Q&A The 'Mains' Advice Thread

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

What Nice said about is my opinion on the character is. He's very underrated, and placed in a situation like and where similar characters are much more established and proven effective.

Those three bonus ones are among the most technical in the game. Go .

My opinion on solo maining is undecided. In Brawl, I played a combination of 3 high tiers (Wolf, G&W, Pit) and could counterpick my way through the cast. I guess since in this game the tiers are not as predominant it's best to pick one main and one second. It's also important to know that two players of one character aren't the same, and that's a factor as well.

 

[TheHappyPickle !]

In smash 4 I play every characters, or at least have the basic knowledge on all of them like Hitboxes, kill%'s etc. But I focus on Ryu Greninja and Lucas the most out of all of them I have decent win rates with all of them mostly with Lucas. But I do agree with you about the solo mains and if 2 different people play the same fighter they are very very different. Everyone is different in smash even if you try to copy someone it will still always be different.

 

[C0rvus]

See, solo maining makes you more proficient with that character, and faster. When you play 2 or 3 or more, you will of course not want to use all of them in every matchup. So each character will technically have more holes in your experience. With a single character, it really is just easier to not even master them, but improve and understand the game through their lens. With a secondary, you rarely see the level of nuance and expertise you would get from even a main. Of course, it can happen that you become a master of multiple characters. It will just take longer. Maybe not even twice as long, because some skills and knowledge transfers, but it takes time.

This is why I'm afraid of investing time into characters I am unsure about. But there's no other way to know if a character is your main than to put effort into them and see if it sticks, right? Bleh, I get so worried about spending my time wrong that I end up wasting it anyway. That's a big part of my problem.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

After watching vids by ZeRo for advice (really works he's awesome) I've realized I'm not gonna play since they aren't aggressive which is how I need to play. Sheik is but he also needs to be campy and patient. If there's someone on my list who's not aggressive please tell me. All around characters are fine. But the list continues for me. I'm going to use 3. I might end up dual maiming who know. But for now I still need 2 secondaries to benefit my aggressive playstyle and . I'm considering . Is anyone non aggressive? Like if the are partially aggressive but can zone of something that's fine. And any help deciding?

 

[C0rvus]

Ryu is not aggressive. Yes, his goal is ultimately to get in and body people, but he gets there through patience and winning neutral exchanges. Ryu players need to play footsies and use well placed normals to strike at an opening and take it as far as possible. Also he's really hard to play effectively.

Corrin's kinda slow and wants to zone with his absurd normals mostly. Not really aggressive.

Marth is similar, but has better mobility to work with. He wants to keep his opponent at a fixed distance and control the pace with his range.

I think even with aggression, it must be measured and calculated. Everyone has to play neutral. And win it. So maybe I'm misunderstanding exactly what you want to accomplish with a character. Also I find it funny that an Ice Climbers player wants to be aggressive for some reason.

 

[TheHappyPickle !]

See, solo maining makes you more proficient with that character, and faster. When you play 2 or 3 or more, you will of course not want to use all of them in every matchup. So each character will technically have more holes in your experience. With a single character, it really is just easier to not even master them, but improve and understand the game through their lens. With a secondary, you rarely see the level of nuance and expertise you would get from even a main. Of course, it can happen that you become a master of multiple characters. It will just take longer. Maybe not even twice as long, because some skills and knowledge transfers, but it takes time.

This is why I'm afraid of investing time into characters I am unsure about. But there's no other way to know if a character is your main than to put effort into them and see if it sticks, right? Bleh, I get so worried about spending my time wrong that I end up wasting it anyway. That's a big part of my problem.

Still you would have put that time into the fighter you want to main, and you can always come back to the same character again because you will most likely still have the same knowledge with them when you were playing them so its not gonna ever be a waste just sitting there with a character, or not even having a main.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Ryu is not aggressive. Yes, his goal is ultimately to get in and body people, but he gets there through patience and winning neutral exchanges. Ryu players need to play footsies and use well placed normals to strike at an opening and take it as far as possible. Also he's really hard to play effectively.

