Q&A Smash Ultimate "Mains Advice" Thread

[Deleted member]

I main a majority of the super-heavyweights. Super-heavies tend to be considered non-viable for having glaring weaknesses. I also feel a bit guilty winning with one because it feels too easy sometimes. But I like the characters in general and their movesets. Is this a viable option?

 

[Mekhal]

Hey Everyone! I'm a bit new to posting on SmashBoards but I've been apart of the Smash community for the past 5 years now. I noticed that a lot of the questions in this thread is looking for mains similar to a certain character or that are able to achieve a specific task, so i figured it would be good to try and break down the roster into categories to give a decent idea of what each characters' main playstyle is like. Anyone feel free to edit this if I **** up any categories or misplace a character.

Weight Class Styles
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spoiler: Floaties

Floaties:
Floaties play a style of fighting very unique to smash. Floaties vary based on their skillsets but their movement options are going to be around the same. They'll want to stay in the air and spam out aerials to punish overaggressive players. Despite being easier to die, skilled floaty players often take the longest to kill and will frustrate their opponent into mistakes that lead to a quick death. Floaties are great for defensive play and often have solid projectile play. They come very recommended to players with patient playstyles.
Roster:


Strengths: Hard to Combo, Great Air Mobility, Great Recovery
Cons: Easier to kill, Takes Longer to land

Spoiler: Heavies

Heavies/Super Heavies:
Heavies have very easy to note qualities: Slow moves, high damage, harder recoveries, large hitboxes. They're really easy to pick on with a large part of the roster but they also can heavily punish timid players and newer players that may tend to throw out less pressure then average. A heavy often plays to the strengths of grapplers in other fighting games, getting good grabs and tossing their opponent around the stage. They can finish a stock in 6 seconds, making it easy to blow away a scared opponent. However, they could easily also spend a minute straight getting combo-ed to 150 and killed. You'll know a heavy is the right character for you the moment you play one so I'll leave them for you to experience

Roster:
(Charizard)
Strengths: High Damage EVERYTHING, Great Shield Breakers, Solid Combos, Great at Close Combat
Cons: Predictable Recoveries, Struggle against Projectiles, Large Hitboxes

Spoiler: Fast Fallers

Fast-Fallers:
Fast fallers are the flashiest of the smash fighters. Their fall speed allows them to turn landed aerials into combos with better ease than other fighters. Fast-Fallers normally attract fast moving players that like to overwhelm an opponent with a barrage of attacks. This type of play will make an easy job of overwhelming an opponent and leaving them stuck in shield trying to get their footing back. Just as well, their fast fall speed means they are easily susceptible to getting combo-ed by a majority of the cast. This means that as a Fast-Fall player, it's on you not to get caught in your enemy's combo starters, as it'll surely make your day alot rougher.

Roster:

Strengths: Fast movement, Heavy Pressure(Varies), Faster Aerial Comboes
Cons: Easy Combo Dummies, Harder to chase enemies vertically, Harder to escape juggles

Play-Styles
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spoiler: MarthLikes

Marthlikes:
Fire Emblem sword characters are mostly centered around their strong neutral game through large aerials and the better spacing with their sword. This is true for other characters like Link and YL but, unlike those characters, they have easier aerial combos, faster moves and worse recovery options. Most marthlikes are notorious for terrible recoveries (see: Chrom) but their killpower and neutral is often too good to ignore. Definitely pick up if you want advantage in the neutral. (Note: Included Cloud and Shulk because I couldn't figure out where else they should be).

Roster:

Heavy Marth-likes:
Strengths: Great Neutral Game, High Damage Smash Attacks , Dope Shield Breakers
Cons: Predictable Recoveries, Struggle against Close Combat, Limited Out of Shield options

Spoiler: Zoners

Zoners:
Zoners are a fighter staple that specifically focus on trapping the opponent either in shield, on ledge or offstage b pressuring them with projectiles and traps. If you like keeping control of the stage against your opponent and keeping them stuck at arm's length from you, Zoners are really good at acheiving this. The roster of zoners below can really vary between weight class/damage/speed/etc. so you can pick whichever feels best to you.

Roster:
Floaty Zoners -->
Light Zoners -->
Mid Zoners -->
Heavy Zoners -->
Strengths: Great Stage Control, Good Ledge Traps, Good Recoveries(Depends)
Cons: Weaker Neutrals(Depends), Reliant on Constant Pressure

Spoiler: Grapplers

Grapplers:
I already defined grapplers up above in the heavies section but I feel like they also apply really heavily to some of the smaller characters in the game. Characters like can revolve alot of their gameplay around killthrows. Therefore, I'd argue characters with really good kill throws would apply really well to this group. Grabs got nerfed in Ultimate from what I know but if it's still your kinda style then these characters are still worth checking out.
Roster:
Floaty Grapplers -->
Normal Grapplers -->
Heavy Grapplers -->
Strengths: Grabs.
Cons: Grabs.

