Q&A Smash Ultimate "Mains Advice" Thread

[usablejoker]

I found the two best characters for me which are Pyra/Mythra and Daisy, but now comes the question of who to main and who should use as a secondary. They both are good in the air, which is how I get most of my early damage, and work great on the ground. Then Daisy is one of the best characters on tier lists but with a steep learning curve, but there is also P/M who have the sword with the disjoint hitbox

 

[Keeshu]

Interesting character choices. Depending on your level of skill and how used to getting good at fighting games you are, who you main/secondary for now can make a difference.

I don't know a whole lot about Daisy other than she has crazy combos, and very demanding inputs. If you're new to smash and fighting games I'd suggest pyra/mythra since overall they are incredibly basic by comparison to Daisy. Mythra is more about doing combos and keeping advantage, whereas Pyra will help you focus more on outranging people and making hard reads. Sword characters are usually simplistic though. I'd say go do Daisy if you feel like you got the fundamentals of smash down since you'll probably have a million combos you can learn.

 

[usablejoker]

thanks for the help and I am new to fighting games

 

[usablejoker]

What are the fundamentals for smash?

 

[StrangeKitten]

What are the fundamentals to smash?

Fundamentals are things such as knowing how to play neutral, how to recover, how to tech, etc. And just generally having a good sense for the game. I recommend checking out guides since they probably explain it better than I can

As for who I think you should main and who to secondary, I think you should main Daisy and secondary Pyra & Mythra. Daisy is a pretty difficult character, but very, very good once you get her stuff down. Therefore, I think she's best suited to be a main. Pyra & Mythra are a lot easier by comparison, so they're good as a secondary

 

[usablejoker]

So I found out that Daisy was not right for me because of how aggressive she is supposed to be. So now I don't know whether I should use Olimar or Robin.

 

[Keeshu]

So I found out that Daisy was not right for me because of how aggressive she is supposed to be. So now I don't know whether I should use Olimar or Robin.

Olimar is pretty simple in concept since it's toss pikmin at opponent for damage over time, then hit with an aerial or smash if they get too close. However, once you start trying to optimize the order of your pikmin and which ones you want to keep out, he becomes incredibly hard.

Robin still prefers to zone, but they can do some swordplay. Just keep an eye on when your stuff runs out.

Don't be afraid to look at pros play characters at top level, but do keep in mind certain matchups force characters to play more offensively or defensively than usual. Remember to take notes on what you want and don't want in a character and how you feel about each character's unique features since everyone in the roster is unique in some way. Though you seem to be narrowing down characters faster than I did so you probably already have a stronger idea of what you want in a main.

 

[StrangeKitten]

So I found out that Daisy was not right for me because of how aggressive she is supposed to be. So now I don't know whether I should use Olimar or Robin.

It's honestly starting to get difficult for me to figure out which character to recommend to you. You keep posting completely different characters from the ones we've discussed before I do get it, though. It's very difficult to narrow your roster down with so many fun and enjoyable characters. It's also good that you're trying a lot of them out, as it can take some time to settle on a main. If you're having a lot of trouble, you could just play who you like and focus on general improvement. It may please you to know that top players such as MkLeo, VoiD, Tweek, and Sharp have all had success with a multitude of characters in tournament. My goal for the time being has just been to keep improving, and wanting to remain by far the best player out of my friend group if we ever get the chance to meet up for a party again. I smoked them with roughly half the cast before covid hit, so don't feel afraid to have a decent roster of characters

 

[usablejoker]

It's honestly starting to get difficult for me to figure out which character to recommend to you. You keep posting completely different characters from the ones we've discussed before I do get it, though. It's very difficult to narrow your roster down with so many fun and enjoyable characters. It's also good that you're trying a lot of them out, as it can take some time to settle on a main. If you're having a lot of trouble, you could just play who you like and focus on general improvement. It may please you to know that top players such as MkLeo, VoiD, Tweek, and Sharp have all had success with a multitude of characters in tournament. My goal for the time being has just been to keep improving, and wanting to remain by far the best player out of my friend group if we ever get the chance to meet up for a party again. I smoked them with roughly half the cast before covid hit, so don't feel afraid to have a decent roster of characters

The reason I am choosing these characters is because Marth is officially my main. But how I play Marth is mid to close range. So now I need someone who can do mid to long range. And both Olimar and Robin have disjoint hitboxes, so they are easy to pick up
Also the ADHD makes it hard for me to adapt to a character and playstyle.

