Omni's Latest Video Addresses Low Tier Mains

Within the fighting game community, tiers and tier lists are often a source of much contention. Whether you love them or hate them, they are a defining factor of the competitive scene of any fighting title, including Smash.

In his latest video, Stephen “Omni” Silver, a well-known YouTuber and competitive Smasher, addresses the concept of low-tier mains.

As Omni finds out after reaching out to his audience via Twitter, there are a myriad of opinions held by the community in regards to their reasoning for maining a low-tier. Some make sense, some don’t. However, Omni contends that low-tier character mains may be doing themselves somewhat of a disservice by pledging themselves to a weaker character.

To hear the entirety of his thoughts on low-tier mains, be sure to check out the video above.

 

As someone who usually ends up using mid tier characters in games, I always go with characters that I enjoy playing and tend to click with me. In smash 4 this is why I ended up playing Peach and Shulk instead of Greninja who I originally planned on maining. In Tekken I usually play Combot/Mokujin and Roger Jr. because those characters are the most fun to me, and I feel like they fit my playstyle (even if it is just pulling off random combos on the fly with Mokujin).

 

Well the thing is Marth and Lucina were considered bad until MKLeo rose and now they are both in the spectrum of high tier or top tier basically depending on who you ask. The tier list isn't static and my opinion of my main, Lucina, is quite favorable compared to those who doubt her.

 

When I first got serious about Smash 4, I chose to play as Diddy Kong after watching some tournament matches. Digging deeper, after a couple weeks of playing him I discovered how highly placed he was on the tier list. Then I started playing around with many different members of the cast because I wanted to try to bring something new to my local smash scene. I now main Peach. Though I have some difficulty in bracket, I still have fun and always love the look on someone's face after they get forward smashed by a crown.

 

I still have a low-tier main I use as a secondary/pocket, even though I know some players who have gone above and beyond the limits.

 

I personally main Mac because in my eyes he has a lot of potential. Also if you figure something out with the low tier character that isn't played a lot and bring that to a tournament, it will definitely mix up your opponent.

 

I'm a solo Doc main. No force in the universe would convince me to drop him for a higher tier (although I do play higher tiers as well).

 

Solo Doc main. No force in the universe would convince me to drop him for a higher tier (although I do play higher tiers as well, make no mistake).

Honestly, Doc is way better then vanilla Mario.

 

Ever landed a lightning kick?

 

All low tiers arent necessary low tier, its more of a blacklist on who not to choose as a competitive character. I strongly disagree on some characters like the placings on Link Falco and Roy but its hard to say things like that without results and proof despite the tier list unintentionally pushing back some people on using certain characters to back up the claim. Almost every Sm4sh character has a good chance to surprise everyone and make people change their minds with the right person behind the controller. Its just that this could take years for it to happen and Smash 4 is setting itself up to the same problem Melee has except on a smaller scale of unexplored potential. Theres probably only a few characters that are pretty unviable but im sure that more than half of the cast can be used to get results in the meta's future once something crucial is seen within a character. Im not saying all characters will be able to place 1st in a Major but I strongly believe good results are very possible with enough effort (Top 8-32).

 

The life of a Puff main will never be an easy one.

Honestly, Doc is way better then vanilla Mario.

Please never repeat that sentence for as long as you live.

 

I think one thing Omni is not perceiving about some of us who don't use top tiers. It's like he is unwilling to make the connection, that last leap between the two camps he is talking about, where some of the craziest of us live. There are also those of us who:

1. Want to win 1st place, win tournaments, and be the best in the world.
2. Want and need to use a sub-top character to do so.

The hard thing to understand and the subject of this video is "why #2"? And why try to do that when ALSO trying to win major tournaments and be the best fighter in the world? For me, it's a combination of reasons. Is my objective to "prove that it can be done"? Maybe. In doing so, you somewhat prove that you, in using a weaker weapon, are able to defeat those using the more powerful weapon. Like the sense of pride you would get by defeating a master swordsman, in a "real duel" with no trickery, using only a fork. You have to have a large skill difference in order to win such a disadvantageous duel. And winning that duel "proves" to yourself or others, whichever is important to you, that you have the skill to do so when the master swordsman is using the best sword in the kingdom and you have only a fork. The second main reason would be, for love of the character. I don't think Robin is just "super cool and badass". I love that fighter, in a non-waifu way; more as a trusty partner, and they are the only character for me. Full stop. There is no other option. I love playing Smash and I love playing Robin equally. I love the idea of the character as a concept (a battle wizard, in my Smash?!) as well as her gameplay. Nothing else in this game gives me the same feeling as playing that character. Even when I won 1st at a fair sized local tourney with pre-patch Bayonetta, the feeling I get when playing Robin trumps the feeling of victory by using a gating gun instead of my favorite fork.

