Death is approaching! And it's moving really slow. Ganondorf FAQ

[Dumah]

Is there room for 1 more FAQ on Ganondorf? I hope there is, but if there isn't then I'll take this thread down or ask a mod to. I hope it's received well, as it took a while to type this all up. Please enjoy this FAQ. I'll be updating it constantly as Ganon is the guy I play as 95% of the time. Please enjoy.

=========================================================​

Ganondorf FAQ
for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
written by Dumah

squeezethejuice@inbox.com

------------------
Table of Contents
------------------

1) Glossary
2) Pros and Cons (PAC)
3) Overview of Moves (OOM)
4) Combos (COM5)
5) Strategies (STRAT6)
6) Items (ITE7)
7) Levels/Stages (LEVEL8)
8) Closing statements (CLOSE9)
9) User submitted strategies (USER10)
10) Videos (VID11)
11) Brawl FC/Version history/Thanks (ENDFAQ)

-------------------
Glossary
-------------------

This is the place to learn the terms I'll use throughout the FAQ. Kind of an
important place to start.

v < > ^ = a direction (vAir means Down Air, >+B means forward + B)

Neu/neu = neutral (meaning just press the given button, nothing else. Ex.
NeuA means just press the A button. NeuAir means press A in the air)

Auto Cancel = a move that is stopped prematurely that allows you to attack again. This is actually automatic in Brawl. It usually happens with aerial attacks when you land and have no landing animation, which allows you to attack again immediately.

IASA = Interuptable as Soon as, is like a cancel. The only difference is the game doens't do it for you. There are attacks that you can interupt before the full attack animation is over. This means that you can attack again, part way
through the original attack. You interupt it, as soon as you press another button.

Spike = an attack that sends the opponent straight down

Knockback = just what it says. When you get hit, you get knocked back.

Super Armor [/B]= frames of animation during an attack that makes you impervious to knockback. You can still take damage, but you dont't go anywhere.

Stale Moves = a pentaly to knockback that the game gives you for repeating the same moves over and over again.

Priority = an attack that will hit first if collided with another attack.

FS = Final Smash

Spamming = abusing one attack or strategy

Gimped = catching somebody on their recovery attempt with a little attack that sends them just out of range of the stage for an easy KO.

Camp/Camping = standing on one side of the stage and spamming projectiles, or waiting there until somebody comes near you

Edge Hogging = hanging off the side of the stage so when your opponent tries to grab the edge, he/she gets nothing.

Dead weight = when you hit someone into somebody else

Tech or Teching = pressing the shield button as soon as you hit a wall or the
ground to pop up from it immediately


--------------------
Pros and Cons (PAC)
--------------------

So here's where the meat and potatos of the guide start.

Pros : Very strong. Ganondorf posesses some of the most powerful attacks in the game. Making him dangerous at any point in a match as he's capable of KOing anyone at 30%.

Very heavy. This allows Ganondorf to take a lot of punishment before he gets KOed. This allows you to stay in the game longer to land a few good hits to turn the tide.

2 Spikes. He's got 2 spikes that send people straight down, and a few more then send people at a downwards angle. His vAir stomp is a great spike, and his v+B has a spike as well. The problem with the second one is just the first few frames of animation send them straight down. Otherwise the move launches people straight up.

Multiple IASA attacks. None more useful then his ^Smash, but NeuA, >tilt, vTilt, vSmash, all have this property to them.

Multiple Auto Cancels. Ganondorf has 4 aerials that auto cancel upon landing. His vAir, NeuAir, ^Air and <Air all have zero landing animation when you've done the move right. If you time it wrong though, every one of them has huge lag on the end, which makes you very vulnerable.

Fast dodges. Some characters roll slow, or dodge slow. Ganondorf seems to have great rolling and dodging abilities, with less lag in between each of them.

Great FS. If you can connect with his FS, it's a KO. Some people say it stinks, but if you do a >+B first (face grab), then hit B, you can't escape it. Many people just jump the second you break the smash ball, so just wait until they land or are on the way down.

Lots of dead weight on his moves. Most of Ganon's attacks have the dead weight property to them. Except for maybe ^+B. This means two things. Every attack has decent knockback, and can clear out the people around him in 1 attack.



Cons : Slow running, walking, jumping, and attack speed. This is by far Ganon's biggest con. It's to balance out his power, but it's still slow. It can be very frustrating at times. As a result, you need to develop great timing to make Ganon effective.

Very little, or no combo ability. A drastic difference from the Ganon in Melee, this version relies on few, strong, single attacks to get the job done. Don't expect to rack up crazy amounts of damage like Meta Knight can with Ganon. Patience.

Easily gimped. Ganon has an above average recovery, despite what anyone says (I'll explain that later in the "STRAT6" section). The reason it will never be better is because you need to take a very strict pattern to maximize his recovery. Because of this, gimping him can be very easy to do. So can edge hogging.

Average (at best) priority. There are many attacks in the game that out prioritize Ganon's attacks. Even his massive Warlock Punch only has ok priority on it.

Attack lag. Many of Ganon's moves shoot out, and stay out. This is bad. It's bad because if your attack is perfect shielded, he can actually be grabbed by the end of the attack. What this means is, if NeuA is perfect shielded, Ganondorf can be grabbed by his arm, instead of having to be right next to him.

 

[Dumah]

-----------------------
Overview of Moves (OOM)
-----------------------

I don't know the names of all of his moves. I don't think it's important.

A = straight punch/face palm

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = yes
KO move? = no
damage = 7 (*mariofanpm12 says* ....9% if sweetspotted")

>Tilt = "spartan kick" as it's knowm on the internet

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizonal down
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 13

*This is Ganon's best KO move. The >Smash elbow is in a close second.
The reason is, is that even when it's stale it does good damage and knockback
and has good speed. It's also the primary choice for me out of a dodge, and
when your opponent has snapped to the ledge and they use their get up attack.
Just block and >Tilt and it's an easy KO.

vTilt = low kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = yes
KO move? = no
damage = 12

^tilt = axe kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle/sideways/down depending on where it hits
dead weight = yes
speed = extra extra slow
IASA = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 27

*This attack can go through walls. Say on Pictochat when the spikes pop up. If
you stand behind the wall and use ^Tilt, you'll still suck people towards you
and the attack will hit them through the wall. I also believe (not 100% sure)
that this attack *clanks* with nothing. So just after the attack is launched
(when his foot is coming down), it will always hit. You may be hit at the same
time and take damage, but the attack itself won't clank.

>Smash = elbow
knockback = can be directed either straight, at a vertical angle or at
a low horizontal angle. (requires user to angle the thumbstick during the
attack)

[/URL][/IMG]
dead weight = yes
speed = slow
IASA = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 24 - 33

*If you perform the >Smash while facing away from the opponent, then you get an
increase in range. It's not huge, but it's nonetheless useful.

vSmash = double low kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = backwards at a vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = slow
IASA = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 19 - 26

^Smash = Vertical Kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 19 - 26

*This move has huge IASA frames in it. You can actually input another command,
the second Ganon starts to move his foot back down to the ground. This is the
biggest sucker move he's got to bait people into attacking you. Learn the
properties of this attack very well.

