Red Arremer
Smash Legend
I think almost everyone knows it. Wanting to get better, but not having any access to WiFi or real life companions to train with, then getting pwned at tournaments. All you have is the computer in Brawl, and we all know that the computer doesn't really help you get better. Or does it?
Actually, training with the computer CAN help you becoming better. Of course, not at playing opponents or matchups, since CPUs do things a normal human wouldn't do, and Level 9 CPUs read your button inputs and react to it, something your human opponents couldn't. Also, Zero Suit Samus is not available to the CPU as character. However, you can learn tactics and techniques to become better by training with computers, and here are some things you can train with them. If you have some of these things already down, you just can go on, of course.
Step 0: Main Character
Some people don't know what character to play. Try all different characters, you can do that by playing through Single Player modes and random VS battles. Once you've found a character you're comfortable with, you should stick to this character to get down the basics. Once you're over the hurdle of low-mid skill to being actually decent, you can learn basically any character. You, though, always should stick to someone you feel comfortable with - if you feel you don't get along with, say, Diddy Kong, then trying to learn him might prove to be difficult.
Never try to learn more than 1 or 2 characters in detail at once because if you do so, you will begin to lack training with your main characters, and while you would be decent with a handful, you'd not be actually good with your main. Playing other characters a bit, trying around with them and learning their basic techniques, however, will benefit you, because then you'll understand the basics of a character's gameplay and will be able to use this against an opponent who uses them.
I know that the following steps are actually contradicting this one, however, you should apply all of them to your main character once you've learned them.
Step 1: Movement & Stages
I've seen a lot of people having trouble with moving properly over the stages. Some people only play on the 3 "typical" stages Battlefield, Final Destination and Smashville. A character with great mobility such as Wario is a good choice for learning this basic strategy. Pick a stage that is legal and you don't play often on and a Level 8 CPU. Try to run away from the enemy. It's not necessary to win in this part, you have to get the "feeling" for different stages. After you know all the stages, their quirks and how they play, try a character with bad mobility, for instance Ganondorf, and do the same as before. Once you feel comfortable with all legal stages, you are done in this part, and know how different characters move.
Step 2: Recovery & Momentum Cancelling
Ah yes, recovering. Here I recommend playing characters with differently strong recoveries, for example Meta Knight with a great recovery, Ganondorf with a horrible recovery, or Wolf with a very tricky recovery that needs a lot of accuracy. This basically an extension to what Step 1 is; learning how to cancel your momentum properly (some characters need an aerial or special move, others would be better off with an airdodge, depending on the situation) and to recover with your character's options is very important and should definitely not be neglected. If you know how to keep yourself alive longer, you might be able to turn the tables!
Step 3: Dodging & Rolling
A very important part of the game is using airdodges and spotdodges, as well as rolls (at least sometimes) as they are a very central point in your defense. Good choices to getting this down are Lucario or Wario. This is very similar to what Step 1 was about, just this time, you try to avoid all hits your opponent tries to get on you. Use different stages and enemy characters to become familiar to how to dodge what move when exactly. If you have down the airdodges and spotdodges, you can go to the next part.
Step 4: Powershielding
Powershielding is shielding the very moment the enemy's attack would hit your character's body. This requires a bit of skill and knowledge about how the different characters' moves look like. It's mostly about timing. Once again, Wario is quite a good choice for this. You can also add in moving around and dodging your opponent, but should focus on actually shielding hits. This is a very important aspect of Brawl, as without powershielding, you'll be falling behind rather quickly.
Step 5: Grabbing & Shieldgrabbing
I've seen many players who actually are not used to grab. Like, at all. It seems that people don't even know that grabbing an opponent when they are in a shield actually will still give you the grab (which is called shieldgrabbing). The best character to learn how to grab propely probably is Dedede, not because of his chaingrabs but because of his great grab range and quick grab. You have to learn when to grab. You have to learn to punish a shielding enemy by grabbing them. This is a very difficult part to get down, and I see quite a few players neglecting grabs a lot. But once you know how and when to grab properly, you'll be another step up in getting better.
