Thatonehelper
Smash Cadet
ABSTRACT:
A description of a few team strategies in Super Smash Brothers, most applicable to Super Smash Brothers Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch, with some background information and history of past games sprinkled in.
Disclaimer: Much of the following information is speculative and should be considered with discretion.
The information is not completely accurate or verified and does not include many niche team strategies.
Prominant Team Strategies in Smash Brothers
CHARACTER SPECIFIC GIMMICK STRATEGIES
Other Fun Strategies
A description of a few team strategies in Super Smash Brothers, most applicable to Super Smash Brothers Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch, with some background information and history of past games sprinkled in.
Disclaimer: Much of the following information is speculative and should be considered with discretion.
The information is not completely accurate or verified and does not include many niche team strategies.
Link to thread here
1. If there is a larger or more dedicated smash boards thread on the Smash Ultimate doubles team composition topic, please link it in a comment.
2. Please put your thoughts on Piranha plant and other currently unreleased DLC fighters in theorycraft. Thank you.
1. If there is a larger or more dedicated smash boards thread on the Smash Ultimate doubles team composition topic, please link it in a comment.
2. Please put your thoughts on Piranha plant and other currently unreleased DLC fighters in theorycraft. Thank you.
Prominant Team Strategies in Smash Brothers
Especially notable characters: 
Other potential notable characters:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Other potential notable characters:
Strategy Overview:
- One partner with particularly large, multi-directional disjoint range easily holds stage control and is able to juggle opponents quickly and consistently. The ability to easily control the entire stage while mobile creates a large advantage. A very flexible strategy where, with good teamwork, any character can act as a strong team mate.
- A tried and true strategy that is currently considered (by Smash 4 competitive players) as the most likely to dominate the competitive doubles meta
- Constant stage presence, team positioning, team synergy, and control are big components of this doubles strategy
- Due to large ranged attacks, this team composition is quite prone to hitting friendly teammates. Therefore, both players need to keep a good distance away from each other so they do not hinder each other's ability to work effectively.
- Additionally, partners must respond quickly and be positioned close enough to be able to quickly juggle opponents who become sandwiched between the partners.
- Usually the character with a large disjoint range has an exploitable, linear recovery.
- Teams need to be very aware of this risk. Avoiding edge guard situations and alleviating potential pressure off that character are key to that character's effectiveness.
- Usually the character with a large disjoint range has an exploitable, linear recovery.
Comments:
- In Ultimate, Shulk's unique ability to quickly change MONADO ARTS allows him to succeed in almost any situation
- In Smash 4, Cloud dominated the doubles scene with his incredible range making him exceptionally valuable as a partner and Limit gimmick making him especially well rounded
- In Smash 4, MKLeo and Javi's (Cloud/Sheik) Team showed off its power very well
- In Brawl, Metaknight was the premier character choice for this role
- In Melee, Marth was the premier choice for this strategy
Especially notable floaty characters:
Not floaty, but just as effective:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Not floaty, but just as effective:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy takes advantage of one character's exceptional survival ability to keep the team ahead of the competition. Take one floaty character with long horizontal survival ability and reasonable power, used by a player who is difficult to KO, then partner them with another character.
- Slow and steady wins the race. The worth of this strategy is measured by the team's ability to stay in the stock lead.
- Another tried and true strategy, these floaty characters tend to possess strong edge guarding abilities, strong recovery ability, and are difficult to combo for a long duration.
Comments:
- As a newcomer, Isabelle provides great saving, ledge camping, and zoning capabilities.
- Her fishing rod is notable for saving partners who are offstage
- Her Lloid rocket mine is notable in doubles because it provides stage control, sets up for combos, and acts as last resort insurance in case her partner gets caught in a very bad situation
- Especially with turnips being faster to pull in Ultimate, Peach and Daisy's potential can be huge.
- Turnips are good for controlling space (compensating for range with sword characters in neutral & amazing at edge guarding)
- A clutch stitch face or odd item pulls can swing the momentum of the game
- Ranai shows the power of Villager as a stock tank with his gameplay in Smash 4
- In melee Armada and MacD show the value of Peach in doubles
Especially notable power characters:
A few other notable power characters:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
A few other notable power characters:
Strategy Overview:
- A basic strategy where the objective is to use a character's overwhelming power to KO opposing teams very quickly.
- Since power characters are usually combo'd into oblivion and lacking in speed, range, and/or projectiles, they are usually partnered with a character who can easily win neutral exchanges.
