gallax
Smash Hero
Ice Climbers
General Discussion
When I played my first IC I was shocked at how a total of 5 grabs led to my death of all 3 stocks. Playing the IC's is competely different than any other character you will play in brawl. The strategy for this is simply do not get grabbed. There are various ways to avoid getting grabbed, like not getting close, but this can be very difficult. But, overall, pika is very well equipped in this matchup and has the tools to win. Unlike other chars, like ike, who need to get close to attack, pika has a great run and hit game which will win this for you if mastered.
Pika's Advantages
1. Hit and Run game
2. The dsmash/fsmash
3. Can attack wit an airiel and stay out of grab range
4. Speed
5. Tjolt uses
Pika's Disadvantages
1. Grabbing is almost rendered inneffective
2. Can be Cg'd to death at any percent
3.Gameplay is completely different
Strategy for Winning
Getting grabbed by the IC's
To start off the strategy I feel that you must know what makes the IC's so dangerous if you dont already know. If you are grabbed by the IC's you can be CG'd to your death from any percentage. This means, potentially, that only 3 grabbs are required to win this for the IC's. If you sit back and think about your previous matches, try and count how many times you were grabbed then and compare it to what you need to here. Not getting grabbed by the IC's is your main priority. I will discuss different things that you can do to help, but in the end it totally comes down to execution and being unpredictable.
Now lets say you do get grabbed by the IC's. There are a few things that you can do to prepare for your escape. The first is noticing how they are CG'ing you. If they are standing in one spot and bthrowing you then all you can do is just hit your jump button. This is actually good for every CG. Try and jump cuz the IC's will probably mess up and you can sometimes jump out of it. The next thing that you need to watch is if you are near the edge. IF you are near the edge then you will be fthrown>fair which spikes. You cannot do anything but try to DI away and if hit immediately use your QA to try and grab the ledge.
The last thing and probably most important is if you are at a fairly high percentage. We will say 80% and above. Why is this? It is because the IC's can grab you and fully charge their usmash and then throw you into the usmash and succesfully kill you. This means avoid them at ALL cost when at a high percentage. If it wasnt a priority before, it better be now.
Your Objective
Other than not getting grabbed, your main priority is to separate/kill nana. IF you can popo by himself then you can be aggressive and start pressuring popo.
Using Your Controller
When you get grabbed here is what you do immediately. Turn the control stick 360 degrees as fast as your hands can move and do the same with your c-stick. Pretty much button mash as fast and as much as you can. This may enable a grab release. It works quiet often.
Some things to watch out and try when playing the IC's
Desynching
The IC's can desynch nana and popo. This means that nana and popo can be used separately as two characters. thsi is useful for the IC's when they create a wall of blizzard. Popo will jump and fall using a blizzard then nana will jump over popo and fall using blizzard and so on and so forth. The best thing to do against this is to time your tjolts accordingly or just spam them to hit one of the climbers. The can use the same method for using ice blocks and making our tjolt useless from afar.
Another thing to watch out for is if you grab one of the climbers. The other can just fsmash you if you do not react in time by bthrowing. Just because one cannot attack it doesn't mean the other can't be used. This is a desynch'd IC. Another example is if you ahve knocked popo off the stage and waiting for him to try and recover and try to edgeguard him. Well if nana is unning behind you to get back to popo then, if timed right, you can end up getting fsmashed from behind by the nana!
Popo's CG
Lets say you kill nana when you are at a low percent. You still have to be careful of a CG. Popo can cg you to the ledge and fsmash you out of it. The best thing to do is to DI away and try to jump out of it as soon as you can.
Approaching/Attacking the IC's
In reality the safest ways to approach the IC's is to run at them and use a rising nair/uair. This way they cannot grab you after the attack. You don't really want to approach the IC's. Spamming tjolt and using retreating aerials are your priority. The tjolt is your best friend so if you use 100+ tjolts in one match its completely fine and understandable.
Now since the objective will be to separate/kill nana, your best tools will be the bthrow/dsmash. Use your fsmash a lot in this matchup too since it pushes them back when they shield it and it can go unpunished. But as for the bthrow, you will want to run up and grab one of them and IMMEDIATELY bthrow. This will cause a separation of the climbers. From there you want to attack nana and stop her from getting back to popo. If you can fsmash her when she gets close to you.
A popular method is when you see the IC's getting close to you and running in for a grab, spotdodge>dsmash. Works wonders. And it even separates them. Sometimes it even send them up for a thunder kill which is always amazing.
Edgeguarding
Getting the IC's off the stage is one of the best things you can do here. If they are both off the stage you can try to tjolt them and then grab the ledge to force the recovery of solo popo or you use your wall of thunder. The IC's have a horizontal recovery that can be beaten by thunder and is easily timed. When popo is by himself he will most likely use this to recover so be sure to time the thunder right.
If they are below the stage be sure to grab the ledge and force the recovery of solo popo. This will happen when you have invincibility frames and popo can't grab the edge.
Quote from Anther:
"If you get both ICs off stage, try to control their landing with thunder and try to make them recover low. If they recover high above you with squall, that's a free hit, if they get to recover at about level height with the ledge, they're probably safe.. so you don't want that. When they have to recover low is the happiest time for you, as they have one of 2 options, squall up or up-b to the ledge.
If they squall, you can counter it with a fsmash or an invincible nair on the ledge. If they up-b, grab the ledge so nana can't get it, and HOLD it. Nana will fall to her death a lot of the time.
It's also just generally a good idea to try to fall on them with a nair or dair when they're low and off the stage, you'll probably gimp them somehow."
When the IC's are edgeguarding the can use ice blocks or blizzard. Drop down and qa back to the edge until you find a time to jump off and get away from them.
