Q&A The 'Mains' Advice Thread

[SamStark]

Do I main too many characters?
My current squad is and .

Somebody tells you that you can win 1 million dollars if you beat him in one match of smash. You will both blind pick so you don't know the matchup. Who do you pick?

That's your main.

 

[Marthmario]

So, after and came out, I've been in a bit of an issue. I've really enjoyed both of them, and I want to add one of them to my squad. But the problem is, really flows a lot better for me, but I personally feel a lot more attached to even though I have to work harder to make her work for me. Any advice?

 

[2fast]

So, after and came out, I've been in a bit of an issue. I've really enjoyed both of them, and I want to add one of them to my squad. But the problem is, really flows a lot better for me, but I personally feel a lot more attached to even though I have to work harder to make her work for me. Any advice?

I may not be refrencing the same game but I had a friend that played League and he wanted to pick up Orianna but problem was that Orianna didn't mesh with his playstyle at all. We all went on him and told him to drop her and go back to his main because of just how bad he was with her.

Well, he stuck with her through all the crap and now Orianna has surpassed all of his other champions by far. It goes to show if you really like a character and really stick with them, that character will probably outshine any character you would be using just because their playstyle meshes with you better.

 

[Marthmario]

So I think I'll decide on Corrin after I play Fates, but for now I'm going with: . Is that too much?

 

[Deleted member]

Then i think maybe you should ask yourself the other question, what is your favorite situation? What single moment or position makes you just wanna jump up and get hype more than any other?

I personally enjoy marth, but given the things that youve said, I would say go Cloud. He is scary in your face because of limit break, a great jab, a quick get off me grab and a moveset that is all around just scary to be in range of. He also has a decent projectile, and your limit charge forces your opponent to approach, not to mention how long his sword is, so cloud has no problems from a distance either. And you might not think it but he as great combos too, from falling up air and late hit down air, his down air even comboing into a killing move (finishing touch) to kill at rediculously low percents. Also, he has a VERY good fox trot and dash dance, maybe the best and easiest in the game. Also, many people condider him the best swordsman, and you have good pro representation from komorikiri and m2k.

That being said, honestly just choose one randomly if you cant decide, but make sure you STICK WITH YOUR DECISION. Youve already expressed your intrest in each of those four, so you really cant go wrong. And hey, you wanna win, right? So no matter which you chose, you'll be happy you chose them once you start getting them W's (which will happen a lot more often once youdecide to focus on one character)

Sorry for the late reply (been so busy!) but thank you for being so helpful ^^ I will definitely try out Cloud more as well as Link, Marth, and Corrin since I still can't decide on who should be my number 1 main.

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

All of you who've been around here for a while know that I really don't like using characters that everyone else is using, which is why you don't see me playing any top tiers (and a primary reason I dropped ). I recently picked up for two reasons- one, he's the first Smash 4 swordfighter that fits right into my playstyle of mid-speed, non-grab combos and a focus on strategic smash attack placement as opposed to intense tech- and two, he covers the majority of 's few bad matchups.

The only problem is, just like with a month ago, literally everyone and their mother has a pocket Corrin, and the majority say he/she's a top tier character solely on the counter, which I rarely if ever use. I want to second Corrin, but I feel like everyone at bigger tournaments like The Break or KTAR would judge me for picking a character that, within a week, has developed a stereotype of "that glitchy swordfighter with the broken counter".

Do I keep Corrin around? Should I play one of my other pockets instead? How am I to deal with this situation?

 

[Super Nicktendo]

I have a main, but have been trying to figure out another character to use. Toon Link seems like the obvious choice for me, and I do like him, but he dies too quickly/is too weak for my tastes. I do like using projectiles for spacing/to set up combos, and I'd also like someone with a decent/good recovery. Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask about a secondary, I just figured it was the best place to put my question.