 

[Keeshu]

(I apologize for the wall of text in advance. I was feeling very rambley)

Ah. I didn't know you mained Marth, that's some really important information and I was a bit caught off-guard with the maining Daisy + Pyra/Mythra thing. So you're looking to duo main/secondary someone else eh? That narrows things down a lot. You could specifically ask the Marth Discord since they probably know who would cover your bad matchups better than anyone else.

What match ups do you struggle with Marth specifically? If you can figure out a list of characters and/or player playstyles your Marth struggles against, then you find a character to specifically counter those match ups much easier.

If you're frustrated from losing you could try Lucina for a while so you can focus on regular fundamentals for swordies until you feel confident. Then go back to Marth when you want to try hitting tippers again. Marth has to worry about what to do after a sour+sweet spot sometimes, whereas Lucina doesn't care where on the blade she hits her opponents making her much simpler. Marth's tippers are much harder to hit in this game compared to previous games. It's why Lucina is in top tier and Marth is usually rated pretty low. Lucina is also one of the most recommended characters for a secondary/pocket because of how incredibly simple yet effective she is even if people never plan to play swordies.

Is there a reason why you want mid-to-long range combat? Do you just want to be at long range? Or are characters with long range/projectiles just walling you out so you can't do anything?

Spoiler

If you're new, this is a problem a lot of beginners face since long range + projectiles excel at lower levels of play since many people just want to rush in dealing as much damage and doing all the cool combos, but completely forget about the defensive aspect of fighting games. Fighting games can sometimes be kinda like chess. Yes it's generally good to be aggressive since you often force your opponent to do things, and you limit their options, but if you're only ever aggressive, then you're going to get punished really hard for not having a strong enough defense.
If this is the case I'll probably recommend characters with reflectors to help deal with projectiles. Knowing when the opponent throws one out helps a lot, nice to be rewarded for that, then when you get good enough with a reflector you can try to counter projectiles in ways that don't require projectiles.
Once again I'll suggest the Star Fox Trio but this time I recommend Wolf more since he's much easier to pick up, he can feel like a swordsman with how he plays sometimes, his blaster is ridiculously good, however while his recovery doesn't get punished at low levels of play, he doesn't go insanely far so watch out for that. Fox doesn't have the recovery problem at lower levels (but his linearity gets punished at higher levels), but he is one of the fastest characters in the game which can be overwhelming to a new player. Falco I wouldn't really recommend for newer players since his combos can be tricky and compared to the other two, he has a harder time getting in, but he is another option if you really don't like any of the other options.I can definitely recommend the Pits since they are incredibly simple all around characters that are one of the more "honest" characters that'll force you to improve your fundamentals since they don't have cheap gimmicks (though the side b armor is can be used in cheesy ways, be careful about abusing that). They have a reflector, and can chip away at an opponent's health from a distance with their arrows. Dark Pit has stronger, faster arrows, but can't be aimed to go wherever like normal Pit's can. Also Dark Pit's side B KOs off the side, whereas normal Pit KOs off the top. Other than that those two are the same, but I think Dark Pit is a more "normal" character than regular Pit so I recommend them. You already said Palutena didn't work out, and anyone else with a reflector plays in very unique ways that won't transfer as well to other characters.
Whatever the case, focus on improving, not the win. There is counter play to everything, so the people that spam one or two really good options won't be able to deal with you if you adapt in a way to be able to punish their habits. So even Marth can deal with Projectile heavy characters.

 

[usablejoker]

(I apologize for the wall of text in advance. I was feeling very rambley)

Ah. I didn't know you mained Marth, that's some really important information and I was a bit caught off-guard with the maining Daisy + Pyra/Mythra thing. So you're looking to duo main/secondary someone else eh? That narrows things down a lot. You could specifically ask the Marth Discord since they probably know who would cover your bad matchups better than anyone else.

What match ups do you struggle with Marth specifically? If you can figure out a list of characters and/or player playstyles your Marth struggles against, then you find a character to specifically counter those match ups much easier.

If you're frustrated from losing you could try Lucina for a while so you can focus on regular fundamentals for swordies until you feel confident. Then go back to Marth when you want to try hitting tippers again. Marth has to worry about what to do after a sour+sweet spot sometimes, whereas Lucina doesn't care where on the blade she hits her opponents making her much simpler. Marth's tippers are much harder to hit in this game compared to previous games. It's why Lucina is in top tier and Marth is usually rated pretty low. Lucina is also one of the most recommended characters for a secondary/pocket because of how incredibly simple yet effective she is even if people never plan to play swordies.

Is there a reason why you want mid-to-long range combat? Do you just want to be at long range? Or are characters with long range/projectiles just walling you out so you can't do anything?

