Hit a Mental Block? Come here.

[~Radiance~]

yea thats me and snake lol. snake taught me how to read and not just hit buttons like i used too. ESAMs advice is def good, its why ive been playing snake in friendlies and for fun more often haha.

 

[KayLo!]

Maybe learning MK (even for just one MU) will gimme a few ideas.

Haven't really hit a wall with Pika, but I definitely have a lot to improve on.

 

[bigman40]

I just can't seem to finish strong when playing Pika (happens with yoshi, but moreso with pika). I also can't kill for the life of me. My killing is worse than Yoshi. I dunno what else there is to pika in terms of killing, but what does anyone know about the previous problem (finishing strong)?

 

[M15t3R E]

I just can't seem to finish strong when playing Pika (happens with yoshi, but moreso with pika). I also can't kill for the life of me. My killing is worse than Yoshi. I dunno what else there is to pika in terms of killing, but what does anyone know about the previous problem (finishing strong)?

This is one of the biggest problems you'll encounter using Pikachu. He lacks killing power if you use his staples like nair. Thunder and f-smash can kill but require a good set-up. I get most of my kills from gimps or edgeguarding (i.e. just not letting the opponent come back to the stage). When your opponent is at killing %'s, lure them towards the edge of the stage and get in a back throw from there if you can. In any case, do the dirty deed from the edge or off-stage. It'll make things much easier.

 

[Variable]

I just can't seem to finish strong when playing Pika (happens with yoshi, but moreso with pika). I also can't kill for the life of me. My killing is worse than Yoshi. I dunno what else there is to pika in terms of killing, but what does anyone know about the previous problem (finishing strong)?

I have the same problem. I never have a problem killing unless it's at the very end of the match and we're both on our last stock. I feel like playing my pika very agressive, works well, but it's too risky at the end of the match. I just need to get more set ups and bait a lot more. I'll get better. =]

 

[bigman40]

This is one of the biggest problems you'll encounter using Pikachu. He lacks killing power if you use his staples like nair. Thunder and f-smash can kill but require a good set-up. I get most of my kills from gimps or edgeguarding (i.e. just not letting the opponent come back to the stage). When your opponent is at killing %'s, lure them towards the edge of the stage and get in a back throw from there if you can. In any case, do the dirty deed from the edge or off-stage. It'll make things much easier.

See, I don't want to have to rely on mainly gimping to get all my kills. Are their any mixups that can be used to keep people from always avoiding the main kill moves? The only reason I can mainly get my kills off with Yoshi is because I can mixup his kill moves with other stuff to throw people's timing off.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

During the whole match you should be picking up small things that your opponent does. What does he do right after you B-throw him? Jump? Air dodge? Attack you? Go straight for the ledge?

What if he is on the ledge? 2 regrabs? Roll? Attack? Ledgehop?

Pikachu excels at punishing these because with most characters pikachu can be out of the range of get up attacks and ledgehops but still hit people with F-smashes. What I do against most characters is T-jolt over and over, eliminating their jump from the ledge option, so when i see them getting up I f-smash. It may not be the strong hit, but it puts them in the air so then you air chase them.

When they are in the air do the Air dodge when you jump towards them? Use their double jump? Attack?

You have to be able to pick up on these things and abuse them, not just on the last stock, but throughout the match.

 

[outlawpika]

Im going to try this out and give my Pikachu a break as much as i would HATE to do so.....

 

[bigman40]

Think of it as training your Pika to be better by learning other characters. Other characters have some properties that you can apply to your style and make you better overall.

 

[~Radiance~]

Well ive got to the point where im always watching my opponet and looking for those habits and things to punish, but i feel like, maybe im playing too slow sometimes. i tend to like to go up and do nothing and wait for a spot dodge or roll or somethng that ive been wathcing them do, but it seems like me playing real slow sometimes gets me hit since im not always in shield when im just waiting for them to do something, its also made me look like a bad player sometimes cuz it seems like im not USING pikas speed to its fullest but rather just waiting to punish their habits.

idk, im thinking maybe i just need to keep moving while also watching for those habits to make me less predictable, any advice for this esam? maybe its nothing, idk.

