Pierce7d
Wise Hermit
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2006
- Messages
- 6,289
- 3DS FC
- 1993-9028-0439
(Now, there are plenty of guides about mindgames already up. But recently I was PMed asking for tips, and realized that perhaps some fresh material could be added. So I wrote this. Enjoy!)
First and foremost, take and remember this critical advice. WALK EVERYWHERE, DON'T RUN unless you need to follow up an attack, or get to the edge to edgeguard. Walking allows you to keep ALL of your options open. You can perform any option out of walking, and it helps your spacing dramatically. By keeping your options open, you can mindgame your opponent far more successfully. When you walk, you have access to your whole moveset (jab, tilt, smash, special, aerial, defense). When you dash, you lose almost half (you can no longer jab, tilt, or Smash).
There are two 'basic' ways to mindgame your opponent: Punishing offense, and punishing defense. I'll teach about punishing defense first.
There are two main ways to punish defense. Observation of natural habits, and conditioning.
Observation of Natural habits: This is to see which of your opponent's defensive options (shield, spot dodge, roll dodge, air dodge, attack, special [like counter]) they like to use most. I'm a Marth player, so I have this part semi-easy, because Marth is really good at punishing all defensive options. Let me know what character you play, and I might be able to give you more specific advice.
You want to observe your opponent's favorite defensive options, and plan to take advantage of these defensive options. If your opponent likes to shield when you jump at them, RAR and land behind them by throwing no attack. Then grab. OR, throw a retreated projectile, maintain the advantage, OR, use a move that has a large possibility of shield stabbing, OR, use a move that is safe on block/hard to punish (like King DeDeDe's rising Dair, or G&W's Bair). Basically, use options that don't allow you to get grabbed from the air. If this means not attacking your opponent's shield with an aerial, then don't. Backing off and deciding NOT to attack is OK. That concept will save you quite a lot of %.
If your opponent likes to spot dodge, MOST jabs in this game will beat out that option, as well as grab, since jabs typically come out on frame 4, and grabs come out frame 6. Also, charging an Usmash works well. Since you can dash into an Usmash, and shield beats every option out of dash except grab, and grab is countered by spot dodge, this means that if you run up to your opponent and don't jump, they'll probably spot dodge, anticipating a grab (or dash attack). This makes the charged Usmash an excellent tool (unless your Usmash is really slow, like Lucas'). In these cases, simply not charging may help. This is why Kirby's dash attack is so good. It's an option out of dash that beats a spot dodge from the ground.
If your opponent's likes to roll away, that's fine. Rolling away is generally one of the best defense options, since it's extremely hard to punish without predicting it ahead of time, and being a fast character. To punish this, basically, you'd have to run past your opponent, and attack where their roll dodge is going to be when it finishes. If you do this, you'll impress people, and be considered a master of mindgames, but it's risky, and not advised. If someone rolls away from you, just continue using your general spacing tools, like Marth's dtilt, or Wolf's Blaster.
If you opponent likes to roll behind you/towards you, simply punish in the same way you'd punish a spot dodge. Attack the spot where they'll end up. As Marth, I like to SHFF Nair, in place. When I jump, my opponent thinks I am approaching, and tries to roll behind me. Since I didn't approach, they roll right into my attack. This is pretty safe, because my opponent really can't punish my auto-cancelled Nair. Rolling behind your opponent is a rewarding option, but a risky one. The same goes for spot dodging.
To beat out airdodges, basically, jump at your airborne opponent and do nothing. They will dodge, anticipating an attack (they have to, or they'll get hit). Wait a little while, and attack them as they come out of their dodge. Hitting them with a move that sends them Upward can reset the situation, because you get a chance to do it again. This is referred to as juggling, but is SLIGHTLY different than juggling in Melee.
Your opponent can also attack defensively. To beat this out, anaylze the pattern, and attack in the break. Even MK legendary Fair/ftilt/dtilt/Shuttle Loop wall is not impenetrable. Practice makes perfect.
The pros of this type of mindgame is that it really gets in your opponent's head, and targets key behaviors that they opponent has built up over time, so it is harder and takes longer for them to adapt. It also requires little effort for the very attentive, and can be used early in the match, with little risk to self in most cases.
The cons are that against most top level players, these defensive options are used appropriately, and not spammed. Furthermore, they use more offensive techniques for defense, and make it riskier to attempt punishment. Lastly, good players use mix-ups, to stop you from reading their habits. Even so, even the best players have habits. You almost need them to maintain top-speed in high level matches.
Conditioning: The second way to punish defensive play is conditioning. Basically, this involves stealthily using the same action or reaction at various points throughout the match, and taking note of what your opponent does. 'Teach' your opponent how to respond to what you are doing, by doing it over, and letting them think they have a reliable solution. When you've conditioned your opponent enough, use a mix-up to beat out their option. For example. Let's say I always roll-dodge behind my opponent when I'm cornered at the edge. They've gotten used to this, and have begun using Dsmash (most dsmashes beat most roll dodges). Now that I've noticed this, instead of rolling behind them, I spot dodge, which beats most Dsmashes. This allows me to get a free Usmash.
Pros of conditioning: You score free hits. Simple.