NeuAir = double kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
Auto Cancel = yes
KO move? = no
damage = 18

^Air = flip kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal or downward angle (if you hit at the end of the
flip)
dead weight = yes
speed = above average
IASA = no
Auto Cancel = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 12

>Air = overhand right

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = slow
IASA = no
Auto Cancel = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 15

<Air = backhand

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
Auto Cancel = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 16

*If you're running forwards, you can quickly mash < then > and A to turn around
and use this move while still moving forwards. This can be pretty useful but
takes some getting used to. The backhand shoots out, and you keep your forward
momentum going.

vAir = Thunder Stomp

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
Auto Cancel = yes
KO move? = yes
damage = 22

B = Warlock Punch

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = extra slow
IASA = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 32

B+< = 180 warlock punch

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical angle
dead weight = yes
speed = extra slow
IASA = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 35

^+B = Dark Dive

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = no
speed = slow
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 11

^+B punch = Dark Dive punch

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 9

*At the very end of Dark Dive there is a punch. It doesn't do much damage but
it has it uses, particularily when recovering. Even if you know you can't make
it back onto the stage, use Dark Dive anyways. A lot of people like to edge
hog just as extra insurance even though you won't make it back. If you're punch
hits them when they are hanging, you can actually kill them before you fall to
your death. It will knock them into the stage, then backwards at a sharp
downwards angle.

>+B = Face Grab

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = down
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 7

*This is one of Ganon's best moves. It leaves your opponent with only 3 options
after you've performed the move. They either get up and attack, roll away, or
roll behind. If you can learn what your opponent likes to do, then you can
follow up with numerous different techniques. You can for instance, keep using
>+B to chase after them and do more damage. "Tech chasing" can be hard to do
and the safest bet is usually a jab for added damage.

**If you choose to do this move near the edge of a map, be very sure you're
holding the control stick in the opposite direction after the attack is
launched. If you miss your opponent, you'll just fall to your doom. If you hold
back though, you'll fall off the stage but you'll snap to the ledge.

>+BAir = Air Face Grab

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = down
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 10

>+BAir = "Ganoncide"

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = down
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 12 or KO

It't called a "Ganoncide" because if you happen to catch somebody in the air
overtop of nothing, then you both go straight down with no chance of recovery.
The only way to cancel this move is to find a stage that allows for it. I'll
cover the stages I know about that in "LEVEL8"

v+B = Wizards Foot

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = yes
damage = 10

v+BAir = Air Wizards Foot

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = spike for first few frames, then vertical for the rest
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = yes for both
damage = 15

v+BAir on ground = earthquake/ground shake, Wizard quake? Call it what you want

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = yes
speed = fast
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 8

This attack is done by doing a short hop, then immediately performing a wizards
foot. The result is Ganon barely leaves the ground and the ending animation of
wizards foot is performed.

vGrab = floor smash

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 7

>Grab = punch

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 13

<Grab = kick

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 10

^Grab = upwards punch

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = vertical
dead weight = yes
speed = average
IASA = no
KO move? = no
damage = 7

Grab Attack = knee

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = none
dead weight = no
speed = average
IASA = no
KO Move? = no
damage = 2

Dash Attack = Shoulder tackle

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = verticle or backwards
dead weight = ?
speed = fast
IASA = no
KO Move? = not usually
damage = 15%

*This attack has huge range. I mean huge. You can foxtrot and immediately press
A to do the dash attack, and you'll end up travelling about half of Battlefield
during it. That whole animation is an attack. It also makes you move very fast.
It also has some combo ability at certain percentages, mainly Dash to <Air.
This is a very deceptive move that Ganon has, so learn how to use it wisely.

FS = Bad Piggy

[/URL][/IMG]
knockback = horizontal
dead weight = yes
speed = fast
IASA = no
KO move? = seriously?
damage = 65

*Do not mash B as soon as you break the smash ball! This causes Ganon to use
the Warlock Punch instead. You have to wait a bit before using the FS*

So that's the overview of all of his moves. I didn't add in a priority section
because it would take forever to compare his moves to everyone elses. However
in my experience, just assume your attacks won't have priority over everything.
As you can tell, he's got lots of good properties to his attacks, but they are
slow. Practice makes perfect with Ganondorf.

 

[Dumah]

-------------
Combos (COM5)
-------------

Man, this is going to be a short section.

>+B,NeuA or vTilt



After you've done the face grab, almost every character can be attacked again with either NeuA or a vTilt. If you choose to do nothing after the grab:

>+B,vAir,^Smash






This combo is deadly. Many people like to do their get up attack right after you've done face grab. Knowing that, you can time the short hop over the attack and finish the combo.

vAir,^Smash




Ganons' most well known combo. Works mainly at low percenteges, but it is unavoidable. The reason is, the vAir is Auto Canceled into the ^Smash with no pause in between. Learn this one.

vAir, ^Smash, ^+B



This one works at low percentages again, and if your opponent like to hang over you while they are in the air, the ^+B works great. The reason this one works is because the ^Smash has the greatest IASA frames I've seen in the game. So you can ^+B very quickly after they've been hit. Sometimes before they can do
anything.

vAir, NeuAir, >+BAir



This works at low percentages, and is really difficult to perform. Especailly on somebody who's doing their best to aviod you.

vGrab,^Air



A quick combo that does some decent damage and usually works.

vGrab,^+B

A not so useful combo, but a combo nonetheless. Only good if you're opponent hangs over you right after the throw, otherwise he'll be out of range for Dark Dive.

vGrab,>+B



I've noticed many people like to get away from Ganon, so the majority of people tend to hold away after being thrown. So >+B is a great follow up.

vGrab,v+B



^Grab,^Air

Difficult to do but again, it can be done.

vAir, >Smash (angled upwards)

Good if your opponent tries to get away from the usual kick that follows.

vGrab, v+B, vAir







Stand in the middle of a map, and vGrab your opponent. Follow it up with v+B, and you'll end up cancelling the last frames of animation once you cross over the ledge of the map. This allows you to hit vAir for a spike before your opponent has a chance to recover. This is very dependant on the stage and the percentage.

^Air, >Smash



This needs to be done on the ground. Instead of using ^Air and hitting with the beginning animation, try to jump over your opponent and hit them with the end of your foot. This will cause them to be stunned for a brief period, and since your move is auto cancelled, you can use the >Smash immediately after.

Those are some combos I've found to be useful. The best way to learn some combos I think is to study the properties of the attacks. If you know the attacks inside out, finding things to link to them is a lot easier.

 

[Dumah]

-------------------
Strategies (STRAT6)
-------------------

So, here is easily the longest part of the guide. Strategies will be broken
down into character matchups, AI strategies, and human strategies. Sit back,
and maybe get something to drink.

-----------------------------
Character specific strategies
-----------------------------

vs Mario :

Mario really has nothing that you can't handle. He's the middle ground character. His FLUDD can be a real pain for gimping you. So can his cape. You really have to be wary while using >+B against his cape near edges. He'll spin you right around and you'll go flying off the edge. So do not use >+B while getting back onto the stage...ever. Many Mario players like to use vSmash a lot and fireballs. So try to avoid rolling behind Mario because chances are it's just a sucker so you'll walk into a smash. Stomps counter that strategy though. If he's spamming fireballs, just avoid them and wait. That's it. Camping is a very effective strategy" in this game, so just out camp the guy who's camping you. You'll eventually get to him.

vs Luigi :

Luigi has some pretty crazy aerial abilities, so keep to the gound and block alot. Spartan Kick him a lot and if you're going to pick an aerial to use, use ^Air. It comes out quick and auto cancels. Keep your distance and let Luigi come to you. If he starts fireball spamming, short hop, dodge, and roll around it. On the ground, Luigi isn't much of a problem. Stay patient and rely on some strong attacks, or >+B to mess his game up a bit.

vs Peach :

