Stage Discussion for Every Character!

[Mister the Wizard]

Hey everyone! I'm new to competitive Smashing, and I'm very new to Smashboards. Likewise I am new to picking stages and knowing what types of characters are good on which stages. I am on a mission to make a stage discussion thread for every character who does not have one, because I know that stage selection has been one of the things that trips me up the most so far. So, to help me, I have made this thread to discuss Stage selection in general. My main questions are:
1. What should I look for when picking a stage?
2. What kinds of moves/combos/characters benefit from what types of platform setups?
3. Which types of characters (e.g. fast, slow, ranged, close combat, etc.) benefit from small/large stages?
4. How do blast zone sizes really effect my character and my play?

Maybe I'll think of some more questions, but for now that's it. This is mainly to help me research each character so that I can provide helpful and accurate information on all the individual character threads. Thanks for your help!
~Mister the Wizard

 

[Y-L]

1. Look for a stage that either puts you at an advantageous position or puts your opponent in a disadvantageous position. For example Marth on Yoshi's Story; an opponent landing on a platform can easily get tippered even if they tech due to the platform. Conversely, one might pick Yoshi's against Falco so he can't control the stage with his lasers.

2. Characters with disjointed hitboxes typically prefer smaller stages with platforms so they can control the area with their disjoint. Characters with projectiles typically prefer flatter stages so they can control the stages with their projectiles. As well, characters will wall jumps prefer stages with walls.

3. Characters with big ranges do well on small stages because the opponent can't move away to avoid you, and they can get comboed on platforms.

4. If you have moves with large knockbacks you want stages with smaller blast zones so you can KO at lower percents, inversely if your opponent has strong KO moves and/or you have a good recovery you want stages with bigger blast zones.

Hope this helped!

 

[Mister the Wizard]

That helps a ton! Thank you so much. I knew some of the stages that my mains in particular were good on, but I didn't know what to look for when counterpicking. Like, for example, the other player bans everything that I was gonna pick, I would want to know what my other options were and what I could use to keep the advantage and possibly take it to game three.
I only have one question: What exactly IS a disjointed hitbox? I know characters that have them, but I still don't know exactly what classifies a hitbox as "disjointed" and how I can use them to my advantage. Thanks!

 

[Comatose]

A disjointed hitbox is a hitbox with no hurtbox on it. For example, Marth's sword in any of his attacks has a hitbox, but there is no part of the sword that could be hit by another player (meaning take % and knockback, as it can still be clanked). You can use this to your advantage by staying at a comfortable range where the opponent's hitboxes could only connect with yours, meaning you can hit him but he cant hit you. Of course you can never keep the opponent out 100% of the time, but if you throw the attacks out intelligently it's a great space controlling tool.

 

[Mister the Wizard]

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. So like, Samus' Fair, links sword and stuff? So pretty much if your character doesn't have any really obvious ones you just have to know what moves do what?

 

[Y-L]

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. So like, Samus' Fair, links sword and stuff? So pretty much if your character doesn't have any really obvious ones you just have to know what moves do what?

If your char doesn't have one you just have to be more careful; don't just jump in like an idiot. Instead, play more of a punish game, try to land behind your opponent, and play it safe.

 

[Mister the Wizard]

K cool. Thanks for all the help guys