___________________________________________ ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Marth FAQ, for Super Smash Bros. Melee Written by cyper (cyper32@hotmail.com) Version 0.88 ~ September 22, 2002 ___________________________________________ ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ -----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 get hit, you won't be sent flying like you would if you were standing." Shadow Spectre adds: "[crouching] keeps me alive in multiplayer until 200%+ because it makes you fly about a fourth less." The actual reduction in how far you fly may be up to 50% (try it!) so crouching is damn handy indeed. PARRY! This is one of Marth's strong points and can really annoy opponents who are trying to annoy you. Parrying involves using a weak A-button move (the Falchion Slash (neutral A), Sharp Edge (forward+A strong) and Leg Slash (dash+A) are the usual parry moves) to nullify (that is, counter) an opponent's move or projectile. To parry, simply execute a weak but fast sword stroke like the Falchion Slash when an opponent attacks you. Your stroke will come out quickly and should meet the opponent's attack/projectile in mid- stroke. When this happens, your two attacks will (usually) cancel each other out, with a little blue circular hit mark and a *cling!* sound telling you that the two attacks have cancelled. Because of Marth's speed with his blade and his good priority, parrying can work on strong attacks. Indeed, it's the lack of start-up delay and recovery time with Marth's weak strokes that makes parrying so efficient - weak attacks can be parried, but neither of you will gain much of an edge, while strong attacks that are parried will leave your opponent recovering while you can almost immediately follow up your weakish stroke. In addition, parrying serves as a nice alternative to rolling (you don't have to move away), shielding (there's less recovery time since you don't get shield-stunned) and dodging/powershielding (easier to time). Marth is one of the best parries - no one can match his quick strokes (there's more of a gap between Roy's weak slashes), insignificant recovery time and good range. Use your Falchion Slash against little moves and projectiles; the Sharp Edge works well against bouncier projectiles or situations where a little more reach and urgency are needed. Parrying is most effective against projectile-users and quick-hitters. You can use your neutral-A and tilt/dashing-A strokes to easily nullify projectiles while advancing forward at the same time, and you can turn the tables on the quick-hitters through parrying instead of shielding their attacks (thus giving you a way of countering their quickness). You can parry against heavyweights and power-hitters too, of course, but with them it's usually better to go for a hit since their moves are slower than yours. After a parry the momentum is with you - you can follow up with a move or other action of your choice. Utilise your long sword - keep at least half a sword-length away from your opponent at most times so that they don't try and overwhelm you parrying with really little infinite-combo type moves (these moves usually won't reach too far, so you don't have to worry, and in these situations you can start up a powerful move or you can roll out). If your opponent does not or cannot respond to your parry (perhaps because he/she is using a slower character and is recovering) then you can feel free to set up a little sequence. For example, use your Sharp Edge to set up an aerial hit or your Dragon Slayer. So yeah, whenever you're getting caught out while shielding or Countering - for example, your opponent is grabbing you whenever you stop for a moment - then try parrying as a defensive manoeuvre. Parrying doesn't work against long throws or grabbing moves (like Captain Falcon's Up+B) but against other moves it can work as a handy shield, with good range, speed and little recovery. *Note: quite a few people have mentioned parrying to me, since I was stupid enough to leave it out of the first version of the FAQ. Thanks to everyone who mentioned this to me, especially Howard and Nester, whose information I paraphrased here. JUGGLE! Juggling is using a succession of attacks to keep an opponent in the air and unable to escape easily from your attacks. Juggling is achieved by launching the opponent into the air first (anyone can do this - just throw the opponent, or use an upward attack on the ground, or wait for your opponent to jump and leave himself open) and then starting a string of well- timed moves. If you have a character that has fast aerial attacks, you can keep your opponent in the air and use your attacking speed to ensure that he/she finds it difficult to regain his/her wits and recover. It's a great way of really annoying someone, and racking up lots of damage. You can even kill an opponent by hitting him/her into the stratosphere, but the main focus of juggling with Marth is damage-raising. Yes - Marth can juggle. When you see a swordsman who can genuinely juggle, you know that you're onto something good. None of the other swordsmen can juggle: Link and Young Link have WAY too much recovery time on their aerial moves, and their overused overrated spinny thing doesn't really count as a