Q&A The 'Mains' Advice Thread

[Dokokashira]

The people in this thread seem pretty decent, so I guess I'll ask for some advice on my situation... (Warning: Pretty long)

Spoiler

As of now, I main Dr. Mario and secondary Mii Gunner. I used to secondary Pikachu, but I dropped him for Cloud when he came out... as you can tell, I was pretty hasty with my decision, as I dropped Cloud very soon after. My dilemma now is whether I should use Pikachu or Cloud, find another character, possibly one I've never even considered before, or play solely the ones I have now. I'll give some information.

What attracts me to a character: First and foremost, the thing that makes me like a character most is that if they are uncommon. I love to supply my opponents with interesting and unique characters to fight, and I want to evoke responses of "Cool, a Dr. Mario!" or "Hey, it's a Mii Gunner!". I don't want my opponent to groan when they see me. Low tiers are fairly uncommon, so I've grown to love them too. Heck, I mained Dr. Mario at first because a lot of people seemed to think he was the worst character in the game (I started to main him around April 2015. Oh, how opinions have changed!) If I perceive a character to be common, it puts me off to them. This usually isn't enough to make me stop using them if I enjoy playing them enough, but it's definitely a factor to my enjoyment of the character. Besides arbitrary hipster things, here's other qualities a character can have that can help me enjoy them.

- Good, versatile projectiles. Cloud's projectile was the main thing that made me like him, as I felt it had a lot of potential and could cover options well if mastered. Mii Gunner has FANTASTIC projectiles, and they're the thing that drive me to play her.

- Good aerials. I spend a large amount of my time in the air, so having strong aerials makes a character very attractive to me. I especially like characters that have good RAR back airs as well as good forward airs, so I can use both of them as desired. I also quite like shorthop aerials.

- Surprise factor. This is kind of a weird one, but I love characters who have all kinds of wacky things about them that one could use to their advantage against people unaware of these qualities. Like... Did you know Dr. Mario's up tilt is a kill move at high percentages? Did you know Mii Gunner's up air can be autocancelled in the first ten frames? Ten! Did you know an uncharged Charge Blast from Mii Gunner can lock? I love to show people new things about characters, especially ones no one uses.

Why I use the characters I do: And why I dropped the characters I don't use anymore.

Dr. Mario - Originally, I played Dr. Mario because he was considered by many to be the worst character in the game, and I'm a giant hipster. I began to get better with him, and he eventually molded my playstyle and determined what I love in characters. Nowadays, he's considered to be mid tier or even higher, but I still play him because he is by far my favorite character and will always be my Smash 4 main. I'm loyal to him.

Mii Gunner - If you haven't pieced it together, I love playing Gunner. Not only is she fairly forgotten by the community, but she has SO many tricks up her sleeve and feels so good to play. She's probably the closest thing to a perfect character for me: she's not common, she's low tier (at least 1111), she has great projectiles, and she has so many surprises!

Pikachu - I picked up Pikachu because he seemed to be the rarest out of the top tiers, and was supposedly a good counterpick against Sonic and Rosalina, two characters I didn't enjoy fighting. I also liked him quite a lot, and he sort of fit me because I have a big history with the Pokemon franchise. I eventually dropped him in the Cloud hype and soon dropped Cloud after, but I didn't go back to Pikachu because I didn't feel as if I enjoyed him anymore and my inner hipster kicked in once again. It didn't help he was probably my worst character during the time I used him along with Doc and Gunner.

(I'm getting tired of writing this at this point so I'll try to wrap it up)

Cloud: He felt natural, but then everyone started using him. He's kind of fun to play, I guess.

Based on the criteria I listed in this novella, you can also recommend a character to me that I've never tried before. I'm open to practicing with any new character. Perhaps I'll learn something new!

\rant

tl;dr pika, cloud, or other

 

[Plesioth]

To put it shortly, You are a person who like a uncommon character with good aerials, projectile/s, and a surprise factor. Well, first, if you enjoy Cloud, use him, irregardless of popularity. Hell, even if you are a Shiek or Falcon main, as long as it feels natural to YOU( The player). To hell with what anyone says or their opinion of the character. As a Villager main, I despise Sonic, but instead of whining about it, i decided to git gud in that MU, and it also inspired me to pick up Wario, who winded up being my tertiary as hes fun to play as. If you are planing on picking a character, pick them based on their merit as a character, not popularity or lack thereof. However, maining uncommon characters myself, i can see the desire myself, just dont make that the make or break deal for a character.

Now, going off of your wants in a character, i say go with:
- Uncommon as hell, and his aerial game is amazing at edgegaurding, along with almost Mario level of damage out of a dthrow up to 80%. His uair having a windbox along with his fast recovery make him almost unspike-able, and his upsmash is borderline unpunishable with it frame data along with the push back on shield and the fact that the helmet have invincibility during the swing. His projectile game is more for condition the opponent's location however, so it more there as a accessory to his kit, not a main draw to him. his rarity (Pretty much the only well known G&W player is GimR) make his whole move set a wow factor. He also the 3rd lightest in the game, and have a hard time killing onstage outside usmash, but as a G&W main since Melee, and now as a co-main(if you consider that a thing), i say hes very fun to play as, and worth the trouble to at least see what hes about.

- Also uncommon for a high tier, and have one of the best projectile game in the game, with fair/bair pestering the opponent at far, and having good knock back point blank. The bowling ball just laugh at anyone with a completely vertical recovery, and the tree can either set up stage control, a suped up bowling ball, or a trap during it growing animation with a lingering hitbox. Her nair is a combo move AND combo breaker, and one of the best OoS options in the game. Her ftilt is a good get off of me option, her dtilts is a fast disjoint, and utilts set up her amazing juggle game with her aerials and lloyds. her grab is just abysmal, but she have a kill throw and combo throw. she excels at stage control and edgegaurds, but Ranai (one of the best players in Japan) make her seem like a rushdown character, so that is definitely a option if you know what you're doing with her. She struggles with rushdown however, but she fits all of requirements imo. My main in smash 4 along with G&W.

