Working on a guide for choosing a main and need your help!

[WispBae]

Hello there!

With the Smash scene growing and many more new players still to come, I though I would make a little guide highlighting each characters strengths and specialties, to help anyone take their first step into competitive Smash, or for anyone contemplating picking up another to their personal roster!

The main dilemma I have is I don't main EVERYONE in P:M, nor am I a self-proclaimed Smash genius. So, I thought I'd ask you guys, the experts to your respective mains! If you could help me out by filling out a few lines of info for me, I'll be collecting the data and responses during the week and compiling them. Once it's all collected, I'll release the guide (somewhere on the boards, not sure yet...). So if you could take a few minutes to help, I would really appreciate it!

Pros: Strengths and advantages of this character!
Cons: Weaknesses and disadvantages!
Character Specifics to Learn: Techniques exclusive to only this character (example: Squirtle's shell abilities)
Similar To: Characters that play similar to this one or have a similar strategy.
Secondaries that Compliment: A secondary character that covers certain weaknesses the main has.
(Optional) Best video example of this character in action.

Cheers!
(Sorry if you see this thread posted in multiple character forums, I find the best way to gather info is to ask directly!)

 

[Abeebo]

Pros and Cons and specifics: http://smashboards.com/threads/bowser-hitboxes-frame-data-and-analysis-wip.352372/#post-17089897

Similar to: No one
Secondary that compliments: Someone who doesn't suck against swords or Sheik.

 

[WispBae]

Pros and Cons and specifics: http://smashboards.com/threads/bowser-hitboxes-frame-data-and-analysis-wip.352372/#post-17089897

Similar to: No one
Secondary that compliments: Someone who doesn't suck against swords or Sheik.

Haha, could you be more specific on "Someone who doesn't suck against Swords" XD

 

[Abeebo]

Spacies are a fun opposite in tech skill and fair well against those matchups. Swordsmen. Maaaaybe ZSS or squirtle. Pit? I dunno. I'm a Bowser main

 

[mimgrim]

Pros: Strengths and advantages of this character!
Cons: Weaknesses and disadvantages!

You were already linked to the thread that has the cons and weaknesses. That's the best you will probably get.

Character Specifics to Learn: Techniques exclusive to only this character (example: Squirtle's shell abilities)

Fortress Hogging, done by doing Up Special on the ground while close to the ledge and moving towards the ledge while in the animation and letting you control stick go back to neutral position right before you leave the ledge. Sounds easy, but it's hard to do it absolutely perfectly for his fastes hogging.

Bowser Bomb Cancel, done by down a Down Special from the ground and canceling his rising animation with a jump. It cannot be canceled once he go into his sitting like position. Easy as it sounds.

Similar To: Characters that play similar to this one or have a similar strategy.

I can't really think of anyone off the top of my head.

Secondaries that Compliment: A secondary character that covers certain weaknesses the main has.

Any small fast character probably. Meta Knight is the prime one that comes to my mind. Fox is good for anybody. Falco is alright. Peach could probably work. Mayb Roy. I could see Marth and Ike working out. Mario is good for anyone.

(Optional) Best video example of this character in action.

Probably any video with JamieHR or Kirk.

 

[FakeKraid]

I'm (probably) the premier Bowser main in MD/VA (not that I have a lot of competition), so here's my two Coins:

Pros: Bowser is one of the offensive powerhouses of the game. In the hands of an experienced user he's deceptively fast and he hits as hard as anyone in the game, with great disjointed hitboxes and massive reach. He's also one of the best edge-hoggers/gimpers in the game, with advanced techniques to deal with almost any kind of recovery. His armor frames make it much harder to pressure him into submission than in other Smash games, so for one he can also deal with combo-matters like Shiek and Falco, especially because any trade with Bowser is pretty much in Bowser's favor. His fsmash will kill most characters in most situations at 50%.

His fsmash well kill most characters in most situations at 50%. I just feel that bears repeating if you TL;DRed that big paragraph.

Cons: Bowser is the very fattest of the fatties and has no projectiles (I really don't count Flame Breath since it has almost no range and its uses are different from normal projectiles); grabs can just ruin his day in short order if you aren't good at avoiding them, even perfect DI will leave you vulnerable to combos and tech-chases, and his recovery tends to be predictable, so expect to die helplessly A LOT before you learn how to handle his advantages and get around his weaknesses properly. I have literally mained Bowser since the day Melee came out and I still find myself having to adapt often even in matchups I think I know against players I've fought before. Almost any situation can turn deadly in an instant if you let your guard down.

AT's to learn:
Fortress Hog - dangerous but rewarding both for its edge-guarding uses and its lag-canceling effect. If you can't do it perfectly every time, though, don't use it in tournament or MM's because messing it up means guaranteed death. I lost aMM to Seagull Joe one solely because I messed one up and I'm STILL salty about it.

Bomb Cancel - great for follow-ups from uthrow and utilt, and has some use in mixups against a grounded opponent, especially if you've already got them running scared.

Fortress OoS - not really "unique", of course, since anyone can up-B OoS, but it's SO central to his defensive game that it still needs to be mentioned here. Master it or face defeat at the hands of any player with tech skill.

Armor Counter - this really just means timing an AF move to cancel the knockback of an opponent's move intentionally so that you get a free trade and (possibly) follow-up, but it takes enough practice and experience and Bowser's AF are so much more extensive than anyone else's that I say it counts as a unique AT.

Similar Character: Bowser is a melee-oriented "zoner" who needs to safely hold down the stage while staying mobile enough to punish overextended opponents...just like Marth. I know that seems like a strange comparison but it's true; I play both characters.

Good Compliment: gotta admit, this seems like a strange question to me because I think you should always play characters because they feel right and then work around problems as they arise rather than trying to pick mains strategically, but whatever. My instinct is to say go with Samus for her more defensive and range-heavy playstyle to help with characters Bowser can't get in on, a Spacey to develop tech-skill and supplement matchup holes, or another zoner like Marth or Ganondorf who won't strain your habits but has different strengths otherwise.

Or, you know, you could just pick a character who is broken like (at time of writing) Pit or Lucas and steamroll players who try to play the matchup game. :/

 

[WispBae]

Good Compliment: gotta admit, this seems like a strange question to me because I think you should always play characters because they feel right and then work around problems as they arise rather than trying to pick masons strategically, but whatever. My instinct is to say go with Samus for her more defensive and range-heavy playstyle to help with characters Bowser can't get in on, a Spacey to develop tech-skill and supplement matchup holes, or another zoner like Marth or Ganondorf who won't strain your habits but has different strengths otherwise.

While I do agree with sticking to someone to become proficient, I also think variety and change makes you a better player in the long run as well. You would have someone else you are moderately well with, as well as learn character movement better. I don't really consider switching during MU's when practicing, but trying new characters leads to more experience.

 

[FakeKraid]

While I do agree with sticking to someone to become proficient, I also think variety and change makes you a better player in the long run as well. You would have someone else you are moderately well with, as well as learn character movement better. I don't really consider switching during MU's when practicing, but trying new characters leads to more experience.

Oh, absolutely. If that's what you were getting at then I have no argument at all. It's always good to get variety in your practice to iron out bad habits and keep your mind sharp.