Shadow Light Master
Smash Journeyman
Preface
Hello. My name is Shadow Light Master and I've cleared Boss Battles on Intense with several characters (without glitches) and am in the process of doing more. At the end of the guide I will list the characters I have done it with besides Marth, so you can make requests and possibly I will write guides on them in the future. I have decided to make a contribution of information to the board by posting this mini-guide about how to clear the mode with Marth.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Marth and General Strategy
I) Master Hand
II) Crazy Hand
III) Petey Pirahna
IV) Galleom
V) Porky
VI) Duon
VII) Rayquaza
VIII) Ridley
IX) Meta Ridley
X) Tabuu
Quick Strategies (Short Version of Guide)
Introduction to Marth and General Strategy:
As you all may know, Marth is still a very good character in Brawl. He has not changed much, but his aerial of choice has shifted from nair (neutral A in the air) to his fair. In Boss Battles this is important to take notice of. You will be making use of fair, uair, Counter, and usmash very often. When I say "fair tipper" that means to hit with the tip of his sword, which does the most damage. Fair tipper will be the move of choice over uair tipper even though they do the same damage most of the time because you can fair more than uair before touching the ground. Uair will come in handy when you cannot score a fair tipper with ease. Marth has lost the ability to gain horizontal distance with >B, so be careful.
The Bosses
I) Master Hand/II) Crazy Hand
This is a very easy battle for most characters and most definately for Marth. They are the perfect bosses to practice air dodging on. There is nothing very important to take note of except that when the Hands go for the Finger Drill, you may Counter twice to deal damage. Make sure you DI toward the stage so you don't go flying away, as Marth has poor horizontal recovery. Take out the hands with usmashs and uair/fair tippers if they are beyond reach.
III) Petey Pirahna
This is a ridiculously easy fight for Marth. Stay in the center, and use Counter whenever he swings the cages. In between swings use usmash, but if Petey is one of your last opponents you may not get the oppurtunity, so in those cases just Counter. When he changes sides, you can run underneath him and Counter his slam, but this may be risky, so you're better off waiting for him to move and then hunt him down with fair tippers.
IV) Galleom
Most characters have to put in some effort for Galleom, but Marth has it easy. Whenever Galleom attacks, you can simply use Counter. If he decides to use missiles, run in close and attack him with your fsmash. You can use usmash, but it is a little difficult to line up because there is an invisible wall that pushes you back slightly from Galleom, which cuts the effectiveness a little. When he quadruple hops, do not Counter. Instead roll to the opposite side and start chasing him with fair tippers. When he falls, Counter and then spam usmash.
V) Porky
This fight is still pretty tough for Marth. When the match begins, start hitting him with fair tippers. Counter isn't going to be very useful in this fight. If he tries to rush you while you're fairing, quickly b^ over him. If he decides to use his yellow laser, move away quickly and air dodge it twice. If he decides to drill you, quickly use b^ repeatedly until you escape. His red laser is the most problematic, if it locks on to you you're going to have to dodge or roll very quickly at the last second. While you're fairing you can switch sides, bair, and start fairing again automatically. It's a pretty neat trick. As long as you SHFFing with your nairs, fairs, and the occasional uairs you can stall long enough for Porky's bombs to explode. Keep this up and Porky will be done in no time.
VI) Duon
Marth has such a nice time with Duon that you don't even really need the missiles! Most characters choose to attack when the pink side is facing, but Marth wants the opposite. You want to start fair tipping them when the blue side is facing, and whenever it tries to melee you just Counter it right back! You can destroy the bombs with your tip. If he tries to rush you, Counter it. If he tries to spin, roll away and wait for it to end. When he jumps, you can uair tip him or just wait for him to switch sides. When the pink side comes into play, be defensive and dodge the lasers. His blue laser attack is the most difficult to dodge though. You have to either spot dodge or roll quickly in opposite directions, inward, outward, inward. Even then the timing is pretty tricky. Usually I get hit with one of them, so if that happens make sure to DI towards the stage. When you get hit one of his lasers usually misses so the last one is easy to dodge. When he launches his missiles, if you're fair tipping him, they will automatically explode.
VII) Rayquaza
Counter, Counter, Counter. Almost every single one of his attacks can be Countered. If you're facing him as an early opponent, you can hug him and usmash in between Counters. If he tail swipes, Counter. Each of his Extremespeed hits can be countered. His energy ball can be Countered, even if you may not hit him. His Dig can be Countered, as can his Dive... am I sounding like a broken record? This is almost solely a Counter fight.