- This strategy is, objectively, the most viable in Ultimate when compared to every other Smash title due to the cast-wide buffs in movement speed.
- To Smash fans all over the world, this is the most exciting change to the competitive doubles meta
Comments:
- Pokemon Trainer's Charizard is very strong but his or her 3 pokemon have multiple uses
- Ryo and Sol in Smash 4 show off the power of this team strategy very well
- Kage shows off Ganondorf's power in Melee doubles very well
Especially notable lock-down characters:
There are many other notable lock-down characters, here are a select few:
Strategy Overview:
There are many other notable lock-down characters, here are a select few:
Strategy Overview:
- One partner locks down a large part of the stage and keeps opposing team mates from assisting
- Team positioning and awareness is very important as each player will need to positioned close enough to provide pressure with their presence, help their partner escape bad situations, and assist in team combos on their opponents.
- Positioning is important. Staying together in different zones where each other has just the right amount of space is key.
- This strategy allows the partner to go all out on their opponent. Usually the defensive/zoning character will block the path so a favorable 1v1 match up occurs for the partner.
- Yoshi is considered one of the best characters for saving team mates
- In Smash 4, ZeR0 does an exceptional job showing off the power of Diddy Kong in this role, especially when teamed up with Nairo
- In Brawl, ADHD does a great job showing off the power of Diddy Kong using this team strategy
CHARACTER SPECIFIC GIMMICK STRATEGIES
Especially notable explosive provider:
Situational explosive provider:
Suicide throw provider:( )
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Situational explosive provider:
Suicide throw provider:
( )Strategy Overview:
- This strategy involves two characters being KO'd by an explosion off the top blast zone. Metaknight, Kirby, Charizard, and King K. Rool all have Up throws that momentarily teleport them to the top of the blast zone.
- Ideally, the suicide thrower will initiate a grab at high percentage on an opponent who has low percentage, resulting in an favorable suicide stock trade. Suicide trades must be used strategically under the right circumstances as it can be difficult to set up during battle.
- If fortunate, you can take out a very healthy opponent, the final stock of an opponent, or in very rare cases, multiple opponents.
Comments:
- This strategy is extremely valuable for removing troublesome, hard to KO opponents from the match
- Especially with Snake returning to the scene, this strategy can be done safely and consistently because Snake is able to plant his C4 mine and control its detonation.
- Megaman can also do this with his crash bomb, but less consistently.
- Young Link and Toon Link's bombs can also do the trick, but very rarely work out due to the requirement of a bomb being held by an opponent at the time of explosion
- A character cannot initiate a grab while holding a bomb (not to be confused with command grab)
- BOTW Link cannot detonate his bombs while they are being held, but can potentially set this up on certain stages by manually throwing the bomb and detonating at the right time
Absorber:
Especially notable healers:
Other notable healers:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Especially notable healers:
Other notable healers:
Strategy Overview:
- A Ness or Lucas player uses PSI magnet's ability to heal damage by absorbing certain projectiles. This increases the longevity of Ness or Lucas player.
- Both individual strength and team synergy are necessary to this strategy
- The Ness or Lucas player is most likely to play the stock tank role and should be not be dying as much as possible.
- Ideally, each player should be close enough to get quick healing off while opponents are too far off to interrupt.
- Team mates must be especially careful not to accidentally damage or KO each other while attempting to heal
- At a high level, healing can come from afar and from many different situations. Not only must team mates know their partner's thought process, they must also be able to see opportunities to sneak in a heal.
Comments:
- Perhaps the most famous users of this strategy were Taiheita/Gomamugitya(Lucas/Lucario) team in Smash Bros Brawl. This Japanese team is known for some of the most incredible team-play of all smash history.
- Lucas is usually considered the absorb-er of choice due to superior recovery ability and mid range combat ability (PK fire, Zair, Absorbtion's hitbox, movement speed)
- Lucario is considered the choice healer due to two ranged projectiles to absorb and his aura ability which powers Lucario up
- Zero suit is a contender for top choice due to two great stun projectiles to absorb and her great combat ability (speed, power, and amazing punish/combo game)
- If patches follows the trend from Smash 4, Lucas' throws will most likely be buffed at some point. Despite losing his amazing throw combos from Smash 4, he is still a strong and mobile character.
- Lucas has a slow, but very large and extremely strong Up smash which can be used to KO opponents as the partner grabs, after a footstool setup, or after a throw setup.
- Among its many other uses, Lucas' PK fire can interrupt enemies to buy enough time for a heal and even save team mates by splashing his partner
Gimmick character:
A few select notable partners:
A few select notable partners:
- Possibly the most highly anticipated new strategy to date. The viability of this strategy comes down to setup consistency and powerful knockouts.