- Basically Jigglypuff XL, so aerials are a given, and the waft takes almost 2 mins to charge(but hes glows brown), so that is a good surprise factor. He also a high tier(to a much lesser extent), but his projectile game is basically just jumping off the bike and/or using it as a item. My teriary/pocket.

Other picks that might INTEREST you (this is just going off of a guess based on your criteria):






But really, i think you should just use Cloud, as you only really dropped him for the inevitable FG hype that will die out in a month. Even if hes still popular, who cares as long as you enjoy using him?

 

[Plesioth]

As for me... I am in need for more of advice more than just main advice.

First, I am in search of a pocket character that have a different play style than my current characters (), as they all are edge guard, aerial, and mostly defensive based characters(G&W is the exception however). My problem in this regard is that most of the characters i AM interested in is ALSO mainly defensive oriented () and a lot of offensive characters are just boring or un-interesting to me either gameplay or character wise (). I did use to use in the early 3ds days, but coming from characters with ridiculous recoveries, his's is just a complete turn off to me. does look interesting to me as a seemingly offensive character, but it is WAYYY too early to tell. My problem is that I seem to go for the defensive campy characters, which leads me to eventually dropping them to feeling too similar to my current characters (i.e Why use DH/WFT/ROB while Villager is a better zoning character?). I guess i need a more flashy or rarer offensive character to interest me and to keep me using them long term.

I do have a couple characters in mind however:
- She seem to be if someone took a MvC character and put her into smash, with how her aerial combos seem to work and how her jab is almost a full magic series ABC combo from Marvel. She seems like if someone took ZSS and made her interesting It too early to tell however. Coming from a Marvel background, she seem amazing.
- I do not have the DLC for the Wii U yet, but he is the most interesting swordman too me as far as game play from good clouds go. He seem to be a cross between Ike, Marth, Shulk, and mac with a projectile. I'm just concerned with his meh frame data, is he defensive?
- He was my Brawl pocket, but i dropped him like his current dair after i heard that he is more projectile based now. Can he still do a rushdown playstyle to a extent, or is he just fast SSB4 Link?
- From the 3 matches i played with him recently, he does seem sightly fun.
- He also seem fun, but is there more to him than just comboing stuff from dash atack or dthrow?

My 2nd question is SHOULD I play more than 3 characters? part of me feels that I've been neglectful to my main(Villager) due to me using her less, but at the same time I eventually get bored of using the same 3 characters. TBH, I feel at home with using 5 regularly, but i try to limit my amount of characters for the sake of skill.

 

[GemZ]

I'm a pretty bad player, only a 20 % win rate on For Glory over the last 100 games ( I do play 1 person until they quit or I beat them, however ) and I play and a tiny bit of

Well, 2016 is coming up and I want one of my gaming goals to be getting decent at Smash and actually giving people a run for their money in a tournament ( there's a lot in my city of Hot Springs, but I never attend )

So, my question is, out of the 4 characters I listed, which do I have the best success of growing into a better player? My region has a Megaman named Red Tux, a Yoshi or 2, a lot of Doctor Mario's and a few Earth Bounders.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Plesioth]

Out of the 4, I say , as he's is the highest tiered of the 4, and hes is a VERY rare match up. Both and are bottom tier (Mewtwo did get buffed recently however), and is mid tier IIRC.

However, Pick a main based on your preference and not just tier wise, as you can become a better player with anyone. would gain results quicker, but that isnt to say that or can't get said results, you'll just gonna have to put in ALOT more work to get said results.

 

[andyjew]

Mario is a great and easy character that can be good secondary with little commitment.


I don't know too much about Ike, but he is generally conceived to be a good character with results. There were three Ikes in top 32 in the major tournament, The Big House 5. If you want to main him, I suggest you to go for it!

will do sir thank you!

 

[Dokokashira]

Plesioth Thanks a lot for your advice and suggestions. I'll definitely keep it in mind!

From what I've read, you seem to want a character that:

- Relies slightly more on their ground game than their aerial game
- Has good or decent recovery
- Is able to play both offensively and defensively (presumably being able to switch between the two on the fly)
- May be attractive to those coming from a Marvel background
- Not as big of a deal, but you also seem to enjoy humorous characters

I feel like Ryu might be a good fit for you, especially if you want a pocket character that you can bring out in unpleasant matchups. I almost never play the character, so I can't give you very concise information, but from what I know, Ryu uses his (seemingly incredibly long-ranged) aerials and Hadouken to pester the opponent, and then when they are vulnerable, he's able to unleash a flurry of true and versatile combos. As a player who plays defensive characters, you're likely very used to the idea of walling out overly aggressive foes. Ryu is capable of just that! This quote from a Ryu guide might help you understand.

Ryu is balance. He is a hard hitting, average speed character. With invincible moves, projectiles, and what is essentially a counter. He lends himself well to an aggressive playstyle. pestering opponents with hadoukens from afar to force an approach, only to rack up damage once they close in thanks to Ryu's many, many true combos at various percents. Some like to play Ryu the way he's played in Street Fighter, which is as a poking/counterpoking character. Making use of the decent range on many of his moves and his projectiles, these players attempt to "Wall-Out" opponents and punish them swiftly for unsafe approaches. The character can also play "Lame" or defensive. His fireballs aren't amazing but a projectile can still give a lot of opponents problems. In matches, I myself like to get a feel for my opponent and adapt my playstyle accordingly. Extremely aggressive opponents can be easily walled out, and characters that themselves like to wall out ought to be rushed down. Ryu has a hard time dealing with a lot of projectiles, characters like Duck Hunt give him trouble. But where Ryu excels against defensive characters is his amazing KO potential and medium-high percents.

