SCOTU
Smash Hero
Something else I noticed a lack of around here, talk of styles. There are two major styles that one can play in brawl: the Aggressor and the Defender. It's critical that you understand how both operate, so that you know how you're supposed to be thinking, and just as importantly, how your opponent is supposed to be thinking. I've given a basic definition of both styles here and I go over the general thought process and strategy for using that style for beating the other style.
[The Defensive Style]
This player tries to force his opponent to come to him, and exploit the weaknesses of that approach. This player will often employ projectiles to force specific angles of approach (i.e. on platforms, sh air dodge -- SHAD is a ******** term, dash into shield, etc...) and then attempts to counter that approach angle through shielding or moving out of the way, or counterhitting attacks, dodging or moving out of the way of grabs, and grabbing shields. It is important for this type of player to be able to keep track of previous approach attempts through a certain projectile/ movement patter. It is also critical to have a reasonable reaction time to play defensively, since your goal is to have the perfect counter for their approach. It's best to wait for you to be sure they've committed to something before you commit to punishing it, making sure what you're doing is safe and effective. This style of play focuses on figuring out what you can do to make it hardest on you opponent to approach (where hardest = most prone to make a mistake/ be repetitive), and once they do approach, have a good idea what they're going to do when they get there, have a counter prepared, but also be watching for differences in their approach, as they're likely to mix up their approaches as best they can.
[The Aggressive Style]
This player plays a big giant game of Yomi (if you're unfamiliar with the term look up Sirlin's book on playing to win). Basically you have different options to approach with, with varying risk/reward combinations. You get to have fun figuring out the patterns of the defensive player and trying to exploit them. If they keep camping the same way, it's easy to get around. If they expect you to do one thing, mix it up and do something with a bigger risk & reward since they're less likely to see it coming. The main game of the aggressive player is to try to guess right every time by exploiting human thought patterns. Most approaches in brawl are heavily committing, leaving you with holding up (DI) when you realized you've messed up, since you know they get a free hit. Other options on less risky attacks include following with a fast move for a frame trap, or dodging/ rolling/ shielding to try to avoid a bad end and having to restart from day 4. Many players on defense have a tendency to do their defense in iterations, often times leaving them vulnerable at the start/end, when they try to change. If possible, try to vary your speed of approach as much as you can during a given approach and between approaches. Throwing of the Defensive player is the whole goal of being the aggressor: throw off the defensive player, hit with the best attack I can.
Obviously, you're not likely to play just one of these styles, and you're likely to switch between the two frequently in matches when it's advantageous to do so. It's important to recognize when you're doing the wrong style. For instance, if you're trying to play defensive, but they're out camping you, or you have no solid way to make them approach and they're pressuring you, you probably have to switch to aggressive until you can reset the game state. Alternatively, if the defensive player's just got a total fix on your approaches, try playing defensive for a bit and forcing them to approach. Oftentimes it takes camping right outside the enemy's range for an aggressive player to effectively switch to defense. It's key to recognize what style you should be playing at any given moment, based on player matchup, character matchup, stage, and current game state. If you ever find yourself doing worse than you should be try switching styles, oftentimes it'll help.
[The Defensive Style]
This player tries to force his opponent to come to him, and exploit the weaknesses of that approach. This player will often employ projectiles to force specific angles of approach (i.e. on platforms, sh air dodge -- SHAD is a ******** term, dash into shield, etc...) and then attempts to counter that approach angle through shielding or moving out of the way, or counterhitting attacks, dodging or moving out of the way of grabs, and grabbing shields. It is important for this type of player to be able to keep track of previous approach attempts through a certain projectile/ movement patter. It is also critical to have a reasonable reaction time to play defensively, since your goal is to have the perfect counter for their approach. It's best to wait for you to be sure they've committed to something before you commit to punishing it, making sure what you're doing is safe and effective. This style of play focuses on figuring out what you can do to make it hardest on you opponent to approach (where hardest = most prone to make a mistake/ be repetitive), and once they do approach, have a good idea what they're going to do when they get there, have a counter prepared, but also be watching for differences in their approach, as they're likely to mix up their approaches as best they can.
[The Aggressive Style]
This player plays a big giant game of Yomi (if you're unfamiliar with the term look up Sirlin's book on playing to win). Basically you have different options to approach with, with varying risk/reward combinations. You get to have fun figuring out the patterns of the defensive player and trying to exploit them. If they keep camping the same way, it's easy to get around. If they expect you to do one thing, mix it up and do something with a bigger risk & reward since they're less likely to see it coming. The main game of the aggressive player is to try to guess right every time by exploiting human thought patterns. Most approaches in brawl are heavily committing, leaving you with holding up (DI) when you realized you've messed up, since you know they get a free hit. Other options on less risky attacks include following with a fast move for a frame trap, or dodging/ rolling/ shielding to try to avoid a bad end and having to restart from day 4. Many players on defense have a tendency to do their defense in iterations, often times leaving them vulnerable at the start/end, when they try to change. If possible, try to vary your speed of approach as much as you can during a given approach and between approaches. Throwing of the Defensive player is the whole goal of being the aggressor: throw off the defensive player, hit with the best attack I can.
Obviously, you're not likely to play just one of these styles, and you're likely to switch between the two frequently in matches when it's advantageous to do so. It's important to recognize when you're doing the wrong style. For instance, if you're trying to play defensive, but they're out camping you, or you have no solid way to make them approach and they're pressuring you, you probably have to switch to aggressive until you can reset the game state. Alternatively, if the defensive player's just got a total fix on your approaches, try playing defensive for a bit and forcing them to approach. Oftentimes it takes camping right outside the enemy's range for an aggressive player to effectively switch to defense. It's key to recognize what style you should be playing at any given moment, based on player matchup, character matchup, stage, and current game state. If you ever find yourself doing worse than you should be try switching styles, oftentimes it'll help.
