How do I punish rolls?

[Perfect patricia]

How do I probably punish players who roll after every attack? I can’t seem to figure it out I thought the new stale roll mechanic would be helpful but rolls are still easy in this game. I find it even harder to punish rolls since you c ant run through players anymore and you basically have to predict when they’re gonna roll and that’s hard especially if you’re a slow character vs a fast character it just feels impossible to hit somebody

 

[ZephyrZ]

Part of it depends on your character or the match up, but dash attacks and other burst options are generally good for deal with people who like to back roll a lot. Longer rolls might require you to run towards your opponent for a second first before you throw it out though, so have patience. A safer but often less rewarding option would be to counter backwards rolls with projectiles, if you have them. If they like to mindlessly roll towards or behind you a lot, most characters down smashes tend to be effective since they tend to hit behind.

If your opponent doesn't have any clear patterns to their rolls then it's okay if you're not always able to punish them. Only go for risky punish options if your opponent is being predictable enough that you know you'll get it.

 

[Arrei]

Punishing rolls has always been about prediction. It's up to you to get a feel for how likely an opponent is to roll in a given situation, and in turn it's up to the opponent to keep their choices diverse so it's harder for you to do that. The only difference now is that an opponent who evades too much now becomes outright more vulnerable for spamming them. It's not as simple as boiling it down to "if opponent rolls, then punish", it's all about the flow of the current match.

If, for example, you corner an opponent at the ledge multiple times, and you notice their response to that is often to roll through you when you go in for an attack, you might decide to fake an approach only to stop or jump backward and attack the spot they would roll to in order to punish a habit that you've identified. But it could be that your opponent was aware of how often they've been rolling and chose to jump, or stand their ground and shield instead, causing you to attack nothing. Or it works this time, but the next time you corner them they remember you've begun to punish rolling and they decide to go on the offensive instead to punish your punish.

Another example that might arise with the roles reversed is, an opponent takes a gamble on an approach option, but misses or hits your shield. If you can't outright punish them while they're in endlag, then the next best thing is to try and predict what option they'll take next. Maybe they'll jump away, maybe they'll try another attack, maybe they'll roll. If you predict a roll, because they've been doing that a lot, then you attempt to punish by attacking the area they'll roll to rather than the spot they're currently at.

 

[bigafromusclekid]

If they roll towards either grab or downsmash. Make sure you get a feel for spacing to know whether to grab in front or behind. If they roll away then dash attack or projectile. With Chrom I can fair or nair chase as well.

In Ultimate I feel like reseting neutral is also a good option as a lot of characters can airdodge second jump or throw out nair to break up strings. Once they do that then you can punish by full hop behind, grab, or just dash dance away to try and bait them to approach.

 

[Crystanium]

Consider the options when rolling is possible. 1. Rolling onto the stage. 2. Rolling as one gets up when knocked down. 3. Rolling to be evasive.

1. Rolling onto the stage.
If an opponent rolls onto the stage often, consider the distance at which the opponent can roll. Also consider the damage your opponent has. I believe more damage slows down a roll from the ledge. It certainly affects the duration one can hang on the ledge. During this time you can perform a down smash or a side smash if your opponent rolls behind you or in front of you. Down smash may be more reliable. Consider also if you have projectiles. If my opponent rolls onto the stage, I can use a full charge shot to punish him/her.

2. Rolling from getting knocked down.
When your opponent is knocked down, you can tech chase your opponent. This kind of method is used often by Ganondorf. Ganondorf will wait to see what direction the opponent goes, or even try to read where the opponent might go to perform Flame Choke. A successful tech chase will allow Ganondorf to perform multiple flame chokes. This can also be performed with Ridley, but due to Ridley's dragging animation, it doesn't work entirely like Ganondorf's. If you have a projectile, you can watch to see where your opponent rolls and fire a projectile. As Samus, I try to time it right to see what my opponent might do. Even if my opponent just gets up, landing a full charge shot can be successful. If you use a sword, you could watch to see what direction your opponent might go.

3. Rolling to be evasive.
I've dealt with some opponents who like to roll toward me. It is strangely effective, except when I decided to short hop neutral air as I back away in the direction my opponent is rolling. This tends to be useful, but even if your neutral air doesn't work, a short hop back air should. If you have options, such as dropping bombs or other projectiles, that might hinder your opponent's rolling. If you know your opponent rolls a lot, don't go for grabs, unless you decide to use pivot grabs. After all, those can catch your opponent, since pivot grabs require dashing, which allows for the intangibility frames of your opponent to finish.

 

[MG_3989]

If your opponent rolls a lot everywhere charge smash attacks and they’re bound to roll into one of them. Rolling also gets slower over time so it’s easier to read. If they roll off ledge down smash. If they roll away from you chase them with a safe move like sh aerial. Rolls are also really easy to punish with projectiles at the end of their roll especially when they’re rolling a lot when they have a lot of endlag