Q&A The 'Mains' Advice Thread

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Symptoms: Good recovery, hard to edgeguard, adaptable and varied playstyle. You should check out or .
Don't look down on , sure she's hard to play as but she has a lot of the aspects you're looking for.

Here's a list of a few characters that I find easy to edgeguard against. Might want to avoid these, but it's your choice:

 

[ProjectTwin]

Lets say by some chance, Rayman makes Smash.Could anyone tell me which current existing character match Rayman's weight , ground / air speed and move-set the closest? I want to play those characters to get a feel of Rayman lol

 

[Tiberius]

.............

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

I can see you're brand new to the forums. Look for a forum called "Falcon CHAT!" for all things Captain Falcon. If you're here to help people find mains for Smash 4, you've come to the right place!

 

[SSJDavidas]

Ok, here goes nothing:

I've been playing smash since the original Melee days, so I'm looking for some help on character selection because at this point I am too biased and always end up choosing characters that let me sink back into really bad habits (looking at you Marth).

I'd consider myself "decent" at this game. I will admit, I use to think I was pretty good at it... until I played Smash 4 and experienced For Glory and playing against true tournament level players. I have many bad habits that are hard to break that I'm trying to work on - like rolling - but I'm slowly overcoming them. Though if anyone has some advice on how to reverse the rolling habit, I'm all ears. I literally spent my time playing Melee at the age of 11 telling myself that "rolling everywhere is what I SHOULD learn and should be doing..." so yeah, hopefully I can overcome that bad programming. Advice would be appreciated!

As far as characters go:

I like to play characters that are fast with great mobility and with great range when it comes to their attacks (whether physical or projectiles). I've used Pikachu, Little Mac, Marth, ZSS, and now currently Lucas as "mains".

Naturally, I have randomly tried all the other characters on the roster to some degree.

I have two hurdles that I believe affect me most: I have trouble playing a friend who mains Rosalina and who focuses a lot on grabs and a playstyle that heavily uses punishing tactics rather than rushdown or zoning/spacing (for all characters not just Rosalina).

I have a hard time NOT rushing down opponents as (like earlier with the rolling) I taught myself to play that way because otherwise playing defensively or patiently was being "cowardly" or "spammy", if with projectiles.

So it comes down to two questions in the end I guess. Do I keep my same playstyle, or change it? And either way, which characters should I be using and learning - especially ones that will help me face my friend head on and give him a real challenge?

TLDR; Best play style and character please

Thanks for all suggestions and help!

 

[C0rvus]

I think Little Mac can be a great way to apply more patient play. Try walking more. When you walk, you can still perform tilts and smashes, and Mac has a pretty fast walk. Spaced tilts are pretty safe on shield, especially down tilt. Be more of a counter puncher yourself. Wait for mistakes or swings and retaliate with super armor smashes or lighting fast tilts.

Changing habits is really a matter of thinking actively while you play, and practicing. It will come with time. Don't completely erase rolling from your play, but consider that Mac gets around faster by dashing and walking. Pay attention to when you roll. See if you get punished for it. If not, no harm no foul. Smash is all about mind games and mixups, so try not to keep rolling or dashing in the same situations over and over, or expect to get hit for it.

Aside from Mac, you can play any of those characters you listed. The more you enjoy them, the more likely you are to stick to them. And don't feel like you have to drop everything and commit to 1 or 2 characters forever. Do whatever feels fun or comfortable.

 

[SSJDavidas]

Thank you for your help! That was really good advice, I'm going to take Mac into training mode for now and get a better feel for the movement options before taking him against other players.

 

[SSJDavidas]

Anyone else have any pointers or tips for a desperate player who wants to beat his friend?

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Be aware that Little Mac can't go it alone. Sometimes, there will come a player that will juggle you to no end or completely shut down the ground. Pick up a secondary for the matchups Little Mac just can't handle. Probably one with better recovery and some aerial presence. I see you've mentioned ? That fits the bill pretty well.

 

[TDK]

Hey guys, I need some help. Most of my mains have fallen flat, but I've found 4 new characters that I've performed well with:



Ideally, I'd want to use two of them in a tournament at a time, but I'm not sure which two.

 

[TAFJ]

Hey guys, I need some help. Most of my mains have fallen flat, but I've found 4 new characters that I've performed well with:



Ideally, I'd want to use two of them in a tournament at a time, but I'm not sure which two.

You didn't leave enough information for me to give my best response, but I would recommend Lucario and Zelda for personal bias. If you're asking who the best ones to use are, that would be Sheik and Lucario.

 

[C0rvus]

Fallen flat in what way? Are you losing with them more than usual?

If you want the best combo of the 2, Sheik and Greninja are probably the best of the 4, but are both pretty challenging to play well.

Either way, that's a lot of characters.

