Haseeb
Smash Rookie
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2024
- Messages
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- Slippi.gg
- Flan#950
Stop Skipping Neutral | An in-depth Tip For New Players
I should preface this by saying that I am by no means an experienced player at all. I'm currently ranked bronze 3 on Slippi and only just started taking the game seriously so take what I say with a grain of salt and feel free to correct me.
I recently switched my major from falco to fox. While playing friendlies at my locals, I would try to play against players of my own skill range, hoping to improve through their tips. However I would always be met with some version of: “Practice your movement”, “Learn the matchup”, “Download unclepunch” or “Work on your punish game”. Although correct, these cookie-cutter answers overshadow and generalize many aspects of the game that new players don’t think about that are second nature to more experienced players. After switching to a character that relies heavily on good neutral game into punishes, I have recently realized that one consistent flaw rests in every inexperienced player’s gameplay. I have observed many times that players will try to “Skip neutral” through various means. I believe that this flaw leads to much of the feeling of being stuck during a game or unable to gain control.
What is “Skipping Neutral”?
“Skipping neutral” is a broad term I will be using to describe a variety of subconscious options that players chose in order to skip from disadvantage state to neutral. This can come in forms such as hard reads, cheap mechanics, or bad game plans.
Neutral is a state of the game wherein both players are near equally balanced in terms of control over the game, breaking when one player gets an advantage. I would argue that neutral is the most important part of SSBM as it is the deciding factor for the following events. Even one simple mistake can cost a stock in a headlocked neutral, with players aiming to punish these sorts of commitive options. Neutral requires many hours of real gameplay and understanding of your and your opponents characters/play styles as well as the dynamic of the gameplay both in general and in the moment, and can take years to learn. Many inexperienced players however, will fall into the habit of trying not to play neutral, instead skipping it with commitive, reactable techniques.
Fox-Marth
One specific example I have picked up in my experience is with Fox and Marth, with players running in and fishing for a shine or a grab. In the player’s mind, they are envisioning what they will get out of it after landing their move, locking them into tunnel vision where they will constantly throw dash grabs and run-up shines in the hopes to gain their advantage. By doing this they are disrespecting the neutral game and only aiming to skip it for their advantage, thereby getting punished. However, players are able to sometimes gain the advantage state they were fishing for, only reinforcing the habits they have built by giving them the positive feedback they need to continue going for these options. Remember, your subconscious is much better at the game than you are, but it needs to be trained, and if you train it in the wrong way, it will affect your gameplay and it will be hard to undo so PAY ATTENTION to your gameplay.
Falco
Another very popular example would be with Falco. With the rise of the “netplay falco”, a prevalent and stereotypical style has come into fruition in the lower level of melee. Specifically with the neutral game being heavily built around locking their opponent with constant lasers. Since most players at this level aren't able to powershield, with most not even being able to use platform movement to get around it, this strategy plays out wonderfully for the falco player, allowing them a free way around having to respect the neutral game. However, when matched against an opponent who can deal with their laser, their crutch is quickly disintegrated, leaving them to be punished while not understanding how they got in that position. If you play falco, one major tip you will hear from players like Mang0 is to mix up the timing, positioning and movement while lasering, making it harder to play around while also not spamming it as a crutch. Learn to use your superior stage control and mixups to lock your opponent into an advantage rather than forcing your way into it with lasers and predictable aerials that lead into nothing.
Hear a pro’s take:
Here's a clip from Leffen talking about why Mang0 is able to play so differently to other Falcos:
Why mang0 is Better than other Falcos
Disadvantage
Much like in neutral, disadvantage is home to many bad habits such as predictable DI, bad SDI, or predictable tech/ledge options, but the most prevalent of these bad options has to, in my opinion, the attack get-up. There are 5 tech options. The first three are from a successful tech, being able to roll to either side or stand up (not including wall techs). The rest come from missed techs. Being locked in lag for a while before being able to replicate the same options as the successful tech with an added one: the attack get-up. The attack getup is one of the most influential and interesting mechanics of the disadvantage state, as it is a direct counter to an aggressive and overextending player, forcing the person in advantage to be wary of the opponent’s options. These sorts of options are what separate the disadvantage state of platform fighters to traditional fighters, allowing for more nuanced gameplay even when in disadvantage. The flow of disadvantage should be either to find a gap in the advantaged player’s gameplay to punish (much like neutral) or to reset neutral entirely to find new openings. However many players will choose to try and skip the nuance of disadvantage and go straight to advantage. Going from the regular
Disadvantage => Neutral => Advantage
Straight to a hard read counter.
Disadvantage => Advantage
This is not the same as finding a punish in the other player's gameplay, this is actively forcing an option that will catch a player off guard to reversal them. And although reversals are a mainstay in fighting games, these can act as a crutch and are easily outplayable through simple observation.
Attack Get-Up
The attack get-up lasts on average around 50 frames, or almost one whole second, with the lag for using the move being highly punishable. However, many players repeatedly choose this option on both ledge and ground in the hopes that it will break them out of their predicament and reset a position where they aren't losing. These types of “Greedy Techniques” are very easily punishable and will only work against highly inexperienced players.
