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n00b characters and the easiest to dominate with initially

kingPiano

Smash Ace
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Messages
574
So I've been thinking about this recently as I delve into learning each character better as I improve my matchup knowledge.

I mostly main Samus and Donkey Kong (I have a bit of fun with Pichu and Mewtwo as Money Matchers)
Characters all I'd consider tough to get to a competitive level, definitely not easy to dominate with initially and take while to get to a level to compete with top tier.

I have mostly stayed away from top tiers because I just find them boring (and I'm a masochist), but obviously they are the most viable. When I started playing all the characters, really playing as all of them at tourneys I realized how broken some of them were again (I was doing really well with not much experience invested)

There are characters, right out of the gate that just have huge advantages and select moves that can offset an extreme lack of skill or knowledge. Almost all you don't even need to know how to wave dash, or L cancel, fast fall, or any other high tech shenanigans initially and in most cases it only takes a few months to learn the OP tech and abuse it.

Marth: A completely broken character IMO with his huge disjointed hit-boxes, great wave dash, insane grab range, his floatiness makes absolutely no sense (Roy's weight and fall speed make sense for an armored powerhouse with a sword), his attacks shouldn't be fast (it's a heavy *** steel flippin' sword), minimal lag, VERY easy combo potential.
--Marth seems like a character that accidentally wondered into the wrong game, as if he should have been in some fighting game in which everyone has huge swords like Bushido Blade or Soul Calibur.
---- Marth is easy to learn but I admit he is obviously a character that can progress. There is room to master and one can adapt a style and unique combos, but not nearly as much as other top tiers. His learning curve is much much more shallow.

Zelda: The Kicks and the D smash, no combos needed. Again it would seem to only take a month or two of playing to reach competition level of play, but plateaus almost immediately. If there is improvement to be had it's purely on the user and their use of mindgames and spacing/camping.

Jigglypuff: A broken Bair, can 0 to death pretty much any character if the reads and the spacing of the user are superior. An extremely easy and boring character to both play and watch (unless of course you're getting fancy with the rests).

Both Fox and Falco: I'd include here too just based on the broken Shine moves both have and the ease with which multi-shines and wave shines and WD UPsmash can be learned as well as the use of Shine to spike and 0 to death lesser players (minimum a few months to get competitive).
----But obviously both have the most room to grow and they actually do take extreme skill and dexterity to master since they are heavy, fall fast, and have bad recovery.

Sheik I'd say without a doubt would be the easiest for a casual to start maining and do really well with. Fast in the air and on ground, all moves are usable and have utility, fantastic projectile, great recovery, easy combo potential, chain grabs on many characters. it's just a character that feels and controls exactly like you'd want, everything feels tight and precise.
---- I think Borp is a great example, not really much tech but he dominates with sheik. But Borp seems to also have insane reaction time (or he's telepathic, unconfirmed) and he can read opponents extremely well which is why he can often defeat many pros with his straight-forward style. Shout-out to Borp, it's always a ton of fun to watch you play.

This has all probably been said a million times, but refreshing myself recently with learning them inside and out it was a bit depressing. Glad there are things like Project M that try and re-balance characters and even the playing field (never truly possible, but interesting to see the whole roster used). It's just puzzling how unbalanced Melee really is, Nintendo did an awesome job with the original in that almost all characters were viable and had potential (except Luigi :/). Melee just seems like such a departure from that, and just based on the matchups the game is obviously lacking in good solid game design and balance. Would've been so awesome to see almost all of the characters placing at the various nationals and regional tourneys, but it IS just a party game as Nintendo would put it.
 
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kingPiano

Smash Ace
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Messages
574
It sounds to me like you dont actually like Melee
If I didn't like Melee I wouldn't have bothered to write such a long post nub. I love it.
Pretty obvious you didn't read it all, probably just skimmed it.
 
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AirFair

Marth tho
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
1,972
Location
Houston, Texas
Yeah a lot of characters are fun to play, but I wouldn't want to use them in tournament lol. It takes a lot of dedication to be good with a non top tier character. This is why I am so proud of aMSa.
 

anikom15

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Messages
180
Location
Southern California
Marf has a big sword which allows him to stab enemies from a distance. Did you know that you can use his Down-B to counter attacks??
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
19,345
I still give Fox/Falco/Sheik as the most auto-pilot like characters in the whole game once you learn more.

Sheik merely for having devastating punishes off really any move at any percent. I feel if you look at many mid-level players you will see dozens and dozens of dash attack and grab attempts without any regard to their position, percentage, or stock. And why not? When Sheik gives you rather easy and rewarding punishes off really any move.

Falco has probably the hardest neutral game to crack down on. Its incredibly easy to SH Laser, but its very difficult for a person to counter SH Laser effectively. Even then its rather easy to spam tech skill on people and win. Again, good punishes off really any trade or move. Due to fastfalling speed he comes back from a trade over other characters. His ability to output attacks in the general direction of your opponent generally means you do not have to be as precise and simply wait until something connects. Then, go into punishes.

Fox is similar to Falco in regards to the ability to really beat your opponent simply due to tech skill.

Marth seems devastating until you learn how to punish him. Much of his stuff is punishable and he gets combo'd pretty badly too.

I am not sure on Jigglypuff. Rest provides you with a very good punish against anyone foolish enough to spam nothing except laggy moves. This is really all Jigglypuff has on anyone.
 
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