Ike Video Thread (Critiques Welcome!)

[Rango the Mercenary]

it seems both games you lost last stock due to panicking on recovery. Maybe be a bit more cognizant? That being said, you did SUPER well against Vinnie that first game! Taking a stock off one of the best Sheiks in the world is a pretty big feat on its own!

Trust me, I'll do even better next time. Going to lab this matchup like no other and create a monumental upset at the next one.

 

[Crelrn]

Trust me, I'll do even better next time. Going to lab this matchup like no other and create a monumental upset at the next one.

That's what I like to hear! I'm aiming for the top player in my region (Cacogen) and his Sheik. Absolutely no one is even close to beating him in Washington. I have yet to even take a stock in friendlies off of the guy T_T
It goes without saying that we are playing a losing matchup. That being said, does Ike actually have any advantages over Sheik apart from the ability to kill early? And how can we best go about setting up that early kill in neutral?

 

[XDaDePsak]

SM (Ike) v Angbad (Olimar) @8:27

http://www.twitch.tv/ibuypower2/v/25804463?t=8m27s

 

[XDaDePsak]

SM (Ike) vs ConCon (Luigi) with live commentary by ZeRo @20:53

http://www.twitch.tv/ibuypower2/v/25816378?t=20m53s

 

[XDaDePsak]

Can someone explain how I killed this Pika? Was it just really ****ty DI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBQx_ltKG_M

 

[Maik93]

Just bad DI from that pika...

 

[Crelrn]

SM (Ike) v Angbad (Olimar) @8:27

http://www.twitch.tv/ibuypower2/v/25804463?t=8m27s

such a frustrating matchup. No one in my area plays Olimar so I can't get familiar with the matchup. I got my rear handed to me by Logic at PAX in pools since I had no idea what was going on haha.

SM (Ike) vs ConCon (Luigi) with live commentary by ZeRo @20:53

http://www.twitch.tv/ibuypower2/v/25816378?t=20m53s

Learned a lot from Zero's commentary on this one. Thanks for the post.

Can someone explain how I killed this Pika? Was it just really ****ty DI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBQx_ltKG_M

Yeah super bad DI haha

 

[XDaDePsak]

Ok Ryuga just blessed me with a number of games. I got rekt so hard. It was glorious.

In my almost 17 years of playing Smash Bros. he was my hardest match ever.

Here was our final match of the night. Please give me tips on how not to be a scrub. (Other than taunting at beginning of the match and getting punished for it... lols)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVq7NztBwsM

Btw at the very end I meant to run into a shield but it turned into a dash attack. As for my abuse of counters, I think if you look at it mathematically it works out for me even despite the occasional punish. So I'm probably not gonna change that too much other than getting better at reading.

 

[Mario766]

I can sense the wifi burning.

As an Ike player, you should know to never air dodge after an up throw at kill percents.

Not even a FG Marth counters that much.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

Got some matchup practice with a good Rosalina on Smashladder. One thing to note is that the connection was the most stable I've ever had with anyone online, so I had access to most of my ground and movement options. But I'm really struggling against this matchup. I feel like I'm missing significant punishment opportunities.

 

[XDaDePsak]

I can sense the wifi burning.

As an Ike player, you should know to never air dodge after an up throw at kill percents.

Not even a FG Marth counters that much.

I do abuse counters a lot but it's just my playstyle. I know it's not a popular playstyle but it works for me. As far as my use of counters I only plan to optimize their usage, but not change fundamentally or remove them.

