Q&A Game Play Advice and General Discussion

[Lavani]

So I was fighting a CPU Cloud on 3DS (don't have access to my Wii U at the moment) when I got hit by Limit Blade Beam, but instead of getting knocked away it just caused me to trip in place:

https://gfycat.com/DelayedAmazingHamster

Is that something that just happens with Cloud's Limit BB sometimes? If it helps, I had just turned around in an attempt to reflect it, and while I was getting hit by the Blade Beam I was DI-ing (not Smash DI-ing) either down and in or down and away.

The multihits are autolink angles, so if LB BB is fired along the ground and you hold down and manage to land it'll pull you back and forth across the ground, which is a 10% chance to trip each time.

 

[BlueX]

How do you "read" your opponent? I am struggling to get out of auto-pilot and figure out what my opponent is doing and is there is way to get better at reading?

 

[Stryker95]

hey I'm a captain falcon main in smash 4 and i have recently run into a wall at tournaments of fighting robins and villagers i was wondering if anybody had advice for me as captain falcon to deal with projectiles i have tried being overly aggro and patiently shielding waiting for an opening but nothing has worked any help or ideas?

Go here to find the answer.

 

[DunnoBro]

IMO The main labbing worth doing outside of character specific tech and grinding inputs into your muscle memory can only be done via turbo controllers

Ex. Setting a cpu to DI away + Jump/Grab/attack on turbo to test the best punishes for people trying to getting out of your set-ups.

There's also practicing your ledge get-up coverage. Training mode CPUs set to stop will always jump, attack will always standard, but unfortunately I don't really know any good ways to practice roll/hang/attack. (though they tend to be the easiest punishes anyway) Just be sure to get a good feel for what looks real or not.

 

[Tomoya Okazaki]

IMO The main labbing worth doing outside of character specific tech and grinding inputs into your muscle memory can only be done via turbo controllers

Ex. Setting a cpu to DI away + Jump/Grab/attack on turbo to test the best punishes for people trying to getting out of your set-ups.

There's also practicing your ledge get-up coverage. Training mode CPUs set to stop will always jump, attack will always standard, but unfortunately I don't really know any good ways to practice roll/hang/attack. (though they tend to be the easiest punishes anyway) Just be sure to get a good feel for what looks real or not.

Oh wow thanks I had no idea about the training mode cpu changed it's ledge get ups depending on what you set them to

 

[Moshilam]

How do you "read" your opponent? I am struggling to get out of auto-pilot and figure out what my opponent is doing and is there is way to get better at reading?

There is no other way to put this, just think. Think about your game, tell yourself what your oppenent is doing and notice habits. Exploit the habits.

 

[Time/SpaceMage]

How do you "read" your opponent? I am struggling to get out of auto-pilot and figure out what my opponent is doing and is there is way to get better at reading?

I think once you get really comfortable with your character, you'll start getting a little extra time to think. I recently started noticing patterns in my opponent, like when they always approach from the air. Just play more people and see different styles of fighting.

 

[nebulark]

One way to read some is to put yourself in their shoes. Try to think what options they have in a situation. If you aren't experienced with reading think about what you would do (maybe instinctively). This works mostly against inexperienced players, who don't know how to adapt/read/recognise own habits. When you get better always look what option they pick, each player prefers some options over others.
Don't forget you have to look a the context of the situation. They could do different things when you run at them, but still have a pattern.
For example if you run at them after they wiffed a laggy move they always spotdoge. However if you run towards them and they didn't wiff a laggy move before they might pick another options, such as attacking. You can take note of that and "pick a the right read" depending on the context.

 

[Adam Sanders]

I find this quite difficult to do, does anyone have a method for keeping track of something like this?

 

[ARKills]

Usually when I go to training mode it's so that my execution won't get rusty and to practice counter poking and any follow ups it can lead to.

 

[C0rvus]

Once you get to the point where you don't have to spend most of your time focusing on your own execution and bad habits, you can focus on your opponent. Check them for habits, condition them, gather info on how they tech and get off the ledge, how they react when being juggled (offensively with a falling aerial or jump away/air dodge), etc. This is the nature of reads. It's hard to get to this point tbh, you have to have your head in the game and be comfortable controlling your character.

