Sisma
Smash Rookie
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2016
- Messages
- 8
I've been trying to step my game up recently, and wanted to explore more about how/when to use F-smash and SH aerials. So, this is my attempt to analyze Shuton's use of those moves in his set vs Rich Brown at Frostbite (timestamps with each situation). Feel free to add anything!
- F-Smash: 2:44, Both players just landed - It’s possible that, because they were at parity, F-Smash could have caught a roll-in (and maybe a dash attack). Or maybe Shuton was just miserably trying to punish Rich Brown’s landing.
- F-Smash: 3:30, Shuton absorbs uair with super armor - Maybe Shuton used F-Smash to try and punish Rich Brown’s uair, but it was too slow since Rich Brown fast-fell afterwards.
- SH Fair: 4:58, both players in shield - I think there were two solid, offensive options Shuton had here, fair and D-Smash.
- Fair is safe on shield (retreating) and, if you jump first, can catch opponents jumping oos.
- D-Smash is the slower option, but it’s also safe on shield and could catch roll-in and early spot-dodges.
- Rich Brown had jumped oos before (3:30, also a bit before this interaction)
- D-Smash is less safe against Mewtwo (d-tilt)
- Jab likely wouldn’t have hit if Rich Brown dropped shield, but it could have been safe at that distance.
- D-tilt and dash attack aren’t safe at this distance.
- F-Smash could work, but, at this distance, it could have been vulnerable to roll-in. Besides, I think D-smash is just better at this range (its max range) and F-Smash serves no function that D-smash didn’t as well in this situation.
- Pivot grab oos would have been really slow, making it risky if Rich Brown attacked fast.
- SH Fair: 5:55, Rich Brown using d-tilts - Somewhat obvious now, but Shuton uses fair to punish the d-tilts.
- SH Fair: 6:43, Rich Brown trying to land - I think this was a bad fair (no good reason to use it); Shuton should have just ran up and shielded instead.
- F-Smash (Pivot): 6:59, Rich Brown cornered - Practical use for F-Smash here; Shuton was probably trying to catch a roll read (typical option when you’re cornered). It’s better than pivot grab in this situation for two reasons:
- Purple Pikmin’s grab range is pitiful.
- With the purple next in line, there’s a good chance the F-Smash would have killed if it hit. Mewtwo’s light and near the edge of the stage.
- F-Smash: 8:22, Shuton is cornered -. Pivot grab can’t be used here to catch approaches since Shuton has no stage to work with. Also, Rich Brown was at a range where he’d probably get hit by the F-Smash if he did a grounded approach (dash attack, grab, roll-in, etc.).
- F-Smash: 8:45, Rich Brown in the air after Shuton lands - Shuton probably used F-Smash to cover Rich Brown’s landing. Rich Brown had just used an attack, so his next attack (bair) was a little slower than Shuton’s F-Smash. Airdodge could have been caught if he was drifting away; jump was the best option for Rich Brown here. Other options for Shuton:
- Fair/Bair: Could have worked, but they’re slower than F-Smash (honestly, it was kind of miraculous that F-Smash hit an aerial opponent).
- Pivot Grab: Probably would have lost to the bair, and it wouldn’t catch drift away.
- *SH Bair: 9:00, Both on a platform, Rich Brown shielding - Uh...maybe Shuton did whistle to bait Rich Brown to drop shield, then baired him?
- F-Smash: 9:15, Rich Brown just naired - The spacing was just right so that, if F-Smash was too slow, it’d be safe on shield. But it wasn’t, and it punished Rich Brown’s landing. Could it have caught a roll-in?
- F-Smash: 10:12 - Another situation where Shuton cover’s Rich Brown’s SH landing with F-Smash. Unfortunately, Pikmin are projectiles, so the F-Smash lost to a late fair.
- SH Bair: 10:46 - Rich Brown trying to land - I think Shuton chose Bair over F-Smash here because Rich Brown did a reflector just before coming down. Also, it was a Purple Pikmin, so the F-Smash’s range would have covered less than the bair could (aerial drift).
