Upsmash vs Downsmash in.. Techchasing

[Che_Lab]

In this game, Super Smash Brothers Melee, there is a technique that allows you to recover faster than usual when hit to the ground. That technique is called teching. When you tech, you can either tech to the right, or to the left, or even tech in place. A common method of starting techasing against fastfallers is to downthrow with sheik. After the downthrow, if the opponent techs away from you, you have the option of dash attacking or dash grabbing or jumpcanceling your dashgrab (optional). However, if your opponent techs in place, you have more options. Usually the most effecient are 1. you can re-grab. 2. you can upsmash. 3. you can downsmash. In my opinion , upsmashing is the best option in lower percents, due to the fact that it can lead to another upsmash (on fastfallers) or a u-air > F-air combo .. or even U-air > U-air. So the combo string looks like this with the U-smash option. U-smash > U-smash > U-Air > F-air (the best combo in this situation in my opinion, for it racks up alot of damage and ends in a finishing move, the devastating F-air. On the other hand, downsmashing has more KO potential at higher percents than an U-smash, so I think the downsmash should be used at higher percents only. However, when I was watching a youtube video match with two professionals in the world of SSBM (Drephen and Mathos) , the sheik (drephen) d-throwed the falco(mathos) at a low percent (below 30) who then teched in place, but the sheik downsmashed, and the falco maybe took 12 or so percent but then was able to get away and spam lasers. Am I wrong to think that an U-smash would be more appropriate in this situation? What reason did the sheik player downsmash the falco? Enlighten me. Please.

 

[pockyD]

drephen? dsmash? no way

 

[Che_Lab]

haha nice.. i know he is known for "all dis ***** do is grab", and using dsmash alot but wouldnt it be ehh.. more effecient to upsmash in the situation i was talking about?

 

[CopyCat]

Because it's Drephen and down smash is so good. But truthful down smash is just one option that he uses a lot when hitting a character after a down throw to get damage, knock them off the stage, or to do another down smash. Also down smash is less work for the sheik since the move has multipliable hit boxes compared to an up smash, but really its based on which one you feel will do better and Drephen feels down smash will work for him.

 

[Che_Lab]

Because it's Drephen and down smash is so good. But truthful down smash is just one option that he uses a lot when hitting a character after a down throw to get damage, knock them off the stage, or to do another down smash. Also down smash is less work for the sheik since the move has multipliable hit boxes compared to an up smash, but really its based on which one you feel will do better and Drephen feels down smash will work for him.

It is true that D-smash has multiple hitboxes, more than U-smash, but that wouldn't be a factor in tech-punishing, and thanks for the advice on basing things on what you feel will do better, too many people look at guides for advice, but everything is situational in smash.

 

[Bailey]

Um. They don't have to tech in place only for you to hit them with a smash. You can tech chase them into an U-Smash and grab again. Also use paragraphs in your post.

 

[Che_Lab]

Sorry about the paragraph thing.. also, do you have to jump cancel ur U-smash to techchase with it?

 

[CopyCat]

That would be the best way or you could just dash > CC > U-smash, but that would be a little bit more work and I only know one guy who does that instead of jump canceling to U-smash.

 

[Che_Lab]

Right thanks for the info CopyCat. Btw how do you become a Smash Director?

 

[CopyCat]

check your PM

 

[NeighborhoodP]

I like teching with the usmash if you're reasonably sure where they'll go. dsmash is much safer and spammable, as even if you miss you won't get *****, hence why Drephen does it.

 

[balladechina212]

It also depends on what character your opponent is using. Against characters like Sheik (chaingrab) and Marth (**** grab combos), it's better to regrab than to usmash or dsmash. I usually dsmash space animals because like you guys said, it's less work.

Wait, I actually regrab as much as possible using Sheik's wonderful boost grab (dash attack cancelled grab) and only dsmash to tech-chase if I know I'm too late for a regrab.

 

[Ophelius]

Hate to say it, but a little more work usually pays off in one way or another. Especially on those furry little animals.

 

[Drephen]

ddddooooowwwwwnnnnnnssssssmmmmmmmmassssssshhhhhhh

 

[balladechina212]

Lawl Drephen.

 

[Ophelius]

Like I said. Drephen and his effing downsmash...

 

[RyNo 86]

I don't know why, but I always preferred to u-smash. I would d-throw space animals and tech chase into a dash attack and u-smash into a n-air. Or, at higher percents, I would tech chase into crouch canceled d-tilt, which I could pull off atleast three time with proper timing, and then use my d-smash.