Spoiler: Boxers

Boxers:
Boxers are the more grounded, footsie-based characters. The traits to note in these characters is their hard hitting combos and their somewhat lackluster recovery. A Boxer's game play will switch back n forth between rushdown pressure on your opponent and slow-paced spacing depending on the machup you're in. These characters damage and movement can give them a solid edge in the neutral and really strong and flashy combos. If you can bare with a somewhat mediocre recovery(or awful in some cases) recovery, then boxers may be your speed.
Roster:
Pure Boxers -->
Brawler-Boxers -->
Zoning Boxers-->
Strengths: Strong Combos, High Damage Moveset, Good Shield Pressure
Cons: Punishable Recoveries, Easy to Camp, Easy to Recover Against

Spoiler: Brawlers

Brawlers:
I'd define Brawler characters as a loose subclass of fighters whose fighting style involves finding ways to get inside the enemy fighter's space with dash-in grabs and cross-up aerials. These fighters have very low-range aerials with incredibly solid combo ability that can heavily mess up opponents in sheild that have bad out of shield options. Brawlers are really good for players that like to stay on the offensive and like characters with alot of speed and a solid combo game.

Roster:
Low Speed Brawlers -->(Ivysaur)
Mid Speed Brawlers -->(Squirtle)
High Speed Brawlers -->
Longer Range Brawlers -->
Spacie Brawlers -->
Strengths: Solid Combos, Good Gimps
Cons: Lose out to longer range aerials

Spoiler: All-Arounders

All-Arounders:
These fighters probably have the highest amount of options available to them in terms of playstyle. Their versatile movesets allow them the option to play out neutral, projectile camp, even gimp. This makes alot of their matchups across the board more standardized, meaning you as a player can focus more on playing to the weaknesses of the opponent as opposed to their character.
Roster:
Higher Projectile Fighters -->
Higher Combo Fighters -->
Strengths:
Cons:

Note: I didn't really finish this post because I'm tired af but I'll edit this later. Also, to anyone that sees any mistakes, feel free to correct!

 

[FruitLoop]

I main a majority of the super-heavyweights. Super-heavies tend to be considered non-viable for having glaring weaknesses. I also feel a bit guilty winning with one because it feels too easy sometimes. But I like the characters in general and their movesets. Is this a viable option?

Super-heavies in ultimate are usually seen as mostly good. While King Dedede and Incineroar (If he's counts as one) are usually seen as not super stellar in the current meta as of right now. However all heavies are very viable with some of them having the potential to be top tier or upper high tier. The general mobility improvements alongside reduction of jumpsquat frames and landing lag helps make the Super-Heavies become less clunky and noticeably improves their neutral. You can't play degeneratively nearly as much against the heavies in ultimate as camping got nerfed. So if you like their playstyle, definitely go for it. Now is the best time to main one of the thicc bois.

 

[Kulty]

Hey guys,

I think no one answered my post of last time, so I`m going to repost it. After playing my characters multiple times on Elite Smash, I realize that I get about the same results with two of my characters. I know that online is not a perfect representation of the MUs, but I just don`t know what to do at this point. I have fun with both of my characters and get around the same result. I do not have a big % win-rate, but I don`t care about that. I also don`t care about losing a lot online as I just play to improve and not to win (even though it can be sad and frustrating).

I want to main just one character in order to be as optimal as possible, but if I get the same results and same amount of fun with two characters, should I main the character that is harder to play between the two and secondary the easiest character? For reference, my two characters are &.

 

[Heracr055]

Having more than one main in this game is not as inefficient as you think. There are so many character MUs in this game that one main will not be equipped to beat or go even with everyone (unless you use Inkling or something). So don't feel pressured to choose just one main.

 

[Copie]

Hey guys, looking for some of my own feedback as I figure out my main.

Brief smash history: Played casually since the beginning. I played lots of Pikachu and Link in Smash 64, lots of Link, Young Link, and Mewtwo in Melee, and a lot of Pit in Brawl. My play has always been basic - Smash as a party game for me. With Ultimate coming out I decided I wanted to take the game a bit more seriously, since I know there is such a large community and tons of depth to the game.

I've started watching "Smash Basics" videos and I want to focus on a character that will teach me the ins and outs of some of more complex nuances. I've been playing a lot of Mario and Lucario since I got the game on Christmas day. Mario seems like a more straight-forward character for my "learn to play" objective, but I do feel that I'm much worse with his fighting style. Having played lots of Link and Pit in the past, I like arrows and projectiles. Lucario seems to be more my cup of tea in regards to having access to a powerful projectile, but I worry that he has a lot of hinky nuance that makes him not a very traditional character, and less beneficial to learn the basics.

