Sonic at the Tournament Scene discussion

[Orange_Soda_Man]

While I've read plenty of threads about matchups, tech and stages, there really hasn't been anything that relates to how Sonic as a character relates to the rules/procedurals of a tournament.

Since most of us are in the Northeast and are 'prolly going to the Battle for WNY if at all then I'll use that one as an example and for my own selfish gain:

BRAWL:

Singles

Format:

- Players will immediately enter standard elimination brackets.
- Separate seeding can be requested if it is so desired.

Elimination:

- Double elimination.

Match Rules:

[obv. stuff, best of 3, of 5, rematch continuation best of 11]

Stage Selection:

- After characters are chosen for the first match, both players can knock out one stage for the duration of the set. Stages knocked out do not carry over to continuation sets.
- Unless all players can agree on a stage, the first stage of a regular set will be randomly selected. If the set is a best-of-eleven continuation, the loser of the first set may pick the first stage at the beginning of the continuation set.
- After each match, the loser of the match can counterpick with a legal stage or elect to go random before characters are chosen.
- Stages cannot be played twice unless the current set is a best-of-eleven continuation. The only stages that can be played twice during continuation sets are random stages.
- All players have one reset per set. Resets may only be used on randomly selected stages during the first five seconds of play. The stage cannot be played again when randomly selected, but is still available for counterpicking.

Character Selection:

- A double blind pick may be called at any time during any set. Tournament staff will judge the selection.
- After each match, the loser may pick the next stage (or go random). After this decision is made, the winner of the previous match may change characters. Afterwards, the loser of the previous match may change characters.
- Characters may not be changed after a reset is called. Once characters are chosen, the decision is in effect until the end of the match.

So, a couple things that stuck out to me were:
* Strikings
* Resets
* Starting Stage [agreeing with an opponent]


So, as a generality / against projected opponents, what would you do? striking Luigi's M against MK seems to be a general consensus.
What would you use your reset on?
What stage would you try to get your opponent to agree to start on with you for:
* MK
* Snake
* DDD

^^^^^^^^^ might very well just be CP-ing. That said, it's a little different, since you have to agree with them or it goes random, thus them avoiding obvious CPs.

 

[ROOOOY!]

Terios actually made a thread about counterpicks and such. It might be in the archives, or just randomly floating around somewhere, so have a look for it.

 

[Orange_Soda_Man]

That's fine and dandy for CPs, but I'm asking about more here than that.

 

[infomon]

What's with all this random / reset / etc. nonsense? stage striking is sooooo much better... you don't have to play the strange game-theory problems of predicting the opponent's stage preference list and picking to force their least-favoured options, lol.

 

[Trillion]

I have a question that may be rather noobly of me, but I've only been to one tournament that was rather poorly run. What are the order of operations so to speak of stage striking. I know for round one you pick characters and then decide on a stage, but for stage striking do you strike after you select characters or before? To me this might be rather helpful in certain cases. If I am against a character that I know Sonic has a hard time against on a certain stage, than I can try to trick my opponent into banning that stage. Like, for me, link on battlefield can be kind of hard (not that I can't win it, but that I just don't like it) if I can select Marth (my secondary) for match one and get them to strike battlefield, then after that match when I switch to sonic, that problem won't exist.

I know it is kind of lame for a sonic player to depend on his secondary like that, but against an opponent that I forsee problems with, it may actually help me pull out with a win.

 

[infomon]

[SBR Recommended Rule List: Brawl]

You each pick your character for the first match (double-blind), then start stage-striking the neutrals. It's not clear who strikes first; at my local smashfests we do a rock-paper-scissors if someone cares. You take turns striking off neutrals until one is left. Then you can each choose one stage to ban for counterpicks.

 

[ithrowthings]

The tournaments I attend are run very smoothly. As far as how the stage striking system goes, you both say if you would like to strike first or second. Most of the times both parties want to strike second because that gives you the choice between the last two levels. If both parties want to strike at the same time it is decided who will strike by a game of rock paper scissors.

As far as double blind, you tell a friend or someone nearby which character you will be choosing. The opponent then chooses their character and you are then obligated to pick the character that you told the witness.

Everyone gets a kick out of it when I ask for double blinds considering I usually am decked out in a bunch of sonic gear and a lot of people talk about my sonic at the tournies so it's not like it's unexpected.

I usually only worry about things like counterpicking and striking second and such when it's an opponent that I know is actually good. I usually also counterpick with smashville or FD or something as neutral as possible because I like to fight without all the stupid crap in the level to distract me.

 

[Trillion]

[SBR Recommended Rule List: Brawl]

You each pick your character for the first match (double-blind), then start stage-striking the neutrals. It's not clear who strikes first; at my local smashfests we do a rock-paper-scissors if someone cares. You take turns striking off neutrals until one is left. Then you can each choose one stage to ban for counterpicks.

awesome thanks infzy