![[FBC] ESAM](/data/avatars/l/92/92614.jpg?1365783210){kind=avatar}
[FBC] ESAM
Smash Legend
Hey all, since Galax has been gobbled up from school and work, i am going to try to keep up the match-up threads. This week is my personal favorite to fight against,
King DDD
Overview:
This top-tier character relies heavily on his grabs, and more specifically his chaingrab, to win. This is one of the great things about pikachu, he cannot be chaingrabbed by DDD, which makes this matchup a whole lot easier. However, Pikachu can Forward throw chaingrab DDD till near 60%, which is a great asset towards this matchup.
On the Ground
This is the most interesting part of the matchup. Pikachu has all the speed needed to conquer this heavy adversary. However, DDD's hammer can easily keep you at bay with his f-tilt, d-tilt, and waddles. When approaching DDD, Full hop a T-jolt and run with it to DDD. If he shields it, most likely you will get the grab before him, which can lead to your chaingrabs. Spacing isn't really necessary for pikachu, because DDD can outspace you 100% of the time. So Your speed and CG will win the battle for you on the ground. You can rush in, possibly throw a T-jolt in there, watch for the f-tilt and d-tilt, and have a blast. You can also QAC circles around DDD, and he has very little to do against it since all of his moves are slow. The only thing he can do is grab, but that requires amazing timing.
In the air
The air is an interesting spot to be in. Although pikachu clearly has the advantage, positioning is key. DDDs best aerial is definitely his back air, and he will abuse it all day if he has to. It has great priority, and will hit you out of skull bash if you are recovering, and be a general nuisance any time you are behind him in the air. If you are above DDD, he will use his uair, which can be a very annoying attack, but it isn't nearly as good as his bair. Rarely should you be above DDD and in that position. Every other position in the air is highly advantageous to pikachu. If you are right next to each other, pikachu has nair to knock him away, bair to rack up damage, and uair + fair to continue comboes. Pikachu reigns supreme in the air in this matchup because even if you are behind the DDD, you can just QA around him and have it favorable in your position again.
Approaching
Approaching DDD is pretty straightforward. At first, just rush in, and see how he reacts. Have your shield button ready, and watch for the forward and D-tilt. If he uses them, then dash out of shield and grab him and CG him. You have many different approaches. You can QAC to him, but if you do this, make sure you don't end up right in front of him, cuz you will get grabbed. But otherwise, have a blast and try out new approaches that fit to the specific DDD you are fighting.
DDD on the other hand, has absolutely no approach to pikachu. His approach is only...run to you, maybe RAR to bair, or shield grab with its godly range. Pretty straight-forward, and you can juts QAC around him and keep using those T-jolts. Waddles may block your T-jolt, but it doesn't help his approach that much.
Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, Gordo
This is DDDs most interesting move. His foward B can produce three different creatures: Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, and Gordo. 70% of these is waddle Dee. It has the least knockback when thrown, and can hit you when it is on the ground when it jumps in the air, but it seldom does that. 20% is Waddle Doo. This bugger stays on the level and shoots electricity that keeps you in place, and it does around 30%. This is very dangerous, for if the DDD notices where it is and you don't, and you get hit by it...you can get an F-smash to the face. Both waddles stop your T-jolts, so that can eliminate your camping in a way. Gordo, on the other hand, is a fast moving, VERY LOW PRIORITY move, that can be used to kill Pikachu at around 90%. It moves fairly quickly, so just be on the alert.
Thunder usage
Thunder is a GREAT move against DDD. His body is too huge to really maneuver out of it. Also, his aerial speed is horrid, so it really cuts down on how easily he can escape thunder. If you place the bolt right in the middle of his body, DDD WILL get hit, even if he airdodges with perfect timing. Thunder is also practical when DDD is recovering high. Even if he is still ascending and has super armor, adding damage is always a plus when fighting DDD. If you catch DDD with the blue part of the thunder when he is ascending, he will get hit 3 times for somewhere around 35%, which is VERY nice.
Killing
DDDs best practical kill move is his u-tilt. This is a very short-ranged attack, so it is fairly hard to get hit with. Just make sure that when you are falling from above him at around 85% or higher, QA away from him. Pikachu on the other hand, has varieties of kill moves from the ground. However, do NOT waste your kill moves on DDD until around 110%. This is the BEGINNING of his kill range from F-smash and U-smash. With good DI and quick Bairing from DDD, he survives a stupidly long time. However, a quick u-tilt to thunder will send him flying for good at around 100%.
Edgeguarding
Both characters are very good edgeguarders. DDD has his godly bair, and pikachu has nair, dair, and thunder tricks. Bair will get very irritating to you when trying to recover. It eats through both skull bash and QA, so you need to get around him for the best results. Instead of QA directly towards the stage, try QAing up and then the direction you want and fall onto the stage. DDD isn't fast enough to get back to the stage and then hit you.