 

[Gadiel_VaStar]

^^^^^
Good question

 

[cao]

excuse me if i interrupt but i have a problem, actually... i dont use the tilts, i do hate to try this but, is it ok to try snake for some time? i mean, i never use titls, and i think im gonna use them a lot with him lol, but in case you think im wrong, what could i do for stop the dsmashes and start to use tilts? cuz im always trying but i just dont use them, and if i use them, is on the wrong time D:, this is an habit i have and i dont like it so...anybody who can help emm...HELP ._.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

There isn't really anything that will MAKE you start except noticing the opportunities/better situations that tilts can be used as opposed to D-smash. Tilts are safe on shield, have more range, and give you breathing room if you hit no matter what (D-smash can be SDI'd out of and then they can run back at you). Just work on it.

 

[Zodiark]

Whats written in this thread is 100% true . I didn't play brawl for 3 weeks and my Pikachu got stronger :V .

 

[windrixx]

*sigh* I don't even know if I have a local scene.

 

[Flutter NiTE]

I just did this, played as Marth and Falco for about 2 months, (Marth and Falco being my personal worst match ups). This actually got passed my mental block with Pikachu, and it even helped me out with my match ups. I got better at reading what most Marths / Falcos will do after learning how they play fully.

Thanks ESAM, your da bess

 

[AvalancheBarrage]

*sigh* I don't even know if I have a local scene.

This. The ONLY people I can play ever involve either wifi (which I can never seem to do anything right on) or college on certain days, and that involves free for alls that just ensue in chaos. Little-thinking-involved chaos. The only thing I feel I can do is play random and learn characters moves better.

Edit: As for the mental block, random is your friend, and I love it <3

 

[Flutter NiTE]

This. The ONLY people I can play ever involve either wifi (which I can never seem to do anything right on) or college on certain days, and that involves free for alls that just ensue in chaos. Little-thinking-involved chaos. The only thing I feel I can do is play random and learn characters moves better.

Yeah, the only people in my community are a bunch of redneck hillbilly's who don't know what a Wii is.

 

[BlueZebra]

So I've been picking up Metaknight, learning MU's and what not, played in a tournament using exclusively MK and did blegh...then later that day I JV 4 stocked someone with Pikachu after weeks of being off of him completely. I proceeded just purely dominating with pika against people who normally get him down to 1 stock and it made me really miss him. D:

Soya, ESAM was right, taking a break from pikachu and coming back works. a lot.

 

[skekasaurus]

Whenever I need a break from pikachu, I use link and toon link. They're play styles is so much different compared to when I use pikachu. I use they're projectiles quite a bit since they have so many options to choose from, and I feel like I play more defensively, which I then carry over to my pikachu. I tend to be a very aggressive pika. O_o But after my break from pikachu, wow I feel like I'm a 100x better.

 

[CrimsonSun]

This is great advice, I stop playing brawl on occasion just for a mental break (sometimes weeks or months) and it really does help. Played a friend who mains Link (we go even all the time...win one/lose one) and probably had one of the best matches we've ever had. I noticed my spacing had improved (just barely outside links hit boxes...really frustrated him)..did some decent qac approaches...a crawling mindgame/taunt. ..some doop walking. I think my DI even improved some. I really used a lot of cool tricks to mix things up, which I think was and probably still is somewhat part of my problem. I know how to do a lot of pika tricks, but just didn't know when to use them effectively (or overused them, because they are so fun to use..to the point where I had to use/pull off a certain trick in a match just to make the match more exciting).

 

[Cassio]

ESAM your set with m2k was the first time I saw you make [smart] frequent use of QA and other odd things (like bair and skull bash).

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

The skull bash was accidental....

And yeah, I felt like my usage of QA just kinda...clicked. IDK what happened, but it was amazing.

 

[Stealth Raptor]

vids up yet?

 

[Roller]

I linked to the stream archive in the pgd yesterday, you can watch there.

 

[Cassio]

imo theres still potential you could tap into, not just with QA but other stuff too. I always sort of think that watching your videos, but that set convinced me a little more.

 

[Strong Badam]

There's always more, Tag. Always more.