Q&A The 'Mains' Advice Thread

[Mega-Spider]

Well I'll just main the character

Who do you play?

 

[C0rvus]

Monthly reminder to play the character(s) you enjoy the most. You won't stick with them if you can't play them for long periods of time without wanting to throw your controller or quit.

Also just forgot about this thread. Hope I can be helpful here. As for me, I've been the same as ever, but have been pretty solidly sticking to Corrin for quite a while. Things are looking pretty good, but I'm still throwing secondaries around and messing with other characters all the time. Some things never change.

 

[Kamdy]

Who do you play?

I've been trying out Sonic

 

[Mega-Spider]

I've been trying out Sonic

Hmm... good choice. Sonic has a lot of great things going with him, but you never want to become predictable. I suggest going to the Sonic section of the Smash 4 character topics and watch players like 6WX, Seagull Joe, SuperGirlKels, etc. That'll help you in the long run.

 

[11volt]

Here's a challenge: people of this thread, try to 'sell me' your main(s). Why are they good? What do you like about them? Why should somebody else main them?

 

[Kamdy]

Here's a challenge: people of this thread, try to 'sell me' your main(s). Why are they good? What do you like about them? Why should somebody else main them?

I'm not good at these sort of things :/

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Here's a challenge: people of this thread, try to 'sell me' your main(s). Why are they good? What do you like about them? Why should somebody else main them?

Is among the most aggressive characters in the game, he's up in your face with his hard hitting disjointed sword and scares you if you aren't careful his fast combos and amazing kill power make you fear death at 40%. 40%!!!!!
His agility and lengthy combos make him hard to catch and hard to stop, he's got easy jab locks, thunder tricks, and one of the best recoveries, making him hard to mess without
His bomb game makes you feel like you're playing a 2v1 against your opponent, always hitting them up for a nice follow up. Also making a wall of projectiles is fun.
He's crazy fast and in your face but also controls the speed of the game. Also he can kill at 60-70% one a regular basis.
He's also crazy face and aggresive and the shine spikes or fantastic.

Btw aren't my mains but pockets.

 

[Locuan]

Here's a challenge: people of this thread, try to 'sell me' your main(s). Why are they good? What do you like about them? Why should somebody else main them?

Oh I like this.

: A character of grace and precision. While his move-set is fairly straight forward in terms of what they do and how he plays, this precision factor makes him one of the hardest characters to use at high level in my view. Also playing zoning/footsies with disjoints. (Fun)^100

 

[LookAway]

Hey everybody,

So while playing FG the other day I realized that I naturally want to play a rushdown style but my main (Falco) doesn't really support that style IMO. besides a character that fits this kind of play, I usually feel more comfortable with slower characters. Although, I'm not opposed to all of the fast characters, just a certain few because they feel SO awkward to me (fox, pikachu, falcon). I have no problems with projectiles and i like characters that have some complexity to them but that isn't a big deal. I honestly just don't know where to start but I'm open to pretty much anybody and i'll take any suggestions!

 

[Kamdy]

Hey everybody,

So while playing FG the other day I realized that I naturally want to play a rushdown style but my main (Falco) doesn't really support that style IMO. besides a character that fits this kind of play, I usually feel more comfortable with slower characters. Although, I'm not opposed to all of the fast characters, just a certain few because they feel SO awkward to me (fox, pikachu, falcon). I have no problems with projectiles and i like characters that have some complexity to them but that isn't a big deal. I honestly just don't know where to start but I'm open to pretty much anybody and i'll take any suggestions!

Try

 

[11volt]

Hey everybody,

So while playing FG the other day I realized that I naturally want to play a rushdown style but my main (Falco) doesn't really support that style IMO. besides a character that fits this kind of play, I usually feel more comfortable with slower characters. Although, I'm not opposed to all of the fast characters, just a certain few because they feel SO awkward to me (fox, pikachu, falcon). I have no problems with projectiles and i like characters that have some complexity to them but that isn't a big deal. I honestly just don't know where to start but I'm open to pretty much anybody and i'll take any suggestions!