Corrin's kinda slow and wants to zone with his absurd normals mostly. Not really aggressive.

Marth is similar, but has better mobility to work with. He wants to keep his opponent at a fixed distance and control the pace with his range.

I think even with aggression, it must be measured and calculated. Everyone has to play neutral. And win it. So maybe I'm misunderstanding exactly what you want to accomplish with a character. Also I find it funny that an Ice Climbers player wants to be aggressive for some reason.

I could be mistaking aggressive play with my love of getting in lots of hits in and pressuring them and being scary up in your face. If you saw me play you'd get it. With ice climbers I'd juggle a lot, play 'tennis' with my opponent between Popo and Nanna, and getting those grab dunks. I love getting lots of hits in a row and not giving my opponent a chance to hit back. To puck them off stage or juggle them in the air or hit them back and forth. I think is aggressive but not sure. I'm ok with zoning as long as they are aggressive too. I know is slow but still is an aggressive character. Idk about though. I will drop since he doesn't fit my style. Also I mained and with if that explains. Fast and hits consecutively. I also used to main in the past before came along.

 

[Lavani]

I think what you mean is that you like characters who are good at comboing/stringing hits. Corrin is a slow character who doesn't really have good approach options but can control space well from midrange, so she'd be considered defensive, but nearly any tilt/aerial will combo into more hits so she's got a solid combo game.

Considering that with previous mains, seems like a good fit for you, but would be the more "aggressive" combo-oriented characters out of who you mentioned in your previous post.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Thanks that helps. So with all that said I've heard stuff about so I'm keeping them in mind and I'll drop .
I may have jumped the gun on . Idk yet but I might consider him again. Maybe. I'm also gonna add unless he's REALLY hard to use. Is he easier than ?

 

[Stylo Ren]

Pikachu is pretty wonky, not harder than ryu imo but definately a weird character.
Marth isnt aggressive, pit isnt really either outside of being downthrow simulator. He is like 1 part rushdown and 4 parts footsies and neutral.
Mario is pretty aggressive.

Cloud can be played aggressively but thats not optimal.

ZSS is pretty aggresive.

Fox is really aggressive

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Do not pick , he's the entire reason went out of business.
and are both very aggressive, while is more of a offense-defense balance character.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Ok so I'll keep and maybe as possibilities. Which 2 do the best against ?
I think I'll add to my list since I've heard he's a good option. Maybe back too.

 

[Stylish pQuesadilla]

Who out of the starting roster of Smash 3ds(don't have a wii u ) would be a good main, OTHER THAN MARIO?
Also, out of the classes, I tend to like all-around and speed.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Who out of the starting roster of Smash 3ds(don't have a wii u ) would be a good main, OTHER THAN MARIO?
Also, out of the classes, I tend to like all-around and speed.

 

[KirbCider]

Alright, I'll try to ask/explain this in the best way possible so please bear with me!

Lately I've seemed to of narrowed my mains down to King Dedede and ROB as I do the absolute best with those two overall; however at the same time I really do want to learn somebody new. I've toyed around with Bayonetta since her release and still use her, but most matches are usually a huge swing and miss with her. The same can be said for Zelda who I also enjoy playing. I can do okayish with Zelda but when it boils down to it she's definitely not my strong suit at times. To put it simply I want to look for a third Main.

I used to main Kirby, Pac-Man, and Mr. Game & Watch but I do horrid with them in For Glory at times due to them being light weights. I still use them when the mood strikes me but they've definitely been reduced to Pocket Status. I also touch Toon Link at times but it's very rare I pull him out considering I have the same issue of doing pretty horrid with him in For Glory sometimes.

I've tried (and very much love) Duck Hunt but he is also one of those grey areas for me. He's definitely an On again Off again Main.

I'm sort of looking for someone who sort of fits into King Dededes and/or ROBs playstyles, or perhaps someone that can cover the weaknesses those two characters have. I can be very aggressive but also pretty defensive when I know I have to be, and I absolutely hate being campy/passive. I also dislike fast characters (I never do well with Captian Falcon or Sonic due to their speeds, and also really hate playing as them to being with). I had a small interest in Bowser Jr a while back but I have a slightly difficult time with him.

