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Marth FAQ, for Super Smash Bros. Melee
Written by cyper (cyper32@hotmail.com)
Version 0.88 ~ September 22, 2002
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-----TABLE OF CONTENTS-----
A. Intro
1. Prince Marth
2. Playing as Marth
3. The Sweet Spot
4. Basic Moves
5. Special Moves
6. Marth vs. Roy
7. 1-P Quick Tips
8. Character Strategies^
9. Tips & Tricks
10. Revision History
11. Legal Stuff
12a. Contact Info
12b. Credits
Z. Bye
^Incomplete
==================
A. Intro
==================
Alrighty then. This here's a guide to Marth, one of the most popular char-
acters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. I'm a huge fan of the Smash Bros. series
(well, I guess you could call it a series, since I have no doubt another
sequel is in store) and I tend to go for the smaller, quicker characters
rather than the swordsmen. This time, though, Marth's speed, grace and range
quickly won me over. In fact, I liked him so much, I just had to write
something about him, and this guide just went from there.
In this guide, I'll try and cover all facets of Marth's game; however, I
won't bother with general information regarding Melee (gameplay mechanics and
so on) because there are lots and lots of guides for that already. Similarly,
I won't deal with the 1-P quests or Stadium and stuff like that, because you
can get plenty of information on those features in the other Marth guides as
well as the General FAQs. Strategies for playing against human opponents are
what I'm going to be concentrating on; these will also work against the CPUs
and are based on my experience with the game against Level 9s and friends.
Feel free to e-mail me any suggestions, corrections or new content, because I
want to make this guide as complete as reasonably possible. Enough rambling,
though - on with the guide!
=========================
1. Prince Marth
=========================
Marth is the hero of a Japan-only series called Fire Emblem. As the Prince of
Altea, he was betrayed and forced into exile, but later led a revolt and
defeated some dragon creature who presumably had something to do with his
betrayal. (I don't know any more about Marth than you do, by the way...I'm
just pulling all this from the trophy description.) Marth wields a 'divine
sword', Falchion, and wears a blue cloak that flows gracefully with the wind.
Basically, he's your typical cool-looking swordsman.
What's the deal with Marth? In a nutshell, he's a sterling swordsman, with
quick, long-ranged slashes and some surprising power mixed with grace and
speed. Marth combines a powerful ground-based game with some nice aerial
sword arcs and good rolling and defence. He has a versatile set of sword
strokes, ranging from quick parries to intense smashes, and to add to all
this Marth is reasonably heavy and has fair recovery. Being the quickest of
the swordsman (both in foot speed and in fighting speed) he can run circles
around his fellow musketeers, and slower characters will be hard-pressed to
keep up with Marth's agility, powerful moves and annoying Counter. Marth's
blade is quick and long enough to keep faster foes at bay, and his all-round
good priority is a big help when edge-guarding or countering attacks.
Marth does have some weaknesses, though. His horizontal recovery is mediocre,
and he can find it hard to survive in a total melee since most of his moves
only cover his front, not his back. His lack of a good clear-out move like
Link's Up+B spin or Samus's Screw Attack can also spell trouble if he's
caught in a pack. Moreover, Marth lacks projectiles and countering them is
sometimes difficult, so he can have difficulties against characters like
Mewtwo and Samus. However, these weaknesses can be avoided with good
knowledge of Marth's moves and their intended uses, and Marth's strong points
easily surpass his flaws. As long as you fight within Marth's style and
capabilities, you'll be fine and dandy.
If you're someone who likes to sit back and chuck projectiles and wait for
others to come to you, then Marth's not your man. Nor is he perfect for
someone who wants to dash into the fray and take on all three opponents at
once (Roy's a bit better for this, but we'll talk more about that in a later
section). However, if you're the type who likes a big stick but also prefers
to take on opponents more methodically (one-on-one, in many cases) and likes
clean precision and fluid fighting, then Marth's your guy. He's fast, lithe,
strong, and versatile - everything you'd want in a swordsman.
=============================
2. Playing as Marth
=============================
These are just general tips on how to play as Marth. He plays differently
from the other swordsmen (even Roy, his counterpart from the Fire Emblem
series), which is why I've included these tips. Everything might sound vague,
but I do that deliberately because I don't want to overwhelm anyone. Rest
assured that most everything I say here will be covered in later sections.
If you don't understand the terminology I'm using, you can go to the Basic
Moves section (a few pages down) or read a general FAQ and that should help.
Anyway, my tips:
WHAT YOU'LL HAVE TO MASTER:
- Rolling behind opponents and whacking them. This is simplifying the tactic,
but really, when it comes down to it, you have to be able to make space for
yourself and your attacks. Marth rolls and hits quickly, and you have to
take advantage of this all you can.
- Placing. You always want to hit with one part of our blade, its tip. This
helps you gain power, and in the case of your aerial moves, damage
percentage and even spiking ability. You MUST know where to stand, and
where to hit, or you'll get some fairly ineffective hits.
- Charging. You have to be able to know when a quick, uncharged (but
effective) smash attack is called for, and when you can afford to let
yourself charge for a bit. Marth's hits can be powerful even uncharged if
you hit with them right, so you can have power AND speed. If you're good,
that is.
- Following up. That is, you want to have quick reflexes and thinking.
Marth's moves are fast, with generally low recovery times, so a relatively
weak swipe or slash can be used to hit an opponent slightly upwards, and
then a forward smash (or similar move, depending on the circumstances)
tacked on straight afterwards. As long as you don't charge the forward
smash, it'll come out surprisingly quickly, and if you get your placement
right it will still be very powerful. Most of your moves can follow one
another very well, so you can use a similar strategy fairly often.
- Jumping. Marth doesn't have the best aerial comeback, so you'll have to be
able to eke the most distance out of his jumps and recovery moves. You also
have to be able to use Marth's aerial hits effectively - these are small
swipes, but they rack up damage very quickly, and they're quite usable. If
you don't like the idea of balanced air and ground attacks (e.g. you'd
rather have some really strong, slow attacks and some quicker, weaker
attacks instead of fairly good attacks all-round) then Marth's not for you.
- Countering and dodging. Marth doesn't have projectiles, so you have to be
able to roll and especially dodge/air-dodge past them. You should also
learn to use your Down+B Counter move against projectiles and whatever
moves you see coming.
- Anticipating. Marth's moves have fairly long durations (because he often
swings his blade right around his body), and so you can execute them in
anticipation of opponents' attacks (before they even come out). For
example, you can parry (this is discussed in more detail in the Tips &
Tricks section). Parrying means using weak attacks to counter opponents'
attacks - because of your moves' long durations, you can start them ahead
of time, counter whatever moves are thrown at you, and then use your
relatively fast recovering (we used a weak attack, remember) to escape or
attack.
WHAT YOU'LL HAVE TO BEWARE OF:
- Projectiles. They are extremely annoying - try to jump or roll through
them, or parry (see Tips & Tricks). You can use your Counter move to, er,
counter them, but that's not always effective as some projectiles can eat
through your counterstroke.
- Your weight. You are reasonably heavy, but not in the same league as
Bowser, DK, Ganondorf and Link. You can get hit a fair way, and your
horizontal recovery is mediocre.
- Marth is actually surprisingly vulnerable to well-timed grabs. That's why
rolling comes in handy.
- Big Melees and Coin battles. Marth doesn't protect his back very well, and
moves that do protect him often have high recovery times. Try not to get
involved in big fights unless absolutely necessary, and in these
situations, you have to be careful of getting knocked into the middle of
things. Coin fights invariably turn into melees since everyone rushes
around. Your speed helps you in collecting coins, but Marth doesn't care
for the whole melee aspect of it, and he doesn't have many moves that
release lots and lots of coins (a charged Shield Breaker is good, but it's
hard to find an opportunity to use it against humans). This isn't to say
that a well-played Marth can't handle melees, though - on the contrary, you
can do very well, if you stay cool and know what you're doing.
- Giant and Tiny Melee modes. In Giant Melee, you will have a HUGE reach, but
opponents will be harder to knock off, and your recovery will be poor.
These two points pretty much cancel each other out. The situation isn't as
good in Tiny Melee. You don't seem as fast and lithe any more, since most
characters are nice and small and nimble; your long reach is less
effective, and your moves much weaker; and projectiles play a bigger part!
(They also tend to be bigger than the characters themselves =O) At least
your Up+B recovery move is now much more useful, and your aerial moves and
jumping abilities are strong.
WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT:
- Priority. Marth's attacks all have fairly high priority, so you usually
won't be the loser if you and your opponent both strike at the same time.
The heavyweights like Link or Ganondorf can give you trouble, though, but
they're the exception to the rule. You have a speed and range advantage
over them, which balances things.
- Offence. What I mean is, Marth is strong enough and deals enough damage
that you can usually kill opponents without having to fight for too long.
Marth's not one of those characters who relies on team members for help.
- One-on-one battles and Stock battles. Marth's precise strokes and good
power/endurance help him in these situations. Marth is fairly good at timed
battles as well, if you can try and single out opponents and not get too
hurried. You have to pace yourself, despite your good speed, because
placement and timing always count. A flurry of hits that aren't well placed
won't do a whole lot.
WHAT YOU'LL HAVE TO EXPLOIT:
- Your speed. Marth runs like the wind.
- Your power with the tip of your blade. OUCH.
- Your versatility - you can Counter attacks, you have a powerful, versatile
four-hit combo, and you have generally fast moves that can be charged if
necessary.
WHO WOULD LIKE MARTH?
- Players with good timing on their moves, and who can anticipate. A button-
masher will be disappointed since Marth's moves don't work that way.
- Players who tend to be aggressive and like fluid play mixed with good
defence, where necessary. Players who are totally hit-and-run, or prefer
more defensive characters, won't be as fitting.
- Players who prefer A-moves to B-moves. Marth's B-moves (his specials) are
good, but you won't win matches solely on them. His Shield Breaker is nice
and powerful, but only idiots will fall for it.
- Players who like close-in fighting. Marth's main advantage is that he
fights 'close-in', but he has the longest range of any swordsman or similar
fighter. With his range and speed, he's always a threat, and with the right
move placement he can be just as powerful as Roy.
So, that's that. I'm hoping that Marth seems like an interesting character
because really, a good Marth player is always a magnificent sight and can
hold his/her own in most any situation. It's interesting that some tend to
think of Marth as being a stock character - too easy to 'master' and not
warranting of attention - but most of these puffed-up pompous people are just
afraid of getting whacked around. Marth may be a fairly easy character to
pick up, but mastering him takes lots of time and skill, so don't be
dissuaded by any tossers who tell you otherwise.
Okay. Let's get into it. First and foremost, the most important part of
Marth's game...
===========================
3. The Sweet Spot
===========================
Before we go into the basic moves, I have to mention...The Sweet Spot! This
can be the difference between an ordinary hit and a powerful, knockout blow,
and constantly comes into play.
Both Marth and Roy have a sweet spot on their blade; if you hit an opponent
with the sweet spot, you'll do more damage and the opponent will be launched
MUCH farther. For example, a moderately heavy opponent can take ages to kill
if you're just hitting with Marth's blade normally; if you can get a sweet
hit in, you'll kill your opponent at fairly low levels (80% damage maybe) or
at least launch him/her far enough for you to attempt an edge guard or spike.
So, where is Marth's sweet spot? It's at the very TIP of his blade. Some
players think Marth plays like Link and so they try to time and position
attacks to hit opponents with the middle of the blade; these people are
inevitably disappointed by Marth's mediocre power (compared to other
swordsmen, that is). However, if you distance yourself from your opponent and
hit him right with the end of your blade's path, you'll get a taste of
Marth's true power. When playing against a team you might find it hard to hit
all of your opponents sweetly. Don't worry; just go for the one nearest you.
Don't try to take them all on at once because that's not Marth's style, and
it's rare to hit multiple opponents sweetly.
The sweet spot is prominent in Marth's forward and upward smashes. If you
place them correctly, the sound of the blade hitting your opponent will
change from a standard *smack* to an ominous, deep *boom*. With your
downwards smash and most other attacks (like your aerials and strong (tilt)
attacks), the sweet spot still comes into play, and these moves will also
have their damage and power increased if you hit with the tip of your blade.
The sounds are different in these cases, though; instead of a bass drum
sound, there'll be a very sharp *smack*.
If you're doing any attack where the sweet spot comes into play (which is
pretty much any A-button move where Marth extends his blade outward), try and
hit with the tip of your blade as it provides good practice for sweet-hitting
those important smashes later on. The forward and upward strong attacks (just
tilt the control stick, don't tap) as well as the downwards smash are
especially good because Marth extends his sword fully during these attacks,
so you can have a look at exactly where his sweet spot is and get used to
where (and when) you must hit an oncoming opponent. Also, unlike Marth's
forward smash, which can hit opponents in a wide arc, these three moves are
fairly fixed and force you to get your placing very exact. Good practice. The
moves are also good in and of themselves, too, which is an extra bonus =D.
