Emblem Lord
The Legendary Lord
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Playing Smart is a term you here alot on Smashboards. Just like the term mindgames was thrown around alot in the past, now it seems like playing smart is the new thing to say when someone asks for help or seems stuck on a plateau. But..what exactly does that mean and what does it entail? Well, that's why I made this thread. I'm going to explain all about playing smart and why it's pivotal in becoming a good player. I intend for this thread to be a great read for newbies and high level players alike. I'll talk about different concepts that may or may not be familiar to you. Hopefully after this read, you will walk away a little more informed and alot more confident in your game.
Know your character
Before you go any further, ask yourself this."How well do I know my character?" Do you know what their pokes are? Their kill moves? Their moves they use to take control? Their pressure moves? Their moves that are safe on block? Every character has a move for a different scenario and moves that will make up the backbone of your game plan. You need to familiarize yourself with these moves and know the situations where each one can serve you. And you also need to know which moves you should avoid at all cost. Few things can hold you back more then trying to make useless moves useful. Once you have a handle on all your character's moves and which ones should be relied on, that's when you can move on to other game play concepts.
The Three States of Gameplay
At any given moment in ANY fighting game, the fight will be in one of three states. I will go over each and talk about the options available to you in each one. Since Brawl lacks combos and due to the nature of the game there is constant switching between the three states, even more so then other fighters. Momentum is constantly shifting and true mastery of this game will require you to understand these three states and how your options are affected in each.
The Neutral State
The most common state. In this state all of your options are available to you. You can do as you please. You can walk, roll, jump, smash or what have you. It's also the most important state in the game because what you do in this state will decide how often you end up in the other two states which WILL decide how often you **** and how often you get your a$$ handed to you on a silver platter. As I said before, in this state you can do as you please, but that doesn't mean you should. This state is where I will first truly get into what it means to play smart and to do that I will talk about two important concepts. The first is spacing and the second is risk vs reward. Spacing is EXTREMELY important in Brawl. It can be the difference between attacking a shield safely or getting punished and dying early. Some characters like Marth live and die by their spacing and are rewarded when they space correctly. (Marth's attacks are more powerful at the tip of his blade) But even if you don't play a character like Marth, spacing is still of the utmost importance. Attacks are safer on block when spaced at the very end of the attack. Otherwise alot of them can be punished by a shield grab or a shield drop attack.
Spacing isn't just for your attacks though. It also affects what you and your opponent will do when you are in the neutral state. If you are spaced about 1 character length from Pit, he is much less likely to shoot an arrow at you. Why? Because you are really close to him. If he tries that you can shield and punish him, and Pit doesn't want that. Instead he is more likely to try to attack with d-tilt, dash attack, jab or grab. Your spacing directly affected Pit's options. And that's important to remember. Whatever you do to space yourself, will also space your opponent. And know that each character has their own optimal spacing for their own personal options and for their match-ups as well. So when you SH back to give yourself some breathing room and you're up against a Falco, be aware that Falco will more then likely just do SHDL, since you so kindly gave him the optimal spacing he needed to use that option. Always be aware of your spacing and your opponent's options at w/e range you are at.
The next concept is risk vs reward. Whenever you do an action, you need to ask yourself a question. That question is, "Is this worth the risk?" You ask yourself this because it can and will save you from doing something stupid alot of the time. Movements or actions that have very high risk with lower reward should be avoided. A good example of a move like that is Ganondorf's Warlock Punch. This move is very bad. It has very slow start-up time and it's not even safe on block. Looking at risk vs reward is the easiest way to tell if a move is good. Think of any good move you can and you will realize that for every one of those moves the reward outweighed the risk. That's what makes the moves so good. And by always having risk vs reward in the back of your mind, you can eliminate unnecessary risks from your gameplay and you will see vast improvement.
Something else that will affect the risk vs reward ratio is your percent in relation to your opponent. If your percent is lower and your opponent's is higher, then all of your attack options become less risky and more rewarding since an attack from you becomes more likely to be a kill or an edge guarding set-up since they will fly farther. You may also find yourself using smash attacks a little more liberally since if you get punished it's not as big of a deal since your percent is low. Always keep your percent in mind because it's another factor that affects the battle.
