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!)

 

[Chesstiger2612]

Pros: Fast, strong kill moves, shine, very mobile, can play very different styles
Cons: Volatile, gets combod+chaingrabbed easily, neither good range or a projectile with stun
Character Specifics to Learn: Not all of this is unique, but let me quote this here:

Fox is a very technical character so here are the things I would try to test your current technical level and improving it (a little bit sorted by difficulty):
short hop; L-cancel; wavedash; short hop laser; wavedash OoS; tomahawk (short hop->fastfall land without any move) into grab; Different up-b angles (get used to sweetspotting from above, high angles to reach platforms etc.); Roll->shine & spot dodge-> shine (you don't want to roll or spot dodge that often but if you do, the shine is your best bet to protect you afterwards); SHFFL aerials (short hop -> fastfall -> aerial ->L-cancel or short hop->aerial->fastfall->L-cancel depending on timing); RAR bair (practice mostly in ledge situations because it is mostly used for edgeguarding); Up-smash OoS (jumpcancel -> up-smash); Up-throw->Up-air combo; Cactus dashing (dashing towards an opponent-> (shield shortly if you think they will attack ->) WDing back -> repeat until you get a grab); RARWD (a wavedash after a rar, the result should be a wavedash in your original direction while now facing the opposing direction, great for getting the ledge); side-b from the ledge (drop drom the ledge ASAP, jump immediately, side-b as soon as you are at stage height and you will have ledge invincibility on the first part of the move); WD onstage (drop drom the ledge ASAP, jump immediately, WD onwards, now you can do a grab/up-smash because if you did it correctly you will still have invincibility); shorten illusion (if you press b while travelling with side-b again, you shorten the illusion, frames 21-26 iirc); nairshines&drillshines (SHFFL nair/dair -> shine -> jumpcancel ->repeat); short hop double laser; Firestall (drop from the ledge ASAP, jump immediately, up-b so you are directly next to the ledge, you will automatically regrab if performed correctly); shine OoS (jump->shine on first airbourne frame); waveshine (WD after shine); waveshine OoS (Shine OoS -> WD); Shinegrab (shine -> jumpcancel ->immediately grab); doubleshine (shine->jumpcancel->shine, then mostly WD or SHFFL aerial); waveshine -> followup (into grab, up-smash etc.); Westballz pressure (like a doubleshine->WD but you do the second shine when slightly in the air so the next jump will not have to go through jumpsquat frames); Shinegrab OOS (Shine OoS->jumpcancel->grab); multiple waveshines; multishining (repeat doubleshines principle multiple times)

Similar to: Falco+Wolf (spacies, shine, moveset, technical), Sonic (mobility), Lucas+Lucario+Spacies (technical)
Secondaries: doesn't need any, if you want one maybe a character that is still good if you don't have your tech skill together at that day

 

[xSTx]

1) Captain Falcon
Pros : Fast dashing speed, great aerials, kills wells, tech chaser.

Cons : Very tall, falls fast, predictable recovery, has trouble with short characters.

Character Specifics : Must learn to make reads, and know how to tech, otherwise he gets destroyed.

2) Kirby
Pros : Very short, one of the lowest crouches, amazing offstage, huge grab range, tech chaser.

Cons : Very slow on the ground and in the air, incredibly light.

Character specifics : Must learn to tech chase, space your aerials.

3) Marth
Pros : Incredible grab range, Great aerial range, low when dashes, chaingrabs fast-fallers.

Cons : Terribly light, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Spacing is a REQUIREMENT, so is playing defensive.

4) Link
Pros : Great at camping, large range, outstanding recovery options, one of the heaviest characters.

Cons : Cannot deal with pressure, slow dash speed, slow aerial speed.

Character specifics : You must be great at spacing and walling people out with projectiles. If you are pressured in your shield, it doesn't end well.

5) Mario
Pros : Chaingrabs on most of the cast, he's basically balanced in terms of dash speed and combo ability, his recovery is great, projectile, amazing at edge guarding, middle weight.

Cons : Mario HATES characters who outrange him, and if he is taken far away from the stage there's not much he can do. Grab range to my knowledge isn't very good.

Character specifics : He's easy to learn, just space your aerials, and know chaingrabs and percents.