As a Fox player, I can tell you that when I find an opponent is subconsciously picking attack get-up once or twice, baiting it out and punishing it becomes the easiest conversion in the game, leading the other player frustrated with their lack of ability to play. The obvious fix here is to mix up your options, but not only that, you should mix them up according to what your opponent is doing. If you see that they are crouch canceling next to you for a techchase, understand that the counter you are doing by attack get-upping is being directly countered by their defensive option and that you will lose that situation. So look at the other player’s options, their desired outcome, and what you both have done previously in the game to plan accordingly.
Fox-Marth
Another example of this is in the Fox-Marth matchup. Being famously annoying for Fox, I have worked harder on this matchup than any other to find a game plan that works for me. Specifically I try to bait out attacks in the neutral, staying exactly out of range of his large hitboxes to punish with a grab. Many Marths fall into the trap of running up grabbing my shield in neutral or throwing out sweeping attacks hoping to cover much of the area around them in order to approach, convert, or get me off of them. However when keeping a low level Marth in a juggle in my advantage, a surprising number of them exhibit the same behavior.
The Counter
In case all of this so far has sounded like absolute gibberish, I want you to imagine a Marth doing a falling counter after being hit right before hitting the ground again. Maybe in that instance they get their reversal, meaning in their subconscious they have gained positive reinforcement. If they land it again they will learn that it’s a viable strategy and a good punishment. However, the skill floor in melee is high enough to where a completely inexperienced player will quickly catch onto this, punishing them for their recently learned habit. This exact scenario plays whenever a Marth is caught in a juggle, not opting for SDI or good DI but instead looking for hard read reversals such as down-air or down-b to counter the Fox up-airs. This situation is tough for Marth and I don't have too much good advice but choosing to use hard reads is never a good option especially as a few frames of a mixup can immediately render your move useless.
Conclusion
Super Smash Bros Melee has been famously described as “90% mental and 10% execution” and I think that rings most true in high level gameplay with nuanced approaches to every situation. Neutral and Neutral Skipping are some of the biggest bottlenecks I have observed in low level Melee, and I believe them to be overshadowed and under taught to new players. If you are a new player I have a few tips:
All in all, I hope this guide has helped whether you are a new or intermediate player to the game and I aspire that this will aid you in your improvement.
And don’t forget to have fun!
I should preface this by saying that I am by no means an experienced player at all. I'm currently ranked bronze 3 on Slippi and only just started taking the game seriously so take what I say with a grain of salt and feel free to correct me.
I recently switched my major from falco to fox. While playing friendlies at my locals, I would try to play against players of my own skill range, hoping to improve through their tips. However I would always be met with some version of: “Practice your movement”, “Learn the matchup”, “Download unclepunch” or “Work on your punish game”. Although correct, these cookie-cutter answers overshadow and generalize many aspects of the game that new players don’t think about that are second nature to more experienced players. After switching to a character that relies heavily on good neutral game into punishes, I have recently realized that one consistent flaw rests in every inexperienced player’s gameplay. I have observed many times that players will try to “Skip neutral” through various means. I believe that this flaw leads to much of the feeling of being stuck during a game or unable to gain control.
What is “Skipping Neutral”?
“Skipping neutral” is a broad term I will be using to describe a variety of subconscious options that players chose in order to skip from disadvantage state to neutral. This can come in forms such as hard reads, cheap mechanics, or bad game plans.
Neutral is a state of the game wherein both players are near equally balanced in terms of control over the game, breaking when one player gets an advantage. I would argue that neutral is the most important part of SSBM as it is the deciding factor for the following events. Even one simple mistake can cost a stock in a headlocked neutral, with players aiming to punish these sorts of commitive options. Neutral requires many hours of real gameplay and understanding of your and your opponents characters/play styles as well as the dynamic of the gameplay both in general and in the moment, and can take years to learn. Many inexperienced players however, will fall into the habit of trying not to play neutral, instead skipping it with commitive, reactable techniques.
Fox-Marth
One specific example I have picked up in my experience is with Fox and Marth, with players running in and fishing for a shine or a grab. In the player’s mind, they are envisioning what they will get out of it after landing their move, locking them into tunnel vision where they will constantly throw dash grabs and run-up shines in the hopes to gain their advantage. By doing this they are disrespecting the neutral game and only aiming to skip it for their advantage, thereby getting punished. However, players are able to sometimes gain the advantage state they were fishing for, only reinforcing the habits they have built by giving them the positive feedback they need to continue going for these options. Remember, your subconscious is much better at the game than you are, but it needs to be trained, and if you train it in the wrong way, it will affect your gameplay and it will be hard to undo so PAY ATTENTION to your gameplay.
Falco
Another very popular example would be with Falco. With the rise of the “netplay falco”, a prevalent and stereotypical style has come into fruition in the lower level of melee. Specifically with the neutral game being heavily built around locking their opponent with constant lasers. Since most players at this level aren't able to powershield, with most not even being able to use platform movement to get around it, this strategy plays out wonderfully for the falco player, allowing them a free way around having to respect the neutral game. However, when matched against an opponent who can deal with their laser, their crutch is quickly disintegrated, leaving them to be punished while not understanding how they got in that position. If you play falco, one major tip you will hear from players like Mang0 is to mix up the timing, positioning and movement while lasering, making it harder to play around while also not spamming it as a crutch. Learn to use your superior stage control and mixups to lock your opponent into an advantage rather than forcing your way into it with lasers and predictable aerials that lead into nothing.
