Lets talk about some common current metagame situations around platforms.
Subject A: Your opponent is above you on a platform. What do you do?
One big mistake climbers eventually make on all stages is fullhop aerials. In the current metagame, every strong player relies on baiting climbers to do this and it is hardly pretty. You need to be scared of this option unless you are Ally's Snake (then just feel a little less scared).
So lets think of better options:
(1) Shorthop uair
Why: Staying under the opponent is key. Doing otherwise will have you juggled. This is common to all characters I can think of (but not as much for mk).
Problem: Your hand goes above the platform and this can be punished (looking at you again mk)
(2) Shorthop airdodge
Why: To bait. To see the opponent's plan or even punish its failure afterwards.
(3) Shorthop nair
Why: This is the strongest offensive gimmick currently being used. It either hits the opponent and knocks them down for a grab or it hits shield and they fall into an iceblock that forces getup for grab.
(4) Stand there
Why not! As long as your opponent is expecting something it gives them a little more thinking to do. Maybe they will get jumpy and do something lesser than they were ready to do the moment you could have jumped.
Subject B: Nana is above you and too content with it to get down
As we all know nana gets left on platforms as a very common accidental desync.
This sucks, and is one of those situations where IC players tend to say "well gg this stock" if the opponent is up there too.
But lets talk about dealing with this situation in a different way than using an aerial to defend nana.
If she is above you and standing there, she is listening to your next input. Jumping and uairing, thus, will jump her even farther up where characters like mk will be happy to escort her to RIP. Furthermore, your jump uair will, even if connecting, hit the opponent toward her.
But from experience I can tell you a couple things GOOD about nana up there. If you get comfortable with this situation, I feel like you can make it one of the stronger positions.
Situation 1: You are standing on battlefield at the bottom and nana is on the platform above. Your opponent is marth or mk and does a fullhop fair on nana. What can you do?
My current best guess is to (1) shield early (for nana) and (2) grab or drop and bair/blizzard depending on where the opponent is.
Situation 2: Your opponent is trying to land on stage from high offstage but Nana is above you. Get her down, right?
Well, think about it this way, the opponent has to land on either you (ground) or Nana (platform). Either way can net a probable shieldgrab. Still want nana to come down?
Idea: Is putting Nana on a platform on purpose ever a good idea like in the above situation?
If so, how do we do that quickly and what do we do with it?
Subject A: Your opponent is above you on a platform. What do you do?
One big mistake climbers eventually make on all stages is fullhop aerials. In the current metagame, every strong player relies on baiting climbers to do this and it is hardly pretty. You need to be scared of this option unless you are Ally's Snake (then just feel a little less scared).
So lets think of better options:
(1) Shorthop uair
Why: Staying under the opponent is key. Doing otherwise will have you juggled. This is common to all characters I can think of (but not as much for mk).
Problem: Your hand goes above the platform and this can be punished (looking at you again mk)
(2) Shorthop airdodge
Why: To bait. To see the opponent's plan or even punish its failure afterwards.
(3) Shorthop nair
Why: This is the strongest offensive gimmick currently being used. It either hits the opponent and knocks them down for a grab or it hits shield and they fall into an iceblock that forces getup for grab.
(4) Stand there
Why not! As long as your opponent is expecting something it gives them a little more thinking to do. Maybe they will get jumpy and do something lesser than they were ready to do the moment you could have jumped.
Subject B: Nana is above you and too content with it to get down
As we all know nana gets left on platforms as a very common accidental desync.
This sucks, and is one of those situations where IC players tend to say "well gg this stock" if the opponent is up there too.
But lets talk about dealing with this situation in a different way than using an aerial to defend nana.
If she is above you and standing there, she is listening to your next input. Jumping and uairing, thus, will jump her even farther up where characters like mk will be happy to escort her to RIP. Furthermore, your jump uair will, even if connecting, hit the opponent toward her.
But from experience I can tell you a couple things GOOD about nana up there. If you get comfortable with this situation, I feel like you can make it one of the stronger positions.
Situation 1: You are standing on battlefield at the bottom and nana is on the platform above. Your opponent is marth or mk and does a fullhop fair on nana. What can you do?
My current best guess is to (1) shield early (for nana) and (2) grab or drop and bair/blizzard depending on where the opponent is.
Situation 2: Your opponent is trying to land on stage from high offstage but Nana is above you. Get her down, right?
Well, think about it this way, the opponent has to land on either you (ground) or Nana (platform). Either way can net a probable shieldgrab. Still want nana to come down?
Idea: Is putting Nana on a platform on purpose ever a good idea like in the above situation?
If so, how do we do that quickly and what do we do with it?