She's light, weak, and can be gimped pretty easy. Watch out for her Toad counter. Your >+B counters that though, so use it. The only thing Peach has that I've found is that she's quick to dodge after he attacks, and she's got a few combos that can put a hurt on you. Peach users like to use the float move as a KO attack. So when she's in the air, you can bet an attack is coming. She'll be coming to you the whole match. And like most everyone who's got a projectile, she'll throw the turnip at you and then charge in after you. Use that pattern to your advantage.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=5S1IVIUT

vs Bowser :

Bowswer is strong like you, a little slower I think, and he also has a "Bowswercide". He can grab you and you both fly off the stage, so be very wary while facing a Bowser and you're up 1 stock or close in percentages. Because Bowser is a big target, more moves of yours can be comboed. Keep Bowser moving around and focused on avoiding you, instead of attacking. His vSmash is probably his best smash attack as it lasts a long time. So again, avoid trying
to roll behind him because many Bowsers I've faced like to use vSmash to cover their tracks to to speak. His fire breath will also be spammed at you, probably following a short hop. So, you can try to roll behind him if you're close enough, or you can jump over him and try a stomp. You can also just roll away, or block. If you're caught in it, hold back.

vs Yoshi :

Yoshi, again has nothing you can't handle as Ganondorf. He's got his good sides though. You can't spike him because he's got super armor on his recovery jump. His eggs can really mess you up. And he's got some decent KO power as well as good aerials. However, you out range him and out power him. He's an average weight character so you can KO him with relative ease. Even though he's got super armor, you're ^+B interupts super armor, and unlike in Melee, it doesn't give you're opponent back his jump. Use that to your advantage. The last thing to watch out for is his chain grab. He eats you, and when you come shooting out of his mouth, you'll land with lag and he'll be there to eat you again. Try to avoid this. Chain grabbing is by far the most abused move that a character uses. So chances are, the guy you're playing is only good at chain grabbing, and the rest of his game sucks.

vs Wario :

He's got great aerials as well. But his recovery stinks if he's not using his bike. So if you can interupt the bike, that's a huge advantage. Use the face grab a lot against him. He also has super armor on his >Smash I believe. You're >+B interupts the Wario Bike as well. Wario's bite take priority over many attacks of yours. So if you can, time a >Smash while he's standing there with his mouth open. Charge it up as well so when he's done his move, your elbow hits him.

vs Donkey Kong :

Has got some big power, especially in his punch. But again, he's a huge target and he's slow as well. You're moves have better properties to them, so use the ones that are cancelable and have IASA frames, much more then the ones that don't. You'll have to be evasive as well, as DK can KO you much sooner then many. I've found DK's attacks have a lot of lag on them. Use that to your advantage. Stay evasive and time him coming to you. He's got a crazy wall KO with his throw. Meaning he'll grab you, then run with you off the stage
and turn around so he can throw you at the wall. Unless you tech off the wall, it's very hard to get back on. His recovery kind of stinks, and can be easily spiked. If he's camping you, which will probably happen a lot, you'll need to approach with caution. Try fox trotting to fake him into an attack first. Or try a Thunder Stomp as a sucker, then use >Smash to interrupt whatever he's doing.

vs Diddy Kong :

He may give you fits. He's very fast, has good priority, throws bananas that you trip on, and has a projectile attack. The goal here is to avoid the close encounters. He'll no doubt be coming to you the whole match so make sure you capitalize on that. Block alot as well and try to use the bananas against him. This can be a really hard match. Do not try to attack right after his dash attack. There's no time to do anything but block some more. One of the ways to use bananas against him, is to first pick up one of the nannerz he's thrown and throw it back so that he'll trip on them. Stand in front of one of them, and use an ^Tilt. The wind will suck him close to you and the nanner will make him trip so the attack can land. When trying to spike Diddy, watch out for his >+B I think it is. The one where he flips forwards and "hugs" you. If Diddy is recovering and he's level with the stage he may try this attack first. Roll back and >Smash him walking into it.

vs Link :

Projectile man. He's got so many weapons you've got to avoid so dodging and rolling are huge. When you get close, watch out for his A combo because that will push you right away so he can spam projectiles again. What you need to do is time his projectiles and get close. Once there, use something quick, or block or throw. Once Link is on the defensive, he's at a huge disadvantge. If you want to get real crafty, when Link throws the Gale Boomerang at you, dodge it and let it go past you. On it's way back, the boomerang pulls you towards Link. So you can start a Warlock punch from very far away, and use the boomerang to pull you close. Most Link players I've fought will follow the pattern, Bomb-Boomerang-Arrow-attack, or some variation of that. Sometimes it's boomerang-arrow-attack. So get used to powershielding and dodging around this.

vs Zelda :

Ok Zelda will give you problems. Her ^Smash destroys everything. Meaning every move you've got will be interupoted by it. Ya, I know. So there is to be little or no vAir while against her. >+B is a great way to start off everything. So build off of that. Her recovery is alright and many Zelda users like to appear behind you, or attack you using her ^+B recovery. As a result, a >Smash is a great way to finish her off. Don't be tempted to attack right after being attacked, as many of Zelda's moves hit multiple times. Be patient and learn when the attack has actually ended.

vs Sheik :
The only Shiek has that will give you problems is speed. Shiek is weak, and light, which makes you very dangerous. Roll, grab, v+B and >+B will set up everything. You can also use vAir now Shiek also has an ^tilt combo where he/she spams the move 3 or 4 times to rack up damage. It's particularily useful when you're just respawning.

vs Toon Link :

Just like Link, TL will give you troubles. Avoid the projectiles and get in close. Then use something quick, or block, or dodge. Many TL players like to do that downwards stab while right over top of you. Roll out of the way and >Smash for an easy KO. His boomerang is a far better weapon and needs to be avoided. Because he's small, he's harded to hit, so using the vTilt is a great idea to keep him off you. He also has some auto cancel aerials that keep him moving around. This can be very annoying because they are very spammable, combined with many projectiles, will give you a hard time. If you're fighting the projectile TLink, the strategy is pretty much the same and Link. The aerial TLink requires you to way more evasive and patient.

vs Ganondorf :

In this match, you want to be the quicker Ganondorf. Use the attacks that keep you moving, and when he gets off the ledge, spike. The only thing you need to watch out for is the Ganoncide. He will do it, and you need to avoid it. If his approach is level with the level, he'll probably do it so stay away from him, or be sure to jump well above him for a spike. If the
approach is low, you can hit him with anything to gimp him. You won't find a Ganondorf that comes in low, and then does a Ganoncide. Ganon has much better vertical recovery then horizonal, so it's safe to go after him when he's well below the stage. Don't fall for the same tactics you use. He'll be suckering you into attacks like crazy, and he'll KO you in no time flat. If you're edge hogging him and you get caught in his Dark Dive, he'll send you into the wall
and you'll be sunk. Tech off the wall to survive. Also, do not forget about his punch at the end of Dark Dive. If that hits you when you're edge hogging him, you're done. It will send you at a sharp angle backwards, and you may in fact die before he does. I've won matches in that exact scenario before because of that move.

vs Kirby :

Kirby has got a viscious chain grab combo so you need to not be grabbed by him. Secondly, his rock move can be be stopped mid air, so when you try to go after him to spike, he'll use that, KO you and get back on the level. So it's more safe to let Kirby float back onto the stage. He's got some above average power in his hammer, so that is actually a move you need to watch out for. His >Smash is also good. I don't have too many problems fighting
kiby's. Just stick to your range and use good timing.

vs Meta Knight :

