Falco
How to play them
Keep your opponent off the ground with Falco’s strong aerial attacks. To make use of his excellent juggling capabilities, you’ll want to prioritise using his up grab. This will launch them directly above you and give Falco the time he needs to pummel his opponent before they hit the ground.
Good for
Falco is great at setting up KO’s as the majority of his moves give him favourable launch angles, granting him excellent combo opportunities. His throws are also some of the most versatile in the game, allowing him to effectively punish shield spam.
Weak at
Falco’s heavy-hitting smash attacks all have a relatively low reach and can be dodged easily if your positioning is off. However, Falco’s biggest weakness comes from his sluggish horizontal speed.
Marth / Lucina
How to play
Slice and dice your way to victory with Marth’s incredibly powerful sword fighting style. Marth’s Sword deals huge amounts of damage when you hit your opponent with the very tip, so keep your distance and try to focus on gaining as much bonus sword damage as possible.
Good for
The majority of Marth’s attacks have considerable knockback and his high mobility allows him to quickly capitalise on these openings. Marth’s Shield Breaker skill can also destroy the hardiest of defences, making him a real terror in the right hands.
Weak at
Positioning is Marth biggest weakness. If you can’t create enough distance between you and your opponent, then Marth’s damage potential will drop considerably.
Young Link
How to play
Young Link shares a lot of similarities to his previous incarnation in Super Smash Bros. 4 and borrows his moveset from his Breath of the Wild counterpart. As a result, his playstyle will feel familiar. Use his heightened movement and attack speed to obliterate your foes.
Good for
The Hero of Time has great ranged damage and excels at poking his foes down with his Fire Arrow, Boomerang, and Bomb. His grabs and recovery benefit greatly thanks to to the added range from Claw Shot, while his lightweight category makes getting back onto the stage much easier.
Weak at
Being little can be tough and Link’s smaller stature impacts his running speed and overall knockback potential.
Ganondorf
How to play
Rush into the fray with Flame Choke and throw your enemy to the ground before delivering a devastating blow with Warlock Punch. When you have dealt enough damage, simply go in for the kill with a decisive sword smash attack.
Good for
Ganondorf excels at close combat fighting. His entire kit is tailored towards delivering devastating hits that both deal huge amounts of damage and offer considerable knockback.
Weak at
While Ganondorf has seen slight buffs to his overall mobility, he’s still incredibly sluggish. His moves, while damaging can be easily avoided and his super heavyweight classing makes any forms of recovery incredibly difficult.
Mewtwo
How to play
Take control of the fight with by using Confusion and Disable to incapacitate your opponent, then go in for a frenzy of smash or tilt attacks to send them flying. Once they are in the air use your super-fast airspeed to knock keep them from touching the ground.
Good for
Mewtwo is great at punishing and capitalising on enemy mistakes. This legendary Pokémon has numerous KO options and can use its forward throw, forward aerial, fully charge Shadow Ball, and stellar smash attacks to snag a decisive victory.
Weak at
Mewtwo may be able to dish out huge amounts of damage, but it can’t take damage either. Tanking hits is not an option for Mewtwo as even the weakest of smash attacks can send it hurtling through the sky.
Roy / Chrom
How to play
Unlike Marth, Roy’s sword deals more damage with the base of his blade. Use his high dash speed to get up close and personal and use your Double-Edge Stance to deal multiple slashes to soften up your opponent, then go in for the kill with his charge Flare Blade or smash attacks.
Good for
Roy’s close engagement range allows players to opt for a highly aggressive playstyle, so don’t be afraid to get right into the thick of a battle. The closer you are, the better.
Weak at
Roy’s close-quarters sweet spot encourages players to get dangerously close and this can be extremely risky when playing against the game’s biggest damage dealers. His aerial attacks are also pretty poor and offer little reward for their high-risk nature.
Mr Game and Watch
How to play
Send your foes flying with Judge and take your fights to the skies with Mr. Game & Watch’s excellent aerial attacks. If you happen to get launched off the stage, simply use Fire to glide your way back to safety. Don’t forget to use Chef every now and then to poke enemies from afar.
Good for
Mr. Game & Watch is good at edgeguarding thanks to his recovery from Fire. Stopping folks from getting back onto the stage is Mr. Game & Watch’s forte.
Weak at
While Mr. Game and watch can ramp up damage rather quickly, his sluggish smash attacks make landing KO’s very difficult.
Meta Knight
How to play
Dash into combat with Drill Rush and deliver a flurry of blades with hit neutral attacks, then follow this up with some meaty smash attacks. Drill Rush and Shuttle Loop can be used to recover when you’re launched off-stage, so keep this in mind when you’re against heavy hitting opponents.
Good for
Meta Knight is a formidable character who has fantastic combo potential and can edgeguard extremely well thanks to his long-range specials.
Weak at
His average falling speed and lightweight classification leave him extremely vulnerable to combos and early KO’s, especially when he takes considerable damage. Meta Knight also lacks any form of projectile based moves, forcing him to solely rely on close quarter fights.
Pit / Dark Pit
How to play
Sling a few arrows towards your foe with Palutena’s Bow and force them into blocking or jumping. Try to use your multiple double jumps to pressure those who have been launched into the air, making sure to edge-guard with your aerial moves as much as possible.
Good for
Pit has a very forgiving playstyle thanks to the recovery options from Power of Light and multiple double jumps. Palutena’s Bow gives him decent ranged damage and his Guardian Orbiter offers protection against projectile spam. His smash attacks are deceptively quick and his jack of all trades playstyle makes him a great choice for beginners.
Weak at
Pit's KO potential is pretty low and aside from edge-guarding and using his forward/up smashes, there’s very little he can do when he’s fishing for the kill.
Zero Suit Samus
How to play
Constantly mix in a combination of Paralyzer shots and Plasma Whip hits to stop your enemy’s attacks and send them reeling with an up smash. Zero Suit Samus’ aerial kicks are incredibly lethal and can be used to either set up KO’s or deliver the final hit.
Good for
Zero Suit Samus' nimble playstyle, paralysing projectile, and strong combo potential allows her to hound her foe and punish even the smallest of mistakes.
Weak at
While her aerial game is fantastic, Zero Suit Samus’ damage falls of when on the ground. Her forward smash is pretty much the only viable ground-based attack that can KO, while her grabs can leave her incredibly vulnerable due to the long animation lag.