To me, Ryu seems like a very good mix between what you are accustomed to and something new! I do think Bayonetta sounds very good too, but like you said, we have no idea what she'll be like. I would definitely keep your eye on her.

As for whether you should play more than three characters, I think you should stick to an absolute maximum of three characters that you would use in serious matches. Each character you play should bring something unique to your roster, serve a different purpose for serious matches, and teach you something new. For example...

- Dr. Mario is my best and most comfortable character, and my go-to for most matches. He has great power and frame data, but he can suffer in neutral against some characters. He has taught me all of my fundamentals, and my play with him continues to strengthen these.

- Mii Gunner is able to play defensively and wall out her opponents. If I don't feel comfortable approaching an opponent as Dr. Mario, Mii Gunner is next on the list. If I do not fear early KOs or being up close constantly from my opponent, this is where Gunner's strengths will shine. She has taught me how to think outside of the box and use mixups to their fullest potential, as well as work with a limited toolkit.

If you play too many characters, it becomes a waste because you don't learn things from your other characters, and nor do you really take all of them to their fullest advantage. It's fine to play as many characters as you want for friendlies or jokes, but place a limit on the characters you intend to use seriously.

 

[NEStalgia314]

Mario is a great and easy character that can be good secondary with little commitment.

Thanks! I should be able to cover most MUs with that 3 character spread, right?

 

[Vapo]

I have a dilemma:

Spoiler: its long

So since I first unlocked him in Brawl my main has been Toon Link. I never really went in to the competitive side of Smash back when I played Brawl so I never considered picking up anyone else. However I'm now starting to take Smash 4 more competitively, and in the past 5~ months I've learnt all about stuff like tech, matchups, tiers, frame data, all that stuff. The reason why I want someone to dual-main Toon Link with in this game is because of some of his bad matchups, most notably Rosa and Mario (but also some minor ones like Fox, Zamus and Sonic). Here are a couple of characters I've cycled through:


Jigglypuff is my favourite non-Tink character to play, but my problem with her is that she's so bad it's painful. It also sucks knowing that any effort I put in to Jiggs would probably be much better put in to like Sheik or someone if I want results, and ultimately putting it in to Jiggs is kinda a waste. There's also the fact that my main form of practice is online, in which it's hard to get stuff like Rest due to input lag, which is a real downer on me playing her.


I have fun playing with Villager due to his projectile and zoning game and his ability to create frame traps (something I I love doing as Toon Link), and used to secondary him but my problem is that he shares the same bad matchups Toon Link does, and only really helps as a pocket (pun not intended) for Luigi or something. Plus I also have the same playstyle with him as with Toon Link, so he's kinda redundant.


I also tried Rosa for a bit, to attempt to fight fire with fire (or, well, Luma with Luma), but she's too technical in my opinion (eg. Lunar Landing) to keep up her and Toon Link, who is also quite technical with stuff like JCBT, IZAC, C4 to remember and practice. I feel like focusing my efforts on her would make my Toon Link worse, or at least less focused.



Other random characters I've cycled through are Sheik (whom with I felt using Tink as well was redundant due to Sheik's lack of bad matchups), Pac-Man (same issue as Villager), Lucas (mix of Puff and Villager), Pika (trouble killing, technical) and Shulk (mix of Puff and Rosa).



Here are some things I like in a character:

- Good projectile or zoning game (ability to create frame traps is an added bonus).
- Preferably at least somewhat fast either on the ground or in the air.
- Easy ways to kill. (I'm looking at Duck Hunt and Pikachu here)
- The main thing I'm looking for with this other main is good Rosa and Mario matchups.

tl;dr: I main Toon Link, have struggles with Rosa and Mario, am cycling through secondaries, like zoning and easy kills.

 

[Samtrecht]

I really need help with my mains! If anyone can help me thanks in advance. Now here's my problem:

Spoiler

I've played most smash games (Excluding melee) and since the beginning I've faced the same problem over and over again: Who is my main?

At first in the 64 era I didn't mind much my choices because I was little and the rooster was quite small aswell. But as the time passed and I transitioned to brawl, this problem became much more noticeable, and since I played a lot of characters without a certain focus I wasn't particulary good with anyone (Exept snake maybe) and even if those times are kind of distant now, the problem persists and I am at loss about what can I do.

Nowdays I own Sm4sh on the 3DS and while the main's trouble countinues (To a lesser but still noticeable extent) and now with the addition of a more refined online play (Yay!) I feel that now it's the time to finally put an end to this situation.

The characters I play mainly consists on the history that I had with them and their playstyles to a lesser extent. An while that doesn't seem bad, It led me to a really noticeable weaknesses: one of them being that I virtually I play characters with no proyectiles at all, and that most of them seem to be mid tier at best.

I feel however that very few characters I play suit my playstyle of being a really aggresive, almost, if not reckless offense. It's my playstyle the one who has to change? or is there a character(s) who can suit my playstyle?

My current "mains" are Little mac, Ike, Roy (FE), Captain Falcon and I've trying to learn aboy Greninja recently.
Most of them had little success on online play (Yes I know the lag can worsen my game but my location leaves me with few options) since I've lost to most of the matches I've played since the launch of the game back in October last year (Win ratio about 43%)
Is For glory a nice place to practice? Is playing with bots recommended? (I can beat lvl 9's without much problem) What can I do to improve my game? Is there a character that I've overlooked that can suit me? If there's any tip or recommendation that someone can give me,you have my sincere thanks

PD: English it's not my mother language. Sorry for any typos.

 

[Dokokashira]

Vapo I've been trying to think of a character that fits your criteria, but unfortunately, the only thing that comes to mind for me is Meta Knight. Not only can I not really see you liking him too much, but he doesn't even fit all of it. I believe the general opinion of him is that he has a good matchup against Rosalina and a decent matchup against Mario, if not a good one as well. As for easy kills, I don't believe that his kills are necessarily easy, and they will require some work, but I don't think they're as hard as Pikachu. (I have experience playing Pikachu-- I know the struggle!) He obviously has no kind of projectile and he's pretty fast on the ground, but not so much in the air.

