Please help out the newb that is me.

[Sreppik]

Hi there.
As you can see by my join date, I've been lurking for quite a while. But I thought I'd come out of hiding and ask for some help.

Well, I've only had Brawl for nine days. (Living in Europe sure sucks when it comes to games.) And I'm not very good at it. I'm not that competitive, so I mainly play to have fun, but I would like to be better. I've been making some progress (I'm pretty evenly matched with a level 5-6 computer), but my fighting is still very basic.

I can't shield/roll/dodge very well, as I never know what I should use in which situation - and I play very offensively, a bad habit from my noob days which I can't seem to be able to drop.
The attacks I use most often are up-tilt, up-air and side-B (My main is ZSS, by the way.) I know when to use which, but I'm having a hard time using them correctly. As they're pretty much all I do, I'm also quite predictable. (I even lost to my brother, who uses Ike and pretty much just smashes in my general direction.)

I'd appreciate some advice on how to overcome these weaknesses.

 

[illinialex24]

ZSS has a great ability to combo through her B-blaster, but if you can't beat a level 5, you're obviously not using the right character. When I got the game, I could beat a 7 and within a day, a 9. However, thats because I chose the right character for my style, Jigglypuff and Marth. Find your character by sampling all and tell me who you feel best with, whether through private messaging or back here, and then I can help you with that character.

 

[Rapid_Assassin]

Learn to play more defensively. Try playing a match with your brother and focus on not getting hit. If he's really as predictable as you say he is it shouldn't be a difficult task.

 

[Sreppik]

The problem is that I'm not that good at predicting people, and just when I think I understand his strategy, he does something else. He's quite predictable, except when he's suddenly not.

ZSS has a great ability to combo through her B-blaster, but if you can't beat a level 5, you're obviously not using the right character.

Maybe I should use that more often.
Well, I'm only at level 5 because I like to take my time. I can beat a level 5 quite easily, but not as well as I'd like to. I've been training by working my way up the levels, and a level 5 usually kills me once or twice in a 3-stock match. Maybe I can go higher, but I can't test it right now as my brother is hogging the Wii.

 

[ph00tbag]

First of all, you can't possible judge skill by being able to beat a computer. Your focus should be on being able to beat people. Play your brother a lot, and learn to space well. Use your Plasma Whip and Paralyzer to outrange him, and force him to approach. Ike's approach is very slow, except for QD, and that's very predictable. Start out by not really trying to hit him, but try not to get hit, and only land hits when you know he can't hit you. That should be a good place to start.

 

[DeliciousCake]

Nobody can help you predict. That's a skill you need to gain on your own.

 

[Kyriel]

Play around, and learn ZSS--how she moves, her attacks, everything, down to even when her boobs bounce if you're that kinda guy. Then watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FLq2Kl4jH0
Yes, everything 'cool' ZSS can do is summed up by that single video that's only 9:55 minutes long--this is Brawl, get used to it.

After you can do all of that fluidly, (aka an hour), Congratulations! You can play ZSS!


Good luck.

 

[DeliciousCake]

Play around, and learn ZSS--how she moves, her attacks, everything, down to even when her boobs bounce if you're that kinda guy. Then watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FLq2Kl4jH0
Yes, everything 'cool' ZSS can do is summed up by that single video that's only 9:55 minutes long--this is Brawl, get used to it.

After you can do all of that fluidly, (aka an hour), Congratulations! You can play ZSS!


Good luck.

Yes, being able to recreate the awesomeness that is ZSS combo's in one hour is TOTALLY possible. /sarcasm

 

[Kyriel]

Sorry my standards are out of whack. If you're new to the series, then it would take more than an hour, omg no way. If you've played Melee competitively, then if this takes you more than an hour, for shame. My standards still seem to have a Melee affinity, not that Brawl isn't impressive, sometimes.

 

[ph00tbag]

Play around, and learn ZSS--how she moves, her attacks, everything, down to even when her boobs bounce if you're that kinda guy.

Her boobs don't bounce.

Just something I've noticed. >.>

 

[Sreppik]

Nobody can help you predict. That's a skill you need to gain on your own.

Yeah, I guess I'll have to pay more attention to what my opponent is doing from now on.

down to even when her boobs bounce if you're that kinda guy.

And that would help me in battle how? >.>

Then watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FLq2Kl4jH0
Yes, everything 'cool' ZSS can do is summed up by that single video that's only 9:55 minutes long--this is Brawl, get used to it.

I watched that a while ago. I guess I'll watch it again and pay more attention.

Sorry my standards are out of whack. If you're new to the series, then it would take more than an hour, omg no way. If you've played Melee competitively, then if this takes you more than an hour, for shame. My standards still seem to have a Melee affinity, not that Brawl isn't impressive, sometimes.

I'm not exactly new to the series, but I never put much effort into getting better at Melee. I couldn't even wavedash or L-cancel that well.


Anyway, one of my biggest problems are aerials. I can hit with two or maybe more up-airs in a row occassionally, but I can't really cope with enemies who dodge too much. Also, I find the back-air very impractical to use. Any tips?

 

[ph00tbag]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to pay more attention to what my opponent is doing from now on.

Anyway, one of my biggest problems are aerials. I can hit with two or maybe more up-airs in a row occassionally, but I can't really cope with enemies who dodge too much. Also, I find the back-air very impractical to use. Any tips?

It's good to pay attention to what your opponent is doing. Get used to the way your character moves so that you don't have to look at them, and keep an eye on your opponent. After all, they're the ones whom you can't predict. You can predict your own actions.

As far as bairs, you'll find it's often helpful to stand facing away from your opponent as they recover. I like to jump at them as though to intercept their recovery, and as they should, they airdodge, but I wait to kick until after the airdodge. Bair is also really good for following up after a dsmash.

 

[Kyriel]

Back Air is amazing.

Bair:
Thigh:

Damage: 12%
Kill Percentage: 124%
Knockback: 1662.1
KGR: 33.254

Lower Leg:

Damage: 13%
Kill Percentage: 114%
Knockback: 1665.5
KGR: 35.646

This move is great. I mean are you RARing (Reverse Aerial Rush) it?, I find it extremely easy to use and not very punishable.

 

[Adapt]

It's good to see that topic getting used in some fashion

 

[Kyriel]

It's good to see that topic getting used in some fashion

Lol, your thread is the only one on the ZSS boards that I take seriously, awesome work on it .


You should really read this thread/pay attention to it.
Link:
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=178317

 

[OmegaXF]

One of the best ways to get better period is to take this news to different smash sites. Fight other people online and ask for their opnion and see if they can give you any tips at all. Asking on this threaf is a good start. But you can only learn so much. You need to fight other people and gain experience(just like a game lol) Thats how you can get better. You'll learn what you need to learn and gain the very basics of what you have to do. Hope that helped.

 

[SagePrime]

Watch Claws combo vid to get some ideas for combos for one thing. That helped me out a lot. And dont worry about computers. Practice on level 3's to get your combos down. And just practice fighting your brother a lot. Mix up your game.

 

[James Sparrow]

You have two choices, play by yourself a ton to figure out what does and doesn't work in any given situation (takes a long time before you will be up to par) or you could watch a bunch of videos and try to mimic things that other people have accepted as good strategy. When I picked up melee, I watched sooo many videos. I built my playstyle around a number of different pros' videos, and eventually molded it into my own.