So for me, it's a little of both; proving to myself and others that I can win using this hyper-badass fork, and because I really couldn't imagine playing anyone else. My path is not the one that is easiest, but I eagerly await the feeling of accomplishment, and relish each milestone I achieve, using my beloved fork instead of the rocket launcher that is easily within reach. To me, there is no sweeter and sublime achievement and feeling than using whatever utensil I choose, even if it is not the best one, and coming out on top anyway.

The main problem I see with my argument is that Robin isn't technically low-tier, she's more mid-tier. But I assume Omni was talking about all non-top-and-high tiers, meaning all mid tiers and below.

By the way, I didn't really like the rock-paper-scissors analogy because that is a game of absolutes...if you were to use, say, a chess match, where one side is all pawns, I would have liked it better. Great video Omni, and thanks for anyone who read my rant.

 

Pichu is one of my favorites to play as in Melee. I don't expect to win with him, but I don't expect to win against any competitive player in Melee with any character. If I'm going to lose, might as well have fun with it by playing as characters I enjoy.

 

Some low tiers tend to get high recognition after a notable player uses him/her in a notable tournament and places well in the tournament. Nobody thought Mewtwo was high tier even after his buffs until Abadango won Pound 2016. Same case with Marth, nobody really cared for him until Mr.E won Glitch2 and MKLeo won Zero Saga. I believe there were debates as to whether Lucario is high tier or mid tier and suddenly all discussion of that disappeared after Tsu almost beat ZeRo in grand finals of Frostbite.

 

I find this more along the lines of, he kind of gets it but still he puzzled by why people even do it. Seems like he wants to open the doors but still give back his feedback on how he feels about it. Only real issue I got with the video is it feels too dismissive of the better twitter responses. Like sort of shaming, but I don't think this is his intent rather than putting his two cents in.

For me if I can't enjoy who I am playing, why am I playing the game? If I find someone who fits me and as long as they aren't Melee Roy or bottom tier of that game bad, I can manage and still have fun.

I only really can agree here if the game balance is awful and generally PM and Smash 4 tend to have that better so I don't feel like it's god awful. I can still enjoy what I am doing.

 

The main reason why I use mid/low tier characters is because I'm sick of seeing top/high tier characters used all the time. If you Youtube most major tourneys you see the same characters time and time again. Most players choose a character based on who the top guys/gals are playing with. I swear I get so angry whenever I see another Cloud, Sheik, Mario, or Diddy in Sm4sh.

I personally think tier lists are partly bs. It's a popularity contest. Whichever character won the next big tourney is the new top tier. I understand that research is done and the more nerdy stuff like hit boxes and end lag come into play but tier list makers really miss out on alot of info when just looking at the "winning" characters all the time.

I main Link, and my second main is Samus. Both could be considered mid-tier. I resently played a tourney and I got knocked out by a semi-decent Ganon and Zelda, both who are considered low tier. Maybe it's my skill level mixed with the time my opponent spent with their characters but neither the less Ganon won that tourney.

The point I'm trying to make is there is always room for improvement. Just because a low ranked player plays with a top tier character that doesn't mean they will win. Hell the same could be said for a top ranked player playing with a low tier character means they lose. Skill and time spent with a character will always trump anything. How do you think the top tier got top tier in the first place? Someone took the time to learn the character, the good and the bad, and perfect that characters in their eyes. The same could be done with mid/low tier characters.

I'm determined to win with a character I love because although winning is important and a good feeling winning with that character that you put your blood sweat and tears into is all the more sweeter. Tier lists are for those following the leaders. Go outside the box and be a leader yourself. DVK out.

 

Ever landed a lightning kick?

This.

Also, winning with low tiers guarantees salt. There's salt when losing to Captain Falcon, about 10% daily sodium intake. Then there's losing to Zelda, a fatal sodium intake - incredible amounts of salt. Heck, even almost losing to low tier characters can create salt.

