VS Bowser

[Neo Zero]

For discussion of the Bowser match-up, he who likes to look at Butterflies and deliver drop kicks.

 

[FlareHabanero]

I've never found a problem with MAD DOG BOWSER. The main reason is that he can't really handle Speed that well, whether it's stalling out Bowser using raw speed or bombarding him with a barrage of attacks. I've also found Buster decent in this scenario since it's easy to hit Bowser due to his large size.

However, the main problem is you're reliant on Smash in order to secure a KO, since he's the heaviest character (barring Shield Shulk) in the game and naturally can endure a lot of punishment. To a lesser extent, you can't be reckless with stray attacks since Bowser is one of those type of characters that will punish you and punish you HARD.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

I haven't had any problems with Bowser either, but I will say that you need to be careful. If you're good at expecting attacks and what have you, you're probably set. If not, then it will be even harder to fight him.

 

[Berserker.]

In this match up, try not aiming for the counter so early in the match. Well... Don't force it. Don't risk it. I know countering Bowser's... anything will be fatal for him but seriously, whiff that counter then your ****ed. Additionally, don't counter his u-smash. His f-smash is the only thing you should aim to counter or his aerials. Oh, you can f-smash him out of his recovery

Also, shield against Bowser is not that good. You're killable at around 120% already and even with shield, the knockback from Bowser is still huge

 

[ChronoPenguin]

The main threat of Bowser is grabs and carelessness.
Bowser hits extremely hard, however this strength comes at the cost at make him one of the easiest characters to kill consistently with Vision Counter.

Everything except his fire breath is outranged by the bulk of Shulks moves. With your own vision threat and range quite a few Bowsers will resort to Grabs to either go for the Suicide or simply to get you off stage and hope for the gimp.
It will be difficult for Bowser to grab you with Monado speed. Monado Shield can utilize an acceptable grab game by using roll-canceled grabs.

As far as monado arts go. Speed and Shield are the safest bets. Jump/Buster/Smash all increase the knockback you will get, and from Bowsers power this can be be fatal. These are high-risk arts that in the case of Buster/Smash can have huge reward.

For aerial approaches, N-air can come in on Fire breath, and the bulk of Bowsers other moves. Bowsers U-smash should be met with a back or forward air; Ideally monado cancel your aerials. Even on ground Back-airs range is absolutely massive.
F-smash forward tilted Vision counter is incredibly lethal. Down-airs and forward airs can also be vision countered.
If you are down a stock, maintain control if Bowser B-grabs you, to avoid the SD. The easiest way to deal with this is to hit monado speed, and grab him back. pivot forward tilts will also be hard for the koopa king to deal with.

I would say the match up is 60:40-70:30 in our favour.

 

[Masonomace]

It's been said, but Bowser punishes so hard, that us making an average mistake can hurt. A lot. His cqc is fairly good when he has not one but two grabs & that SideB is a command grab that deals a lot of % damage. Speed or Buster are fair Arts to start Neutral Game with the Koopa King, however later in the match if you seal a KO taking a stock off him, immediately switch to Shield as he's on the revival platform. My recent visit to Aero's Monado Data thread gave me a shocking bit of news that Shield's shield bubble strength is much stronger & is the only Art that has increased shield strength. Turtling against the Koopa with maximum Rage at this point having high % basically ignores your % damage reduction decrease, & even if he hits hard you're still Shield Shulk with a stronger shield that can take shieldstun / damage keeping your OoS game fresh if you can punish with shield+grab, OoSJCAS, or OoSJCV. Basically any OoS option you can use safely I would do so while still stressing the Bowser out when he fishes for that KO he can't get.

The moment you do get launched off-stage you switch out of Shield ASAP.

Did we mention that his Dair, Fsmash, Dsmash, UpB, & edge attack are all punishable by Vision or the Forward Vision counter?

 

[Scarhi]

Never shield Bowser's down B, il will most likely break your shield (except maybe if you're using the Shield Art but even then, it's a risky bet).
Use Vision against it instead.

As Bowser is a big target, he's pretty easy to edgeguard using Fair, Nair, and Bair. Besides, none of his aerials outrange ours, I think ?
If he's recovering low or at ground level and you hit him out of his second jump, it will almost always seal the stock, as his upB isn't that great.

 

[Masonomace]

Never shield Bowser's down B, il will most likely break your shield (except maybe if you're using the Shield Art but even then, it's a risky bet).
Use Vision against it instead.

As Bowser is a big target, he's pretty easy to edgeguard using Fair, Nair, and Bair. Besides, none of his aerials outrange ours, I think ?
If he's recovering low or at ground level and you hit him out of his second jump, it will almost always seal the stock, as his upB isn't that great.

Unless it's a Perfect+shield, the advice to never shield the Bowser Bomb is wise nonetheless

Bowser's also susceptible to a accurate connecting Dair meteor smash. Bowser is still a horizontal type of recovering character & one Meteor Smash or a Footstool seals the stock even at low %.

 

[Berserker.]

his upB isn't that great.

It's actually great as a move. As a recovery though and especially against us, not really