This is a fight that you will have major problems with. MK has amazing speed, recovery, and power (for his size), he's the best gimper in the game, almost impossible to spike, and many of his moves chain into other attacks with no lag. So the goal here is to let MK be aggressive. DO NOT chase a MK around the map. He has to come to you to win, and since he's got no projectiles and crazy fast attacks, that is 100% going to happen. The best
way to beat MK is to learn MK. Learn his attacks, and which ones leave him vulnerable for you to attack in. His tornado must be blocked, same with his >+B. However, I'm pretty sure your >Smash can interupt both those moves. So make sure you use them. He is very easy to KO. So the bright side is only few attacks are required to KO him.

vs King DeDeDe :

DDD has a chain grab. So don't get grabbed by him either. He is very slow, and very big, so use your "speed" to get the job done. His waddle dees can be attacked so attack them to get them out of your way. He's farily easy to spike since he floats real slow, just don't get caught underneath him because he'll spike you. His aerials as far as I know are
average, so you can control the aerial game. That's a very good thing. Like you though, he can be very powerful when used correctly so don't get too confident that you can crush him....because you'll lose. He also has quick dodges, so expect DDD to dodge a lot and grab you.

vs Samus :

Samus has many projectiles as well, but overall she's not as much of a threat as Link is. Her attacks seem a little slow to me, and her recovery is average and very spikeable. Some Samus players like to use the tether to get back onto the stage, so if you edgehog it, that's an easy ko. Expect projectile spam.

vs Zero Suit Samus :

This is a harder matchup as ZSS is far more mobile and she outranges you huge. On the bright side, her tripple A combo leaves her very vulnerable to grabs. Block them all, then grab, That works every time. Dodge her stun shot and wait for her to run in after you. Her ^Smash is viscious, and you need to watch out for her air kick. They both have great priority and can put a hurt on you. Other then that, the air game is yours. Use the stomps and dodge the projectiles and block.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=FG5ME7XX

vs Fox :

Fox is very fast. So he'll give you problems every time. Just like MK, you need to dodge a lot and load up on your shots. You have to catch him coming to you. His recovery is alright, and you'll usually see the >+B more often then ^+B, so you can spike that. Patience. Fox users, as well as Falco users, love to fake like they are grabbing the edge, only to use their >+B move to quickly attack you. So, stand on the edge like you're preparing for a spike
or something, then roll back and charge a >Smash and wait for him to use it. It will happen, so catch him coming in for an easy KO. Fox has got some good combos as well. NeuAir to vSmash is a common one, and whether or not NeuAir hits, expect the rest of the combo to come out anyways.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=1R71NSWB

vs Falco :

Falco is worse in my eyes. His blaster is better, and he's got a terrible chain throw that will have you seeing red. Avoid the throws, and use the stomps. >+B is also a great tool against Falco. Against a good Falco player though, this is always a tough match up. Again, the chain throw is coming, that is guaranteed. So wait him out. Once you get to higher percentages, expect a lot of >Smashes. I mean a lot. This is really a newbie character in my eyes. An overpowered chain grabber with a very spammable projectile. That's Falco.

vs Wolf :

Wolf can also be pretty annoying. His blaster though isn't as good as Falcos, but it's better then Foxes I think. He's got a very long forward smash, and the rest of his smashes are strong. He also has at least 2 aerials that auto cancel, which can make problems for you. The key here is dodge the blaster, and wait for an opportunity, like after his >Smash, to really put a hurt on him. Luckily, his recovery stinks. When Wolf gets undeaneath a stage or at a weird angle, it's very hard to get back on. So use that opportunity to edge hog and spike. Watch out for his ^+B, it's the best of the Star Fox trio. Blocking usually does the trick. And do not get over aggressive while spiking him. His >+B if "sweetspotted", will spike you
straight down. His vSmash is also a very spammable move so watch for that. And his ^Smash is interuptable, just like yours.

vs Pikachu :

Pikachu has a few things that give Ganondorf troubles. First is a chain grab. Second is the Pika thunder, and third is his vSmash. His recovery is average, except for his chargeable headbut move. So, what you need to do is avoid his grabs again, load up on a big attack after you've avoided Pika thunder, and roll away from him duing the vSmash. The reason is because that smash lasts a long time, and as a result dodging or rolling behind him will just cause you to get hit. If you can time it right, the Warlock Punch and his ^tilt, can be really devestating against a Pikachu player who uses that thunder too much....

vs Jigglypuff :

Jigglypuff has a decent aerial game that you need to be wary of. Her rollout move is also pretty strong if you get hit by it. Other then those two things, I think a good Ganondorf player should do fine against jiggs.

vs Lucario :

Lucario seems to out prioitize Ganon on every level. He's got a tripple a combo that can be stopped at 2 and followed up by something else. A good projectile to mess you up, quick smashes and rolls, and decent KO power and weight. Overall, he's a good character. He's got a big weakness though, and that's recovery. He's very easy to gimp and edgehog. So when you get him off the stage, do your best to guard the ledge. Other then that, don't stand right underneath him when he's in the air, try to block or dodge away. This can be a dam tough fight if you're chasing or not blocking enough. I hate Lucario. Another thing to remember, you're ^Tilt (the wind from the kick) can be countered by Lucario's counter. So that makes this move even more useless.

 

[Dumah]

vs Pokeman Trainer : Squirtle

Squirtle has got lots of speed, and a couple of attacks with super armor. He's also very light. Admidittly, I've never played a good P.Trainer so I can't offer hard counters to their moves. Keep dodging around squirtle and use >+B to slow him down. Squirtle also has some decent aerials, and you can expect some nervous jumping on his part. You can KO this runt at around 50% with a >Smash.

Never stand overtop of Ivysaur because of his leaf or needle blast move (sorry I don't follow Pokemanz to know the names of his moves). That
will no doubt be the first move he'll throw at you and it'll cause 40 to 50% or so. He's the middleweight so he's an all around charater. His recover sucks,so make sure you edgehog him for an easy KO. His leaf cutter projectile is ok, but overall I don't find anything terribly hard about him.

Charizard has some pretty strong moves and a pretty good spike. He can also glide, which makes him really hard to gimp. As a result, my strategy, like the other heavy weights, is to stay mobile and use the attacks that keep you moving. His rock throw and fire breath are moves you'll be encountering a lot. Roll away, keep moving, easy match.

vs Marth :

Marth can be really good. His counter is amazing, and he's got great smashes and specials. The advice I have for marth is >+B and aerials. Your >+B interupts a lot of stuff so use that. And you'll want to get in close because I think he outranges you on a few moves. Try not to chase him either. He'll sucker you in, and then do a quick 180 smash or combo.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=XICW7J3H

vs Ike :

He's crazy strong and is capable of KOing you in no time. Do not get hit by his >Smash. And make sure to block his tripple A combo which is widely abused. He has super armor on Aether, and his Eruption move so if you plan on hitting him during those, use ^+B as that will interupt him. His recovery is terrible and all around he's very slow. So you should stay mobile.
Because of his slow speed, abusing the >+B is a great tactic to rack up damage.

vs Ness :

Ness has some deceptive strength. His >Smash is really good, so is his PK Thunder when he hits himself with it. Ness also has PK fire, which is a widely abused move because it sets up smash attacks and throws, due to the fact it holds you in place for a short period of time. If that lands, I usually like to roll away from him because the chances are he's coming straight for you. He's got 1 or 2 aerials that interput most of what you can throw at him, so you'll need to have the exact distance to counter. His recovery is horrible and is one of the easiest to spike. If you can't spike him, just make sure you intentionally get hit by his PK thunder before it hits him on his recovery. That will effectively gimp him for an easy KO.

vs Lucas :