 

[C0rvus]

All of you who've been around here for a while know that I really don't like using characters that everyone else is using, which is why you don't see me playing any top tiers (and a primary reason I dropped ). I recently picked up for two reasons- one, he's the first Smash 4 swordfighter that fits right into my playstyle of mid-speed, non-grab combos and a focus on strategic smash attack placement as opposed to intense tech- and two, he covers the majority of 's few bad matchups.

The only problem is, just like with a month ago, literally everyone and their mother has a pocket Corrin, and the majority say he/she's a top tier character solely on the counter, which I rarely if ever use. I want to second Corrin, but I feel like everyone at bigger tournaments like The Break or KTAR would judge me for picking a character that, within a week, has developed a stereotype of "that glitchy swordfighter with the broken counter".

Do I keep Corrin around? Should I play one of my other pockets instead? How am I to deal with this situation?

Corrin is not top tier, or high tier. He's in the middle of the pack. His counter can be silly in some situations, but it hardly makes him win matchups. Corrin and Bayonetta are the flavor of the month at the moment, and many, many players interested in them will stop caring within weeks and go back to their mains. If you're worried about being "mainstream" then it's a matter of time before Corrin players are few imo. That said, that's a pretty silly thing to worry about, especially if this character suits your needs, and fits your preferred style.
Also, as someone who has frequented those tournaments, noone will care if you play Corrin, unless you do very well with him; then you'll get respect I would imagine. Either way, don't worry about what others think; it will only hold you back.

 

[A Rangoon]

I've posted here before, returning again after well, in and out interest in trying to get serious with Smash. A huge part of it is the wall of finding a proper character, just as I don't really seem satisfied. I'm mostly a 3D fighting game player mixed with some SF, and even in SF I usually just play T-Hawk or Honda. It's kinda hard and different getting into Smash, as I feel like I can't really pin down or relate my playstyle to anything.

What I do know is I'm not very good at being campy, being defensive/punishing isn't hard however. As for the offensive I feel like I'm pretty impatient, and feel like I should play someone who is either all in your face, or someone who will force me to become more patient. I know this is pretty vague, but any ideas on what to do in terms of a character and getting over this hurtle is huge. Only characters that is really off limits for me are Mario, Metaknight, Diddy and Pit, other then that I'm pretty open to trying whoever.

 

[C0rvus]

If you play grapplers, I highly recommend Bowser. He will force you to be patient, but he can punish openings VERY hard. He's as close to Grappler as it gets in Smash.

Also try Donkey Kong, since he's more like T. Hawk specifically.

 

[Xavix]

I have a main, but have been trying to figure out another character to use. Toon Link seems like the obvious choice for me, and I do like him, but he dies too quickly/is too weak for my tastes. I do like using projectiles for spacing/to set up combos, and I'd also like someone with a decent/good recovery. Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask about a secondary, I just figured it was the best place to put my question.

Might take some getting used to the recovery, but he is very strong and uses side/up b projectiles very well.
Projectile combo game is insane and the recovery is simple and easy.
Turnips are incredibly good and she has a solid recovery too. Is pretty technical however.
His entire moveset is projectiles. He is pretty complex, however, so you might want to sink some real time into him to learn him.
Projectiles don't necessarily combo as much as they force opponents to use options to set up combos. Very fun too.
This is incredibly simplified as I just wanted to make a quick answer, each of these characters have a lot more to them I didn't mention. This just answers some of the main points you brought up. Hopefully this helps .

 

[A Rangoon]

If you play grapplers, I highly recommend Bowser. He will force you to be patient, but he can punish openings VERY hard. He's as close to Grappler as it gets in Smash.

Also try Donkey Kong, since he's more like T. Hawk specifically.

I'll give Bowser a try, can you explain the DK comparison. I'm actually pretty curious.

 

[C0rvus]

I'll give Bowser a try, can you explain the DK comparison. I'm actually pretty curious.

There was a discussion on SF and Smash parallels in a thread I frequent. Bowser was determined to be Zangief: a pure grappler type who wants grabs and gets grabs. Donkey Kong is T. hawk because he also has a strong focus on grabs, but has better neutral and other tools to work with as well (back air is very strong, armored moves and sheild breaks, generally better mobility). There was a bit more to it than that, but I don't know much about T. Hawk myself, so that's all I remember.