Well, now that we went over that we can go back to your options in the neutral state. Now you have an understanding of spacing and risk vs reward. So if you and your opponent are standing close to one another do you think it's a good idea to randomly roll towards them or throw out a laggy move and hope it hits? Of course not. So...don't do it. Do something...smart. If you play MK why not just walk up and f-tilt once or twice. If you play Falco shoot some lasers. If you play Snake pull out some nades. Do something that's going to allow you to test the waters a bit without putting yourself in any danger. And have a plan in your head as to what you will do according to what your opponent's response will be. The field of battle is ever changing and you must keep up or you will be swept away.
The State of Advantage
This is when one person has gained control over the other and now has momentum. The most obvious example of this is when one character has another in a combo. Clearly the aggressor has the advantage. But having the advantage can be much more subtle then that and it often is. Being at an advantage can be as simple as when you are put on the defensive because your opponent is shooting projectiles at you. Your opponent now controls the pace of the match and you must figure out a way past their projectiles. Characters that can hit this state with a fair amount of ease are of course, the top tier characters. The easiest one I can think of when it comes to this sort of thing is Falco. When Falco does SHDL he instantly has advantage. Now his opponent is in a position where they have to react and try to get around his control. Forcing an action with a quick and safe poke move is another way to gain advantage. It eats at your opponent's shield and forces them to think fast and respond. The interesting thing about Brawl is that since there is very little hitstun in this game combos are far and few in between. So that means other then pressing the advantage so you can net a combo, there is a another goal in mind when comboing is no longer possible.. That goal is to hold onto your advantage for as long as possible. This is more difficult then it sounds. It can be tough to try to force responses from your opponent when they are in the air for example while still remaining in control. Thanks to the airdodge system the aggressor can go from being in control to losing control to their opponent in an instant if their opponent airdodges past them and then retaliates. This is why it's important to know when to back off a bit when you are at an advantage depending on the situation. Don't become overzealous if you know your opponent is in a situation where the tide can turn in an instant and since this is Brawl that will usually be the case. You need to do an action that will allow you to force a response without putting yourself in danger. Either that or just wait a bit in order to bait a response. While having advantage the risk vs reward ratio is in your favor since you are in control. There is much less of a chance of you being punished and you have a greater reward if your attacks connect since you will keep your advantage. Spacing is also in your favor as well since your opponent will have less options as they are on the defensive.
Just so we are clear, there are multiple states of advantage. I will list them. When your opponent is in a combo, when your opponent is high in the air or has been put into the air by you, when your opponent is on the ledge, when your opponent is lying on the ground and when your opponent is off the stage. Knowing your options and what your opponents options are in each situation is pivotal for staying in control and keeping your advantage going. And if your opponent manages to get out of your control, don't be reckless and put yourself in unnecessary danger to regain your control. You need to let the situation go back to neutral because that's alot better then being put at disadvantage which I will talk about next.
The State of Disadvantage
This state is the opposite of being at advantage. When one player is at advantage the other is at disadvantage. This is the state you don't want to be in and the state you will find yourself in the most when you first start out. Get used to it and know how to get out of it. The key to dealing with this state is just like the other states. Knowing your options. When you are at disadvantage you still have plenty of options. If you are on the ledge you can roll, get up, get up attack, ledge hop attack, ledge jump and your character may have character specific options like special moves that are useful in that scenario. If you are being comboed/attacked you can use DI and SDI to try to get out of the combo or maneuver yourself farther away so you can regain your footing. There are options in EVERY scenario and you must be able to think fast and act quickly to take control of the match and get advantage. Otherwise you'll get rocked. This different states of disadvantage are the inverse of the states of advantage. Basically w/e state of advantage the aggressor is in, the defender is the one in the same state only he is the one dealing with being under the control of the one who has advantage.
Remember that in this state the concept of risk vs reward is present just like the others and so is spacing. Options will change according to how close you are to your opponent and what situation you are in. As always eliminate risky options that will get you killed easily. Go with what is safe and effective. If you are in the air then airdodging and fast falling to get to the ground quickly should be at the forefront of your mind. Since you are in a bad spot the risk vs reward ratio is now skewed in favor of your opponent. You would do well to remember that. And as always, try not to be dumb about it. If you are lying on the ground and your opponent is shielding, do you really think it's a good idea to do a get up attack so your opponent can block it and then you get your face rearranged? Of course it;'s not a good idea, but I see it in real tournament matches and tournament vids all the time. Remember...just think smart and act on it.
