Who is The Best Starter of the Starters?

[Rhubarbo]

No, not canonically. Which of the three Pokemon is best to use when starting a match?

 

[Wyvern]

Switching twice in a row in the middle of battle takes a prohibitively long time to do and will almost always get you killed (or at least beaten up pretty badly), so being aware of who your second Pokemon will be is about as important as choosing the starter.

Personally, from my (limited) experience, I like starting with Ivysaur. She has good range and a good projectile, so it's pretty easy to safely build up damage on someone, and she has fantastic KO power on top of it, so getting a kill before you die or are forced to switch is very possible if you're playing well. When your damage gets high, you can switch straight to Charizard, who is much better at staying alive at high percentages (both due to weight and having a decent recovery). And if you haven't gotten that first KO yet, Charizard is certainly strong enough to finish the job...his power moves are just tougher to land than Ivy's, in my opinion.

I can see a case for starting with Squirtle too. He's fast and seems good at comboing and dealing a lot of damage, especially when the enemy is at low percentages. Once the enemy gets higher, you can switch to Ivysaur, who has much better KO power. The problem with this is that it can leave you as Ivysaur when you have a lot of damage on you, which is bad because Ivysaur's recovery is terrible. If you're confident that you can build a lot of damage with Squirtle without taking much yourself, though, it's theoretically a very good setup.

I can't see much of a case for starting as Charizard unless you know that Charizard has a specific advantage in the matchup and you want to be playing as him as much as possible. I suppose he's capable of building up damage quickly enough for a KO, but if you don't make it before fatigue sets in, you're stuck trying to finish off a KO as Squirtle, who's the worst at it out of the three (and is also not nearly as well-equipped to deal with the large amount of damage you've probably suffered by then, unless you died as Charizard before your fatigue timer ran out).

 

[smash64]

ill say squirtle becuase he is the fastest but if you dont like fast characters then ill sugest charizard

 

[Soren49]

Squirtle due to speed. Speed is my specialty. Marth, pikachu, I'm the speed type. Squirtle is most definate.

*Kick'd*

 

[Rhubarbo]

Yeah, I always thought Ivysaur was the best starter. His Bullet Seed is great for racking up damage, Razor Leaf is good for camping, and vine whip can be used as a whip for close ranged combat. His aerials are the worst of the three (that's what I have observed without playing the game). But, that's definitely Squirtle's job.

Ivysaur's U-Smash is also good to start combos (mirite?).

 

[festizzio]

Honestly I am very inconsistent at any game I play, I constantly play better with some characters than I do with others, so, for me, I find it best to start off as the pokemon who I'm least comfortable playing with, at least that day, so it's sort of like a "saving the best for last" thing. That's just what I think.

 

[Deception]

The way I see it, Ivysaur is the best starter in general. She's a defensive character, so it allows you to test the waters and see how your opponent plays. Then you can switch to Charizard when your health is high, and get a kill. Then switch to Squirtle and start racking up as much damage as you can until you kill with Ivysaur or Charizard.

 

[Rhubarbo]

Why is everyone calling Ivysaur a she by the way??? I don't know <_<

 

[kitsuneko345]

Why is everyone calling Ivysaur a she by the way??? I don't know <_<

I guess because he/she seems more feminine then the other two. I, personally, would agree, but I call ivysaur a "he", mostly for my sake for not willing to learn.

Anyways, back on topic... i believe ivysaur is the better starter due to his combos (neutral a held, f-tilt, Nair) and possible recovery options (2 jumps, air dodge, possible Dair?).

 

[festizzio]

Ivysaur can be a she or a he, I think most people call Ivysaur a she because of the way he/she sounds in-game.

Edit: Also because he/she has a flower on its back and flowers are usually considered feminine.

 

[Deception]

Ivysaur can be a she or a he, I think most people call Ivysaur a she because of the way he/she sounds in-game.

Edit: Also because he/she has a flower on its back and flowers are usually considered feminine.

Well, all Ivysaurs have flowers, so it is not female exclusive. Anyone can choose the gender of their pokemon, but Ivysaur is female to me. Unless the english Ivysaur sounds like a guy.

 

[festizzio]

Well, all Ivysaurs have flowers, so it is not female exclusive. Anyone can choose the gender of their pokemon, but Ivysaur is female to me. Unless the english Ivysaur sounds like a guy.

Actually what I was saying was, in our society, a flower is usually seen as something feminine. It was supposed to be an explanation as to why everyone calls Ivysaur "she".

 

[Rhubarbo]

Ivysaur sounds like Bulbasaur in the English anime in the American Version of Brawl.

 

[Johnknight1]

Ivysaur can be a she or a he, I think most people call Ivysaur a she because of the way he/she sounds in-game.

Edit: Also because he/she has a flower on its back and flowers are usually considered feminine.