Which brings me to Mewtwo. Still haven't unlocked him, but in the back of my mind he may be my guy. I intend to continue to play many characters, but I NEED to focus on a Main and I'm more interested right now in choosing a character with some straightforward fundamentals. I'm rambling now I think, but any thoughts on where it sounds like the right spot for me is?

 

[Kulty]

Having more than one main in this game is not as inefficient as you think. There are so many character MUs in this game that one main will not be equipped to beat or go even with everyone (unless you use Inkling or something). So don't feel pressured to choose just one main.

Okay. I guess I can use both Mario and K Rool. It looks to be pretty manageable the two together. They may not be the best to compliment each others' bad MUs though, but I'll try (and yeah Inkling along with other sword users like Chrom and Marth seems to give me trouble for both Mario and K Rool). I also play Shulk too, but I don't plan to play this character a lot unlike my two characters since he's quite complex. Do you have any suggestion of characters that can compliment both Mario and King K Rool's bad matchups?

 

[kimohno]

Wow what work Mekhal has put in, really helpful!

Please help me find a main. Shiek has been my Main since Melee, which I played A LOT, the following titles just casually, but I am just bored of her.

I currently like YLink, Wolf, Inkling, Greninja, ZSS, just from Kit and Style, but I am not doing so well with either of them. I think I am not a rushdown Character Guy - here are my thoughts, this is gonna be tough:

- II lean towards playing defensiv, maybe because I am older. But I don't like how floaties behave in the air. Also does not mean I wanna go Full Projectile(Simon) because ->
- I like balanced characters that have answers to all situations without mayor weaknesses. I also don't have the time to Main more than 1.(Projectile, ok recovery, more kill options than side smash...)
- The Kit should be fun - this is subjectiv ofc, I personally don't enjoy the Marths "Sword-Only" Kit, which is boring (if strong) to me.
- I like mid-to fast fallers, makes me feel more in control of my character, I also don't need crazy jump hights likeFalco/Mewto
- Emphasis on strong fundamentals/neutral game.
- Bonus points: for being a bit flashy/not so common/standard mario style.

Maybe you have an Idea what would fit me best from the complete raster. From the Characters I mentioned above:

-Ylink: feels to floaty, can't kill, feels a bit "Cheap". But he is my best so far.
-Wolf: Nice balanced character but I can't seem to make him work, especially edge and recovery.
-Inkling: Fun Kit, but recharging vs rundown characters is a nightmare. Also does not seem to be my natural Style, but I am still testing.
-Greninja: Somewhat flashy and nice, don't find much negative, but I don't have him under control.
-ZSS: Feels week but the moves flow together nice.

edit: From what I see I have picked mostly "brawlers" but maybe I am not a good brawler

 

[Mekhal]

Okay. I guess I can use both Mario and K Rool. It looks to be pretty manageable the two together. They may not be the best to compliment each others' bad MUs though, but I'll try (and yeah Inkling along with other sword users like Chrom and Marth seems to give me trouble for both Mario and K Rool). I also play Shulk too, but I don't plan to play this character a lot unlike my two characters since he's quite complex. Do you have any suggestion of characters that can compliment both Mario and King K Rool's bad matchups?

I think both you're characters are actually pretty good together. At most, both may suffer from range issues against swordfighters but I think Mario would actually be able to handle them over time once you fully get a hang of the matchup. In the meantime if you'd want a direct CP to those types of fighters, I personally like pichu/pikachu and pokemon trainer. Pichu has really good gimps that destroy a swordfighters' recovery and pt has lots of good options to do the same with squirtle. Overall though, Mario and K.rool are nice picks.

Which brings me to Mewtwo. Still haven't unlocked him, but in the back of my mind he may be my guy. I intend to continue to play many characters, but I NEED to focus on a Main and I'm more interested right now in choosing a character with some straightforward fundamentals. I'm rambling now I think, but any thoughts on where it sounds like the right spot for me is?

Mewtwo actually sounds a lot like your speed. Good projectile to hold on to while at the same time having really strong juggle and combos. From what I've seen pros talk, he plays like a floatier swordfighter with a projectile. He's a great all-around fighter. I'd say looking at more fighters like that would also o you some good (eg: ). All those fighters have great projectiles AND good aerials like ya boy lucario. Since your starting off fresh this game, I'd say it's good to giving a bunch of fighters a quick try and seeing what one really sticks, then stick to them for a while. But otherwise, I really hope m2 works out when you get him!

Wow what work Mekhal has put in, really helpful!

Please help me find a main. Shiek has been my Main since Melee, which I played A LOT, the following titles just casually, but I am just bored of her.

Appreciate it man! Looking at what you wrote I'd say you probably are a good "brawler" its just that they don't feel right right now. And that might be a time thing, or maybe there's also another character that suits you better. It seems you really appreciate Speed, and fast faller types so a character with movement like those is definitely you're suit. Also, it may seem you have a harder time with characters that can get rushed down easily.

