4 Types of Attacks (and Styles!) in Super Smash Bros.

[@LimeCultivist]

As a Falcon, the only 2 options are direct attack and taunt (not really though)

[@kennychen7814]

no, just taunt.

[@ameermalick3028]

Taunt and disrespect

[@shazers7313]

Taunt and falcon punch

[@johnbob914]

Stomp and knee

[@fernandovmennn]

I'm 80% focused on landing my l-cancel, 20% aware of my enemy and what to do

[@cortesitobb4173]

Fr

[@tobyhouston2514]

pro trick: watch series on flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching all kinds of movies during the lockdown.

[@jonathankingsley3956]

@Toby Houston Yea, I've been using Flixzone for years myself =)

[@fernandovmennn]

4 year update: I land most of my L-cancels now

[@explosiveturtle266]

@@fernandovmennn yoooo we love to see some progress

[@niccontra7368]

I'm really good at being bad

[@moxusmarbleized7707]

Same

[@savajho5468]

Me too. I'm very good at getting punished hard for being overly aggressive

[@MarioFan587YT]

I'm really bad at being good.

[@imihorvath401]

Sadly Im bad too

[@josephpolk9660]

Same

[@ben_ben_ben724]

One of your best video so far!

[@SSBMTutorials]

thanks! worked extra hard on it lol. especially kellen

[@Uhcip]

yeah, really nice examples

[@GraphiteBlimp27]

+SSBM Tutorials yea this is one thing I only just recently started to get better at, and this video will help even more :)

[@espressofox3144]

This might be my favorite video so far, this really helps me see what micro improvements I need to make at a macro level. I'm doing okay at my local tournaments but watching this made me realize I need to improve in all of these aspects and I really appreciate that. I would love LOVE to see individual videos covering each one of these neutral strats with many examples, maybe that might be too much/take too much time to find exact clips, and be outside of the format of ssbm-t. Either way this video has opened my eyes, thank you so much for great examples, great production, and great explanations!

[@naturada137]

This video more than any other so far has really helped me understand what's going on in this crazy awesome but fast-paced game. These categories are really useful to orienting yourself toward proper choice comprehension. Thanks for these vids Kira!!!

[@cat2167-m8i]

First video on SSBM that I've ever seen explain the neutral in a way that I think can really help someone improve if they listen carefully. Best video of yours so far imo

[@0_person]

Realllly like your use of actual examples from played matches. It helps to show variations as well as what's possible with the content in the video. It even helps to improve the general mindset towards the game since it shows what the top players may be thinking during actual application. Keep up the good work!

[@devinwilson5417]

*covers part of graph then asks us how we are on the graph*

[@FigyNewton]

0:59 :)

[@devinwilson5417]

Figy i know i was just making a joke

[@Purohueso555]

+Dewie Dubz haha sure

[@martzfartz]

Fantastic stuff, Kira! I really love these videos that are targeted at smash as a whole. A lot more useful to learn the game before you learn tech skill, yknow?

[@iggelitoGamingHD]

I don't like how a really good and constructive well written comment gets no thumbs up just because it isnt a pun or whatever. Lets give him some upvotes :)

[@alexanderseverns762]

This is wrong lol. The pros say learn tech skill first.

[@sanctuary8873]

+Alexander Severns why not a bit of both? ;)

[@alexanderseverns762]

cause u get bad habits from using gimpy ass tech skill

[@sanctuary8873]

+Alexander Severns but if you don't at least have a decent grasp of the game, you won't know how to apply any tech during a real match.

[@POTUS_FGC]

I love the little explanations of the players movement you put in. I don't play melee but love watching it and having an in sight like that into their mind gives me so much more respect A video where you break down what a players thinking moment to moment would be really cool, it's been done before probably but the way you did it was way better than I've seen :D

[@MarioFan587YT]

My play style in Smash. Epicness- 5/5 $w@g- 5/5 Skill- 0/5

[@kiid3003]

same

[@alexkfridges]

Ah, I see you're a falcon main

[@yaboibrettthekawaiikirbyma5140]

mines epicness- 3/5 sw@g- 2/5 skill- 3/5 -a Kirby main

[@hifuu1383]

My play style: Style 4/5 Style landed 0.011111111115 Style backfired 4.99999999999/5 Swag 0/5 Swag landed 0/5 Swag backfired 5/5 Skill 0/5 Skill level -9001/5

[@hifuu1383]

+Shabbir's private channel I'm literally the worst.