Helpful Video's
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Overall Matchup
Even
General Discussion
When I played my first IC I was shocked at how a total of 5 grabs led to my death of all 3 stocks. Playing the IC's is competely different than any other character you will play in brawl. The strategy for this is simply do not get grabbed. There are various ways to avoid getting grabbed, like not getting close, but this can be very difficult. But, overall, pika is very well equipped in this matchup and has the tools to win. Unlike other chars, like ike, who need to get close to attack, pika has a great run and hit game which will win this for you if mastered.
Pika's Advantages
1. Hit and Run game
2. The dsmash/fsmash
3. Can attack wit an airiel and stay out of grab range
4. Speed
5. Tjolt uses
Pika's Disadvantages
1. Grabbing is almost rendered inneffective
2. Can be Cg'd to death at any percent
3.Gameplay is completely different
Strategy for Winning
Getting grabbed by the IC's
To start off the strategy I feel that you must know what makes the IC's so dangerous if you dont already know. If you are grabbed by the IC's you can be CG'd to your death from any percentage. This means, potentially, that only 3 grabbs are required to win this for the IC's. If you sit back and think about your previous matches, try and count how many times you were grabbed then and compare it to what you need to here. Not getting grabbed by the IC's is your main priority. I will discuss different things that you can do to help, but in the end it totally comes down to execution and being unpredictable.
Now lets say you do get grabbed by the IC's. There are a few things that you can do to prepare for your escape. The first is noticing how they are CG'ing you. If they are standing in one spot and bthrowing you then all you can do is just hit your jump button. This is actually good for every CG. Try and jump cuz the IC's will probably mess up and you can sometimes jump out of it. The next thing that you need to watch is if you are near the edge. IF you are near the edge then you will be fthrown>fair which spikes. You cannot do anything but try to DI away and if hit immediately use your QA to try and grab the ledge.
The last thing and probably most important is if you are at a fairly high percentage. We will say 80% and above. Why is this? It is because the IC's can grab you and fully charge their usmash and then throw you into the usmash and succesfully kill you. This means avoid them at ALL cost when at a high percentage. If it wasnt a priority before, it better be now.
Your Objective
Other than not getting grabbed, your main priority is to separate/kill nana. IF you can popo by himself then you can be aggressive and start pressuring popo.
Using Your Controller
When you get grabbed here is what you do immediately. Turn the control stick 360 degrees as fast as your hands can move and do the same with your c-stick. Pretty much button mash as fast and as much as you can. This may enable a grab release. It works quiet often.
Some things to watch out and try when playing the IC's
Desynching
The IC's can desynch nana and popo. This means that nana and popo can be used separately as two characters. thsi is useful for the IC's when they create a wall of blizzard. Popo will jump and fall using a blizzard then nana will jump over popo and fall using blizzard and so on and so forth. The best thing to do against this is to time your tjolts accordingly or just spam them to hit one of the climbers. The can use the same method for using ice blocks and making our tjolt useless from afar.
Another thing to watch out for is if you grab one of the climbers. The other can just fsmash you if you do not react in time by bthrowing. Just because one cannot attack it doesn't mean the other can't be used. This is a desynch'd IC. Another example is if you ahve knocked popo off the stage and waiting for him to try and recover and try to edgeguard him. Well if nana is unning behind you to get back to popo then, if timed right, you can end up getting fsmashed from behind by the nana!
Popo's CG
Lets say you kill nana when you are at a low percent. You still have to be careful of a CG. Popo can cg you to the ledge and fsmash you out of it. The best thing to do is to DI away and try to jump out of it as soon as you can.
Approaching/Attacking the IC's
In reality the safest ways to approach the IC's is to run at them and use a rising nair/uair. This way they cannot grab you after the attack. You don't really want to approach the IC's. Spamming tjolt and using retreating aerials are your priority. The tjolt is your best friend so if you use 100+ tjolts in one match its completely fine and understandable.
Now since the objective will be to separate/kill nana, your best tools will be the bthrow/dsmash. Use your fsmash a lot in this matchup too since it pushes them back when they shield it and it can go unpunished. But as for the bthrow, you will want to run up and grab one of them and IMMEDIATELY bthrow. This will cause a separation of the climbers. From there you want to attack nana and stop her from getting back to popo. If you can fsmash her when she gets close to you.
A popular method is when you see the IC's getting close to you and running in for a grab, spotdodge>dsmash. Works wonders. And it even separates them. Sometimes it even send them up for a thunder kill which is always amazing.
Edgeguarding
Getting the IC's off the stage is one of the best things you can do here. If they are both off the stage you can try to tjolt them and then grab the ledge to force the recovery of solo popo or you use your wall of thunder. The IC's have a horizontal recovery that can be beaten by thunder and is easily timed. When popo is by himself he will most likely use this to recover so be sure to time the thunder right.
If they are below the stage be sure to grab the ledge and force the recovery of solo popo. This will happen when you have invincibility frames and popo can't grab the edge.
Quote from Anther:
"If you get both ICs off stage, try to control their landing with thunder and try to make them recover low. If they recover high above you with squall, that's a free hit, if they get to recover at about level height with the ledge, they're probably safe.. so you don't want that. When they have to recover low is the happiest time for you, as they have one of 2 options, squall up or up-b to the ledge.
If they squall, you can counter it with a fsmash or an invincible nair on the ledge. If they up-b, grab the ledge so nana can't get it, and HOLD it. Nana will fall to her death a lot of the time.
It's also just generally a good idea to try to fall on them with a nair or dair when they're low and off the stage, you'll probably gimp them somehow."
When the IC's are edgeguarding the can use ice blocks or blizzard. Drop down and qa back to the edge until you find a time to jump off and get away from them.
Helpful Video's
??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Overall Matchup
Even