I'd say and are really good fighters to stick with, and I think your style will eventually meld with them(though ive never seen u play lol). If you're looking for NEW characters to try out, which it's always fun to shop around, you could try or . I can say as a melee player that these 2 feel REALLY nice. Even the pikachus feel really good. None of their projectiles are the best tho. Also i think you might like or alot! They've got really solid all-around skills and they can switch back and forth really well between camping and fighting! I hope this helps out well! Good Luck!

 

[Ginsai]

Anyone got helpful hints for Mewtwo and Ridley :D. I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m currently learning the advance techniques for better combo extensions and movement, for both characters and as a playstyle as a whole. I really seek to take my play to the next level and start entering tournaments. Sadly I have no locals around me to help me get used to the scene. Anyways it’s a goal of mine to get tournament level. I’m starting from the bottom here and I want my passion and grit to pull through. I have loved smash bros since I was a child and video games as whole so anyone willing to give help advice to further my play or what I should study, watch, or take note of.

 

[Copie]

Mewtwo actually sounds a lot like your speed. Good projectile to hold on to while at the same time having really strong juggle and combos. From what I've seen pros talk, he plays like a floatier swordfighter with a projectile. He's a great all-around fighter. I'd say looking at more fighters like that would also o you some good (eg: ). All those fighters have great projectiles AND good aerials like ya boy lucario. Since your starting off fresh this game, I'd say it's good to giving a bunch of fighters a quick try and seeing what one really sticks, then stick to them for a while. But otherwise, I really hope m2 works out when you get him!

Thanks man, this is helpful. Reaffirms what I was leaning towards. I unlocked Mewtwo last night and so I'm going to start playing around with him as I continue to trudge through WoL with Lucario. Mewtwo does feel good - I think he is right up my alley. Now to figure out how to use him well

 

[Mekhal]

Anyone got helpful hints for Mewtwo and Ridley :D. I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m currently learning the advance techniques for better combo extensions and movement, for both characters and as a playstyle as a whole. I really seek to take my play to the next level and start entering tournaments. Sadly I have no locals around me to help me get used to the scene. Anyways it’s a goal of mine to get tournament level. I’m starting from the bottom here and I want my passion and grit to pull through. I have loved smash bros since I was a child and video games as whole so anyone willing to give help advice to further my play or what I should study, watch, or take note of.

Hey man! Wish you good luck on the grind. I'm honsetly pretty bad at Mewtwo but I do know that there's a few guides on his play out there. You probably have already checked this stuff out but Armada has a pretty good vid about m2 playstyle. As for ridley, I think t'll do you alot of good to just watch how alot of heavyweight players play in general. I also know Plup(A top-tier melee pro) streams alot of Utimate and plays alot of Ridley and Isabelle. Good Luck dude!

 

[Kulty]

I think both you're characters are actually pretty good together. At most, both may suffer from range issues against swordfighters but I think Mario would actually be able to handle them over time once you fully get a hang of the matchup. In the meantime if you'd want a direct CP to those types of fighters, I personally like pichu/pikachu and pokemon trainer. Pichu has really good gimps that destroy a swordfighters' recovery and pt has lots of good options to do the same with squirtle. Overall though, Mario and K.rool are nice picks.

Oh if it's manageable, then I prefer to just stick with both Mario and K Rool. Rather learn their matchups instead of counterpicking. I also don't have the time to learn a third character.

 

[Ginsai]

Hey man! Wish you good luck on the grind. I'm honsetly pretty bad at Mewtwo but I do know that there's a few guides on his play out there. You probably have already checked this stuff out but Armada has a pretty good vid about m2 playstyle. As for ridley, I think t'll do you alot of good to just watch how alot of heavyweight players play in general. I also know Plup(A top-tier melee pro) streams alot of Utimate and plays alot of Ridley and Isabelle. Good Luck dude!

I actually watch Trela for Ridley, thank for the note on plup though. Of course I first watch it when I realized Mewtwo’s air game superiority to a lot of the cast. Yeah I like his take on Mewtwo and have been experimenting. My trouble is fixing my mistakes, like panicking and facing the opposite direction on a clear punish. I’m aware of my choices and habits in it and seeks to fix it. Which is why I use training mode often, to practice movements like attack canceling. I can only legit do nair attack cancel doing the other aerial cancels after each possible attack is something I need to flow into or get like the back of my hand.

Also I’ve noticed myself Ridley has great tilts for spacing. His Down tilt goes so far

 

[NathanD]

I have been wondering about my fighter pool given I am in early stages. Should I stick to my Lucas or select about 5 that require different playstyles:

I can only play online for about 2 large chunks a week. I go into training and work on tech everyday (Internet isn't a regular luxury for me). Should I spend my time online focusing on my current main Lucas? I've been selecting a few other characters like Duck Hunt and Little Mac that heavily emphasis different parts of the game to try to get as much online experience with different mechanics as possible.