I suppose you could also pick up Mario and fight fire with fire (literally this time, hehe) if doing that with Rosalina didn't go well.

I honestly think your best plan of action would be to just see what you can do in the matchup as Toon Link. Smash isn't a game of black and white matchups; there's a lot more. Unless you're going to majors whenever one pops up and you're a regional threat, individual player skill and matchup knowledge will trump a bad matchup every time. Grind the Mario and Rosalina matchups to the bone and learn how their players think. Memorize string and kill percentages both for and against you. As a mid/low tier main, people aren't going to be fully prepared for your character and they'll likely play just off of basic fundamentals and what tidbits of information they might know about your character. Take full advantage of this. If there's a special mixup, tech, or other quality about your character that's not well-known, save for it the perfect moment and then unleash it in full charge. Toon Link's got lots of tools that can take opponents by surprise, so try using those to their fullest to overcome the crappy matchups.

 

[Deleted member]

Thanks! I should be able to cover most MUs with that 3 character spread, right?

Yup! Cloud is kinda unnecessary with Mario, but if you still want to use him you could, especially since Cloud isn't a too difficult character.

I really need help with my mains! If anyone can help me thanks in advance. Now here's my problem:

Spoiler

I've played most smash games (Excluding melee) and since the beginning I've faced the same problem over and over again: Who is my main?

At first in the 64 era I didn't mind much my choices because I was little and the rooster was quite small aswell. But as the time passed and I transitioned to brawl, this problem became much more noticeable, and since I played a lot of characters without a certain focus I wasn't particulary good with anyone (Exept snake maybe) and even if those times are kind of distant now, the problem persists and I am at loss about what can I do.

Nowdays I own Sm4sh on the 3DS and while the main's trouble countinues (To a lesser but still noticeable extent) and now with the addition of a more refined online play (Yay!) I feel that now it's the time to finally put an end to this situation.

The characters I play mainly consists on the history that I had with them and their playstyles to a lesser extent. An while that doesn't seem bad, It led me to a really noticeable weaknesses: one of them being that I virtually I play characters with no proyectiles at all, and that most of them seem to be mid tier at best.

I feel however that very few characters I play suit my playstyle of being a really aggresive, almost, if not reckless offense. It's my playstyle the one who has to change? or is there a character(s) who can suit my playstyle?

My current "mains" are Little mac, Ike, Roy (FE), Captain Falcon and I've trying to learn aboy Greninja recently.
Most of them had little success on online play (Yes I know the lag can worsen my game but my location leaves me with few options) since I've lost to most of the matches I've played since the launch of the game back in October last year (Win ratio about 43%)
Is For glory a nice place to practice? Is playing with bots recommended? (I can beat lvl 9's without much problem) What can I do to improve my game? Is there a character that I've overlooked that can suit me? If there's any tip or recommendation that someone can give me,you have my sincere thanks

PD: English it's not my mother language. Sorry for any typos.

I notice you main a lot of characters. I suggest you find one, or maybe two, characters that you really like only dedicate serious time into them.

There are aggressive characters, like Sheik and Fox, but even they sometimes have to become defensive. There is no character that you can be reckless with and succeed. You can still be aggressive, but do not be reckless about it, and become more thoughtful about you and your opponents capabilities in a situation. Captain Falcon is known for being an aggressive character, but he often has to play defensive too.

For Glory is a decent place to practice. Not as good as local tournaments, but it is much better than CPUs. CPUs are not a good place to practice as they will give you bad habits. Anther's Ladder is a good place to play, and the players there are generally much better than those on For Glory.

Since you claim to play reckless aggression, one of your problems might be that you don't think about the options of you and your opponent and observe them. This is a good read about working on that.

I also recommend watching videos of top level Smashers of your main. Look at the way they play and what they do, and ask yourself why.

Best of luck to you!

 

[C0rvus]

So I really am a big fan of , but I've tried to mess around with him a little bit and had some trouble. Regardless I know it's because he takes a lot of work to succeed with, which doesn't deter me. The issue I've always faced in regards to Pac Man is: is it worth the effort? It seems like he loses to characters I already struggle with (Mario and Fox especially) and it's disheartening to watch a player like Zage put in work but still lose to shofu.

The thing is, after seeing 3 Pac men in top 8 at that Japanese major, I feel like I have no right to question his viability. I just wanted some opinions from Pac players I guess. He seems like a super cool character with a lot of ways to play. Is it fun to compete with him? Should I devote myself to the yellow overlord?

 

[Samtrecht]

Yup! Cloud is kinda unnecessary with Mario, but if you still want to use him you could, especially since Cloud isn't a too difficult character.


I notice you main a lot of characters. I suggest you find one, or maybe two, characters that you really like only dedicate serious time into them.

There are aggressive characters, like Sheik and Fox, but even they sometimes have to become defensive. There is no character that you can be reckless with and succeed. You can still be aggressive, but do not be reckless about it, and become more thoughtful about you and your opponents capabilities in a situation. Captain Falcon is known for being an aggressive character, but he often has to play defensive too.

For Glory is a decent place to practice. Not as good as local tournaments, but it is much better than CPUs. CPUs are not a good place to practice as they will give you bad habits. Anther's Ladder is a good place to play, and the players there are generally much better than those on For Glory.

Since you claim to play reckless aggression, one of your problems might be that you don't think about the options of you and your opponent and observe them. This is a good read about working on that.

I also recommend watching videos of top level Smashers of your main. Look at the way they play and what they do, and ask yourself why.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks a lot Daemon, I'll be taking a look at those guides and think a more balanced strategy... and hopefully find my main

 

[Plesioth]

Plesioth Thanks a lot for your advice and suggestions. I'll definitely keep it in mind!

