Best complementary character for Olimar?

[Rocann]

This is a forum for Olimar strategy, the goal of which is to have Olimar players placing high in tournaments. Part of tournament play is the ability to have a good secondary when you meet a tough matchup. I've been thinking about who the best character to play alongside Olimar is.

We have to consider how well a character does, mainly against Olimar's hardest matchups. For this discussion we'll just start with the mainly agreed-upon ones:

Peach
Marth
MK
Luigi

and possibly

GnW
Kirby
Yoshi

My proposed character is:

Marth:

vs Peach -

Peach boards say Marth beats Peach, Marth boards agree. Marth's fairs beat out Peach's aerial float approaches and she's rather lightweight, allowing for Marth to string moves together easily at low % with low knockback moves and KO relatively early.

vs. MK -

Matchup is difficult. Some think it is closer to 50/50, most think it is more 40-60 or even 35-65 MK.
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=203056
PERSONALLY I don't think this is much of a problem because I think Olimar is as close to even to MK as you're gonna get.

vs. Luigi -

For the same reasons he beats Peach, Marth beats Luigi HANDILY. His disjointed attacks just plain beat Luigi's high priority, which is Luigi's main weapon. 70-30 Marth.

vs. GnW -

Marth "wins," 60-40 or so.
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=188192

vs. Kirby -

Marth "wins," 60-40 or so. Same reasons as Peach/Luigi. Characters that use aerial approaches without disjointed moves get beat by Marth.
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=1961

vs. Yoshi -
Marth "wins," 65-35 or so.
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=5450021

Summary:

So we see that Marth beats pretty handily most of Olimar's disadvantages, basically destroying Luigi and beating Peach well too, which are two of the biggest ones. Kirby, GnW, and Yoshi are also convenient to have a bit of a harder counter for, as although I don't agree with the people that say we have such a disadvantage vs them, there are those that get problems from those characters. Also of note is the ROB matchup: Marth vs. ROB is considered one of the most even matches in the game, so if you think Olimar is at a disadvantage but you are better than the opponent, give it a shot.

There's also MK, but that's a good secondary for anyone.

Have at it! Give me who you think is Olimar's best partner-in-crime.

 

[KillerSOS]

I would agree with you. MK or Marth are both very good seconds. I personally have two secondaries, G&W and MK.

 

[Rocann]

How does that work out for you? When you're in tournament, what makes you switch to one of your secondaries?

 

[KBM]

*bump* /want to see replies

i've been picking up marth and i think olimar is a better bet against meta knight. the only move marth has that outranges metaknight is shield breaker =___= yes, MK's fsmash is longer (not that anyone uses that much), yes his tilt is longer than dancing blade, etc. anyway, point is, i agree that oli is the way to go against MK.

unless you have some pro snake or something. :S

 

[Rocann]

I didn't even consider Snake because he's not fun at all. I'll look at him in a couple minutes, playing Street Fighter right now.

 

[DanGR]

I don't really use a regular secondary. This game is simple enough that you can pick the opponent's worst matchup and win with just a little bit of warmup to get used to the character. This lets you focus on your main much more.

Against Luigi you can win easily with DDD. Against Peach, just pull out MK. Kirby? Just practice the bthrow chaingrab with IC a bit and you've got that one covered.

 

[Kalm]

Use MK as your seconday, then after a month or so you'll realize you win more with MK and make Olimar your secondary.
Then all your problems are solved.

 

[DanGR]

Use MK as your seconday, then after a month or so you'll realize you win more with MK and make Olimar your secondary.
Then all your problems are solved.

I use MK sometimes. I use him to get a free win against the characters that can't deal with his b-button. And I use the tag "BanMe" as well.

Ask Majist about our MK-DK match a while back.

 

[KBM]

sonic boom!

spinning bird kick!

 

[Rocann]

I don't really use a regular secondary. This game is simple enough that you can pick the opponent's worst matchup and win with just a little bit of warmup to get used to the character. This lets you focus on your main much more.

Against Luigi you can win easily with DDD. Against Peach, just pull out MK. Kirby? Just practice the bthrow chaingrab with IC a bit and you've got that one covered.

I'd rather have 2-3 great characters that answer everything than have a great main and 40 shoddy characters that will only beat bad people.

 

[KBM]

agree w/ andy, you dont wanna be that guy who ALWAYS counter picks falco against wolf no matter how terrible his falco is, and you dont wanna be that guy who ALWAYS picks a multi-jump character instead of olimar on rainbow cruise, ya know?