Also, dunno if this video has been posted, but it's great. False is really smart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvTrJo3DNog

My issue atm is trying to figure out what I'm good at. (Not what I like, what I excel at.) I know I tend to play heavily from my heart if that makes any sense. I also know I have a bad spot dodging issue, but idk if that tells me anything. I guess I could record some friendlies and look them over... Once I learn my strengths, I hope to pick a character that plays those up or lets me enjoy that aspect of the game.

 

[MrRiyku]

I'm having a difficult time getting back on stage when I get launched into the air at higher percentages. This leads me to air dodging a bunch of times and becoming predictable. Any tips?

 

[AbsoluteZeroVII]

Alright, so I'm no stranger to the Sm4sh scene but I've only recently began to branch out and try to become a respected competitive player. Here's my dilemma:

I've always maimed Link. I've never had a problem using him, though I've only played with homies, but I understand he's a low tier character. Am I able to bring Link to his maximum potential and shine glory on his name if I tried hard enough, or is he honestly just crippling my chances. Because I honestly see more potential in him than most claim.

I also run Cloud, as he's a fan favorite of mine and will main him if push comes to shove, but I'd rather shine heaven's light upon Link's name.

Anyways, my question here is should I give up on Link now and run a more viable main, or see how far I am able to push him?

 

[mario123007]

Alright, so I'm no stranger to the Sm4sh scene but I've only recently began to branch out and try to become a respected competitive player. Here's my dilemma:

I've always maimed Link. I've never had a problem using him, though I've only played with homies, but I understand he's a low tier character. Am I able to bring Link to his maximum potential and shine glory on his name if I tried hard enough, or is he honestly just crippling my chances. Because I honestly see more potential in him than most claim.

I also run Cloud, as he's a fan favorite of mine and will main him if push comes to shove, but I'd rather shine heaven's light upon Link's name.

Anyways, my question here is should I give up on Link now and run a more viable main, or see how far I am able to push him?

It really depends on your main purpose of using Link, do you really want to get good with Link or just being the best at Smash? Do you just want to have fun? Or be competitive? It's possible you can grasp two sides, but what exactly is your main goal of using Link?

Link is indeed a low tier character, that means there are more characters you will have a hard time to deal with than those are easy to deal with. Playing FG or just play with your friend you can just use Link, but in tourneys you better find a top tier main. Cloud is a good character but not top tier, you can put him as a secondary character.

 

[AbsoluteZeroVII]

Thanks for the advise. It helps with the final conclusive answer. Appreciate it.

Though, personally, I couldn't see myself maining any of the top tier characters. At least, none at the very top. I understand that my success rate is crippled from the start with the fighter selection, but personally I wouldn't find any sense of accomplishment rising through the ranks with character who I don't really enjoy. Take Pound 2016 as an example, Abadango won as a Mewtwo and Nairo was beaten out by a Robin. I'm sure other factors effecting the match are in place (e.g. Fatigue, practice, etc.) but it forces others to take a look at these winning characters and decipher their game at the very least. With a character reevaluation being a drastic endgame.

Anyways, I'm starting to ramble so let me stop. My end goal is this: To become a top tier respected competitive player with a character I also enjoy.

Like I've mentioned, I've only sat around the house playing with a close circle and have never played in any tourneys', so I completely understand if I sound stubborn trying to use a character that isn't viable. Perhaps I'll learn more through experience. Regardless, I appreciate your help.

 

[mario123007]

Like I've mentioned, I've only sat around the house playing with a close circle and have never played in any tourneys', so I completely understand if I sound stubborn trying to use a character that isn't viable. Perhaps I'll learn more through experience. Regardless, I appreciate your help.

Don't mention it, my gaming environment is far worse than you, my country doesn't have any notable or huge Smash tourneys. Hell, my country isn't even supported by Nintendo anymore. And most gamers in Taiwan don't really look up on Smashboards for searching tips. Which is awful...

