Here we go...
Game Start:
Spam. Your both far enough away from each other, so just spam. Considering the fact that u have to watch out for snake's range (like most other Olimars have said), you have to either get far enough away from the snake, and reach him with ur pikmin here it is safe to jump (like on FD), or on smaller stages, mix up Fsmashes and Grabs to stop his approaches.
Long Range:
Your at a safe enough distance to spam pikmin. The problem is that, only white pikmin can reliably reach him. If u wanna hit him with any other pikmin, you have to jump with them. Staying grounded vs Snake is very important tho, so double jumping just to reach him wont do you any good. Further more, snake's grenades can reach u effectively well at this range, and he has enough control over them (with shielding to stop their momentum, or timing them (since Olimar can't really do much to stop him) so that they explode right where you are. When snake throws a grenade, you have to watch out for it. once a grenade has landed near you, you must get away from it. the only other option would be to pick it up and throw it back at snake. This is because you must keep the camping pressure on snake. Shielding the grenade will only make you lose time, and give snake an enormous interval to do w/e he wants (whether he wants to approach, or solidify his camping game). Spot dodging the grenade can also be an option but only really works when the grenade is timed to explode at your location, otherwise if the snake isn't that amazing, he will just let the grenade go past you, otherwise he will shield and make the grenade stop, this means you have to get away, there is no time for you to pick it up and throw it back, the nade would have exploded by then. Another option is to throw a pikmin at the grenade to stop it well in front of you. This is the best option for you, as you can still keep the camping pressure, this however just also allows snake to block ur pikmin and therefore gives him time for something else. Snake wins long range because he can be more threatening there compared to Olimar.
Middle Range:
This is the best place for Olimar to be in the matchup. On the ground and at medium range. This is also the most crucial point of the matchup. The character that takes control of medium range
WILL PUT THE OTHER CHARACTER IN A BAD POSITION. All of Olimar's pikmin can reach snake at this range. More than often a purple wont hit snake unless it is short hopped, but other than that, you can safely spam him on the ground, and with purples in your lineup, they will knock snake out of his mortar slide approach. Only short hop and throw a pikmin if it is a purple one, otherwise don't do it. Yellows are only good for blocking snake's normally thrown grenade (the one where he lobs it towards you) because the yellow pikmin have the same arc, otherwise I generally find yellows to be rather useless in this matchup as they don't have the trajectory I would prefer when it comes to camping out snake. As other Olimar's have said, mix up grabs every now and then so that you can grab snake out of his mortar slide I find Fsmash to be more effective against it. All of the same camping techniques applied at long range also apply here (avoiding/blocking grenades, etc). This is Snakes method of taking control of Medium range. If you **** up the camping, snake will either take you off the ground, or be in close range which is the worst on ground position for Olimar. Keeping the camping pressure is the most important thing. Olimar can throw pikmin more frequently than snake can throw a grenade, but grenades are a better projectile and if one gets in, the strategy has to be rethought. Expect a snake to approach once you have let down ur camping pressure. Watch the grenade when u Fsmash, Grabbing can also be useful, but basically, u must wait for the nade to explode before you can actually react. Medium range is slightly in Olimars favor, not overwhelmingly enough that snake can't do **** to Olimar.
Close Range:
D:, that's how bad it is. And believe it or not, this isn't the worst place for Olimar to be in this matchup. Now, to stop the Ftilt, grab at your maximum range. The 2nd hit of the Ftilt is really dangerous, the range on it is broken beyond belief. When shielding the Ftilt, like Fino said, u can go in between hits to punish it if the snake delays it, otherwise its a lil risky. You can shield grab after the 2nd hit. Fsmashing is also an option, but shield grabbing is a way better option here as it leads up to Olimars tremendous grab game (which basically means turning a bad position into an amazing position) Only throw purple pikmin, any other pikmin toss and
you will get owned. The purple pikmin can also get out prioritized, therefore it is also a little risky. Fsmashing a snake can also somewhat help, it gets him away from you, and u reset at medium range, or follow him off stage, or follow him and attempt the grab (but if u **** up, ur just in close range again
). Snake can also get the grab on us, and if he does, this is very bad news for Olimar because of Snake's grab game. Olimar loses close range, try to take advantage of it by grabbing (smartly, watch out for what I've mentioned) or try to get out of it (u have to get out offensively though (like attacking him) because simply running or jumping away will result in you getting owned).