For rushdown, seems like a good bet. She's quite complex and has a projectile (a great one at that). Once you have practiced her enough, she will flow really nicely and won't feel awkward like you said and do to you.

I should also mention, although is fast, he benefits most from a bait-and-punish playstyle and uses his speed to punish mistakes - hard. Maybe you could try him again but in this fashion.

 

[DJBor]

It's the movement speed that's getting you. I understand. This rules out as well. Try

1 11volt Sell you my main? Sorry, they don't cost $3.99 anymore.
OK, let's be real- if you want the "top tiers that aren't in the top tier", the high tiers are better than ever before. was in the right place at the right time, and suited a new "combo-breaker" style. And who doesn't love that pocket? (Apparently not Ranai)

 

[LookAway]

For rushdown, seems like a good bet. She's quite complex and has a projectile (a great one at that). Once you have practiced her enough, she will flow really nicely and won't feel awkward like you said and do to you.

I should also mention, although is fast, he benefits most from a bait-and-punish playstyle and uses his speed to punish mistakes - hard. Maybe you could try him again but in this fashion.

I'll give sheik a try for sure. With falcon it might not be that he feels awkward necessarily, it's really that I cant seem to get his movement down. like his extended dash dancing/foxtrot and I know that's a huge part of his game.

It's the movement speed that's getting you. I understand. This rules out as well. Try

Yeah sonic is definitely a no go lol and ZSS isn't that bad i just always miss her grab and I always mess up the spacing with her aerials.
I'll give those 4 a shot tonight though. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Kamdy]

It's the movement speed that's getting you. I understand. This rules out as well. Try

I dont think Sonic's speed is that overwhelming tbh. But that's just my opinion.

 

[AJb1205]

I currently main and second (Counter pick character). I am one of those people that likes playing multiple characters because I get bored eventually of playing the same characters all of the time so I want to learn more, so basically I want another main to have another character to play with. I play aggressively and I like these characters that I feel like I could learn: ,,,,
I also like these characters I feel like I would want to play but probably can't: ,,,

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

I currently main and second (Counter pick character). I am one of those people that likes playing multiple characters because I get bored eventually of playing the same characters all of the time so I want to learn more, so basically I want another main to have another character to play with. I play aggressively and I like these characters that I feel like I could learn: ,,,,
I also like these characters I feel like I would want to play but probably can't: ,,,

All you need is someone with a good recovery so id pick or . They'll also help you with sheik.

 

[11volt]

Slightly unusual question here: any advice on staying with a certain main or a few mains?

My biggest dilemma in Smash so far has been choosing mains. I can't stay with the same character or few characters for a substantial period of time and I never get close to even half-mastering a character. Furthermore, when I try to pick up new ones and practice using them, I play really badly and I feel kinda low. Then, I go to try and pick back up my older characters thinking I will play better and also do badly, making me feel even worse about myself. It's just a general hindrance of improvement and I want to sort it out.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Slightly unusual question here: any advice on staying with a certain main or a few mains?

My biggest dilemma in Smash so far has been choosing mains. I can't stay with the same character or few characters for a substantial period of time and I never get close to even half-mastering a character. Furthermore, when I try to pick up new ones and practice using them, I play really badly and I feel kinda low. Then, I go to try and pick back up my older characters thinking I will play better and also do badly, making me feel even worse about myself. It's just a general hindrance of improvement and I want to sort it out.

Find characters that are fun and go into the lab (training mode and practice combos and new weird stuff)

 

[DJBor]

Slightly unusual question here: any advice on staying with a certain main or a few mains?

My biggest dilemma in Smash so far has been choosing mains. I can't stay with the same character or few characters for a substantial period of time and I never get close to even half-mastering a character. Furthermore, when I try to pick up new ones and practice using them, I play really badly and I feel kinda low. Then, I go to try and pick back up my older characters thinking I will play better and also do badly, making me feel even worse about myself. It's just a general hindrance of improvement and I want to sort it out.

That's what this thread is here for. You need to discover your playstyle first before cementing who you will main.

 

[11volt]

That's what this thread is here for. You need to discover your playstyle first before cementing who you will main.

