How to get good with a superheavy?

[Deleted member]

After playing a few 1v1s, it feels like superheavies are a chore to improve with, moreso than any other fighter. Literally anyone lighter than them can run circles around them and never miss a hit. I only won 2 of the few battles with them.

What's worse is that they're my fav characters and have playstyles I'm accustomed to, yet are extremely flawed agility-wise. King Dedede is the only one I haven't considered dropping, and I'm scared to pull out DK again because I might do poorly with him.

How do you even get good with a superheavy?? What is it about them that's crucial to learn compared to lighter characters?

 

[Xelrog]

Bait, control, and predict. You can't keep up with the enemy's movements, so the game turns into predicting their movements. You have to be absurdly good at reading people's habits and punishing them in order to play slow characters. Bully the opponent and put them in a place they don't want to be in. Be imposing and in-their-face. It's rarely a good idea to be defensive, and it's always a terrible idea against zoners, because once they have enough distance to start firing projectiles you're going to have a lot of trouble closing it again. Stay DOGGEDLY on top of them.

Most heavies still have at least one fast move, and for most of them it's Nair. That's one of Ganondorf's best approach options; DK's is Bair. Heavy players do exist, so it's a good idea to watch them and see how they play.

 

[Deleted member]

Bait, control, and predict. You can't keep up with the enemy's movements, so the game turns into predicting their movements. You have to be absurdly good at reading people's habits and punishing them in order to play slow characters. Bully the opponent and put them in a place they don't want to be in. Be imposing and in-their-face. It's rarely a good idea to be defensive, and it's always a terrible idea against zoners, because once they have enough distance to start firing projectiles you're going to have a lot of trouble closing it again. Stay DOGGEDLY on top of them.

Most heavies still have at least one fast move, and for most of them it's Nair. That's one of Ganondorf's best approach options; DK's is Bair. Heavy players do exist, so it's a good idea to watch them and see how they play.

Bait and punish, yet don't play defense? By this, you mean no dodging or shielding? Throw out aerials?

 

[Xelrog]

Bait and punish is something to do against any character, particularly against heavies; playing as one, it's still an important skill, but not as much as prediction and positioning. You want to limit your opponent's options as much as possible to then make it easier to predict them. That's why Ganondorf's side special is one of his best moves--there are only so many ways the opponent can react afterwards, and by watching how they do so you can read their habits.

An example of a bait: Marth is trying to recover and I pursue offstage as Ganondorf. I come from up high, trying to trick him into thinking I'm going to use a Nair (the double kick). He swings a Fair to stop me, but I fast fall below him and hit with an Uair instead, as planned. I made it look like I was going to use one move to bait out his Fair, then used another instead. That's a bait, and it's not defensive at all. I'm proactively making my opponent use a certain move.