If Bowser Jr is certainly a good choice for a Third Main then I wouldn't mind attempting to get better at him again, but is there a better choice out there that would possibly be a perfect fit? Side Note: I have a nice Aerial fighting style going for me if that helps any.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Alright, I'll try to ask/explain this in the best way possible so please bear with me!

Lately I've seemed to of narrowed my mains down to King Dedede and ROB as I do the absolute best with those two overall; however at the same time I really do want to learn somebody new. I've toyed around with Bayonetta since her release and still use her, but most matches are usually a huge swing and miss with her. The same can be said for Zelda who I also enjoy playing. I can do okayish with Zelda but when it boils down to it she's definitely not my strong suit at times. To put it simply I want to look for a third Main.

I used to main Kirby, Pac-Man, and Mr. Game & Watch but I do horrid with them in For Glory at times due to them being light weights. I still use them when the mood strikes me but they've definitely been reduced to Pocket Status. I also touch Toon Link at times but it's very rare I pull him out considering I have the same issue of doing pretty horrid with him in For Glory sometimes.

I've tried (and very much love) Duck Hunt but he is also one of those grey areas for me. He's definitely an On again Off again Main.

I'm sort of looking for someone who sort of fits into King Dededes and/or ROBs playstyles, or perhaps someone that can cover the weaknesses those two characters have. I can be very aggressive but also pretty defensive when I know I have to be, and I absolutely hate being campy/passive. I also dislike fast characters (I never do well with Captian Falcon or Sonic due to their speeds, and also really hate playing as them to being with). I had a small interest in Bowser Jr a while back but I have a slightly difficult time with him.

If Bowser Jr is certainly a good choice for a Third Main then I wouldn't mind attempting to get better at him again, but is there a better choice out there that would possibly be a perfect fit? Side Note: I have a nice Aerial fighting style going for me if that helps any.

Got nerfed to hell but she's still very viable so if you like her she's a good choice. Isn't a bad choice either if you like him then use him.
Is the best heavy next to R.O.B. So if you love heavies then he's your best bet. Too

 

[Stylish pQuesadilla]

What about ness, as I've been thinking about him?

 

[Y2Kay]

What about ness, as I've been thinking about him?

is pretty good. If you wanted to main him, I'd suggest having as a secondary, since he beats , Ness' worst match up.

 

[Stylish pQuesadilla]

is pretty good. If you wanted to main him, I'd suggest having as a secondary, since he beats , Ness' worst match up.

I can't get DLC. So I am stuck beetween Pikachu, ness, pit, Mario, and Greninja. Also considering meta knight and Rosalina

 

[Y2Kay]

I can't get DLC. So I am stuck beetween Pikachu, ness, pit, Mario, and Greninja. Also considering meta knight and Rosalina

Oh . . . my apologies. In that case, you could use MK instead, but he's hard to truly secondary though. You could still feasibly do it tho.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

I can't get DLC. So I am stuck beetween Pikachu, ness, pit, Mario, and Greninja. Also considering meta knight and Rosalina

All do good or go even with . Also beats her so you can easily main .

 

[LancerStaff]

That said I don't recall anyone reputable putting Roy higher than #20 even at release.

ZeRo. "Best swordsman in the game," remember? Unless ZeRo's not reputable lol.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

ZeRo. "Best swordsman in the game," remember? Unless ZeRo's not reputable lol.

He's mid tier. Over time people saw his flaws but he's in no way bad. I say he's top 30 or atleast 35.

 

[KirbCider]

Got nerfed to hell but she's still very viable so if you like her she's a good choice. Isn't a bad choice either if you like him then use him.
Is the best heavy next to R.O.B. So if you love heavies then he's your best bet. Too

I've known about the Bayonetta nerf for a while now, but it doesn't stop me from using her. If anything I now have a much harder time dealing with opponents when my technical skills aren't as great as they should be. The nerf was for the best anyways in my opinion.