Will I learn more by trying to dial in a bigger set of characters that require different skills (footsies, aerial poking, zoning, off stage play, trapping, hard reads) or by focusing on just Lucas who has difficulty with some of the skills.

For example I have a lot of comfort playing zoning characters. I was having trouble with people like ZSS and Sheik on my duck hunt till I really worked on poking with my Aerials. Doing that for a few hours made me MUCH better at my Lucas. I can think of a lot more examples. Getting live experience with different playstyles seems really beneficial else I fall into my strengths.

Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe a sword fighter and a heavy to get a feel for them.

I have a good amount of experience playing fighting games like Street fighter IV and marvel vs Capcom 1/2. My goal is to advance mechanically as fast as possible to get into really learning the matchups which is what I enjoy. I'm currently at 1.7 mil GSP on my Lucas so still a n00b. I played a **** load of a Nes growing up but I never was exposed to any strong players till college where they showed me what the game evolved into.

Thanks.

 

[Smatty]

..........

 

[Soyaccino]

I’d love some help picking a main if people are feeling generous!

I’m an old hand so I started with the original on the N64 using Samus mainly but then later Luigi.

In Melee I used sheik but was constantly tanked by my friends so ended up with Dr Mario or Ice climbers.

In Brawl, it was all Ganondorf, ROB and King Dedede. With the same again on WiiU in 4. Again, often based on my own nostalgia and poor air game.

Currently I like DK and KRool but I’m not sure if that’s just my Donkey Kong country nostalgia.
I am shocking at air game and currently cannot land without being juggled like a ball but that’s just me learning. I also like the toon link projectile fun!

I’d appreciate any insight.

 

[Mekhal]

I’d love some help picking a main if people are feeling generous!

I’m an old hand so I started with the original on the N64 using Samus mainly but then later Luigi.

In Melee I used sheik but was constantly tanked by my friends so ended up with Dr Mario or Ice climbers.

In Brawl, it was all Ganondorf, ROB and King Dedede. With the same again on WiiU in 4. Again, often based on my own nostalgia and poor air game.

Currently I like DK and KRool but I’m not sure if that’s just my Donkey Kong country nostalgia.
I am shocking at air game and currently cannot land without being juggled like a ball but that’s just me learning. I also like the toon link projectile fun!

I’d appreciate any insight.

Hey man, I can assure you DK is no nostalgia pick lol. He's ranked amongst most pros in between mid tier and high tier, he's the best heavyweight fighter and the best grappler character hands down! I'd say keep up the good work on him and, if you wanna work on recovering with him, google Konga and Tweek. They're the best DK players I've seen so far and I think watching a player who plays your character always helps in understanding what tools you don't use that another player does. Good Luck!

Hi there,

Love speed, edgeguarding, and being super aggressive!

Not a massive fan of cookie cutter combos.

I enjoy playing in the air as much as possible.

Thanks!

Hmmm when you talk about air play do you mean fighters with good recoveries as well? If so, have you played ? He's got good speed and solid air game/recovery. Also, the Pokefighters have craaaazy good air play and combo game! has especially good speed with squirtle and great combos on pretty much every pokemon. Hope this helped out some!

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Please do not double post. Edit your messages instead.

 

[eisenpoogle]

I’d love some help picking a main if people are feeling generous!

I’m an old hand so I started with the original on the N64 using Samus mainly but then later Luigi.

In Melee I used sheik but was constantly tanked by my friends so ended up with Dr Mario or Ice climbers.

In Brawl, it was all Ganondorf, ROB and King Dedede. With the same again on WiiU in 4. Again, often based on my own nostalgia and poor air game.

Currently I like DK and KRool but I’m not sure if that’s just my Donkey Kong country nostalgia.
I am shocking at air game and currently cannot land without being juggled like a ball but that’s just me learning. I also like the toon link projectile fun!

I’d appreciate any insight.

I'll probably get roasted for this but I bet you'd like Inceniroar, especially if your air game is weak and you enjoyed Ganondorf in Brawl/4 as he's heavy hitting, has large hitboxes and good, easy to complete combos. He's even got an awkward as hell land angle from his air attack!

I am almost the perfect opposite of your playstyle (floaty, stalling, ::teleports behind you:: nothing personal kid) but I found Incineroar fairly easy to learn (once I realized I had to stay on the damn ground and actually use grabs) and a phenomenal amount of fun to play (except when you're getting zoned).

 

[fanasthesia]

Hello!

I am currently stuck between a few characters to focus on. I know I can main multiple, but I just want one to play now since I’m a relative noob and would just like to put all of my research and energy into a single, before I try more hard to play characters. I have played mostly causally with my family and friends, (which aren’t very skilled..) but I would like to start playing more competitively online. I don’t really want to go to tournaments, but at able to get into the ‘Elite’ category online.

