So yeah, I've decided to use Olimar more frequently. I could use any good general advice for general gameplay. Also I could really use advice on how to recover and prevent myself from being gimped.
Hilt will probably give you a wall of text to read tomorrow lol, but I can give a few tips for the moment.
1. When recovering, SAVE YOUR SECOND JUMP. Weruop taught me this rule well; if you use your second jump too early, it becomes A LOT easier for your opponent to knock you back out and edgehog you, and then you're down a stock. It's
usually best to save your second jump for as long as possible. That way, in the case that your opponent does hit you again, you stand more of a fighting chance. If their move hits you upwards, then they've helped; if it doesn't, then you've still got your second jump to help you.
2. When recovering, BE UNPREDICTABLE. If your opponent knows how you're going to try to recover, he's one step further to gimping you. Although Olimar's recovery does suck, you have a number of tools to mix up your recovery. Of course you can tether the edge after a second jump, but most people will expect this. You can whistle through attacks and then tether. You can use the upward boost from tether to land on the stage as opposed to grabbing the ledge. You can whistle an attack then come back with an attack of your own (dangerous, but pays off well if you pull it off). These are just a couple options; try to be creative each time and keep your opponent guessing.
3. When recovering (after this I'll move on lol), the ledge is a pretty crappy place to be. Olimar doesn't have many good options here, but it's still important to know what those options are if you're going to get back on the stage. A very basic tool on the ledge is uair; on stages where you can go under the lip of the stage (FD, PS1, Lylat, etc.) the hitbox is large enough to reach characters standing above it. Better players who know the Olimar matchup will know this and avoid it, but you can still occasionally catch them with it, and inexperienced players will run into it often. Other options include getup attack (really sh***y unless you know your opponent will run into it and not shield); ledgehopped fair (I think that's the right term, where you drop down and immediately second jump); ledge jump whistle; ledge jump dair; ledge jump nair; or just jumping off, latching a pikmin or two onto your opponent and regrabbing the ledge (useful for keeping him/her guessing). Oh, and how could I forget: one of your best options is ledgehopped purple side-b - if your opponent isn't suspecting it, it'll knock them right out of the way and give you a chance to get to a better position.
4. Learn your pivot grabs, because there are three variations. In the first, you pivot grab and maintain momentum in the direction you were moving; in the second, you pivot and then dash grab back in the direction you came from; the third is somewhere between these two. They all have their uses.
5. One of the most important things about playing Olimar: always remain aware of which pikmin are next in your line. Every pikmin has its own best use, and by knowing which pikmin is next you will know how to use it most efficiently. I usually try to just keep track of the next three, but if you can do more then more power to you.
*The Section Where I Push My Agenda*
6. Use dtilt. It's a good move
Really, at mid-high percents it pops up opponents to be juggled, and it moves Olimar to a different position and he dodges attacks sometimes as a result. Use dtilt
Oh yea, and 7. If you aren't already, hyphen smash. Possibly Olimar's greatest kill tool
That's enough for now, hope that isn't more than what you were asking for lol