6) Pit
Pros : Where do I start? Great recovery, chain grabs, combos on heavies and floaties, great projectile, gimps amazingly, recovery move can kill, fast aerials, great dash dance and speed, he juggles well too.

Cons : His ONLY problem is weight. He's top tier as of now in my opinion. He's fairly easy to learn.

Character specifics : The usual, space well, chain grab, juggle, and be good at DI.

7) Falco
Pros : Sick ground game, pressure is crazy, combos fast fallers HARD, amazing projectile.

Cons : Glass cannon - falls fast, bad recovery, slow ground speed.

Character specifics : Learn to tech chase, get good at his technique called "Pillaring". He's very easy to use.

8) Bowser
Pros : AMAZING crouch cancel, kills very early, can jump cancel his down special , big grab range, and extremely heavy.

Cons : Super slow, not a very good recovery.

Charcter specifics : I would say he's easy to combo but his crouch cancel makes it near impossible, and when you get a hit you need to make the most of it.

I'll add more later on, hope it's enough.

9) Ganondorf
Pros : Hits very hard, great tech chase, above average recovery, heavyweight, chaingrabs on fastfallers, and above average range.

Cons : Very slow, not much combo ability, and poor air mobility.

Character specifics : You want to get good at movement and don't always make the first move, instead try and punish, and when they whiff something out you need to punish as hard as possible.

10) Luigi
Pros : Kills surprisingly early, astronomical wavedash, can do 2 aerials every short hop, and can end a combo with nair.

Cons : Not a good grab, light, and only decent range, projectile isn't very useful.

Character specifics : Get good at recovery, and use the little range you have, get good with wave landing and wavedashing so you can slide all around the opponent.

11) Peach
Pros : Float, Turnips, chain grab on fast fallers, can float cancel, amazing crouch cancel, down smash racks damage, forward air is great at baiting, amazing defense game.

Cons : Very light, floaty, terrible speed, and hard to master.

Character specifics : Learn what every turn does, and if somebody wants to rush you down you can make it the worst mistake of their life by crouch cancel down smash.

12) Yoshi
Pros : One of the best at air movement, eggs, double jump cancel, powerful smashes, surprisingly heavy, side b sets up for up smash at later percents.

Cons : His recovery move doesn't help him recover, bad grab, almost doomed offstage.

Character specifics : Learn to b reversal grab, it makes your combo game very flexible, and if you master eggs you are definitely a threat.

13) Sheik
Pros : Great crouch cancel, tech chase, Great combo game, needles, amazing tilts.

Cons : Light, pretty easy to combo, bad recovery, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Space your attacks, get good at tech chasing, and take your combos as far as possible.

14) Ice Climbers
Pros : Can Desync, projectile, good wavedash, grab combos (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CHAIN GRABS), and two characters.

Cons : If seperated it's ugly for their percent, lightweight, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Get creative with combos and master desyncing.

15) Toon Link
Pros : Many projectiles, can mix between close quarters and far distance damage at any second, somewhat powerful smashes, great kill potential.

Cons : falls fast, easy to combo, can't deal with pressure, terrible recovery unless bomb jumping, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Learn bomb jumping, and make up tricks of your own.

*will edit again in a few days.

 

[leekslap]

1) Captain Falcon
Pros : Fast dashing speed, great aerials, kills wells, tech chaser.

Cons : Very tall, falls fast, predictable recovery, has trouble with short characters.

Character Specifics : Must learn to make reads, and know how to tech, otherwise he gets destroyed.

2) Kirby
Pros : Very short, one of the lowest crouches, amazing offstage, huge grab range, tech chaser.

Cons : Very slow on the ground and in the air, incredibly light.

Character specifics : Must learn to tech chase, space your aerials.

3) Marth
Pros : Incredible grab range, Great aerial range, low when dashes, chaingrabs fast-fallers.

Cons : Terribly light, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Spacing is a REQUIREMENT, so is playing defensive.

4) Link
Pros : Great at camping, large range, outstanding recovery options, one of the heaviest characters.

Cons : Cannot deal with pressure, slow dash speed, slow aerial speed.

Character specifics : You must be great at spacing and walling people out with projectiles. If you are pressured in your shield, it doesn't end well.