I usually pick random when I play, but I still haven’t really inspected about half of the characters.. the ones I have played I’ve only played for one or two matches, besides Ness, Kirby, and Pit.

My playstyle is mainly up-close and aggressive, but I’m still unsure since that’s what basically every noob does; “attack them and keep attacking them, maybe shield once in a while.” I don’t usually camp or get that far away unless I’m shooting a projectile or arrow or something. I try to dodge and roll as best as I can, and I shield sometimes, but for the most part I haven’t gotten that good so I’m not the best at avoiding getting attacks haha...

I found Ness and Pit to be fun (basically because of ness’ pk fire and baseball bat combo lol, and I like Pit because of the Kid Icarus games), the swordfighters, Kirby as well but I really only play him because I did when I was younger. I am still stuck though because there are so many to choose from! I remember Dark Samus and Dedede to be alright, but I don’t know if they would fit with my playstyle..

Basically: I am looking for a character easy to play and master the basics but still be good for more competitive use. I attack and grab a lot so maybe a character less slow and less punishable. I still would like a little defense though as well as speed for dodging, so a heavy is not really what I want. I also would like them to be versatile and able to use most of their moveset well without spamming one move.

Also: If you have any tips for a noob like me, I would appreciate it!

 

[Nemotoda]

Alright, I will try these two out soon to see how they work and to see if I like them! Thanks!

If anyone else has suggestions, I would also appreciate that!

Also recommend characters like Pikachu/Pichu that can edgeguard rediculously well and fit an aggressive playstyle (Pichu moreso than Pikachu). Other than them Grappler characters like DK can be played aggressively due to their usually heavy weight.

 

[Blueforce06]

Hello everyone, brand new to the board and I am glad to find such a great resource since SSBU has overtaken Pokemon for the unforeseeable future.
I want to be as concise as possible with my current dilemma since is my first time playing a SSB game since it came out for N64.

So far I have been using the squad strike (5v5, CPU 7, Tag Team) to test out characters to better suit me to find a main and #2, while exposing myself to as many character's movesets offensively and defensively and noting which characters give me a hard time with my preferred. I play best with Chrom and Ike by a long shot (I've played way to much Dark Souls so I gravitate toward characters with a sword and they feel more natural) with Cloud, Roy, and Young Link shortly behind.

Is this a good practice tactic to use to figure out what works best albeit maybe just for the time being? I plan on using this group of five to invest my time into learning all the nuisances behind their mechanics while giving more time to Chrom and Ike., but understand via research training against the computer is not ideal, so I will most likely need to play online or find someone to practice against.

Other quick side notes:
Terminology has been something I have been investing significant time in learning and executing ie nairs, dairs, uppers, short hops, shield dash cancel, teching etc. (Still need a lot of practice to even remotely catch up).
Marth, Lucina, Richter, Shulk, and Peach are the next 5 I'm considering
I plan on playing each character to learn their basic movesets/combos so I have a basic understanding of what I am up against
Play against characters I find difficult
I am using my OG gamecube controler via an 8bitdo and have a wired power A control as back up
Also lastly maybe learn hitboxes and I-frame info for some characters?

Thank you for your time and input, I greatly appreciate it.

 

[daff꽃odil]

I was a casual smash 4 player, and i’m trying to improve at ultimate so i decided to pick a main. In smash 4 i mostly played , but really could play anyone.

So far i’ve been liking, and have played with her a bit in ultimate, but i recently found out how fun is.

I tend to play more aggressive, trying to get damage done quick and some aerial use.

Could you give me some advice on who would be a better choice?

 

[Heracr055]

I was a casual smash 4 player, and i’m trying to improve at ultimate so i decided to pick a main. In smash 4 i mostly played , but really could play anyone.

So far i’ve been liking, and have played with her a bit in ultimate, but i recently found out how fun is.

I tend to play more aggressive, trying to get damage done quick and some aerial use.

Could you give me some advice on who would be a better choice?

Inklings deal out damage incredibly quick with ink, amd their aerials work well for them. There are even nair setups into rapid jab (which ends with the foe doused in ink). They can be played offensively or defensively thanks to their insane ground movement which can't really be read.

 

[daff꽃odil]

Inklings deal out damage incredibly quick with ink, amd their aerials work well for them. There are even nair setups into rapid jab (which ends with the foe doused in ink). They can be played offensively or defensively thanks to their insane ground movement which can't really be read.

Oh, that sounds pretty sweet. I’ll check them out. Thank you for the advice

 

[daff꽃odil]

Inklings deal out damage incredibly quick with ink, amd their aerials work well for them. There are even nair setups into rapid jab (which ends with the foe doused in ink). They can be played offensively or defensively thanks to their insane ground movement which can't really be read.

Inkling is interesting, and I will look into playing them more, but I was wondering if Yoshi would be good for the more aggressive aerial heavy play-style? Yoshi seems to be pretty good at that style, but I might be wrong.