So anyway, just try and hit with the very edge of your blade's blue arc. To
be adept at playing Marth, you have to know how to finish opponents quickly
and efficiently; he's not like Ganondorf where every other move can KO. Once
you get used to the sweet spot and can get your positioning right, you'll be
surprised at how opponents who were previously hard to kill off are now
easily flying away into the background. Learn to stay a little bit away from
your opponent, and hit with the tip instead of the middle of the blade.
Marth's sweet spot will make or break a game. I know that sounds cliché, but
it's true.
========================
4. Basic Moves
========================
This section and the next (Special Moves) are meant to be a fairly
comprehensive guide to Marth's moves. I'll describe each move and comment on
its usefulness in general and what situations it would work well in. I've
also listed damage figures for each move. All damage figures are as accurate
as I could make them (it took me quite a while in Training Mode, actually)
and where appropriate I've listed different values for 'regular' and 'sweet'
hits. Since Marth's blade's damage figure varies gradually from tip to hilt,
there will always be some variation, so keep that in mind. To complicate all
this, a move's damage and power increase as you charge it (this only applies
to smash attacks and Marth's B move). For all such moves, I've listed a range
of damage - from totally uncharged to fully charged.
Remember that all damage figures represent maximum damage - if you use a move
repeatedly within a short time span, its damage figure will decrease by
around 10% each time. Also, for certain moves the damage and power will
decrease over time. For example, the Dolphin Slash does a maximum of 13%
damage and has fair power, but this can vary widely depending on how early on
you hit the opponent. Some other moves are like this as well - I'll note
anything like this in the move description. Marth's forward and upward
smashes have constant power throughout their duration (only positioning is
important) as do most other moves, so don't worry too much about your timing.
Again, Marth is not like Link where the middle of the move's duration is
usually the strongest.
Anyway, the upshot of all this is that the damage can vary a whole hell of a
lot, depending on what part of your blade hits the opponent, what part of the
attack hits the opponent, and how much (if any) you've charged the move. Keep
that in mind, and don't be surprised if you end up dealing a little less (or,
if you're lucky, more) damage than what's listed.
A quick note about terminology - when I write out a control stick direction
plus the A-button (for example, 'Forward+A') I'll always be referring to the
ground smash attack unless otherwise noted. So if I want to talk about
Marth's aerial forward slash, I'll write 'Forward+A aerial'. An attack that
requires only a tilt (not a smash) of the control stick will be written as
'Forward+A (strong)'. If all I write is 'Forward+A', you can assume I'm
talking about his ground move, the Dragon Slayer. Just so ya know. The B
button moves are pretty self-explanatory.
A last note...there is a difference between a move's 'damage' and its
'power'. Damage refers to how many percent damage an opponent incurs if
he/she is hit by a move, while power refers to how far an opponent is hit.
While the power is usually proportional to the damage, and vice versa, this
is not always true - for example, Marth's counter hits the opponent fairly
far for a move that only deals 7% damage. The inverse applies for Marth's
Up+A move, although you can increase its power by getting a sweet hit. I've
noticed that a few people seem to confuse the two terms, so I'll just set the
record straight now.
Okay. I think that's it =D. Let's start.
--------------------------
Non-A/B button moves
--------------------------
Note: these moves can be done by all characters, although their properties
will vary from character to character.
=== Shield ~ Hold L/R ===
Marth puts his shield up. You'll now be immune to everything except throws
and grabbing moves (Ganondorf and Falcon's Dark Dives, Kirby's Swallow,
Yoshi's Egg Lay, etc.). You can tilt (don't tap, that'll make you roll or
dodge) the control stick while shielding to move it around - useful if you
need to protect one side of your body. The shield's size will go down as
you're hit, and it will also naturally decrease over time; if your shield
becomes too small, it'll break, and you'll become shield broken. In other
words, you'll be totally screwed. Mash the buttons to get out of this dizzy
state and pray that your opponent isn't, say, Ganondorf or Bowser.
There are a few nifty things about the shield. For one thing, you can pull
out a larger, longer-lived but weaker shield if you put less pressure on the
L/R button or if you use the shield that automatically comes up after you
throw. These 'light' shields offer good coverage of your body (useful against
projectiles and such) but the downside is that stronger attacks will result
in you being knocked back further and there will be more shield stun.
Personally I find these light shields not worth the effort.
Also, if you shield at the exact time that an attack hits you, you can either
reflect it (if it's a projectile) or you can reduce shield stun and shield
usage (if it's a physical attack - you'll know if you've successfully pulled
this off because your will flash and the attack will just glance off you).
This is known as powershielding and is very useful - however, it's hard to
time and it takes a lot of practice, especially with physical attacks. If you
need practice, try playing against Falco on Final Destination and have a go
at powershielding against his lasers. Don't pick Fox because he fires so
fast, it's hard to see what's happening. After a while you should get a bit
better at powershielding, although it's one thing to be able to do it in
Training Mode, and quite another to be able to use this effectively in a real
game. I'll be the first to admit that I can't do the latter.
If your timing with the shield is almost good enough for a powershield but
just a little lacking, you'll get what I call a half-powershield, which is
where your shield fuzzes a little bit. This won't reflect projectiles or
reduce shield stun, but it will make for a larger, stronger shield while it's
fuzzy, which is useful. You can pull off half-powershields on a regular basis
if you practice.
(NOTE: I'm not sure about the true function of the fuzzy, half-powershield.
If anyone has further details or corrections, please tell me!)
=== Roll ~ Shield, then tap Left/Right ===
Marth will roll quickly in the direction pressed. Holding Z throughout the
roll will make you shield immediately after you've has finished rolling.
Handy for getting out of tight situations. Rolling is absolutely crucial in
close games, especially if you're fighting multiple opponents (you have to
make some space for Marth's sword, and rolling is a good way to do it).
Marth's roll is nice in that it's fairly quick, but gives him a good deal of
distance.
=== Dodge ~ Shield, then tap Down ===
This is a handy move that's new in Melee. Marth does a quick evasive
manoeuvre, flashing during the dodge. This basically makes you immune from
all attacks - even throws! - for a short period of time. The downside is that
the dodge doesn't last very long, and there's a little period of recovery
time after you've done it during which the opponent can have a go at you, so
be careful and use this sparingly. It's handy, though.
=== Air Dodge ~ L/R + Control Stick, air only ===
While you're in the air, you can tap L or R to perform an air dodge, which is
similar to the regular dodge. You can move the control stick right before
pressing L or R to make the character dodge in a particular direction (even
upwards, defying gravity) but after you dodge you will fall back down to the
ground as you would after an Up+B recovery move. In a way, an air dodge is
similar to an Up+B move, in that it's quite useful, but if you're not careful
you can get nailed while falling down because you're totally open and can't
do any other attacks. Hence you should only dodge at moderate heights - don't
do it at the top of an arena because you'll be falling and vulnerable
forever.
As with an Up+B move, if you're hit while falling after an air dodge then you
won't be able to do anything except your Up+B move (or another air dodge)
until you hit the ground. Be careful when you're around the edges of the
stage, and don't mash buttons in the air unless you want to dodge at the
wrong time and self-destruct by falling off the edge.
=== Recover ~ tap L/R right before you hit the ground ===
If you've been hit pretty hard by an attack and are flying through the air,
tap L or R right before you hit the ground and you'll execute a quick
recovery flip. Pressing L/R and tapping the control stick will make you
recover => roll, although you have to make sure your timing is good.
Recovering is very handy for getting back on your feet as quickly as possible
and blocking against subsequent moves made by the aggressor.
If you're hit into a wall or a similar structure, you can recover by pressing
L or R right as you hit it. If you do this, Marth will spring off the wall
and right himself immediately, instead of hitting the wall and tumbling down.
By wall-recovering, you can also stop most of Marth's momentum, which can be
handy if you think you're about to get flung off the edge. You need a quick
eye to be able to pull this off, but it becomes fairly routine once you get
used to it.
You can go further with wall recovering by turning your wall recovers into
wall springs. Just press L/R + Up+Away (by 'Away', I mean in the opposite
direction from which you were travelling before, so if you're hit into a wall
going left, press Right) as you hit the wall and your character will recover
with more than just a little bounce off the wall. You'll spring (it's almost
like a jump) off the wall instead. Handy for getting yourself some extra
mobility and perhaps surprising your opponents. Wall-recovering and wall-
springing are very important when playing in arenas with lots of structures
and walls - they're excellent ways of extending your life (remember, your
momentum is decreased significantly so your flight will be cut short) and
also making sure that you land on your feet after a nasty hit so your
opponent can't get to you as easily.
If you don't recover after being knocked, you'll fall onto the ground in an
unsightly heap. Don't fret; you can't make a quick move any more (since you
didn't insta-recover), but you can still surprise your opponent. Press A or B
while you're lying on the ground to get up with a sword slash that'll fend
off anyone who's too close. If you press L/R instead, you'll slowly get up,
while pressing Left or Right on the control stick will make you roll to one
direction and then get up. All of these recovery actions are useful in that
you're invincible for the duration of them (kind of like a standard roll) and
they will usually prevent someone from attacking you during that time.
If you have knocked down an opponent, don't go in right away, because you'll
either get hit, or your opponent will evade you. Try and hit an opponent
before he/she does a recovery (keep the pressure up, and beware of an insta-
recover which can turn the tables), or just back away. Ground-recovers are
annoying, but very helpful if you're the one doing them.
=== Air-Cancel ~ Press L/R before you land after an aerial attack ===
This isn't too useful with Marth, as the only attack that really needs to be
air-cancelled is his Down+A slash (which doesn't have too much recovery time
on the ground any way), but I might as well mention it. What is air-
cancelling? Well, as you land after a executing an aerial move, you will
notice some recovery time as Marth bends his knees and reverts back to his
usual stance. If you press L or R (you don't have to press it down all the
way) about a quarter-second before you land, you'll cut this air-to-ground
transition time in half by cancelling (or speeding up) your recovery
movements. This is much more noticeable with Link, but it's still
occasionally useful nonetheless.
=== Grab ~ L/R + A (or Z) ===
Marth quickly grabs onto an opponent and prepares to throw (see below). Grabs
are unblockable and the only way to avoid them is to dodge or roll out of the
way. Marth's grab is very good - fast, with surprising range. Grabbing while
dashing increases Marth's range further. Use grabs whenever you're on the
back foot (you're blocking, for example) and want to quickly shift the
momentum by throwing an opponent during his/her recovery time. You can also
be aggressive and grab and throw an opponent to set up for a possible combo.
Or, you can grab simply to knee your opponent and deal damage (for details,
see below).
Marth's range can be seriously useful if you can time his grabs right - just
as an opponent is about to attack you, you can try and grab them if they're
within range (because Marth's range is so long, often characters will be in
range). The most annoying thing in the world is getting grabbed out of an
attack, so make sure you do this often to your opponents! You can even grab
opponents out of their Up+B recovery moves as they're getting back onto the
stage, although this can be hard against the likes of Bowser or DK who have
multi-hit, high-priority moves. It's impossible as far as I know to do this
on Ganondorf or Captain Falcon because of the way their Up+B works. Still,
the bottom line is that Marth's grabs are very handy and you should become
intimately familiar with them (not in that way, you pervert).
=== Throw ~ Tap Control Stick direction after Grab; 4-5% damage and 2-3%
damage per knee hit ===
Marth isn't extremely good at throwing, but you'll still have to know how to
throw since they're good for setting up other moves. Throws in SSB: Melee
have been toned down from the original; they generally don't do as much
damage, and they have nowhere near the originals' launching power. On the
flip side, you now have a more versatile choice of throws, and can follow up
with moves more easily; try using Marth's Up+A (strong) slash (see below in
the A-button Moves section for more info) after a throw to set an opponent up
for further aerial hits. CPUs will use throws and set up further hits all the
time; you hit them, they block, then they grab and throw with lightning
quickness. Beware.
To throw, you must first grab an opponent. While grabbing him, you can press
A to knee him and increase his damage. Opponents will be able to squirm out
after a while, though - the higher an opponent's damage, the longer he/she
will stay in your hold. (Psychic attacks and Jigglypuff's Sing work the same
way; the more damaged an opponent, the longer the attacks' effects last.) A
good rule of thumb is that for every 40% damage your opponent has, you can
fit in one knee; hence, someone with 120% damage can take three hits and a
throw without squirming out of your grasp. To throw, tap in any of the four
main directions with the control stick. Marth's throws:
Upward - Emblem Toss: Marth chucks his opponent upward; 4% damage
Forward - Bounce: the opponent is slammed down and forward (not much); 4%
Downwards - Slam: the opponent is slammed down and backwards (not much); 5%
Backwards - Throw Away: the opponent is chucked backward over Marth's
shoulder; 4%
Marth's throws aren't all that powerful, but like I said, they set up well
for attacks. His upward throw sets up the Up+A strong/smash moves, the
forward throw can send an opponent into the perfect position for a sweet hit
with your forward smash, and the other two throws can be good for following
up with a strong move or a smash, depending on how far your opponent flies.