What I want to know is who R. Mika and Karin are. I like those 2 a lot.

 

[A Rangoon]

Gonna PM you, I think a transitional talk would be helpful while I don't want to get off topic here.

 

[Enguard]

So right now, I'm maining Ike right now, but I'm having trouble with the fast characters(because Ike is pretty slow), especially sonic and pikachu.
So, I need help with finding a secondary. So here's a list of things I would prefer:

• Projectiles
• covers Ike's weaknesses
• Fairly fast
• Can KO a little early

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Here's a few characters that are fast and can KO early, but are not without projectiles. Another of Ike's weaknesses is that he can only recover directly to the side or directly up, not diagonally, so these have good diagonal options for recovery.
- though nerfed in early KO power, is still fast with good recovery and has a projectile. Not for you if you don't like tether grabs.
- half of his arsenal can KO below 100, he's all about early KOs, but his recovery is pretty unsafe.
- super fast, awesome combos, great recovery, and significant KO capability- but really light, so he's risky.
- not good at KOs outside of fthrow, fsmash and dair, but an excellent secondary with his rounded moveset.
- she's a really bad main, but as a secondary she's good. Highest endlag in the game in exchange for a balance of speed, power, and defense.

 

[Super Nicktendo]

Might take some getting used to the recovery, but he is very strong and uses side/up b projectiles very well.
Projectile combo game is insane and the recovery is simple and easy.
Turnips are incredibly good and she has a solid recovery too. Is pretty technical however.
His entire moveset is projectiles. He is pretty complex, however, so you might want to sink some real time into him to learn him.
Projectiles don't necessarily combo as much as they force opponents to use options to set up combos. Very fun too.
This is incredibly simplified as I just wanted to make a quick answer, each of these characters have a lot more to them I didn't mention. This just answers some of the main points you brought up. Hopefully this helps .

Wow, thanks for the detailed response. Which of those characters do you believe would be the "easiest" to learn? I understand that learning any character takes work, but which do you believe is the most new user friendly? Also, how is ROB as a secondary character? He seems bulky/powerful with a projectile game, and good recovery.

 

[C0rvus]

Ness is super easy. Getting proficient with his recovery can be challenging, but he's a very user friendly and consistent character. ROB is an okay secondary since his playstyle is different from Ness's but he may not be needed. Your call, really.

 

[Mega-Spider]

I hope people answer this, but are and a good pairing? I'm not talking about doubles, but 1v1 matches. Mega Man helps Kirby with characters with projectiles and are space dependent, whereas Kirby helps Mega Man with rushdown characters. What do you guys think?

 

[TsarofToon]

Picking a main is like trying to kill people with the H-3 Nottlenose in Splatoon. You It's gonna be really hard unless you understand how you do it. There are many things to take into account when picking a main.
First off: What is your fighting style? Do you like to combo and juggle people? Do you like to use projectiles? Do you like to hit hard and kill quickly? That sort of thing can help you choose a main. You like combos? Pick a character with Mario or Luigi. Love Projectiles? Toon Link or Mega Man are good characters. Like to hit hard? Ganon and Bowser are perfect. Pick a character to fit your style, and you will be on track to become better with them.
Next: Are you good with them? Can you win repeatedly with them? Are you slowly able to turn up a CPUs lv from 4-8 without challage? These things are important to look at, because it means you understand the character. You know when attack hitboxes are active, you know how to combo and kill with them, and you just are over all good with them.
Finally: Do you have fun with them? I know, it sounds silly, but hear me out. Let's say you use Luigi, and your really good with him, bit he just is boring. Now let's say you second Mario, and you have so much fun using him. That's means you enjoy the character, and are willing to use them more. You want to have fun playing this game, and why not do it with a character that you are good with, you can combo with, you can understand them, and have fun with. That's your main.
That's all I have to offer. If you found this useful, let me know. I would love to see me half hour worth of typing go to good use. Until next time, see ya!