[@karaimadeyo]

Now I understand how deep is melee

[@Tmathh]

yes my child. keep learning

[@sly4532]

This in my opinion is your most informative video. I hadn't thought of the game from some of these perspectives. And I've got more to look at with high level play now, thanks for doing what you do. It's these intracicies that people really need to know. They're the must knows in order to improve and really learn from playing and watching.

[@flayshon]

That was my favorite video so far. It's really hard to realize those things by yourself at first, but they are all really important. Thank you so much for this =)

[@EpicuriousGeorge]

I'd say I'm 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will...

[@weluvgabe]

45% what?

[@AkaGamingClanHQ]

+Yung Mulah Gaming 5% pleasure 15% pain

[@hashbrowns0]

And a hundred percent reason to... Also, it's 50% pain, not 15%

[@B00GiE_MAN]

remember the name

[@zenborath6275]

@@hashbrowns0 naw. It's just 55% pain

[@Shadowwind4]

Kira you a boss, nobody else makes such in depth tutorials on this game, big thanks for all you do

[@Dekomlev]

It would be hype if Obama won Evo

[@wolfmanjack8402]

It wouldn't be hype, it'd be Hope

[@BadmouthBlooper]

gdi

[@mehgamer467]

+Christopher Nunez respect

[@CashewDaSquirrel]

Well he already rekt Leffen

[@sanctuary8873]

Not more hype than Trump winning the White House.

[@maxbets3487]

Best video y'all have put out imo :) thanks guys, also I'm all about that stage positioning baby

[@sizzle5775]

My friends sent me a graph on our private Discord chat on how well they think I play and it made laugh, Neutral: Nah fam I'm out (aka I suck) 0/100 Punish: Please stop 4/5 Reads: turn the page once in a while 3/5 Bait: barely exists 2/5 Skill: lmao 1/5 Ledge game: You're good fam 4/5

[@kamakazi1212]

I accidentally do a really good option, end up taking a stock, and act like I meant to do it LMAO.

[@CoachJohnMcGuirk]

Everyone in the comments is just gonna say they are a master baiter.

[@fakegeobaskets]

I'm a master baiter

[@ben_ben_ben724]

I am one as well

[@shmurdy]

fuuuuuck you stole my comment

[@montekristo643]

It seems you are quite the master baiter yourself (he he ...)

[@refletgames3095]

im not that good at baiting but i can still do it

[@phalanx6457]

Wow, so this is the kind of stuff I don't see that top players are constantly thinking about. this episode was amazing and easily my favorite by far. keep up the good work

[@SuperCatacata]

As a Roy main it doesn't matter what my play-style is..... I'm fucked either way

[@kirjian]

tru

[@Adam_U]

I main Puff in Sm4sh so I know the feel, lol

[@alexkfridges]

Just go Marth bro

[@SuperCatacata]

***** Blasphemy

[@kirjian]

***** pm roy baby

[@mattgikarp79]

100% nutty boi because I have know idea what I'm doing half the time

[@NotaSkeleton]

This was a great video. I love it when people go in and dissect small situations between pro players. Really shows some depth to the game and the players' mentality. I think most people are a bit too new to really have a defined playstyle. I know I wouldn't really fall into any one category, because I'm just not there yet. But, if I had to chose, I guess impatient. Both on the offensive and defensive side I seem to over-commit to one or a few options which seem simple, but are easy to read and punish.

