R.O.B. Matchup Analysis #17 - Mario

[GwJ]

 

[Crome]

Mario is really ****ing good against us. He combos us so well.

I don't have much to say because I'm inexperienced in the MU, but I did fight a great Mario on stream once. I'll link it in a bit.

Here's the V.O.D - http://www.twitch.tv/mariopartytv/b/651295413?t=1h36m55s

 

[A2ZOMG]

Boring matchup that's in Mario's favor especially after U-throw nerf. I'd say 6/4 Mario. While both characters sorta have to fish for KOs, Mario racks damage faster, and ROB doesn't have a very easy way to punish fireball zoning plus his projectile traps aren't as good against Mario who can reflect them.

 

[Syde7]

I feel that this is in Mario's favor - 40:60 (Mario's favor). I've played maybe... 3 really, really good Marios and got bopped in the first games (due to just being caught off-guard at how well they utilized his moveset & optimized their options) but managed to keep it close/win at a respectable rate thereafter... though I feel like I had to work much harder than the Mario to do so.

Notes:

• Mario excels better than a lot of characters when underneath ROB. U-tilt & U-air wreck us at lower percents, with the latter being beneficial & a decent enough threat even at mid-high percents.
  
  
• N-air and D-air are solid combo-breakers vs. ROB due to a combination of their speed, number of hitboxes, how long the hitboxes linger, and priority (each of these aerials possess these positive traits in varying amounts).
  
  
• Leaving a gyro on the ground isn't near as beneficial in this MU due to cape, which will change "ownership" of the gyro while its on the ground, thus making it a trap for Mario. This gives him another option to land a grab (which at lower % sucks bc of combo/string set-ups & at KO percents can lead to a Backthrow near the ledge), or another KO move. Essentially, it makes him have to fish less for a KO. However, its a bit hard to cape a sitting gyro (well, harder than it looks) due to it moving a bit. There's the possibility a Mario could get caught up trying to fux with it and give you an opening, but I wouldn't count on it. (Besides, MUs should be analyzed under the auspices that people don't make these sorts of mistakes).
  
  
• Cape is beneficial vs just shooting projectiles, but not quite as beneficial due to how long it takes cape to come out & the cooldown if it whiffs, or is baited.
  
  
• Mario's D-air can be FF'd to land in such a way that the last, strong hit won't connect & will instead just scoot the opponent to the side. This allows for a F-/D-tilt, a grab set-up, or in the more risky cases a possible smash for KO. Its not a guaranteed combo, but it works quite often.
  
  
• Our N-air is one of the better aerial options in this MU providing we space it properly vs Mario's N-air. I think (not sure, someone please confirm or deny) that we can outspace it vs. B-air.
  
  
• F-air is another good option, again providing we space it (I think the spacing w/ F-air is a bit easier to get in this MU due to the relative size/disjoint compared to Mario's aerials).I think (not sure, someone please confirm or deny) that we can outspace it vs. B-air.
  
  
• I think U-air beats N-air (due to spacing when used from below), D-air (due to spacing when used from below) so I believe the BeepBoop will work decently enough, as will using U-air for a KO option.
  
  
• U-throw nerf really hurts us in this MU, imo. It kind of was the offset to Mario's capeability (puns, ftw) to combo us. Since he has to fish for KO's, or look for possible aerial->read reliant KO options / fireball set-up KO options. A desperate, mis-spaced aerial or auto-pilot run-in after a fireball (that was shielded) from Mario on shield at 115% or so would lead to a U-throw KO. That option no longer exists (well, it does... but about 25% later, which is just THAT much longer you have to worry about getting combo'd or KO'd).
  
  
• Mario's U-smash makes a solid anti-air if you make a habit of spacing poorly, due to the invincibility of his head. Especially effective if done OoS (Shield put up to bait a possible cross-up that gets punished with U-smash / Shield put up to bait a land->grab with U-smash to punish since there's no grab armor / Shield put up to have you expect a shield-grab attempt, and mixes up with a U-smash).
  
  
• Mario seems to have good inherent properties (his speed, aerial mobility, falling speed, etc) to stretch out combos/strings on ROB without worrying terribly about accidentally overcommitting.
  
  
• Outside of outright KO's, I think you need to net a gimp somehow in the game to really secure a win. This is easier to do vs Mario than some characters, due to his somewhat lackluster recovery, but its certainly not a gimme. You kinda have to land the gimps at weird percentages (like... 70-100%), percentages to where your set-up will knock him far enough off the stage that he won't go into up+B as soon as you get close and still snag the edge/recover, but low enough to where you can actually follow up off your set-up for a true gimp (as opposed to a successful edgeguard at the >110% range).

 

[BoTastic!]

I use both characters and I can say that approaching Mario and playin defensive against Mario is a pain. I still believe it's a doable match up if the ROB is on point, lol. Mario still doesn't have a very good neutral. And ROB still out ranges Mario in close combat (Nair Fair, Dtilt). When I fight Mario I fish for beep boop combos and I try to keep him the air. He's not difficult to juggle and even easier to keep offstage,

You can still out camp Mario if you're smart about it. I don't think ROB players should use Laser at all unless the opponent is pre-occupied and quite a distance from you anyway. Like being offstage or in the middle of an attack. Any intelligent player can react to laser's slow speed anyway so I don't find the cape that much of an issue since it's the same principle. Cape has actually been nerfed in frame data since Brawl so if you're facing a cape happy Mario, I find him easier to out camp. However, like said before, using gyromite is difficult in this match up because Gyro is one of the tools ROB has making him good. And Mario almost renders it useless.

I'll say 60:40 or 55:45 Mario.

 

[Lizard_Buttock]

I'm pretty sure everyone's already said it. He can reflect away our gyros, combo us really easily and is a general pain to deal while you're in the air. Can't really add much, except that since he's such a ground-focused character, the Slip Gyro custom works well on him.