 

[TDK]

You didn't leave enough information for me to give my best response, but I would recommend Lucario and Zelda for personal bias. If you're asking who the best ones to use are, that would be Sheik and Lucario.

The thing is, I'm not sure who I'm "better" with. I've had probably the best success against my friends with Greninja, but I haven't used the other ones too much against the same people. Zelda is also reportedly one of the worst characters in the game, though I've managed to take a set of one of my friends's villager with Zelda [they made it to loser's finals of the tournament that we were at.] Other than that, both Lucario and Sheik I've also done decently, so I'm just not sure.

Fallen flat in what way? Are you losing with them more than usual?

I'm doing better with this new batch than the old ones.

 

[TAFJ]

The thing is, I'm not sure who I'm "better" with. I've had probably the best success against my friends with Greninja, but I haven't used the other ones too much against the same people. Zelda is also reportedly one of the worst characters in the game, though I've managed to take a set of one of my friends's villager with Zelda [they made it to loser's finals of the tournament that we were at.] Other than that, both Lucario and Sheik I've also done decently, so I'm just not sure.


I'm doing better with this new batch than the old ones.

Tiers DO matter. Putting in the same amount of work in Zelda and Sheik will not garner equal results. However, there is no point in winning with a character you are not as invested in. If you really don't know who you're best with, just pick the ones you like the most.

Little things like better alternate skins, better victory theme, better taunts, etc. can make a difference in deciding who you like the most. As can some of the bigger things. If you haven't already, try to pay attention to how a character feels when you play them. Their falling speed, their aerial movement, their movement speed, things like that.

Try to prioritize what you value in the characters you enjoy, and discern which of them best represents that. Look at top players with each character. Which ones are the most fun or interesting to watch? It can be hard cutting a character you love and are loyal to, but doesn't really match your playstyle. Just remember that you still are ALLOWED to play them. In friendlies, casual matches, and things like that.

I'm not sure how much of this applies to you, but I hope I could help in some way.

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Play if you like to play characters that few people use. Seek out "Tips and Advice from a Passing Ninja".
Play if you're mathematically capable of harnessing the power of aura.
Play if you like range, strategy, and precision. And LoZ.
Play if you want to hop on the tournament bandwagon with all the other pros. (honestly at this point i wouldn't try to catch up to the pro sheiks just yet, unless she gets nerfed tomorrow)

 

[Blankshore]

So, I have an absolute ordeal against Sonic. I would say I'm above average at Smash 4, but against a decent Sonic, I just don't know what to do. I use a number of characters, but Mario and Falco are my two mains. I also use Ness, Captain Falcon, G-Dorf. With all the dashing around and homing attacks, I struggle to get any sort of combo going. Any recommendations for fighting a Sonic? I guess so it better applies to the thread, maybe I should ask, which character best matches up with Sonic? Which main should I use against him?

 

[TDK]

Play if you like to play characters that few people use. Seek out "Tips and Advice from a Passing Ninja".

I ended up going with Greninja in the end.

 

[CrabZ]

So, I play Melee Falco because I like his control-like playstyle and am experimenting with characters in sm4sh. What characters could be compared to Melee Falco's control style? The main characters I've been testing are Yoshi and ZSS, but was wondering what else there was.

Edit: I don't know if Yoshi or ZSS fits this style, they are just the characters I've used so far. I just recently started playing smash wii u.

 

[TakeYourHeart]

Villager, Rosalina and Luma and Pac-Man all have playstyles that can be very controlling of space.

Rosalina in particular is the top tier embodiment of this playstyle in Smash 4. She's described as a moving wall by high level players.

 

[Wolfy125312]

I need help deciding on a main between a few characters. I really enjoy Robin and his playstyle/moves. Ryu is also quite fun as is Marth, Ike, and Charizard. Out of all of them, Robin is my favorite, but I know he isn't the best. Any suggestions? I'm willing to hear other suggested characters as well if you think someone else may win me over!

 

[C0rvus]

Play Robin then. Consider a secondary to supplement his bad matchups.

 

[Morbi]

I need help deciding on a main between a few characters. I really enjoy Robin and his playstyle/moves. Ryu is also quite fun as is Marth, Ike, and Charizard. Out of all of them, Robin is my favorite, but I know he isn't the best. Any suggestions? I'm willing to hear other suggested characters as well if you think someone else may win me over!

I saw your question when it was its own thread. If you are attempting to get into competitive Smash, I would always recommend the character with the most viability (in this case Ryu, especially if you have the inputs down). Unless you do not care too much about winning, in that case, just stick with Robin.

 

[Wolfy125312]

Yeah maybe I'll just work on Ryu some more and keep Robin as a back up. I seriously need to stop SDing using that focus punch. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Cr0n]

Hey guys. I main Roy in Smash 4 and I am also kinda new. I am not completely familiar with Roy's bad matchups, so I am looking for a secondary to play once I master Roy that will help me manage with Roy's bad matchups.

