Apollo317
Smash Cadet
I think that there might be two distinct playstyles in brawl. I'm going to call them aggressive and control (yes, they are named after mtg playstyles because they work by the exact same principles). Basically, aggro is based on acting, and control is based on reacting. Now I realize that you should always be reacting to whatever your opponent does, and aggro does that, but always with a goal in mind, like: approach opponent. Control however is simply reacting and countering everything the opponent attempts, and is thinking only of that. Most people call control camping, and it is, but not always. Camping means that you are playing a control game while staying put. You don't have to stay put while playing control, and it is usually better not to.
Good play is based on spacing, minimizing risk, and mindgames and both playstyles use these, but differently. Aggro uses good spacing and mindgames to find a way through to the opponent, then uses attacks that have a low chance of being punished. Control needs to have really good spacing as they are playing defensively, and they use mindgames to try to get their opponent to make a punishable mistake. They also benefit alot from spam, or moves that can potentialy deal damage to the opponent with zero risk, although a spammable move is not required to play control. Also, aggro is generaly (relatively) high risk, high reward, and control is low risk, low reward.
An example of a control playstyle is Snake. He pays extra attention to spacing, uses mindgames to make the opponent make a mistake and then punishes, rather than to try to approach, and keeps risk at a minimum by reacting rather then acting.
An example of an aggro playstyle is Metaknight. He uses mindgames to get to the opponent and then chases them, using fast moves to lower risk, but still having a higher risk than snake, as he is acting rather then reacting. However, he has a higher payoff, killing the opponent quickly and unexpectedly.
I think that in melee, the best players were aggro, but in brawl, thanks to the new shelding system and lack of combos, control is playable, possible even superior to aggro.
So what do you think about these playstyles and which chars play which best? I'll start off by saying that Pit plays control much better than aggro, and he is good enough at it that he can usually force his opponent to play aggro, which makes him good against chars that prefer control.
Good play is based on spacing, minimizing risk, and mindgames and both playstyles use these, but differently. Aggro uses good spacing and mindgames to find a way through to the opponent, then uses attacks that have a low chance of being punished. Control needs to have really good spacing as they are playing defensively, and they use mindgames to try to get their opponent to make a punishable mistake. They also benefit alot from spam, or moves that can potentialy deal damage to the opponent with zero risk, although a spammable move is not required to play control. Also, aggro is generaly (relatively) high risk, high reward, and control is low risk, low reward.
An example of a control playstyle is Snake. He pays extra attention to spacing, uses mindgames to make the opponent make a mistake and then punishes, rather than to try to approach, and keeps risk at a minimum by reacting rather then acting.
An example of an aggro playstyle is Metaknight. He uses mindgames to get to the opponent and then chases them, using fast moves to lower risk, but still having a higher risk than snake, as he is acting rather then reacting. However, he has a higher payoff, killing the opponent quickly and unexpectedly.
I think that in melee, the best players were aggro, but in brawl, thanks to the new shelding system and lack of combos, control is playable, possible even superior to aggro.
So what do you think about these playstyles and which chars play which best? I'll start off by saying that Pit plays control much better than aggro, and he is good enough at it that he can usually force his opponent to play aggro, which makes him good against chars that prefer control.