Much like Ness, he's got some deceptive strength. The difference between him and Ness, I think is that Lucas tends to have multiple hits, where Ness is more single stong attacks. Lucas can rack up damage so be wary of him. And you also can't gimp him like Ness because his PK thunder hits multiple times and carries through you, making it useless. So you have to spike him. His PK fire doens't hold you in place, and he's got a freeze move as well. On
the whole, he's a decent opponent but Ganondorf can take him. The power you have can KO Lucas in no time. Dodge his projectiles, get close and put a hurt on him.

vs Ice Climbers :

They have the most terrible chain gran in the game. If you get caught by somebody who abuses that, you could be in big trouble. So, if you're fighting somebody who is just waiting at one end of the map, chances are they want you to attack, so they can block, and the grab you. Luckily you have >+B to grab them first. So use that. Also, the second you get them seperated go after the AI IC immediately. KO her the first chance you get. IC are severly handicapped when you kill one of them.

vs Pit :

Pit has some of the most spammable moves in the game. His arrows, >+B, NeuA, vSmash are all very fast attacks that can be repeated, some infinately. Pit's attacks can be very fast, like MK, and he also has little lag on many moves. As a result, you need to be very evasive and only attack when you know it's going to hit. Many Pit players (due to low lag on attack) don't care about missing certain attacks because they can just follow up with more. And being a slow character, you can get suckered in to attacking when you shouldn't. So, evasive moves 101, stomps and >+B are all good against Pit. When he's off the stage, do not go after him. He can glide, and attack out of the Glide and chain that into something else. You're >Smash out prioritizes his >+B, so when he uses that, counter. Bank on Pit rolling away from you after you stomp him or >+B him, so that he can shoot you with arrows.
When he knocks you off the ledge, be ready to dodge his incoming arrows.

vs R.O.B :

ROB is a tough opponent in the right hands. His lazer charges pretty fast and can put a hurt on you. And he's got a real good recovery, fast strong attacks, and a second projectile which does good damage. As far as I know, his aerial game kind of stinks, so you need to command the air. Use the attacks that auto cancel, and have IASA properties to them. You are stronger then him so smash attacks are a must. Spiking him is very difficult, so you can almost rule that option out. Reason is, is while the aerial attacks he's got may be crummy, his recovery is top notch. He also has a good vSmash which, like both Bowser and Pikachu, last longer then normal and hits all around them.

vs Olimar :

This little guy can give you hell. His pikmin can interput you, and he can have a very long throw. He's got super armor on his whistle move as well. So, since many of olimars moves revolve around the pikmin being thrown at you, I think you need to stay back some. Luckily your strengh can kill the pikmin in one or two attacks. So once the Pikmin are gone, Olimar becomes vulnerable. v+B, >+B are good choices to close distance quickly. Olimar has a teather recovery, and the less Pikmin he's got, the shorter the teather is. Once Olimar is running low on Pikmin, you can be sure he's just going to try and dodge away from you and pull out more. So keep close to him duing this time and you'll do fine.

vs Captain Falcon :

The Captain has many of the same moves as you, but they are far less powerful and carry some poor priority on them. But nontheless, he's got a decent spike and some good launchers, as well as great speed. The advice I give against him is to block. Many of Falcons attacks I've found don't have a knockback to them when you're shielding. So, when you block and he attacks it leaves him real vulnerable. Recovery is average like yours and
is very spikeable. Stay on your toes and you should do fine.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=DXFH3UV0

vs Mr. Game&Watch :

G&W is a force to be reconed with. Forget about air superiority in this match. It's his. His vSmash and >Smash are crazy strong, and he's got an instant KO if his gets the right number on his special hammer. He can be very hard to beat, and good strategies are tough to find. The way I beat G&W is with evasive moves and range. He needs to get very close to you and many of your attacks are much longer, but on the down side he out prioritizes you. I also find that >+B is good to work off of. When you land that move, you need to keep the pressure up and not allow him to get set again. Like Pit and MK, a few of his attacks have little lag on the end of them so don't get suckered in. My last strategy against him is to do the opposite of what he's doing. If he's an air G&W, use the gound (>+B, v+B, >tilt, etc). If he uses the gound more, use the short hop game. With other characters you can hold your own by doing the same thing they are. Match air with air, ground with ground etc. but G&W seems too strong for Ganon in the same areas.

vs Sonic :

Sonic is the cheapest character in the game, especially against Ganon. Here's the reason. He's got low lag attacks, and many of his moves hit you (and if he misses), carry right through you, allowing nothing to be returned as counters. Sonic players will spam those moves until you lose. And unfortunately, there is no hard counter or sure fire way of beating him. He will give you troubles no matter what (assuming the player is good). Patience is the key here I think. And you also need to learn the range he's got on his attacks, so you can stomp him when he rolls towards you. The air game is yours as far as I'm concerned. Blocking is also really important.

vs Snake :

Regarded right now as the best in the game, Snake makes you fight his game, every time. He will run away and use projectiles to get the damage up, then use one of his very strong tilts or smashes to KO you at low percentages. So how do you win? When he's placing a mine, >+B is the counter because after he hits the gound, you can block, and the mine will detonate and hopefully hit him instead. If he throws grenades, learn to thrown them back. If he's holding on to the grenade and waiting, >+B again because almost everything else will end up with you being blown up as well. His aerials stink (assuming the player is not auto-cancelling some of them)and his recovery is ok. Most snake players will recover very high on the stage and drop a C4 on you, so Spiking snake can be very difficult. Learn where he goes after the recover so you can take him out on the landing. Lastly, he's got a "Snake Dash" attack in which he pulls out his mortar while sliding across the whole map. Block it. Snake is broken.

In closing :

In the short form of all that, do not chase your opponent..ever. Use short hops and quick combos to rack up some decent damage before sending them off. Remember, you can KO people at low percentages so stop trying to get them to 100+% before KOing them.

 

[Dumah]

---------------
Against the AI
---------------

Against the AI, Ganondorf is almost impossible to use. Why? Because the AI
is very cheezy and can perfect shield, interrupt, throw, dodge/roll, with
perfect timing. Thus, they can put a huge hurt on you. I don't play against
the AI anymore but here are some quick strategies that can help you.

Strategy 1 - Spike

Every AI character jumps back on the stage with very predictable
patterns. They don't change their approach at all. So you need to spike them
every single time.

Strategy 2 - >+B

They never seem to understand this move. So abuse it. I've found that
most of the time they'll just run into it, or try to block. They won't try
to learn your pattern of using it, which is further proof that the AI function
on inputs and is very mechanical.

Strategy 3 - Fake

I've found that if you intentionally throw an attack that you know
will not hit them, then will immediately try to counter you. Even if you're
across the stage. So try that.

Strategy 4 - Never attack when overhead

This is the most cheezy aspect of the AI. When you get launched into
the air, they will literally stand right underneath you and try to ^tilt or
^Smash you. And they do that with perfect timing. So you need to fall away from
them and then dodge.

Strategy 5 - Attack them in the air

After you launch them, then have a very bad habbit of immediately
dodging. This leaves them open for more attacks right away.

Strategy 6 - Dodge at high percentages

When you get to higher percentages, you can be certain, with 100%
accuracy that an abused >Smash is on it's way. This is where they become very
predictable and drop the whole dodge spamming tactic.

With those tips, best of luck. This game has some of the most terrible AI I've
seen, so you need to meet cheeze with cheeze.

 

[Dumah]

----------------
Human Strategies
----------------

The key to success with Ganon is finding the patterns your opponent uses to win. Most everybody has them, and recognizing them is crucial to success. An example of a pattern is, Shoot, dash attack, vSmash, roll away, shoot. I've played people like this so don't think it doesn't happen.

