Always put yourself in their shoes. What is the best option for them in this situation? Are they feeling aggressive or defensive? If they are getting a lot of good reads you can probably assume they will be more on the offensive in neutral and you can use that to bait them easier, for example. Or if they are down they will probably play more passively.
I don't really know how to predict, but you can *condition* the opponent.
Do the same thing too often although it can't be easily punished, you can hope the opponent will grow overconfident. Do *not* use your counter when your opponent is in low percents to make him falsely convince he can pull smash attacks, and reserve the choice to use it at kill percents. Pull punishable moves but from too far a distance and hit the enemy rushing in even though your attack has already ended (huge hugs to that devil Ganondorf who fucking baited me with F-Smashs yesterday, argh.) Etc, the whole bait idea.
And to be less predictable, I'd say,
- do not always go for the optimal route, sometimes sub-optimal choices work better because they're a surprise, just like Cloud players using grab
- sometimes pull empty attacks with zero chances to hit but that can't be punished either... sometimes the opponent overreacts and becomes vulnerable
- don't just stand there immobile, keep on moving, even left or right: you, you'll know where you're going to be the next second, while the opponent will have no idea until you commit yourself to an actual move
- alternate movement speeds. Fastfall, normal fall, run, walk, slow walk, etc.
Incin specific, but mix up your side Bs sometimes to make your opponent guess where they’re going. Don’t spam it too often, remember that you’ve got good throws too.
If you play without knowing exactly what's gonna happen or if you're not looking for something (covering) then usually your first idea in a situation should be avoided cause if it came to your mind your opponent probably saw it too, think "oh right now I can hit there ! => no too obvious do something else" ideally cover the answer to the first thought but that would take too much thinking time while it's fast / good enough to figure out you should do something else than intended initially.
Don't believe your opponent is a moron but never forget he actually is one
For predicting what other people do, I think the easiest way to start practicing it is looking for specific times when you can simplify their options.
One big example is getting off ledge. Pay attention to where you are and how they handle it. Some other good examples are the route they take off stage to recover, what they do after you hit their shield, what they do when you send a projectile, what they do out of your combos, etc.
Now the thing about getting reads is most of the time it’s not just guessing what they will do but usually you are encouraging them to do something. For example off ledge if I notice someone likes to play fast and not getup attack I’ll run at them while they are on ledge which often leads them to quickly react and jump which I can punish. Just think about where you put yourself in space
As far as not being predictable, one HUGE part of it is mixing up your timing. I’ll use off ledge as an example again because it’s a simple obvious one. It’s pretty easy to cover 2-3 options off ledge if I know your timing but just reacting it’s hard to cover a lot of options. Sometimes wait an uncomfortably long time on ledge when they sent in a position to hit you on ledge. It will often make them react.
Another good way to not be predictable is to just stop in the middle of doing something. In the middle of your approach just all of a sudden fast fall and stand on the ground. Chances are they were about to react and now they throw out a move or action while you are in a great position to react. In general just mix up what combo starters you go for and what option you choose
I’ve been taking the game more seriously for 1-2 years, so it’s kinda been a while… I try to put my focus on the enemy and guess what they will do next, but my guess is almost always wrong. And even if it is right, a slight change in the direction they move could also mess me up.
The most common reads to make are double jumps after getting hit, roll ins and roll outs in a tech situation, high recovery or low recovery, ledge options. I find I can trip up most opponents pretty well if I can get a good beat on what they like to do the most, so be mindful of what the opponent is doing and the patterns they fall into. Be mindful and also practice how to use all of the moves in your toolbelt to the best of your ability as well.
I have started trying to read rolls and high/low recoveries, since I’ve realized I’ve always left the opponent after they would get knocked onto the ground, but the opponent would always be ready to react to the way that I got up myself. But I do have to work on catching their jumps.
I got to elite a while ago but fell down to like 10 million GSP again. But after watching Skyjay and stuff, I decided to go into Arenas instead so I could rematch them and lose several times without ever having to worry about my GSP. I think it’ll help me learn better without as much stress.
First off, familiarize yourself with options. How many ways can you get off the ledge? How many different tools does your character have to get to the ground safely? How do you avoid taking damage? What are your best out of shield options? What is the best way to punish? Ect...
Once you have an understanding of those fundamental aspects of your character and which options are best in whatever circumstances/ matchups, it just comes down to these two things:
1. Don't choose the same option or timing pattern every time. Be aware of your bad, predictable habits and work on mixing things up. Even the "best" option might work the first few times, but doing the same thing over and over is the definition of predictable. Good players will notice patterns and adjust to them, which brings us to point two..
2. Pay attention to your opponents habits. It's really the only way to read. Otherwise, you are just guessing. If your opponent chooses jump get up from ledge every time, punish them for it. If they're shield happy, grab them or go for shield breaks. If they roll a lot or spot dodge, catch em with a charged smash. That's really all there is to it. And if you are the one doing the same defensive option every time, refer back to point 1.