juggle. Roy can't do much because it's hard to get any real force behind his aerials (due to the way his sword works) and plus he drops too fast. So with whom are we left? Marth. One of the best jugglers in the game. Note that Marth has fairly good jumps, and travels far vertically. Moreover, he floats a bit. To add to all this, his aerial strokes come out quickly, have decent to great range, and with the exception of the backward and downward slashes, don't have much recovery time. You can set up an opponent by using your Leg Slash (press A while dashing) or upward throw. For the latter, you may want to use your Up+A (strong) slash right afterwards to gain some more distance. After that it's just a matter of taking to the air. You'll usually go at your opponent from the side or the bottom with your Aerial Swipe or Luna Slash as those two strokes are fast and good damagers. Use your long sword range to your advantage - few characters can outdistance you in the air - and attack early. Do be careful against powerful characters like Link, though; you don't want to take too many risks with his nasty Down+A move. Even in these situations you can still juggle from the side (the converse is also true against those who have powerful side aerial attacks) and use your speed to your advantage. You don't have to jump very high - just enough to hit with the very edge of your stroke - and you can then follow up with another jump&juggle, or come back down and set up again. If you are in trouble because your opponent has recovered faster than expected and you are getting pressured, quickly air-dodge or perform some other evasive manoeuvre. Juggling is useful, but that doesn't mean you have to be too hasty and end up getting whacked. You have a speed and range advantage, and your priority is usually good, but against powerful opponents you never know. Still, if you know what you're doing you'll be okay in most situations. Go for the sweet hit on your aerial moves to gain extra power and damage (and give yourself just enough distance to prevent getting hit by your opponent while still giving yourself an opportunity to follow up) and watch the damage go right up. If you're good, you can finish a juggle near the edge by approaching your opponent from the side and using your Down+A spike on them (see Basic Moves as well as 'Spiking' part of this section). Juggling really adds to Marth's game in terms of versatility - few can reign on the ground and in the air. (Thanks to Cous1000 for reminding me of Marth's juggling abilities and suggesting most of the info in this juggling description.) EDGE GUARD!! If you've sent someone flying off the edge of the stage, don't just stop and sit back; edge guard! Go up near the edge of the stage and charge up either your Dragon Slayer or Shield Breaker, and then when your opponent comes back on, WHAM! Of course, it's not always that easy; sometimes your opponent will try and come back low, in which case your down+A smash/strong sword moves might work. Other times, opponents will try and attack you directly. In these cases, try and hit through the attack if possible, but if you foresee a high-priority recovery move coming - for example, Samus's Screw Attack or Link's Sword Spin - then just sit back and try to hit your opponent as he/she lands on the stage. Or, you can counter attacks. This may not work for all attacks since multiple hits will sometimes smother your counter, but for most recovery moves (except ones that act as grabs, for example Ganondorf's and Captain Falcon's) your counter will work. Handy for frustrating opponents, and you can maybe follow up with a quick Dragon Slayer if they're in range. Another alternative is to grab opponents out of their Up+B moves. The craftiest of opponents will try and hang onto the ledge {just a quick note - when talking about the very side of the stage, I use ledge and edge interchangeably}, or air-dodge past you. In these cases, it's tough to get off a successful edge guard, even more so with Marth's lack of projectiles. If an opponent is coming in low, and looks to be trying to grab the ledge, back off and wait for the opponent to get back on. You probably won't be able to edge guard anyone who grabs for the ledge since they'll be too low to hit with your attacks. Once opponents grab on to the ledge, they'll have a variety of recovery options available, and you probably don't want to go in too close. If you back away, you can deal with the opponent after he/she gets back on to the stage (hey, ya gotta make concessions sometimes!), or you can try and hit him/her out of a mistimed air dodge. If you just stay too close, you'll just get foiled. It's not easy, which is why another tactic can come in handy... ...SPIKING!! If you don't think you can edge guard opponents due to the strength of their recovery move or their agility/tactics, then try and jump out after them and hit them with a spike move, which will send them hurtling downwards in the air and may result in an easy KO. Marth's not a great spiker, because of his limited jumping capabilities. You have to get yourself into a good position, execute the spike, and then get back on the stage all in just two jumps, a few quick Fwd+B swipes, and your Dolphin Slash. To make sure that you have enough to make