From what I've read, you seem to want a character that:

- Relies slightly more on their ground game than their aerial game
- Has good or decent recovery
- Is able to play both offensively and defensively (presumably being able to switch between the two on the fly)
- May be attractive to those coming from a Marvel background
- Not as big of a deal, but you also seem to enjoy humorous characters

I feel like Ryu might be a good fit for you, especially if you want a pocket character that you can bring out in unpleasant matchups. I almost never play the character, so I can't give you very concise information, but from what I know, Ryu uses his (seemingly incredibly long-ranged) aerials and Hadouken to pester the opponent, and then when they are vulnerable, he's able to unleash a flurry of true and versatile combos. As a player who plays defensive characters, you're likely very used to the idea of walking out overly aggressive foes. Ryu is capable of just that! This quote from a Ryu guide might help you understand.



To me, Ryu seems like a very good mix between what you are accustomed to and something new! I do think Bayonetta sounds very good too, but like you said, we have no idea what she'll be like. I would definitely keep your eye on her.

As for whether you should play more than three characters, I think you should stick to an absolute maximum of three characters that you would use in serious matches. Each character you play should bring something unique to your roster, serve a different purpose for serious matches, and teach you something new. For example...

- Dr. Mario is my best and most comfortable character, and my go-to for most matches. He has great power and frame data, but he can suffer in neutral against some characters. He has taught me all of my fundamentals, and my play with him continues to strengthen these.

- Mii Gunner is able to play defensively and wall out her opponents. If I don't feel comfortable approaching an opponent as Dr. Mario, Mii Gunner is next on the list. If I do not fear early KOs or being up close constantly from my opponent, this is where Gunner's strengths will shine. She has taught me how to think outside of the box and use mixups to their fullest potential, as well as work with a limited toolkit.

If you play too many characters, it becomes a waste because you don't learn things from your other characters, and nor do you really take all of them to their fullest advantage. It's fine to play as many characters as you want for friendlies or jokes, but place a limit on the characters you intend to use seriously.

You pretty much nailed what i want in a character.

Thanks! I'll consider using Ryu seriously again. He seemed fun from when i did used him on the 3ds version(and i was actually one of the better Ryu on 3ds FG when he did 1st came out for what that worth), just need to get his shoryuken input down consistently. Outside of that, He is fun to use coming from a SF background, and i enjoy just how strong his neutral game is, but yet have a strong combo game.I've been looking for a DLC character to used as well, considering that i spent almost $40 on just dlc.

As for my main issue, i'll probably just make Villager and G&W my go to characters, leave Wario to cover bad MUs(he deal with rushdown well with chomp), and have Ryu and Bayonetta (If she as fun to play as she looks) for playing around more.

 

[Caz1]

I need main advice! I mostly play Melee, and when I do I solely play Marth. Unfortunately he doesn't really work in this game from what I've seen. I'm not one to switch off a character because they aren't as competitive, but I will certainly switch off if the design and playstyle changes and that has definitely happened.

What characters in this game have a comparable design to melee Marth? Here's what I think of when I think of Marth:

• A character that strongly rewards a good spacing game
• Incredible dash-dance (obviously doesn't exist in this game, but good neutral game mobility might?)
• Natural, paced combo flow
• Low percent kill possibilities through edgeguarding and spikes

So is there anyone in this game that plays kind of like melee Marth?

 

[C0rvus]

Sounds a lot like Cloud, Caz1

His dash is really good and you can act out of it quickly. Here is what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1My7bD3STc
Obviously he's got a big sword and 2 very strong spikes. His Limit attacks and normals can easily cover multiple ledge options, but going offstage is rarely a great idea. Probably has the best all around mobility of all the sword characters in the game.

We aren't too sure of how competitive he is, but he at the very least a viable character. If you ask me, he seems very strong and has a promising future ahead of him. I think you should give him a try.

If you don't want to pay for a character, maybe try and especially .

 

[F. Stein]

So, my main is Ganondorf purely out of devotion for maining him in Melee. I enjoy playing with him even though he is based on hard reads and is overall difficult to play. I think he's a lot worse than his melee incarnation but i love him just the same.

I need a character to teach me everything that I wouldn't learn with g4non. I've never used heavy projectile characters and the fastest character I've played in any game is probably mario. I am good at reading movements and I love grinding/training something to get it down. Any suggestions for who I can play in sm4sh?

Likes:
Kill potential
Grab Game
Combos Potential (long or short doesn't matter)

Dislikes:
Bad Shields
Weak airs
B-moves that have no real good use inside a match

Willing to work with:
Projectiles
High skill ceilings
repetitive combos
Marginally fast characters

That should help narrow it down to 2 or 3 that I can try out?

 

[Caz1]

Sounds a lot like Cloud, Caz1

His dash is really good and you can act out of it quickly. Here is what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1My7bD3STc
Obviously he's got a big sword and 2 very strong spikes. His Limit attacks and normals can easily cover multiple ledge options, but going offstage is rarely a great idea. Probably has the best all around mobility of all the sword characters in the game.

We aren't too sure of how competitive he is, but he at the very least a viable character. If you ask me, he seems very strong and has a promising future ahead of him. I think you should give him a try.

If you don't want to pay for a character, maybe try and especially .

Ike's too big and slow for my tastes. I'm open to trying Greninja and Rosalina though! Why do you say "especially" Rosalina?

For Cloud, I don't really want to buy him just yet so he's not an option.

 

[Plesioth]

So, my main is Ganondorf purely out of devotion for maining him in Melee. I enjoy playing with him even though he is based on hard reads and is overall difficult to play. I think he's a lot worse than his melee incarnation but i love him just the same.

I need a character to teach me everything that I wouldn't learn with g4non. I've never used heavy projectile characters and the fastest character I've played in any game is probably mario. I am good at reading movements and I love grinding/training something to get it down. Any suggestions for who I can play in sm4sh?