[@pokeman123451]

This is a really intelligent way of comprehending what top level players think, although I don't think they look at it like this. For them, it is probably autopilot or natural

[@brycegriffin9271]

sun Kira actually is a top player. Also, anything a top player does is far from autopilot. Being the best is all about thinking and mind games, and making the right choices constantly. This involves predicting what your opponent will do and thinking ahead, reading their next action, and choosing the right move to punish/avoid that also. Top level Smash is honestly more like high speed Chess than a fighter, it's crazy complicated.

[@dad6269]

sun j

[@JustinBowsher]

It probably gets to an unconscious level sometimes, maybe often for the top players, but it happens after a lot of conscious work on reading and reacting to habits, intention, and situations. You can get in the flow, or zone, usually after the theory is internalized.

[@simon62821]

so amazing. what an in depth video! Loved that you gave so many examples. thanks so much, watching sets while keeping this in mind will def help with understanding the game. 10/10

[@mankymank]

Hey Kira, do you think it would be a good idea to do a video on how to get around shield grabs?

[@SSBMTutorials]

yes

[@TurbinationE]

Some ideas just quickly are doing double jump baits and doing aerials low on shield or behind them

[@nextgendude1]

Learn to space aerials or if ur a spacie an easy way is landing behind them with your aerials

[@link9578]

shinegrab, tomahawks, and aerial drift spacing my friend are just a few ways

[@SSBMTutorials]

link9578 tomahawk loses to shield grab

[@mahkramsaile4732]

This really helped me to understand what I lack in neutral game better. I am almost entirely direct or bad/obvious alternative direct attacks. Only kind of counter attacking I generally do would be whiff punishing out of my alternative aggression.

[@EmolRockNadon]

One of the best tutorials vidéo i have ever Seen for ssb. Good job Man, we need more of this instead of noobies videos

[@OfficialNoob69]

Love the content you've been putting out lately, good stuff Dave

[@thedeirenir5021]

Yo Kira i'm extra happy for you, dog, i love you and your videos just keep the low tiers alive, dog

[@zvd2889]

So I'll take it you aren't a cat person

[@thedeirenir5021]

yo dog i'm more like a dog eprson u know dog? i'm afraid of cats aswell because they give me bad scratches

[@TheCobbleGolemMc]

When I'm playing well I do a lot of whiff punishes, baiting with my movement, and walls, while mixing in the occasional approach to stop them from just camping me. If I'm not focused, however, I'll just be stupid and throw out a lot of hitboxes without much thought behind them.

[@TheCobbleGolemMc]

I would never misuse the word "literally".

[@malonee]

We are one.

[@twilightknight123]

By far one of your best videos. Not just because of the information provided, but also because of the examples of detailed analysis required to fully understand what is happening in a game. I know it would be a lot of work, but seeing a set (or even just a single game) completely analyzed like in this video would give good insight into how you should look at a match and how to make sense of what the players are doing. Maybe consider it for a future video? If not a full game, then at least just more clips like this

[@zakip_p]

Is it just me or should Borp and President Obama be higher than just random votes?

[@CoconutJewce]

Just you.

[@kameqblindweaver8296]

I support this notion and believe something should be done about it

[@ianh_25]

Hey so idea for the next vid: Types of defense to follow this one up

[@chikakumask4693]

Hey kira, why dont you ever use your deathnote in battle?

[@SSBMTutorials]

would be unfair tbh

[@jairchavez148]

So Im kind of new to the melee scene. And ii have watched a few videos of other fighting games like street fighter and how they attack (just like this video was explaining) but for me Melee was so fast in most clups for me to understand everything going on. Is this normal

[@elijah4973]

+Jair Chavez yes

[@Yardomaster]

This video shows some pretty advanced applications of attacking without slowing down clips to show steps, so if you're newer to Melee, it's completely understandable to not know entirely what's going on in this video.

[@jairchavez148]

+Yardomaster It is highly entertaining though

[@StylesX2]

Someone call?

[@darellarocho5729]

Sup Styles!

[@seanstange8704]

Sorry Styles; I don't think anybody called.

[@ethanbusse5723]

+Sean StAnge Read the title please. The title of the video

[@Zaidon7]

Some slow-motion segments during the demonstrations would help, since Melee is so fast, especially with Fox and Falco.