And it's not that I love heavies. In fact it was the opposite in the previous Smash games. I absolutely despised heavier sets because I could never really get a good feel of them. In fact I wasn't only horrible with King Dedede in Brawl, but I down right hated him. It could be all the changes he's had in Smash U that changed my thoughts on him, but now he's one of my strongest Mains I can pull out.

I always stuck with the lighter weights in the previous Smash games, especially Kirby who I thought I was pretty darn great with; however since now I can actually face other opponents via Online (I never used Brawls Online Mode much due to all the lag it had) I can see who I actually excel with. It still pains me to barely touch Kirby anymore, but until I can truly master him he's on the side lines. But in any case, I'm looking for one that can play similar to King Dedede and/or ROB rather than just another Heavy Weight Character to use.

I honestly play Donkey Kong for funsies and honestly don't do too terrible with him, but he's not someone that really tickles my fancy much. I've also considered at least having one Top Tier Main but at the same time I hate playing a lot, if not most of the Top Tiers.

I guess I'm just being too picky? I'm not much of a competitive player but I do always aim to get better because I find it to be pretty fun.

 

[LancerStaff]

He's mid tier. Over time people saw his flaws but he's in no way bad. I say he's top 30 or atleast 35.

...Never said he wasn't mid tier but okay.

I'll be honest with you. I don't think Roy is good. He's low, potentially bottom tier in my eyes. That's not my problem here... It's that the Roy community is an echo chamber. Roy may be underrated but there's not much of a reason for the rest of the community to think otherwise.

Namely, Roy has things, but so do other characters. You're probably aware of Roy's low % true combos... We also have characters like Pit who also have similar combos that do just as much. You should know Roy has the third or fourth highest airspeed, but what's conveniently left out when Roy players talk about Roy is his poor air acceleration which means that characters with lower airspeed but higher acceleration outmaneuver him in anything but a long jumping contest. Yes, Roy can kill below 30% with an Fsmash but that doesn't mean it'll happen enough to matter, and it simply dances around the fact that Roy lacks safe and effective ways to close out stocks later even as well as most mid tiers.

You could know everything there is to know about Roy but when discussing viability it doesn't matter if you're not looking at everything other characters have to offer over him. Trust me, I've heard it all... Roy's theory and results aren't that of a mid tier. I also suggest you learn to fact check what you're told because, coincidence or not, I see lots of other Roys spreading misinformation... Such as claiming Blazer has armor in the air or that Fair can be autocanceled from a short hop by interrupting it with a different move when both are false.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Woah ok. Anyways back on topic I've been trying out the characters and still can't decide. I like . I love being free to not let up when attacking. I don't like being defensive too much. If I need to be a little bit that's fine. Any help? I need to beat And I'm wanting to use 2 out of the bunch along with my .

 

[KniteBlargh]

KirbCider This is tough, but thinking of a similar aerial rhythm, and taking a glance away from the heaviest side of the roster, would you consider trying out , , or ? To give you fair warning, it's important to note that Shulk is pretty technical and struggles in a lot of MUs in general, and you absolutely have to remember proper recovery options with Doc, which are going to be quite a bit different from what you've been used to with Dedede and R.O.B., so not sure if that'd throw you off too much or not. I'd suggest just giving them a look-see.

Nice_FZPSC.42 Apparently Komorikiri feels Diddy Kong is an even match for Cloud, if that helps. Granted, I think Komo has a tendency of overestimating his mains, but that's to be expected since he often comes out on top, and if that's the case here, it would only mean Diddy is that much more useful in the MU.

Also, don't mean to be name-dropping here, it's just that the MU threads are often quite a mess, so they're difficult to refer to...

 

[Cobalnite]

New here, I play decently as , but I always have trouble against
I think my playstyle is aggressive

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

New here, I play decently as , but I always have trouble against
I think my playstyle is aggressive

Throw off the edge and hit him with 1 move to kill him. He's easy once you get the hang of it. Are tougher. Look at their discussion threads to find out how to beat them.