A Quick Word on Shielding
Shielding is very interesting. It can leave you at disadvantage or advantage depending on your opponent and the character you are playing. Marth for example is almost always at an advantage when he blocks an attack from an opponent at close range because he has an excellent punishment game from his shield thanks to his up b and Dancing Blade. Dedede with his CG will almost always be at an advantage as well when he shields attacks. Yoshi however has an abysmal shield so he will almost always be at a disadvantage when he shields something. But it also depends on the attack that was used. Obviously laggy attacks that you shield will give you a large advantage since you can punish them easily, but quick safe pokes will put you at either a neutral state with your opponent or a disadvantage. But whether you are at disadvantage or not you need to think fast and be able to go with the flow of the fight.
Advanced Techniques
I won't mince words. AT's do NOT make a character. No amount of awesome AT's can save a character if that character is abysmal. AT's merely support a character and can only take a character so far. Don't let AT's make up the backbone of your gameplay because it simply does not work. Even characters like Diddy who have awesome AT's wouldn't get anywhere if they didn't have a solid moveset backing them up. Advanced techniques are called advanced for a reason. You shouldn't be trying to learn how to run before you can walk and you have no business trying to learn AT's when you haven't mastered the basics. This is the number one reason people hit plateaus from what I have seen. Too much focus on AT's and not enough focus on what wins games, which is playing smart. Once you have mastered the basics of your character then you should move on to AT's.
Taking some Risks
Although it's important to not take stupid risks, it can be a good thing to take calculated risks when it's worth it to do so. It's up to you to judge for yourself when those situations come up and if it's worth it or not. But I will say that you can't be a great player unless you take a gamble every once in awhile.
Ok, well that wraps it up guys. I hope you learned something from this or at the very least that it was a good article to read. Before I end this, I would like to briefly mention a player who I always felt embodied the philosophy of simple, safe, and smart play.
I'm sure you all know of Azen. He isn't the flashiest player or the most dazzling. But his deadly efficiency is awe-inspiring. Azen actually has an old saying of his that fits in really well with my article. When asked for advice Azen would often say, "Don't jump into the ****."
I always took this to mean that if you don't do anything stupid and you just play smart you will come out on top. And if Azen himself is any indication, I would say that theory holds up pretty well.
So remember...
Play Smart!
Play Safe!
Play to Win!
Hope you enjoyed the article guys and if you want another good read that gets a little more advanced you can read my thread about Brickwalls and Traps. Here is the link. http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=183816
And here is a a video analysis of Hylian's G&W vs Roy_R's Marth. The analysis talks about the concepts that I went over in this thread. Everyone should definitely check out the thread so you can see this stuff in a high level match and have a better idea of what's going on. http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=189737
Now please discuss.
Know your character
Before you go any further, ask yourself this."How well do I know my character?" Do you know what their pokes are? Their kill moves? Their moves they use to take control? Their pressure moves? Their moves that are safe on block? Every character has a move for a different scenario and moves that will make up the backbone of your game plan. You need to familiarize yourself with these moves and know the situations where each one can serve you. And you also need to know which moves you should avoid at all cost. Few things can hold you back more then trying to make useless moves useful. Once you have a handle on all your character's moves and which ones should be relied on, that's when you can move on to other game play concepts.
The Three States of Gameplay
At any given moment in ANY fighting game, the fight will be in one of three states. I will go over each and talk about the options available to you in each one. Since Brawl lacks combos and due to the nature of the game there is constant switching between the three states, even more so then other fighters. Momentum is constantly shifting and true mastery of this game will require you to understand these three states and how your options are affected in each.
The Neutral State
The most common state. In this state all of your options are available to you. You can do as you please. You can walk, roll, jump, smash or what have you. It's also the most important state in the game because what you do in this state will decide how often you end up in the other two states which WILL decide how often you **** and how often you get your a$$ handed to you on a silver platter. As I said before, in this state you can do as you please, but that doesn't mean you should. This state is where I will first truly get into what it means to play smart and to do that I will talk about two important concepts. The first is spacing and the second is risk vs reward. Spacing is EXTREMELY important in Brawl. It can be the difference between attacking a shield safely or getting punished and dying early. Some characters like Marth live and die by their spacing and are rewarded when they space correctly. (Marth's attacks are more powerful at the tip of his blade) But even if you don't play a character like Marth, spacing is still of the utmost importance. Attacks are safer on block when spaced at the very end of the attack. Otherwise alot of them can be punished by a shield grab or a shield drop attack.
