Ah... The "How good am I if i'm in Elite Smash" question. Ok hear me out:
"Elite Smash is determined by GSP which is defined as: "Global Smash Power", or GSP as it is commonly known, is a number that shows how much better you are at a character, game mode, or part of the game than other players in the world.
*Definition*: For example, if you have a GSP of 450,000, that means that you are better than 449,999 other people that play this game. The bigger your GSP rank, the better player you are. " (
https://dotesports.com/fgc/news/what-is-gsp-and-how-does-online-work-in-super-smash-bros-ultimate )
With that being said GSP is supposed to be used as a ranking system to match you against players of "similar" skill level.
My Experience: I was granted Elite Smash about a week after the game came out, so I've been dipping in the Elite cool-aid for awhile now. In my experience if you can make it into Elite Smash, you aren't necessarily a"good" player, but you are "great" at something. I have over 550+ hours in the game, and have been playing consistently since the N64 (
I just mention this for validity, nothing more)
1. Getting into Elite requires consistent wins, requiring a reliable strategy: It's no mystery that GSP calculations for 'W/L' can be harsh if not completely random at times. Yet despite these complications there still exists an "Elite" bracket. Many fighters found in Elite in my experience come into the fight with a "
pre-determined"
strategy,
plan, or
gimmick. Examples include: DK throwing opponents against the stage to gimp recovery, or luring opponents to the edge, Ness with good PK thunder mix-ups, or Joker's who focus on gimping. While i'm not saying these are "NEW FOUND" strategies, or ground breaking news, i'm saying that most players if not all of them in the Elite threshold have an -idea- of how they intend to kill your stock.
Personally: I'll mentally go into games and my -rough- plan is to gimp at ledge early by using Smash/Jump. My strategy changes based on the character i'm fighting as it's not a *static* strategy. If my opponent was Jigglypuff, I would change to Buster/Smash for an early kill instead of a gimp. The rest of the match would then develop off my initial strategy, and the opponents counter.
2. Requires game experience, match-up knowledge, and good attitude: There's no way to get around this one, but simply need time to gain experience with the game. One has to consider that many diverse people are playing smash, and that the skill differences will reflect that. You have many players that are new to the Smash Bros. scene, and many that have been playing since the N64. Some players come from other fighting games causing a "less severe" learning curve, some players are building careers off this game, and some people are simply playing for fun.
Despite any of this you will not improve without SUFFICIENT knowledge of the game, your character's match-up's, and having a good attitude. If you simply dismiss Elite, GSP, or such things (as that it is 'ok') you will have a difficult time maintaining Elite. ff you rage quit after every loss, every disadvantage, or every a** whopping, then you are simply watching your GSP, and tracking your 'status'. It will be difficult to track, and target where your play-style needs work, if your only focused on numbers as a determination of your *skill*. 5 million GSP doesn't tell me how i'm good, but losing to a Samus with Shulk at 5 million GSP and watching the replay "will" lead me to a better conclusion.
Personally: I have dipped in and out of Elite many times since the games release. It sucks honestly, it's a huge emotional hit when I see that Elite status icon disappear because I went for a gimp, and got gimped (hahaha). Hubris is the failing of men, but seriously if you are unable to keep a cool head while in Elite or against any opponent who can, you will outplay yourself. I have done it, and have watched opponents do it. Keep a cool head, re-strategize, and leave em bleeding, or pull something out your a**. If your using a non-ranged character, and your opponent is utilizing range as a deterrent, try and get some perfect shielding in to advance, practice your aerial game, or trying something unorthodox to confuse them or bring them in. There's more than one way to skin a cat, take that how you will.
Becoming proficient at this game simply takes time, even if you "feel" you should be better because of hours invested, friend's skill levels, or tournament comparison, your simply as good as where your at now, it's no reflection of your caliber as a human being, simply an indicator on where you need to improve *in this particular video game (SSBU), at this specific game type (Quickplay).*
3. Dynamic character, or character mastery: The final indicator I have noticed "personally" is the Characters that are displayed in Elite. Despite noticing that many characters in Elite are common among players (Mario, Zelda, Yoshi, DK, etc.) what separates them from less skilled players is the understanding they have of their character. Many players in Elite know their character well, as it's normally a main or experienced character. These players can usually pull of tech, maneuvers, and combo's you wouldn't readily expect from a 'typical' player. This gives advantage over a player that may not be as familiar with ONE character. This allows for players to maintain this status due to a very small % of players being readily able to pull off a particular tech, or combo. Think of it like Darwinism or survival-of-the fittest, The more mastery you have over a character and their tech, the more it will prove to be advantageous especially when fighting in Elite.
Personally: I have lost to players that have a better understanding of their character than I do, despite skill difference. If i'm only slightly familiar with a character and I go out too far to gimp, then the other player having a better understanding of their character wouldn't need to do anything other than bait me. The more versatile a character is, the more viable that said character is. You will notice that many characters that are considered top tier either: Do one thing REALLY well (
), or provide a good degree of mix-ups to stay viable (
). As a player one should consider this when picking a main, but to stay viable in Elite, based on my experience you will need to find what advantages you personally have with a specific character and build on that. Stay creative and think outside the box.
So how good am I if i'm in Elite? I didn't come here for a story dude!:
Right, right yeah I get it. So how good am I if i'm in Elite?
Honestly I think that any player that makes it into Elite is... nothing special. A few good games, some skewed rules, or some cheap tricks will get you there by the end of a day, enough said.
Yet any player that is able to "Maintain" Elite is at least tournament viable. When playing Smash Bros. competitively you need to think of it as a sport, well it is... an Esport.
How good am I then?: I would say your pretty decent or even the coveted "Good". You have:
1. A higher grasp on the fundamentals that make the game work
2. You are able to keep a consistent attitude during fights
3. You know a character, gimmick, or combo REALLY well
4. Your able to mix-up gameplay, provide counters, and maintain a "neutral" game
5. Simply being able to read your opponent proficiently, and induce emotions consistently (this is called being a troll...)
6. Much Love for the game, and play to win or lose
Summary,
While it's hard to say for sure how good you are if your in Elite, I'd consider you better than average. While i'm not saying GSP, or Elite are a determination of skill, i'm saying that the road to maintaining Elite will require discipline, practice, and a true objective analysis of self. Just like any sport, you won't always be at your top game, and that's ok. If you lose, take a break. If you don't want to break, try a different character. I practiced Marth to learn spacing for Shulk, and Joker for Movement. There are way more than one way to skin a cat. Stay creative, stay humble, and most importantly stay hungry!