it back on, you can only use one jump in getting out to your position; save everything else for getting back (remember, your spike move will result in you gobbling up air time, which is why it's harder to get back). If you're good, you can jump outwards, then start jumping backwards (without turning around - go easy on the controller stick) and spike while jumping back towards the stage. Sometimes you will end up messing yourself up because you'll hit Down (for the Down+A controller input) too hard in the air and Marth will start falling downwards at a faster pace (thus making it more likely that you'll fall to your doom when spiking off the stage). To prevent this from happening, either be careful and tilt the control stick gently (don't leave the tilting to the last second or it will become a quick tap), or use the C-stick (not the standard Control Stick, the yellow, otherwise useless thing). Pressing a direction on the C-stick will make Marth do an aerial attack in that direction, but his movement will not otherwise be affected; so if you tap Up on the C-stick you'll do an Up+A attack without the extra jump that may occur. Of course, the C-stick also lets you do quick smashes on the ground, but it's better simply to get used to tapping the Control Stick and the A- button very quickly - it's harder, but it allows you to not take your right hand off the A/B buttons. In any case, getting into position and getting back is tough, but it's only half the deal! The actual spiking part is even tougher. Marth has only two spikes (that I know of) - his Down+A aerial move, and the downward stroke of the third hit of the Dancing Blade. The latter is pretty much useless in the air because it takes too long and ends up in you suiciding, but if you do it from the stage, close to the edge, it can work. Marth's sword juts out for a fairly long while during the move, and if you get enough reach to hit someone who's off the edge of the stage (or very close to the edge) then you may be able to get a spike. Marth's Down+A move is much more useful and can be used off the stage or near the edge - you can send others flying away from you, not only downwards, which increases its usefulness. The more damage your opponents have, the more effective your spike will be; a fresh opponent will be able to quickly recover, but someone who's bruised and battered will likely be sent too far down to recover. You might think that spiking is useless since it's only a more-or-less-guaranteed kill with high-damage opponents, but that's not the case - weak jumpers and/or unsuspecting opponents will have trouble recovering no matter their damage. Be careful when spiking - opponents do have recovery moves, and since your jumping isn't great, you might get caught up in the mix yourself. Don't go to spike an opponent who has a powerful upwards-aerial move because you'll get smacked. Don't get too excited when spiking - it's useful, but Marth isn't a born-and-bred spiker, and you can win through other avenues. Use spikes wisely and always make sure you have enough fuel to get back on. COUNTERING EDGE GUARDS/SPIKES - to stop opponents from edge guarding you, just stay below the level of the stage and Dolphin Slash your way up the side of the stage, onto the ledge. Now you're fairly safe, since you have some immunity when clambering back on to the stage after hanging from the edge. This tactic also protects against spiking, since you're too low for most opponents to reach without placing themselves in danger of suiciding. A quick aerial swipe will also hinder eager spikers; your Dancing Blade's first hit doesn't have much range, but it's decent and doesn't hinder your jumping, which is very nice. You can also use your Aerial Swipe (forward+A aerial) to stave off opponents and then follow up immediately with the Dolphin Slash to surprise them further. If you HAVE been spiked, don't despair: you can actually recover fairly quickly from most spikes by quickly pressing Up+B to do your recovery attack. This will let you Dolphin Slash soon after being spiked, and you should be able to make it back onto the stage given the Dolphin Slash's nice vertical boost. If you need still more vertical power, you can try violently tapping Up on the control stick to jump, and then use your Up+B. Don't press X or Y to jump as, for some reason, those buttons usually require more precise timing. Whatever you press, spike-recovering works only after you've flown through the air for a distance (the higher your damage, and of course the better the spike, the longer it takes to recover). Some spikes like Falco's are almost if not entirely impossible to recover from especially at high damage. Whenever you're successful in spike-recovering, there'll be a *whoosh* sound and your character will sparkle. Thanks to RyokoYaksa for this nice (if complicated!) information. EDGE CLINGING - WHAT YOU CAN DO... Here's a more detailed assessment of the edge-comeback moves that I was talking about earlier. All these comeback moves are very useful, as they protect you (in some cases you're invincible during parts of the move, which ensures that you get back on without getting hit) and drive opponents away. Seeing how useful these moves are, you should *always* try for the ledge when jumping back on (unless no one's within a mile of you, which will be rare). Instead of jumping right back onto the stage, let yourself drop a little, then Dolphin Slash vertically onto the edge. This way, opponents can't edge guard you, will have a hard time spiking you, and won't easily be able to prevent you from getting back to the stage. The only negative about edge recovering is that your edge-recovery moves become less effective if you have over 100% damage - your moves get slower and clumsier. They still protect you well, but opponents aren't as easily surprised, so be careful. Here are all the moves that you can perform while you're hanging onto the edge of the stage: - Quick sword slash (press A/B button) - a nice slash executed while clambering back onto the stage, which covers your front half - Slow overhead swipe (A/B with >100% damage) - a move similar to your Dragon Slayer only much more restrained. There's a wide, 180-degree arc that will protect your front and top, but the range is mediocre. Marth stutter-steps at the start, which slows down the move and may result in Marth going past very close opponents, which can be bad. - Jump (press X/Y) - a quick, high jump that usually gets you over the head of anyone who's trying to edge guard you. Marth lands nimbly on his feet. If you have more than 100% damage, Marth will be a tiny bit slower with the setup to his jump, but there's very little difference. - Quick clamber up (press Forward (towards the stage) on control stick) - Marth quickly hoists himself back onto the stage. You're invincible during the first part of the move, which prevents you from being attacked while you clamber up. If you have more than 100% damage, you rather clumsily and slowly get yourself back on to the stage. You're still somewhat protected by invincibility, but your opponent does get a bit more time to prepare. - Drop (press Backwards/Down (away from the stage) on control stick) - Marth drops down from the ledge. After dropping down, you can still jump once and use your Up+B move, which is nice and useful. You can surprise opponents this way, and give yourself another chance to get back onto the stage or grab the edge again. Do this if you have no other choice (e.g. your opponent is about to jump out and hit you while you cling to the edge, or something) or if you want a change of pace. You are invincible for the first second or so after you've clung onto the ledge - hence you have ample time to choose what path you'll take in getting back onto the stage. Even if you take too long, it's usually okay, because it's hard for opponents to hit you while you're hanging on to the edge. Beware of someone with a good, ground-hugging Down+A move or some sort of spike that can be used on the stage (e.g. I think a fellow Marth who's good at positioning moves can do his Dancing Blade spike on you). If someone tries to jump out and spike, you can quickly recover back onto the stage (don't press X/Y to jump back on, because you might get hit by your opponent. Just hoist yourself quickly back onto the stage, by pressing Forward on the control stick) and your opponent might end up suiciding. At the very least, you'll be in a better, more commanding position. Don't spend too long hanging on to the ledge; if you're not hit, you'll still naturally lose your grip after a while, same as if you'd pressed Down on the control stick to drop off. FANCY TECHNIQUES - There are some pretty cool techniques out there that are used by 'expert' players to confuse each other. These techniques aren't easy to perform, but they can be useful as changes of pace. They're aren't vital for a Marth player's repertoire, but they're still good to learn if you can. Shadow Spectre explains: "Have you ever heard about wave dancing or dash dancing? Both are useful techniques that are advanced but great for people who are very skilled and/or participate in tournaments. Wave dancing is actually the thing that is difficult, anyone can dash dance. Dash dancing is when you quickly press back and forth. You shouldn't move forward, but you should be going back and forth. You can confuse opponents with this and you can do anything but neutral b out of it. Wave dancing [or wave dashing, as it's sometimes called] is hard and very advanced. This is when you are pointing diagonally down (either direction) but not moving. Then you jump and immediately press L or R. You should slide across the ground and be pale as if you were recovering or free falling or rolling. You might see a shield quickly go on and off in the middle of it. You can wave dance out of a wave dance so you can wave dance as far as you like. You can wave dance out of the air by pressing diagonally down and pressing L or R right as you land. It is easier to do it forwards than backwards. But why is it useful, you ask? You can buffer attacks in it, you can grab in it, you can shield, jump, while sliding so it is easy to escape or attack or just confuse. Only characters that have bad traction can do this. Luigi and Marth are the best at it. Luigi is the master of it; he goes much farther than anybody else." DAMN THOSE SLIPPERY SHOES...okay, a quick follow up to the previous tip. Note the comment about Marth having bad traction. Although this allows him to do fancy stuff like wave dashing, it