I haven't won a local, but I still sit sassily on an elegant throne of salt. That's all a gorl could ever ask for or need, tbh.

 

I main Lucario (since before Tsu's epic run, I'm not a bandwagon) with Greninja as a secondary, and pit/darkpit as a pocket, and while none of them are low tier, they aren't really top ten either. I don't like to feel held back by a low tier character, what I like is a character that is viable, but not the most common. The way I see it, an upper mid tier character that fits your playstyle is a better choice than a top tier that doesn't

 

Ever landed a lightning kick?

Isn't that the Zelda glitch that happens every 1/100'000 times you use fair/Bair?

 

Isn't that the Zelda glitch that happens every 1/100'000 times you use fair/Bair?

It was a rhetorical question. The answer was an implied no.

 

Isn't that the Zelda glitch that happens every 1/100'000 times you use fair/Bair?

Don't tell people that, if Sakarai finds out he'll fix the glitch and then Zelda can never be banned. That goes against Gorl Code, sis.

It was a rhetorical question. The answer was an implied no.

Leave that boy alone. It's not his fault if he can't handle the sassT one is gifted/cursed with the moment they pick Zelda on the character selection screen.

 

Tsu's performance says otherwise, Omni

 

I have never been to an official tourney before, but am extremely competitive with several of my friends. One in particular who has consistently beaten me for YEARS as I mained several lower tier chars. But then I picked up Mario....... Now he cries and cant touch me......So I conformed I guess. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW NINTENDO!?

 

The life of a Puff main will never be an easy one.

Please never repeat that sentence for as long as you live.

is that a threat?

 

is that a threat?

A warning, more like, because an experienced player of either character will probably laugh you out of the room for saying that.

 

A warning, more like, because an experienced player of either character will probably laugh you out of the room for saying that.

In my honest opinion I like Doc better than Mario. Thats all

 

In my honest opinion I like Doc better than Mario. Thats all

I do, too, but saying that Doc is a better character than Mario is just absurd.

 

Honestly, Doc is way better then vanilla Mario.

With his horrid mobility and recovery? Not in a million years.

Tsu's performance says otherwise, Omni

Lucario was never low tier to begin with. He has Day, Goma and Tsu doing stuff before.

 

To be honest i like omni but his opinions are to strong and bias. I'v felt for a long time that smash 4 is balanced enough that if you know how to use any character you have a good chance of winning once you know how to play. Just because someone picks a top tier doesnt automatically make them the winner. Didnt ally just lose to a kirby

 

Here's the problem I have with the way Omni approaches this video. He assumes that only top tier characters can win tournaments or do well at tournaments.

Now, maybe if you're talking about Melee or Brawl this might be true, but it's not at all true for Smash 4. Just this past weekend we saw Tsu take Lucario all the way to Grand Finals and came with a hair of winning the whole thing. We saw Shuton take 5th place with Olimar. We saw Some take 9th with Greninja. The Japanese came to the US and showed us how it's done. Earth didn't come to Frostbite but his Pit places consistently well in Japanese majors too. T's Link has won Japanese majors.

The fact is, even characters considered mid tier in this game can place well at tournaments...and all of those characters are considered mid tier or towards the low end of high tier if you believe the latest for 4BR tier list: https://smashboards.com/threads/4br-smash-for-wii-u-tier-list-v3.445995/

Truth be told, there are so many characters in Smash 4 that are under-explored that we can not honestly definitely say that a specific group of them are the only ones you should be concentrating on if you want to win tournaments. Even without patches the tier list is constantly evolving...Bayo wasn't even considered top 10 in version 2 of the 4BR list. Just let that sink in for a moment.

If everyone approached the game with the same attitude that Omni approaches this video, then we'll never see what 80% of the game has to offer, the meta will never be pushed forward, and we won't see any more innovation.

 

Some low tiers tend to get high recognition after a notable player uses him/her in a notable tournament and places well in the tournament. Nobody thought Mewtwo was high tier even after his buffs until Abadango won Pound 2016. Same case with Marth, nobody really cared for him until Mr.E won Glitch2 and MKLeo won Zero Saga. I believe there were debates as to whether Lucario is high tier or mid tier and suddenly all discussion of that disappeared after Tsu almost beat ZeRo in grand finals of Frostbite.

Another great example is M getting 3rd at beast 7 using shulk