 

[linkboy84]

I need two pieces of advice. I have a friend that is completely new to smash 4, his only other smash game was the original Super Smash Bros. and then there's me, an semi-experienced Smash player. Who would; A. Be a good starting main and; B. A good third main that is complementary for Link and Ganondorf?

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

Here are the most basic characters, i.e. the best starting mains.
A secondary for Link and Ganondorf would be someone faster in the air with good, safe recovery and solid neutral play. You're best looking at some of the basic characters as well. Try

 

[C0rvus]

I hope people answer this, but are and a good pairing? I'm not talking about doubles, but 1v1 matches. Mega Man helps Kirby with characters with projectiles and are space dependent, whereas Kirby helps Mega Man with rushdown characters. What do you guys think?

If it works for you, great! Keep at it. I can see it working fine. Kirby has a better time against Fox and such, but Mega Man has much better neutral. Who would you play into a character like Cloud, though? He seems to give both dudes a problem.

Here are the most basic characters, i.e. the best starting mains.
A secondary for Link and Ganondorf would be someone faster in the air with good, safe recovery and solid neutral play. You're best looking at some of the basic characters as well. Try

Personally, I think Corrin's recovery is a bit below average. Vertically it's pretty poor. He's also pretty slow on the ground (I can't recall his air speed off the top of my head.)

They could always just complete the Triforce and pick up Sheik lol

 

[linkboy84]

Technically that would be Zelda, but Sheik is better and basically the same person.

 

[Mega-Spider]

If it works for you, great! Keep at it. I can see it working fine. Kirby has a better time against Fox and such, but Mega Man has much better neutral. Who would you play into a character like Cloud, though? He seems to give both dudes a problem.

I see where Cloud can give Kirby some problems, but it isn't so bad in Mega Man's case. Yes, Cloud can juggle Mega Man pretty easily, but Megs is capable of gimping Cloud fairly easily and Blade Beam (at least the standard version) gets beaten by lemons. I'd pull out in case both characters can't win the match up. This is especially helpful for some characters like Sheik.

 

[Lady Kuki]

Sooooo, I've finally narrowed down to three characters: , , and

Which is great! But I'm not sure if it's ideal to be using three characters.

You see, I want to use Roy as either a main or a pocket because out of the three characters I've mentioned, he has the least results and I've been wanting to use him for that reason. Cloud's also reaaally good, and feels right to play. He is more or less as good as my Roy, although I have a feeling it's because people still don't know how to counter Cloud yet. Was planning on either making him my main or secondary.

Then there's Corrin; I'm not sure what to do with him. He also gets me wins and is comfortable to use. However, like Cloud, I'm not sure whether it's because my opponents don't know how to fight him, or if it's because I'm actually pretty good with him. Keep in mind that I've used these characters at locals with decent players, so I don't think I'm that bad with them.

So, out of these three characters, should I just pick a main, secondary and just run with it? Which characters best compliment each other? I at least want to use Roy as much as I can just so he can get some results; I feel like getting results for an underused character. I actually don't mind dropping my characters for higher-tier characters, as long as the high tier character fits my play style.

Better yet, give me some options for secondaries that aren't on this list. I think I'm open enough to try such suggestions. If one thing's for sure, I do like characters who are fast, have range, and hit hard. That's not all I like, but those are some examples.

 

[linkboy84]

I'm trying out Fox right now, and Zamus and Sheik later. For each combination (Link, Ganondorf, Fox/Zamus/Sheik) Who would I have trouble with and how would I counter those characters?

 

[C0rvus]

Fox has iffy matchups with most top tiers. He has slight losses to Sheik, Rosalina, Pikachu, Bayonetta, Cloud, Ryu, etc. but doesn't lose any of them hard. Sheik has no losing matchups but is pretty difficult to be successful with. Secondary Sheiks usually get blown up because the opponent knows the MU better like 90% of the time. Everyone is prepared for Sheik. ZSS is solid, losing maybe to Sheik Bayonetta and has a few even MUs. She's probably your best bet.