As I've told every person who I have this discussion with me, believe it or not, it actually works out for me mathematically. And then they always call me out "where the math?!" so here it is:

totals:

total counter damage - 40%
total kills from counters - 1 guaranteed kill
total recoveries or landings protected by counters - 4
instances of improved stage positioning - 3

total punish damage - 25%
total counter punish kills - 0 guaranteed kills (1 instance of bad positioning that lead to a non-guaranteed kill)
total recoveries or landings punished because of counters - 0
instances of reduced stage positioning - 2​

individual:

landing 11%
ledgegrab 10%
whiff no punish
whiff no punish
whiff punish 8%
recovery 9%
whiff punish 6% (put me in a bad spot)
whiff no punish
edgeguard 10% (led into a guaranteed kill)
whiff no punish
whiff punish 12%
​

I do adjust (in at least I attempt to) my use of counters depending on how responsive the opponent is to them. But for highly aggressive, non-grabby characters it's a very very effective move. Sometimes I stop using them entirely, depending on the enemy or the situation.

Regardless, it's simply my playstyle. I use them as much or more to scare opponent / relieve pressure, gain stage advantage and recover safely than I do for mere %. It also forces opponents to play my game instead of theirs.

And keep in mind Ryuga isn't a scrub. It only gets more effective as you move down the food chain. In FG it's just scary. And that's where I spend most of my time anyway. But I just got a smash ladder account and got my first ranking last night (Silver III) at the behest of Ryuga, so I may have some serious optimizing to do as I move up the ladder. Fear of punishment may make me ween off counters naturally but I have zero intention of getting rid of them intentionally. I love 'em. Especially because they make everyone so salty.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

Can I get some tips against Rosalina before I face Eldin again tomorrow?

There's no sound, but the full set is here.

 

[neil2020]

Can I get some tips against Rosalina before I face Eldin again tomorrow?

There's no sound, but the full set is here.

I really like your Ike, but one thing I notice about your matchup with Rosaluma is you feel a little anxious to get as much damage as possible. There were a few times you got a nair -> dtilt -> turnaround bair which nets good damage, but then you would go for something else and get punished. Rosa capitalizes on the smallest overextension. (but you know that already)

One other thing I like is a retreating AC-Fair to get rid of Luma, not the Jab combo. If you HAVE to jab Luma off, try and do it closer to the edge so she falls. That way you don't eat Luairs when she flies back to Rosa. Almost any percent we eat to get rid of Luma is worth it, but I still try to play that one safe. And punish Rosa's recovery more bc her upB doesn't have a hitbox.

 

[Ffamran]

21 matches of Ike vs. Ganondorf, 5 3DS and 16 Wii U, were uploaded on terminalkai: https://youtu.be/WuBdlOTV9k0. Any names of the Ike players people recognize?

 

[Mario766]

The only Ike in Japan I know of is Noji, who plays on Ranai's stream a lot in 9B's smashfests.

 

[Noge]

I watched some videos and I was wondering... Which is the best way to input a reversed Fsmash while runing?
I mean... if you are runing and you input a Fsmash: Ike dashes, right? I guess that (while you are running) you have to shield and then reversed Fsmash?

 

[LordShade67]

I watched some videos and I was wondering... Which is the best way to input a reversed Fsmash while runing?
I mean... if you are runing and you input a Fsmash: Ike dashes, right? I guess that (while you are running) you have to shield and then reversed Fsmash?

Actually, it works like Pivot FTilt/Grab: You run, cancel your turning around animation into FSmash by Tapping the Control Stick, and voila. Odds are, you'll rarely use this though, since Pivot Grabs/FTilt outclass it. Likewise for Pivot JC USmash.

 

[Crelrn]

Ryo vs. Esam, Ike v Pika
What can Ike do in this matchup? Ryo for the most part seemed absolutely clueless or unable to absolutely anything to Esam apart from an Eruption edgeguard and an up-throw kill confirm in game two. Pikachu's height is so low that he is unable to get hit by the majority of our options in neutral (fair, nair, bair), leaving free punishes if any of these whiff. Anyone that has experience in this matchup want to give their opinion? My only experience fighting Pikachus has been me on the losing side.

 

[Mario766]

I don't think Ryo has a lot of Pikachu EXP. ESAM knows the MU, you can see it in his multiple jolt hits on Aether, racking up free damage. Ryo did fine early game 1 with some aerial punishes with turnaround D-Tilt, but stopped punishing ANYTHING after that.