Strategy 1 - Use the auto cancels and IASA attacks

Most people write Ganon off as crap because he's slow. They don't understand though, how deceptive his attacks can be. A prime example of a technique that works quite well is:

^Smash, >tilt

You will find that people will immediately try to attack you after the ^Smash, not realizing that it cancels into anything else. >tilt because it comes out quick and has good damage and knockback. Another example is:

^Air, >tilt

Like the previous example, ^Air auto cancels which allows you to attack again immediately. This will almost always work, and even if it's blocked, the >tilt has knockback.

Both of the first attacks are basically suckers. They allows a window of opportunity for counters against you that is very small and very hard to time. It will almost always allow for you to hit them, or they will do nothing, which is also a good option.

Strategy 2 - combos

Combos like vAir, ^Smash is great for getting damage up. Don't abuse it though because it becomes very predictable. >+B, NeuA is a great combo that does 15% damage or so. A few of those and the opponent is in range for a KO.

Stragegy 3 - Mix up the timing

Unlike the computer, people get accustom to how you attack, or recover, etc. So, every so often you have to mix up the timing on your attacks. For example, if you always jump after the opponent after you've launched them, chances are they will dodge your incoming attack. They'll do that without even thinking about it. The next time you launch them, don't do anything and they'll probably dodge anyways. This will open up huge possibilites for you.

Strategy 4 - Edge guard

Ganon has a very underated edge guarding game. The is quite possibley the only safe place to use both ^tilt and NeuB as effective weapons. Most of the time, you'll probably be going after the spike. However, every so often, allow the person to get back to the ledge unharmed. Time them so that when they approach, your ^tilt is already charging. When they get the ledge, your kick comes down and it's a KO. The distance is very deceptive as well. Many people will first try to get up and attack you, but you need to be just far enough so that they miss, and the wind draws them closer to you. This tactic really messes people up. They have very few options duing this time. Either they do nothing and use the "ledge invulnerability" so nothing happens, drop and then jump back up, or jump over you. That's it. This technique forces them into a pattern. This is probably the most effective thing Ganon has while edge guarding.

Strategy 5 - Do not chase

If you're chasing your opponent, it's suicide. Ganon is too slow to be an effective chaser. Against the projectile guys, you need to roll around the attacks, but not chase after them. Flyers like Pit and MK are never to be chased.

Strategy 6 - Evasive moves

Learn how to dodge properly with Ganon. That's really all that needs to be said. Ganon is played with patience, and even though he can absorb lots of damage, it's always better not to be hit. As a result, your opponent will be attacking and you can take advantage of the lag in attacks and recovery.

Strategy 7 - Throw Spike combo

When near the edge and at low percentages, shield first. It's a safe bet that an attack is coming to try to knock you off the ledge. Grab out of your shield and throw them backwards, and immediately follow up with a vAir spike. This isn't 100% foolproof, but it can cause a very easy KO.

Strategy 8 - Drop Spike

If you choose to edge hog somebody (hang on the edge), you can quickly drop off and vAir, then get back on again. Time the vAir spike with the recovery of your opponent which will 90% of the time be underneath you, because they will try to hit you off the ledge.

Strategy 9 - Ganoncide

After you're up 1 life or are getting killed in percentages, try using a Ganoncide. As I mentioned before, you need to have a very predictable recovery with Ganon to get the most out of him. This means you're easy to spike and gimp. The only way to stop that from happenning is to fake like you're getting back on the stage, and quickly >+B the aggressive attacker who's trying to KO you. One or two of those, and that will guarantee make your
opponent back off from you, allowing you free access back onto the stage.

Strategy 10 - Edge Hog the Teather

Character like Olimar and ZSS have teathers to get back on the stage. If you edge hog them, you'll get hit by the teather, but it will not grab onto the ledge. Easy KO.

Strategy 11 - Fast attacks at high %

At high percentages, many of Ganondorfs moves are KO moves. Don't waste your time with a smash attack that will leave you open and overkill your opponent. The >tilt is an amazing KO move at higher percentages. Use that or other fast attacks to finish the job. Alternatevely, use the big smashes to rack up damage, then finish the job with something that's strong enough.

Strategy 12 - Control the middle

Control the middle of the stage because you've got the longest distance to travel to be KO'd overall. That means it will take even more to KO Ganon. This allows you to stay in the game much longer.

Strategy 13 - v+B after being launched

v+B is a much better option when high in the air and you're being followed by somebody. The reason is, v+B either sends them straight down, or straight up. If it's straight up then you can get a very low percentage KO.

Strategy 14 - the ^+B Gimp

By far the most dangerous strategy, and not one to be used often. During the opponent recovery, jump after them and use ^+B after they've used their second jump. The reason is, your ^+B does not allow them to recover their jump and can cause just enough knockback to gimp them. You however have a deceptive recovery afterwards because you spring off of them into air, and you can use another ^+B to get back onto the stage. If you miss however, you're sunk with no chance of recovery.

Strategy 15 - Foxtrot fake

Foxtroting is when you quickly smash forward, then do it again, and again. The result is you're character stutter steps forwards. May sound pretty useless, but at certain distances a little tap can get you into perfect poisition for a smash. Your ^Smash can also be canceled into a foxtrot. It is also a very effective technique against those guys who like to camp and wait for you to do a move. That little stutter can sometimes get them to act first
and leave themselves open.

Strategy 16 - ^Air semi-spike (sometimes called Tipman spike)

If you hit at the end of ^Airs animation (the flip kick), then you end up sending your opponent at a sharp downwards angle. It isn't a spike though. This can be used when somebody has just snapped to the levels edge, and you know he'll come up with an attack. You can jump over his attack and just catch him, sending him downwards. It's also good for when you are edge guarding or chasing after somebody who's trying to get back on the stage. It's a little less dangers then a spike because you can actually end up fast falling
with a spike (vAir) and not recover yourself.

Strategy 17 - >+B Recovery attack

You can hit >+B right after using jump when you've snapped to the ledge of a level. This will cause the >+B to be very close to the ground, and is capable of hitting anybody in the game. If you don't time it right though, you'll just fly overtop of everybody....

Strategy 18 - Proper Recovery

Do not get complacent when recovering with Ganon. Meaning do not use the same approach every single time, because you are very easy to edge hog. What you need to do to stop would be edge hoggers, is to take slightly longer to use your ^+B recovery, because your opponent will time your usual ^+B with and edge hog and use the invincibility frames of hanging to kill you. But, if you mix up the timing very slightly, you'll either get to the ledge before he gets there, or you'll wait out the ledge invincibility and hit him with Dark Dive or the punch at the end of it. This is very important to remember.

Strategy 19 - Do no approach a chain grabber...ever

Chain grabbers are banking on using their highly unbalanced chain grabbing "skills" to gain the edge on you. They'll do this by rolling behind you, or waiting for you to approach them so they can block and grab you. They also throw some little attack out and then block immediately after, so they can sucker you in. So in either situation, do not under any circumstance approach a character that has a chain grab. They HAVE to come to you to get their crummy move to work. Always wait for their move first. It's the only way to avoid chain grabbing. Why? Because chain grabs only work to a certain percentage. So once you get to around 60% for most characters, the grab sends you too far away for them to get to you. This means, they will not waste any time hitting you, when they can just chain grab you for a free 60%. The grab is coming, 100% guaranteed. So wait and let them do something. I don't care if you have to wait 5mins. Do nothing. It doesn't matter.