[@demikava6663]

Use the KZbin slow down function

[@erroneousdrunk]

i find it mindblowing to think that this stuff goes through top player's head in the spur of the moment. I definitely believe it, but that doesnt make it easier to wrap my head around it haha

[@SSBMTutorials]

if you do it enough times it becomes like breathing. but learning it takes effort

[@dailydeathlance2298]

wow, just that statement alone makes me more confident in my gameplay, as long as i can practice this stuff, its crazy to know that sooner later it will be like breathing, lol.

[@TheCobbleGolemMc]

It would be cool if you put a link to the script to videos like this. You're putting a lot of information out there, so it's kind of hard to follow in video form. But anyway, I think that this was one of your best videos yet.

[@zipsnap]

What about a video analyzing S2J, N0ne and Wizzy's playstyles? That'd be super awesome!

[@NicholasAgustin]

Kira this reminds me a lot of Bruce Lee's "Five Ways of Attack" translated into smash. Dope video.

[@Daltnn]

Willpower: 1 Aggression: 1 Counters: 1 Nuttiness: 1 Stage Position: 1 Baits: 9001 I'm not good at the game but I'm a master baiter

[@stalinjosefstalin480]

Booo

[@XenoWars]

I'm probably mostly a direct attacker with some bait mixed in occasionally. This video is probably going to help me.

[@OliveEaters]

Amazing video as always thanks a lot for your work.

[@hectorwhite8130]

I am a really aggressive played who pretty much only used direct attacks with the occasional positional, now I know what to get good at

[@nathank556]

My attacking style is more positional. As a current Doc player (planning on switching to Falco or Marth eventually), I like to use pills when possible to set up grabs and edge guard opportunities. I often play aggressively during early percents, then cool down as my opponent accumulates damage, since I can toss pills and edge guard pretty well. However, my edge guards tend to be a bit risky sometimes, so when I mess up I often get punished pretty heavily (or sometimes SD). I need to focus more on maintaining advantageous stage positioning and edge guarding more safely, especially while ahead.

[@KYUBIMATIAS]

My playstyle is an incomprehensible mix of bairs, wavedashes, dash attacks, JC Grabs, double jumps(because how do short hops work?), half-assed up-airs, and taunts after inexplicably getting a kill. I main Fox, too.

[@dedleg0219]

I think I'm good at willpower, stage position, and baits. As a Puff main you have to be good at these things.

[@danielm793]

As a Smash 4 player I find this really helpful.

[@theshadowspider97]

I think I'm a mix between aggressive & counter (interrupt). Most of the time, I throw out long range attacks to pressure my opponent and maske them come to me. Then, I get aggressive and get as many hits in as I can.

[@PKMNGuruTeamPlasmaN]

I liked how you used the EV training/Super Training chart from Pokemon ;)

[@tinojoe9196]

I think I understand neutral game now, thank you

[@SufferDYT]

cc exists in brawl and smash 4 also, it just only reduces knockback by a factor of like .85 as opposed to melee which reduces it by .67.

[@BigYabai]

I'm a stage controlling and aggressive kind of player, but can be defensive when need be. Samus is best gril.

[@luiscastro3220]

Probably more direct attack with a bit of counter. Working on countering more since Sheik feels much stronger reacting than engaging.

[@DKMRFCBrlz]

it worked/helped as you wanted. I'm going to think more about it

[@africanmanbeast3611]

This video is very informative. Thanks! I hope I can soon be able to play Melee on a high level.

[@Tibazz]

I am probably a lot of Nuttiness sprinkeled with a bit of agression and willpower. I realize i have to improve upon both stage positioning, countering and baiting. Thx Kira >.

[@kurodyne9692]

Uhhh depends on what the caps for each "stat" are From most to least (plus what i'd put into each of them, 6 as the cap): 1. Counter +5 2. Baits and Tricks +4 3. Stage Position +3 4. Nuttiness +3 5. Aggro +1 6. Willpower +1

[@Iriscience]

My style would fall mostly towards the bottom of the graph, my highest stats being baits/tricks, stage position, and counter in that order.