When DDD is below the stage, you can run out and nair him at high %s for a kill. Or, if you just threw him off from a CG, you can T-jolt him and waste all of his jumps. When DDD is forced to up-b right near the ledge, the BEST thing to do is grab. Grabbing will not give DDD his jumps back, and you can grab pummel him for extra %s. When he falls back down, he has to up-b again, so grab him again. Repeat until he is at a high enough %, let him come back on the stage, and U-smash him. This can be VERY helpful, but has a tricky timing, so practice it. IT will help immensely.
Grab game
Although DDD doesn't have a CG against Pikachu, his grabs can still be very irritating. The range is huge, and lightning quick. Good DDDs will be able to tech chase if you fall to the ground. When you get grabbed by a DDD and they decide to D-throw you, DI up, then jump and airdodge to effectively get out. However, don't let DDD grab you at all. Even though he doesn't have a CG, his B-throw still does 16%, which is a fifth of the damage he needs before he can kill you with an uptilt. DDD has several options outside of a D-throw, so be wary. The most worrysome one is his Dash attack. It kinda looks like he trips, and then kills you at like 80%...so be VERY careful. However, most things he can do, except maybe f-tilt, can be avoided if you DI up and jump + airdodge. He can't techchase you to another grab since you don't hit the ground, he can't smash you because its too slow, he can't waddle you, and he basically can't do anything.
Pikachu, on the other hand, has a CG that lasts till 60%, as mentioned above. At the end of the CG, you can either F-throw him off and edgeguard, or D-throw to nair. Or, if you realize your opponent airdodges after a D-throw, wait and then punish him. And also grabs help with your edgeguards, as mentioned above. Now it is discovered that pikachu has a different CG on DDD, that involves F-throw AND D-throw. With the use of the buffer system, pikachu has a CG on DDD, although it is a weird one. Thread for more description here: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=225783 , and video proving existence here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v8Myoltijo . With this, pikachu will be even more difficult for DDD as he is now!
Overall: Pikachu advantage 65:35 or 70:30, leaning towards 70-30 with new CG
Video References:
ESAM vs Seibrik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfJR1b7Mi1w&feature=PlayList&p=7F0D0A1321A407D8&playnext=1&index=90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMyrPz0Uffw
Will add more later. Everybody please chip in. I know a lot, but not everything. Help will be appreciated.
King DDD
Overview:
This top-tier character relies heavily on his grabs, and more specifically his chaingrab, to win. This is one of the great things about pikachu, he cannot be chaingrabbed by DDD, which makes this matchup a whole lot easier. However, Pikachu can Forward throw chaingrab DDD till near 60%, which is a great asset towards this matchup.
On the Ground
This is the most interesting part of the matchup. Pikachu has all the speed needed to conquer this heavy adversary. However, DDD's hammer can easily keep you at bay with his f-tilt, d-tilt, and waddles. When approaching DDD, Full hop a T-jolt and run with it to DDD. If he shields it, most likely you will get the grab before him, which can lead to your chaingrabs. Spacing isn't really necessary for pikachu, because DDD can outspace you 100% of the time. So Your speed and CG will win the battle for you on the ground. You can rush in, possibly throw a T-jolt in there, watch for the f-tilt and d-tilt, and have a blast. You can also QAC circles around DDD, and he has very little to do against it since all of his moves are slow. The only thing he can do is grab, but that requires amazing timing.
In the air
The air is an interesting spot to be in. Although pikachu clearly has the advantage, positioning is key. DDDs best aerial is definitely his back air, and he will abuse it all day if he has to. It has great priority, and will hit you out of skull bash if you are recovering, and be a general nuisance any time you are behind him in the air. If you are above DDD, he will use his uair, which can be a very annoying attack, but it isn't nearly as good as his bair. Rarely should you be above DDD and in that position. Every other position in the air is highly advantageous to pikachu. If you are right next to each other, pikachu has nair to knock him away, bair to rack up damage, and uair + fair to continue comboes. Pikachu reigns supreme in the air in this matchup because even if you are behind the DDD, you can just QA around him and have it favorable in your position again.
Approaching
Approaching DDD is pretty straightforward. At first, just rush in, and see how he reacts. Have your shield button ready, and watch for the forward and D-tilt. If he uses them, then dash out of shield and grab him and CG him. You have many different approaches. You can QAC to him, but if you do this, make sure you don't end up right in front of him, cuz you will get grabbed. But otherwise, have a blast and try out new approaches that fit to the specific DDD you are fighting.
DDD on the other hand, has absolutely no approach to pikachu. His approach is only...run to you, maybe RAR to bair, or shield grab with its godly range. Pretty straight-forward, and you can juts QAC around him and keep using those T-jolts. Waddles may block your T-jolt, but it doesn't help his approach that much.
Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, Gordo
This is DDDs most interesting move. His foward B can produce three different creatures: Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, and Gordo. 70% of these is waddle Dee. It has the least knockback when thrown, and can hit you when it is on the ground when it jumps in the air, but it seldom does that. 20% is Waddle Doo. This bugger stays on the level and shoots electricity that keeps you in place, and it does around 30%. This is very dangerous, for if the DDD notices where it is and you don't, and you get hit by it...you can get an F-smash to the face. Both waddles stop your T-jolts, so that can eliminate your camping in a way. Gordo, on the other hand, is a fast moving, VERY LOW PRIORITY move, that can be used to kill Pikachu at around 90%. It moves fairly quickly, so just be on the alert.
Thunder usage
Thunder is a GREAT move against DDD. His body is too huge to really maneuver out of it. Also, his aerial speed is horrid, so it really cuts down on how easily he can escape thunder. If you place the bolt right in the middle of his body, DDD WILL get hit, even if he airdodges with perfect timing. Thunder is also practical when DDD is recovering high. Even if he is still ascending and has super armor, adding damage is always a plus when fighting DDD. If you catch DDD with the blue part of the thunder when he is ascending, he will get hit 3 times for somewhere around 35%, which is VERY nice.
Killing
DDDs best practical kill move is his u-tilt. This is a very short-ranged attack, so it is fairly hard to get hit with. Just make sure that when you are falling from above him at around 85% or higher, QA away from him. Pikachu on the other hand, has varieties of kill moves from the ground. However, do NOT waste your kill moves on DDD until around 110%. This is the BEGINNING of his kill range from F-smash and U-smash. With good DI and quick Bairing from DDD, he survives a stupidly long time. However, a quick u-tilt to thunder will send him flying for good at around 100%.
Edgeguarding
Both characters are very good edgeguarders. DDD has his godly bair, and pikachu has nair, dair, and thunder tricks. Bair will get very irritating to you when trying to recover. It eats through both skull bash and QA, so you need to get around him for the best results. Instead of QA directly towards the stage, try QAing up and then the direction you want and fall onto the stage. DDD isn't fast enough to get back to the stage and then hit you.
When DDD is below the stage, you can run out and nair him at high %s for a kill. Or, if you just threw him off from a CG, you can T-jolt him and waste all of his jumps. When DDD is forced to up-b right near the ledge, the BEST thing to do is grab. Grabbing will not give DDD his jumps back, and you can grab pummel him for extra %s. When he falls back down, he has to up-b again, so grab him again. Repeat until he is at a high enough %, let him come back on the stage, and U-smash him. This can be VERY helpful, but has a tricky timing, so practice it. IT will help immensely.
Grab game
Although DDD doesn't have a CG against Pikachu, his grabs can still be very irritating. The range is huge, and lightning quick. Good DDDs will be able to tech chase if you fall to the ground. When you get grabbed by a DDD and they decide to D-throw you, DI up, then jump and airdodge to effectively get out. However, don't let DDD grab you at all. Even though he doesn't have a CG, his B-throw still does 16%, which is a fifth of the damage he needs before he can kill you with an uptilt. DDD has several options outside of a D-throw, so be wary. The most worrysome one is his Dash attack. It kinda looks like he trips, and then kills you at like 80%...so be VERY careful. However, most things he can do, except maybe f-tilt, can be avoided if you DI up and jump + airdodge. He can't techchase you to another grab since you don't hit the ground, he can't smash you because its too slow, he can't waddle you, and he basically can't do anything.
Pikachu, on the other hand, has a CG that lasts till 60%, as mentioned above. At the end of the CG, you can either F-throw him off and edgeguard, or D-throw to nair. Or, if you realize your opponent airdodges after a D-throw, wait and then punish him. And also grabs help with your edgeguards, as mentioned above. Now it is discovered that pikachu has a different CG on DDD, that involves F-throw AND D-throw. With the use of the buffer system, pikachu has a CG on DDD, although it is a weird one. Thread for more description here: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=225783 , and video proving existence here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v8Myoltijo . With this, pikachu will be even more difficult for DDD as he is now!
Overall: Pikachu advantage 65:35 or 70:30, leaning towards 70-30 with new CG
Video References:
ESAM vs Seibrik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfJR1b7Mi1w&feature=PlayList&p=7F0D0A1321A407D8&playnext=1&index=90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMyrPz0Uffw
Will add more later. Everybody please chip in. I know a lot, but not everything. Help will be appreciated.
Let's be friends?