All Ivysaurs, Squirtles, and Charizards can be female or male. If you refer to any of them as a "he" or a "she", you are neither wrong or right. Pikachu is based off the anime Pikachu, which is a male. Pichu is also a male, from what we know from his gear. Jigglypuff is a female, since it has bows, the female trainers hats, and whatnot. Mewtwo is the only of it's kind, but it's refered to as a "he". Squirtle, Charizard, and Squirtle have no real features that prove they are male or female.

 

[kitsuneko345]

Please stay on topic...

 

[Drumma_Boi]

I say squirtle. He is a faster character who is good at spacing and gives you ample time to read how the opponent is going to play. Then saying hypothetically that you take the first kill swap to Ivysaur while your opponent is dieing and returning with their next stock, and with Ivy's long range and campy-ness it seems you could do the most damage off the opponents next stock as well before dieing which winds you up with charizard. He hits hard and one F-tilt of his might K.O. the opponents 2nd stock saying you did enough damage with Ivysaur before dieing. This would leave you with at least a stock up lead. Seems to me this will be one of the most basic ways to play pokemon trainer.

 

[Card]

Honestly... it 100% Depends on who I am facing. If I am facing someone who is a bad match-up for Squirtle, I'd start with Ivysaur, and vice-versa. Although I must admit, I don't usually start with Charizard. I usually keep Charizard to survive the high percent of my stock and do as much damage before getting killed.

This actually brings up another question... will Pokemon Trainer players be allowed to change their starter during Tournament play (if we follow Melee tournament rules). You know how in a standard set, if you change characters the opponent can choose the stage, etc.. etc.. Technically We're still taking P. Trainer.. just we're changing our starting Pokemon.

Oh well, I'm sure that question will be answered when the game is released.

 

[Rhubarbo]

Could you change Zelda/Sheik in Melee tournaments? If you could, then I'm assuming you can change your starter.

 

[TURTLEMAN19]

Ok people, this is what you do in a 3 stock battle:
First start with squritle until u bring ur enemy to over 75%
Then, Take out Charzarid and kill them
Next, stay with charzarid until they reach 50%
Then, send out squritle and Ivysaur to kill
Finally, use a combo of Ivysaurs grabs and bullet seeds and Charzards Flames and rock throw to come in for the final kill.

 

[Rhubarbo]

^Nice set-up!

Do any of the Pokemon have spikes, because I'd like to see a zero death combo.

 

[infernovia]

This actually brings up another question... will Pokemon Trainer players be allowed to change their starter during Tournament play (if we follow Melee tournament rules). You know how in a standard set, if you change characters the opponent can choose the stage, etc.. etc.. Technically We're still taking P. Trainer.. just we're changing our starting Pokemon.

Personally, I think it should be allowed until the game decides this mechanic to be broken. The ability to fight with 3 different styles is useless if you aren't allowed to choose the one you are fighting with and I personally think there is a lot going against PT at the moment.

 

[ThunderHero]

To be honest, the starter you use should be personal preference, though if you gonig to play Pkmn Trainer, youll need to play all 3 effectivly

 

[Rhubarbo]

Personally, I think it should be allowed until the game decides this mechanic to be broken. The ability to fight with 3 different styles is useless if you aren't allowed to choose the one you are fighting with and I personally think there is a lot going against PT at the moment.

You do choose which one you start with.

 

[Dreiko]

^Nice set-up!

Do any of the Pokemon have spikes, because I'd like to see a zero death combo.

Zard has a Dair spike but you need to hit at the correct spot for it to spike. (tip of the tail i think)

 

[festizzio]

I actually don't think you have to hit with the tip of the tail, I've spiked people before and I definitely didn't hit them with the tip. Also, Ivysaur's dair can spike. It's just really hard to do, you have to get them with Ivysaur's bulb.

 

[dobee]

I agree with card, it dpends on who I am facing. But if I HAD to choose, I would pick Ivysaur. Reason is that she can rack up damage pretty quick (bullet seed) to gain an early edge. Then If it goes according to plan I would take a stock then switch to charizard for when im at a higher percentage. Then Squirtle would come in and finish it or i would restart the cycle. But thats just what I would do...

 

[dobee]

I agree with card, it dpends on who I am facing. But if I HAD to choose, I would pick Ivysaur. Reason is that she can rack up damage pretty quick (bullet seed) to gain an early edge. Then If it goes according to plan I would take a stock then switch to charizard for when im at a higher percentage. Then Squirtle would come in and finish it or i would restart the cycle. But thats just what I would do...

 

[slave1]

anyways i start with charzard. i dont know while most people stay to his ground game, but is aerials are amazing. you can short hop his attacks and they kick the crap out of most. unless your Luigi then you punch right through them. also his n. A on the grand is amazing.
1. It is way fast.
2. it has some nock back and could be used for some combo ability

unfortunently he lacks kill in the air. his back air has nock back but only at high damage.

he is the coolest, that is also a good reason to start out with him.

 

[metahunter]

i would say start as ivysaur togive them as much damage as possinble the when your percent is in the hundereds switch to charizard to survive and and after you die you are squitle who is fast and makes your oponent fall off balence from going from slow to fast

 

[maxieman]

Well It's official, Ivysaur sounds like a guy in the US version.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW

 

[infernovia]

You do choose which one you start with.