Marth's grabs are good, so if you feel like pissing off your opponents and
just grabbing around, do so. Use your speed and range well - you can wait for
someone to bounce up/recover after being thrown (remember to be careful about
any attack that accompanies the recovery) and then do another grab and throw,
and then repeat. Just be careful around experts and CPUs, who have very good
timing; if you're not careful, you'll just end up getting grabbed and thrown
yourself, especially with level 9 CPUs who are really frustrating with these
moves. Also, be careful against fast characters, since they can execute quick
strong/aerial attacks that will disrupt your flow and leave you vulnerable
after throwing. Still, it's worth it to practice grabs and throws as you'll
be a definite menace, especially to opponents who are hard to hit with
regular attacks.
=== Air Grab ~ L/R + A, or Z (aerial) ===
With this, you can grab items that are falling down in the air - either
because they've just appeared, or because you (or someone else) have thrown
them upwards. Be careful when doing this - if you screw up, then the item
will hurt you if it's been thrown by someone else. You can catch items that
are thrown vertically or horizontally, although obviously it's easier to
catch ones that are just thrown vertically since they tend to travel more
slowly.
You can also use the air grab to take items that are on platforms above you;
just jump up to the platform's level and then air grab, and you'll take the
item without ever having to jump on to the platform. Handy, and a great time
saver (very useful in Event 37 - Legendary Pokemon).
It's best to use Z for the air grab, not L/R + A, because the latter button
combination makes you air dodge afterwards, which can be annoying and time
consuming. Also, if you screw up the air grab and miss, using Z will have you
execute your Twin Slash (neutral A, aerial) which will at least provide some
cover, while using L/R + A will make you dodge and look like a fool.
Once you have picked up an item, you can press L/R + A or Z again to drop it
in the air. This is where L/R + A comes in handy. You'll drop an item, and
then dodge straight afterwards, so you can jump up to someone, drop a Bo-bomb
and then dodge the ensuing explosion. A nice trick to have up your sleeve.
=== Ground Grab ~ A, right as incoming item hits you ===
If someone chucks an item at you horizontally and you're on the ground, you
can actually catch it! This works with all items (as far as I know) as well
as certain item-like projectiles such as Link's bombs and Peach's veggies.
This requires good timing though - you have to press A (as if you were to
grab the item off the ground) RIGHT before the thrown item reaches you. It'll
become yours, even if it's a mine, Bo-bomb or a Pokeball! Just make sure your
timing is good, because you'll be pissed if you try and catch a bo-bomb, only
to mistime it and end up getting blown off.
=== Taunt ~ Up (D-Pad) ===
Ah, saved the best for last.
Marth strikes a nice, noble pose and twirls his sword around. He also utters
something in Japanese. ElfenGodFather, Augustine J Bono and The Devils
Advocate have all told me that Marth says something to the effect of
"Everybody look at me" (in a mocking manner) in Japanese. DiscoPuppy states
in his Translation Guide that Marth says "Minna Mitette Kure", or "Hey guys,
check this out!" which sounds right. So...yeah. Go Marth.
--------------------------
A-BUTTON MOVES, LAND
--------------------------
=== Falchion Slash ~ A; 6% damage ===
Marth quickly swipes across his body with his blade. This move comes out
quickly, with fair range and a nice arc that lets it cover more vertical
distance than you think. The only thing is that the attack is fast and you
need to make sure your timing is right, but then again this applies for most
neutral A-button attacks. The Falchion Slash is limited in power and damage
and is useless on its own for offence; however, it's great for parrying (that
is, quickly and efficiently cancelling attacks/projectiles - see Tips &
Tricks) and sets up well for other attacks, especially the Sharp Edge
(forward+A strong) or even the Dragon Slayer (smash forward+A) if you're
quick.
=== Return Swipe ~ press A right after Falchion Slash; 3-6% damage ===
This is basically the same as the Falchion Slash, except Marth swings his
sword around from the far side of his body to the near side (instead of the
other way around). Keep pressing A to perform...
=== Swinging Swipes ~ tap A repeatedly after Return Swipe; 2-3%/hit ===
Marth's A-A-A (and so on) move. Like most such moves it is weak and not very
damaging, but it can actually be useful because of its range and ability to
block incoming attacks. As with the Falchion Slash, use this to pester
opponents and perhaps keep them at bay during 1-P mode. Don't do it too much,
though; smart opponents can get close to you even when you're executing a
flurry of swipes, and if they do this you'll get hit or thrown between
swipes. The answer to this is to simply throw your opponent first, right as
he or she comes within range - you will usually win, although characters with
long range grabs like Link can give you problems. In these cases, roll away
once you see your opponent advancing through your swipes.
=== Upper Slash ~ Up+A (strong); 12% damage ===
Marth takes his blade and slashes forward and upward in a circular motion.
The Upper Slash, like most of Marth's attacks, has pretty good range and as
such, is very useful as a counter against jump-ins as well as a basic forward
attack (you can use it in the place of an Up+B Dolphin Slash if an opponent
is standing right next to you - both attacks will have good power in these
situations, and the Upper Slash will have less recovery time). Against
characters that don't have high-priority jump-in attacks, your superior range
and good priority will almost always result in your Upper Slash getting
through if you use it as an anti-air counter. Also, your Upper Slash hits a
small area in front of you as well as above you, so it can be used as a
clear-out move.
The Upper Slash has good power, especially if you get your timing and
placement right, and can kill enemies at moderate damage levels. Its quick
recovery time and knock-up power makes it excellent for setting up aerial
juggles, and can be used as a KO-ing attack when you're close to the vertical
boundary (or when your opponent is at high damage). Of course, Marth's upward
smash has a lot more power and damage, but it's also more clumsy and much
harder to hit sweetly with, so get used to your Upper Slash and its ability
to hit in a wide arc.
=== Low Stab ~ Down+A (strong); 10% damage ===
This isn't extremely useful because it requires that you crouch down first.
You can't crouch and thrust instantaneously because you'll end up doing the
Down+A smash. Despite this limitation, the Low Stab can still be good in
certain situations - if you're crouching to evade an attack or simply because
you feel like crouching (see Tips & Tricks for some cool stuff about
crouching), then the thrust is a good way of keeping enemies away. It's got
decent range and is quick, with little recovery, and so can work as a little
jab to tell enemies to keep their distance. Against a CPU or dumb human, you
can use this as a way of edge guarding - it's very effective against
characters that come back horizontally and so will have a hard time resisting
a little poke. For example, against a fellow Marth who aims for the ledge,
you won't get anything done with the Low Stab, but against someone like
Bowser or DK you can keep them at bay. In general though, you can use your
non-crouching strong attacks more easily and effectively than this.
=== Sharp Edge ~ Forward+A (strong); 13% damage ===
This move is much more useful than its low damage might imply. Marth sweeps
his blade in front of him, arcing it from low to high and ending with his arm
outstretched. The Sharp Edge comes out quickly, doesn't take too long to
recover from, and has great range as well as pretty good priority. It doesn't
have the awesome vertical arc of Marth's forward smash, but it's less
predictable and safer. If your opponent is fresh, then use this move and your
neutral A-button swipe to increase damage quickly and set up for your forward
smash; if your opponent has higher damage levels then the Sharp Edge can hit
farther and become a decent edge-guarding weapon. It doesn't look so flash,
so your opponents might misunderestimate it [yes, another George W Bush
joke], which would be a big mistake on their parts. Hit with the very tip of
your blade (a sweet hit) and you'll send your opponent flying fairly far away
horizontally. With its potential power and very fast speed coming out, you've
got an attack that just cuts right into the opponent and can be quite
dangerous.
You can also use the Sharp Edge to keep some distance between you and your
opponent - like most of your attacks, it gets more powerful with distance so
you can execute this move from afar. In addition, the Sharp Edge can also be
used to parry (see Tips & Tricks), set up for other moves (including Marth's
Down+A aerial spike, which we'll get to in a bit), prevent most opponents
from using their throws, follow up after a throw of your own, and more.
(Thanks to Howard and Nester for their advice on this very useful move!)
Furthermore, against weaker enemies (like the ones in 1-P mode) the Sharp
Edge works as a nice clear out move.
=== Leg Slash ~ Press A while dashing; 12% damage ===
Here's a nice, useful move. Marth extends his sword and slashes forward while
dashing. This move is one of the few in Marth's inventory that has a fairly
short duration, but its good range and set-up ability more than make up for
that (provided that you get your timing right, which shouldn't be too hard).
Use the Leg Slash's good range and priority to get through to your opponent
and send him/her bouncing upward, then hit with your Dragon Slayer or Sharp
Edge (forward+A strong); or, start an aerial juggle. You can also use the Leg
Slash to whack an opponent who is lying on the ground and/or has just
'bounced' up after being hit to the ground previously.
I have to say, though, that lots of players tend to overuse their dashing
moves, which can lead to smart opponents simply dodging/rolling and throwing
you out of them. Be aware, and try not to make your dashing too obvious
(don't dash from afar). Used effectively this move is horribly annoying; it
has long range and sets up beautifully for an upward stroke or aerial
juggles. Neat.
=== Winning Thrust ~ Up+A; 8-10% (regular) or 15-24% (sweet) damage ===
Here, Marth takes his sword and thrusts it upward. The move is not the
fastest coming out, and there is a bit of recovery, but it'll suffice against
most opponents if you start it early. There's slightly more horizontal range
than you might expect, which coupled with the vertical range and priority
makes this a useful move.
Use the Winning Thrust against single opponents who stunned in the air and/or
have low-range aerial moves. The damage and power of the move tend to vary
quite a bit - it's important to hit an opponent right with the tip of the
blade, since the damage will be more than doubled and the power will increase
mightily. If you just hit your opponent regularly, you'll do a measly 7-8%
damage and hardly any power. In these situations you'll just have to roll out
or use your Upper Slash to gain some room. To get the all-important sweet hit
instead of a crappy ordinary hit, time your move so that it hits when your
opponent is still some distance above you - only the tip should connect.
If you're not good at placing this move to hit sweetly, forget it - just use
the more reliable Upper Slash, which recovers quickly and gets your opponent
to a moderate height after which you can set up an aerial juggle. The Winning
Thrust can do none of those things, and takes a while to recover from (so
don't use it against multiple enemies), but used correctly it can be a real
killer. Sure, it's tough, but that's life. Practice, and watch for the look
on your opponent's face when he or she gets sent flying. Don't use your
Winning Thrust often, though, or your opponents will see it coming (and then
they'll be wary in the air, and you'll never get a good hit in).
=== Whirlwind Slash ~ Down+A; 16-21%, or 11-15% if backward stroke hits ===
Marth takes his sword and sweeps it in front of him, then slices back around
his body, keeping his blade fairly low. This move is similar to Link's Down+A
except that it's not quite as powerful. Despite that, you'll still do a fair
deal of damage and the move has decent KO-ing capabilities. The forward
stroke is the stronger of the two, and usually sends the opponent straight up
- handy for setting up some aerial moves or your Up+A smash/strong attack.
The backwards slice is pretty powerful as well, and also sends the opponent
nearly straight upward. If you are slightly above or very close to your
opponents when you hit them, then they'll be sent forward, not upward. In
fact, if you're higher than your opponents when you hit them, you'll send
them flying low and fast, which can set up an edge guard for a KO.
The Whirlwind Slash comes out fairly quickly, but Marth is a bit slow to turn
around for the second stroke, and there's a bit of recovery time after the
move, so be careful against multiple opponents. In 1-P mode you can have a
ball with this as a set-up for aerial attacks as well as a clearout move
against slower opponents. The further away you are from your opponent the
sharper the sound will be when you hit, and the more power and damage you'll
get. Practice using this move to make sure that you know its range exactly;
the sweet spot is always at a fixed point in front (and behind, I suppose) of
you, so once you get your placing right you'll be pretty dangerous. The
Whirlwind Slash is especially useful in stages that are long horizontally,
but fairly limited vertically: you don't have any move that hits purely
horizontally, so in these stages try and kill your opponents through the top
of the stage instead with the Whirlwind Slash.
=== Dragon Slayer ~ Forward+A; 14-19% (regular) or 20-27% (sweet) damage ===
Everybody loves this move, and for good reason. Marth raises his blade above
his head and then slams it down in a wide, long-ranged arc, hitting opponents
above and in front of him. Anyone who's hit will usually fly away at a 45-60
degree angle, depending on what part of the arc hits him or her, but if you
hit an opponent with the end of the move you'll send him/her flying fairly
fast and low. The move comes out fairly quickly (unless you charge it, of
course) and is capable of devastating opponents if you can manage to get a
sweet hit in. A regular hit with this move lacks power, and does only
moderate damage, so you really MUST get used to doing this from long range
and getting that sweet sensation. I like to hit opponents who are above me,
or sprawled flat on the ground; it's easier to get a sweet hit this way
because it's likely that, due to the elevation difference, your sword will
only be able to hit with the tip (the target area is smaller, hence you will
probably get an edgier hit).
A great trick is to use your swipe (neutral A), Sharp Edge (forward+A strong)
or perhaps the Upper Slash to set up an opponent, depending on the damage
percentage, and then use an uncharged Dragon Slayer - it's faster than most
people expect. The opponent will be hanging in mid-air and most likely won't
ever touch the ground again =P. Or, use the Dragon Slayer as a way of
irritating opponents and forcing them backwards. This has the longest range
of Marth's moves (yes, it has better range than the Shield Breaker) so it
matches up very well against swordsmen or pretty much anyone else out there.