 

[Cobalnite]

Throw off the edge and hit him with 1 move to kill him. He's easy once you get the hang of it. Are tougher. Look at their discussion threads to find out how to beat them.

Thanks

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Cobalnite All of your characters but are viable as solo mains, so no matter what you do you will find success. If you "think" your playstyle is aggressive, then maybe you want a little defense just in case. Characters closest to this role are , with being close
Stylish pQuesadilla You want well rounded, then any of those work. I personally recommend , but he's more technical than he first appears, so for now go or because they are eaier to optimize.

In other news, I've finally narrowed down to , a combo that has been dominating my local scene recently. I might also pick up again, as my next character to fish out of low tier, because did not work for me.

 

[Cobalnite]

Cobalnite All of your characters but are viable as solo mains, so no matter what you do you will find success. If you "think" your playstyle is aggressive, then maybe you want a little defense just in case. Characters closest to this role are , with being close
Stylish pQuesadilla You want well rounded, then any of those work. I personally recommend , but he's more technical than he first appears, so for now go or because they are eaier to optimize.

In other news, I've finally narrowed down to , a combo that has been dominating my local scene recently. I might also pick up again, as my next character to fish out of low tier, because did not work for me.

Thanks, I guess I'll stick withand as mains, then
And probably as a secondary

 

[SpiceGC]

Hello everyone,

Smash 4 has been out for about a year and a half and I still haven't been able to find a main. I have been just playing around with peach and the villager lately but i grow tired of playing them pretty quickly. I enjoy how they are not too heavy, too light, too slow, or too fast but can still dish out some hard hitting attacks that can sometimes lead into other hard hitting moves. I also enjoy Peach's moves in mid-air like her fair, bair, and uair and her ability to pluck turnips out of the ground. What i like from Villager is his tree move, uair, and gyroid attack. I really enjoy the versatility of these two fighters so i was wondering if anybody had any suggestions for versatile fighters that are not too campy.

 

[Airpoizon]

Hello everyone,

Smash 4 has been out for about a year and a half and I still haven't been able to find a main. I have been just playing around with peach and the villager lately but i grow tired of playing them pretty quickly. I enjoy how they are not too heavy, too light, too slow, or too fast but can still dish out some hard hitting attacks that can sometimes lead into other hard hitting moves. I also enjoy Peach's moves in mid-air like her fair, bair, and uair and her ability to pluck turnips out of the ground. What i like from Villager is his tree move, uair, and gyroid attack. I really enjoy the versatility of these two fighters so i was wondering if anybody had any suggestions for versatile fighters that are not too campy.

Diddy Kong possibly? He's got good air attacks and has the ability to use bananas (op lol) Diddy isn't very campy either, he likes to approach with bananas and such to get free easy bake grab and d-tilt combos and even smash attacks. He's got a projectile, although it's not the best. And honestly there's no move like Villagers tree lol.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Hello everyone,

Smash 4 has been out for about a year and a half and I still haven't been able to find a main. I have been just playing around with peach and the villager lately but i grow tired of playing them pretty quickly. I enjoy how they are not too heavy, too light, too slow, or too fast but can still dish out some hard hitting attacks that can sometimes lead into other hard hitting moves. I also enjoy Peach's moves in mid-air like her fair, bair, and uair and her ability to pluck turnips out of the ground. What i like from Villager is his tree move, uair, and gyroid attack. I really enjoy the versatility of these two fighters so i was wondering if anybody had any suggestions for versatile fighters that are not too campy.

Is campy often but not always, is a good choice, Airpoizon recommended who is great choice, is another recommendation, is good, and I'd say.
Cobalnite the only problem is
and are very high skill cap characters. So using 2 can turn out to be a hassle unless you can handle it. As for you wouldn't need him but if you want to then go right ahead. He can cover for you since they do beat and go even or beat .
The Legendary DJXYZ good to hear you settled on . Best of luck to you.
As for me with still needing some buddies I'm looking at . Their combos, recoveries, and aggressive capabilities draw me towards them, but I can't pick.