Likes:
Kill potential
Grab Game
Combos Potential (long or short doesn't matter)

Dislikes:
Bad Shields
Weak airs
B-moves that have no real good use inside a match

Willing to work with:
Projectiles
High skill ceilings
repetitive combos
Marginally fast characters

That should help narrow it down to 2 or 3 that I can try out?

Ness sounds good, considering that hes a decently fast character with a strong grab game, kill potential in most of his aerials( Bair, Uair, dair that spike, nair that stage spikes, and fair can kill offstage) along with his insane bthrow and pk thunder missle killing around the same %. He can also combo off of pk fire,dthrow, and sometimes pk thunder, making him great at dealing damage. His nair is good for OoS as well as being a good get off of me move. His projectile game is basically pk fire for combos, and pk thunder for long range, combos, and occasional gimps. His biggest weakness is his reacovery being medicore and being gimpable, as well as his lack of range. PK Flash is basically the projectile form of Warlock punch(i.e. being slow and hard to land, but kill at stupid low percents), but is actually usable in some cases. Psi magnet asorb energy and can stall him in the air, giving it some utility outside of projectiles. Ness have the killpower of a heavyweight, but a strong combo game as well with pk fire and dthrow, making him able to dish out damage AND kill power, making him a good supplement to Dorf.

Other characters who might be a match are:(if flamethrower counts as a projectile),,,,

 

[C0rvus]

Ike's too big and slow for my tastes. I'm open to trying Greninja and Rosalina though! Why do you say "especially" Rosalina?

For Cloud, I don't really want to buy him just yet so he's not an option.

Rosalina has a good dash dance, so I think she might be a good fit. She also lives and dies by her spacing, very much has the capacity for early edgeguards, and is a very competitive character. She isn't as combo heavy as Melee Marth though. Greninja has a whole slew of combos and good movement. He's less zoning and more am bushing and hit and run, but spacing is important for poking and hitting your optimal combos.

 

[Snowy.]

Hi, I'm a fairly new player and honestly I just cannot seem to find a character that I feel confident with. When looking at the roster no character stands out to me which makes things pretty difficult since most guides I've read about choosing a main either say pick your favourite or choose a top tier. I don't seem to have a favourite and I don't really feel as though I'm skilled enough to use a top tier correctly, not to mention that I can't seem to find a definitive tier list in the first place so I don't exactly know which characters are considered top tier >~<

any advice would be very helpful, thanks!

 

[Deleted member]

Hi, I'm a fairly new player and honestly I just cannot seem to find a character that I feel confident with. When looking at the roster no character stands out to me which makes things pretty difficult since most guides I've read about choosing a main either say pick your favourite or choose a top tier. I don't seem to have a favourite and I don't really feel as though I'm skilled enough to use a top tier correctly, not to mention that I can't seem to find a definitive tier list in the first place so I don't exactly know which characters are considered top tier >~<

any advice would be very helpful, thanks!

Identify what your playstyle is. Do you like to rushdown in your opponent's face and pressure them? Or do you like precise spacing at an ideal range? Or maybe even playing defensive with elaborate set ups?

While there isn't any tier list out there at the moment, there is the Reddit Monthly Community Tier List and the SmashBoards Community Tier List. Neither of these are completely accurate but they should give you a good idea on who the top/high tiers are.

Don't feel that skill should prevent you from maining a top tier. Not every top tier is difficult to use. Mario, Sonic, Ness, Captain Falcon, and Luigi are examples of high tier characters that are easy to use. Also, remember that skill will grow over time.

 

[Snowy.]

Identify what your playstyle is. Do you like to rushdown in your opponent's face and pressure them? Or do you like precise spacing at an ideal range? Or maybe even playing defensive with elaborate set ups?

While there isn't any tier list out there at the moment, there is the Reddit Monthly Community Tier List and the SmashBoards Community Tier List. Neither of these are completely accurate but they should give you a good idea on who the top/high tiers are.

Don't feel that skill should prevent you from maining a top tier. Not every top tier is difficult to use. Mario, Sonic, Ness, Captain Falcon, and Luigi are examples of high tier characters that are easy to use. Also, remember that skill will grow over time.

I don't really feel I'm a super defensive player however other than that I'm really unsure as to what type of player I am or what play style I prefer.

 

[Deleted member]

I don't really feel I'm a super defensive player however other than that I'm really unsure as to what type of player I am or what play style I prefer.

Try watching videos of others playing and notice what gets you excited or entertained when watching a match. You could also try playing on Random for a while and see what clicks with you or which character you enjoy the most.

 

[NEStalgia314]

So, my main is Ganondorf purely out of devotion for maining him in Melee. I enjoy playing with him even though he is based on hard reads and is overall difficult to play. I think he's a lot worse than his melee incarnation but i love him just the same.

I need a character to teach me everything that I wouldn't learn with g4non. I've never used heavy projectile characters and the fastest character I've played in any game is probably mario. I am good at reading movements and I love grinding/training something to get it down. Any suggestions for who I can play in sm4sh?

Likes:
Kill potential
Grab Game
Combos Potential (long or short doesn't matter)

Dislikes:
Bad Shields
Weak airs
B-moves that have no real good use inside a match

Willing to work with:
Projectiles
High skill ceilings
repetitive combos
Marginally fast characters

That should help narrow it down to 2 or 3 that I can try out?

Hey, fellow Ganon main here. I would recommend Cloud. Cloud's mobility, great nair and fast, powerful playstyle make him a great pair for a Ganon main. Remember all those insane MUs against Falcon, Duck Hunt, and Sheik, they just got a lot easier.

Plus, he's not too projectile heavy and he hits hard. I'd recommend him.