Spoiler

If you're new, this is a problem a lot of beginners face since long range + projectiles excel at lower levels of play since many people just want to rush in dealing as much damage and doing all the cool combos, but completely forget about the defensive aspect of fighting games. Fighting games can sometimes be kinda like chess. Yes it's generally good to be aggressive since you often force your opponent to do things, and you limit their options, but if you're only ever aggressive, then you're going to get punished really hard for not having a strong enough defense.
If this is the case I'll probably recommend characters with reflectors to help deal with projectiles. Knowing when the opponent throws one out helps a lot, nice to be rewarded for that, then when you get good enough with a reflector you can try to counter projectiles in ways that don't require projectiles.
Once again I'll suggest the Star Fox Trio but this time I recommend Wolf more since he's much easier to pick up, he can feel like a swordsman with how he plays sometimes, his blaster is ridiculously good, however while his recovery doesn't get punished at low levels of play, he doesn't go insanely far so watch out for that. Fox doesn't have the recovery problem at lower levels (but his linearity gets punished at higher levels), but he is one of the fastest characters in the game which can be overwhelming to a new player. Falco I wouldn't really recommend for newer players since his combos can be tricky and compared to the other two, he has a harder time getting in, but he is another option if you really don't like any of the other options.I can definitely recommend the Pits since they are incredibly simple all around characters that are one of the more "honest" characters that'll force you to improve your fundamentals since they don't have cheap gimmicks (though the side b armor is can be used in cheesy ways, be careful about abusing that). They have a reflector, and can chip away at an opponent's health from a distance with their arrows. Dark Pit has stronger, faster arrows, but can't be aimed to go wherever like normal Pit's can. Also Dark Pit's side B KOs off the side, whereas normal Pit KOs off the top. Other than that those two are the same, but I think Dark Pit is a more "normal" character than regular Pit so I recommend them. You already said Palutena didn't work out, and anyone else with a reflector plays in very unique ways that won't transfer as well to other characters.
Whatever the case, focus on improving, not the win. There is counter play to everything, so the people that spam one or two really good options won't be able to deal with you if you adapt in a way to be able to punish their habits. So even Marth can deal with Projectile heavy characters.

why I changed from P/M to Marth was because the switching mechanic keeps catching me off guard because most swordies have a counter as down b. And with Marth I have a counter along with his tipper which rewards me playing where I like, which is close enough to hit people but far enough to have a reaction time. Also Marth just feels better then the other sword characters to me. The Star Fox trio for me have a lot of holes because for most of the damage you have to come in close. Then the pits' side b just doesn't work with me. But I would to say thank you for the info and support.

The question about why I want a mid to long range charcter is so I can zone people out, but still have the feel of a sword character.

 

[F.L.U.D.Ds]

Hello . I'm becoming a dedede main and I would love to know some combos , tech , matchups and more stuff about my fighter . I would love to go to tournaments and stuff like that someday

 

[Mike 223]

[This message is going to be removed by me like this as there isn't a delete button, basically I was saying new players should pickup a complicated character, yeah no lol]

 

[Mike 223]

Hello . I'm becoming a dedede main and I would love to know some combos , tech , matchups and more stuff about my fighter . I would love to go to tournaments and stuff like that someday

I Found This For Matchups.
https://game8.co/games/SSBU/archives/281219

 

[Mike 223]

Hey, I Have 2 Brothers Who Play Smash But They Keep Jumping Around The Roster, Anyone Think They Know A Good Character For Them?

One Currently Plays Sephiroth And Spams F-Smash And Neatural Special, And Really Struggles With Recovering.

The Other One REALLY Struggles With Inputs, And Mains Pyra/Mythra, He Claims He Did A Certain Input EX. Side B, When His Character Did A Different Input EX. Up B.

 

[Keeshu]

Hey, I Have 2 Brothers Who Play Smash But They Keep Jumping Around The Roster, Anyone Think They Know A Good Character For Them?

One Currently Plays Sephiroth And Spams F-Smash And Neatural Special, And Really Struggles With Recovering.

The Other One REALLY Struggles With Inputs, And Mains Pyra/Mythra, He Claims He Did A Certain Input EX. Side B, When His Character Did A Different Input EX. Up B.

Sounds like they are too new to the game to benefit from a main. The things they are struggling with are things they can try to improve upon with just about every character. As long as they aren't trying to pick a weird oddball like Ice Climbers, they should be fine.