A quick word of caution, though - opponents who are quick with the throws may
be able to throw you right as you execute this move; it takes lots of skill
and timing, but it's possible, and the computers do it regularly. Combat this
by being unpredictable with your attacks, and attacking from long range where
your blade's tip can hit, but your opponent's throw can't.
A fully charged Dragon Slayer will rival the Shield Breaker in damage and
power, and also covers your whole forward side. Great as a stock attack, as
long as you don't blatantly overuse it. I tend to use this a hell of a lot in
one player, but not as much against humans because they're always on guard
against this killer move. This can work to your advantage because you always
have that little intimidation factor, which can make your opponent nervous,
and you're going to get to use this move anyway because it becomes almost a
reflex action after a while. Be sure that you know how to use your weaker
attacks to knock your opponent into the right position for a sweet hit with
this move.
You can use the Dragon Slayer very well for keeping opponents from jumping
back onto the stage ('edge guarding') - just wait for them to jump or use
their Up+B, and let loose (you can start charging beforehand, of course).
Remember that you only need a small amount of time to do this move, and you
can use it right after another ground move. Niiice.
-------------------------
A-BUTTON MOVES, AIR
-------------------------
=== Aerial Swipe ~ Forward+A; 13% damage ===
Marth slashes forward with his blade, arcing it downward and covering the
whole front half of his body. You need fair timing, but if used well this is
very effective; you can hit any point in front of you, and, while the move
doesn't have a whole lot of power, it can up your opponent's damage. You can
use this several times in the air (it doesn't have much start-up or recovery
time) and it's also useful as a jump-in attack because your blade arcs
downwards. A nice move, and one of your most important air attacks.
=== Luna Slash ~ Up+A; 13% damage ===
A great move for juggling and majorly pissing off your opponent. Marth
slashes in an arc above his head, covering 180 degrees. This move has good
reach, and can break up most Down+A aerial moves if you have good timing and
placing. Try to hit with the edge of the arc; this maximises damage and also
means that you don't have to get as close to your opponent. This move is
versatile as hell - you can use it at practically any time in the air and it
comes out quickly. Because it's so quick to come out and recover, you can
easily juggle your opponent with it (juggling is using a succession of aerial
moves to keep your opponents in the air - see Tips & Tricks for more info).
Marth's Aerial Swipe and Luna Slash have little delay and can be almost
chained together in the air, for some useful damage. You probably won't get
many KOs with these moves (although the Luna Slash can be surprisingly
powerful if you can hit a high-damage opponent with the sweet spot), but you
usually will give yourself enough space to get away or execute another move,
and if you're good you'll be able to really cut up your opponent.
=== Half Moon ~ Down+A; 10% (regular) or 13% (sweet) damage ===
This move is similar to the Luna Slash, except - get this - in the opposite
direction! Wow. If you're next to your opponent when you slash with your Half
Moon, or if your opponent is on the ground, he or she will get sent slightly
upwards. You can try and fit in another aerial move, or you can try and evade
the Down+A counterattack that's probably coming. It all depends on the
opponent - e.g., don't screw around with Link.
I personally like to hit aerial opponents while they are a bit below me, or
to my side. Swipe at them and try and hit them with the tip of your blade
(you can get such a hit at any point of your arc, so you don't HAVE to hit
with just the bottom of the arc; either end will work as well, as long as the
opponent is in the appropriate position to your side). If you do this, you'll
hear a sweet sound similar to that of the Dragon Slayer, and your opponent
will get spiked. If you don't know what a spike is, it's where your opponent
gets hit by an attack (usually an aerial down+A) and then falls straight
down. If you do this while your opponent is over the abyss (knock your
opponent off the stage and then jump once off the stage, spike, then jump and
Dolphin Slash back on; or, spike from the stage - see two paragraphs below),
then you'll likely score a KO.
Marth's Half Moon isn't a true spike, as an opponent won't be sent flying too
far, but it's very useful still, even if all it does is scare an opponent.
The more damage an opponent has, the longer it will be before they recover
from your hit, which will send them hurtling downwards and usually slightly
AWAY from you (meaning, towards the edge, which is useful). Computer
opponents tend to react quickly, while humans might have a harder time. In
any case, this is a useful move, but you will need to practice before you can
get it right all the time. Beware of the Half Moon's nasty recovery time in
the air, which will hamper your getting back onto the stage.
Because of the recovery time, you shouldn't get too keen with spiking and end
up suiciding because you run out of jumps! I said above that you can jump out
and spike if you want, but you can also spike from the stage. The latter way
is preferable; you can still spike well, and don't have to worry about
running out of jumps to get back. I'll let Howard and Nester describe spiking
from the stage:
"Whenever you hit an opponent with a move near the edge that doesn't launch
them, rather, makes them pop up a short distance (forward-A tilt, up-A tilt,
running-A, Marth's forward and backwards aerial-As), don't hit them with the
forward-A smash. You have a better move. It's a little hard to do, but, can
be done. Take a jump (use the X and Y buttons, not the control stick) BUT
hold down on the control stick as you do so. You should make a teeny-tiny
hop. While this distance is too short for most characters to use their
meteors/spikes, for Marth, this is a whole 'nuther story. Falco players know
what I'm talking about. You can -kill- even heavyweights like Bowser and
Donkey Kong at 40-50% with practice. Since his aerial finisher isn't that
strong to begin with, the short height at which it can be performed [cyper's
note: we are talking about hitting the opponent with the start of the move,
at the point where Marth's sword is still to his side. Hitting with this part
of the move lets you spike quickly, without much need for a jump, and also
conveniently places the hit area to your side, giving you more freedom.] is
not only a godsend, it /is/ godly."
Spiking like that is pretty much the same as edge guarding, in that it's safe
and effective from on the stage. The difference, of course, is that 'edge-
spiking' is so much more potent than edge guarding, and comes without the
risk usually associated with spiking. You can also throw someone upward and
then jump up to the person and spike as described above - not bad, not bad at
all.
=== Twin Slash ~ A; 14% damage (two parts of 4 and 10% damage) ===
This move has reasonable power and does a moderate deal of damage, but I tend
to find myself using Marth's other aerial moves more. I think it's because
Marth's Twin Slash lacks coverage - it's fairly good if an opponent is right
next to you, but it won't cover one whole half of Marth's body like his
Aerial Swipe or Luna Slash - instead, it's just a pair of quick, horizontal
slashes (all of Marth's other aerial moves have lots of vertical arc, but not
this one). Still, if you're looking for a surprise move that's quick and can
hit away pesky opponents who are hugging too close, then consider this move.
Its power and speed in coming out are its main pluses.
=== About Face Slash ~ Backwards+A; 13% damage ===
Marth swipes around his body, his blade going backwards and hitting anyone
near that side of him. I don't use this a whole lot because the move seems to
be a bit slower and more clumsy than Marth's other moves, but the About Face
Slash does have good priority and duration and is one of the only ways you
can protect your back. As usual, hit someone with the last bit of the attack
to get more power. As an alternative you can air-dodge or use your Forward+B
attack (you can change direction this way in the air) but neither is as
'safe' as the About Face Slash, so you might as well get used to this move,
uninspiring as it may be.
==========================
5. Special Moves
==========================
Marth's special moves are just that, special. As with most other characters'
specials, they are fairly powerful and flashy, but have more recovery time
than most regular A-button attacks. Don't overuse specials, but do make sure
that you know how to use them, since they add some variety to Marth's
arsenal. The Shield Breaker is your typical offensive smack, the Dancing
Blade lets you execute a 'custom combo' of sorts that can really confound
opponents, the Dolphin Slash is a graceful comeback move, and the Counter is
the bane of all aggressive opponents! Great stuff.
=== Shield Breaker ~ tap/hold B; 7-28% damage ===
Marth raises his sword over his head, as if he were about to execute an
Dragon Slayer, and then slams his blade downward with some nice effects. You
can charge the move by holding B, and a fully charged Shield Breaker will
result in an automatic sweet hit and a probable KO if your opponent's above
50-60% damage. True to its name, the Shield Breaker is also very tough on
shields. A non-charged Shield Breaker will eat up an opponent's shield by 35-
40%, if not more, and cause a little shield stun (that is, the opponent's
shield stays up a little longer than usual, giving you slightly more time to
throw or attack). A fully charged Shield Breaker results in your opponent's
shield being smashed to hell and back; while he or she is dizzy, you can
pretty much charge up another Breaker and see how your opponent likes it.
Sounds like a great move, right? Well, it's good, except it's not too hard to
see coming, takes a while of charging before it gets really powerful (unlike
your forward smash, which has some bite even when uncharged) and tends to be
overused. People new to the game especially like using the Shield Breaker
because of its nice charging animation and awesome power (second only to
Roy's Flare Blade when it comes to swordsmen's moves). If you like charging
this thing up and whacking the hell out of CPU opponents, then fine. It's
just that human opponents with an IQ above 70 will NEVER get hit by a charged
Shield Breaker (or Roy's Flare Blade, which takes even longer to charge and
is almost comical). I mean, you're right there, charging this thing up, and
Marth is flashing and your controller's shaking like hell...even the rawest
of newbies know to run away, while a good player will just jump over you or
roll through you and attack your backside.
So basically, don't charge up in normal circumstances unless you're playing a
CPU or an absolute idiot. The only exception is edge guarding; the Shield
Breaker works very well since it can be used over and over, comes out fairly
fast if uncharged, and you can just keep hitting your opponents until they
are too far out to come back, or you get some space and manage to charge it a
bit for a knock out blow. Don't edge guard with this too often, though, since
good opponents will anticipate it and might counter, or air dodge, or cling
to the ledge, or do whatever they can to avoid it. In these cases you can
jump out and spike (discussed later in Tips and Tricks!), or you can use a
different move for edge guarding. The down+A smash can work since it hits
lower than expected and has good priority. Moreover, most people don't see it
coming.
Apart from edge guarding and an occasional charge against someone who's been
shield broken, the Shield Breaker is also useful as a keep-away move. It has
good range (slightly less than the Dragon Slayer, though) and comes out
reasonably quickly if you just tap B (plus you can use it in the air, and it
will cover a really big arc). Opponents mightn't expect it, and it will hit
them and give you just enough room to prepare for another attack or roll out.
It doesn't do much damage if you just tap B, but it's useful for a quick hit.
An uncharged Shield Breaker will mean less recovery time, and it's sometimes
useful to draw opponents in by just tapping B (for a quick Shield Breaker)
than executing an uncharged smash attack straight afterwards to take
opponents by surprise.
The bottom line is that the Shield Breaker can be useful, but only if used
rarely and intelligently. It is NOT meant to be a power-move used in general
play; the Dragon Slayer gets a sweet hit more easily, charges faster and has
similar potential power. Keep that in mind.
=== Dolphin Slash ~ Up+B; 13% damage ===
This is Marth's recovery move. He quickly leaps upward with his arm out-
stretched, and his blade will damage opponents on his way up. If you start
the move while you're fairly close to your opponent, the Dolphin Slash will
be surprisingly powerful (especially if you hit with the tip - start from
about 1.5 body-widths away to do this), and will scoop your opponent up and
into the air at around a 30-degree angle. This can be useful if your opponent
is at a moderate-to-high damage percentage - just use your Dolphin Slash as
you would Luigi's Uppercut. Your opponent won't see it coming (useful if your
foe is predicting all your regular attacks), and you won't have to worry
about the recovery time since your foe will be sent fairly far away. It's
easier to do this on the ground because for some reason Marth's Dolphin Slash
doesn't scoop as well in the air (you have to be really close, making it
almost impractical).
Remember that only the start of the move is powerful, and also note that the
move takes a little while to get going, and the beginning stages (as Marth
brings his sword around and prepares to leap) have low priority, so DON'T try
it against someone in the air unless you're confident that you can surprise
them enough to get this move out in time. Even weak attacks will stop this
move if your opponents hit you early, so be careful.
Because most of the time you won't get to move in close (and you opponent
might be fresh, meaning that he/she doesn't get sent too far), the move often
won't be usable an offensive attack. (There is one exception: if you hit the
opponent at the very end of your leap during the Dolphin Slash, you might get
a little sweet hit in, and you'll have extra power. This is rare and usually
impractical, though.) So, it's best just to leave this as a recovery move for
use when you need an extra boost up onto the stage. You should usually drop
down so that your move will take you JUST to the edge of the stage. If you do
this, Marth will grab onto the edge and you can take things from there. By
doing this, you make it pretty much impossible for opponents to edge-guard
you, but to do this well you have to know the exact height that Marth's
Dolphin Slash gives you. Try it out in Training Mode.
If you do decide to go at an opponent with this move - and sometimes you
will, to take advantage of its high priority and lightning speed - then you
should make sure that you yank backwards on the control stick right as you
press Up+B. It's hard to describe, but people who played Luigi in the
original SSB will know what I'm talking about. What happens is that you do a
Dolphin Slash in the opposite direction to which you were going before; so
you might've been jumping to the right, and you might hit your opponent to
the right, but you'll execute the actual recovery move to the left. This is a
good way of getting some extra horizontal distance between you and your
opponent - some distance is vital, because Marth falls slowly and you DON'T
want your opponent nailing you right as you fall down.
