dmg how does your first paragraph NOT apply to every single character in the game vs mk. i see this all the time. MK can do this to so and so, such a big advantage. oh wait a sec, he does that to EVERYONE, yet they all manage to get around it. upb to stuff all aerial approaches and tilts to beat everyone on the ground, who does this not apply to?
Because I am tired of seeing matches where a MK player will approach a ton with Fair, to have it punished by a shield grab or whatever multiple times, and then the MK player comes here and is like "Well the matchup's even cause he punished me a lot" or the Lucario player coming in here and thinking it's even because he was able to punish the MK, even though they don't realize he probably could have played safer.
I'm not accusing anyone in particular, I just get tired seeing people think a matchup with MK is closer to even than it really is because of gameplay where the MK player could have player a bit safer. I'm not even talking about hardcore camping, running away, or anything like that, I just mean safer overall gameplay, where the MK doesn't mind Ftilting people at max range and shielding a lot. Too many times I see people come in here, after experiencing a match with a MK main who, even if he played well, could have taken safer options to minimize risk, and after a close match/set now both players have a slightly mislead idea of the matchup simply because better strategies were not explored where the MK player would achieve at the very least a small improvement in his win margin.
I don't have a problem with people thinking the matchup is relatively close, I DO have a problem when someone thinks a matchup is close, for ANY character, when one or both sides are not using options which are clearly better than what were used at that time, because that presents a flawed view of the matchup.
I'll give you an example. My record with Wario vs Marth players is superb. The only player I have a losing record to so far is Roy R (although at the end of one set I went Diddy but enough about that). The Wario Marth matchup is 40:60 Marth's favor, most top level Wario's can agree to that number and the Marth's agree that the matchup is probably something like that.
Marth's best strategy against Wario is to zone him well, occasionally retreat a bit to space yourself from him, pivot grab occasionally, etc. When I play against a Marth who does so for the entire set, chances are I lose unless I am more skilled than my opponent to the point where I can overcome a slight disadvantage matchup. Usually when I win, however, it is because the Marth player, for whatever reason, becomes more aggressive, starts approaching and putting more active pressure on me, etc. I usually win those matches by punishing their mistakes.
Should I consider the Marth vs Wario matchup as closer to even than 60:40 because most of the Marth players I play against don't use the optimal strategy? No I shouldn't, and no I do not. If I beat a Marth player, and he's questioning the matchup ratio, I will point out things to him that he could have done to have been safer and get closer towards that 40:60 matchup. After maybe another set, with some pointers I have given, they tell me the fights were a lot easier and that now they can see why Marth would have a 60:40 on Wario.
I feel this happens a lot with MK, where you have a good MK player who just might not be playing as safe as he should be, and he goes up against a good player of another character, and they have a close set and both think the matchup is really close. Then, you point out some safer things to try, they use it in some more matches, and notice that the matchup has become easier. Less mistakes made, softer punishments received for those mistakes, etc.
The same applies to other characters. I hate seeing people go "Oh no I can't beat MK the matchup must be 65:35 just terrible there's nothing I can do" and then you show them some better options and it's like "Hey, alright my character still has a disadvantage, but it can't be worse than 60:40 now, maybe on a good stage I can squeeze a 55:45".
, after seeing what it can do for lucario.
