Being aware of your options.
What separates a "Pro" from someone who isn't?
What separates a "Great" player from a "good" one?
So you've mastered spacing, you've mastered accounting for landing lag, roll distance, kill percents for each weight class, you've got Vectoring (DI) and the "Rage" mechanic down pat, etc. etc. And yet, you feel like you've hit a glass ceiling. You play against your friends, but you're never 'quite' good enough to eek out that last stock before they do. They always seem to get just a few more hits, you seem to take too much damage. You can't figure it out. You eyeball a few of your replays, and you just don't see it. Maybe it's because you're not sure what to look for. It's not your fault. Maybe it's because nobody told you what your options were.
Let's assume for all intents and purposes, you're going to get Falcon Pauwnched. In fact, you've already heard the iconic warm-up phrase, FALCON ... and you know you're going to get Pauwnched.
What do you do?
Let's also assume you're Lucina. Because Lucina is cool. If you don't think so, well sucks to be you.
I know some/most of you have a base instinct to roll away, or Counter. But how many options do you really have?
Do you even know?
This is what separates professional players from those of us who *want* to be professional players. Let's take a look, see.
Your options are:
Eat it.
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Yes, it's an option. Not a good one, but an option. Not advised. Like, at all.
Run.
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Surprisingly one of the better ones, although all too often underused by the majority. It's good because you can Dash just outside the hitbox and Dash right back in during the ending lag. Considering how some Dash Attacks have been powered up this time around, I'd say it's more than viable.
Jump.
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Another good one because now you have access to all your aerials, and you could even jump behind Falcon and let him eat a Smash attack while his Pauwnch whiffs. That being said, if you're going to go for this option, make sure you've got enough time to get over their attack.
Shield.
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Decent option, but the Shieldstun prevents you from punishing as effectively as other options. If you've got good timing, you can always Perfect Shield (aka Powershield), which allows you to act sooner than normal with no damage to your shield. Also keep in mind that certain characters have some very good Out-of-Shield options, such as Lucina's Up-B for starters. The Character-specific forums can help you find more information on this.
Roll.
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This seems to be everyone's go-to answer for this type of thing. Sure, it'll get you out of a jam, but this is one of the things higher-level players like to keep tabs on. Thus, if you do it a lot, particularly around moves without a whole lot of ending lag, you can and WILL get punished for it, usually by a Down Smash.
Spotdodge.
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One of what I consider to be a good option, but a lot stricter in terms of timing. Too early, you get hit. Too late, you get hit. If you're confident in your ability to do it, then do it. If not, you're probably going to eat the hit. Practice is key.
Grab.
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You could always rush in for a grab while he's announcing his battle strategy. Just be quick about it. And note that not all attacks will give you ample time to decide to do this.
Attack.
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A pretty fair option that some people don't even consider. Just pick a quicker attack. Not particularly hard if you're facing a move with high start-up. Just remember you won't always have such a luxury. Also remember that you don't have to bring out a power hit if you're using an attack as a defensive option, you just need something to interrupt their attack, or even better put them on the defensive. Something as simple as a jab or tilt will work, you don't -*HAVE*- to go for a Smash Attack.
Counter. (if your character can)
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Pretty self-explanatory. Again, timing is crucial. The second of go-to options, it tends to get overused by people who aren't used to having them at their disposal. They can also be VERY obnoxious if you use them correctly. Correct usage of these is in my opinion, when they least expect it. This means that you should be utilizing Shields, Rolling, Spotdodging, Running and Jumping so as to lull the opponent into thinking you won't use Counter. This gives the opponent a sense that you are generally recessive and that they can be free to go all-out on the offensive. As soon as they get sloppy with a Knee of Justice, BOOM-POW-Straight to the Moon! Also, remember that certain characters have directional counters. Remember that when Countering with them.
That's 8-9 options. That's not even including things you can do immediately after one of the above actions. Let's say you jumped. You now have the option of any of your aerials. If you spotdodged or ran, you have almost your entire moveset at your disposal, depending on their ending lag. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Aside from hopefully opening your mind to the possibilities, each of these options presents positives and negatives that all have to be weighed against your situation in a match at any given time. Professional players are able to consistently make the best decision for any given situation, while keeping themselves unpredictable. That's what makes them professionals. They can do this type of thinking on the fly. When you can reach that level, then you'll probably be right up there with them.
TL;DR - You can do more than Roll.
Edit - Thanks to those that have suggested addenda and corrections. Some of it has been incorporated. This is not to say you should not read all the posts, as I cannot incorporate everything.
What separates a "Pro" from someone who isn't?
