How-to guides...

[Elcura]

Counters are just risky unless you're sure that you will counter something. Missing a counter will get you punished, but I doubt they're discouraged, just seldom used.

[Ryko]

Are counters discouraged in organized tournaments? It seems they're rarely used That... Or I suppose the high risk in being an easy target for a short window...

Counter (especially on ike, on marth you can sort of bluff it if need be to get breathing room but only if you know the person wont be able to punish in the time it takes for you to be able to act again) is dangerous as hell to use.You not only have to know what to expect (like hwne you're knocked away a counter will probably work on the first 2 or 3 chases then you need to stop, air dodge a lot so they forget about the move and get overzealous again) but in ike's case you need to use it well before the point they even actually attack. Marth's is about a billion times better for this reason I think but ike's can pretty much bitchslap someone who is throwing around KO moves and trying to pressure you at high %'s. Also it doesnt really do well against disjointed hitboxes (especially upwards swings, I upsmash a lot as ike because I know if it's countered itll go over my head or if I space it right the counter wont reach me at the tip of my smash swing) or projectile users so take it how you will. I actually counter a butt ton on marth but I have a very uh immobile style of play at times (I change it up but sometimes it's not worth the effort to run around and you can practice move baiting by standing still).

Also, if you know a move's coming and you know it's gonna be weak or theyre at a high% or are using an upwards move, eruption's a better option if you know how to abuse the super armor frames. Why slap em around when you can blow em up and star KO them?

[Tsutsumiko]

How about some Meta Knight :bagel:

best thing I can say is look up some videos by an amazing Bowser player named "Gimpyfish." He also plays metaknight and he has some interesting videos you should check out, especially the stuff he does with Metaknight's recovery. He abuses it to create space and make his opponent frustrated.

[Crizto]

Isn't he the guy in all the Money matches?

[Nirokun!]

successful counters are a bitchslap to the face of people being obvious. that being said, you can force your counter and counter-invincibility frames by running into someone's recovery and being a (lovely) whore :D

i counter on peach a fair bit (still very infrequent), but i do use it just to fuck up the flow of someone's game. it gets them second-guessing their approach and reactions when you pop them with a counter.

and of course, your golden rule is not to abuse your counter unless you like getting slapped by feigned approaches.

[Tsutsumiko]

successful counters are a bitchslap to the face of people being obvious. that being said, you can force your counter and counter-invincibility frames by running into someone's recovery and being a (lovely) whore :D

i counter on peach a fair bit (still very infrequent), but i do use it just to fuck up the flow of someone's game. it gets them second-guessing their approach and reactions when you pop them with a counter.

and of course, your golden rule is not to abuse your counter unless you like getting slapped by feigned approaches.

Agreed.

For those of you that play items on.... Spicy Curry if your best friend when someone gets it multiplayer. (We call it "ROB's Final Smash") Since counter can't do any less than 8% or so and has fixed knockback when it does the minimum damage... as soon as someone gets the curry run up to them and spam counter. There's absolutely nothing they can do about it but take abuse. When they try to recovery you can just counter spam and keep them at bay since the fire forces your counter every time. It's awesome!!! I found it the other day while messing around with the boys in some FFAs. (Where items on is generally accepted as FFA is for fun, not skill)

[ubermonkey]

There are no pit advanced techniques, what you see is what you get (VERY MUCH LIKE WOLF.

Wolf has a few advanced techs, stage scarring and illusion cancelling, and the crazy almost marth like melee shuffled back air spam. Smashboards has a couple of good wolf match vids with this in it if you can stomach the forums for more than 5 minutes (if they even load).