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

There's only one Roy player in my area, but he's one of the top players. Roy doesn't play well against projectile users, and also doesn't have the best recovery. Of your listed secondaries, is your best bet against projectile threats that can challenge Roy.

 

[Cr0n]

There's only one Roy player in my area, but he's one of the top players. Roy doesn't play well against projectile users, and also doesn't have the best recovery. Of your listed secondaries, is your best bet against projectile threats that can challenge Roy.

Do you have any suggestions that aren't in my list of secondaries?

 

[C0rvus]

Do you have any suggestions that aren't in my list of secondaries?

Sheik.

Unless we can get more info, Sheik is the best answer.

What do you lose to when you play Roy? What characters do you hate playing against?

 

[Cr0n]

Sheik.

Unless we can get more info, Sheik is the best answer.

What do you lose to when you play Roy? What characters do you hate playing against?

Thats my problem, I would say that I don't know yet just because I haven't faced enough characters in a competitive matchup.

 

[C0rvus]

Then just play Roy alone for a while. You'll learn a lot more that way.

 

[Cr0n]

Then just play Roy alone for a while. You'll learn a lot more that way.

Yea, thats exactly what I was planning on doing. I was just looking more towards the future. Thanks for the help tho.

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

To counterbalance Roy's faults, you need:

• A character with good defenses against projectiles
• That has a good recovery
• A combo game, rather than single hits
• And is a bit more defensive

Honestly, it wouldn't be hard to double on . But if you want the extreme of all of this, go with . With the incredible amount of buffs he received in 1.1.3, it's absolutely worth picking him up for all of the above reasons.

 

[Deleted member]

I've been playing Smash 4 since day one, and I can't find a character right for me. I mained Ice Climbers before but their not in Smash 4, so I don't know who I should main... please help!

 

[Cr0n]

To counterbalance Roy's faults, you need:

• A character with good defenses against projectiles
• That has a good recovery
• A combo game, rather than single hits
• And is a bit more defensive

Honestly, it wouldn't be hard to double on . But if you want the extreme of all of this, go with . With the incredible amount of buffs he received in 1.1.3, it's absolutely worth picking him up for all of the above reasons.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[C0rvus]

I've been playing Smash 4 since day one, and I can't find a character right for me. I mained Ice Climbers before but their not in Smash 4, so I don't know who I should main... please help!

What did you like about the Ice Climbers? If it's jank and chaingrabs you want, you're going to have a hard time finding a replacement. You could try Rosalina, she has some desync stuff with Luma, and Luma is less dumb than Nana tends to be lol.

But really, think about the qualities you might prefer in a main, and we can try and find a good fit.

 

[Pokiyena]

Im quite new to smash 4 and want to pick up a main
I like a challenge when it comes to a character so the steeper the learning curve the better for me so who should i be looking to play?

 

[C0rvus]

Steep learning curve brings to mind in no particular order.
Ryu in particular will serve you well if you can master him. He's a strong footsies and punish-centered character that requires better execution than most characters. So will Rosalina. She's got incredibly strong zoning but her weight and size and the frailty of Luma means getting her to work can be a challenge. Feel free to try everyone first for a little bit and see who you like.

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

's learning curve is not as high as the others on that list... the most difficult is probably
Other characters with high learning curves are and (but with mewtwo it's the same case as greninja)

 

[Deleted member]

What did you like about the Ice Climbers? If it's jank and chaingrabs you want, you're going to have a hard time finding a replacement. You could try Rosalina, she has some desync stuff with Luma, and Luma is less dumb than Nana tends to be lol.

But really, think about the qualities you might prefer in a main, and we can try and find a good fit.

I liked that they were powerful but not too slow.

 

[C0rvus]

Powerful but not slow? Characters that come to mind are:
has a huge sword and still moves very fast.
big hits and long up air combos, while being the second fastest character in the game.
pretty fast for a super heavy, has some fast moves like back air and down tilt. Hits like a truck.
has quick moves, combos and plenty of kill power. Above average movement speed.
close to Ice Climbers, movement wise. Certainly not lacking in kill power.
the king of conversions and big damage, not very fast runspeed-wise, but not slow.
not too slow, decently strong. Pretty fun character.

 

[Deleted member]

Powerful but not slow? Characters that come to mind are:
has a huge sword and still moves very fast.
big hits and long up air combos, while being the second fastest character in the game.
pretty fast for a super heavy, has some fast moves like back air and down tilt. Hits like a truck.
has quick moves, combos and plenty of kill power. Above average movement speed.
close to Ice Climbers, movement wise. Certainly not lacking in kill power.
the king of conversions and big damage, not very fast runspeed-wise, but not slow.
not too slow, decently strong. Pretty fun character.

Thanks! I really like playing as Mewtwo and DK