There's a lot id like to say but I'll say for now that playing with dk alone is viable in tournament, even against the best players in the world. Not only do you have to play optimally, but you have to have the mentality that matches that style. If you just go out and play, and don't have any particular goal in mind for your opponent, or positive mindset about the match, then you will eventually lose. But it's not about being positive per say, it's about knowing what you are doing at all times. I'll share with you all my secrets. With dk You want them to stay away from you but at the same time you don't want them far either. My style revolves around pivot attacks and grabs, jabs, just laying back and charging my punch, a lot of standing or walking and not running, and approaching or feigning an approach with back kicks and occasionally throwing out some headbutts, and using up b as a covers-all-approaches option. for example, I like throwing out some preventive jabs not only to initially keep them back but to bait them into coming in to punish you while you respond with pivot attacks or grabs. One good bait is simply walking close to them and throwing out whiffed jabs or trying once or twice to get jab 1 to grab, only to do a pivot grab or fsmash upon that failing. Eventually they'll see this playstyle and simply decide dk is too dangerous to try to approach and just hang back a little more. The MOMENT you see this happen, or actually, the moment you know this is going to happen you go full tilt approach with sh bair and other moves you can do depending on positioning (but sometimes in fact also jumping backward while back kicking) and once (if) you find yourself in a disadvantageous position because of dks laggy moves start again spamming either jabs or pivot grabs or fsmash depending again on positioning and the speed of the character you're facing. Rinse and repeat. What's the mindset of this kind of playstyle? It's a "rofl, what the **** are you doing on the stage with me, donkey kong? You're approaching me? Really? Do what you want, it's all futile in the end, I'm going to **** you". It's important you have this mindset if one uses this approach and when one uses dk, and don't forget to stand still a lot especially after you did something, it's all about those baits, right into moves like headbutt or pivot fsmash or pivot grab. And FYI, earthquake should only be used sparingly or sometimes out of the blue use it to try to break the opponents shield.
Of course none of that matters if dk doesn't have the tools to win...and Dk does in fact have those tools, many of which I know for a fact you guys don't know about or use, and if you maximize that with the right mindset, then dk is totally viable. I reached my best performance ever a week ago or so and right now am trying to regain it after a 5 day camping trip, before smashcon, to show you guys and the world what dk can do. But the rust is real, I really hope I'm in fighting shape once it rolls around. Because if so, ya'll about to see some tech you've never seen before.