The other problem is that my playstyle is also quite volatile.
At this minute, I would say I am zoning/keepaway based with some bait and punish elements my current 'mains' are , and . However, only a little while ago I was playing very aggressive and I was using characters like ,, and . Then before that I played gimmicky with characters like , and .

I'm guessing cementing a playstyle would be good then?

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

The other problem is that my playstyle is also quite volatile.
At this minute, I would say I am zoning/keepaway based with some bait and punish elements my current 'mains' are , and . However, only a little while ago I was playing very aggressive and I was using characters like ,, and . Then before that I played gimmicky with characters like , and .

I'm guessing cementing a playstyle would be good then?

Play and all rounder so you can do both so I'd suggest playing

 

[Mega-Spider]

1 11volt I'd highly suggest you develop your style before you find a main. Play some characters, and find the play style you like the most.

 

[C0rvus]

I think that it's possible to not really have a standout style. I myself tried a long time to pin down how I play, but really I couldn't draw any real conclusions. I could be aggressive or prefer pressure, or be evasive and safe, or try and control my zone very well. Depends on the character I was playing. Like, I might find going in and overwhelming my opponent, but I cannot rightly get away with that unless my character is suited to that. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I just try to play characters "properly", and didn't find I had a distinct style to my play.

A friend gave me some advice that amounted to "find the character that interests you the most or that you can identify with. The type of player you are and the character you play meld together to create your style." So don't get too hung up on trying characters who are generalized as "aggressive" or "campy". Just find the characters you have interest in or you want to represent you, and the rest will follow suit.

Just food for thought from a guy who has spent too much time mulling these things over.

 

[DJBor]

You want a character that's everything at once: Spacing, rushdown, gimmix, and baiting. And it sounds like an all around isn't the best bet. Who could fit this role...
? It's a long shot, but maybe. She's very difficult and requires timing, balance, and a bit of luck, but she can perform all 4 of the above styles.
? Another tough call, but mostly because he rarely sees the limelight. From the Jade v. Trela match, it looks like Junior can use multiple playstyles.
? Not great at rushdown, but he is all the other 3 aspects in droves. As he/she's already your main, it's no issue to continue.
? Possibly. Though his projectile is... pretty bad, his disjoints are not. He can rush down vertically, has well-rounded stats (outside of weight) and has the sickest baits.
? Nah, he's probably too difficult. Unless you're up to the challenge, that is.

 

[Drifting]

1 11volt might sound a bit stereotypical lol but Cloud sounds like a great fit for you.

He certainly has decent keepaway with his nair and stuff, and is also quite aggressive. We all know how well he can punish.

 

[Ralugi]

I am starting to lose my perception of mains. My play style is beginning to evolve. I used to be a very spammy defensive tank, and when people started to point it out, I started seeing flaws in my play that could be exploited.

Then the shenanigans began. I have toggled between and .

I can't really find what all these characters have in common. I get decent results from all of them, but only at certain times.

I've chosen recently to go back to my original main, . But after using Luigi and Marth for so long, my Samus has become aggressive and combo orriented, leaving holes in the attack. Though I'm noticing I've been spiking and killing much faster as a result, as well as reaching much higher percentages.

On the flipside, I've been using , who has an overwhelmin number of options, leaving so many creative combos to be made on the fly.

So should I continue my use of a tanky yet aggressive character, or go full on rushdown and losing kill power.

 

[11volt]

1 11volt might sound a bit stereotypical lol but Cloud sounds like a great fit for you.

He certainly has decent keepaway with his nair and stuff, and is also quite aggressive. We all know how well he can punish.

Oddly, I have dabbled with Cloud and I really don't like playing him despite the fact he should, in theory, fit my playstyle. What doesn't help too is the fact I also feel like a total douche playing characters like Cloud.

 

[11volt]

I am starting to lose my perception of mains. My play style is beginning to evolve. I used to be a very spammy defensive tank, and when people started to point it out, I started seeing flaws in my play that could be exploited.

Then the shenanigans began. I have toggled between and .

I can't really find what all these characters have in common. I get decent results from all of them, but only at certain times.