also means that Marth has trouble in certain situations where sure footing is required. For example, in slippery areas like the ice ramps on Icicle Mountain or the UFO in Fourside, Marth won't walk or turn well. Marth will also have trouble changing dashing directions quickly even on regular surfaces, and it can sometimes feel like he's got oil on the soles of his shoes. Perhaps the biggest downside to Marth's traction (or lack thereof) is the fact that you'll slide a fair way along the ground after force is applied on you. For instance, if you're hit horizontally, then even after you land, you'll keep sliding. Also, if you're hit by a powerful attack while shield- ing, you'll get knocked backwards a bit (more than most other characters). If you crouch to absorb an attack, you will still slide backwards just a bit after you're hit, which slightly lessens the effectiveness of crouching. Marth's traction isn't a big flaw and you'll get used to it, but you should still take note of this little weakness. STAGE TIPS - always be alert. Know the stage and any unique properties. For example, you can counter some of the stage hazards, like the projectiles from the Arwing (make sure there isn't a second shot following it up, though, otherwise your Counter will be useless!) as well as the cars in Onett. You can screw up the cars and send them spinning, which is fun. Marth's counter never does more than 7% damage, but hey, it's handy to have as an emergency shield - just make sure you time it right! You can also counter items that are thrown at you or moving towards you; however, some items won't be affected (for example, a red shell that's homing towards you won't stop). Most items will be affected though, and you'll send them hurtling the other way. Also, note the stage terrain: do not be above your opponent on a slope! Your attacks will likely miss your opponent (they'll go above his/her head) and you'll be in trouble as your foe will be able to really get into you. Careful. Other stage tips: Great Bay - get your opponents on one of the side platforms (the lower ones that float in the water). Hit an opponent inwards (e.g., if you're on the right platform, hit leftwards) while he/she is on the platform and you'll usually get an instant kill, since your opponent will get knocked into the bottom of the main platform and then get spiked down. Hyrule Temple - you can spike opponents by hitting them into the triangular structure at the left side of the 'cave' ceiling, or the square-like structure on the right side - you know, those funny structures that point downwards. Hit opponents into those and they'll get knocked down with lots of force, and depending on their damage percentage they might get KO'd. Also, you can use other structures to your advantage: for example, with the pillar that sticks up in the middle of the stage (the entrance to the caves), you can hit right through it and land a sweet hit on someone on the other side. You can also hit through most platforms and use other stage properties (not just on Temple, of course) to your advantage (you have pretty much the longest non-projectile reach). (Thanks to Andrew Chen for pointing this out.) Also, on Temple and some other stages you can use wall-recovering and wall-springing (see Basic Moves) to your advantage. In the caves area, you can take shelter if you have high damage, as you will simply bounce around when hit, even at 400%+ damage. Sometimes you'll bounce too much, though, and go in the wrong direction and die. To minimise the chances of this, keep your finger on the L/R button and whenever you hit a wall, quickly tap it to recover. You can survive for aeons by doing this and it's literally almost impossible to die if you recover properly the first time you hit a wall. Handy. Yoshi's Island - be careful around the middle of the stage. If someone decides to hit the yellow blocks and they spin, you'll fall. If you happen to press shield at this time (either as a reflex action or because you're responding to something else) you'll air-dodge and then fall to your death. This is horribly annoying, and can happen on other arenas with vertical gaps. Green Greens - note that your sword has enough reach (try the Shield Breaker or especially, your Dragon Slayer) to hit a bomb block and blow it up without damaging yourself. A nice, useful trick against CPUs or humans; just be careful that you are indeed hitting with the TIP of your blade (any further down, and you'll likely be too close to the bomb blocks, and BOOM!). This has to be one of the best things about having a freakin' long sword. Another good trick to employ on Green Greens is to hit an opponent so that s/he bounces into the bottom of one of those blocks, because this will result in your unlucky foe getting spiked downwards, with little chance of recovery (especially if you stay nearby and make sure). The blocks can also be lethal to players who for some reason get caught under them - depending on their Up+B move, they may not be able to penetrate the blocks and will die pathetically. Luckily for you, Marth's great vertical reach on his Dolphin Slash precludes you from suffering such a fate. Corneria - if you wanna frustrate opponents, you can jump onto the guns at the bottom-left of the stage, and with