 

[Rockir]

Hey guys, Does anyone know how to easily punish back rolls to the point where if you see it coming you can immediately punish before my opponent can do something? Yesterday I was fighting a pretty good little Mac, and literally the only way he approached was running straight at me and back rolling, or rolling to where my back would be facing him. He pretty much had no other way of approaching, and it was really frustrating that I couldn't punish his glaring habit. Is there any way to consistently punish predictable back rolls? I literally couldn't do anything because of little macs super armor. I tried countering too, but he knew how to be patient. I'm lost, literally nothing worked. And please don't give me that "pivot f tilt" crap and that "space your jab" nonsense. I need something better and more consistent. I main Roy btw, and I'm playing on 3ds version because I'm staying at my grandmas house for this week. Thanks guys, also please make sure to give examples of your advice as I am more of a "scenario" learner if you know what I mean.

 

[teluoborg]

If all he does is roll away no matter what you do just run past him and punish the inevitable back roll with a grab, a side B or a dash attack. It probably isn't as simple as that but that should stop him from mindlessly rolling back every time.

 

[Rockir]

If all he does is roll away no matter what you do just run past him and punish the inevitable back roll with a grab, a side B or a dash attack. It probably isn't as simple as that but that should stop him from mindlessly rolling back every time.

No he didn't roll away, he kept running at me and rolling behind me. Also no matter what I did he wouldn't learn and he would just keep doing it!

 

[Nah]

No he didn't roll away, he kept running at me and rolling behind me. Also no matter what I did he wouldn't learn and he would just keep doing it!

In the case of him rolling behind you, Dsmashes usually are good at catching those.

The reason he keeps doing it is because there's never been any real reason to stop. A lot of people who just do the same thing over and over again tend to do so because it's always worked for them, so they don't feel the need to do anything else. Don't fix what ain't broke, right? Break it for him.

 

[Dream Cancel]

Alright, so I'm no stranger to the Sm4sh scene but I've only recently began to branch out and try to become a respected competitive player. Here's my dilemma:

I've always maimed Link. I've never had a problem using him, though I've only played with homies, but I understand he's a low tier character. Am I able to bring Link to his maximum potential and shine glory on his name if I tried hard enough, or is he honestly just crippling my chances. Because I honestly see more potential in him than most claim.

I also run Cloud, as he's a fan favorite of mine and will main him if push comes to shove, but I'd rather shine heaven's light upon Link's name.

Anyways, my question here is should I give up on Link now and run a more viable main, or see how far I am able to push him?

Player skill is more important than tiers. I hate to use personal experience as evidence, but I'm a pretty decent Rosa player and do decent at tournaments (like 2-2). I have quite a few competitive friends, but by far the best one of us mains Link, and he absolutely destroys us. We're definitely not bad at all, but he's an exceptional player.

Link's most important tool is his bombs. Learn his techs and his incredible ledge traps with them. Also, his tether recovery makes his recovery very safe, and B-reversed up-B's make it really dangerous to edgeguard him. Stay mobile in neutral because Link is super scary at mid-range. Dair is suprisingly safe unless the opponent spot dodges. Pivot F-tilts are amazing for pretty much everything.

He uses default controls, if that's of any interest to you.

 

[AbsoluteZeroVII]

Player skill is more important than tiers. I hate to use personal experience as evidence, but I'm a pretty decent Rosa player and do decent at tournaments (like 2-2). I have quite a few competitive friends, but by far the best one of us mains Link, and he absolutely destroys us. We're definitely not bad at all, but he's an exceptional player.

Link's most important tool is his bombs. Learn his techs and his incredible ledge traps with them. Also, his tether recovery makes his recovery very safe, and B-reversed up-B's make it really dangerous to edgeguard him. Stay mobile in neutral because Link is super scary at mid-range. Dair is suprisingly safe unless the opponent spot dodges. Pivot F-tilts are amazing for pretty much everything.

He uses default controls, if that's of any interest to you.

That helps quite a bit. Especially to hear he can be viable. Though I have been looking into his techs, and although I use most of them, I need to ingrain them into my muscle memory. Plus, figuring out ways to make them extremely useful and advantageous. When I started looking into the competitive scene, I've realized how been blind to what is actually possible in smash :/

So honestly, thank you. All the advise is extremely helpful

 

[Stryker95]

That helps quite a bit. Especially to hear he can be viable. Though I have been looking into his techs, and although I use most of them, I need to ingrain them into my muscle memory. Plus, figuring out ways to make them extremely useful and advantageous. When I started looking into the competitive scene, I've realized how been blind to what is actually possible in smash :/

So honestly, thank you. All the advise is extremely helpful

If you haven't yet, check out this thread. It has everything you need for Link.