I've chosen recently to go back to my original main, . But after using Luigi and Marth for so long, my Samus has become aggressive and combo orriented, leaving holes in the attack. Though I'm noticing I've been spiking and killing much faster as a result, as well as reaching much higher percentages.

On the flipside, I've been using , who has an overwhelmin number of options, leaving so many creative combos to be made on the fly.

So should I continue my use of a tanky yet aggressive character, or go full on rushdown and losing kill power.

If you are having success with , keep playing her. She can kill incredibly early, despite being rushdown-capable. can easily stay as a secondary if you want to play a bit more slowly and zone-heavy.

 

[Mega-Spider]

Ralugi Make sure you actually enjoy playing ZSS. I'm sure the fact that you're winning tons of games helps that, but I always prefer to play characters I'm passionate about, hence why I main Megs and Kirby.

 

[Joey T.]

Hi everyone, looking for some help here.
I've been playing this game since release and I cannot find one or two characters to stick with. Somehow, the "frustration" of not finding my char led me to explore other fighting games, such as SFV. And I must say, I've never found my mains as quick as I've done with this game. Ryu and Chun-li are my two characters to go: one based on the fundamentals of the game, the other being extremely deep and technical.
So I thought that it must be a good idea to carry this line of thought to this game, so here comes my question: which chars can fit these roles? Not looking for one char that can do both, but rather a combination of chars that follow that criteria.

Sorry if this was too long, and thanks for all your help! Really appreciate it.

 

[LookAway]

Hi everyone, looking for some help here.
I've been playing this game since release and I cannot find one or two characters to stick with. Somehow, the "frustration" of not finding my char led me to explore other fighting games, such as SFV. And I must say, I've never found my mains as quick as I've done with this game. Ryu and Chun-li are my two characters to go: one based on the fundamentals of the game, the other being extremely deep and technical.
So I thought that it must be a good idea to carry this line of thought to this game, so here comes my question: which chars can fit these roles? Not looking for one char that can do both, but rather a combination of chars that follow that criteria.

Sorry if this was too long, and thanks for all your help! Really appreciate it.

For fundamentals I think are a good start. and for a char. that's deep and technical i think ironically is a good fit IMO.

 

[DJBor]

You play SFV, then Ryu should not be a challenge. So that leaves a well-rounded Smash-based character. The most fundamental character would be someone with a projectile, decent speed and frame data, moderate smash power, low technical requirement, good recovery, and a defensive move like a reflector, counter, or item pull. I think is very easy, as well as as mentioned earlier. (Oh, and I forgot too, but they are a little more challenging.)

 

[Joey T.]

Thanks a lot for the answers people, but those chars aren't exactly what I am looking for. I would try to explain it again, but I don't think I can word it good enough to be honest. I guess this is a decision I must take care by my own.

Again, thanks a lot for your help and for taking the time to reply me!

 

[Ralugi]

Ralugi Make sure you actually enjoy playing ZSS. I'm sure the fact that you're winning tons of games helps that, but I always prefer to play characters I'm passionate about, hence why I main Megs and Kirby.

Yeah, but I'm still concerned about her agility. I'm just not used to having so many options in a character.

Other than that, I think my Samus is still stronger than ZSS in the current state. It's the transition between being so slow to so fast that throws me off.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

Wow. has a lot of jab lock set ups...Also combos are so deadly. 5 hits and you fear death.

I believe are the two best in the game. Speed is key, like trunks vs Cell in dbz it doesn't matter how hard you hit, it you can't hit them then you'll never beat them. Speed is the best thing in this game, fast moves, movement, recovery. When looking for main/ mains make sure you have speed. Cause if you play you might have an amazing matchup coverage but as soon as you hit someone you can't catch, you loose. But also if you're just all speed, say , you won't stand a chance against someone who can catch you AND kill you. Aka. Make sure you keep a good balance. Like I have speed , kill power , and of both . Don't sleep on some of the heavies like . They're not as slow as you think...

If you wanna try out a new main, go into training mode. After seeing the 64 combo contest at ssc I was inspired to try out combos. In this I've found a new love for as well as improving my . It's a great way to have fun with combos as well as trying weird stuff that just works for some reason.