- Characters who can quickly provide a strong power-up and have thows/stuns/burrows to set up for Incineroar make especially great partners.
- Projectiles such as PK Flash, charge shots, C4, Nikita missile, cannon ball, Axe, and Din's fire can easily provide a large power-up from a distance.
- Very strong kill moves such as falcon punch, warlock punch, and predictable smash attacks can easily provide an insanely strong power-up.
- Remember that Incineroar becomes temporarily invincible and will knock away anyone close by when revenge activates, making close quarters power-ups relatively safe if the partner can tech and opponents are further away
- Although Incineroar has plenty of kill power on his own, he moves fairly slow and sometimes needs help catching an opponent.
- Incineroar wants to get a team setup for an easy KO move such as Up smash, Up special, or side special.
- Incineroar excels at juggling, like Cloud, so it's not really a surprise if they have similar commands to reliably finish off opponents.
- I guess that makes REVENGE Incineroar's FINISHING TOUCH, haha.
- Incineroar excels at juggling, like Cloud, so it's not really a surprise if they have similar commands to reliably finish off opponents.
- Incineroar wants to get a team setup for an easy KO move such as Up smash, Up special, or side special.
- A great Incineroar player will be able to find opportunities to receive power-ups from enemy attacks and scare opponents into shielding. Scared opponents are the best victims for Incineroar due to his incredible power throws.
- Incineroar's counter comes out very quickly. It can bust him out of many situations, similar to Bayonetta's Witch time in Smash 4. Talk about playing dirty. His darkest lariat attack is also fairly good for busting out of a tough situation, although it is more laggy, not as rewarding, nor attacks as quickly as revenge.
- Like Chrom and Little Mac, Incineroar needs to keep from being gimped, so establishing stage control and maintaining a strong defense will keep him alive. Patience is needed since he cannot always take the fight to his opponent without risk.
Gimmick Character:
Special partner:
Incredible partners:
Strategy overview:
Special partner:
Incredible partners:
Strategy overview:
- Inkling moves quickly and can easily cover characters in INK. INK makes characters take more knock back. This means that characters who are covered in lots of INK will be very easy to launch and KO.
- A notable strategy since any team with an Inkling has an advantage in KO power. However, powerful one hit KO partners benefit the most since Inkling lacks in KO power. The increased knock back reduces combo potential and INK can deplete quickly, so manage INK usage carefully!
- Inkling has a particularly effective kill confirm for multi-hit power moves that can be taken advantage of by many characters. Shulk and Cloud have many of these multi-hit KO moves.
- Shulk can easily go into smash mode and use ANY of his smash attacks
- Cloud can use limit cross slash, down smash, and forward smash
- Charizard can use Up smash and Fly as finishers
- A very strong and simple strategy on paper, but very difficult to pull off at a high level due to the amount of awareness and team synergy required
- Aside from great character versatility, pokemon trainer can easily play around ink by switching characters. Currently, pokemon will lose their inked status when swapped out. This removes the double-edge risk from being an intentional & accidental splat target from friendly and enemy Inklings.
- Inkling has a particularly effective kill confirm in paint roller to up smash. However, burying to a multi-hit power move is available to other characters as well, such as R.O.B. (down throw to up smash). See GimR's video on the topic to learn more.
- Theorycraft: I personally think Shulk + Inkling is a very solid team that has the potential to be at the top of the doubles metagame.
- This team has an insane amount of KO potential when paired together.
- Both characters are fairly fast and can move in to help each other fairly quick
- Inkling's roller attack acts as a kill confirm for both Shulk and Inkling.
- At a high level, roller will not always work out. However, the occasional bury can set up for that KO
- Inkling can further ink buried targes with neutral special to assist Shulk's knockback or proc a splat bomb on Shulk's counter
- The counter method may be the preferred choice, if everything works out consistently, as Vision counter can hit multiple targets and cannot be blocked by shields, making it safer than using a smash attack
- If alone, Inkling can easily up smash buried targets for a KO
- Shulk can quickly activate SMASH art and Up Smash or FSmash buried opponents for easy KOs. This combo can kill light characters at ~60ish% before and ~80ish% after the KO hits. Shulk is pretty quick, especially in SPEED art and can run or drift over when in position.
- However, this team may be one of the most difficult due to the level of information needed to be processed.