Above the opponent:
, worst spot for Olimar to be in the matchup. Don't land near snake. Snake can cover the ground pretty well. Watch out for Snake himself, grenades, his down B, his down smash, the mortar slide. Whistle bouncing will be a really good option for you, otherwise try and get to an edge if you are off stage. You must watch out for everything above because they will get you back in the air, and as for snake himself, he will grab u (most likely pivot grab) or tilt you (and air dodging into snake can pretty much guarantee a kill for him). Landing on a platform also helps a lot. Attacking while landing is generally useful but Olimar's aerials aren't that amazing in the sense, and he can get shield grabbed every time.
Recovering:
When recovering to the stage, not much Oli can do really in any matchup. Throw some pikmin at snake to either rack up some damage on him, or in an attempt to knock hi away with a purple pikmin (which he can just power shield). If snake tries to hit you out of the air, its going to be with a Bair. More than likely he will short hop, or full hop to get to your level, then will wait to see what u do (or he might rush u, the mind game is in his favor) and double jump to Bair. Air dodge or whistle to solve this (and make sure u read him right or else its over) Don't attack, nothing has priority. He can also be fancy and try to fair u down the stage. Air dodge, whistle, or attack him out of it. When on the edge, Olimar's get up attack it really good, has plenty of range, use it if there are no grenades or if ur certain you won't hit Snake's shield. Plank Snake (uair from under the stage) if there is no grenade, or else its over (unless u tech the stage spike) You can jump off the edge, but hopefully there is a platform to land on, or you can get down safely. Jumping from the edge and Fairing is something neat I saw an Olimar use, it could be useful in several matchups. Nairing into snake is a poor option, free Utilt for snake.
Edge Guarding:
Forward smash when snake is on the edge. Even charging the forward smash is useful. space it so that it falls right off where the edge is. This will also allow you to be far enough away from snakes get up attack. When snake is ciphering below stage, like it has been said before, it is safe to spike him, just don't **** up or else u will probably miss the hit box of the cipher and die. Like Fino said, it is safe to chase snake offstage, All of our Fair's go through his cipher (except the while one lol) The Uair won't knock him out unless u get a majority of the hits, the Dair has to be sweetspotted, iunno about Bair, Fair is a better option, and just Don't Nair a snake in his cipher. I like to upB a snake who is ciphering high above the stage yet off stage. Sometimes it kills the snake, just make sure you can get back to the stage (or make sure u get the kill and that its the game finishing kill). When snake is above us, our Uair goes through everything he has (not the white one again). Fino's u smash mind game is also cute. The snake (like BOB Sagat said) can also wave bounce away from you, so like throw a non purple/yellow pikmin at him (yellow's wont reach him in time, and purple wont reach him period
Olimar's amazing grab game:
Snake's aerial game isn't amazing, so chase him and grab him, make sure to jab. u get one jab until 60, and then 2 jabs until 120, then so on. Listen to your opponents controller, if u hear them start to mash, then down throw them, otherwise keep jabbing them.
damage is important, and this is where white pikmin shine. They aid the grab game so much. Purples will **** it up though, make sure they don't get in the way. So basically, grab, jab, dthrow, predict (a back air) or chase, regrab, repeat.
Final notes on Snake:
His grab game is also bad new for us. 10 to 1 mind game against us. someone mentioned standing up and U smashing, I myself am not sure of the most effective method against his down throw (when we are already inside it). Just try and out predict the snake. and watch out for the kill moves at high percents, and also watch out for being dthrown nearby explosives. Snake can take stage control with his explosives. Outside the grenades, I haven't talked much about the C4 & Dsmash. They will also **** up your camping game at medium and long range (and they will hinder your grab game which is what Olimar needs). Fthrowing a snake into a C4 is useful. You can also toss a pikmin at it (preferably red) or above it (as the pikmin will walk back to you and detonate the Dsmash). Just watch out for the C4 in general, it's pretty bad. Don't go near it after its been out for a little while.
Killing:
Blue B/Fthrow are useless imo (unless u catch them off guard and throw really quick to punish their poor reaction time and their bad DI, Purple U throw is good, and of course, U smash.
Stages
FD is amazing, no platforms to stop Olimar's grab game, however when Olimar is in the air, it also hurts. Battlefeild is also good. Grab game in the center of the stage really helps, and platforms to land on, but C4 on a platform is OP. Smashville is also nice. Snake can C4 on the platform though and have a moving mine. The platform gives us something to land on when we can't get back on the stage from the edge, however snake can also Dsmash the platform to make it harder for u to land on. The open space can also be good for our grab game, yet the platform can carry snake to safety. Halberd is neat as well. It helps both characters, and the center platform isn't too amazing for our grab game.
So snake is good on stages we are good on D:
The snake also has Rainbow cruise, Frigate, Brinstar. All of the stages are nasty for Olimar. On rainbow, Olimar loses the grab game, same with brinstar, and frigate is gimp city for Olimar.
dead even matchup imo
thats all for now Olibros
