First major tournament advice

[Twunt]

I'm attending my first major tournament next week (SSC hype!) and have very little experience playing competitively at any level. I've been playing melee since the day it came out and have logged a ton of hours playing it - mostly casually, but more recently implementing some more advanced tech. I'm confident in my play and enjoy noticing progress by added these new skills.

Problem is, I have very limited knowledge of most matchups and playing against different people (I've probably played <20 people, and probably <5 could tell you what something as simple as teching was). When I attending a local tourney, my only one, I won one game but lost to two Falco mains, mainly because of the inexperience in the matchup. My training partner is a Peach main so the weight, OOS options, combo setups, etc were all so different and it really threw me off.

I've tried training with my partner with different matchups, but we don't play these off-main characters at a high enough level to really simulate the tourney-match experience.

Does anyone have any advice for getting more familiar with these matchups when you have very limited experience (or ability to experience) physically playing them? How do you guys approach matches where you are unfamiliar with the specific opponents style, playstyle, or character in general? Any help with this or anything else about entering a tourney in my shoes would be greatly appreciated

 

[EPsilon933]

I'd say just keep practicing against your opponents' best characters. You'll learn better how match ups against other characters work by playing mains of them. Your skill vs Peach will overlap a little onto them. Playing against your friend's best character will improve you faster. Playing against Peach will teach you how to play defensively

Go to the tournament for the learning experience of vsing new players and characters

You could read match up guides on how to fight against other characters or watch youtube videos to see what's likely to happen in certain matchips. If they're simple combos or chain grabs, you can practice them in training mode or against a level 1-3


Against unfamiliar opponents, I stay on the neutral game to observe what they do and interpret their habits. When I can, I play based on what they're most likely going to do with what's most likely going to succeed against it. Like if they tend to shield in certain situations, I'll run up and grab

 

[Twunt]

Thanks for the advice!

I have turned to videos for some spacie matchup advice - just really hard to simulate good laser pressure, shines, combos, etc. without actually playing a good player.

 

[-ACE-]

Your main?

 

[Twunt]

I'm a Sheik main.

Comboing the floatier Peach was a lot different than playing the Falcos I was matched up against. I tried dash attacking at low percents, was playing very patient and got laser camped, etc.

I've tried some stuff to get better acclimated to other matchups, but the Peach one is really the only matchup I have real experience with.

 

[EPsilon933]

Peach is 1 of the hardest match ups to learn. She breaks rules, like not having lag on floated aerials. That makes her neutral game almost unpunishable. Because of her floatiness and nair, she cant get comboed much. Learning how to fight against any other character will be relatively easy

 

[-ACE-]

A really safe opener for sheik is running off a platform into a fully spaced bair.

Remember ASDI/CC grabs, and shield DI grabs, since grabs are so good for sheik. I'm a nutshell, whether you're shielding our you get hit, either hold down and away (to aid in grabbing approaches that may cross you up) or down and in (to bring you within shieldgrab range during certain attacks) depending on spacing.

Know your techchasing with fastfallers. It's hard to do multiple regrabs, but obviously if they techroll try for dash attack to fair.

Watch how good sheiks edgeguard.

DI away at low% unless you're near the ledge.

Good luck.