Strategy 20 - Tech chase with >+B

After you've landed >+B it pays to do nothing sometimes. Just wait for what your opponent will do. If he likes to roll, you can chase with another >+B, if he uses his attack you can also block that and do another >+B. There are many ways to follow up. Just be careful not to abuse this move. It's a very good move, but when you start to abuse it, it becomes very predictable and leaves you wide open for counter.

Strategy 21 - Dumah Dodge Smash

Ok so I just made that name up, but to date I've never played or seen any other Ganon use this technique, and it's very useful. It's useful for anytime your opponent is on the ground, and will use his get up attack. Now, normally, unless you powershield (even then it's not likely), when you're opponent uses their get up attack, you are limited to a few things. You can spot dodge + counter with a quick attack, or block + counter, or maybe use a thunder stomp. None of those can really KO somebody though. So here's what you do. After you've >+B, short hop over them while the are getting up, air dodge, then reverse >Smash. The attack will miss you and they'll still be getting up, which allows you to hit them.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=XICW7J3H - from 15sec to 18secs is a typical counter for getting up. At 54secs this technique is demonstrated. Resulting in a KO at 64%.

 

[Dumah]

------------
Items (ITE7)
------------

Many brawlers like to play with items off, to remove any chance of
luck determining the outcome of the match. I personally don't care. I like to
play with items on every now and again, usually on low.Since every item in the
game, is fair game, complaining about luck to me is pointless because you
could have easily gotten the B-bomb before me. As a result items need a
section in this FAQ.

This section will go through SOME of the items that I think are particularily
useful playing as Ganon.

The Fan :

Mash the A button to your hearts content to rack up damage very,
very easily. Once at the desired percentage, vTilt for an easy KO.

Poke Ball :

You'll be fighting for these things with every one. Once you get it
make sure that you use moves that either hold people in place, or knock them
into the pokemon. >+B or ^+B are good options.

Assist Trophy :

This really goes without saying.

Smash Ball :

So does this.

Mushroom :

A huge Ganon is a huge target. So put on your evasive shoes and
load up on a big hit. If you're edgeguarding, ^tilt has enormous range.

Pitfall :

You throw it and it holds people in place. Use that, then NeuB for
an easy KO.

The Hammer :

Fight for this pretty aggressivly, even though you can be hit with
it. If you get it, try not to just mindlessly walk into people. If you're
against it, you can interupt it with a good >Smash. Lastly, if you have it
and are hit off the stage, franticlly mash A+B to drop it.

The Golden Hammer :

Just like the normal hammer, except if you mash A you can float
with it.

Bumper :

Has great KO power when you throw it at somebody. If you're at a high
percentage, and your opponent low, throw it behind you. When you get smacked
off the screen, you could be hit into it and it'll send you back onto the
stage.

Home Run Bat :

Not because you can KO somebody with 1 hit (that's very hard
to do against people), but because you can throw it and it has great
knockback. Also, when edgeguarding you can throw it straight up to guard
anything above you, so you can worry about spiking.

Smoke Ball :

I know, useless. But I've managed to KO somebody with some moves
while using this weapon that would've not normally hit. Get a smoke ball
attached to you, and gets lots of smoke around you by running around or
something. This actually disguises your attacks pretty well and a >Smash could
be something that lands because you're opponent isn't expecting anything.

So that's the short list of what are some good items. Obviously, most of the
items give you a big advanatage, except in my opinion ones like the beam sword
because Ganon swings it really weird and it can actually hurt you more. Just
pick those ones up and throw them. Another good strategy is to guard the good
items. Most people will franticly try and get them first, but if you're there,
they become really obvious in their attack plan. Use that to your advantage to
score a KO without wasting an item.

 

[Dumah]

----------------------
Levels/Stages (LEVEL8)
----------------------

So, some levels are good for Ganon and some aren't. Here are some levels and
strategies to using them I've found are pretty good.

Battle Field :

The key to success here is controlling the bottom flat surface. If you don't, you'll be forced to the platforms and you are pretty much limited to avoiding damage. Try to knock your opponent onto the platforms, because when they land, it they don't tech then it's a free hit which can lead to a KO. Mix up your spiking and edge guarding as well. You can actually stand on the side platforms and jump off and use a Wizards Foot to edge guard. Even
though you'll hit them straight up instead of down, it's a good move that has decent priority and can still do some damage. Variety in your attacks is good.

Final Destination :

There's no real key here to success. The only thing I would mention is that because the level sticks out of the ends a bit, do not get caught underneath. You won't snap to the edge like many other levels, instead you'll get trapped under the edge and fall to your doom. This level is more designed for campers with projectiles. There's nothing to get in the way of them shooting you, so you'll need to get good avoiding projectiles here.

Smash Ville :

My favourite level. Because the platform moves, it's ok to land on it because you're not in so much danger. But again, control the flat surface. This level seems to be pretty small on both the sides and top, so that makes things much easier for Ganondorf to KO people.

Yoshi Island :

A pretty basic level with 1 platform. It's a big platform though so there's room to work once you get on it. It's also low, so you can actually jump and stomp somebody while they are on it. It's a small stage though, so be sure you roll and dodge alot. Also, because it's got some dips in it, your vAir may get messed up and not cancel properly. You may need to jump a little higher then normal for your stomps to be effective.

Delfino Plaza :

If you can time the stage shifting right, you can actually Ganoncide somebody, and cancel it so that they die buy you land on something. It's a pretty low chance of that happenning, but it is possible to do and it's an instant KO. Also, there is lots of water around so when the opponent gets in it, spike them. Even if you don't kill them immediately, when they float to the top it's very easy to spike them again. Get very good at this. When the
level shifts to where your on the big yellow stage, try to stay on the top part as well. You're ^tilt can hit people underneath you so you can try to add in a few of those when not edgeguarding.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=FG5ME7XX

Halberd :

There are a few obsticals around this stage but none that should give you too many problems. A large platform in the middle, and flat gound make this a good level for Ganon. Knock them into the obsticles and follow up with strong moves. Watch out for flyers because they can actually come underneath the entire stage and knock you off of it. Also, make sure you are right at the edge when recovering with ^+B or >+B. Otherwise you'll miss the edge and fall down. Like Delfino, the stage moves and if you don't snap to the edge you'll just fall down. But, you can actually Ganoncide somebody when you are halfway through the stage itself (when you're flying around). This can be very deceptive, as you'll be almost underneath the stage, but you'll still be able to grab sombebody and drag them down with you.

Luigi's Manson :

This is a good level for Ganon I think. Try not to chase people around the map so much because it's big. Just always try to stay underneath your opponent. The sides are small as well. This level helps against projectile spammers as the house itself usually ends up taking all the hits for you. This can be a great counter pick stage for you.

Green Green's :

A very small level, in every direction. So if you're going to play on here then make sure you're wearing your dodgeing cap. This can also be good though because now you don't have to chase anybody around anywhere, and the blocks making camping very difficult. You can also cancel you Ganoncide here if you're lucky enough. It doesn't actually cancel, more like you're opponent gets screwed. When you do >+B close enough to the edge, your opponent drops straight down (like normal) but instead of hitting the ground then snap
to the edge. So what happens is, is your Ganoncide snaps them to the edge, but the blocks have filled over which pushes them off the ledge, and traps them under the stage.


Those are some of the levels I feel Ganon excells at. In general, try to stay away from huge maps like New Pork City, or maps that move fast and have many obsitcles (like Mute City). The reason I feel this way is because you do not ever want to chase people around the map with Ganon. You're just way too slow, so this means that big maps are ideal for fast characters that camp. You'll almost always lose to that.

