Game and Watch is a very flexible character offstage; with a great recovery, fantastic ability to plank and an arsenal of moves that can all be used very differently, he is relatively safe and has a lot of options on the edge.
In this thread I hope to put together a list of options for gimping the different characters in the game, whilst, of course, taking into consideration how they might counter this, and could gimp you in turn.
Instead of discussing one thing in particular I think I'll let this be free discussion, seeing as we'll end up getting set on a topic anyway.
Although, beating-Diddy-offstage talk would be nice
Any suggestions for other things we can discuss in this thread (not just gimps) and how to format it once we get some information would be good. And a better title for the thread?
And in updating and thread maintainance - I'll only be as active as you guys are
In this thread I hope to put together a list of options for gimping the different characters in the game, whilst, of course, taking into consideration how they might counter this, and could gimp you in turn.
Instead of discussing one thing in particular I think I'll let this be free discussion, seeing as we'll end up getting set on a topic anyway.
Although, beating-Diddy-offstage talk would be nice
Any suggestions for other things we can discuss in this thread (not just gimps) and how to format it once we get some information would be good. And a better title for the thread?
And in updating and thread maintainance - I'll only be as active as you guys are
METAKNIGHT
Notes:
*We're one of the few characters that can get away with challenging MK offstage. He still has more options though
*You are usually better off making sure MK doesn't get back on stage then you are trying to hit him whilst he is off stage.
*When MK is very far off stage it can be best to harass.
*Forcing MK to use as many jumps as possible before you try to harrass limits his options immensely and is a good idea.
*If MK is far off stage with few jumps, then you can edgehog all his recovery options, forcing him to land on stage; you should be able to get a free hit.
*Be patient, but honestly if you are in doubt you may be better off not trying to go after Meta Knight off stage.
*MKs options for getting back onstage safely are somewhat limited unless you get too close to the edge and he upb/fairs/uairs you away
Your Moves: X
Metaknights Options:
Recovering High: often gliding. You can Up-B him out of this, but also Nair is better if you can get high enough, as it beats glide attack.
Recovering at a Middle Level: He might consider Tornado and Drill Rush. If he's going on stage, perfectly spaced Smashes can beat both of those, but note he can often decide at the last second whether to go on stage or for the ledge. Tornado can also be countered with aerials from above or windbox abuse, but if you have to go offstage to windbox nado, MK often has time to get away. Drill Rush doesn't go particularly far, so interrupting it before it even starts with aggressive F-airs is desirable. You can edgehog both of these options if they are going for the edge and often punish them when they are forced on stage. Any time Metaknight is idly sitting around this range, you could consider going for F-airs anyway due to their range and raw power. He's unlikely to kill you for you attempting to edgeguard him here anyway, but he may hit you with a move sending you far enough away for him to get onstage. If you can Windox the Drill Rush offstage, you can get a Dair spike or at least a Fair.
Recovering low: If he is recovering low or edgestalling, you can to D-air him. When attempting this don't slowfall D-air until the move hits him. This should ideally outspeed him if he tries to drop low to outspace your D-air. UpB and Nair can beat this though, and you can even get spiked doing this. It can be best to make him waste as many jumps as possible before you try anything, and watch out for invincibility frames from the ledge. It can be best to just keep him offstage with pressure, and punish his attempts back on stage with bacon > airials if the bacon hits him, or even swift use of smashes. If he uses the Dimensional Cape and is going to sweet spot the edge, then if you know the timing you can Dair spike it, or grab the edge if you have more time or FF Nair to punish.
FOX/FALCO
Notes:
*You want them at or below stage level.
*GaWs Fair is great! It can interrupt illusion at certain points, but also the UpB.
*Bait them into doing what you want them to do, because you have very definitive answers for each option if you predict it.
Your Moves:
JAB: A nice gimmick is to jab them out of Side-B. It's rarely expected and it will force them to use their Up-B (and then get Dair spiked or weak-Faired>follow-up).
Their Options:
Above or level with the stage, they can use Illusion and Firefox. Both moves have a moment of starting lag, and you can tell when they are planning illusiong often by how they space themselves to the stage as they come back. If they land onstage, spaced Fsmash or Usmash can hit them. Spaced Dair can hit the SideB if you predict the timing, and you can Fair after this, especially if you still have another jump left. If they go for the edge you may be able to hit with Dtilt. Fair cuts right through the UpB however, and once one connects, you can continue to Fair them til they can no longer recover, whilst you UpB to safety. Don't let them hitch a ride on the windbox though
If they recover low, then you can edgehog the UpB if they are low. but if they manage to land on stage you can still get a free Nair. You can Also spike with Dair if they are high enough and they have used their jump, so you will know when they are going to UpB to time it right. If they are sitting on the edge though, they can drop off and jump back on and space UpB more elaborately. You can trick them into doing what you want them to do, coz if you know whats going on, you have an answer to everything that will likely kill them.