A last bit of information: unlike the other swordsmen, Marth can execute his
Dolphin Slash very soon after most all of his aerial moves, the only
exception being the down+A spike. So, feel free to have a go at an opponent
even when you're trying to recover - the Aerial Swipe (forward+A) and the
first hit of your Dancing Blade are useful since they'll distract your
opponent and you can then follow up with a quick Dolphin Slash after you've
dropped down a bit, to take you onto the edge. Also, you can add a little bit
of horizontal distance to the Dolphin Slash by tilting forward on the control
stick as you execute the move - there's not much of a difference but it is
there, and can come in handy for those near-impossible recoveries.
=== Counter ~ Down+B; 7% damage ===
Ahh, Counter, the bane of...well, everyone. A great way to piss off
opponents, as well as totally throw them out of rhythm. Marth assumes a stoic
pose and then flashes. If he gets hit during his flashing time, he'll absorb
the hit and then immediately counter with a quick swipe, similar to your
Sharp Edge (Forward+A strong). The swipe only does 7% damage but has good
range, excellent priority and decent power, so it'll usually give you enough
breathing room to either get out of the situation or set up an attack.
Counter works on all attacks, physical or energy, and is vulnerable only to
throws and throw-like moves.
Because of the Counter's vulnerability to throws, you mustn't use it too
often - otherwise your opponent will start to predict it and might even draw
you into it, in hopes of getting a throwing opportunity. The counter does
have some recovery time at the end, so if your opponent is really crafty he
or she might just time an attack to hit then, and really annoy you! My advice
is to use counter sparingly, but in important situations. Surprise your
opponent; dash up to him/her, and Counter right when you get within range.
The opponent will usually attack instinctively, and run right into your
Counter, and what's more, you should be far enough away that most throws
won't work. Mwahaha! Against one opponent you can usually just parry (see
Tips & Tricks) or dodge around, but when fighting against multiple enemies or
when under pressure, Counter can be a lifesaver. When Countering, Marth can
have his back to the opponent's attack and it will still work (Marth will
automatically turn around while slashing), which is great against groups.
Counter is especially useful in the air since there are no throws (beware of
Ganondorf and Cpt. Falcon's Up+B moves though). Used properly, you can
disrupt opponents' rhythm and, more importantly perhaps, break their morale.
Nothing sucks more than being countered. Roy can use his counter offensively,
which hurts even more (and lord knows Marth players hate being countered by
Roy), but Marth's has longer duration and is easier to use. Plus we have
superior range.
Countering is also useful as an edge-guarding implement. For instance, Link
and Bowser are hard to edge-guard conventionally because of their annoying
Up+B moves, so Counter them instead. Your Counter-stroke will usually get
through to them and knock them back, and at that point you can have another
go at them or try to jump out a bit and spike. The good thing about
Countering is that a highly-damaged opponent will sometimes fly in a slight
inverted-V shape (like this: /\) that is useless on the ground but can work
as an extra downwards boost when edge guarding.
NOTE: There are actually a few moves that Marth has difficulty Countering.
Multi-hit moves such as Falco/Fox's light kick combo are hard to counter,
since your countering stroke will be nullified by the continued stream of
attacks. Extremely fast attacks are also impractical to counter. For example,
you CAN counter the Fox Illusion or Falco Phantasm, but by the time you make
your counterstroke Fox/Falco will be far behind you. Fox's laser cannot be
countered, and neither his nor Falco's fireballs can be parried. (Yes, the
two speedy StarFox characters can be a headache.) Finally, Mario and Luigi's
fireballs can't be countered! Each fireball leaves a little trail of flame,
which will disrupt your counterstroke. Annoying. Link (or Y. Link)'s arrows
can sometimes disrupt your Counter as well, due to their length.
=== Dancing Blade ~ Forward+B; damage varies (see below) ===
Here's a nice fancy move. Marth takes his sword, starts up his flashing
colour generator, and does a one to four-hit combo that starts off fairly
weakly but gets pretty strong by the end. The Dancing Blade can hit hard if
executed well, and opponents often forget about it, which is very handy
indeed. It's always pretty cool to see a nice combo that does 30% damage to
an opponent and shows 'em Marth's true colours (pun intended).
You start off the Dancing Blade by pressing Forward+B. Each hit after that is
executed by pressing B right when Marth's blade has stopped after the
previous hit; the gap between hits can be between .3-.5 seconds
approximately, and is controlled by you. The faster you tap B, the faster
Marth executes the next stroke.
If you tap B too quickly or too slowly, and the game won't register your
input and the Dancing Blade will just stop, which is annoying. If you're
having trouble executing the move, just close your eyes, hold forward and tap
B four times, making sure that the space between each tap is around a third
of a second. See? It's that easy. Just don't be tempted into pressing B too
fast.
Anyway, each of the Dancing Blade's last three hits can be customised using
the control stick; just tilt it either upwards or downwards as you press B,
to use an alternate stroke. The second hit only has two possible variations
(forward and up) while the third and fourth hit have three variations
(forward, up and down). If you don't tilt in any direction or tilt it in some
weird direction like backwards, then the game will just act as if you had
tilted forwards. Here's a rundown of all possible strokes for each hit:
FIRST HIT (Red)
Forward: a quick forward swipe, 4% damage
SECOND HIT (Green)
Forward: a quick forward poke, 4%
Up: a quick upward swipe, 4%
THIRD HIT (Blue)
Forward: a quick, good-priority, powerful forward slash, 8%
Up: a whirling, high-to-low slash, 5%
Down: a powerful downward thrust that can act as a fairly good spike in
the air or near the edge of a stage, 10%
FOURTH HIT (Red)
Forward: overhead smash, 11%
Up: overhead smash (slightly higher than the forward stroke), 8%
Down: multiple low pokes, 12% (five pokes; 3, 2, 2, 2, 3% damage
respectively)
NOTES: with the third and fourth hits, the damage given may vary slightly,
depending on how quickly the hits follow one another. Also, all damages
given assume that you have connected with the previous hits. If this is
not so, then the damage for the later hits may be increased - for example,
if you hit with only the overhead smash stroke (4th hit, forward) after
missing with your first three hits, then you will inflict 14% instead of
11% damage.
It's easy to see how many possible stroke variations there are. Add to this
all the timing variations that you can pull off, and you get a useful move
that's ever-changing. Don't worry about particular strokes being awkward; all
the strokes fit nicely into the combo and none will disrupt the flow too much
(except the downward thrust, 3rd hit (down), but even that isn't too bad).
Hence, you have lots of freedom to do what you like. My favourite combos are
Fwd-Up-Up-Up (quick, good juggling, good finish), Fwd-Up-Fwd-Up (powerful,
ranged, and good for clearing out), and Fwd-Fwd (or Up)-Down-Down
(unexpected, annoying, high damage). The third combination is especially
useful near the edge since the second stroke sets your opponent up for a
spike on the third stroke, and if you miss you can tack on a last hit just to
annoy your opponent or get him off your back. Another good combination is
Fwd-Fwd-Fwd-Fwd (or Up) - high-priority and powerful, and more effective
against slower characters.
Beware, though, that the Dancing Blade can be tricky in that opponents at
high damage will not be caught in the combo, and the minute variations in
stroke timing mean that no DB will ever be the same - hence you must often
think stroke-by-stroke when doing the Dancing Blade. Practice in training
mode to get yourself acquainted with the strokes and the timing.
The Dancing Blade isn't as useful in melees as it is in one-on-one, simply
because someone will always be able to hit you out of the attack if you're
taking on multiple peeps at once. Even in one-on-one, fast or strong (high-
priority) opponents can disrupt your Dancing Blade. Because of this you
shouldn't overuse the DB - just once in a while to surprise your opponent and
show off a little bit. The main strengths of the DB are edge-guarding/edge-
spiking, and surprising opponents who are expecting other, more common moves.
ONE FINAL NOTE...if you need some extra horizontal distance in the air, then
you can repeatedly press Forward+B to do the first red stroke of the Dancing
Blade. Don't press Fwd+B too fast, because if you start to do the other hits
as well, Marth will lose his horizontal momentum. Just keep executing the
first red hit and you'll get some extra distance, after which you can Dolphin
Slash your way back onto the stage.
==========================
6. Marth vs. Roy
==========================
NOTE: I noticed (after writing this section, of course =T) that another Marth
FAQ by SSJ4 Link had a 'Marth vs. Roy' section as well. In case any of you
are wondering, I didn't copy off any of SSJ4 Link's content (although
naturally there would be some similarities) and I had an idea for a Roy
section long before I saw any of the other FAQs. Everyone's talking about
Marth vs. Roy and how they compare, and I added this section since it was
(and is) such a hot topic. Just FYI.
Roy is another character in the Fire Emblem series. He and Marth are often
seen as something of a duo in Melee, and there have been many arguments as to
which one of the pair is better. This little section is meant to help you
evaluate which one suits your individual playing style better. Maybe you only
play as one of them, or maybe you play both equally, but in any case it's
good to know how the two shape up. I'm NOT going to pick the 'better'
character because it really depends on your playing style.
Anyway. Roy is an odd character. Small and somewhat light, he wears a red
cape in Smash Bros. Melee and has a different voice from Marth's and a rather
brash look about him (ooh, red hair, attitude, wow). Although both Marth and
Roy superficially seem like similar swordsmen, their playing styles differ
quite a bit. They are no mere clones of each other, and play just as
differently as, say, Link and Young Link. A quick run-down of the
differences, with the most important ones being starred:
- Different taunts, sayings, costume colours and general appearance (of
course)
- Marth is taller and stands straighter than Roy (so he's a bigger target)
* However, Marth is a bit heavier and a good deal faster (in running speed)
than Roy
- Marth slides farther than Roy (he has less traction), which can mean that
it's harder to recover for Marth
- Marth's sword range is generally slightly longer than Roy's, although both
far outrange Link/Young Link
* Roy's attacks tend to do a little bit more damage (Marth's Down+A is 21%,
Roy's 28%; Marth's Up+A does 24%, slightly more than Roy's 22%; and both
forward smashes do 27% max). I see little difference in how much
hitting power they each have, but the thing is that Roy's sword tends to
have a higher average strength while its minimum strength is horrible.
Marth, on the other hand, has a slightly lower average strength but no
really bad minimum strength, and both swords have the same damage and power
with a sweet spot hit. If you don't hit with your sweet spot, Marth's
attacks (the forward and upward smashes, mostly, since these are the two
main attacks where sweet hits are prominent) lose about 25-30% of their
damage rating and a lot of their power. Hence, Roy tends to seem stronger
to newer players, because it's easier to get a fairly strong hit, but as
long as you have good placement with Marth, both he and Roy will have
similar power.
* Roy's sweet spot is located right in the middle of his blade, so it's
easier to sweetly hit multiple opponents; however, Marth's sweet spot
position is good for keeping enemies at a distance when going one-on-one
* Marth's moves are generally quicker (e.g. Marth's Shield Breaker, charges
up more quickly and comes out faster than Roy's corresponding move, Flare
Blade) but Roy's sometimes have more maximum power. Also, Roy's B moves (as
well as his Up+A smash) send the opponent burning, making for greater stun.
- Roy's Blazer is slower than Marth's Dolphin Slash, but it hits multiple
times and sets opponents alight, resulting in some fire stun and giving Roy
more opportunity to come back onto the stage unscathed. Roy may have
trouble actually making it that far, though, since his Blazer (which goes
at around a 50-60 degree angle) offers only decent horizontal distance and
mediocre vertical distance. Marth's Dolphin Slash tends to be weak unless
you get up close (and you usually won't when coming back onto the stage)
but his better jumping and increased airtime let you do aerial moves and
Counter when coming back (Roy can't pull this off) to help protect
yourself in place of your Dolphin Slash. You can then use his Dancing
Blade, which supplies the horizontal carry while the Dolphin Slash gives
you that last vertical boost up to the edge of the stage.
So overall, Roy's Blazer gets opponents off his back better, but his Blazer
and jumps offer half-assed recovery power, while Marth can get back to the
stage a good deal easier and can use his aerial moves (or simply grab onto
the edge - Roy can do this also but he may be hit out of his Blazer, or he
mightn't have enough distance) to compensate for his generally weak Dolphin
Slash.
- Roy's Double-Edge Dance (Fwd+B) is easier to pull off than Marth's Dancing
Blade - the timing of your pressing B does not have to be as precise. This
does not affect the effectiveness of the actual move much, though.
* Marth's Counter lasts a lot longer than Roy's, but deals only 7% damage
regardless of the strength of the move being countered. Roy's counter is
shorter in duration and harder to time, but does about 1.5x the damage of
the move being countered. The counter's power rises accordingly, and flames
the opponent too.
- Marth's A move - a little sword swipe - can be repeatedly used with very
little time inbetween, making for a good frustration move and a good
parrying move. Roy's A move has much more of a pause between swipes.
