Is studying character matchups worth it?

[Saikyoshi]

I never saw the point in analyzing MUs, personally, and I try to avoid them whenever I can. I'm too affected by the Placebo Effect; If a matchup is in my favor and I know it, I get arrogant. If a matchup is hopeless and I know it, I all but jump off the stage for how much I bother.

What are you guys' stances?

 

[Mazdamaxsti]

Learn it, it helps later.

 

[CrazyPerson]

It depends on your goals. If you just want to have fun with friends with items on on hazard filled levels... then chances are it won't be much use.


If you play a bit more seriously against friends, then you may want to study the match ups of there mains.

If you want to play competitively, and be as good as you can... there will come a point where it needs to happen. I suspect the best players in the world spent a lot of time studying match ups especially of those who beat them often.


But that is a level of play few will reach (I certainly will not)... and the majority of the player base probably doesn't care to.

 

[Rinku リンク]

It separates the competitive mains of a character from the average ones in my honest opinion.

 

[JAZZ_]

knowing what your opponent can do to you is super important if you enjoy the competitive play. "Know thy enemy" is a rule of war and this after all is a fighting game. Knowing that Zamus has a kill combo off of grab will keep you from throwing yourself carelessly into a situation where she can grab you. Knowing about Samus' weakness to close combat will make you want to be aggressive against her and pull out an easy win. I see no downside to MU research. No match is 100% guaranteed win off of a match up, I cant tell you how matches against Mario Ive won even though the match up is heavily in his favor. Its because I am aware of his threats and his approach vectors that I can pull out wins, without that knowledge I wouldn't win at all. Im not sure about other character boards but the Samus community has a very insightful MU thread that actually has useful tips against the rest of the cast. Samus has a majority of horrible match ups but knowing about them makes it less hopeless.
But this is old hat to the majority of smashers out there. What you may be struggling with is what to do in those unfavorable match ups. I am a firm believer in giving each fight my very best regardless of the match up. Even if Samus is outgunned big time I stick with it because that sliver of chance I pull off the right reads in order to win is so satisfying. Knowing the match up just makes losing harder, and winning much more feasible.

 

[Wintermelon43]

Complety.

Ten chars because I can't spell complety right and I don't have enough characters because of it,