TwentyTwo
Smash Ace
Let me start by saying, that I'm no pro at Snake, and this is just my opinion. I go to some tourneys in the MD/VA region, and have competed with high level players, so my opinion shouldn't be the word of god, nor should it be completely ignored.
Rainbow cruise is NOT a bad Snake stage. Or it might be, but the point being is that it can be much more devastating to other characters than it can be to Snake. I will try to break down the phases of the stage, and try to explain the strategy I used, to win on this stage.
The first phase, would be the boat phase, during this phase, you can plant c4s on the platforms and they'll hit the area below them, but what you should be aware of, is that there is a wall on the right part of the ship. So do NOT bring people with wall infinites here, unless you prepare readily for this, you have to plant a claymore in that region, so if you do get caught here, the claymore can bail you out, before real damage is dealt. The general strategy here is to bomb like a terrorist like you would anywhere else, but what is important, is that when we approach the next phase, YOU MUST be on the left side. This is important because, you force an approach, that's very odd usually for the other character. This is the case because you're in a position to edge guard basically.
Now the next phase I'm going to call the Magic Carpet phase, is the phase that people will say that is the hardest on Snake. Remember, the key to using this stage is taking the defensive sides, and this phase is no different, EXCEPT that this defensive side is the vertical. So as the defensive side on the boat was the left, the defensive side during this phase is up. So your objective is to stay ahead of your opponent, while making them run through a gauntlet to get to you. Their forced to approach through your explosives, because the stage is on your side as long as you've taken the defensive side. So this area is similar to when you have to vertical camp characters that you are avoiding grabs from (Ex: Ice Climbers, D3) So when you drop c4s you want to detonate relatively soon, and soft toss your grenades/ or bounce them off the ground, or just drop them. If you get time use the mortar, and really just disorient your opponent and make it really tough for your opponent to proceed through the stage. The reason I say you want to explode your c4s relatively soon, it helps disorient your opponent AND in the event something goes wrong, you're able to cypher recover, and c4 yourself.
Now we move onto the next phase, I'm going to call it the Pendulum phase. Now the Pendulum phase is interesting, because you can take the pendulum, or you can take the blocks that are on top of it. If you take the blocks you just vert camp, and if they get in your face hit them away. If you take to the blocks you'll be able to see their approach easy, I wouldn't suggest the blocks against anyone with large disjointed hitboxes above them. Of course the from the blocks you have a low roof, I believe you can utilt the lighter characters like kirby at ~70%? Don't quote me on that just yet, I don't currently have a wii to test this. Now if you decide to settle on the pendulum instead, you still have a relatively low roof, but here's the interesting part, if you uptilt, and they don't DI they get KO'd off the top, but if they DI there's a chance you bounce them off the blocks, and they're in a really bad position or they just die off the bottom. Of course, they might be prepared and tech the blocks, so be prepared for that, and punish accordingly.
The next phase is, the area where its basically a straight run, so I'll be calling it the rainbow run, during this phase you take the right side. Now, it's important to realize that if you can be chaingrabbed off the side, if this is possible take to the platforms. Now you're on the middle or right side of the moving screen, this is key because you have many more options in this area, moves like fsmash become more viable, I say this because a good tactic is to throw your opponent, forward or backwards(basically towards the left) and if they land off screen their is a high likelihood that they will roll forward, and you should have your fsmash waiting for them, and that's an easy low percentage or just a kill in general. If it's a higher percent you can be waiting with ftilt instead. Aside from this you can definitely use this area to your advantage, by throwing nades on top of platforms, and taking quick opportunities to lay your traps, and force an awkward approach from your opponent and punish accordingly. Your grabs are definitely more deadly now because you're so close to blast zones so keep that in mind, but so are many others grabs, but if you controlled the run correctly their approach should be predictable, and very punishable by you. Towards the end of the run however, your defensive side changes, it shifts to being below your opponent. utilt, mortar and the normal anti-air are excellent here.
That about wraps it up, as far as my experience on this stage. Let me be clear about what I'm saying about this stage. Use it on characters that have mainly a horizontal recovery, or a very predictable one. Do NOT take characters such as GW, MK, ROB, and Pika here, I'll try to update more I play with this stage. I would recommend picking this stage against Falco, DK, Ike, and others, that escape my thoughts right now.