- Marth and Roy's spikes differ. Their Down+A (aerial) moves work
differently, as do their Dancing Blade strokes.
* Marth has more airtime than Roy and his aerial arcs and slashes seem to be
more effective. Roy would probably prefer to be a more ground-based
character.
* Marth is most deadly in one-on-one combat with his longer reach and wide
range of moves, while Roy's outright power helps him more in a Free-for-All
since he can connect freely with his sword and can also use his charge-up
moves to greater effect. This is not to say that Marth sucks in melees and
Roy is crap at one-on-ones; you'll just have to alter your style maybe.
E.G. with Marth you might want to isolate opponents during fierce melee
battles, or at least keep them to one side, lest you get hammered around
and become unable to clear out.
It's easy to see that Roy's for those who want a hard-hitting pyro, while
Marth's grace and versatility appeal to players who are prefer more refined
combat. I liked the hard-hitting Kirby in the original (read my FAQ! *plug
plug plug*) so I initially thought I'd go with Roy, but his lightness and
lack of foot speed was a turn-off. Still, Roy's a mighty fine swordsman and
if you're ever in need of a offensive basher, you can't go past him. In the
meantime though, we'll stick to discussing Marth's more balanced playing
style...you Roy players can now piss off. =P
===========================
7. 1-P Quick Tips
===========================
I don't particularly care for most of the 1-P stuff, simply because if you
know Marth's moves and how to use them (and that's what the rest of this FAQ
is for =D) you'll do fine in 1-P mode. Really. Although, I suppose there are
a few tough stages, and to help out I'll provide a quick list of handy moves
and handy manoeuvres that can cheaply beat opponents. Like I said in the
introduction, I'm not going to go over mundane stuff like Marth's Break the
Targets challenge or a full walkthrough, 'cause that's stuff that you can
find in the in-depth FAQs or the other Marth guides.
------------------
USEFUL MOVES
------------------
Moves that take on special significance while during the various 1-P modes:
SHIELD BREAKER - computers are dumb. Use this whenever the computer has flown
off and you want a useful edge-guarding implement. Humans will see it coming,
but not computers! They'll get knocked the hell off - even if you don't have
time to charge it, the Shield Breaker will still send CPUs flying a bit so
you can repeat the treatment. In normal situations though (on land, that is),
I prefer Marth's forward smash since a sweet hit with it is more powerful.
DOLPHIN SLASH - handy for taking out weaker opponents on the earlier
difficulty levels. Lets you very quickly clear out some team battles so you
can go for Speed Demon or No Damage Clear or some other bonus like that. This
doesn't work once you get to Normal difficulty or above, since the enemies
are hardier.
COUNTER - good against the best of opponents, with the possible exception of
Crazy Hand because of his long-lasting, high priority attacks. When you're on
the back foot, or trying to come back without getting smashed the hell up by
Giga Bowser, you can use counter; it'll clear out a good deal of space in
front of you.
DRAGON SLAYER (Forward+A) - the computer may have fast reflexes, but in the
end it's still a dumbass. Roll behind a CPU and smash. Repeat. This works on
all but the hardest difficulties, and can pretty much win Event 51 for you.
Groovy.
WINNING THRUST (Up+A) - the computer sucks at defending against this move.
Remember that this has surprising lateral range. Try and hit opponents while
they're still fairly high above you; if you hit with the tip only, you'll
score a sweet hit and the poor CPU fellow will be miles away! If you don't
score a sweet hit, you can often just keep executing this move because the
CPU won't get knocked too far. This move is also useful in team battles
because it really, really hurts the weak opposition; this is a useful choice
when facing the Mr G&W'es on the easier difficulty settings of All-Star mode.
SHARP EDGE (Forward+A strong) - this can catch CPUs off guard, and is
invaluable when you want a quick, ranged move that clears out space in front
of you. Handy against the wireframes when they gang up on you and you don't
want to risk the Dragon Slayer's extra delay/recovery time.
TAUNT - it gives you 500 extra points. Whee.
-----------------------
LESS USEFUL MOVES
-----------------------
Moves that aren't as useful in 1-P mode as they may be against humans.
THROWS - don't try them too much. CPUs, even low-level ones, can dodge and
counter-throw like crazy. Grrrr.
DANCING BLADE - computers seem to have a good ability to evade this attack,
or somehow hit you out of it. Use with caution.
WHIRLWIND SLASH (Down+A) - the computer is quick, and can often hit you out
of this with a soft hit at the start. You can still use this move if you
start it early and anticipate it, but if you've got a fast opponent and
he/she's already close to you, use counter or roll out instead. (Note: This,
and a lot of the other stuff I say in this section, does not apply during the
easier difficulties, since the computers are dumb and will not defend against
anything.)
SWINGING SWIPES (Repeatedly tap A) - these can work somewhat well against
humans, but computers will dodge, or powershield (so they go all flashing on
you and cut down on shield stun), or hit you with a light hit. In other
words, they'll almost always find a way to get out of this move, and it's not
very effective as a keep-away move, either. Don't ask me why, but the
computers are good against this move and Dancing Blade. The only exceptions
are the enemies you face in the easier difficulties, but again, these guys
can be screwed straight up; no need for this sort of foreplay. =P
-------------------
USEFUL TRICKS
-------------------
This is stuff that doesn't really go under the general Tips & Tricks section
because it's too limited - i.e. it only works on certain computers or in
certain situations. So, I've lumped it here since it can at least help you
beat certain 1-P matches/events/whatever.
GENERAL GUIDANCE - whenever possible, roll a lot and get behind opponents.
Wait for them to start an attack, then roll through them and then throw or
attack their back, depending on how much damage they have. Try also to use
little aerial jump-ins, which the CPU doesn't defend well against. If you're
in trouble, just run away to regain your wits; the computers usually aren't
too eager to attack right away, although a few aggressive mofos like Captain
Falcon might actively give chase. Don't get flustered, and don't try to beat
the computers on raw reflexes because it won't work. All other things being
equal, they'll almost always 'press the button' first (if you're playing on a
high difficulty level) so just use your wits and entice the computers into
playing false shots or even self-destructing.
TRICKING LINK - whenever you play against CPU Link, always start to run up to
him and stop about a hookshot's length away from him, or just hang around at
that distance. That dumbass Link will most of the time try and throw you.
Just jump or dodge or roll so the hookshot misses. Now you have a few years
with which to perform the move of your choice. The Dragon Slayer works well.
KILLING KIRBYS - on the easier difficulties, you can just use your Dolphin
Slash against the Kirby team, and you'll score one-hit kills most of the
time. The same applies for the Yoshis that you meet in the first stage (we're
talking Adventure mode here, of course). Don't try this on Normal and above,
because the enemies are harder.
METAL MORONS - they suicide all the time. Just hang around the edge of the
arena and sooner or later Luigi will Green Missile himself off the stage,
either through a misfire or through poor judgement. (NOTE: Try not to stay
too close to Luigi if you anticipate his Missile, because a misfire that
actually hits will probably spell the end for you.) After Luigi misfires or
uses his Missile incorrectly, go to the edge and make sure that he doesn't
use his Up+B to recover, dealing with Mario as best as you can. Mario will
probably follow suit soon; I guess the plump guy is finally feeling the
effects of overeating and taking all those shrooms.
The same thing with Luigi applies in the second stage of Adventure mode,
where you fight Mario and Peach - it's sometimes good to fight Luigi and
Peach instead (finish the first stage with a '2' in the seconds' place of the
timer) since Luigi sometimes kills himself right at the outset with a
misfired Green Missile. However, in the harder difficulties Luigi will be a
very tough opponent, and the chances of a suicide will be relatively small,
so I usually go for the easier, more predictable Mario & Peach combination.
ITEMS - Don't blindly go for items because you might get wanked. A container
might be a booby trap, exploding for 22% damage, or in the case of a four bo-
bomb party ball, seven billion percent damage. It's just as annoying if you
spend twenty seconds battling through to a capsule only to find some crap-ass
item inside. So, don't go for containers unless you really need an item badly
and are feeling lucky...also, don't go for comparatively tame items like the
Lip's Stick and the Star Rod. These might work well in a tight battle against
humans, but in 1-P mode we're trying to race through the easier difficulties
and survive the harder ones, and your sword's power is better than any flashy
properties which will never fool the CPUs' perfect timings anyway.
I'm not saying that items are useless. You do, of course, want to go for the
good items, because they can mean the difference between an easy win and a
couple of lives lost. Which items to go for?
- Shells. In the first stage, right before the Yoshi fight, I always grab a
green shell after dispatching a Koopa Troopa because it'll usually kill the
first trio of Yoshis straight off (throw it horizontally at the one nearest
you and the shell will keep going after it hits the first Yoshi), taking
off 30% of your workload. Good stuff. Red shells are also useful for team
battles, especially on the easier difficulties with weaker opponents, since
they can sometimes result in one-hit kills on your opponents and wreak
serious havoc. The red Koopa Kunt on the first stage will flame opponents
and is slightly stronger (but slower, I think) than the green shell, but it
doesn't home. It's still useful though; just make sure the Koopa doesn't
wriggle out of your grasp before you reach the Yoshi area. It's good to use
shells to clear out the first stage because you get a nice lot of damage
inflicted - hence you get more points.
- Fans. Josh Chansard explains: "A really useful item for killing CPUs on a
team (e.g. the Yoshis on stage one of adventure mode) is the fan. In your
hands, it doesn't do that much damage or have that much power, but when you
throw it, it sends them flying farther than any other bludgeoning/slashing
item (bat, beam sword, lip's stick..).
- Baseball Bats. I'm sure you know why. Often useful, EXCEPT against teams on
easier difficulties where weaker, faster attacks will suffice. Handy for
that x10 match in Classic mode. Other whacking items can be useful, but be
careful that you know about Marth's funny double-swing (discussed later in
Tips & Tricks). It's slower, but you get more range and sometimes double
hits, which are cool.
- Pokeballs (you can imagine that I bothered to put in one of those funny
accented e's if you want). They can make or break a match. In some stages -
e.g. the one against the Pokemon team in Adventure mode - controlling
Pokeballs is the sure way to go. Once you've unleashed a Pokemon, don't
just stand there; either hit the computer, or keep an eye out for another
Pokeball that might drop soon. Lure the CPUs into your Pokeball if you
want, for some devious KOs.
- Ray Guns. These are useful when you're going up against a team of
opponents. They'll usually be weak enough so that one Ray Gun blast will
kill them (not outright, as they won't hit the boundaries, but they'll be
knocked far enough so that they don't come back on). This, like many other
tricks, doesn't apply in Hard or Very Hard modes since the enemies are
hardier and better and coming back onto the stage. Hell, they'll even
powershield the blasts right back at you, so don't use the Ray Gun or other
projectile weapons in those situations.
- Warp Stars. Damn useful. Geno82 adds: "since you didn't have any item
information for warp stars, I'd like to mention a tip that I use. After
using a warp star, you normally bounce into the air and leave that little
bit of time being vulnerable to other players' attacks. What you can do is
air dodge into the ground directly after hitting with the warp star. This
lets you run after another player, save yourself from players expecting to
get you in the air, and saves some time. If you don't want to air dodge,
and are fighting a metal opponent with low damage (where he normally
wouldn't move far from a Warp Star hit), you can take the jump and try to
spike him into the ground and then get away."
- Proximity Mines/Bo-bombs. Proxy mines are always good because the computer
doesn't seem to defend against them. HAHAHAHAHA. Take that. Bo-bombs are
also good because, well, they're damn powerful, and the best of computers
can still fall to them. I think that CPUs could theoretically catch or
powershield these items, but I've never seen it happen. Do be alert,
though.
- Hammers. Well duh. Game, set and match. It's not the end of the world if
the CPU gets the hammer; run and jump away and hope the computer commits
suicide. You shouldn't have TOO much trouble evading the hammer as long as
you're on a fair-sized arena; Marth's jumps and speed are usually good
enough.
- Metal Boxes. Usually good, since you can kinda go berserk and not worry
about getting kicked around too much. Don't use this if you're on a shaky
stage from which you might fall, or if you're fighting more than two
opponents ('cause if you're metal, you're easier to juggle). Handy for the
Battlefield stage because it negates the annoying effects of low gravity.
Everything above applies for the Super Shroom, which is similarly useful.
- Heart Containers, Maxim Tomatoes, Party Ball food (not isolated morsels
which often aren't worth your trouble) and Starmen (stars). Of course you
want these goodies that extend your life. The invincibility Star lets you
unleash around eight seconds of hell on those CPUs. Use your time wisely.
WAIT...WAIT...BE PATIENT! The enemies in 1-P mode tend not to be all that
intelligent, even in the harder difficulties. It's always good to charge up a
smash attack beforehand and then unleash it on the enemy as soon as he/she
comes within range. If you're lucky, you'll get a sweet hit. This obviously
won't work with humans, but CPUs sometimes don't know better.