 

[Lady Kuki]

Is this thread still going on? If so, then I'll let you all know that I am in need for advice:

I'm planning on playing Smash 4 competitively as a hobby, and I'm having a hard time choosing a main; I have no clue whether I should make a certain character my main because they're top/high tier or because I'm comfortable with them. I seem to have bad luck when it comes to my mains; for some reason, I always become attracted to characters who are around mid to low tier. I don't really like many of the high tier characters. I dunno why, it's not because they're overused. It's just that they either not fit my play style, or they aren't a character I care about.

I love playing as sword fighters, or characters with range/disjoints. My favorite characters to use are Roy, Shulk and Cloud, all characters that are commonly believed to be mid to low tier. I know that there are high tier sword fighters like Ike and Meta Knight, but they're not characters I care about like I said. They may be objectively better, but I don't feel right playing as them.

I also like characters like Villager, Ness and Mega Man. Those are called zoning characters, right? They don't feel nearly as satisfying to play though; unlike the three other characters I play, they don't have high damage outputs. For that reason, I don't find these characters as fun to play. Pit and Dark Pit also are interesting, but I'm not sure to what extent. Out of all the characters from this group, I enjoy playing Ness the best. Any advice on what I should do here?

 

[Dokokashira]

Is this thread still going on? If so, then I'll let you all know that I am in need for advice:

I'm planning on playing Smash 4 competitively as a hobby, and I'm having a hard time choosing a main; I have no clue whether I should make a certain character my main because they're top/high tier or because I'm comfortable with them. I seem to have bad luck when it comes to my mains; for some reason, I always become attracted to characters who are around mid to low tier. I don't really like many of the high tier characters. I dunno why, it's not because they're overused. It's just that they either not fit my play style, or they aren't a character I care about.

I love playing as sword fighters, or characters with range/disjoints. My favorite characters to use are Roy, Shulk and Cloud, all characters that are commonly believed to be mid to low tier. I know that there are high tier sword fighters like Ike and Meta Knight, but they're not characters I care about like I said. They may be objectively better, but I don't feel right playing as them.

I also like characters like Villager, Ness and Mega Man. Those are called zoning characters, right? They don't feel nearly as satisfying to play though; unlike the three other characters I play, they don't have high damage outputs. For that reason, I don't find these characters as fun to play. Pit and Dark Pit also are interesting, but I'm not sure to what extent. Out of all the characters from this group, I enjoy playing Ness the best. Any advice on what I should do here?

Go for the character or characters that you enjoy playing the most. The place of a character on the tier list won't matter very much, anyway, unless you're at a decently high level of play. If you're just starting out now, you've got quite some time before you reach that level.

When you're picking a main, don't let anything but your comfort with the character dictate your choice. Think about this way: there might be some characters that are perceived to be better than others, but a character's individual qualities might resonate with you more than a higher-tier character's. I'm a Dr. Mario main, and there's so many things I dislike about Mario. Even if I wanted to get better with Mario, I'd either have to force myself to like Mario's qualities more, or I'd do worse simply because Mario's qualities don't drive me to improve and play in the same way Dr. Mario's do. If I end up choosing a character because of their tier list placement, I either enjoy the game less or I force myself to change in a way that's not really that necessary. Doesn't sound like much of a hobby at that point if you ask me.

Good luck finding your main, and good luck in the world of Smash.

 

[Robo no Hana]

With Bayonetta being a thing I need a character to main that will help me adjust to faster characters and aerial combos and such because I fully intend to make her my main when she's released. Since all the characters I play consistently tend to be on the slow side and I'm not sure who would be the best choice...

I guess another thing I should be asking is if it's worth it to pick up a main outside of my play-style for a character I enjoy conceptually?

 

[dadominator8]

View attachment 41031​

The purpose of the thread is to provide a central location for people looking for advice on which character to main.

Others users are also encouraged to weigh in and offer their advice. So ask away!

For more specific advice on a particular character, please go to the Character Discussion forum.

So many characters, who to main?​

View attachment 41031​

The purpose of the thread is to provide a central location for people looking for advice on which character to main.

Others users are also encouraged to weigh in and offer their advice. So ask away!

For more specific advice on a particular character, please go to the Character Discussion forum.

So many characters, who to main?​

I think It's generally just smart to play any character you have fun with

 

[Whirlpool]

Ok so this is my problem,

I used to play the heck out of Smash 4 but then I got into Project M. I forgot all about Smash 4 (not literally) and practiced tech skill, memorized match ups, and looked at frame data.

Now, my friends got Smash 4 and Wii Us due to the holidays. I used to be an avid Rosalina main but after playing some online friendlies, I decided that she played really lame and boring.

I have been playing around with :

I am willing to solo main one of them, sell me on each one. Thanks!

 

[Plesioth]

Ok so this is my problem,

I used to play the heck out of Smash 4 but then I got into Project M. I forgot all about Smash 4 (not literally) and practiced tech skill, memorized match ups, and looked at frame data.

Now, my friends got Smash 4 and Wii Us due to the holidays. I used to be an avid Rosalina main but after playing some online friendlies, I decided that she played really lame and boring.

I have been playing around with :

I am willing to solo main one of them, sell me on each one. Thanks!

, Why? Refer back to your post and look to the left, right, and south of said post. It pretty obvious going off of that.

 

[W.A.C.]

I've been playing this game for over a year and have concluded I can't seem to find any character that truly fits my play style. I currently main Diddy Kong and Meta Knight, but as I have evolved as a player, I've realized that I am an extremely defensive player and probably didn't pick the best choices in terms of characters that best fit my play style. I basically want to play a character that's fast, super campy with projectiles, and very grab-centric. That works in some matchups with Diddy Kong, but much of the time I'm forced to play the matchup aggro. I love Vilager's and Pac-Man's play-styles, but I hate their grab animations, though I can at least deal with Villager's grab game because it has good rewards out of grabs and the animations aren't abysmal like Pac-Man's. Pac-Man's grab animation is so horrendous that I absolutely refuse to play that character. Do you guys have any suggestions on characters you feel I should consider?