Marth's fairly good jumping ability you can easily jump back on. Nice to annoy humans with, or occasionally to make CPUs suicide with. Just get out of the area once the guns start to sparkle, or you'll get knocked to infinity and beyond. Big Blue - don't air-dodge or do your Up+B move unless absolutely necessary, because if you fall onto the track and have to recover, you'll get left behind. Also, if you're hit by an opponent and land on your back, you MUST insta-recover with L/R, or you'll die because you spend too much time on the track. Just a nice happy reminder. ITEMS... use 'em well! This can mean using them as bait or throwing them, as well as simply keeping them on hand. Know when to throw them and when to use them; make sure you utilise their full potential. For example, if you have a Proximity Mine, put it against a wall, some sort of critical place/platform, or on the actual side of an arena (right where someone's comeback move would take them, not on the arena itself since they can just invincibly roll back on from the edge, but on the very plane of the arena) - it is virtually invisible in those spots, and will really piss off your poor opponents. Remember that when holding an item, you can't use any throws, as you will end up throwing away your item instead. A little quirk about whacking items (the items which take the place of your normal neutral/forward-A attacks and with which you clobber opponents): Marth does a double hit when he smashes while holding one of these weapons. For example, if you have a beam sword, you'll first do a quick slash with your regular blade, then swing back around for a powerful, long-range hit with the actual beam sword. Double hits are useful, since they're fairly powerful and ranged. However, they do take longer than regular hits and tend to have less range on the initial hit, which means that they're slightly easier to block or counter. If you don't like double-hitting, you can just stick to neutral and strong attacks. The home-run bat is a clobbering item and as such, Marth does a double-hit. The only thing is that Marth's initial stroke doesn't hit opponents; this is the only whacking item for which this applies, as far as I know. Incidentally, the home-run bat is the only whacking item that can't be charged. WALL JUMPING - Some characters can wall-jump. A wall-jump is a jump executed between two structures - the character springs upwards, in position for another wall jump, and none of these little springs or jumps count as actual jumps. To wall jump, a player has to jump towards a wall (it could be the side of a building, cave or some other structure), then tap the control stick in the opposite direction to spring away. If there's another wall adjacent to the first, the character who's wall jumping can just spring all the way up. Unfortunately, Marth can't do this, but nimbler characters like Young Link, Fox, Sheik, and Mario (actually, he doesn't seem that nimble to me...) can do it. Don't get caught off guard if these guys and gals magically jump up between the gaps after you've spiked them! RECOVERING - note that some Forward+B moves (not Marth's, hence it wasn't in the Basic Moves section) act as Up+B moves! What I mean is, after the character does his/her Forward+B, he/she won't be able to jump or attack until hitting the ground, just as if he/she had executed an Up+B move. Characters to which this applies include Ganondorf/Captain Falcon, Zelda (but not Sheik - odd, since neither Fwd+B attack really helps much), Ice Climbers, Fox/Falco, and a few others. If it seems that a Fwd+B move gains lots of distance in the air, it probably acts as an Up+B. There are a few exceptions, though - Luigi can uppercut after his Green Missile, and Ganondorf/Captain Falcon can execute an aerial Down+B and then jump once and use their Up+B - they ALWAYS get to jump after an aerial Down+B, even if they've jumped twice already. Lucky bastards. LONG THROWS - Yeah, those long throws of Link and Samus's really piss me off as well. Don't worry; the 'Tricking Link' tip that I had in the 1-P Quick Tips section works against humans as well as computers. In case your memory is crap and you can't remember what I said (shame on you! Pay attention!), you can often trick Link or Samus players by going in close to them, drawing their throw, dodging/rolling through the throw, and then attacking. CPU Links tend to fall for this a lot, and so will human Links and Samuses. The latter aren't so susceptible, because Samuses throw faster and with more range than their Hylian counterparts, but you can still trick them as long as you're careful. Humans will learn after a little bit, though, so don't waste any chances that you get at first, and then back off. MORE TIPS - this section is reserved...for your tips and tricks! Send 'em in! ============================== 10. Revision History ============================== ---Version 0.88 (09/22/02)--- I've made a few more corrections and clarifications (including the final word on Marth's taunt, yay). Also, I've added additional tips/tricks, Marth vs Roy info and reader input, as well as a couple more character strategies. Term holidays have finally arrived, so expect lots of new stuff over the next few weeks. ---Version 0.86 (09/07/02)--- Okay, I should've