 

[AJb1205]

What I like in characters:
-Not slow, heavy hitters (Ike, bowser, charizard)
-Good recovery (Basically not a trash one)
-Fast moves and smashes
-Not too much movement speed (Not good at fast characters)
-Nice amount of kill options (Like ness with his pk flash, f smash,pk thunder 2, back throw, up air)
-Useful Kill throw? Maybe.
-Not a difficult character to learn

Who I currently like: (I'll still accept other characters though unless I hate using them)

Give me multiple answers/Characters to test!

 

[DJBor]

Oh awesome, you analyzed your playstyle. Well, guess I gotta say that Mewtwo and Roy might be too fast for you. (they're too fast for me, and I play so...)
is the best pick out of the six you provided, with as a close second.
may not have a KO throw, but if you deeply study his options percentwise, you'll find that each of his throws gain some great niche options when your percent and your opponents' percent line up just right.
is very slow movement wise, and his recovery is pretty weak. However, he's got everything else you want, plus the largest disjoints in Smash 4. And if you really need to get around faster, just spam side special.
A personal recommendation: . His moves are very fast, he has powerful throws, he can finish opponents off (and he doesn't need the waft to do so btw), and as long as you can handle his wicked air control, he fulfills your request.
Sounds like you really like , what made you drop him in the first place? His recovery? If so, why not try ?

 

[LookAway]

What I like in characters:
-Not slow, heavy hitters (Ike, bowser, charizard)
-Good recovery (Basically not a trash one)
-Fast moves and smashes
-Not too much movement speed (Not good at fast characters)
-Nice amount of kill options (Like ness with his pk flash, f smash,pk thunder 2, back throw, up air)
-Useful Kill throw? Maybe.
-Not a difficult character to learn

Who I currently like: (I'll still accept other characters though unless I hate using them)

Give me multiple answers/Characters to test!

Has plenty of kill options with aura/rage in effect. The only complaint I have about him is that if you die early for whatever reason, the match becomes significantly tougher due to the fact that lucario isn't anything special when he has no aura. His smashes also might not be the fastest but if you get a good read they can be devastating. The most satisfying thing about lucario imo is catching your opponent in your charging aura sphere hitbox then canceling into up-smash. Nothing feels more rewarding.

 

[Nice_FZPSC.42]

What I like in characters:
-Not slow, heavy hitters (Ike, bowser, charizard)
-Good recovery (Basically not a trash one)
-Fast moves and smashes
-Not too much movement speed (Not good at fast characters)
-Nice amount of kill options (Like ness with his pk flash, f smash,pk thunder 2, back throw, up air)
-Useful Kill throw? Maybe.
-Not a difficult character to learn

Who I currently like: (I'll still accept other characters though unless I hate using them)

Give me multiple answers/Characters to test!

Really don't have the best recoveries but if you like them then go for it. Try . They fit those qualifications. Is fairly hard to use sane with .

 

[AJb1205]

Oh awesome, you analyzed your playstyle. Well, guess I gotta say that Mewtwo and Roy might be too fast for you. (they're too fast for me, and I play so...)
is the best pick out of the six you provided, with as a close second.
may not have a KO throw, but if you deeply study his options percentwise, you'll find that each of his throws gain some great niche options when your percent and your opponents' percent line up just right.
is very slow movement wise, and his recovery is pretty weak. However, he's got everything else you want, plus the largest disjoints in Smash 4. And if you really need to get around faster, just spam side special.
A personal recommendation: . His moves are very fast, he has powerful throws, he can finish opponents off (and he doesn't need the waft to do so btw), and as long as you can handle his wicked air control, he fulfills your request.
Sounds like you really like , what made you drop him in the first place? His recovery? If so, why not try ?

I'm not dropping Ness, I just want a second main so I don't get bored. Doing the same thing over and over when here are pleanty of oher options to try bores me so I want to pick up another character. Mewtwo and Roy aren't too fast for me btw.

Really don't have the best recoveries but if you like them then go for it. Try . They fit those qualifications. Is fairly hard to use sane with .

Mewtwo isn't that hard for me to use. But I will try the rest of them. Thanks!