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Particularly, I'm interested to hear from a high/top-level player(s) about their experiences fighting against amazing players like M2K, Mango, and even people like S2J or Axe.
Are you able to identify what it is that they can do that you can't? Do they have more game-knowledge and knowledge of more options in any given situation? Is it just that they have learned to stay consistent under pressure? Is it just some magical X-factor that is hard to quantify?
Also, if one of the top 10 players themselves would like to comment, that would be even more interesting.
Just something I'm interested to hear.
The top players adapt faster, punish harder, and survive longer than their other counterparts. They also have an intricate understanding of game mechanics and situations, and frequently have a very difficult to take last stock. That's my observation and experience playing top players.
Generally, the smash community divides the top 100 or so players into a few different levels. At the very top, they're is the Big 5 (explanation below in spoiler tag). Some of the players right below them include Hax, Axe, Leffen, Westballz, and others.
Many of the Big 5, the top players right below them, and several other respectable individuals in the community have said that what creates gaps between these "levels" of top players is consistency - not varying knowledge of the game (by the time you reach the top of the top, everybody's knowledge of the game is pretty close), but how consistently they play at their very best. While it may not happen often, it isn't super unheard of for one of the Big 5 to lose to players ranked below their elite circle. Disregarding the occasional flukes (e.g. if a Big 5 player just isn't playing well), the lower ranked players do actually outplay those Big 5 members...but only in those particular sets. For a significant portion of their other recent tournament showings, they play worse. IOW, they are capable of playing at that same godlike level of the Big 5, but just not nearly as consistently over the months/years as the actual Big 5 can.
Concerning skill gaps between levels of top players below this group of maybe...top 10-ish players, the reasons become a bit more varied, since each player's knowledge of the game and peak skill level become much bigger factors.
With that said, the inverse is sometimes true within the Big 5. Consistency will just about always play an issue, but they themselves have said that it can be more dependent on which Big 5 member is simply having a better or worse day, be it in terms of feeling good at Smash, health-wise, mental state, etc. Those obviously play a role in any level of play too, but for them, the fact that such is considered to be a major factor in their overall rankings go to show how consistency is that much less of a factor than it is at lower levels, even if it is still a big one.
The top 5 players are often referred to as the Big 5, the Titans, The Gods, etc.. They are considered a cut above the rest of the crop, and often go back and forth between being considered the best; they've been wrestling for years for the title of the current smash king, and have all been at the top and bottom of the top 5 rankings at some point. The general competitive community holds those in this circle of the best to two requirements:
(1) they consistently place 1st in major tournaments, excepting tournaments where they came close to first if they had to face another one of the Big 5.
(2) they have defeated other members of the Big 5 in a major tournament bracket on at least two occasions in the same season or year (generally not a strict time frame; it's just to give an idea that the two wins are relatively close two one another).
Hax just took a set off M2K for the first time with Fox (iirc) at Zenith. I was there. He only lacked (it seemed) the stamina to go for a second set at the level he was playing at in the first.
You could argue that any player ranked from 6-20ish could be considered a "demi god", but there's really no point to it. The biggest thing that separates the Big 5 from everyone else is consistency. They've all been earning top 5 status at every national for 4-5 years without fail, while people below them will do well at a tourney and then not so stellar at the next one.
I guess they took this game more serious than anyone in this world. Like having an schedule. Training 3 hours a day, playing almost everyday with mates of their Crew a couple of hours. Studying the match ups ans situations. Watching matches where they did wrong or they could have done better and think how to improve every little think on the stage. Having a healthy life, working out, eating really healthy and resting enough and so... Very much dedication.
Yeah, by demi gods, I mean basically any top 10 or top 20 player who isn't in the Big 5. they're obviously amazing at the game, but they just don't win or place as consistently as the top 5.
Rayvalk is the closest. It comes down to, basically, they have more strengths over weaknesses than anybody else. Their strengths don't even overlap that much relative to anyone else, it's not something specific. They're just the ones with the most (hard work x talent).
My experience playing them has been they seem to make a lot less mistakes than everyone else, though I definitely have more trouble against Hax / Leffen than against M2K/Mango. It has a lot more to do with my personal strengths and weaknesses than the relative strengths of those players.
What has happened is the 5 gods all came in within a short period, all those near their level have been therefore called demigods, due to not being dominant when the god era began. and people like leffen and wobbles, who can match their levels have been called god slayers for taking so many sets for the norm.
some demigods: Ice, Westballz, Shroomed, Axe, Plup
some god slayers: Leffen, Wobbles
Leffen specifically is what made the big 6 and not 6 gods due to him wanting to be a god so bad. and also being nicknamed 'Leffen the meanie' due to his manners secured the fact people won't call him a god
Experience; many of the top 100 players have been playing this game for years and some even a decade. After playing Melee for such a long time, you have an outstanding understanding about the game and the various players. Also,