SMASHING FUN - it's interesting to note that CPUs rarely charge their smash
attacks - some, like the Ice Climbers, will do it fairly often but others
will almost never do it. This is handy, because you won't have to worry about
compies taking full advantage of you (eww...) when you're shield broken or
recovering, but the downside is that the CPUs will always attack relatively
quickly.
ONE-SIDED BOUT - with a few rare exceptions, the computers don't team up
well. When you fight multiple opponents, they will try and win with brute
numbers, not smart reasoning. They will attack you, perhaps at the same time,
but they don't attack logically. They won't have one opponent projectile you,
then another opponent grab you, and then another smash you. They'll just all
three projectile you or smash you or something. To take advantage of this,
just stay on one side of the opponents (don't get caught up in the middle!
Marth can't clear out too well, and his Whirlwind Slash could be too slow!)
and use the superior range of your blade to sweetly smack them over and over.
The end. Even Event 51 is a cinch with this, and the only thing that might
hinder you is the stage. Which brings me to the next tip...
THOSE &@$#ING NESSES - don't you hate that stage in Adventure mode (in Onett)
where you play those three Nesses? They're relatively hardy and good fighters
in the higher difficulties, and Mr Saturn runs amok, breaking up half of your
attacks. What's more, the stage cramps you up and isn't ideal for Marth. My
advice is to use Shield Breaker - both as a keep-away move and as a finisher
- and Counter liberally, and use your air attacks. Don't do anything like
your Winning Thrust (Up+A) that will leave you open. Also, fight on the sides
of the arena, not the centre; it's easier to kill the Nesses this way, you
don't have to worry about the cars since you're above ground, you have more
aerial space, and you don't have to worry about those awnings in the centre
screwing up the fighting. My most important tip would be to be patient; take
three minutes if you have to, because the worst thing that could happen is
you get pissed off here and throw your lives (and your quest) away.
Occasionally you get lucky and manage to hit them towards the edges for an
easy one-minute win, but these are exceptions to the rule.
HEADSTART - when you get killed, you're invincible for a few seconds when you
respawn. Against CPU opponents, you can use this to your advantage: quickly
drop off the floating platform (just tilt the control stick or press a
button) and go for your opponents. They don't seem to understand that you're
invincible, and won't run away - in fact, they'll sometimes keep fighting
you. This gives you two or three good seconds in which to land as many hits
as you can. The Dancing Blade can be painful here.
SAY YOUR PRAYERS - if you're playing Classic mode on the harder difficulties
and you're going for a really good score, then you'd better pray that the x10
team that you face won't be of a heavy character! Even on the hardest mode,
ten Pichus or Mr Game and Watches aren't too hard, because they're light;
however, if you face ten Donkey Kongs, it'll be a huge challenge since each
of these guys is fairly heavy (not as heavy as DK usually would be, but there
are three of them). Whether I die on this stage often depends on the enemy,
so luck is a big factor here. I doff my hat to you if you can get through ten
DKs on very hard without breaking a sweat (or your controller)!
GIGA BOWSER - note that he is MUCH harder on Adventure mode than he is in
Event 51. The last event is a cinch if you're not unlucky and know how to
keep all the enemies on one side and forward smash repeatedly. However, the
Giga Bowser you (might) face at the end of your Adventure is much more
aggressive and will absolutely slaughter you. Use counter when coming back
on, or aim for the ledge with your Dolphin Slash. Use the range of your sword
to keep him at bay. Beware of his Up+A smash, which can kill you at very low
damages and deters jump-ins. The best strategy I've found is to play around
with strong => smash sequences and Counter whenever you're in trouble. It'd
be cool if you had, say, Jigglypuff's Rest move, but you don't, so you'll
have to tough it out.
MY HEART WILL GO ON, and on, and on. At least, it will in All-Star mode!
Remember that those three special hearts that you can use between battles
will heal you fully, not just 100% as the regular item will. So, don't rush
to heal yourself once you've gotten 100%; leave it as late as possible. On
the earlier difficulties you can leave it until you're quite far into your
hundreds, and really you shouldn't ever get to that damage level anyway. On
the harder difficulties you might actually want to heal BEFORE you reach 100%
if you have a hard multiple-opponent fight coming up. Always note your
upcoming opponents...if Falco or Ganondorf are up there, beware, whereas dumb
CPUs like Kirby and Peach should make you a tad more confident.
ALL STAR MODE... sucks. I hate it. I HATE IT!! Marth is not the best
character for all-star mode because of his weaknesses against multiple
characters and projectile opponents. Beware of this. Don't try and push your
luck on Very Hard difficulty unless you are really good, and don't be ashamed
of continuing! Once I had to play Link, Pikachu and Mewtwo in Great Bay and I
must've wasted like, 200 coins. No, really. I emptied out the friggin' bank.
It was so frustrating I almost broke the bloody controller. Mewtwo would
throw me and use Shadow Ball, Pikachu had his annoying forward smash, little
balls of electricity and the lighting bolt, and Link would just whip my ass
while I was busy dealing with the other two. Whatever I did, they overwhelmed
me with their weight of sheer numbers and I simply could not get past their
flurries of attacks. I wasn't able to hit all three sweetly at one time, so
one or two of them would always remain to pester me while the other two came
back, and I really had no room for manoeuvring. I ended up Countering half
the time, and still died whenever they knocked me into the platforms on the
left or right, effectively spiking me.
What am I trying to say? Well...
- I suck at All Star mode and I need to get this off my chest before I
throw the controller out the window.
- Marth is not particularly good at All Star mode. You're not the only
one who's struggling.
- While playing in Very Hard difficulty - if you get an unlucky matchup,
just quit. Unless you're really good, in which case you probably
shouldn't be reading this guide anyway.
OUCH - this is annoying. When you're near the boundaries of the arena (you
will appear in the magnifying glass and those three arrows will hurriedly
direct you to the centre of the stage) you will take 1% damage per second.
This is really annoying if you're trying to get Impervious or No Damage
Clear.
QUICKLY NOW! - one final rule. When in doubt, be quick. The CPU doesn't like
quick, well-executed swordplay. Use your neutral, dashing and strong A-button
attacks to up damage and set up for a nasty smash at the end. This will often
work, even in Hard or Very Hard difficulties, and is extremely useful
(although this strategy tends only to work against single opponents). Marth's
built for this kind of play; he strikes fluidly and with great range and
priority, so exploit it. Whenever I'm on my last life I just throw all
caution out the window and go at it, and it often works; you'd be surprised
how far I can get in Adventure mode on Very Hard difficulty just by being
really risky and aggressive. NOTE: If you're not used to Marth's moves and
don't have a proper understanding of his repertoire, don't try this. You'll
end up mashing the buttons and die. Only do this when you know what you're
doing.
=================================
8. Character Strategies
=================================
Here I'll be giving strategies on how to fight (as Marth, of course) against
each of the characters in the game. I've arranged the character strats in
alphabetical order. Most of what I'm saying pertains to human opponents,
simply because the CPU is, as a rule, too predictable, and Falco/Luigi are
the only ones who can really put up a fight. So, while most stuff here will
still work on CPUs, keep in mind that it's mostly meant as a guide against
intelligent, reasonably skilled humans (based on how my friends and I play
with each character) so you probably don't have to go to such lengths while
playing the computer opponents.
You should make sure you're familiar with Marth's moves before reading this,
so that you know Marth's full potential, strengths and weaknesses. You might
also want to read a few of the Tips and Tricks sections like 'Juggling' and
'Parrying'.
Note - these character strategies are pretty hard to write, so I haven't
finished them; hell, all I've got right now is a small sample. Don't worry
though, I'll be working on these slowly but surely over the coming weeks, and
updates should be fairly frequent. I'm not great against some characters, so
if you have any good ideas feel free to e-mail them to me!
------------
BOWSER
------------
Bowser's moves are powerful, and they vary in speed from his forward smash,
which is horrendously slow, to his aerial moves which can be surprisingly
fast. The key is to always be prepared. It's unlikely that you'll get hit by,
say, his forward smash, because it's just too damn slow, but it is a menace
if you ever decide to get shield broken. Other attacks are much more
dangerous in general play; his Whirling Fortress (Up+B) is a pain and hard to
counter, due to its quickness and its multi-hit property in the air. Beware
of this, as it can raise damage. The same thing applies to Bowser's downward
smash on the ground. If you're expecting these moves to come out, quickly
roll, then forward smash. You've got plenty of time to prepare since Bowser's
moves are generally of long duration and have high amounts of recovery time.
Moves like your Down+A smash and the Dancing Blade work well since they come
out quickly, at the expense of some recovery time (which shouldn't be too bad
since Bowser will be knocked away and unable to follow up). The Dancing Blade
tends to work really well on a big, heavy target like Bowser; go for all four
hits. Don't give Bowser much time between hits or moves, because he can
sometimes execute a quick attack and break out if you're not careful.
Careful in the air; Bowser's A-moves come out quickly. Counter wherever
possible (but not too much), or use your neutral A in the air (comes out
quickly, multiple hits, good priority and gives you breathing space). It's
very important not to get carried away because Bowser's Down+B is immensely
powerful, and if you use your air dodge or Up+B recovery move at the wrong
time Bowser can really pounce. Stay on the lookout and it'll be alright,
though. The only other move that'll give you fits is Bowser's fire breath.
This makes it impossible to attack from the front, and you can't counter a
continuous stream. You can jump in, but you might be playing right into
Bowser's hands...make sure that you can get in the first hit if you do jump
in (there is some recovery time from the fire breath which might give you a
split second's advantage). If you're not careful, you'll likely take an Up+A
smash right in the guts, or Bowser will roll away and then attack you with
some other move. Dangerous. If you're not sure of yourself, just roll away
and wait.
It's important to be patient with Bowser; use your quick but long-ranged
strong moves to set up for smashes and Dancing Blade. Keep at a distance.
Roll, and attack from the back. Whatever you do, don't give Bowser a chance -
use your Dolphin Slash only if absolutely necessary so he can't capitalise on
your situation when you're falling to the ground.
-----------------
DONKEY KONG
-----------------
Somewhat underrated for some reason - perhaps it's because his N64 adventure
didn't go too smoothly. Donkey Kong can give you some problems if you're not
careful, since his hits and throws have good range, priority and power. His
forward smash hits from afar, comes out relatively quickly and can knock you
to Jupiter and back. The same applies to DK's Giant Punch, which can be hard
to counter because of its increased speed in coming out - it's a more potent
weapon than in the original, although it seems to have been toned down
slightly. Getting close to DK results in getting thrown, while his smashes
and Down+B have good range; luckily for you, you have an advantage in the air
with your nice arcs and Counter. Try and soften DK up with some fast strong
attacks, fend him off with your (neutral A-button) swipes, then go in for the
smashes. He's not too good at defence and countering as long as you're wary,
so that's good.
You'll probably get a lot of hits on him with your strong and smash forward
attacks, as well as your Down+A Whirlwind Slash; anything that comes out
quickly is useful. Your Down+A also sets up well for an aerial sequence,
which is useful because of the slowness of some of DK's aerial moves. They
can outpower you if you're slow, but Marth's slashes should be fast enough
that you don't have to worry. A quick but controlled aerial sequence works
nicely, and upon landing, the Dancing Blade can hurt DK due to his heaviness
and susceptibility to combos. Little hops followed by an aerial slash also
work well since DK will be surprised, and his Up+A smash (which is a good
anti-air and a favourite of some DK players) is slow to come out. Use your
speed, and more importantly, your increased agility and precision. DK can
match it up well, so if you're going to make a real push for it, make sure
you've got a good chance of hitting lest DK just dodge/roll and then whack
you.
---------------
Fox/Falco
---------------
Andrew Chen has some tips for playing against Fox and Falco: (I'll have
separate strategies for each, but I haven't written them yet so here are
Andrew's general tips that I will incorporate into my strats later)
"Yep, it's the two most annoying opponents for Marth (well, for me anyways).
I think the best way for a Marth player to deal with these two, is to fight
vertically. What I mean is, don't fight on an even level with them, go on
platforms, then come on down, then go up again, jump to another platform
diagonally from you, then jump to another one, etc. I've found it's best to
keep em in the air, and preferably with some space in between. By doing this,
you eliminate their incredibly annoying combo: Roll behind you and then rapid
standard A, which can trap Marth oh so easily. Also, Countering these guys in
the air is A LOT easier than doing so on an even level, since most of their
attacks are so quick, and they can pull em off one right after another. But
in the air, they can only do one or two, and if you time it right, Marth's
Counter can be deadly to em."
---------------
Ganondorf
---------------
I don't yet have a full strategy written out for him, but Cous1000 has some
tips:
"For Ganondorf, I usually try to keep my distance for a while until he
attacks because he is slow. I always use Marth's speed to my advantage. If
Ganondorf comes running at me, attack is all I can think about. I usually do
the running sword swipe attack and one of two things happens: 1. I get the
hit and start a long, long juggle making Ganondorf regret what he just did,
or it gets cancelled. With his sword extending way out, you won't have to
worry much. The only move I really worry about is the Wizard's Foot because
than can come out of nowhere on the ground. His Up+B attack (I forgot the
name of it) can be simply countered by doing an air shield breaker. As long
as you keep your distance then Marth will always be hitting with the tip of
his sword every time."