Game 2 was a lot more like what the MU should be. One clean hit at 70 -> Death.

The MU is a lot better than it looks. I personally have never lost a set vs a Pikachu.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

Not to toot my own horn, but when I played with Esam at Tipped Off, I came a lot closer. That was solely due to matchup experience, as one of our guys in Augusta is a Pikachu user. I've trained a lot with him throughout the year, so I know how to handle a Pikachu well.

 

[Arrei]

So I faced a mediocre Luigi today that allowed me to simply go balls to the wall aggro and not even think about defense, which led to this wtf-ery at 0:49:

We're no strangers to opponents getting dunked on by our recovery, especially with bad DI, but this is the first I've seen of someone getting spiked for a get-up...

 

[Aquasition]

So about a day ago, I decided to do some Anther's laddering. I had about 3 matches I remembered to save replays of, so here they are for your amusement and critique.

So, 2 things:

1. Critique me.
2. (For anyone who plays as/fights against Captain Falcon a lot) Should Falcon have used Falcon Kick more often? (Because a friend of mine thinks he should, but I feel otherwise, as I was keeping myself relatively safe and any moment where he could have Falcon Kicked would have been better served by Dash Attack or Dash Grab)

 

[neil2020]

So about a day ago, I decided to do some Anther's laddering. I had about 3 matches I remembered to save replays of, so here they are for your amusement and critique.

So, 2 things:

1. Critique me.
2. (For anyone who plays as/fights against Captain Falcon a lot) Should Falcon have used Falcon Kick more often? (Because a friend of mine thinks he should, but I feel otherwise, as I was keeping myself relatively safe and any moment where he could have Falcon Kicked would have been better served by Dash Attack or Dash Grab)

Falcon shouldn't use Falcon kick in neutral. It's a hugely telegraphed move and is easily punished.

 

[ZaeemZ]

can you guys critique my ike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoiMClhb2xA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bWIo0_smyA

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

can you guys critique my ike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoiMClhb2xA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bWIo0_smyA

For the very starters...

1) Know the auto-cancel Fair/Bair heights
2) Throwing out Fair too much leaves you open
3) If you use your airhop early, Sheik can gimp you and kill at a very low percent
4) DTilt and ground game is necessary.
5) UThrow into Fair does not require a double jump until higher percents.

 

[1337Kai]

So my brother (P1) wanted to play Ike for the 1st time. Naturally I wanted to Ike ditto him. Clarification: My brother is the red Ike (P1), and I'm my usual grey Ike (P2).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx4EuuMk2pI

 

[Crelrn]

I don't think Ryo has a lot of Pikachu EXP. ESAM knows the MU, you can see it in his multiple jolt hits on Aether, racking up free damage. Ryo did fine early game 1 with some aerial punishes with turnaround D-Tilt, but stopped punishing ANYTHING after that.

Game 2 was a lot more like what the MU should be. One clean hit at 70 -> Death.

The MU is a lot better than it looks. I personally have never lost a set vs a Pikachu.

Not to toot my own horn, but when I played with Esam at Tipped Off, I came a lot closer. That was solely due to matchup experience, as one of our guys in Augusta is a Pikachu user. I've trained a lot with him throughout the year, so I know how to handle a Pikachu well.

Can you guys provide specific examples or guidelines of what to do in that match up? Or should that discussion be held in the match ups thread?

 

[Jeist]

Can you guys help me improve my Ike play please?

I won the sets, but going back and watching the matches shows what kind of habits I have and I was hoping you all could enlighten me and show me what I should be doing.

Some of my matches have a bit of Shiek and I think one of Roy but please just ignore those (or not).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiYRXNRcuoQ&index=6&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znBtVOTmIN8&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1WqJJ57rHA&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dPgTXAtuSk&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=16

 

[ZaeemZ]

Can you guys help me improve my Ike play please?

