Killing Dr. Mario

[Squidget]

I'm still relatively new to the Smash scene, but in my last tournament, my Fox was knocked out by two consecutive Dr. Mario players. Since then, I've spent a lot of time practicing against Dr. Marios and trying to improve my game, but I still run into some fundamental problems.

My usual methods of killing a high % opponent (after some decent shuffled dairs and nairs) are pretty standard. Upthrow -> upair or shuffled dair -> waveshine -> upsmash. Unfortunately, throw combos don't do anything because of Doc's second jump and high-priority nair. His low traction also allows him to recover and shield before I can execute a decent combo out of a connected shine. If I start to play defensively he controls the game (since his cape reflects the lasers nicely) and can threaten my Fox with his pill rush and high-priority attacks.

So how do you guys usually fight a good Mario or Dr. Mario? Not just strategies, but exactly what moves or combos do you do to land the killing blow? The only ones I can hit with consistently are nair and bair, and fighting Dr. Mario's nair and powerful projectile game with only those seems like a losing battle.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Ijuka]

waveshine-usmash is possible. Just practice more. If they like to nair after uthrow, do uthrow, full jump, fastfall, wait for the nair, then uair after it. If they like to double jump, do pretty much the same thing, baiting the nair and punishing. Edgeguard doc to death because his recovery sucks. Shinespike after he's done his tornado for an easy kill. When you get him into air, nair juggle until he can get away. When he can get away, bait the nair, then punish it. About pills I would run away and laser.. But they can be tricky. Shielding them is good I guess, then see what he'll do and try to do something about it. For example if he tries to always grab, sidestep into waveshine-usmash or something similiar.

Basics: Bait nair, get him off the edge and abuse his bad recovery

 

[Nick Nasty]

Try to draw the Doc out with DDing and SHLs. Also, nairs can eat through his pills. Try not to be too predictable w/your recovery since his cape=death for you.

 

[RedYoshi92]

nairs destroy his pills,shine spiking is a great method to screw his recovery up when he's done with the tornado. Try to avoid being grabbed and stay away from that sheet when your using your recovery.

 

[SCOTU]

hit him off the stage w/ nair/ bair, and edgehog. keep your invincibility on the edge so as not to get coinspiked, and if you do keep you invinibility, you have the option to safely shine spike him if it's obvious he's going to make it.