----------------
Jigglypuff
----------------
Jigglypuff is quite good now, even more so than in the original. She has some
strong ground attacks, and her Forward+A is almost reminiscent of Kirby's
from the original SSB! (In fact, Jigglypuff's attributes - quick but powerful
moves, a good drill kick, a strong Down+B and all-round good launching power
- make her play more like the original Kirby than the new Kirby does! Which
explains why I like her. And yes, I'm calling it a 'her', because of the
bowtie, and the voice, and just about everything else.)
Anyway, beware of her flaming, 28% damage Rest (Down+B), which can kill
anyone, even Giga Bowser, at horribly low amounts of damage. Her drill kick
no longer provides such a good setup for Rest, but that's okay since a good
jiggles player can set it up in other ways. It's the finisher of choice, but
by no means is it the only one; her Up+A works well as an anti-air, and she
can knock you pretty far with her Forward+A and a moderately charged Rollout.
Don't do anything stupid or rash - Jiggly will capitalise on any moves with
long recovery times, as well as misused Dolphin Slashes - and stay away. You
have a huge range advantage, so never get in too close. Your Down+A and
Forward+A aerial slashes work well against Jigglypuff, who is reasonably
powerful in the air but lacks range in certain directions. Abuse this, but
never get too hasty because a quick hop and Rest on Jiggly's part will end in
you being KO'd.
A few good sweet whacks will spell the end for Jiggly; you don't have to
charge or go for anything fancy. Remember that her shield being broken
results in an automatic KO. Marth's Shield Breaker is obviously a good thing
to have, then. Counter/dodge her normal attacks and Pound (Fwd+B), or nullify
them with your quick A-button swipes, then go for your forward smash. Up+A
works beautifully against a Jigglypuff who's ambitious enough to try and jump
in for the downward drill and/or Rest. Shield against Jiggly's more powerful
attacks, like her B-button Rollout, and either roll away or throw. Just make
sure you don't get into any aerial combos - use your Dolphin Slash or even an
aerial Dancing Blade to hack your way out if you must - and then use your
superior footspeed and range on the ground to stick it up the 'puff.
----------
Link
----------
If there's one character that pisses me off, it's Mewtwo. But Link isn't far
behind. Relative to the other characters, he isn't quite as strong as in the
original (although a few of his moves, for example the aerial Down+A and the
second slash of his Forward+A smash, are nasty), but he has better jumps, a
bloody annoying hookshot and his overused, overrated Up+B move. All sorts of
players like to use him, and it can be pretty damn annoying fighting an
oversized elf like Link.
His l33t projectiles shouldn't be much of a problem - parry the boomerang,
block, dodge or roll through the arrows, and either catch his bombs or roll
away. The projectiles tend to stun you a bit and set up nicely for Link's
forward smash, so don't get caught out. Counter works at close range.
More annoying than his projectiles is his hookshot, which some Link players
(including the CPU) use like mad. If you're not used to dealing with this you
will be badly hurt because the hookshot has more range than any of your
moves, so if you're within range Link can hookshot you and none of your
attacks will stop it (Counter doesn't work against throws). The best way to
avoid getting thrown is to jump, roll or dodge right when Link uses his
hookshot. It takes good awareness and reflexes but it's not too hard with
training. A handy thing to do is to pre-empt any further hookshot attempts by
getting somewhat close to Link and drawing his hookshot - you'll be ready for
it and you can dodge it. After this you have a good deal of time to charge up
your forward smash or whatever attack you want to and whack Link around. It
tends to make Link players wary. However, you still have to take the hookshot
into consideration whenever you're moving in - once you've engaged Link in
combat it's too slow for him to use, but at medium ranges it's a bitch.
Always have a jump or roll handy when you're approaching him.
That's one of the keys to playing Link - you have to nullify the effect of
his throws and projectiles. Good Link players want to keep you away from
them, since there's nothing you can do from afar. To get close you'll just
have to parry, dodge and roll your way in. You are much more nimble and quick
on the sword than Link is, so that works in your favour once you do get
close. Link can use his Up+B move on the ground as a quick and surprising
clear-out - don't look for most Link players to use it much, as it gets
predictable after a while and has bad recovery, but used sparingly it's very
effective. Never get too comfy when approaching Link, and keep your fingers
ready for a block/Counter or roll/dodge depending on the move (if in doubt,
roll away - you'll have to approach Link again, but at least rolling away
protects you from whatever's coming). Don't try jumping in, as Link's strong
and smash attacks will make it hard for you.
Once you're in close, you can use your tilt-A attacks like the Sharp Edge to
parry and set up. Beware of Link's three-hit combo (A, A, A), which can eat
through your attacks. If he starts this, just block and throw. In close, your
grabs work well, and they also set up for aerial juggles, so use them. Once
you can get something going with Link, you should aim to punish him as much
as possible. His neutral+A in the air (a little kick) comes out quickly and
can interrupt your moves, as can his Backwards+A, but if you keep your
attacks quick and sharp and don't get too close, you'll be okay. Link's Up+B
clearout is effective only to his side and above him, so juggling with your
Up+A Luna Slash is alright. Hell, most aerial moves are okay if you're quick
(although it does depend on how much Link has been stunned).
If in doubt, don't try for anything risky, because Link does have that
bastardly Down+A in the air that will skewer you. If you think he's about to
do this, air-dodge as best you can, although you shouldn't really be in the
air anyway if he's not stunned. On the ground, just block and grab him, toss
him up and start a quick juggle (remember, hit him while he's still stunned
and it should be okay). You can actually counter Link's aerial Down+A with an
Up+A smash (or even your tilt Up+A, the Upper Slash) but you need good timing
and positioning and you may not have enough time to pull it off (the Upper
Slash comes out faster but is much harder to time and has less priority).
Don't try unless you're very, very confident.
Basically, fighting Link is about getting in close, then using your fast
swordplay and parrying abilities to corner him and get in some nice strong
hits. Start off with a weak or strong hit, and build up to a smash attack,
using attacks like your Sharp Edge or Upper Slash to keep Link stunned and
prevent from counter-attacks. He can strike back pretty meanly, but only if
you give him an opportunity - his best moves are slow in coming out - and if
you use those strong attacks you should shut him down. Don't jump in;
approach him from the ground, and when juggling be careful of his powerful
(but slow) aerial moves. It's tough, but if you can get his measure your
speed and agility will see you through.
----------------
Young Link
----------------
Well, this little twerp is similar to Link so much of what I said for him
above applies for Young Link as well. The main difference is that Young Link
is even more of a projectiler; he won't even try to fight up-front most of
the time, especially against you. He has less power, priority and range,
meaning that you can damage him nastily up-close (you have the longest sword
in the game, and Y. Link has the shortest) but Young Link is also quicker and
more nimble.
Young Link often depends on projectiles to set up. His boomerang is
versatile, but still generally easy to parry or block. His arrow and bombs
are pains, though - they'll flame you and turn you into target practice for
Young Link. You must block or otherwise evade (roll, but make sure you get
far enough away to escape the long arrow shaft) his arrows, and jump/roll/
block to avoid the bombs. Neither of the two are easily Countered or parried
so don't try. Just make sure you shield and roll/dodge past them - never let
Y. Link get too projectile-happy because that opens up his whole game. Marth
may not have any projectiles to counter with, but you do have a good roll and
other ways to get past them.
Young Link's hookshot is just as bad as Link's - once again, beware. Same
goes for his Up+B spinny thing which is even more annoying than Link's since
it sucks you in on the ground if you're close enough, and juggles very well
in the air. At least its range is decreased. Treat these the same as Link's.
Get past all this though and Young Link can be pretty vulnerable. Strike
quickly once you get within range - if you're quick and prepared, you can
avoid his hookshot as well as his quick sword strokes. It's not hard to hurt
him with your Sharp Edge, smashes, and aerial juggles because of your range
advantage. Just remember that he does tend to recover faster than Link, but
you can still have a go at him because his aerial moves are toned down. You
should still beware of his Down+A stab in the air, though, as it remains
fairly strong.
Basically, treat Young Link as a weaker yet faster version of Link. You will
pay for any mix-ups with his projectiles, so make sure you know how to get by
them. In close, Young Link has faster sword slashes but less range, so as
long as you can get in and strike once, you can use your nice range and
priority to get past Y. Link's defences and hurt him a good deal. Grabs work
against a Y. Link who's shield-happy, and your speed and aerial range work
against an evasive Young Link. Y. Link can be pretty crafty and is
surprisingly hard to finish off, but as long as you can evade the projectiles
and spot throws coming you'll be alright. Remember to use tilt-A (strong)
moves and grabs to set up (Young Link is vulnerable to grabs as he does not
have any one move with moderate range that effectively and quickly repels)
and then press your advantage.
==========================
9. Tips & Tricks
==========================
These are just some tips and tricks that I've accumulated from my hours of
playing. This info doesn't really fit neatly into any other section, but is
still important. These tips and tricks are mostly meant for use against
humans, as they're strategy-type hints. If you're playing against CPUs, you
can just throw the whole book at them and exploit their patterns (see '1-P
Quick Tips' for more info) since they're fairly predictable. Humans are
harder to foil, but I'm hoping that this information will help!
The first tip is the most important...
KNOW MARTH'S STYLE! He is meant to be more of a free-flowing, one-on-one type
of character. During big fights, try your best not to get in the middle of
the action; otherwise you'll have lots of trouble protecting your back.
During these sort of fights, sit back and let opponents come to you; or, go
at them, but keep a sword's distance away from your enemies if at all
possible, and keep them on one side of you. Also, remember that Marth's
flowing sword skills are his strongest point, so whenever you isolate someone
try and stay with him/her as long as possible. Use your long ranging
strong/neutral-A attacks to their full potential; they won't kill anyone, but
they rack up lots of damage! You can't play Marth very well as a dart-in,
dart-out player because his moves aren't consistently strong enough. You have
to go in, commit to whomever you're facing, and fight consistently and
strongly. If you're going to play hit and run, you MUST be able to connect
with the tip of your blade very often, or even the best hits will come to
nothing.
BE UNPREDICTABLE. Marth is quick. Most of his moves are quick and ranged. So,
do what you want - go to the air and use your great arcs and semicircles;
dash around and try to psyche opponents out; roll and dodge; whatever. Don't
get stuck in a pattern, and use your speed and quick attacks to lure
opponents into traps: dash and counter right before you reach an opponent, or
dash and immediately jump => air-dodge, then try and hit your opponent as
he/she is recovering. Basically, just vary with your running, jumping, and
move timing - little hops here and there followed by aerial arcs make for
good jump-in attacks, and quick swipes can parry. Use and abuse your
versatility.
For example, in the air you can press Backwards+B to turn around and do a
quick Dancing Blade stroke. Or, you can tap Backwards, let go and then press
B to do a Shield Breaker - opponents won't know till the attack comes out
that you're going to turn around, so it's handy for surprising opponents.
These two methods are (as far as I know) the only ways you can switch
directions in the air (pressing Backwards+A makes you do an attack in the
opposite direction but that's only because it was intended as a backwards
attack; your actual direction doesn't change).
SMART SHIELDING - while shielding, you can tap Up or press X/Y to immediately
jump. There's no gap or animation between your shielding and your jump, which
can surprise opponents. This doesn't work with all characters, but it does
with Marth, which is all that counts!
SHIELDING TIPS - tapping Down on the control stick only tilts your shield or
makes you dodge; because of the new dodging feature, you can't drop down from
platforms while shielding like you could in the original SSB.
ROLL! This is your main avenue of escape in multi-man melees, and will save
your ass time and time again. You're invincible during your roll, and it's
quick and long, so why not use it? There's little recovery time, so rolling
is great for evading OR confusing your opponent. Roll behind an opponent and
smash; it sounds basic, but that strategy can work quite well, especially
against slowpokes. Rolling near the edge of the stage will result in you
rolling stationarily once you hit the edge - that is, you won't roll off the
stage. It's nice to know that you can't kill yourself rolling this way, and
more importantly, rolling at the ends of the stages serves as a long dodge
(since you aren't actually going anywhere, it's more of a dodge than a roll)
that can trick edge guarders and the like.
DODGE (Tap Down while shielding)! The CPU doesn't dodge, but you should. It's
like a very quick parry - you're totally invincible during a dodge and the
recovery time is not much (it should take your opponent longer to recover
from his/her attack than it should take you to recover from your dodge) so
you want to do this. Don't dodge little moves that your opponent can easily
follow up on; instead, dodge grabs and other moves that your opponent commits
himself to. For example, if Ganondorf is right next to you he might try a
quick Up+B seeing as how you can't shield against it or jump away. In this
situation, you can dodge, and then you'll have tons of time to counter-
attack. Get your timing right and dodging will become a useful part of your
game, even if you don't do it often.
CROUCH! DonBazooka has some great information about crouching that I
completely overlooked: "I've noticed that when you crouch it stabilizes your
character far more than standing does. Marth has a decent crouching attack
that is quick and annoying. Crouching and poking someone is very useful
because many times you'll either block [counter] or attack the other person.
Even if you do g