- There's the dedication to master Shulk and Inkling on an individual level and both characters need to manage their gimmick well
- Both players must be aware of each other's positioning and avoid hitting each other
- Team players must be in synch to get team combos
- Shulk is very difficult to KO due to his SHIELD art making him extremely hard to launch and his JUMP art making recovery possible from very far. Shulk can quickly activate his arts and even activate his arts during hitstun so I am not surprised if a Shulk master is able to survive for a long time and keep performing, even at very high percentages
GIMMICK CHARACTER:
Especially reliable partners:
Strategy overview:
Comments:
Especially reliable partners:
Strategy overview:
- A tried and true strategy, this is perhaps the ultimate demonstration of a glass canon character's power. The strategy is simple, throw or combo your opponents into the Jigglypuff's incredbly fast and strong rest attack. Jigglypuff goes into a long sleeping state after usage so it is important for partners to assist Jigglypuff with a quick wake up attack.
- Team synergy and individual strength is necessary to this strategy's success.
- Jigglypuff's rest attack does not have all that much range. The Jigglypuff player must be very skilled to hit crucial KOs consistently.
- The partner must always be aware of Jigglypuff's position to pass opponents over or assist when Jigglypuff is in a bad situation.
- Characters with an easily accessible, quick, weak, and long reach move can very easily save or wake Jigglypuff up, making them invaluable partners.
- Sheik's needles, Young Link's projectiles, and Isabelle's fishing rod all fulfill this role exceptionally well.
Comments:
- Many people who play Smash 64 and Melee competitively are familiar with this strategy's strength.
- Even in Smash 4 and Brawl this was a team to be wary of. In more recent times, Nakat and Void put in lots of work with the REST strategy in Smash 4.
- In the early days of Smash 4, Hungrybox and ZeR0 also made this work well.
Gimmick character:
Strategy overview:
Comments:
Strategy overview:
- The Lucario player will instantly KO themselves to activate Lucario's ANUBIS gimmick and receive a massive power-up. This power-up allows Lucario to build his AURA more quickly, depending on the ratio of Lucario stocks to overall stocks. While Lucario has less stocks compared to the total amount of stocks left, the ANUBIS gimmick allows Lucario to easily become a quickly growing threat.
- The strategy highly relies on the partner keeping as many stocks as possible or else the strategy will quickly fail. Thus, at a high level of play, it is generally considered a necessity that Lucario's partner must be evasive and maintain a solid defense.
- A very counter intuitive strategy to be sure, the worth of this strategy is measured by the strength of its team members. Ideal partners are usually quick and nimble characters who have many escape and reliable defensive options.
- To learn of the ANUBIS mechanic in depth, please visit the Smash Wikipedia page or various Youtube demonstration videos dedicated to it.
Comments:
- An interesting and risky strategy where an early stock loss can result in a defeat.
- Of course, the Lucario player can decide to increase the risk by giving up more stocks or lower the risk by not giving up any stocks at all.
- In more recent times, this strategy was most infamously shown off by the American team of Marss' Lucario and Zinoto's Diddy Kong team at the Smash 4 event, 2GG: Civil War.
- Taiheita/Gomamugitya(Lucas/Lucario) used this team strategy to great effect in Smash Bros Brawl to dominate enemy teams.
Gimmick Character:
Special partner:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Special partner:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy is centered around a team that can quickly fill Game & Watch's bucket so he can use his incredibly powerful Oil Panic attack. Oil Panic is an attack that is fairly quick, has good range, instantly breaks shields, and consistently KOs opponents who are over 20%. This team sticks close to each other and has G&W refill and throw out the attack over and over as quickly as possible, only taking a short break when separated or during the setup for a team combo.
Comments:
- In previous Smash games, Pikachu is usually the partner for G&W for this strategy
- This team strategy was especially infamous before being patched in the 3DS version of Smash 4.
- The so called, Thunderbucket strategy was well known for its sheer amount of shield breaks and sub 1 minute games.
- When Pikachu and Game& Watch teams employed this incredibly explosive, quick, and easily exploitable strategy, it was instantly considered for bans at tournaments.
- After this team strategy was nerfed in a patch to the game, it found newfound infamy with custom Sheik grenades (and to a lesser extent, Lucario's aurasphere custom) being able to quickly fill buckets.
- There was hardly any counter play other than to play better and separate the team members.
Gimmick characters: ()
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
()Strategy Overview:
- Some water moves can push characters around. The windbox properties of these moves can benefit the team with stage control, edge guarding, and attacking.