Hear a pro’s take:
Here's a clip from Leffen talking about why Mang0 is able to play so differently to other Falcos:
Why mang0 is Better than other Falcos
Disadvantage
Much like in neutral, disadvantage is home to many bad habits such as predictable DI, bad SDI, or predictable tech/ledge options, but the most prevalent of these bad options has to, in my opinion, the attack get-up. There are 5 tech options. The first three are from a successful tech, being able to roll to either side or stand up (not including wall techs). The rest come from missed techs. Being locked in lag for a while before being able to replicate the same options as the successful tech with an added one: the attack get-up. The attack getup is one of the most influential and interesting mechanics of the disadvantage state, as it is a direct counter to an aggressive and overextending player, forcing the person in advantage to be wary of the opponent’s options. These sorts of options are what separate the disadvantage state of platform fighters to traditional fighters, allowing for more nuanced gameplay even when in disadvantage. The flow of disadvantage should be either to find a gap in the advantaged player’s gameplay to punish (much like neutral) or to reset neutral entirely to find new openings. However many players will choose to try and skip the nuance of disadvantage and go straight to advantage. Going from the regular
Disadvantage => Neutral => Advantage
Straight to a hard read counter.
Disadvantage => Advantage
This is not the same as finding a punish in the other player's gameplay, this is actively forcing an option that will catch a player off guard to reversal them. And although reversals are a mainstay in fighting games, these can act as a crutch and are easily outplayable through simple observation.
Attack Get-Up
The attack get-up lasts on average around 50 frames, or almost one whole second, with the lag for using the move being highly punishable. However, many players repeatedly choose this option on both ledge and ground in the hopes that it will break them out of their predicament and reset a position where they aren't losing. These types of “Greedy Techniques” are very easily punishable and will only work against highly inexperienced players.
As a Fox player, I can tell you that when I find an opponent is subconsciously picking attack get-up once or twice, baiting it out and punishing it becomes the easiest conversion in the game, leading the other player frustrated with their lack of ability to play. The obvious fix here is to mix up your options, but not only that, you should mix them up according to what your opponent is doing. If you see that they are crouch canceling next to you for a techchase, understand that the counter you are doing by attack get-upping is being directly countered by their defensive option and that you will lose that situation. So look at the other player’s options, their desired outcome, and what you both have done previously in the game to plan accordingly.
Fox-Marth
Another example of this is in the Fox-Marth matchup. Being famously annoying for Fox, I have worked harder on this matchup than any other to find a game plan that works for me. Specifically I try to bait out attacks in the neutral, staying exactly out of range of his large hitboxes to punish with a grab. Many Marths fall into the trap of running up grabbing my shield in neutral or throwing out sweeping attacks hoping to cover much of the area around them in order to approach, convert, or get me off of them. However when keeping a low level Marth in a juggle in my advantage, a surprising number of them exhibit the same behavior.
The Counter
In case all of this so far has sounded like absolute gibberish, I want you to imagine a Marth doing a falling counter after being hit right before hitting the ground again. Maybe in that instance they get their reversal, meaning in their subconscious they have gained positive reinforcement. If they land it again they will learn that it’s a viable strategy and a good punishment. However, the skill floor in melee is high enough to where a completely inexperienced player will quickly catch onto this, punishing them for their recently learned habit. This exact scenario plays whenever a Marth is caught in a juggle, not opting for SDI or good DI but instead looking for hard read reversals such as down-air or down-b to counter the Fox up-airs. This situation is tough for Marth and I don't have too much good advice but choosing to use hard reads is never a good option especially as a few frames of a mixup can immediately render your move useless.
Conclusion
Super Smash Bros Melee has been famously described as “90% mental and 10% execution” and I think that rings most true in high level gameplay with nuanced approaches to every situation. Neutral and Neutral Skipping are some of the biggest bottlenecks I have observed in low level Melee, and I believe them to be overshadowed and under taught to new players. If you are a new player I have a few tips:
- RESPECT NEUTRAL (this means playing neutral properly and learning to play in it instead of trying to get around it)
- Watch your opponent
- Mix up accordingly
- Do not abuse or repeat moves as a crutch
- Do not go for cheap reversals or reads
- Play around your opponent and learn how they approach things
- Learn how you approach situations and how you can approach them differently
- WATCH YOUR VODS (VERY IMPORTANT AS IT WILL SHOW YOU YOUR PROBLEMS)
- Do not play too passive or too aggressive
- Use movement to outplay your opponent - paramount to a good neutral as throwing out hitboxes is a major commitment (dash dances, wavelands, wavedashes, dashbacks, dash dance timings, shorthops, double jumps, fullhops, etc.)
All in all, I hope this guide has helped whether you are a new or intermediate player to the game and I aspire that this will aid you in your improvement.
And don’t forget to have fun!
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