Spacing isn't just for your attacks though. It also affects what you and your opponent will do when you are in the neutral state. If you are spaced about 1 character length from Pit, he is much less likely to shoot an arrow at you. Why? Because you are really close to him. If he tries that you can shield and punish him, and Pit doesn't want that. Instead he is more likely to try to attack with d-tilt, dash attack, jab or grab. Your spacing directly affected Pit's options. And that's important to remember. Whatever you do to space yourself, will also space your opponent. And know that each character has their own optimal spacing for their own personal options and for their match-ups as well. So when you SH back to give yourself some breathing room and you're up against a Falco, be aware that Falco will more then likely just do SHDL, since you so kindly gave him the optimal spacing he needed to use that option. Always be aware of your spacing and your opponent's options at w/e range you are at.
The next concept is risk vs reward. Whenever you do an action, you need to ask yourself a question. That question is, "Is this worth the risk?" You ask yourself this because it can and will save you from doing something stupid alot of the time. Movements or actions that have very high risk with lower reward should be avoided. A good example of a move like that is Ganondorf's Warlock Punch. This move is very bad. It has very slow start-up time and it's not even safe on block. Looking at risk vs reward is the easiest way to tell if a move is good. Think of any good move you can and you will realize that for every one of those moves the reward outweighed the risk. That's what makes the moves so good. And by always having risk vs reward in the back of your mind, you can eliminate unnecessary risks from your gameplay and you will see vast improvement.
Something else that will affect the risk vs reward ratio is your percent in relation to your opponent. If your percent is lower and your opponent's is higher, then all of your attack options become less risky and more rewarding since an attack from you becomes more likely to be a kill or an edge guarding set-up since they will fly farther. You may also find yourself using smash attacks a little more liberally since if you get punished it's not as big of a deal since your percent is low. Always keep your percent in mind because it's another factor that affects the battle.
Well, now that we went over that we can go back to your options in the neutral state. Now you have an understanding of spacing and risk vs reward. So if you and your opponent are standing close to one another do you think it's a good idea to randomly roll towards them or throw out a laggy move and hope it hits? Of course not. So...don't do it. Do something...smart. If you play MK why not just walk up and f-tilt once or twice. If you play Falco shoot some lasers. If you play Snake pull out some nades. Do something that's going to allow you to test the waters a bit without putting yourself in any danger. And have a plan in your head as to what you will do according to what your opponent's response will be. The field of battle is ever changing and you must keep up or you will be swept away.
The State of Advantage
This is when one person has gained control over the other and now has momentum. The most obvious example of this is when one character has another in a combo. Clearly the aggressor has the advantage. But having the advantage can be much more subtle then that and it often is. Being at an advantage can be as simple as when you are put on the defensive because your opponent is shooting projectiles at you. Your opponent now controls the pace of the match and you must figure out a way past their projectiles. Characters that can hit this state with a fair amount of ease are of course, the top tier characters. The easiest one I can think of when it comes to this sort of thing is Falco. When Falco does SHDL he instantly has advantage. Now his opponent is in a position where they have to react and try to get around his control. Forcing an action with a quick and safe poke move is another way to gain advantage. It eats at your opponent's shield and forces them to think fast and respond. The interesting thing about Brawl is that since there is very little hitstun in this game combos are far and few in between. So that means other then pressing the advantage so you can net a combo, there is a another goal in mind when comboing is no longer possible.. That goal is to hold onto your advantage for as long as possible. This is more difficult then it sounds. It can be tough to try to force responses from your opponent when they are in the air for example while still remaining in control. Thanks to the airdodge system the aggressor can go from being in control to losing control to their opponent in an instant if their opponent airdodges past them and then retaliates. This is why it's important to know when to back off a bit when you are at an advantage depending on the situation. Don't become overzealous if you know your opponent is in a situation where the tide can turn in an instant and since this is Brawl that will usually be the case. You need to do an action that will allow you to force a response without putting yourself in danger. Either that or just wait a bit in order to bait a response. While having advantage the risk vs reward ratio is in your favor since you are in control. There is much less of a chance of you being punished and you have a greater reward if your attacks connect since you will keep your advantage. Spacing is also in your favor as well since your opponent will have less options as they are on the defensive.
Just so we are clear, there are multiple states of advantage. I will list them. When your opponent is in a combo, when your opponent is high in the air or has been put into the air by you, when your opponent is on the ledge, when your opponent is lying on the ground and when your opponent is off the stage. Knowing your options and what your opponents options are in each situation is pivotal for staying in control and keeping your advantage going. And if your opponent manages to get out of your control, don't be reckless and put yourself in unnecessary danger to regain your control. You need to let the situation go back to neutral because that's alot better then being put at disadvantage which I will talk about next.