I won the sets, but going back and watching the matches shows what kind of habits I have and I was hoping you all could enlighten me and show me what I should be doing.

Some of my matches have a bit of Shiek and I think one of Roy but please just ignore those (or not).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiYRXNRcuoQ&index=6&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znBtVOTmIN8&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1WqJJ57rHA&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dPgTXAtuSk&list=PLWTAJAuCLkDnc0MUiY5zkvdt34cfPVWFy&index=16

In the first video you did well vs jiggly puff but i noticed that once you took his first stock the jigglypuff stayed more on the ground to shield which u should have gone for more grabs in that case. also i noticed u never use counter i wouldn't say that you have to use it but sometimes it helps throw the opponent off because then they have to think about their approach choose. against shiek i would have said that u have to be careful with the jump after being thrown since u almost lost the stock because of that as well as i would say try to pummel maybe a bit more specially when they are at 100+% you could have at least hit twice or even three times then thrown. also i would say be careful with the use of down air you used it a bit and it is hardest to hit as well as laggist aerial. also i would say edge guard more when they recover low using eruption or even trying to stage spike or even counter. after watching all the videos i would say try to work on edge guarding other than that i am not sure but your ike is very good

 

[Mario766]

The jigglypuff match was fine. You missed a few air dodge reads because you weren't confident and didn't pull the trigger. You did solid anti-airs which destroy the MU in our favor. In the Sheik match you kinda threw away your stock by doing an Aether re-grab for no reason.

The Luigi match wasn't very clean, but he couldn't kill you so you won. You should have down air'd Green Missile and ended the match there. Also you have to respect Luigi right above you because he will just throw out N-Airs and combo you after it.

Your Ike won the first match, then you switched to Sheik and lost game 2.

You lost basically all momentum and had to play a game 3 fresh with Ike. Seems like a waste of a game.

The only thing I can really get from game 3 is you like to air dodge under pressure. Try to stop it.

I suggest just playing as one character, you're dropping games for no reason by switching.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

Had some trouble with Sonic on Dream Land. > <

 

[GhostUrsa]

Had some trouble with Sonic on Dream Land. > <

Biggest thing I can say that will help you in the future is to watch out for those horizontal recoveries. Since QD rarely kills unless your opponent is at a real high % and requiring a full charge C.C. was happy to trade blows to continue to get you with those F-smashes. You started to get around it a little by trying to go QD higher, but unfortunate timing and landing position allowed him to get the grab on your landing. Since he was charging his attack, trying a low recovery could force him to respect your recovery a little. This issue you were able to get around in sequential matches, so good job with adapting.

All in all, it was an impressive fight. I definitely will be recommending this viewing for newer Ikes to watch when fighting Sonic.

 

[BusterWolf]

So about a day ago, I decided to do some Anther's laddering. I had about 3 matches I remembered to save replays of, so here they are for your amusement and critique.

So, 2 things:

1. Critique me.
2. (For anyone who plays as/fights against Captain Falcon a lot) Should Falcon have used Falcon Kick more often? (Because a friend of mine thinks he should, but I feel otherwise, as I was keeping myself relatively safe and any moment where he could have Falcon Kicked would have been better served by Dash Attack or Dash Grab)

I only watched your fight against MrWho. You fought well in what I think is an annoying match up, but I feel that your ledge game can use some work. When you have your opponent at the ledge, you seem to really like the option of a run-back pivot ftilt. It does feel really good when it works but it only covers for a roll. While it's a safe option, it also allows your opponent to do whatever he wants as long as he waits for you to do it, which is exactly what he was doing. He was constantly waiting for you to do something and he reacted to it.

You also seem to like waiting, then walking up to dtilt. I know you're waiting for the invincibility to wear off, and walking forward alone forces your opponent to react, but I didn't really you take advantage of that, and, iirc, you were not being rewarded for it. As a matter of fact, you were being punished.