- Attack setup example 1: Ganondorf can activate a warlock punch while being pushed by Squirtle's fully charged Water Gun to hit two cornered opponents.
- Attack setup example 2: Mario and Ryu surround Donkey Kong on opposite sides and constantly throw projectiles. To change the status quo, DK decides to approach Mario. Mario unleashes a fully charged F.L.U.D.D. to avoid being grabbed, dash attacked, or Kong Punched by the enemy Donkey Kong. The FLUDD pushes Donkey Kong back, allowing his partner, Ryu, to catch up and use true Shoryuken on Donkey Kong.
Comments:
- Villager's watering can does have the water/windbox effect but the range and pushback is not great enough to be considered for this strategy
- Especially infamous before being patched in the 3DS version of Smash 4, Greninja's Hydro Pump attack would easily send characters flying off screen. There was hardly any counter play as the only way to prevent this was to keep running forward (if the character was very fast), use air dodges and shield at the right time (to prevent the push back), putt fear into the Greninja player, or interrupt the Greninja somehow with a projectile.
- Among Greninja's other strong tools, such as shadow sneak cancel, the hydro pump to win strategy was very easy to pull off, extremely safe to perform, and highly rewarding in both singles and doubles formats.
- In Smash 4, Lucario, Sheik, and Greninja are widely considered to be the best characters during SUDDEN DEATH mode. They all have amazing projectiles that KO easily, but Greninja's hydro pump shoots opponents with high percentage incredibly far and has the added advantage that they cannot tech!
Gimmick characters:
Special partner:
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
Special partner:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy takes advantage of Kirby's copy ability to take the gimmick of their partner
Comments:
- If Kirby does not want a power, he can choose to spit out swallowed targets as a projectile
- Generally paired up with a partner's ability that can great improve Kirby or counter the enemy team.
- For example, Shulk's Monado Arts greatly increase the combat ability of the user.
- Monado Kirby becomes an exceptionally versatile character with an amazing punish game while using various Monado Arts.
- Another example: using pocket can be used to counter enemy team projectiles and pass around Villager's trees.
- For example, Shulk's Monado Arts greatly increase the combat ability of the user.
Gimmick Characters:
Special partners:
Strategy Overview:
Special partners:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy uses Villager and Isabelle's pocket ability to power up a projectile.
- Often times, a partner will have a reflector to further power up certain projectiles or allow Villager to pocket his own tree.
- Certain characters with both a reflector and a strong projectile make exceptional partners.
Other Fun Strategies
Gimmick Characters:
Strategy Overview:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy uses targets as projectiles onstage and near ledge or while offstage, drags target offstage
- Considered an unviable strategy as it is very predictable and easy to counter.
- Ideal victims of offstage inhales are characters who have a poor recovery
- King K Rool can elect to use the vacuum on his blunderbuss without shooting a cannonball by holding down the B button
Gimmick Characters:
Strategy Overview:
Strategy Overview:
- This strategy takes place when an opponent is caught by a command grab and both the grappler and the victim are KO'd off the bottom blast zone.
- Usually the grappler is in a position close to or near a ledge
- Considered an unviable strategy as it is very predictable and easy to counter.
- Bait an unsuspecting opponent to the ledge and then FLEX on them. HAHAHAHAHAH let the salt reels roll.
- In Smash Ultimate the initiator of the command grab will die first.
- Ridley can mix up the grab by cancelling the move early with jump. Also, the grabbed player can mash out of the grab.
Strategy Overview:
Comments:
- This is not a notable doubles strategy but it's very fun as it is stupid. It can be highly effective when mastered, especially if the opponent is caught off guard due to having never played against this style before!
- Quick burst movement options can give off the impression of being seemingly chaotic and highly vulnerable.
- However, they create opportunities and openings for partners to capitalize while zipping through opponents. As long as the team has proper positioning.
- Moves that can do this well: Metaknight's tornado, Metaknight's drill rush, Sonic's Spin dash, Sonic's Spin charge, Fox's Illusion, Falco's Phantasm, Pikachu's Quick attack, Inkling's roller attack, certain dash attacks, Diddy Kong's monkey flip, Zero Suit's flip kick, Inkling’s roller, Bowser Junior's Clown Kart, Wario's Bike, and certain aerials on a few characters such as Pikachu & Mewtwo's Nair.
- However, they create opportunities and openings for partners to capitalize while zipping through opponents. As long as the team has proper positioning.
- Quick burst movement options can give off the impression of being seemingly chaotic and highly vulnerable.
Comments:
- Considered an unviable strategy as it is very difficult to pull off well
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