5) Mario
Pros : Chaingrabs on most of the cast, he's basically balanced in terms of dash speed and combo ability, his recovery is great, projectile, amazing at edge guarding, middle weight.

Cons : Mario HATES characters who outrange him, and if he is taken far away from the stage there's not much he can do. Grab range to my knowledge isn't very good.

Character specifics : He's easy to learn, just space your aerials, and know chaingrabs and percents.

6) Pit
Pros : Where do I start? Great recovery, chain grabs, combos on heavies and floaties, great projectile, gimps amazingly, recovery move can kill, fast aerials, great dash dance and speed, he juggles well too.

Cons : His ONLY problem is weight. He's top tier as of now in my opinion. He's fairly easy to learn.

Character specifics : The usual, space well, chain grab, juggle, and be good at DI.

7) Falco
Pros : Sick ground game, pressure is crazy, combos fast fallers HARD, amazing projectile.

Cons : Glass cannon - falls fast, bad recovery, slow ground speed.

Character specifics : Learn to tech chase, get good at his technique called "Pillaring". He's very easy to use.

8) Bowser
Pros : AMAZING crouch cancel, kills very early, can jump cancel his down special , big grab range, and extremely heavy.

Cons : Super slow, not a very good recovery.

Charcter specifics : I would say he's easy to combo but his crouch cancel makes it near impossible, and when you get a hit you need to make the most of it.

I'll add more later on, hope it's enough.

9) Ganondorf
Pros : Hits very hard, great tech chase, above average recovery, heavyweight, chaingrabs on fastfallers, and above average range.

Cons : Very slow, not much combo ability, and poor air mobility.

Character specifics : You want to get good at movement and don't always make the first move, instead try and punish, and when they whiff something out you need to punish as hard as possible.

10) Luigi
Pros : Kills surprisingly early, astronomical wavedash, can do 2 aerials every short hop, and can end a combo with nair.

Cons : Not a good grab, light, and only decent range, projectile isn't very useful.

Character specifics : Get good at recovery, and use the little range you have, get good with wave landing and wavedashing so you can slide all around the opponent.

11) Peach
Pros : Float, Turnips, chain grab on fast fallers, can float cancel, amazing crouch cancel, down smash racks damage, forward air is great at baiting, amazing defense game.

Cons : Very light, floaty, terrible speed, and hard to master.

Character specifics : Learn what every turn does, and if somebody wants to rush you down you can make it the worst mistake of their life by crouch cancel down smash.

12) Yoshi
Pros : One of the best at air movement, eggs, double jump cancel, powerful smashes, surprisingly heavy, side b sets up for up smash at later percents.

Cons : His recovery move doesn't help him recover, bad grab, almost doomed offstage.

Character specifics : Learn to b reversal grab, it makes your combo game very flexible, and if you master eggs you are definitely a threat.

13) Sheik
Pros : Great crouch cancel, tech chase, Great combo game, needles, amazing tilts.

Cons : Light, pretty easy to combo, bad recovery, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Space your attacks, get good at tech chasing, and take your combos as far as possible.

14) Ice Climbers
Pros : Can Desync, projectile, good wavedash, grab combos (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CHAIN GRABS), and two characters.

Cons : If seperated it's ugly for their percent, lightweight, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Get creative with combos and master desyncing.

15) Toon Link
Pros : Many projectiles, can mix between close quarters and far distance damage at any second, somewhat powerful smashes, great kill potential.

Cons : falls fast, easy to combo, can't deal with pressure, terrible recovery unless bomb jumping, easy to edge guard.

Character specifics : Learn bomb jumping, and make up tricks of your own.

*will edit again in a few days.

Falco is NOT easy to use in any version of the universe lol

Multishining is among the hardest techniques in the game, but goddamn it's so satisfying when you pull it off even once. And don't even get me started on Fox's multishine. And it's kinda sad since the 3.5 Level 9 Falco does it in the neutral like its nothing. WTF PMDT?

 

[JosekiTheGreat]

I would add to this thread - play Fox if you really want to dedicate yourself to learning a single character. Fox is a serious commitment. If you enjoy spending hours in the lab honing technical ability, and care about dedicating yourself to a single character learn fox. Also, Fox is an incredibly creative character with a lot of room to put your own "mark" on your play, so to speak.