 

[Omnos]

Inkling is interesting, and I will look into playing them more, but I was wondering if Yoshi would be good for the more aggressive aerial heavy play-style? Yoshi seems to be pretty good at that style, but I might be wrong.

You're not wrong. Yoshi's up air is insanely good, he would surely be worth trying.

 

[daff꽃odil]

You're not wrong. Yoshi's up air is insanely good, he would surely be worth trying.

Ok, then i’ll try out yoshi along with inkling

 

[This Guy is bad at Smash]

Can someone help me out with some tips for Luigi?Thanks

 

[Omnos]

Can someone help me out with some tips for Luigi?Thanks

Elegant is a top luigi player, and I believe he streams. Watching him should show you a lot, and you can probably ask him some questions directly. He did really well in his last tourny too, might want to check it out on YT.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

Hello everyone, brand new to the board and I am glad to find such a great resource since SSBU has overtaken Pokemon for the unforeseeable future.
I want to be as concise as possible with my current dilemma since is my first time playing a SSB game since it came out for N64.

So far I have been using the squad strike (5v5, CPU 7, Tag Team) to test out characters to better suit me to find a main and #2, while exposing myself to as many character's movesets offensively and defensively and noting which characters give me a hard time with my preferred. I play best with Chrom and Ike by a long shot (I've played way to much Dark Souls so I gravitate toward characters with a sword and they feel more natural) with Cloud, Roy, and Young Link shortly behind.

Is this a good practice tactic to use to figure out what works best albeit maybe just for the time being? I plan on using this group of five to invest my time into learning all the nuisances behind their mechanics while giving more time to Chrom and Ike., but understand via research training against the computer is not ideal, so I will most likely need to play online or find someone to practice against.

Other quick side notes:
Terminology has been something I have been investing significant time in learning and executing ie nairs, dairs, uppers, short hops, shield dash cancel, teching etc. (Still need a lot of practice to even remotely catch up).
Marth, Lucina, Richter, Shulk, and Peach are the next 5 I'm considering
I plan on playing each character to learn their basic movesets/combos so I have a basic understanding of what I am up against
Play against characters I find difficult
I am using my OG gamecube controler via an 8bitdo and have a wired power A control as back up
Also lastly maybe learn hitboxes and I-frame info for some characters?

Thank you for your time and input, I greatly appreciate it.

Practicing online will definitely take you a lot farther than training against CPUs. Going to quick match and alternating between your characters will yield better results, IMO. Half of Smash is mental skills, not just technical, and obviously CPUs don't behave like humans.

Also, I'm not sure if it was a typo or not, but it is Up Air, not Upper. Feel free to let me, or anyone on this board, know if you have any questions.

 

[Blueforce06]

Practicing online will definitely take you a lot farther than training against CPUs. Going to quick match and alternating between your characters will yield better results, IMO. Half of Smash is mental skills, not just technical, and obviously CPUs don't behave like humans.

Also, I'm not sure if it was a typo or not, but it is Up Air, not Upper. Feel free to let me, or anyone on this board, know if you have any questions.

Thank you very much, I agree while at first playing squad strike helped me cycle through characters to learn the basics, after I found my top 5-10, I felt that it was getting stale playing the computer on 6-8. I've been planning on making the jump onto online, but still want to get better at some of the basics first.

Yea, definitely an Up air, I'm still trying to learn all the terminology and it's overwhelming to take it all in. I've been practicing short hops, short hops with fast falls, short hops while attacking, nairs, dairs, fairs, walking vs dashing vs dash canceling vs foxtrotting etc., shield parrying, reverse B, rar's, teching, and quite a few other things. (Now applying all of these together is the next challenge).

So far I like Chrom the best followed by Link, Cloud, Ike, Lucina. Not sure who I will want to main, but I usually play better as Chrom even with all of his faults and surprisingly Cloud.

I think the best mentality being new is to go online with the goal of learning over winning and not care about gsp. Human players are more of a challenge for me since they can get a better read of how I am playing and notice any of my faults that they can exploit compared to a cpu. If I can look at a lose and learn something from it to improve on than it's worth it. I just have to be as unpredictable as I can.

Definitely will do and thank you, I plan on playing this and being part of the community for quite some time, like when I was big into dark souls for years, and want to get better at the game so any advice is much appreciated.

 

[BaC0nz]

Hi, looking to find a main + secondary. As of right now I've been playing Samus. I've always picked her since N64. I enjoy the character but I'm not sure if she fits my play style. As of right now I have her at 2.9 million GSP. What I enjoy and dislike about Samus:

• I always have a game plan. Charge shot is important. If there is free time I could be charging.
• I like her recovery options.
• I like her ariels. It's fun juggling opponents above you.
• I like conditioning the opponent to make mistakes. For example, force shield with missiles > grab > down throw combo
• I dislike how she gets combo'ed very hard.
• I dislike being rushed down. It is hard to zone out when they are right in your face.
• I dislike her overall speed. I wish she was a bit faster.