updated sooner, but hey, I was busy. You might think from the lack of new character strategies that I've hardly added a thing, but actually I've improved this FAQ a hell of a lot. I got a lot of helpful insight and tips from reader e-mails, and I've used their input and changed parts of several sections, especially Basic Moves. There's nothing drastic - I've just changed some inaccuracies and added information and tips where necessary - but all the same, you should have another read of the sections (Basic Moves, Special Moves, Tips & Tricks et al) since a number of my opinions and assessments have changed. I've also added to other sections, like The Sweet Spot and Playing as Marth sections, so check 'em out. In addition, I'm now using the official names for Marth's moves instead of my makeshift titles. Oh, and I've corrected the dumb spelling & grammar mistakes I made in the first version. So that's that. I'll be working earnestly on the Character Strats now that I've tied up a few loose ends. Thanks to everyone who contributed their helpful advice and tips! ---Version 0.8 (08/06/02)--- Okay then. The basic content is all written up, with the exception of the character strategies. I'll keep working on them and update regularly -- I promise! In the meantime all the other move descriptions, 1-P stuff, tips and tricks, etc. have been completed, so that should be a good start. Enjoy! ========================= 11. Legal Stuff ========================= This document is Copyright 2002 Sean 'cyper' Chen. If you would like to post this FAQ on your site, then you must e-mail me for permission first. This permission will most likely be granted as long as: this document is posted in its original text-only form, with no alterations; the site is free and there are no advertisements on the page on which this document is displayed; and you agree to update this FAQ as I do. The latest version of this FAQ can always be found at GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com). =========================== 12a. Contact Info =========================== I welcome your contributions to this FAQ, so if you have any tips, tricks, strategies etc. then send them to me at cyper32@hotmail.com. If you have any comments/criticism about this FAQ, or if you spot any mistakes, please let me know, but keep it coherent. You can contact me on AIM (cyper3286) or MSN (cyper32@hotmail.com) but only for Smash Bros. related stuff...I don't want any weird IMs about goatse or what-have-you. I'll try to respond to any questions/comments or thank you for your contributions ASAP, but keep in mind I only check my e-mail a few times a week. Please, no spam or hate mail (I can take criticism, but not ranting or abuse) otherwise I'll be forced to sign up your e-mail address to all the spam mailing lists I can find. ====================== 12b. Credits ====================== Thanks a lot to the folks who sent in their input: + Andrew Chen, for a number of nice tips and suggestions + Augustine J Bono, for a translation of Marth's taunt + baseketballplayer, for great info on Marth's grab and Counter + Cous1000, for lots of helpful tips and strategies + DiscoPuppy, for letting me use his Translation Guide info on Marth's taunt + DonBazooka, for handy information regarding crouching + ElfenGodFather, for more information on Marth's taunt + Geno82, for tips on wall-saving/springing, Warp Stars and more + Howard and Nester, for over 8KB of excellent info on moves and strategy + InfiniDragon, for the official names of Marth's moves (from Nintendo Power) + Jay Dominguez, for noting some unclear phrasing in the Marth vs Roy section + Josh Chansard, for tips on Marth's moves and the fan + RyokoYaksa, for some information on spike-recovering + Shadow Spectre, for informing me of several good techniques + Shadow2290, for reiterating (=D) the Dancing Blade's recovery prowess + Sliq111, for a few tips on recovering and edge guarding + The Devils Advocate, for some information on Marth's taunt Thanks to the folks on the SSB Melee message board here on GameFAQs, because I picked up quite a few tidbits of information while lurking there. I also used Nintendorks' Super Smash Bros. Melee FAQ a good deal around the time I got this game, to get myself started; I didn't lift anything directly from their FAQ (obviously!) but I did pick up some terminology like 'wall jump', so thanks to them for their great FAQ and great site. I also took inspiration to write a character FAQ from such guides as PentaroX's Fox and MMassey's Falco; I hope they don't mind me mentioning them (I'm not a nut, don't worry). Thanks of course to Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey, for posting my FAQ on his excellent site, as well as Nintendo and HAL for making such a kick-ass game in the first place. Thanks to my parents and friends for their support. ================ Z. Bye ================ Well, what can I say. Thanks for reading this. I had fun writing it, you had fun reading it (I hope), and that's that. Go out, select Marth and beat the absolute stuffing out of the poor chap you're facing. If you can do this, I've succeeded :D! If you liked reading this guide you can check out my other stuff at: www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/6808.html. Alrighty then.