Sounds like they haven't been playing for long. I recommend let them do their thing until they feel ready to improve. If you force someone to get better too quickly, it can make the game feel like a chore, thus driving them away from the game. They have to learn to love the game before they learn to love improving at it.

 

[Mike 223]

Sounds like they are too new to the game to benefit from a main. The things they are struggling with are things they can try to improve upon with just about every character. As long as they aren't trying to pick a weird oddball like Ice Climbers, they should be fine.

Sounds like they haven't been playing for long. I recommend let them do their thing until they feel ready to improve. If you force someone to get better too quickly, it can make the game feel like a chore, thus driving them away from the game. They have to learn to love the game before they learn to love improving at it.

They Have Been Playing Just As Long As Me And I Don't Struggle With These Things (Been Since 2019) Also I Screwed Up When Saying They Are Jumping Around The Roster, They Aren't They Have Mains (The Characters I Mentoined)

 

[Keeshu]

They Have Been Playing Just As Long As Me And I Don't Struggle With These Things (Been Since 2019) Also I Screwed Up When Saying They Are Jumping Around The Roster, They Aren't They Have Mains (The Characters I Mentoined)

For the one winged bro:
Spamming Forward Smash (I mean that move does look pretty sweet), and neutral special, but struggles with recovery? I mean if you want alternatives for playing like that, I'd suggest Byleth or the Belmonts. However, that's not going to help them get better if they keep playing that way. No character wants to keep forward Smashing constantly as almost every forward smash is punishable on reaction in the game, and anything being spammed can be countered in some way.
You have noticed these bad habits, but if they haven't noticed them, maybe show a recording back to them, or just show how easily punishable spammed forward smashes can be. Perhaps recommend some other things. Like Sephiroth's forward tilt is absolutely crazy and he should be using that more. Perhaps swap the c-stick to tilt if he hasn't already if he's just smashing because it's easier than doing tilts (I was guilty of that back in my newbie Melee days). After all he can still get KOs with a properly spaced f-tilt at higher %s.

For the beablade bro:
Only inputs being the problem? Then gotta practice inputs. Which means spending a lot of time labing in the training mode.
Make sure they have a list of moves that they mess up on so they focus on those. Have another list for moves that they never do but want to add into their gameplay.
However they have to maintain good physical + mental health to properly get the muscle memory for doing these things. So hopefully they are already eating properly and getting enough sleep. Being awful at inputs was my biggest bane for years but that's because I almost never got the recommended 8 hours of sleep because I'd train too much and I ate a bunch of junk because it was easier + faster. Smash becomes easy mode when everything is working properly. Basically Quality training > Quantity training.

 

[Quick Gaming (QG)]

I've been struggling to settle on a main for a while, but whenever people ask what my playstyle is, I don't really know. The only thing I know for sure is that there's certain characters I don't like for certain reasons and it'd probably be better to just list those off rather than what I think I like to play as:

Pikachu/Pichu: The only reason is simply their up b: I've tried and I just can't do it properly consistently

Dark Pit: Not because I don't like how he plays, but because I like Pit way more due to directional arrows and the angle that his side b launches opponents

Mega Man: I really really don't like his jab, f-tilt or nair, it feels so awkward and I'd much prefer basic punches or something. I know it's faithful to the character but those moves kill the character for me

Corrin: I can't really explain exactly why I never clicked with this character but I just never did. Maybe it was the weird side b or the awkward reach of their smash attacks and bair, idk

Bayonetta: Has never felt right to play to me, her aerials feel awkward, her side b got nerfed so bad this time around and I have no idea how to use her recovery properly

Isabelle: I much much prefer the zoning capabilities of Villager than whatever Isabelle is supposed to do

That's it for characters I know I'd never main. The only thing I know for sure about my playstyle is that I can be a bit impatient, but otherwise I find enjoyment in playing most of the rest of the cast not listed here, so I have no idea how to really determine what playstyles I prefer and such

Oh, and I suppose it's worth mentioning that the mains listed under my username for other games is still accurate despite me not updating them in a while

 

[Mike 223]

I've been struggling to settle on a main for a while, but whenever people ask what my playstyle is, I don't really know. The only thing I know for sure is that there's certain characters I don't like for certain reasons and it'd probably be better to just list those off rather than what I think I like to play as:

Pikachu/Pichu: The only reason is simply their up b: I've tried and I just can't do it properly consistently

Dark Pit: Not because I don't like how he plays, but because I like Pit way more due to directional arrows and the angle that his side b launches opponents

Mega Man: I really really don't like his jab, f-tilt or nair, it feels so awkward and I'd much prefer basic punches or something. I know it's faithful to the character but those moves kill the character for me