 

[Dyyne]

I guess the characters that are closest to being my secondaries are fox and GW (I use a lot of other too, those are probably just the two I use the most after olimar). I really don't know why...fox isn't that good, he's just really fun to play as haha. GW is really good and fun to play as.

 

[Fino]

Just because I like to play a lot of characters here's my line up. I actually put a spin on it too.
Olimar - main
and his pikmin
red - marth
blue - falcon
purple - luigi
white - ICs
yellow - kirby
*yes... I do actually use these colors... and I didn't realize they're pikmin colors until someone told me a few days ago XD

Anyways, pertaining to high level play in tournaments, I would only use marth, luigi, and IC's. For whatever reason, some chracters can just wreck my ****, and these cover everything. Marth will definitely cover everything you need, plus... I notice I tipper a LOT, and I think it's from playing olimar.
Marth is also an easy transition from olimar... play style isn't drastically different. Replace pikmin with sword. fair approaches, side b spam (lulz), usmash is exactly the smash, buffed fsmash, ect...
Luigi is just an all around fun character, but you kinda just have to experiment to see who you like better. I say like because I don't play characters because their amazing, but because their fun, and it's something I can go with.
IC's... well... nvrm. IC's are kinda my... easy way out in pools or my easy win button. Characters that I just can't seem to beat, I learn how to infinite them... is that bad ^^;
But, I know who these characters are, I will start with olimar, and if they just wreck me, and I go IC's. This usually results in a CP for IC's, which ends up being a good olimar stage, and then I'll go back olimar if I feel comfortable enough. I blame character in experience though. My area is mostly melee, so i don't get a whole lot of character practice, except online... lol.


~Fino

 

[Fino]

I'd rather have 2-3 great characters that answer everything than have a great main and 40 shoddy characters that will only beat bad people.

QFT... that was great andy
Sorry for double post ^^;


~Fino

 

[Cook]

Who needs a secondary? Captain Olimar is the best in the game!

 

[Dabuz]

i like kirby, pretty much every remaining character matchup is covered with like 50-50, hes fun(i think) and most people lack kirby experience giving you upper hand, and samus can wreck peach with zair i believe if you want to get some revenge

 

[DanGR]

I'd rather have 2-3 great characters that answer everything than have a great main and 40 shoddy characters that will only beat bad people.

I have issues with a Fox main ranked 5th in my state, and probably the best fox in the southeast. I'm 1-0 with him in-tourney, but in friendlies he wins about 70% of the time. Also, one of my friends recently picked up Luigi. We go about even when I use Olimar.

Should I pick up Marth to deal with those two? Or can I just use Pikachu against the Fox and DDD against Luigi?

I don't have to train with either of them to beat them. And they're not bad players.

 

[Dyyne]

^ That would be so brutal to use pikachu against fox and d3 for luigi rofl. If you really want to win, then yea, that's your best bet probably.

 

[Rocann]

I have issues with a Fox main ranked 5th in my state, and probably the best fox in the southeast. I'm 1-0 with him in-tourney, but in friendlies he wins about 70% of the time. Also, one of my friends recently picked up Luigi. We go about even when I use Olimar.

Should I pick up Marth to deal with those two? Or can I just use Pikachu against the Fox and DDD against Luigi?

I don't have to train with either of them to beat them. And they're not bad players.

Those are two EXTREME examples because of the chaingrabs that can be done on both characters. If you're having trouble with, say, a Peach, where do you go? There is no character that you can just play without training to beat a great Peach.

And Fino yeah I meant to look up IC matchups too.

 

[Rocann]

It seems disregarding the chaingrab infinite, ICs don't really have any inherent advantages over any of Olimar's main problems (just going by the numbers on both character boards' matchup threads.) I would like to pick them up as well, they're really cool and having that ability to destroy with grabs when I already know how to predict into a grab so well from Olimar will be very handy. I still think Marth > ICs as far as Olimar's partner goes, if only for the death he dishes out to Peach and Luigi.

 

[Olimarman]

Personally I 2nd Olimar for the matchups that Olimar can't handle, and if theres a matchup that even Olimar can't control I'll just use my third, Olimar.

I've been liking Marth+Kirby though. Despite that I'm an online player, only 3 guys concern me:

Weegee
Peach
Marth

As stated in the OP, marth destroys the 1st 2, and I guess use Olimar for Marth? Also, kirby can handle the annoying POS wolf spammers that you don't feel like handling with Olimar. But really, I usually just stick to Oli.