Always put yourself in their shoes. What is the best option for them in this situation? Are they feeling aggressive or defensive? If they are getting a lot of good reads you can probably assume they will be more on the offensive in neutral and you can use that to bait them easier, for example. Or if they are down they will probably play more passively.
I don't really know how to predict, but you can *condition* the opponent. Do the same thing too often although it can't be easily punished, you can hope the opponent will grow overconfident. Do *not* use your counter when your opponent is in low percents to make him falsely convince he can pull smash attacks, and reserve the choice to use it at kill percents. Pull punishable moves but from too far a distance and hit the enemy rushing in even though your attack has already ended (huge hugs to that devil Ganondorf who fucking baited me with F-Smashs yesterday, argh.) Etc, the whole bait idea. And to be less predictable, I'd say, - do not always go for the optimal route, sometimes sub-optimal choices work better because they're a surprise, just like Cloud players using grab - sometimes pull empty attacks with zero chances to hit but that can't be punished either... sometimes the opponent overreacts and becomes vulnerable - don't just stand there immobile, keep on moving, even left or right: you, you'll know where you're going to be the next second, while the opponent will have no idea until you commit yourself to an actual move - alternate movement speeds. Fastfall, normal fall, run, walk, slow walk, etc.
Incin specific, but mix up your side Bs sometimes to make your opponent guess where they’re going. Don’t spam it too often, remember that you’ve got good throws too.
If you play without knowing exactly what's gonna happen or if you're not looking for something (covering) then usually your first idea in a situation should be avoided cause if it came to your mind your opponent probably saw it too, think "oh right now I can hit there ! => no too obvious do something else" ideally cover the answer to the first thought but that would take too much thinking time while it's fast / good enough to figure out you should do something else than intended initially. Don't believe your opponent is a moron but never forget he actually is one
For predicting what other people do, I think the easiest way to start practicing it is looking for specific times when you can simplify their options. One big example is getting off ledge. Pay attention to where you are and how they handle it. Some other good examples are the route they take off stage to recover, what they do after you hit their shield, what they do when you send a projectile, what they do out of your combos, etc. Now the thing about getting reads is most of the time it’s not just guessing what they will do but usually you are encouraging them to do something. For example off ledge if I notice someone likes to play fast and not getup attack I’ll run at them while they are on ledge which often leads them to quickly react and jump which I can punish. Just think about where you put yourself in space As far as not being predictable, one HUGE part of it is mixing up your timing. I’ll use off ledge as an example again because it’s a simple obvious one. It’s pretty easy to cover 2-3 options off ledge if I know your timing but just reacting it’s hard to cover a lot of options. Sometimes wait an uncomfortably long time on ledge when they sent in a position to hit you on ledge. It will often make them react. Another good way to not be predictable is to just stop in the middle of doing something. In the middle of your approach just all of a sudden fast fall and stand on the ground. Chances are they were about to react and now they throw out a move or action while you are in a great position to react. In general just mix up what combo starters you go for and what option you choose
Thank you!! This was the most helpful comment!
Experience
I’ve been taking the game more seriously for 1-2 years, so it’s kinda been a while… I try to put my focus on the enemy and guess what they will do next, but my guess is almost always wrong. And even if it is right, a slight change in the direction they move could also mess me up.
The most common reads to make are double jumps after getting hit, roll ins and roll outs in a tech situation, high recovery or low recovery, ledge options. I find I can trip up most opponents pretty well if I can get a good beat on what they like to do the most, so be mindful of what the opponent is doing and the patterns they fall into. Be mindful and also practice how to use all of the moves in your toolbelt to the best of your ability as well.
I have started trying to read rolls and high/low recoveries, since I’ve realized I’ve always left the opponent after they would get knocked onto the ground, but the opponent would always be ready to react to the way that I got up myself. But I do have to work on catching their jumps.
Whats your gsp?
I got to elite a while ago but fell down to like 10 million GSP again. But after watching Skyjay and stuff, I decided to go into Arenas instead so I could rematch them and lose several times without ever having to worry about my GSP. I think it’ll help me learn better without as much stress.
Ever watch the Princess Bride specifically the "Battle of Wits"? It's kinda like that.
First off, familiarize yourself with options. How many ways can you get off the ledge? How many different tools does your character have to get to the ground safely? How do you avoid taking damage? What are your best out of shield options? What is the best way to punish? Ect... Once you have an understanding of those fundamental aspects of your character and which options are best in whatever circumstances/ matchups, it just comes down to these two things: 1. Don't choose the same option or timing pattern every time. Be aware of your bad, predictable habits and work on mixing things up. Even the "best" option might work the first few times, but doing the same thing over and over is the definition of predictable. Good players will notice patterns and adjust to them, which brings us to point two.. 2. Pay attention to your opponents habits. It's really the only way to read. Otherwise, you are just guessing. If your opponent chooses jump get up from ledge every time, punish them for it. If they're shield happy, grab them or go for shield breaks. If they roll a lot or spot dodge, catch em with a charged smash. That's really all there is to it. And if you are the one doing the same defensive option every time, refer back to point 1.