VIII) Ridley
Ridley is a pretty simple boss. Just fair tip him, pure and simple. His most annoying move is his side change, so Counter that if you can or air dodge it. When he jumps up and flys offscreen and tries to ram you, you can air dodge or Counter. Counter is riskier but I prefer it because it takes out a large chunk of his health. Just dodge the other attackings as they come, and keep in mind that if Ridley tries to do his wind attack, you can Counter it at point blank range to deal damage.
IX) Meta Ridley
As soon as the match begins, uair tip him. After that start using fair tippers. You can Counter his moves, but it's more difficult than just air dodging and the payoff isn't worth it. If he tries to do his multi-hit fire breath, simply run to the left and grab the ledge. As soon as it's over, jump up and uair tip him. If he hangs on to the ship, fsmash him the first time, and then either fsmash him again or Counter the fireball. You can usmash him generally speaking, but being on the ground is somewhat risky.
X) Tabuu
The only real threat here is the Off Waves. A tip I got was that as soon as you see him release the wave, ground dodge immediately. This method has never failed me. One thing I should mention is that when Tabuu starts glowing and electrical orbs start spinning around him, get away. If caught, you will be sent flying at an odd angle, and Marth will not be able to recover because he has poor horizontal recovery. This once ended a match for me in less than fifteen seconds. Avoid his whip, although if you're like me and always get grabbed, DI towards the stage. Fair tippers should be traded in here for uair tippers as Tabuu often appears very high, so unless he appears at the ends of the stages these will be key. You can fsmash him at this time, but it may take longer than several fair tippers. You can Counter his melee dive attack but it's easier to just dodge it. The last thing worth noting is that when Tabuu is doing his stream of bullets attack, which follows by a fireball, Tabuu's whole body is a hitbox when he launches the fireball. That means when you're fairing/uairing him, back away. With patience you should be able to destroy this Tron/Marx wannabe in no time.
Quick Strategies
This section is basically a "too long, didn't read" version of the guide and will give you a brief rundown of what to do for each boss.
Master Hand/Crazy Hand
Air dodge attacks, attack with usmash and fair tippers, uair tippers when fair is hard to do. When finger drilled, you can Counter twice. DI toward stage so you don't die.
Petey Piranha
Stay in middle, Counter cage swings, usmash in between. If he's a later opponent, you may not have time to usmash. You can counter the jump slams but waiting and fair chasing is better.
Galleom
Counter his attacks. When he starts doing the quadruple hop, roll to the opposite side and chase him with fair tippers. When he falls, Counter and spam usmash. When he shoots missiles run towards him and fsmash him.
Porky
Hit him with fair tippers, if he drills you b^ until you're free, if he tries to ram you while fairing, quickly b^ over him. Run away and airdodge the yellow laser twice, if the red one locks on to you you will have to air dodge or roll at the last second. Another strategy for the yellow laser is dodging the first one, then Countering the second sweep/hit close to Porky for some nice damage.
Duon
When blue side is facing you, attack with fair tippers and Counter the melee attacks. When he tries to use the bombs, you can destroy them with your tip. When the pink side is facing you, play defensive from its lasers. You can detonate the missiles on it by Countering or fairing them. Roll away from the spin, Counter the dash.
Rayquaza
Counter all of his moves. All of them.
Ridley
Fair tippers will do the trick, Counter side change, air dodge his background rush or Counter it. You can Counter the wind blow roar.
Meta Ridley
Alternate between uair and fair tippers so you don't become stale, either one is equally good here. When he shoots his multi-hit fire, grab the ledge on the left and jump up when he's finished to uair tip him. Countering the first fireball he spits when he grabs the ship sometimes immediately knocks him off without requiring a second hit. Air dodging is preferred here to Countering his regular attacks.
Tabuu
Attack with uair tippers, because he will be very high. When he's on the opposite ends of the stage, fair tippers work well as well as fsmashes. For the Off Waves, always dodge as soon as you see the wave being released. Do not get caught in the electrical orb spin, you may be thrown at an angle you cannot recover from. If caught by the grappling hook, DI so you don't die. When Tabuu does his needle storm, when he throws the fireball his whole body is a hitbox so be careful if you're fairing or uairing him.
Thank you for taking the time to read my guide. I enjoy passing on things I learn to others, so if you learn anything from this guide my work is done. Here's the list of characters that I've beaten BB on Intense with that I mentioned at the beginning of the guide. You can make a request for one of those characters, but it will take a little time because I like to put effort into my work. EDIT: I have just finished writing a Toon Link guide.
Characters I've Beaten BB Intense with:
Toon Link (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=4605860#post4605860)
Zero Suit Samus
Meta Knight
Fox
Pokemon Trainer (Charizard, may do more)
Marth (guide finished)
Sonic
Mr. Game & Watch
Captain Falcon
Luigi
Ness
Lucas
Wolf
To Do:
1) Add pictures.