The State of Disadvantage
This state is the opposite of being at advantage. When one player is at advantage the other is at disadvantage. This is the state you don't want to be in and the state you will find yourself in the most when you first start out. Get used to it and know how to get out of it. The key to dealing with this state is just like the other states. Knowing your options. When you are at disadvantage you still have plenty of options. If you are on the ledge you can roll, get up, get up attack, ledge hop attack, ledge jump and your character may have character specific options like special moves that are useful in that scenario. If you are being comboed/attacked you can use DI and SDI to try to get out of the combo or maneuver yourself farther away so you can regain your footing. There are options in EVERY scenario and you must be able to think fast and act quickly to take control of the match and get advantage. Otherwise you'll get rocked. This different states of disadvantage are the inverse of the states of advantage. Basically w/e state of advantage the aggressor is in, the defender is the one in the same state only he is the one dealing with being under the control of the one who has advantage.
Remember that in this state the concept of risk vs reward is present just like the others and so is spacing. Options will change according to how close you are to your opponent and what situation you are in. As always eliminate risky options that will get you killed easily. Go with what is safe and effective. If you are in the air then airdodging and fast falling to get to the ground quickly should be at the forefront of your mind. Since you are in a bad spot the risk vs reward ratio is now skewed in favor of your opponent. You would do well to remember that. And as always, try not to be dumb about it. If you are lying on the ground and your opponent is shielding, do you really think it's a good idea to do a get up attack so your opponent can block it and then you get your face rearranged? Of course it;'s not a good idea, but I see it in real tournament matches and tournament vids all the time. Remember...just think smart and act on it.
A Quick Word on Shielding
Shielding is very interesting. It can leave you at disadvantage or advantage depending on your opponent and the character you are playing. Marth for example is almost always at an advantage when he blocks an attack from an opponent at close range because he has an excellent punishment game from his shield thanks to his up b and Dancing Blade. Dedede with his CG will almost always be at an advantage as well when he shields attacks. Yoshi however has an abysmal shield so he will almost always be at a disadvantage when he shields something. But it also depends on the attack that was used. Obviously laggy attacks that you shield will give you a large advantage since you can punish them easily, but quick safe pokes will put you at either a neutral state with your opponent or a disadvantage. But whether you are at disadvantage or not you need to think fast and be able to go with the flow of the fight.
Advanced Techniques
I won't mince words. AT's do NOT make a character. No amount of awesome AT's can save a character if that character is abysmal. AT's merely support a character and can only take a character so far. Don't let AT's make up the backbone of your gameplay because it simply does not work. Even characters like Diddy who have awesome AT's wouldn't get anywhere if they didn't have a solid moveset backing them up. Advanced techniques are called advanced for a reason. You shouldn't be trying to learn how to run before you can walk and you have no business trying to learn AT's when you haven't mastered the basics. This is the number one reason people hit plateaus from what I have seen. Too much focus on AT's and not enough focus on what wins games, which is playing smart. Once you have mastered the basics of your character then you should move on to AT's.
Taking some Risks
Although it's important to not take stupid risks, it can be a good thing to take calculated risks when it's worth it to do so. It's up to you to judge for yourself when those situations come up and if it's worth it or not. But I will say that you can't be a great player unless you take a gamble every once in awhile.
Ok, well that wraps it up guys. I hope you learned something from this or at the very least that it was a good article to read. Before I end this, I would like to briefly mention a player who I always felt embodied the philosophy of simple, safe, and smart play.
I'm sure you all know of Azen. He isn't the flashiest player or the most dazzling. But his deadly efficiency is awe-inspiring. Azen actually has an old saying of his that fits in really well with my article. When asked for advice Azen would often say, "Don't jump into the ****."
I always took this to mean that if you don't do anything stupid and you just play smart you will come out on top. And if Azen himself is any indication, I would say that theory holds up pretty well.
So remember...
Play Smart!
Play Safe!
Play to Win!
Hope you enjoyed the article guys and if you want another good read that gets a little more advanced you can read my thread about Brickwalls and Traps. Here is the link. http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=183816
And here is a a video analysis of Hylian's G&W vs Roy_R's Marth. The analysis talks about the concepts that I went over in this thread. Everyone should definitely check out the thread so you can see this stuff in a high level match and have a better idea of what's going on. http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=189737
Now please discuss.