What separates a "Great" player from a "good" one?
So you've mastered spacing, you've mastered accounting for landing lag, roll distance, kill percents for each weight class, you've got Vectoring (DI) and the "Rage" mechanic down pat, etc. etc. And yet, you feel like you've hit a glass ceiling. You play against your friends, but you're never 'quite' good enough to eek out that last stock before they do. They always seem to get just a few more hits, you seem to take too much damage. You can't figure it out. You eyeball a few of your replays, and you just don't see it. Maybe it's because you're not sure what to look for. It's not your fault. Maybe it's because nobody told you what your options were.
Let's assume for all intents and purposes, you're going to get Falcon Pauwnched. In fact, you've already heard the iconic warm-up phrase, FALCON ... and you know you're going to get Pauwnched.
What do you do?
Let's also assume you're Lucina. Because Lucina is cool. If you don't think so, well sucks to be you.
I know some/most of you have a base instinct to roll away, or Counter. But how many options do you really have?
Do you even know?
This is what separates professional players from those of us who *want* to be professional players. Let's take a look, see.
Your options are:
Eat it.
Yes, it's an option. Not a good one, but an option. Not advised. Like, at all.
Surprisingly one of the better ones, although all too often underused by the majority. It's good because you can Dash just outside the hitbox and Dash right back in during the ending lag. Considering how some Dash Attacks have been powered up this time around, I'd say it's more than viable.
Another good one because now you have access to all your aerials, and you could even jump behind Falcon and let him eat a Smash attack while his Pauwnch whiffs. That being said, if you're going to go for this option, make sure you've got enough time to get over their attack.
Decent option, but the Shieldstun prevents you from punishing as effectively as other options. If you've got good timing, you can always Perfect Shield (aka Powershield), which allows you to act sooner than normal with no damage to your shield. Also keep in mind that certain characters have some very good Out-of-Shield options, such as Lucina's Up-B for starters. The Character-specific forums can help you find more information on this.
This seems to be everyone's go-to answer for this type of thing. Sure, it'll get you out of a jam, but this is one of the things higher-level players like to keep tabs on. Thus, if you do it a lot, particularly around moves without a whole lot of ending lag, you can and WILL get punished for it, usually by a Down Smash.
One of what I consider to be a good option, but a lot stricter in terms of timing. Too early, you get hit. Too late, you get hit. If you're confident in your ability to do it, then do it. If not, you're probably going to eat the hit. Practice is key.
You could always rush in for a grab while he's announcing his battle strategy. Just be quick about it. And note that not all attacks will give you ample time to decide to do this.
A pretty fair option that some people don't even consider. Just pick a quicker attack. Not particularly hard if you're facing a move with high start-up. Just remember you won't always have such a luxury. Also remember that you don't have to bring out a power hit if you're using an attack as a defensive option, you just need something to interrupt their attack, or even better put them on the defensive. Something as simple as a jab or tilt will work, you don't -*HAVE*- to go for a Smash Attack.
Pretty self-explanatory. Again, timing is crucial. The second of go-to options, it tends to get overused by people who aren't used to having them at their disposal. They can also be VERY obnoxious if you use them correctly. Correct usage of these is in my opinion, when they least expect it. This means that you should be utilizing Shields, Rolling, Spotdodging, Running and Jumping so as to lull the opponent into thinking you won't use Counter. This gives the opponent a sense that you are generally recessive and that they can be free to go all-out on the offensive. As soon as they get sloppy with a Knee of Justice, BOOM-POW-Straight to the Moon! Also, remember that certain characters have directional counters. Remember that when Countering with them.
That's 8-9 options. That's not even including things you can do immediately after one of the above actions. Let's say you jumped. You now have the option of any of your aerials. If you spotdodged or ran, you have almost your entire moveset at your disposal, depending on their ending lag. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Aside from hopefully opening your mind to the possibilities, each of these options presents positives and negatives that all have to be weighed against your situation in a match at any given time. Professional players are able to consistently make the best decision for any given situation, while keeping themselves unpredictable. That's what makes them professionals. They can do this type of thinking on the fly. When you can reach that level, then you'll probably be right up there with them.
TL;DR - You can do more than Roll.
Edit - Thanks to those that have suggested addenda and corrections. Some of it has been incorporated. This is not to say you should not read all the posts, as I cannot incorporate everything.
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In fact, I'm a bit concerned about the huge amount of time I would have to invest. But after having discarded competitive Pokemon, maybe I can do it.
. There are people out there in Smash or in any other competitive game that look down on newbies, as if they weren't once :_)
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