Corrin: I can't really explain exactly why I never clicked with this character but I just never did. Maybe it was the weird side b or the awkward reach of their smash attacks and bair, idk

Bayonetta: Has never felt right to play to me, her aerials feel awkward, her side b got nerfed so bad this time around and I have no idea how to use her recovery properly

Isabelle: I much much prefer the zoning capabilities of Villager than whatever Isabelle is supposed to do

That's it for characters I know I'd never main. The only thing I know for sure about my playstyle is that I can be a bit impatient, but otherwise I find enjoyment in playing most of the rest of the cast not listed here, so I have no idea how to really determine what playstyles I prefer and such

Oh, and I suppose it's worth mentioning that the mains listed under my username for other games is still accurate despite me not updating them in a while

Well, You Should Main A More Aggressive Character If Your Impatient, Ex: Mario

 

[Mike 223]

For the one winged bro:
Spamming Forward Smash (I mean that move does look pretty sweet), and neutral special, but struggles with recovery? I mean if you want alternatives for playing like that, I'd suggest Byleth or the Belmonts. However, that's not going to help them get better if they keep playing that way. No character wants to keep forward Smashing constantly as almost every forward smash is punishable on reaction in the game, and anything being spammed can be countered in some way.
You have noticed these bad habits, but if they haven't noticed them, maybe show a recording back to them, or just show how easily punishable spammed forward smashes can be. Perhaps recommend some other things. Like Sephiroth's forward tilt is absolutely crazy and he should be using that more. Perhaps swap the c-stick to tilt if he hasn't already if he's just smashing because it's easier than doing tilts (I was guilty of that back in my newbie Melee days). After all he can still get KOs with a properly spaced f-tilt at higher %s.

For the beablade bro:
Only inputs being the problem? Then gotta practice inputs. Which means spending a lot of time labing in the training mode.
Make sure they have a list of moves that they mess up on so they focus on those. Have another list for moves that they never do but want to add into their gameplay.
However they have to maintain good physical + mental health to properly get the muscle memory for doing these things. So hopefully they are already eating properly and getting enough sleep. Being awful at inputs was my biggest bane for years but that's because I almost never got the recommended 8 hours of sleep because I'd train too much and I ate a bunch of junk because it was easier + faster. Smash becomes easy mode when everything is working properly. Basically Quality training > Quantity training.

For Some Reason Its Only After I Edgegauded The Pyra One That They Mess Up Inputs, Maybe Because They Did Ex: Side B Then I Asked Them "Why Didn't You Up B" And They Try To Hide The Fact They Did Side B And Said "I Did Up B!"

 

[Keeshu]

Yeah that's just a practice thing. I wish I could give tips on where to make people know where their left stick is. I was always slightly off despite playing for so many years until I picked up Ryu recently since he requires so much precision since it was never really a problem after the first smash game I played. However I can't imagine picking up Ryu/Ken or Kazuya would be a good idea for most players because they are stupid hard to play because they need their combos.

Hopefully you find something that works. Otherwise, just gotta grind out inputs. Just keep in mind that miss-inputs will always happen, you can only make them happen significantly less to the point where it feels like it's impossible to miss-input. Focus should be on trying to improve, not that you failed in the past.

 

[RedCaesar]

So I have a main, Zelda. But I am having trouble keeping down the number of other characters I play. I want to be a competitive smash player. I play Zelda, C falcon, Mewtwo, Wii fit, Byleth, and Robin. This is prob way too much to be a serious tourney player. How many should I play? (ordered in

 

[StrangeKitten]

So I have a main, Zelda. But I am having trouble keeping down the number of other characters I play. I want to be a competitive smash player. I play Zelda, C falcon, Mewtwo, Wii fit, Byleth, and Robin. This is prob way too much to be a serious tourney player. How many should I play? (ordered in

I think that's a fine number, tbh. Top players have lately been talking about how playing multiple characters seems to be the way to go. Tweek co-mains Diddy and Sephiroth, while previously having had success with Wolf, Wario, and Pokemon Trainer (and could probably still pull those characters out and win with them). MkLeo mains Joker offline and Byleth online, while having co-mained Lucina and Ike before Joker came out, and dabbling in Marth, Link, and Greninja at various points. Wadi co-mains Mewtwo and R.O.B. Void mained Pichu early on, seems to have found his character in Sheik, but I think he mentioned also wanting to main Mythra and Pyra. Dabuz famously co-mains Rosalina and Luma, Olimar, and Min Min. There are lots of high-ranking Cloud players who usually have a co-main or secondary, usually Roy or Mythra and Pyra.