 

[Shadow Light Master]

Hey guys, I'm trying to figure out the best way to learn my punish game. I came up with two strategies, but I can't tell which is better, or if there's some better option I'm not aware of.

1) Create separate flowcharts based on weight class. Each option is based on the % and DI of the opponent. Memorize flowcharts.

Con: Smash 4 has rage, and I'm pretty sure it would be too tedious to keep track of and memorize how it affects my punishes.

2) Just react to your opponent's DI, and know which moves can reach them, or how you need to position yourself to extend your punish. If you drop your punish, try using an option with less knockback next time.

Thoughts?

 

[GeflGabe]

I usually just wing it and use whatever the situation calls for.

 

[BarSoapSoup]

As somebody who is considering competitive Sm4sh, am I hindering myself much in using an HD TV over a CRT for practice purposes?

 

[Stryker95]

As somebody who is considering competitive Sm4sh, am I hindering myself much in using an HD TV over a CRT for practice purposes?

Depends on what game you play. If it is Melee, than yes, but with Smash 4 it is okay.

 

[BarSoapSoup]

Depends on what game you play. If it is Melee, than yes, but with Smash 4 it is okay.

It is Smash 4, thank you! I feel Melee is too fast for me and I have a CRT TV that I play it on anywho.

 

[Shaya]

It depends on your TV's response rate. If it's around the standard 2ms you'll be fine.
But it depends on the manufacturer/model to determine what the screen delay is for HDMI devices or whatever.

 

[Red Shirt KRT]

Basically I train solely on anthers ladder because a lack of local talent/scene and I am quite good on there (platinum rank) but when I go to tourneys I just feel like I never play my best.

It seems like the little differences in lag amounts on the different setups mess with my timing on things. I just never seem to play close to my best in tournies.

I'm wondering if there is a good way to get used to playing in the tourny setting?

Do I just need to do more friendlies to get used to the lack of lag?

 

[Big-Cat]

Pretty much what you said. Your monitor/tv might be a factor too.

 

[Xermo]

Do I just need to do more friendlies to get used to the lack of lag?

Yes.

 

[p1ay6ack]

play more friendlies. you really gotta warm up when you play in tournament because reaction time is important and when you play with cold hands, your timing will be off. if you play wifi, then go to tournament without any warms ups, youre going to have a bad time reacting to things appropiately

 

[iVoltage]

play more friendlies. you really gotta warm up when you play in tournament because reaction time is important and when you play with cold hands, your timing will be off. if you play wifi, then go to tournament without any warms ups, youre going to have a bad time reacting to things appropiately

This so much, I keep making this mistake.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

What are Conversion & Transition?

I've heard this term used before, and someone has remarked I do it well, but the term goes over my head.

 

[Opana]

Is there a list of blast line sizes? Curious which stages have the smallest and have heard many conflicting things about dl64, thanks.

 

[Emblem Lord]

What are Conversion & Transition?

I've heard this term used before, and someone has remarked I do it well, but the term goes over my head.

Conversion - Turning a single hit, strike or grab into a combo. When we say Sheik has high conversion, we mean she has the ability to easily turn any poke or stray hit into a combo.

Transition - Moving from one state of gameplay to the next. Sheik as an example again goes from disadvantage to neutral seamlessly thanks to bouncing fish and vanish. She can transition very well. It can also be used to describe the act of change in position without necessarily changing states.

 

[Gerald_]

how do i not play predictable?

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

how do i not play predictable?

If someone is onto you, take a breath and move to the ledge of the stage. Get away from them and think about what they're always countering, and try something different. If you're approaching in the air too much, try a grounded approach. Mix up by dashing or walking back and forth, with your shield and jabs always at the ready for an incoming approach. Switch your offense to defense and vice-versa.

 

[alexthepony]

What's a good way to learn how to dash to utilit