-22
Rainbow cruise is NOT a bad Snake stage. Or it might be, but the point being is that it can be much more devastating to other characters than it can be to Snake. I will try to break down the phases of the stage, and try to explain the strategy I used, to win on this stage.
The first phase, would be the boat phase, during this phase, you can plant c4s on the platforms and they'll hit the area below them, but what you should be aware of, is that there is a wall on the right part of the ship. So do NOT bring people with wall infinites here, unless you prepare readily for this, you have to plant a claymore in that region, so if you do get caught here, the claymore can bail you out, before real damage is dealt. The general strategy here is to bomb like a terrorist like you would anywhere else, but what is important, is that when we approach the next phase, YOU MUST be on the left side. This is important because, you force an approach, that's very odd usually for the other character. This is the case because you're in a position to edge guard basically.
Now the next phase I'm going to call the Magic Carpet phase, is the phase that people will say that is the hardest on Snake. Remember, the key to using this stage is taking the defensive sides, and this phase is no different, EXCEPT that this defensive side is the vertical. So as the defensive side on the boat was the left, the defensive side during this phase is up. So your objective is to stay ahead of your opponent, while making them run through a gauntlet to get to you. Their forced to approach through your explosives, because the stage is on your side as long as you've taken the defensive side. So this area is similar to when you have to vertical camp characters that you are avoiding grabs from (Ex: Ice Climbers, D3) So when you drop c4s you want to detonate relatively soon, and soft toss your grenades/ or bounce them off the ground, or just drop them. If you get time use the mortar, and really just disorient your opponent and make it really tough for your opponent to proceed through the stage. The reason I say you want to explode your c4s relatively soon, it helps disorient your opponent AND in the event something goes wrong, you're able to cypher recover, and c4 yourself.
Now we move onto the next phase, I'm going to call it the Pendulum phase. Now the Pendulum phase is interesting, because you can take the pendulum, or you can take the blocks that are on top of it. If you take the blocks you just vert camp, and if they get in your face hit them away. If you take to the blocks you'll be able to see their approach easy, I wouldn't suggest the blocks against anyone with large disjointed hitboxes above them. Of course the from the blocks you have a low roof, I believe you can utilt the lighter characters like kirby at ~70%? Don't quote me on that just yet, I don't currently have a wii to test this. Now if you decide to settle on the pendulum instead, you still have a relatively low roof, but here's the interesting part, if you uptilt, and they don't DI they get KO'd off the top, but if they DI there's a chance you bounce them off the blocks, and they're in a really bad position or they just die off the bottom. Of course, they might be prepared and tech the blocks, so be prepared for that, and punish accordingly.
The next phase is, the area where its basically a straight run, so I'll be calling it the rainbow run, during this phase you take the right side. Now, it's important to realize that if you can be chaingrabbed off the side, if this is possible take to the platforms. Now you're on the middle or right side of the moving screen, this is key because you have many more options in this area, moves like fsmash become more viable, I say this because a good tactic is to throw your opponent, forward or backwards(basically towards the left) and if they land off screen their is a high likelihood that they will roll forward, and you should have your fsmash waiting for them, and that's an easy low percentage or just a kill in general. If it's a higher percent you can be waiting with ftilt instead. Aside from this you can definitely use this area to your advantage, by throwing nades on top of platforms, and taking quick opportunities to lay your traps, and force an awkward approach from your opponent and punish accordingly. Your grabs are definitely more deadly now because you're so close to blast zones so keep that in mind, but so are many others grabs, but if you controlled the run correctly their approach should be predictable, and very punishable by you. Towards the end of the run however, your defensive side changes, it shifts to being below your opponent. utilt, mortar and the normal anti-air are excellent here.
That about wraps it up, as far as my experience on this stage. Let me be clear about what I'm saying about this stage. Use it on characters that have mainly a horizontal recovery, or a very predictable one. Do NOT take characters such as GW, MK, ROB, and Pika here, I'll try to update more I play with this stage. I would recommend picking this stage against Falco, DK, Ike, and others, that escape my thoughts right now.
-22