I think having a wide variety of characters can help you learn the game and give you a well-rounded neutral, since you're looking at the game from the perspective of more than just one character.

 

[RedCaesar]

I think that's a fine number, tbh. Top players have lately been talking about how playing multiple characters seems to be the way to go. Tweek co-mains Diddy and Sephiroth, while previously having had success with Wolf, Wario, and Pokemon Trainer (and could probably still pull those characters out and win with them). MkLeo mains Joker offline and Byleth online, while having co-mained Lucina and Ike before Joker came out, and dabbling in Marth, Link, and Greninja at various points. Wadi co-mains Mewtwo and R.O.B. Void mained Pichu early on, seems to have found his character in Sheik, but I think he mentioned also wanting to main Mythra and Pyra. Dabuz famously co-mains Rosalina and Luma, Olimar, and Min Min. There are lots of high-ranking Cloud players who usually have a co-main or secondary, usually Roy or Mythra and Pyra.

I think having a wide variety of characters can help you learn the game and give you a well-rounded neutral, since you're looking at the game from the perspective of more than just one character.

Thx

 

[RedCaesar]

I think that's a fine number, tbh. Top players have lately been talking about how playing multiple characters seems to be the way to go. Tweek co-mains Diddy and Sephiroth, while previously having had success with Wolf, Wario, and Pokemon Trainer (and could probably still pull those characters out and win with them). MkLeo mains Joker offline and Byleth online, while having co-mained Lucina and Ike before Joker came out, and dabbling in Marth, Link, and Greninja at various points. Wadi co-mains Mewtwo and R.O.B. Void mained Pichu early on, seems to have found his character in Sheik, but I think he mentioned also wanting to main Mythra and Pyra. Dabuz famously co-mains Rosalina and Luma, Olimar, and Min Min. There are lots of high-ranking Cloud players who usually have a co-main or secondary, usually Roy or Mythra and Pyra.

I think having a wide variety of characters can help you learn the game and give you a well-rounded neutral, since you're looking at the game from the perspective of more than just one character.

But is it fine to play 6 characters at the same time? All of those players played with a lot of characters over time.

 

[StrangeKitten]

But is it fine to play 6 characters at the same time? All of those players played with a lot of characters over time.

I think it would be fine, though you'd probably want to mostly stick to one or two per tournament just so you're always warmed up with them. It's also a good idea to feel out matchups and see who you're most comfortable with in particular matchups. which is where playing so many characters can come in handy.

 

[RedCaesar]

I mean i will prob just play 2 alot, then the other 3 can be counterpicks. I dont i great at wii fit so i just wont play her. Otherwise, thank you! Most people would just tell me to play one or two fighters abd no others, but i like your perspective.

 

[Keeshu]

I think that's a fine number, tbh. Top players have lately been talking about how playing multiple characters seems to be the way to go. Tweek co-mains Diddy and Sephiroth, while previously having had success with Wolf, Wario, and Pokemon Trainer (and could probably still pull those characters out and win with them). MkLeo mains Joker offline and Byleth online, while having co-mained Lucina and Ike before Joker came out, and dabbling in Marth, Link, and Greninja at various points. Wadi co-mains Mewtwo and R.O.B. Void mained Pichu early on, seems to have found his character in Sheik, but I think he mentioned also wanting to main Mythra and Pyra. Dabuz famously co-mains Rosalina and Luma, Olimar, and Min Min. There are lots of high-ranking Cloud players who usually have a co-main or secondary, usually Roy or Mythra and Pyra.

I think having a wide variety of characters can help you learn the game and give you a well-rounded neutral, since you're looking at the game from the perspective of more than just one character.

I think it would be fine, though you'd probably want to mostly stick to one or two per tournament just so you're always warmed up with them. It's also a good idea to feel out matchups and see who you're most comfortable with in particular matchups. which is where playing so many characters can come in handy.

I like where your head is at. After all, I'm someone who struggles to stick to a single character (because I literally love playing all characters in the roster for their own unique reasons), so I can definitely see the bonuses for playing multiple characters. Some characters promote certain habits, and other characters can discourage other habits, whether they are good or not. Which can make you more well rounded like strangekitten said, or help you use some characters in a unique way (for better or for worse).
Heck I use some characters to get me back into the groove of things. If I was dragged away from smash for a while, I'll use Ike to force my mind to watch the opponent again because he's so basic and easy to play. I love being in the air in games, sometimes a bit too much (especially if I've been getting lazy with Meta Knight because he can get away with that), so Little Mac is pretty good at reminding me how good grounded options are, though lately I'm feeling Ryu might replace him in the future for that since he also has crazy ground options and being in the air is a commitment, along with making me incredibly aware of my stick position and how quickly I press my buttons.