I'm kind of imposing my own style now, but what I like to do is play Ike's edge game like Marth. I like to be right outside your opponent's get-up attack option and around where they would end up if they decided to roll. You are in a position where they cannot hit you and take away your momentum, so they are forced to do something that is purely defensive. Now you can just react to what they do. Ftilt their get-up attack. Grab or utilt if they roll (turn around if they're behind you). Catch them if they jump. Get them back to the ledge and reset the situation for more potential damage. Go aggressive for a kill once they're used to this. I don't think Luigi can do anything threatening to you form this position besides something like a fireball.

So basically, I liked the options you were utilizing, but I didn't like the timing.

Everything else you did, I liked. I didn't see anything I would have changed, except for maybe delaying the timing of your jab combo when they block it, or just stopping it and going for a grab once they start expecting you to finish it.

Very sorry for the long post. I don't know how to give meaningful advice in fewer words.

 

[HeavyLobster]

Hi, I've been playing Ike more and I've been looking for tips to get better. I think I've got most of the fundamentals down but could probably use some tips. I can't seem to find my tourney footage right now but here's a few more casual matches.

 

[LordShade67]

First thing's first. You're severely lacking in NAir, BAir, and DTilt. FAir is solid, but it has more landing lag without autocancel. NAir has less and can start combos better. In alot of situations(only watched first vid), you could've punished him with DTilt for better reward. Also, you were predictable with Dash Attack vs. Lucas. You save DA for when it can kill and they're open, especially when Ike's raged. Speaking of killing, When Lucas was low, you could've been charging Eruption rather than chasing him offstage. Lastly, first stock, you could've recovered with Quick Draw there and probably be fine.

Just my .02.

 

[Rango the Mercenary]

Did some games with Orca. I'll post one or two more later. This was our last game.

 

[HeavyLobster]

First thing's first. You're severely lacking in NAir, BAir, and DTilt. FAir is solid, but it has more landing lag without autocancel. NAir has less and can start combos better. In alot of situations(only watched first vid), you could've punished him with DTilt for better reward. Also, you were predictable with Dash Attack vs. Lucas. You save DA for when it can kill and they're open, especially when Ike's raged. Speaking of killing, When Lucas was low, you could've been charging Eruption rather than chasing him offstage. Lastly, first stock, you could've recovered with Quick Draw there and probably be fine.

Just my .02.

I just rewatched that match and noticed that I didn't use Nair and Dtilt all that much for some reason. I do actually normally use them fairly often. I've been kind of out of it and those vids are actually more dated than I realized. I do definitely overuse Dash Attack though and could use tips as to how I could use it better. I also probably do need to get better in terms of using Eruption.

 

[CrypticStorm]

Figured I'd post this match. If anyone has any critique, feel free to let me know

 

[LordShade67]

I just rewatched that match and noticed that I didn't use Nair and Dtilt all that much for some reason. I do actually normally use them fairly often. I've been kind of out of it and those vids are actually more dated than I realized. I do definitely overuse Dash Attack though and could use tips as to how I could use it better. I also probably do need to get better in terms of using Eruption.

As I said, DA is primarily that one tool you shouldn't use often, but keep on standby. Opponent do something punishable when they're at range and Kill %? Dash Attack. Character like Mario commit to a projectile and you're at a specific range? Dash Attack. This move is deadly in that regard, especially when fresh and Ike's enraged.

Figured I'd post this match. If anyone has any critique, feel free to let me know

You threw out alot of whiffed moves in neutral, but the Ryu didn't punish you for that, so eh. That QD around 1:40 you should've delayed for the ledge, since Ryu was ready. That DSmash was also a bad idea. You could've just pivot grabbed him instead, I think? Or just turn around and grab him. He was holding his shield.

On the plus side, you capitalized on your combo starters solidly, you stopped your jab combo when it got blocked, and that Eruption kill was godly.

 

[Aquasition]

I know I already posted the link to the Twitch video here, but these matches I had on SoT, which happened about a month ago, are getting re-posted here because I have finally found them in GLORIOUS YOUTUBE FORMAT: