FIRST--- The title is that because I'd like this read over. It's for newer players so if I'm wrong I'd rather them not read it yet. I apologize if this is repeated information, but I hope my perspective will allow others to understand it better.
As I continue to play brawl and attend local tournaments I learn and learn again.
I see many people on the boards suffer from similar problems I went through starting and progressing into more advanced play.
When I first started playing smash I worried about AT's, strings, always winning, and several other silly things. Not to discredit any of those, but what about the basics?
Walking - The control stick shouldn't always be jammed in a direction. With a light touch you can just miss an attack. At first this may seem minimal and underestimated however it's a valuable tool for every character. I hold it highly because it's not situational and should be used in every match.
Shield Grabbing - One of the first things everyone learns. Not always so easy as pressing both buttons though, it does require timing to be truly effective. It's all too often in local tournies and friendlies I see times I should have been grabbed, if they had only held their shield a moment longer.
"Safe" Moves - Every character has moves that are less likely to be punished, find them out for your character and know them well. Use/Spam these and watch your opponent's reactions to them. This will allow you to notice punishment opportunities and moments to unleash your riskier more damaging/kill moves.
Attitude - Everyone likes winning, it's natural. It's very important to have a positive outlook even when losing. Don't get caught up in saying one character is better, or blaming a loss on a match-up among other things. Every character has a player behind them, making the character what it is.
It's not much, but it's basics I feel are too often overlooked. I hope this helps someone
As I continue to play brawl and attend local tournaments I learn and learn again.
I see many people on the boards suffer from similar problems I went through starting and progressing into more advanced play.
When I first started playing smash I worried about AT's, strings, always winning, and several other silly things. Not to discredit any of those, but what about the basics?
Walking - The control stick shouldn't always be jammed in a direction. With a light touch you can just miss an attack. At first this may seem minimal and underestimated however it's a valuable tool for every character. I hold it highly because it's not situational and should be used in every match.
Shield Grabbing - One of the first things everyone learns. Not always so easy as pressing both buttons though, it does require timing to be truly effective. It's all too often in local tournies and friendlies I see times I should have been grabbed, if they had only held their shield a moment longer.
"Safe" Moves - Every character has moves that are less likely to be punished, find them out for your character and know them well. Use/Spam these and watch your opponent's reactions to them. This will allow you to notice punishment opportunities and moments to unleash your riskier more damaging/kill moves.
Attitude - Everyone likes winning, it's natural. It's very important to have a positive outlook even when losing. Don't get caught up in saying one character is better, or blaming a loss on a match-up among other things. Every character has a player behind them, making the character what it is.
It's not much, but it's basics I feel are too often overlooked. I hope this helps someone
