mindgames

[Pitariolink]

Since i have TL as secondary i want to know how to use mindgames,
i read somewhere that just before you trow the bomb you need to jump for canceling.
Is this correct or do you need to do something else?

[QUIVO]

Kind of, you can use it to mindgame.

I.E. Run at your opponent. If they shield, just go pass them and then jump cancel throw a bomb at them while they let down their shield.

Mindgames is much more than this.

[Ørion]

Mindgames aren't really the kind of thing you can just list out and explain. It takes a lot of practice and experience to develop and use them, and they just gradually become incorporated into your gameplay as you play more often.

[QUIVO]

watch the ssbm mindgames video. You can get an idea of what exactly they are. They even list a nice definition.

[Kodachrome]

To be entirely honest, I've found that always keeping a bomb on me is a mindgame similar to Samus' chargeshot or the aura sphere. People don't like it when you can loose a projectile at any time with complete freedom of movement.

Of course, this is just something a toon link should do anyway, but I enjoy "cooking" my bombs for as long as I can, similar to Snake's grenades. Of course, this does severely limit your options aside from smashing, so...meh.

[UnderWing]

Yeah, mindgames can't really be "taught".

"Using mindgames" to me is just the process of playing the opponent against themselves -- getting in their heads, creating situations where they screw up for themselves... good spacing, unpredictability (or false predictability) and pressure can all lead to people making stupid mistakes when, in fact, they think you're the one who's made the error. I find myself using off-the-ledge play (where TL is very strong, and can be great if you're careful and don't mess up... risky, but with high return :P).

Making them nervous, as well, can cause these types of screw-ups -- that's where bombs come in, that's where projectile pressure and speedy movements can be combined, and that's where a good TL can absolutely excel. What I find, though, is that you want to avoid playing the same person too many times -- no matter how "unpredictable" you are, if you play someone else for hours a day, they'll figure out your patterns. In these situations, I recommend differentiating your playstyle as much as possible -- high-pressure TL (fast, lots of SH'd aerials, in-your-face fighting style) can be great, but no matter how immaculate your spacing is, someone who can read you will dodge, block, and grab you out of your attacks eventually (if they're your level). Campy (frequent projectiles, avoidance of close-quarters unless you're going for a kill) is another playstyle I've seen be effective to a degree -- but higher-level players will shield your arrows, catch your bombs, and dodge/shield your boomerangs all day (forcing you to come to them... which can be a subconscious "pressure" on you, so make sure you're thinking clearly when you do approach or you'll be the one making the mistakes). There's a rhythm to battling as TL, and each style is like a different tempo. What you want to do is make someone think you're going to act one way, then fake them and punish their assumption with another methodology/style.

What I find, when you're playing someone who is really "cramping" your favored style in one way or another, is that the key to switching it up and throwing them off is as easy as faking them into a grab. As long as you're careful (the best time to grab is when they're coming out of a spotdodge, or landing into a shield... and not expecting it) you've got a few options out of a grab. Pummeling, of course, is a wonderful way to rack up a small bonus to their %, and cancel some of your diminishing returns (stale moves), and you should really learn how long your grab lasts against someone who's struggling (please, /please/ don't use a computer for this -- get a friend to struggle as they would in tournament, and experiment with how many pummels you can get in when they're struggling at each percentage). Throw choices with TL are a matter of preference, and some can set up for various things (the Kizzu Combo, for one) with the right throw, but that's really dependent on your opponent's % and character properties (weight, aerials that might turn the situation against you, etc.) Finally, releasing them from the grab (waiting for it to time out) is another alternative, and can lead to d-smashes, f-smashes or f-airs if you follow up right (different characters, again, have different reactions to this as well... you may want to experiment before actually trying to punish it on an opponent, even if you're in a tournament match -- someone who's just released to the air will have a lot harder time punishing you if you shield then if you tried to d-smash them when they weren't there.)

So basically, if a person starts to "see through" your pattern, it's obviously time to change it up -- I actually grab almost as much as I smash with TL, because it breaks the natural rhythm of the fight up, and lets me control where the fight goes (literally and figuratively). If you don't have the momentum of the fight on your side, you're never going to win -- so when you feel you're losing it, you need to just differentiate your style.

(As a note: I know there's more than just the above archetypes when it comes to styles of TL play, I chose the extremes as examples... each move TL has has the ability to serve a person's playstyle in a different way, and it's a balance of high-energy, low-predictability, and messing with your opponent's head that will end up winning rounds... Just remember, Brawl's shielding system favors the defender in most cases, so be careful with high-pressure styles, and try to trick your opponent to dropping their shield to attack, then be smart about how your react...)

And remember -- play your opponents against themselves. If they feel regret for making a dumb move, they'll be too busy kicking themselves, and that'll just result in more opportunities for them to mess up. Mindgames are all about making your enemy "their own worst enemy"... and when that's the case, all you have to do is punish. :P

--UnderWing

[TLMarth]

Mindgames is fooling the opponent to do one thing as a reaction, then doing a different thing than usual that takes advantage of their reaction.

Say you always short hop laser with falco, and the opponent, fox, always reflects it, hitting you, and he takes advantage of you being hit.
Then you short hop, but don't laser, and he reflects, and you rush in to attack him while he recovers from the lag.

also what Quivo said. There is a technique to turn around and throw the bomb, so instead of throwing it in front of them, you throw it from behind after they lower the shield.

[UnderWing]

Mindgames is fooling the opponent to do one thing as a reaction, then doing a different thing than usual that takes advantage of their reaction.

Say you always short hop laser with falco, and the opponent, fox, always reflects it, hitting you, and he takes advantage of you being hit.
Then you short hop, but don't laser, and he reflects, and you rush in to attack him while he recovers from the lag.

also what Quivo said. There is a technique to turn around and throw the bomb, so instead of throwing it in front of them, you throw it from behind after they lower the shield.

Heh, precisely what that wall of text was supposed to say in the first place. In the case of TL, he's got so many options open to him... but most players end up in patterns. To "use mindgames", you need to first recognize the patterns that you're in, and the break them in such a way as to take advantage of your opponent expecting them in the first place. Don't commit to a single approach -- if you always try to SH space a fair then arrow-cancel on your landing, and the opponent notices and starts shielding, try landing into a dashed grab instead -- use the fact that they shielded as an opening.