 

[LRodC]

I've been playing this game for over a year and have concluded I can't seem to find any character that truly fits my play style. I currently main Diddy Kong and Meta Knight, but as I have evolved as a player, I've realized that I am an extremely defensive player and probably didn't pick the best choices in terms of characters that best fit my play style. I basically want to play a character that's fast, super campy with projectiles, and very grab-centric. That works in some matchups with Diddy Kong, but much of the time I'm forced to play the matchup aggro. I love Vilager's and Pac-Man's play-styles, but I hate their grab animations, though I can at least deal with Villager's grab game because it has good rewards out of grabs and the animations aren't abysmal like Pac-Man's. Pac-Man's grab animation is so horrendous that I absolutely refuse to play that character. Do you guys have any suggestions on characters you feel I should consider?

R.O.B.? Not very fast, but he fits most of your criteria. Not a lot of projectile heavy users have a good grab. WFT could be good too, but she doesn't get much reward from grabs.

 

[W.A.C.]

R.O.B.? Not very fast, but he fits most of your criteria. Not a lot of projectile heavy users have a good grab. WFT could be good too, but she doesn't get much reward from grabs.

I don't like ROB's neutral special because it takes forever to charge and its target is automated, plus doesn't Wii Fit Trainer not have a combo throw?

 

[LRodC]

I don't like ROB's neutral special because it takes forever to charge and its target is automated, plus doesn't Wii Fit Trainer not have a combo throw?

Yes, but it's common for projectile centric characters to not have good grabs or much reward from them. I was mostly referring to the down special for ROB. There aren't many (if any at all) that fit your archetype exactly.

 

[W.A.C.]

And this is why rush down characters primarily dominate the meta. :| Stuff like this is why I might just drop this game. 56 characters, yet hardly anyone fits my play style well because the meta is so aggro.

 

[Dokokashira]

And this is why rush down characters primarily dominate the meta. :| Stuff like this is why I might just drop this game. 56 characters, yet hardly anyone fits my play style well because the meta is so aggro.

Don't people complain that this game is too slow?

Unfortunately, I don't think there's any character that you'll be able to be 100% defensive with, just like there's no character you can be 100% aggressive with. I feel like the closest thing to what you're looking for in a character will come from Mega Man, Palutena, Olimar, or Rosalina.

Mega Man is almost entirely based around projectiles and can get all kinds of versatile setups from his moves. His grab is good, and he gets some grab reward, like some decently strong throws and kill options like RAR back air out of a down throw. His movement is somewhat slow, but that doesn't matter for the most part since he can force his opponents to approach in so many ways.

I'm good friends with a very skilled Palutena main. He says her game is based around walling the opponent out with her combination of range and speed. She's actually one of the faster characters in the game in terms of running and air speed! Unfortunately, she has poor frame data that can give her problems close up, which is why she's so defensive. She has a laggy grab animation, but it is not as bad as Villager or PAC-MAN's, and she has good damage potential out of her throws. She also has a lot of problems killing, and requires a good read to get off one of her smashes, but those moves are quite powerful.

Olimar can be tricky to use, but I feel like he's probably the most defensive out of all of the characters in the game, or at least up there. He has very good range, and his Pikmin can help him wall out both enemies and enemy projectiles. He's got a long grab with decent follow-up potential, and he even has a kill throw with his Blue Pikmin!

Rosalina was a bit of a shoo-in! She's infamous for her defensive play and I feel I shouldn't have to explain what makes her a decent candidate of a main for you.

Speaking as a 1111 Mii Gunner player, I feel she might also be something for you to look at. With customs, her zoning game improves a lot and she can wall out just about every character. It's tough to approach a character guarded by grenades, bombs, missiles, and forward air! She even has a neat movement option in gundashing, which allows her to fly through the air really fast. She has very little grab reward, which might be a turn-off for you, but you might just enjoy her zoning capabilities. Try out 3312!

 

[W.A.C.]

Mega Man: I don't like most of Mega Man's default specials, so he's a no go for me. I like his custom setup 1322 a lot though.
Palutena: Another character where I don't like most of her default specials, but really like her custom move set. :|
Olimar: I love Olimar, but the nerf they gave him in this game where his forward smash can be reflected back at him made him an unviable solo main in a game where so many characters have projectiles. His matchup ratios in this game are obnoxiously lopsided.
Rosalina: She's more of a campy fortress character than a campy projectile character. She just doesn't fit my play style as well as most defensive characters.
Mii Gunner: He's only fun if he's allowed to use way more than just average size 1111. :/ Also has a lackluster combo game out of grabs and I don't like his side specials.

 

[Plesioth]

I've been playing this game for over a year and have concluded I can't seem to find any character that truly fits my play style. I currently main Diddy Kong and Meta Knight, but as I have evolved as a player, I've realized that I am an extremely defensive player and probably didn't pick the best choices in terms of characters that best fit my play style. I basically want to play a character that's fast, super campy with projectiles, and very grab-centric. That works in some matchups with Diddy Kong, but much of the time I'm forced to play the matchup aggro. I love Vilager's and Pac-Man's play-styles, but I hate their grab animations, though I can at least deal with Villager's grab game because it has good rewards out of grabs and the animations aren't abysmal like Pac-Man's. Pac-Man's grab animation is so horrendous that I absolutely refuse to play that character. Do you guys have any suggestions on characters you feel I should consider?

Maybe ? He do have a good zoning game with metal blades, crash bombs, and the occasional F-Smash and leaf blades, and his grab is actually decent, with a combo throw. He isn't fast, but he isn't slow either. I don't play with him, so i cant go into specifics, but he sounds like what you are looking for: A zoner with a grab game and isn't slow.

might work too, but hes isn't fast either, and like someone else said should work, if you can get past the minimum 3 secs it takes to get a lazer(10 if you want super lazers), and that really there to supplement his gyros(his REAL focus).