[@7cross288]

melee is so interesting. I am smash 4 player, but I like to watch these general videos. I like the part about westballz u-tilt b-air walls and mango never giving it to him.

[@mrsluigi9478]

up next, start of a series for each character listing literally everything possible with the character. each video will be a week long. following up to 20xx. kira explaining 20xx will allow kira to start dominating every tornament in the US. thus leading to sakurai releasing smash 5 to get people off of melee. then starts 666xx

[@LiteralBacon]

I try to counter attack and bait more so Btw, crouch cancelling isn't unique to Melee, while it's heavily nerfed at low percents you can still counter attack from it in Smash 4

[@shmurdy]

I have a good mindset (never get nervous or choke in tourney), a strong punish game, decent mind games and reads, but overall horrible approaches in neutral with a very predictable dash dance. Basically, a typical 20xx grinding fox with crazy punishes and tech skill but fly's into crouch cancels and wall moves.

[@skullo5557]

I'm counter, bait/tricks, and aggressive. When I fight someone I'll sit there for like a second and if the run up nair I'll just dash back then grab. But I try to mix up everything I do so they can't read me

[@shadowgaleshale9218]

I'm more of a bait and counter focused falco player, I play like your regular falco and then switch it up when I know what you're thinking, I get most kills by punishing bad shield pressure and going for quick forward tilt gimps, laser gimps, and down airs

[@miguel69gato]

cool vid. helped me piece together some of my own thoughts.

[@deep_cuts2019]

I think this video makes more sense of you change it to “4 types of aggression.” That way it makes sense for a type of movement to be included as positional aggression. But movement alone is not an attack.

[@littlemisseevee2309]

I didnt see the graph but I generally play closer to an aggressive wall (I know its a paradox isn't it) I lake sure to use lots of big hitboxes or moves that provide great cover a lot as well as focus on keeping my foe a bit further away from me, but when I can get the right position I will go all out on the foe, but I also try to read as much as I can

[@CaptainNemo10]

LittleMissEevee with what character? I try to play an aggressive wall kinda style with falco

[@grasshopper801]

I like to think that I've got a pretty balanced play style, however I do employ alternative direct attacks more often, and I barely ever use walls

[@CyelV0]

I tend to try and bait into one hit, and then i just capitalize the rest of the stock as well as possible. So it'd be 50% aggressive, 50% bait

[@victortan25]

I'm a Marth/Sheik main (with Ganon and Peach as situational counter-picks) and I play very aggressive but I'm constantly trying to outsmart my opponents so I do a lot of nutty stuff and mix-up a lot. I don't play on a very high level though (my tech skills are way below par) but I get by with hard reads so I occasionally win from better players.

[@kaptinkillem]

Fantastic video, as great as the super basic stuff from other videos is for getting people into the scene, would love to see more content like this focused on mid level players/ game theory. Keep up the amazing work

[@UnoMeeh]

Ive been watching these vids for so long after discovering the competitive scene of smash and watching buku matches and i dont think im ever going to leave the noob stage because every tutorial uses all these fancy terms that I can never remember the meaning of

[@SSBMTutorials]

Yeah it's tough, the game has a steep learning curve. If you haven't already been to our playlist "How to Learn Melee" I suggest you start there with WAK's advanced techniques vids

[@UnoMeeh]

I think I have watched a lot of them, but ill return now with the little knowledge I have gained to see if it clicks more. And yea a lot of the terminology throws me off. Ive read for hours on what all the little abbreviations (neutral game. neautral air, wave dash, up air, dair, etc) means but because i have never actually done these things i cant remember for shit so when i watch videos like this its just so much info idk what to do with it all

[@SSBMTutorials]

ah yea i see. are you just trying to understand it from a spectators point of view orare you trying to get into the competitive scene as well?

[@drinkmug]

This was a really good video.

[@Charby0SS]

Nice Vid, could you upload an image of the graph?