Here's the thing though, it depends on what level of skill you are at for how useful multiple vs single characters are:

Spoiler

Entry Level - Being entertained and getting hooked on the game is the most important thing, and you're learning so much that applies to all characters so rapidly that you practically don't need a main.

Low level to mid level - Want to play as few characters as possible, having only one would be nice. Still need to allow enough breathing room to not quit the game though, so don't feel like you must have only one character.
Gotta get used to all the general tech. If you can't short hop fast fall with an aerial, or if you can't microspace anything, you probably shouldn't be going off to learn a new character since it makes you ignore such basic functions of the more competitive side of Smash for so many characters.

High level play - At this point should be having 1 or 2 characters to master whatever remains. All movement of your character, character specific tech, bread and butters should be close to mastery by this point. Leaving you to get focused on doing the insanely hard to perform stuff, and the subtleties of the mental game. If you're not even in Elite Smash, you're not even at this level yet.

Top Level - They already have mastery of the general mechanics, and their hands are used to the quick movements required to get what they need out of their mains. So they can pick up new characters insanely quick that on day one they are vastly better than someone who has tried to stick with a character for months. They already know super crazy stuff with their mains. Whereas people at lower skill levels are struggling to do inputs that slow down the learning process significantly.

It is a balancing act though. If you're someone that only wants to play one character, you're lucky. However for others that have a hard time resisting the urge to play other characters, it becomes a tricky balancing act. Too few, and you'll feel like you're missing out and that you chose wrong, leading you to either quit, or sometimes distract you while playing the game. Too Many, and your learning process will be so slow that the next smash game will be out before you "master" your character.
How much this effects someone depends on the individual, and how to combat it is different from person to person.

I personally have to sit myself down and be like "I must use this character for X amount of time. Only then I can use other characters for a bit to relieve any stress that built up before sticking to that character or a new one for X amount of time again".

So I have a main, Zelda. But I am having trouble keeping down the number of other characters I play. I want to be a competitive smash player. I play Zelda, C falcon, Mewtwo, Wii fit, Byleth, and Robin. This is prob way too much to be a serious tourney player. How many should I play? (ordered in

I want you to do a little thing. Make a list of what you love/hate about each character and how important each thing is to you (not to anyone else).

Some random ideas but there's definitely more unique things you can think of:
How much emphasis on projectiles/type of projectiles?
Prefer to be fast or slow?
Crazy combos or fewer hits?
Do you care about recovery?
Do you like going off-stage?
What about ledge trapping?
Juggling?
How important are disjoints?
Do not just stop there, think of other things. I'm not you, there's probably something more important to you that I'm not thinking about that can help in deciding who you play.

And the big one: How much do you like the character's look and feel?
People like to say they aren't shallow, but appearances do matter a lot because it makes you treat hitboxes and how you play differently. I cannot tell you how many times I've tried to teach people how to play certain video games, they are playing horribly with one character and don't understand it. Then pick another character, and they start doing better and say they love that character so much better and that it's OP or something like that. Meanwhile, I never tell them that they are the exact same character because it's an alt costume or a clone, just their perception of the character made them play in a completely different way. Developers do try to make their characters look a certain way to make players play in a way that fits their character's gameplay after all.

 

[StrangeKitten]

If you're not even in Elite Smash, you're not even at this level yet.

Considering that you can cheese your way into Elite via items and whatnot, and that, even with the best of LAN connections online is laggy enough to almost be a separate game entirely, I don't consider getting into Elite Smash to be a very worthwhile goal. I've even seen people say that they got significantly worse at the game by playing online. It's not completely without merit, but since RedCaesar's goal is to do well at offline tournaments, I must caution against Elite Smash until enough comfort is felt to understand how online and offline play differ. It may also not be a bad idea to play a different character online, much like how MkLeo plays Byleth online so as to not mess up his offline Joker.

 

[Keeshu]

Considering that you can cheese your way into Elite via items and whatnot, and that, even with the best of LAN connections online is laggy enough to almost be a separate game entirely, I don't consider getting into Elite Smash to be a very worthwhile goal. I've even seen people say that they got significantly worse at the game by playing online. It's not completely without merit, but since RedCaesar's goal is to do well at offline tournaments, I must caution against Elite Smash until enough comfort is felt to understand how online and offline play differ. It may also not be a bad idea to play a different character online, much like how MkLeo plays Byleth online so as to not mess up his offline Joker.