2) Make formatting nicer looking.
3) Incorporate feedback!
Hello. My name is Shadow Light Master and I've cleared Boss Battles on Intense with several characters (without glitches) and am in the process of doing more. At the end of the guide I will list the characters I have done it with besides Marth, so you can make requests and possibly I will write guides on them in the future. I have decided to make a contribution of information to the board by posting this mini-guide about how to clear the mode with Marth.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Marth and General Strategy
I) Master Hand
II) Crazy Hand
III) Petey Pirahna
IV) Galleom
V) Porky
VI) Duon
VII) Rayquaza
VIII) Ridley
IX) Meta Ridley
X) Tabuu
Quick Strategies (Short Version of Guide)
Introduction to Marth and General Strategy:
As you all may know, Marth is still a very good character in Brawl. He has not changed much, but his aerial of choice has shifted from nair (neutral A in the air) to his fair. In Boss Battles this is important to take notice of. You will be making use of fair, uair, Counter, and usmash very often. When I say "fair tipper" that means to hit with the tip of his sword, which does the most damage. Fair tipper will be the move of choice over uair tipper even though they do the same damage most of the time because you can fair more than uair before touching the ground. Uair will come in handy when you cannot score a fair tipper with ease. Marth has lost the ability to gain horizontal distance with >B, so be careful.
The Bosses
I) Master Hand/II) Crazy Hand
This is a very easy battle for most characters and most definately for Marth. They are the perfect bosses to practice air dodging on. There is nothing very important to take note of except that when the Hands go for the Finger Drill, you may Counter twice to deal damage. Make sure you DI toward the stage so you don't go flying away, as Marth has poor horizontal recovery. Take out the hands with usmashs and uair/fair tippers if they are beyond reach.
III) Petey Pirahna
This is a ridiculously easy fight for Marth. Stay in the center, and use Counter whenever he swings the cages. In between swings use usmash, but if Petey is one of your last opponents you may not get the oppurtunity, so in those cases just Counter. When he changes sides, you can run underneath him and Counter his slam, but this may be risky, so you're better off waiting for him to move and then hunt him down with fair tippers.
IV) Galleom
Most characters have to put in some effort for Galleom, but Marth has it easy. Whenever Galleom attacks, you can simply use Counter. If he decides to use missiles, run in close and attack him with your fsmash. You can use usmash, but it is a little difficult to line up because there is an invisible wall that pushes you back slightly from Galleom, which cuts the effectiveness a little. When he quadruple hops, do not Counter. Instead roll to the opposite side and start chasing him with fair tippers. When he falls, Counter and then spam usmash.
V) Porky
This fight is still pretty tough for Marth. When the match begins, start hitting him with fair tippers. Counter isn't going to be very useful in this fight. If he tries to rush you while you're fairing, quickly b^ over him. If he decides to use his yellow laser, move away quickly and air dodge it twice. If he decides to drill you, quickly use b^ repeatedly until you escape. His red laser is the most problematic, if it locks on to you you're going to have to dodge or roll very quickly at the last second. While you're fairing you can switch sides, bair, and start fairing again automatically. It's a pretty neat trick. As long as you SHFFing with your nairs, fairs, and the occasional uairs you can stall long enough for Porky's bombs to explode. Keep this up and Porky will be done in no time.
VI) Duon
Marth has such a nice time with Duon that you don't even really need the missiles! Most characters choose to attack when the pink side is facing, but Marth wants the opposite. You want to start fair tipping them when the blue side is facing, and whenever it tries to melee you just Counter it right back! You can destroy the bombs with your tip. If he tries to rush you, Counter it. If he tries to spin, roll away and wait for it to end. When he jumps, you can uair tip him or just wait for him to switch sides. When the pink side comes into play, be defensive and dodge the lasers. His blue laser attack is the most difficult to dodge though. You have to either spot dodge or roll quickly in opposite directions, inward, outward, inward. Even then the timing is pretty tricky. Usually I get hit with one of them, so if that happens make sure to DI towards the stage. When you get hit one of his lasers usually misses so the last one is easy to dodge. When he launches his missiles, if you're fair tipping him, they will automatically explode.
VII) Rayquaza
Counter, Counter, Counter. Almost every single one of his attacks can be Countered. If you're facing him as an early opponent, you can hug him and usmash in between Counters. If he tail swipes, Counter. Each of his Extremespeed hits can be countered. His energy ball can be Countered, even if you may not hit him. His Dig can be Countered, as can his Dive... am I sounding like a broken record? This is almost solely a Counter fight.