Step 6: Spacing
Spacing is another major aspect of the game. The best character to learn Spacing with is most likely Marth because if you space right with him, you'll be awarded (tipper). You also should try a character with a projectile like Falco, because spacing with a projectile character is very different to spacing with a character without projectile. Spacing is basically getting your opponent to be in the distance you want them to be so you can hit them but they can't hit you. Starting out in training mode to see how far the moves actually reach and then applying this knowledge into your actual game is a good way to do this.
Appendix Step A: Punishing
Learning how to punish mistakes of an enemy is important. Characters have openings after certain moves, airdodges, sidesteps, rolls, and so forth. Punishing is very important, and quite a few characters heavily rely on this. You can learn how to do this with your main, but also with a character with good punishing options such as Meta Knight. CPUs use a lot of spotdodges and rolls, so you can learn how to punish these very well.
_____
After you know how to apply these basic techniques in general, you can start using your main character. It's best to do this step by step. Maybe try to apply a strategy to your main character right after you successfully learned it.
Step 7: Advanced Techniques
Once you're secure with the basic strategies, there are important advanced strategies. Here playing a different character is useful in order to understand how they work on your opponents, however, these you should mainly learn with your main character. ATs like the DACUS/boostsmash, chaingrabs or strategies like certain combos are just as vital to your character's gameplay.
You can learn how to pull them off in training mode just like how you did with spacing, and then start to apply them in general games against CPU opponents.
"Combos":
Only train combos and hitstrings your character's boards have researched and proven to work. CPUs hardly DI and don't SDI at all, so what looks like a working combo against computers doesn't actually work with someone who knows how to DI and SDI.
_____
If you have completed these steps, there is little you actually can improve on with CPUs. The only things that can improve your gameplay are real opponents you train with, or meet in tournaments. Maybe even online play.
Keep in mind that you don't have to do this quickly. Take your time with each of these steps, and don't get angry or frustrated if you have trouble implementing the things you learned into actual matches instantly. No master was just born, and the key to becoming better is, after all, training, training and training.
I hope this helped you a bit. If you have anything to add, feel free to do so. :3
Actually, training with the computer CAN help you becoming better. Of course, not at playing opponents or matchups, since CPUs do things a normal human wouldn't do, and Level 9 CPUs read your button inputs and react to it, something your human opponents couldn't. Also, Zero Suit Samus is not available to the CPU as character. However, you can learn tactics and techniques to become better by training with computers, and here are some things you can train with them. If you have some of these things already down, you just can go on, of course.
Step 0: Main Character
Some people don't know what character to play. Try all different characters, you can do that by playing through Single Player modes and random VS battles. Once you've found a character you're comfortable with, you should stick to this character to get down the basics. Once you're over the hurdle of low-mid skill to being actually decent, you can learn basically any character. You, though, always should stick to someone you feel comfortable with - if you feel you don't get along with, say, Diddy Kong, then trying to learn him might prove to be difficult.
Never try to learn more than 1 or 2 characters in detail at once because if you do so, you will begin to lack training with your main characters, and while you would be decent with a handful, you'd not be actually good with your main. Playing other characters a bit, trying around with them and learning their basic techniques, however, will benefit you, because then you'll understand the basics of a character's gameplay and will be able to use this against an opponent who uses them.
I know that the following steps are actually contradicting this one, however, you should apply all of them to your main character once you've learned them.
Step 1: Movement & Stages
I've seen a lot of people having trouble with moving properly over the stages. Some people only play on the 3 "typical" stages Battlefield, Final Destination and Smashville. A character with great mobility such as Wario is a good choice for learning this basic strategy. Pick a stage that is legal and you don't play often on and a Level 8 CPU. Try to run away from the enemy. It's not necessary to win in this part, you have to get the "feeling" for different stages. After you know all the stages, their quirks and how they play, try a character with bad mobility, for instance Ganondorf, and do the same as before. Once you feel comfortable with all legal stages, you are done in this part, and know how different characters move.