Cons of conditioning: If not done properly, you may end up taking unnecessary damage. Conditioning requires subtly and care.
I'll reserve the next post for offensive mindgames.
First and foremost, take and remember this critical advice. WALK EVERYWHERE, DON'T RUN unless you need to follow up an attack, or get to the edge to edgeguard. Walking allows you to keep ALL of your options open. You can perform any option out of walking, and it helps your spacing dramatically. By keeping your options open, you can mindgame your opponent far more successfully. When you walk, you have access to your whole moveset (jab, tilt, smash, special, aerial, defense). When you dash, you lose almost half (you can no longer jab, tilt, or Smash).
There are two 'basic' ways to mindgame your opponent: Punishing offense, and punishing defense. I'll teach about punishing defense first.
There are two main ways to punish defense. Observation of natural habits, and conditioning.
Observation of Natural habits: This is to see which of your opponent's defensive options (shield, spot dodge, roll dodge, air dodge, attack, special [like counter]) they like to use most. I'm a Marth player, so I have this part semi-easy, because Marth is really good at punishing all defensive options. Let me know what character you play, and I might be able to give you more specific advice.
You want to observe your opponent's favorite defensive options, and plan to take advantage of these defensive options. If your opponent likes to shield when you jump at them, RAR and land behind them by throwing no attack. Then grab. OR, throw a retreated projectile, maintain the advantage, OR, use a move that has a large possibility of shield stabbing, OR, use a move that is safe on block/hard to punish (like King DeDeDe's rising Dair, or G&W's Bair). Basically, use options that don't allow you to get grabbed from the air. If this means not attacking your opponent's shield with an aerial, then don't. Backing off and deciding NOT to attack is OK. That concept will save you quite a lot of %.
If your opponent likes to spot dodge, MOST jabs in this game will beat out that option, as well as grab, since jabs typically come out on frame 4, and grabs come out frame 6. Also, charging an Usmash works well. Since you can dash into an Usmash, and shield beats every option out of dash except grab, and grab is countered by spot dodge, this means that if you run up to your opponent and don't jump, they'll probably spot dodge, anticipating a grab (or dash attack). This makes the charged Usmash an excellent tool (unless your Usmash is really slow, like Lucas'). In these cases, simply not charging may help. This is why Kirby's dash attack is so good. It's an option out of dash that beats a spot dodge from the ground.
If your opponent's likes to roll away, that's fine. Rolling away is generally one of the best defense options, since it's extremely hard to punish without predicting it ahead of time, and being a fast character. To punish this, basically, you'd have to run past your opponent, and attack where their roll dodge is going to be when it finishes. If you do this, you'll impress people, and be considered a master of mindgames, but it's risky, and not advised. If someone rolls away from you, just continue using your general spacing tools, like Marth's dtilt, or Wolf's Blaster.
If you opponent likes to roll behind you/towards you, simply punish in the same way you'd punish a spot dodge. Attack the spot where they'll end up. As Marth, I like to SHFF Nair, in place. When I jump, my opponent thinks I am approaching, and tries to roll behind me. Since I didn't approach, they roll right into my attack. This is pretty safe, because my opponent really can't punish my auto-cancelled Nair. Rolling behind your opponent is a rewarding option, but a risky one. The same goes for spot dodging.
To beat out airdodges, basically, jump at your airborne opponent and do nothing. They will dodge, anticipating an attack (they have to, or they'll get hit). Wait a little while, and attack them as they come out of their dodge. Hitting them with a move that sends them Upward can reset the situation, because you get a chance to do it again. This is referred to as juggling, but is SLIGHTLY different than juggling in Melee.
Your opponent can also attack defensively. To beat this out, anaylze the pattern, and attack in the break. Even MK legendary Fair/ftilt/dtilt/Shuttle Loop wall is not impenetrable. Practice makes perfect.
The pros of this type of mindgame is that it really gets in your opponent's head, and targets key behaviors that they opponent has built up over time, so it is harder and takes longer for them to adapt. It also requires little effort for the very attentive, and can be used early in the match, with little risk to self in most cases.
The cons are that against most top level players, these defensive options are used appropriately, and not spammed. Furthermore, they use more offensive techniques for defense, and make it riskier to attempt punishment. Lastly, good players use mix-ups, to stop you from reading their habits. Even so, even the best players have habits. You almost need them to maintain top-speed in high level matches.
Conditioning: The second way to punish defensive play is conditioning. Basically, this involves stealthily using the same action or reaction at various points throughout the match, and taking note of what your opponent does. 'Teach' your opponent how to respond to what you are doing, by doing it over, and letting them think they have a reliable solution. When you've conditioned your opponent enough, use a mix-up to beat out their option. For example. Let's say I always roll-dodge behind my opponent when I'm cornered at the edge. They've gotten used to this, and have begun using Dsmash (most dsmashes beat most roll dodges). Now that I've noticed this, instead of rolling behind them, I spot dodge, which beats most Dsmashes. This allows me to get a free Usmash.
Pros of conditioning: You score free hits. Simple.
Cons of conditioning: If not done properly, you may end up taking unnecessary damage. Conditioning requires subtly and care.
I'll reserve the next post for offensive mindgames.