VIII) Ridley
Ridley is a pretty simple boss. Just fair tip him, pure and simple. His most annoying move is his side change, so Counter that if you can or air dodge it. When he jumps up and flys offscreen and tries to ram you, you can air dodge or Counter. Counter is riskier but I prefer it because it takes out a large chunk of his health. Just dodge the other attackings as they come, and keep in mind that if Ridley tries to do his wind attack, you can Counter it at point blank range to deal damage.
IX) Meta Ridley
As soon as the match begins, uair tip him. After that start using fair tippers. You can Counter his moves, but it's more difficult than just air dodging and the payoff isn't worth it. If he tries to do his multi-hit fire breath, simply run to the left and grab the ledge. As soon as it's over, jump up and uair tip him. If he hangs on to the ship, fsmash him the first time, and then either fsmash him again or Counter the fireball. You can usmash him generally speaking, but being on the ground is somewhat risky.
X) Tabuu
The only real threat here is the Off Waves. A tip I got was that as soon as you see him release the wave, ground dodge immediately. This method has never failed me. One thing I should mention is that when Tabuu starts glowing and electrical orbs start spinning around him, get away. If caught, you will be sent flying at an odd angle, and Marth will not be able to recover because he has poor horizontal recovery. This once ended a match for me in less than fifteen seconds. Avoid his whip, although if you're like me and always get grabbed, DI towards the stage. Fair tippers should be traded in here for uair tippers as Tabuu often appears very high, so unless he appears at the ends of the stages these will be key. You can fsmash him at this time, but it may take longer than several fair tippers. You can Counter his melee dive attack but it's easier to just dodge it. The last thing worth noting is that when Tabuu is doing his stream of bullets attack, which follows by a fireball, Tabuu's whole body is a hitbox when he launches the fireball. That means when you're fairing/uairing him, back away. With patience you should be able to destroy this Tron/Marx wannabe in no time.
Quick Strategies
This section is basically a "too long, didn't read" version of the guide and will give you a brief rundown of what to do for each boss.
Master Hand/Crazy Hand
Air dodge attacks, attack with usmash and fair tippers, uair tippers when fair is hard to do. When finger drilled, you can Counter twice. DI toward stage so you don't die.
Petey Piranha
Stay in middle, Counter cage swings, usmash in between. If he's a later opponent, you may not have time to usmash. You can counter the jump slams but waiting and fair chasing is better.
Galleom
Counter his attacks. When he starts doing the quadruple hop, roll to the opposite side and chase him with fair tippers. When he falls, Counter and spam usmash. When he shoots missiles run towards him and fsmash him.
Porky
Hit him with fair tippers, if he drills you b^ until you're free, if he tries to ram you while fairing, quickly b^ over him. Run away and airdodge the yellow laser twice, if the red one locks on to you you will have to air dodge or roll at the last second. Another strategy for the yellow laser is dodging the first one, then Countering the second sweep/hit close to Porky for some nice damage.
Duon
When blue side is facing you, attack with fair tippers and Counter the melee attacks. When he tries to use the bombs, you can destroy them with your tip. When the pink side is facing you, play defensive from its lasers. You can detonate the missiles on it by Countering or fairing them. Roll away from the spin, Counter the dash.
Rayquaza
Counter all of his moves. All of them.
Ridley
Fair tippers will do the trick, Counter side change, air dodge his background rush or Counter it. You can Counter the wind blow roar.
Meta Ridley
Alternate between uair and fair tippers so you don't become stale, either one is equally good here. When he shoots his multi-hit fire, grab the ledge on the left and jump up when he's finished to uair tip him. Countering the first fireball he spits when he grabs the ship sometimes immediately knocks him off without requiring a second hit. Air dodging is preferred here to Countering his regular attacks.
Tabuu
Attack with uair tippers, because he will be very high. When he's on the opposite ends of the stage, fair tippers work well as well as fsmashes. For the Off Waves, always dodge as soon as you see the wave being released. Do not get caught in the electrical orb spin, you may be thrown at an angle you cannot recover from. If caught by the grappling hook, DI so you don't die. When Tabuu does his needle storm, when he throws the fireball his whole body is a hitbox so be careful if you're fairing or uairing him.
Thank you for taking the time to read my guide. I enjoy passing on things I learn to others, so if you learn anything from this guide my work is done. Here's the list of characters that I've beaten BB on Intense with that I mentioned at the beginning of the guide. You can make a request for one of those characters, but it will take a little time because I like to put effort into my work. EDIT: I have just finished writing a Toon Link guide.
Characters I've Beaten BB Intense with:
Toon Link (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=4605860#post4605860)
Zero Suit Samus
Meta Knight
Fox
Pokemon Trainer (Charizard, may do more)
Marth (guide finished)
Sonic
Mr. Game & Watch
Captain Falcon
Luigi
Ness
Lucas
Wolf
To Do:
3) Incorporate feedback!