Very very true. I just wasn't thinking about that because the only way I can play smash is online because I don't have time to go out of town, or setup a smash scene by myself right now (also I just barely woke up so I kinda typed rather quickly. sorry!). Still have to do well enough in quickplay to take advantage of cheesy tactics. Yeah it's not the best judge of skill, but when there's no other option to test how skilled you are, it's at least something. Also I would assume if they want to actually get good at the game, they won't resort to such cheaty tactics since that can't work in tournaments since tourneys don't allow items.

I also didn't know they wanted to do stuff offline, I didn't see that. Online will mess up your timing a lot if your goal is to be good at offline. Hopefully they have someone offline to play with to help improve at least.

 

[RedCaesar]

I think I finally narrowed down my characters Zelda. Captain Falcon. Peach. I chose peach because she is my favorite character, and there is Alot of space to grow. I had a hard time dropping byleth and mewtwo but it is worth it

 

[RedCaesar]

Know that I have made up my mind one final time. Pokemon trainer seems to be it. But I have one question. Is playing top tier Pokemon trainer going to be bad because they are way better than Zelda, will there be a point of playing her competitively with a pokemon trainer secondary?

 

[Help me find a main]

Is...this thread still open?

 

[StrangeKitten]

Is...this thread still open?

Yup! Advice can be offered if you can tell me what characters you play, and/or a little about your playstyle or how you're interested in playing.

 

[Help me find a main]

Yup! Advice can be offered if you can tell me what characters you play, and/or a little about your playstyle or how you're interested in playing.

I am so sorry my wifi has been off for a while and I didn't get a chance to check until now! I currently play a little mix of hero, k rool, doctor mario, corrin, robin, link, and yoshi! I don't know much about my playstyle, apologies. It is either due to my autism or just pure stupidity on my part. All I know is that I buckle under pressure up close and apparently have great edge guarding and ledge trapping. I do not understand the last question.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

I am so sorry my wifi has been off for a while and I didn't get a chance to check until now! I currently play a little mix of hero, k rool, doctor mario, corrin, robin, link, and yoshi! I don't know much about my playstyle, apologies. It is either due to my autism or just pure stupidity on my part. All I know is that I buckle under pressure up close and apparently have great edge guarding and ledge trapping. I do not understand the last question.

I’d say Link would be a great character to main for you. His neutral aerial is a great one-size fits all option for up close, so no need to think a lot there, and he can definitely score kills by ledge trapping. The others are a bit more specialized to play up close, which is hard to avoid in a fast game like Ultimate. Link also has a few fun tools and projectiles like the other characters that you play with and has a good mix of projectile zoning and range iin his sword.

If it helps, I usually define playstyle with the question of which moves I gravitate to when playing. Do you have a habit of throwing out a projectile when you can, or do you run in and Neutral Air whenever possible? It’s not black-and-white for most, but catching habits is a good way to improve if you can and it’s much easier to grasp than abstract terms like zoning.
Hope this helps, feel free to ask any further questions!

 

[Mike 223]

Trying to help my brother find a main, he has left his previous main of Pyra, playing Min-Min for a bit (disgrace), and is now on Fox. He is one of the brothers I mentioned forever ago in this thread.

He's aggressive and tends to forget he has a mid-air jump, so a rush-down character with a really good recovery would be ideal, I'm outta ideas tho as Fox isn't working out for him in the recovery area, and Mario's recovery obviously wouldn't work.

 

[PhantoFantasma]

Trying to help my brother find a main, he has left his previous main of Pyra, playing Min-Min for a bit (disgrace), and is now on Fox. He is one of the brothers I mentioned forever ago in this thread.

He's aggressive and tends to forget he has a mid-air jump, so a rush-down character with a really good recovery would be ideal, I'm outta ideas tho as Fox isn't working out for him in the recovery area, and Mario's recovery obviously wouldn't work.

I'm in no place to give good advice, but the first characters with useful recoveries that come to mind are Game & Watch, Peach/Daisy, and PAC-MAN.
though occasionally playing a character with more than two jumps like Kirby, Jigglypuff, or Dedede could be a good way to get used to mid-air jumping too.

 

[Mike 223]

I'm in no place to give good advice, but the first characters with useful recoveries that come to mind are Game & Watch, Peach/Daisy, and PAC-MAN.
though occasionally playing a character with more than two jumps like Kirby, Jigglypuff, or Dedede could be a good way to get used to mid-air jumping too.

Good point. I think I'll try G&W with him and see if that works out.