Ok, I am really late but I was only discussing if it should be allowed in tournaments. My stance was that you should be allowed to, unless someone can create broken matchups.

 

[tacticslord]

If I may interlope with my opinion here, I play the trainer quite a bit and change my starters based on the following criteria.

1) If I know how my opponent is going to play (technical, speed, power, camper, item-spam, ect.) I generally play the pokemon that exemplifies that trait (squirtle for speed, ivysaur for range and items, charizard for power and recovery). I do this now to get a better understanding of my opponent since I hate playing characters and much prefer to play people instead. Once I've seen how they play (and their weakness is much more easily revealed when they play against essentially a clone of themselves) it's much easier to counter pick both pokemon and styles.

2) If I have no idea how an opponent will play or I smell a trick (a friend just discovered a new technique and whatnot) I prefer ivysaur above the other two. Not to say he's better, but I feel I can use him more safely than the other two and can at the very least feel out my opponent from a distance. Not the most efficient way mind you, but when heading into the unknown, might as well take what you know with you.

These seem to work well for me with the exception of the fact that I still shudder to use charizard (he and I haven't reached an understanding you see). Still with more training, I feel I can get as comfortable with him as the other two and be able to use him as a viable conterpick against the likes of sonic, puff, and the space animals.

 

[Darth Wedel]

I reckon it's probably between Ivysaur and Squirtle.

After all, Charz's best at tanking, right?- recovery and KO'ing. Ivysaur and Squirtle do a better job at racking up damage..

I'd say that whether you choose ivy or squirtle probably depends on your individual abilities. If you get destroyed as squirtle, chances are the same will happen as ivy, but quicker- thanks to her tether recovery.

However, if you start as ivysaur and you still get knocked around a bit, chances are you'll do a _bit_ of damage, hopefully enough to finish your opponent off with charz.

^ that'd be _my_ view of what to do if you're not confident

if you're confident, i'd go with squirtle. rack up lots of damage, maybe get a KO in with him, switch to ivy when you have the chance, and then to charz.

it's hard to know really, i can't say anything with full confidence- i haven't actually played brawl myself- this is just my interpretation of what i've heard ^^;;;

 

[Mew2King]

Squirtle's the best, then Charizard, then Ivy, IMO

 

[Giga Hand]

I'd start with speedy Squirtle, when a player's damage has passed a certain point, switch to Ivy for the kill. Repeat, but with Ivy and Charizard. Make it up from there.

 

[TriforceCore]

Ivysaur seems to be the general consensus of people because of her "safe" approaches.

 

[Livetopwn247]

I find Squirtle to be the best way to start it off, because he's not designed to take heavy hits at high percentages. Squirtle should start by weaving in and out with his suprerior air game, as well as gaining massive ground speed with hydroplaning/shellshifting. Once you've beaten the opponent up enough, upsmash and switch to Ivysaur, who can then continue this trend, and more easily get a KO. If you can quickly get one with Ivy, fight their second stock, slightly defensively but utilizing his damage-racking/sandbagging moves. Then, once you're up high enough in percentage, throw them away and switch to Charizard. Char will most likely be able to survive long enough to get another KO. Now, if your opponent comes in and knocks out Charizard, you'll be back at Squirtle again.

This also makes more sense as far as the fatique system goes. Each poke'mon shares a decent amount of time, and there's no hasty switches involved.

2 cents

 

[Brawler9477]

They are all good if you know how to use them properly. I say Squirtle because use sideb run up to opponent then just combo. I do it to my friend all the time i deal like over 85% before taking a hit.

 

[Psilent]

I'm personally a fan of Ivy, as a lot of people seem to be. I just think that he has such a great quick damage output. I think that just that potential alone should get alot of people start with him.
There is his normal grab/smash/tilt game, but I think the real early-game-breaker with him is Bullet Seed (duh). If you can get off even one halfway decent bullet seed you'll already have them up to about 40-50% including the pop-up you use. In addition to the number of pop-up moves, I'm a big fan of using razor-leaf to set up my bullet seed. If they are close to you, throw out a few razor leaves (i think 2 if they're a little outside grab range) and they'll eventually (barring a good DI) pop directly into the "sweet spot" of your Bullet Seed and it will take them a good amount of time to DI out of it. I've gotten my friend (who is great at DI, etc) up to about 60% with a pop-up to bullet seed combo. Then it's just a matter of launching them and switching pokemon (if you like using more than one a match) to get the KO.

Also, is the pokemon rotation of Ivy->Charizard->Squirtle set in stone? Or can you get your rotation to whatever order you'd like? I don't think you can, but I'd like to make sure. I just think that, for me at least, Ivy->Squirtle->Charizard is a much more natural progression of pokemon in terms of how they would be used throughout the course of a stock.

 

[Dizzynecro]

Depends entirely on matchup but if i dont much about the match up i choose ivysaur.