents, many times tech skills you learn with other characters will carry over in ways which are not directly visible.

Pick up Fox to improve your speed, Falcon for style, and Marth for spacing and you'll improve very, very quickly.

 

[MCSR]

These are definitely necessary, and totally worth it.
The difference between L-Cancelling and not L-Cancelling can decide a match.
Short-Hopping is so incredibly fast and usefull, and characters like Luigi and Falco with really high starting jumps can't be used effectively at all during the heat of battle.
I'd say learn to shffl first.
That is the single most important technique.
Also, I picked up the AT's about 2 years ago, but am just now starting to get them consistently, due to just now finding a truly competitive scene. Look around for your local "pro" smash scene, and ask them if they'll help you. Learning by example is great.
Watch lots of videos, they help immensely.

 

[holypho]

I love telling this story XD, I was once very much like you, before I got into the competitive scene I was really good, I never lost, i do mean I NEVER lost. In fact It got so boring I stopped playing all together, until I learned that there were techniques I didnt master yet, like wave dashing and stuff, and that there were tournaments even! I got really excited and started practicing them all, incorporating them. I was link main with sheik as a secondary. But my style was so developed that I actually got worse, so I decided I wouldnt use them until I found a way for them to flow into my style.

Flash foward about four months, I have practiced all the advanced techniques, I know how to do them on a whim, I just dont becuase I cant incorporate them into my style right. Im at an anime convention melee tournament and Im playing friendlies as sheik. and suddenly I get pinned down and i was in a situation I couldnt get out of and I WAS going to get nailed with an attack, and then it hit me.. Wave dashing! I realized I could wave dash out and then run back in after his attack during his lag. And I did it perfectly since I had been practicing, after that I started using wavedashing just a means to escape with sheik, over the years it grew and now I can incorporate into my style no problem.

But you should know, that while wave dashing is very useful, sheik is not a character that can use it as well as someone like marth or fox. Before you get down wave dashing I would say focus on just l-canceling, thats more important by a long shot for sheik, in fact, as a sheik player wave dashing would be fifth or so on my list of advanced techniques to learn, I think I use wave landing more than sheik than wave dashing (These are essentially the same technique)

For a sheik main
1.L-canceling
2.Chain grabbing using JC grabs (One of the easier techs to learn)
3.Edge hogging techniques
4.Ledge hops
5.Ledge stalling techs
6.Off stage game development
7.Wave dashing

Haha after thinking about it most techniques are more important than wave dashing for sheik. you may have some of those developed already, but as a player who mains sheik just as much as I main link those are the things that I would learn first.

And oh yea, its worth it. as for finding tournaments go to regional zones and check out your region.

good shieks don't wavedash! what?!? Naw I don't know

I think this list really nails what you should practice step by step

p.s wavedashing backwards is revolutionary!

 

[Zodiac]

good shieks don't wavedash! what?!? Naw I don't know

I think this list really nails what you should practice step by step

p.s wavedashing backwards is revolutionary!

dont wave dash much Cause usually there's a better option.

 

[Junpappy]

If you have the time and the available transportation, try to play with C!Z and/or Yaz. I'm sure they'd both be willing to help you get better (not as sure about Yaz) and it's a lot more practical learning in person as opposed to online, although I'd recommend good doses of both. And Utah does suck for Melee but you can find people who play it at Brawl tourneys/fests.

And yes, it's 100% worth it.

 

[ShootingStars]

wding with shike is part of her mindgame

many players dash dance while wding to mindgame

 

[datstupidmarth]

for me learning adv. tech skill was a long time comeing when i first started to play on smash 64 i didnt think i was doing bad but in truth looking back i sucked when melee came out i imedently took to it i played it with every1 i knew and i didnt thinki was to bad but i got my *** kicked alot then my cusin started playing technical i was destroyed icouldnt win at all i tryed to copy what he was doing but i couldnt then i reliased that i needed technical skill i traind hours on end to learn and aplie then into me game i just wasnt working i still got my *** kicked badly but it wast because i was bad it was because my style no longer fit my marth i went throw many changes and know i have a kick *** fox and can win it is more worth it than u can imagin