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The Towel Option (Edge Guard)

TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
Yo.

So, I've been playing the hell out of Mario, and I think this is the most fun I've ever had playing smash. I'm accustomed to being the only low tier player in the apartment, and hot damn Mario's kit is effing fun.

But I noticed that something drastic changed in my playstyle between the period that I mained Doc and the period now where I main Mario. On Doc the towel smack seemed like a really solid edge guard option against the spacies. But now on Mario I find myself using only three options: Fair (I don't care how risky it is I'm going to keep meteoring the opponent and loving it), bair, and nair.

I feel that these three options cover more ground and are more consistent than the towel. The towel against spacies has to be properly timed and spaced, whereas the other three options I have thrown out simply work at any point in time when they are off the edge.

How do YOU guys use the towel for edge guard against spacies? How about against all players in general? What edge guard options do you use against Marth (I suck at gimping Marth)?

Thanks for all the info! I am LOVING this Mario and he is teaching me more and more every day!
 

TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
Try dair to interrupt spacies and follow up with cape
Wouldn't this only work for shallow guards? I couldn't go deep to the typical zone where spacies go for their upB, and even if I did, i'd have to towel myself and recover from the depth at which I dove. I don't see this guard occurring frequently unless, maybe if they are coming from underneath? A deeper explanation may aid me. Thanks
 

TheBoat

Smash Cadet
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
35
Location
Canada
Wouldn't this only work for shallow guards? I couldn't go deep to the typical zone where spacies go for their upB, and even if I did, i'd have to towel myself and recover from the depth at which I dove. I don't see this guard occurring frequently unless, maybe if they are coming from underneath? A deeper explanation may aid me. Thanks
The dair hitbox is so big that it will out-disjoint the spacie's up b, I think. You can just place a dair at the ledge (possibly by running off and double jumping back up), and it will hit them out of their up b. From there, you can cape their next up b.
 

TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
The dair hitbox is so big that it will out-disjoint the spacie's up b, I think. You can just place a dair at the ledge (possibly by running off and double jumping back up), and it will hit them out of their up b. From there, you can cape their next up b.
That's a great point! So essentially, I am just dairing to get them directly understage, where I can safely towel from stage unless they sweet spot. Am I correct? Is there some other follow up that is viable?
 

TheBoat

Smash Cadet
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
35
Location
Canada
Usually, at that point, the spacie will up b in such a way where their only option is to go straight up and fade in, or try to sweetspot via riding the wall. If it's Battlefield, then they can't ride the wall. So from there you can just bair, dsmash, cape, nair, or whatever you feel is necessary.
 

TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
Couple things I've learned recently about the towel guard:

If it is FOD / DL / A map with walls for edges, if the spacies don't sweet spot the up-b, there's a good chance you can just towel smack their stationary bodies before they get a ledge grab. They will essentially 'hover' with their up-b riding against the wall, open for attack. So keep an eye out for that super free towel smack.

Is the spacie completely unfamiliar with the towel? Assume an attempt at an edge sweet spot. But look out for the learned spacies who will shoot that sucker up as high as they can without being next to the edge by the end of the up-b duration. That is to say, they will commonly shoot up-b UP at such an angle that the both skip over your towel smack on the ground next to the edge, and exit their up-b at a depth on stage where your towel smack would simply cause them to turn around and land back on stage with no problems.

Falco is a weird one. The nair edge guard is more consistent because the up-b comes so rarely and only in 'im completely screwed' spots, whereas the side B blink is far more prevalent.

I like discussion, keep it going.
 

TheBoat

Smash Cadet
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
35
Location
Canada
I tend to just do the usually thing against both spacies, which is to cover the side b by grabbing the ledge right away, and then getting back onto the stage. From there, if they used their up b low, you can get a deep cape or a dair or bair. If they're using their up b higher up, my favourite thing is to stand with my back to the ledge, which discourages them from going for the sweetpot from above, then jump up and cape the on-stage up b (or upair).
But I generally, 70% of the time run and jump off the stage with a b-reverse fireball and go for a bair because it's fun.
 

TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
The deep bair is definitely fun. And your point on the grabbing the ledge the moment they're off and low is very well received and I will be trying that out and getting used to that!

When I was talking about high up-b's, I was referring to their trajectory, not the initial position. So, from stage level or below, they up-b OVER the edge and try to land on the platforms of FOD/YS/etc.
 

TheBoat

Smash Cadet
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
35
Location
Canada
I tend to sometimes go out a bit for a cape, or sometimes just bair. If you go for an on-stage option, such as cape, and they up b to a platform, you will usually have time to full hop dair the platform. You can do an upair before landing on the platform (input is kinda tight) after the dair. You also do funny stuff like bair waveland to bait a shield grab. Usually something during that process nets you some openings.

Edit: The fullhop dair upair is only possible in PM. Oops. I still use dair a lot in the same situation and fade away for an edge cancel. It tends to shield poke frequenty.
 
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TUBAN

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
12
No dsmash option out of dair? Probably get swung on first, but just making sure...
 

TheBoat

Smash Cadet
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
35
Location
Canada
Yeah, if you input the dair fast enough after the fullhop, it will autocancel, which makes dsmash seems good. Or grab.
 
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