*NOTE*

The levels which I've seen/done/had done to me, a Ganoncide be cancelled on
are:

Delfino Plaza - timed when the level lowers to the patio (the one with the
umbrellas)

Brinstar Depths - when the lava is just coming up, and you Ganoncide down

Green Greens - through the blocks that drop down.

Norfair (the one with the lava, not the level that flips around) - almost the
same as Brinstar

It's almost total luck to get these to happen, so don't bank on it being a
useable strategy.

---------------------------
Closing statements (CLOSE9)
---------------------------

This part of the guide is the summary. Ganondorf is slow and powerful. So that means you need to dodge a lot, and get good at timing your opponents. You can also play into the fact that he is deceptively fast by using the attacks that cancel and have IASA frames to them.

Sucker your opponent into you. ^Smash, >tilt is a great combo because the Smash
is a set up for a quicker attack which lands 90% of the time.

Keep the levels small and do not chase your opponent.

Edge guard with ^tilt, and mix up the timing with spikes.

If you do those above things, then you'll have success with Ganon. Play to his
strengths first, not his weaknesses.

And lastly, I'm not claiming to be the best Ganondorf, but I'll probably give anyone a run for their money. So while this FAQ has some useful info, it's not everything there is to know about Ganondorf. You'll have to play as him to find out everything.

 

[Dumah]

----------------------------------
User submitted strategies (USER10)
----------------------------------

If you have something you'd like to contribute, email me or PM me and I'll put it in
here. Make sure the email has something to do with this guide in it's title,
otherwise it'll get deleted. Also please give the name you'd like to appear in
the guide so I can give you credit for it. If it's obsecne, I will not include
it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Flying Dutchman says*
"Lavacide on Norfair is a very useable strategy. You just Flame Choke through the platform, so that you end up grabbing the other side of it. If you don't FC (and thus Lava/Ganoncide) your opponent, you grab the ledge and you can do that really awesome ledge attack."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Shadow Nataku says*

"Ganondorf's favourite place is while grabbing a ledge reason being is it allows him to abuse all kinds of aerial moves on his opponents....

...Instead do a ledge drop off followed by a doublejump + upair, Ganny's long legs will often reach completely through the platform ledge and smack the opponent from underneath. It puts you into a perfect position to regrab the ledge with UP+B with no lag once you cleared the opponent from the ledge. An extra advantage of this is that if they come after you the Up+B will normally recoil them into the bottom of any standard platform and spike them.

An alternate option is to do a jump up off the ledge but immediately Wizard Kick, it has next to no startup time and comes out faster than alot of people can react.

The other thing worth mentioning is quite basic but its a faster run for Ganondorf. Simply keep tapping sidewards on the control stick, what happens is Ganny only does the startup animation for his run which covers more distance than his normal run...."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------
Videos (VID11)
--------------

There are videos strewn throughout the FAQ, but use this so you don't have to
go searching for them.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=5S1IVIUT - ZEUS (Ganon) vs Loki (Peach)
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=FG5ME7XX - ZEUS (Ganon) vs Chaos (ZSS)
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=DXFH3UV0 - ZEUS (Ganon) vs J DUB (C.Falcon)
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=XICW7J3H - ZEUS (Ganon) vs KDUBB (Marth)
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=1R71NSWB - ZEUS (Ganon) vs RED (Fox)

-------------------------------------
Brawl FC and Version history (ENDFAQ)
-------------------------------------

Version 1.0 - First copy complete and ready for distribution
Version 1.01? - Updated some attack values, added in a new strategy, added the
levels which Ganoncide is capable of cancelling, added a new combo, and gave
thanks to another website for hosting it
Version 1.02 - Added in multiple strategies for specific characters, some minor
spelling errors, some new general strategies as well, and some new combos.
Version 1.2 - Added in new levels, fixed some spelling, expanded strategies in
both character specific and general stategies, added a couple of new moves I
missed,added videos, made a videos section, added in some new combos

My Brawl FC is : 1375 6917 4451



Thanks :

To me for learning Ganondorf even though I was severly disappointed
with him at the beginning.
To another website for hosting it
To another website for hosting it
To my opponents who dummied me while I was Ganondorf, so I could get
better
To everyone in the videos
To Smashboards
To the users submitting strategies
====================================================

 

[Devil7]

I bet your fingers are bleeding after typing that, and any help reviving the ganny boards is welcome, at least I think so

 

[:034:]

This is pretty cool... One thing though, Lavacide on Norfair is a very useable strategy. You just Flame Choke through the platform, so that you end up grabbing the other side of it. If you don't FC (and thus Lava/Ganoncide) your opponent, you grab the ledge and you can do that really awesome ledge attack.

 

[Gleam]

It seems good. Btw...you wouldn't happen to be Overqualified on GameFAQs would you?

This guide looks very...similar...to the Ganon guide on GameFAQ.

 

[Dumah]

I am yes lol. Similar indeed. Thanks guys. Flying Dutchman, I'll add your advice in the user submitted section. Thanks for that.

 

[Dumah]

Now updated with pictures, and I'll have new movies for combos coming soon.

 

[Shadow Nataku]

I'd like to see two more very important things added to the guide that I use alot myself.

First thing is edge recovery. Ganondorf's favourite place is while grabbing a ledge reason being is it allows him to abuse all kinds of aerial moves on his opponents. Too many Ganny players have a nasty habit of either rolling back on, using the ledge climb auto attack or just jumping up. All of which are extremely easy to edge guard.

Instead do a ledge drop off followed by a doublejump + upair, Ganny's long legs will often reach completely through the platform ledge and smack the opponent from underneath. It puts you into a perfect position to regrab the ledge with UP+B with no lag once you cleared the opponent from the ledge. An extra advantage of this is that if they come after you the Up+B will normally recoil them into the bottom of any standard platform and spike them.

An alternate option is to do a jump up off the ledge but immediately Wizard Kick, it has next to no startup time and comes out faster than alot of people can react.

The other thing worth mentioning is quite basic but its a faster run for Ganondorf. Simply keep tapping sidewards on the control stick, what happens is Ganny only does the startup animation for his run which covers more distance than his normal run. He can actually run twice as fast which can catch some opponents off guard after seeing him stumble all over the place.

 

[Dumah]

Of course, the wizards kick after jumping from the ledge *facepalm* how did I forget that lol. I use it all the time. Thanks for the info, I'll add your name and strategies under the user submitted section. Thanks for responding. I was starting to think nobody actually cared anymore about this FAQ or Ganondorf.

Do you really think the stutter step moves him twice as fast? I wasn't so sure about that because everytime I do it, it seems I move the same speed, maybe a tad faster. Double speed would be like Falcon wouldn't it lol?

 

[Gleam]

Only fools don't care about Ganondorf...Nobody disrespect the King of Evil.

Shadow Nataku- Isn't that "running animation" called Foxtrotting? It's been a while.

 

[Sgt. Baker]

Excellent work here. I like the depth you put into this. The pictures are also fun. All this info is very much useful and should be looked into for some neat tricks.

And I never got to mention but thank you Flying Dutchman, when I play with my buddies they refuse to go to Norfair and Brinstar

 

[Shadow Nataku]

Shadow Nataku- Isn't that "running animation" called Foxtrotting? It's been a while.

I had a brainfart the name slipped my my mind.

But it works well for Ganny, he has trouble with speed in general and its actually very easy to do with him. I'm pretty sure either way its a significant speed boost, try covering the whole distance of Final Destination. You'll find he does it much much faster foxtrotting than he does with a normal run.

 

[mariofanpm12]

be sure to change his Thunder Jab's damage to 9% if it is sweetspotted