Spoiler

I love his specials, his range is a blessing, his speed sucks, his combos are a bit disappointing, but his power and uniqueness keep my interest.
Is a great comboer, I love the banana, he's got a great recovery, I don't like the gimp danger, I love landing the peanut gun explosion for an OHKO, he could have better kill set ups, but his aggressive style of constant barrages of attacks draws me to him.
Is cool, quick, has awesome combos and tilt follow ups, great recovery, hilarious reflector gimps, but sadly not the best grab game and air speed, but his up throw- up air kill confirm and overall speed make up for it, making him lots of fun.

Spoiler

Is fun. Great recovery and combos and the trolling of ducking XD! He's light which is an issue but whatever I used to use Too Link and he's light too. Just a fun underrated character imo.
One of my old mains doesn't have range but defiantly has the combos go last for days, hilarious gimps, great KO power and one of the best grab games. He's fun no doubt. But there are a lot in my area and his range is disappointing. But I still love him.
Besides his short recovery and speed, he's got everything. Throws, combos, projectiles, KO powers equal to , and the greatest taunt. "Okay!"
Has a fun projectile, is a d-throw simulator, great recovery, and great KO power. While he has nothing that I dislike, he lacks anything I really love, other than his arrows if say. I still love him though.

I'm looking to get to just 2 of them. Any help?

 

[Cobalnite]

Cobalnite the only problem is
and are very high skill cap characters. So using 2 can turn out to be a hassle unless you can handle it. As for you wouldn't need him but if you want to then go right ahead. He can cover for you since they do beat and go even or beat .

Any other suggestion for a secondary that covers bad match ups?

 

[KniteBlargh]

Nice_FZPSC.42 Did you check my above post?

 

[SpiceGC]

Is campy often but not always, is a good choice, Airpoizon recommended who is great choice, is another recommendation, is good, and I'd say.
Cobalnite the only problem is
and are very high skill cap characters. So using 2 can turn out to be a hassle unless you can handle it. As for you wouldn't need him but if you want to then go right ahead. He can cover for you since they do beat and go even or beat .
The Legendary DJXYZ good to hear you settled on . Best of luck to you.
As for me with still needing some buddies I'm looking at . Their combos, recoveries, and aggressive capabilities draw me towards them, but I can't pick.

Spoiler

I love his specials, his range is a blessing, his speed sucks, his combos are a bit disappointing, but his power and uniqueness keep my interest.
Is a great comboer, I love the banana, he's got a great recovery, I don't like the gimp danger, I love landing the peanut gun explosion for an OHKO, he could have better kill set ups, but his aggressive style of constant barrages of attacks draws me to him.
Is cool, quick, has awesome combos and tilt follow ups, great recovery, hilarious reflector gimps, but sadly not the best grab game and air speed, but his up throw- up air kill confirm and overall speed make up for it, making him lots of fun.
One of my old mains doesn't have range but defiantly has the combos go last for days, hilarious gimps, great KO power and one of the best grab games. He's fun no doubt. But there are a lot in my area and his range is disappointing. But I still love him.
Besides his short recovery and speed, he's got everything. Throws, combos, projectiles, KO powers equal to , and the greatest taunt. "Okay!"
Has a fun projectile, is a d-throw simulator, great recovery, and great KO power. While he has nothing that I dislike, he lacks anything I really love, other than his arrows if say. I still love him though.

I'm looking to get to just 2 of them. Any help?

Thanks.

 

[KeKKie123]

So I main , and I was wondering what some of the bad MUs are for these characters? Do I have a weakness here if so I do have a really good ......

 

[SpiceGC]

Diddy Kong possibly? He's got good air attacks and has the ability to use bananas (op lol) Diddy isn't very campy either, he likes to approach with bananas and such to get free easy bake grab and d-tilt combos and even smash attacks. He's got a projectile, although it's not the best. And honestly there's no move like Villagers tree lol.

Thanks