 

[Rocann]

I have always stuck to Olimar and now I'm looking for a secondary. I'm a self-serving *******. I would go Marth for Marth and just be better than the other person <_<

 

[DanGR]

Those are two EXTREME examples because of the chaingrabs that can be done on both characters. If you're having trouble with, say, a Peach, where do you go? There is no character that you can just play without training to beat a great Peach.

And Fino yeah I meant to look up IC matchups too.

Yeah, against the characters with no really bad matchups, yah probably do need a solid secondary.

Fortunately, I'm only worried about the characters that have some bad CGs against them. I guess if I had trouble with Peach and Rob, I'd probably second Marth.

 

[KBM]

i like andy's logic, that's generally my counter for meta knights, is to just be a better meta knight.

 

[Jadedlink]

I've bounced around secondaries forever now. Right now my main secondary(if that makes any sense) is Snake.

I would agree that Marth is probably the best complement to Olimar. I'm sure I'll come back around to Marth soon. I cycle secondaries too often.

IC's would help when facing another Olimar, so if you don't like dittos, then that would be a + for ICs.

 

[Rocann]

I LOVE Olimar dittos. XD I'm undefeated. I think Olimar has a pretty good time vs ICs anyway. Fsmash hitting both of them is too good. We have a LOT easier time vs them than a lot of other characters because we can keep our distance with ridiculously disjointed moves. The only problem is that they're difficult to grab combo, but the increased effectiveness of smashes versus them kind of balances that out.

 

[Zori]

jigglypuff she is so awesome.

 

[RichBrown]

I was just at a tournament last saturday and there was another Olimar in my pool. While I play Kirby, PT, and MK a little, I'm very mediocre with all of them, so I chose to go Olimar. I'm terrible at Olimar dittos and I get wrecked, and the loss to him singlehandedly cost me a spot in the brackets.

I bring this up because something that hasn't been mentioned yet is another one of Olimar's most annoying matchups: Olimar. I actually decided that day I was gonna pick up Marth for the sheer purpose of beating Olimar. It didn't occur until way later that Marth counters Peach and Luigi too, which is great for me since I'm terrible against both. I actually don't struggle against Marth as Olimar, and I'm puzzled as to why other Olimars struggle with him, but since they struggle against Marth I won't question it.

So yeah, Marth is a fantastic secondary for Olimar mains. Pretty easy to pick up IMO.

 

[Jadedlink]

I'm starting to like dittos myself. Haven't played many, but still starting to like them.

I've only played 2 IC, Hylian's and Melee1's. It's been awhile since i've played either one, but especially against hylian, that short hop blizzards are brutal. Not unbeatable, but still not too fun.

Too many olimar's on right now.

And I actually think Marth vs Olimar is in Olimar's favor as well, Rich. I play a good marth, and never really have much trouble.

 

[RichBrown]

Olimar dittos are fun when they are free for alls with Skank, Awex, and Mr X

 

[Olimarman]

I LOVE Olimar dittos. XD I'm undefeated. I think Olimar has a pretty good time vs ICs anyway. Fsmash hitting both of them is too good. We have a LOT easier time vs them than a lot of other characters because we can keep our distance with ridiculously disjointed moves. The only problem is that they're difficult to grab combo, but the increased effectiveness of smashes versus them kind of balances that out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9H4i3mRlZw&feature=channel_page kthnxbai

I suck at Oli dittos >.<

 

[Rocann]

I should say when I've actually played olimar in the last month XD

olimarman beat me in an online one after I re-picked up Oli for wifi matches

 

[Olimarman]

yes u got pwnt beoch.

 

[Rocann]

You'd beat me in one now, too. I've moved on to where it actually matters with Olimar

I have to put my Marth through the online gauntlet before he's ready for tourney

 

[Rocann]

Back on track. Can anyone think of any other great seconds for Olimar besides Marth/MK?

 

[DanGR]

Snake does well. He slightly beats Marth and Kirby, and beats Peach pretty handily, and I'm not sure 'bout the Weegster.

 

[KBM]

toon link! Idk, he's my secondary and a ton of fun. I'm thinking of maining him again, my olimar's been lookin like the craps lately...

they dont play all that similarly though so im not sure why it works.

 

[Rocann]

My toon is already really good but, for the sake of this topic, he has the same weaknesses as Olimar does in general. Not QUITE as bad, but the same characters beat him.

 

[BlackWaltzX]

D3. Forever! Wak wah wak wah.

 

[Zori]

Jigglypuff.