I find it hard to explain my play style. I like being in control. I like doing ariels. I like being able to set the pace of the match. For example I like being able to play offense or defense whenever I want.

 

[rayhaku809]

I thought I found as my main as she's a good all-around character as someone had mentioned earlier. However I checked my stats and I have roughly a 50/50 win rate with her. But I feel like I mostly lose. I may have hit my own personal skill cap. I liked , , , and in 4 because of how well paced their playstyle was, or well, what I played them at. Though I ended up going with in the end due to opponents being unfamiliar in the MU, yet still able to support my medium tempo playstyle. This game being faster is forcing me to be a lot better than I ever was and I'm not sure if I can keep up. Advice for a main? Will probably have Palutena in my pocket as a secondary.

Edit: Tried for a while, spacing problems.

 

[Heracr055]

I thought I found as my main as she's a good all-around character as someone had mentioned earlier. However I checked my stats and I have roughly a 50/50 win rate with her. But I feel like I mostly lose. I may have hit my own personal skill cap. I liked , , , and in 4 because of how well paced their playstyle was, or well, what I played them at. Though I ended up going with in the end due to opponents being unfamiliar in the MU, yet still able to support my medium tempo playstyle. This game being faster is forcing me to be a lot better than I ever was and I'm not sure if I can keep up. Advice for a main? Will probably have Palutena in my pocket as a secondary.

Edit: Tried for a while, spacing problems.

Don't let something like a win/loss rate tell you that: 1) you hit your ceiling with a character, and 2) that you should switch off a character. A huge, huge, huge part of maining a character is losing (I can't stress this enough). Losing is a crucial part of learning what works and what doesn't. What you need to do is store the information that led to a loss and try to prevent it from happening again, or at least pick a different option to try and beat it. Also, despite the losses: were the majority close games? Did the games have non-ridiculous rulesets (3 min 3 stock,l is a bad ruleset for example)? If you want to leave a character, try to do it foe the right reasons. Here's a couple good reasons to ditch a character: I don't like this character or how they play, I hit my ceiling in what this character can do or I don't think this character's qualities will do well in this meta (for example, I think that Sheik will be mediocre to terrible in the meta because her risk vs reward took a HUGE decline since her frame data+speed is not as impressive anymore while her frailty is as suspect as ever). BTW I don't buy your explanation that you hit your limit because you're basing your future with the char on a W/L rate and there are soo many things you can do/learn with any character (especially Palutena).
Also, if you liked using Zard in 4, you should check out Ridley. A lot of people are underestimating him rn and as such he's an under the radar threat that few people really know the MU.

 

[elliotnz]

I'm maining Ike. I would probably do better in tournaments if I just stick to Ike rather than Ike and greninja wouldn't I?

 

[FSF]

I am good at strategy and reading my opponent.
I have mediocre reaction speed which holds me back from playing fast characters like Fox.

What would be a good main to pick who is high tier, strategic, and doesn't require fast reaction time?

 

[PrinceOfTheNerds]

Hello, I’m currently trying to find a main and secondary for ultimate. I’ve considered many characters, like my old Main for Sm4sh - .
However, I really want to give other characters a try before I resort back to .

My playstyle, as best as I can figure, is bait n’ switch. However, I don’t like heavy characters much, (sorry ) and I do draw towards the sword characters often.

There is one person I am considering as a secondary, and that is . Regardless if anyone has suggestions let me know! I will greatly appreciate it!

I'm maining Ike. I would probably do better in tournaments if I just stick to Ike rather than Ike and greninja wouldn't I?

I would say yes to playing with Ike competitively, but then just play greninja if you want to just have fun.

 

[kimohno]

Hey guys, after your recommendation I tried lots or brawlers but I just can't to seem to get the hand of it. I am not great with combos, especially Online and the lacking range against swordies makes me feel so bad. So i gravitated towards and climbed to Elite Smash. She feels really straight forward but I feel is lacking in some areas and a bit boring, I want to invest into other fighters. would like you to help me.

- I am more a slow and reactionary player, not so much the aggressor, trying to punish mistakes or overextending. (Which leads to me getting rushdowned sadly). So I try to mix up my approach from defensive to aggression.
- I want to learn strong fundamentals and be able to do good neutral. I tried f.e. since I also like projectiles but he is "to weird" to learn for me I feel.

- I really start to like (Ivysour), since he seem to have a very balanced Gameplan and nice Jump/Fall Feeling but I could not care less about the other Pokemon, also learning 3 is not really on my time table. So I guess it's not worth it to learn Ivy?

- Should not be placed super Low in the T-List. Nice recovery is a good bonus, maybe not a super fatty.

Right now I am looking at the for projectile/neutral game, but can't do too well with either of them. Do you have a better idea?