 

[linkboy84]

Ok. I'm better with Fox but I will give Zamus a shot the only thing is her d-air :/

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

As I have said, I'm no longer participating in super-competitive Smash since I don't have the hands to pull off the amount of advanced tech required. But if I ever was to return, I'd need a character that ignores my weaknesses as a player... and I have a lot, so there probably is no answer.
- A fast-traveling, low-lag spacing projectile
- No tether grab
- Aerial movement options to prevent getting juggled
- Isn't extremely fast-paced
- A moveset that prevents autopiloting

Right off the bat I'd be playing Palutena and Mewtwo as co-mains (similar controls), so keep that in mind.

 

[linkboy84]

What do you mean? If you want to share, of course

 

[AlucardVenom]

I'm in a bit of a quandary. While I enjoy playing as , I don't know who I should play along with him. As far as other characters I like (as far as move sets, playstyles, and overall feel), I can only think of . Who would be a good balancing agent for ? No idea. I would be thankful for any help given in this area.

 

[C0rvus]

Ness is a solid character in his own right. He struggles pretty hard against the likes of Rosalina and Sheik, so maybe consider character who does better versus them. Cloud sounds like a solid choice to me. You may also get good results using ZSS or Pikachu.

 

[iVoltage]

I'm in a bit of a quandary. While I enjoy playing as , I don't know who I should play along with him. As far as other characters I like (as far as move sets, playstyles, and overall feel), I can only think of . Who would be a good balancing agent for ? No idea. I would be thankful for any help given in this area.

If you can manage it pikachu is really good here. He just takes alot of time to get down, and is pretty technical (opposite of ness lol).

 

[Sheep McLamb]

I already have 2 mains in SSB4 (Kirby and Mega Man). I spend a lot of time fighting in the air, and I love grabbing and meteor smashing. Are there any good mains that fit this style?

 

[Xavix]

I already have 2 mains in SSB4 (Kirby and Mega Man). I spend a lot of time fighting in the air, and I love grabbing and meteor smashing. Are there any good mains that fit this style?

Falcon and Mario are the first that come to mind when talking air fighters as they have great aerial mobility, powerful kill moves and spikes, and have great grab games. Hope this helps .

 

[Sheep McLamb]

Falcon and Mario are the first that come to mind when talking air fighters as they have great aerial mobility, powerful kill moves and spikes, and have great grab games. Hope this helps .

Hmm. Mario really seems like a good choice. He even has a meteor smash! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Xavix]

Hmm. Mario really seems like a good choice. He even has a meteor smash! Thanks for the advice!

You're welcome! Glad to see the advice helped

 

[The Legendary DJXYZ]

What do you think about Mii Brawler as a true main? Super underrated character, who was once 10th on the tier list with customs permitted. Even so, my standard sets are 1331 and 1123, so it wouldn't be too hard to get used to Soaring Axe Kick. My combo game and neutral control is also pretty solid as long as I'm paying attention to the target's DI and setups. Also, I can break flows with Neutral Air or Back Air, which are super fast.

 

[Sheep McLamb]

What do you think about Mii Brawler as a true main? Super underrated character, who was once 10th on the tier list with customs permitted. Even so, my standard sets are 1331 and 1123, so it wouldn't be too hard to get used to Soaring Axe Kick. My combo game and neutral control is also pretty solid as long as I'm paying attention to the target's DI and setups. Also, I can break flows with Neutral Air or Back Air, which are super fast.

I never really used the Miis, but I have a friend that uses them extremely well. Actually, the one he uses the most is the Mii Brawler. While most tournaments ban him and the other Miis, if that's what you're into, I don't see why you shouldn't use him. He is a really solid character with good combos and good aerials. You pretty much just have to avoid getting sent offstage because of the Brawler's weak recovery, but if you train well, I'm sure that he would be an excellent main.