[@SSBMTutorials]

honestly i wish i knew how to make this easily too lol

[@Xeon897]

Interesting... I'm probably a combo of interrupt/positional into wall. Playing Doc I tend to try and use my pills to space out the opponent and then when there's an opening or interruption I'll charge in and juggle the opponent off the stage, but when they're off the stage I tend to use more of a fencing type of ledge-guard; Defense -> Offense -> Defense. Then again I'm not at a very high level of play, so I wonder if this will work against smarter players... I have no idea if this is optimal with Doc

[@hanson933]

Great video and examples

[@ACRmasterful]

You forgot the 5th one, "Not learning by your mistakes and continue doing the same thing and get punished or gimped" I'm that one

[@rickamoto7513]

Have you guys done a Yoshi tutorial yet? That would be really cool.

[@MrDannyloco]

Direct atacks: 35 Percent Counter Atacks: 40 Percent Positional Atacks: 20 Percent Baits: 5 Percent

[@simon62821]

I use a lot of counters (interrupts and whiff punishes) and alternative direct attacks as a Falcon main. Pretty decently campy

[@TheMattdunkum]

Im way too aggressive in my playstyle from what i see, and interrupting is something im pretty okay at, however I become to easily predictable and it ends up causing losses, if i took the time to bait or counter attack more i feel like i could fix this

[@epicperson556]

I think I'm an aggressive play style but then again who knows? I also like to punish people a lot for making bad decisions but I don't know what that'd be classified as. I think I'm gonna have to watch this video a lot though to understand it more because it was a bit confusing. Thanks for the great insight though 🙂

[@TheSkymacdaddy]

do you plan on doing a Ness video anytime soon?

[@ChefDynamic]

i base my playstyle around conditioning, so i dont really know what i would call that based on the chart.

[@alexdevlin5329]

I really don't know my play style lol

[@zvd2889]

I bait and counterattack most of the time when I play Marth/shiek, but my falco is very aggresive

[@burntfish123]

i just go the fuck in, direct attacks 100%. Well, direct and positional RIP mang0

[@Darksilver740]

I cant tell if they are actually trying to do these things internationally or are they flubbing and just reacting to what just happened. Like when the Fox "baits" by doing a shallow d-air, did he do that on purpose or did he say "oops, oh hey there's and opening"

[@Darksilver740]

+Nathan Stewart oh. It was kind of confusing since a missed Marth down tilt can look like a bait from a safe distance but, maybe it can also just be that you spaced too far and missed

[@absoul112]

I think my strongest aspect would be positioning. I do tend to focus too much on it. second wold be counter attacking.

[@justins6350]

best vid yet

[@jakeywinks]

Aggressiveness and nuttiness for sure. I look at mango for inspiration in my play.

[@kwolf130]

I'm a Smash 4 Sonic main. I'd say my style is revolved around baits. However with my other characters (Cloud/Falcon) I am direct. Is this strange?

[@serbiaball7516]

Will you make your top 10 favorite characters

[@sauc3melee]

More a fan of Direct Attack (Or Overshooting) >Evade>Whiff Punish>Defensive Wall, counter hits don't really happen in neutral so I wouldn't consider them a neutral decision.

[@legendofsonic3979]

For me it's Baits: 2.5/5 Stage control: 4/5 Nuttiness: 3/5 Counter 4.5/5 Aggressive: 5/5 Willpower: 4/5 My fox is extremely aggressive and relays on waiting for the opponent to make a mistake and then attacking with full force with no holding back, I never miss a opportunity of punishing the opponent.....well unless it's Marth, sometimes I'll just laser him to make the next attack deadlier I also play as mewtwo (yeah I know, I'm weird) I play completely differently, instead of waiting for mistakes I use shadow ball to put on shield pressure and then grab the opponent, I'll usually back throw him of the stage and use mewtwo's back air to make the opponent scared to recover high, if they do recover high back air hits them and I'll combo that into another back air or even a down air but if they recover low a ledge teleport will ruin their day