Step 2: Recovery & Momentum Cancelling
Ah yes, recovering. Here I recommend playing characters with differently strong recoveries, for example Meta Knight with a great recovery, Ganondorf with a horrible recovery, or Wolf with a very tricky recovery that needs a lot of accuracy. This basically an extension to what Step 1 is; learning how to cancel your momentum properly (some characters need an aerial or special move, others would be better off with an airdodge, depending on the situation) and to recover with your character's options is very important and should definitely not be neglected. If you know how to keep yourself alive longer, you might be able to turn the tables!
Step 3: Dodging & Rolling
A very important part of the game is using airdodges and spotdodges, as well as rolls (at least sometimes) as they are a very central point in your defense. Good choices to getting this down are Lucario or Wario. This is very similar to what Step 1 was about, just this time, you try to avoid all hits your opponent tries to get on you. Use different stages and enemy characters to become familiar to how to dodge what move when exactly. If you have down the airdodges and spotdodges, you can go to the next part.
Step 4: Powershielding
Powershielding is shielding the very moment the enemy's attack would hit your character's body. This requires a bit of skill and knowledge about how the different characters' moves look like. It's mostly about timing. Once again, Wario is quite a good choice for this. You can also add in moving around and dodging your opponent, but should focus on actually shielding hits. This is a very important aspect of Brawl, as without powershielding, you'll be falling behind rather quickly.
Step 5: Grabbing & Shieldgrabbing
I've seen many players who actually are not used to grab. Like, at all. It seems that people don't even know that grabbing an opponent when they are in a shield actually will still give you the grab (which is called shieldgrabbing). The best character to learn how to grab propely probably is Dedede, not because of his chaingrabs but because of his great grab range and quick grab. You have to learn when to grab. You have to learn to punish a shielding enemy by grabbing them. This is a very difficult part to get down, and I see quite a few players neglecting grabs a lot. But once you know how and when to grab properly, you'll be another step up in getting better.
Step 6: Spacing
Spacing is another major aspect of the game. The best character to learn Spacing with is most likely Marth because if you space right with him, you'll be awarded (tipper). You also should try a character with a projectile like Falco, because spacing with a projectile character is very different to spacing with a character without projectile. Spacing is basically getting your opponent to be in the distance you want them to be so you can hit them but they can't hit you. Starting out in training mode to see how far the moves actually reach and then applying this knowledge into your actual game is a good way to do this.
Appendix Step A: Punishing
Learning how to punish mistakes of an enemy is important. Characters have openings after certain moves, airdodges, sidesteps, rolls, and so forth. Punishing is very important, and quite a few characters heavily rely on this. You can learn how to do this with your main, but also with a character with good punishing options such as Meta Knight. CPUs use a lot of spotdodges and rolls, so you can learn how to punish these very well.
_____
After you know how to apply these basic techniques in general, you can start using your main character. It's best to do this step by step. Maybe try to apply a strategy to your main character right after you successfully learned it.
Step 7: Advanced Techniques
Once you're secure with the basic strategies, there are important advanced strategies. Here playing a different character is useful in order to understand how they work on your opponents, however, these you should mainly learn with your main character. ATs like the DACUS/boostsmash, chaingrabs or strategies like certain combos are just as vital to your character's gameplay.
You can learn how to pull them off in training mode just like how you did with spacing, and then start to apply them in general games against CPU opponents.
"Combos":
Only train combos and hitstrings your character's boards have researched and proven to work. CPUs hardly DI and don't SDI at all, so what looks like a working combo against computers doesn't actually work with someone who knows how to DI and SDI.
_____
If you have completed these steps, there is little you actually can improve on with CPUs. The only things that can improve your gameplay are real opponents you train with, or meet in tournaments. Maybe even online play.
Keep in mind that you don't have to do this quickly. Take your time with each of these steps, and don't get angry or frustrated if you have trouble implementing the things you learned into actual matches instantly. No master was just born, and the key to becoming better is, after all, training, training and training.
I hope this helped you a bit. If you have anything to add, feel free to do so. :3
