Smash Theory 3: Reads

[LiteralGrill]

Rush Hour Smash, a Youtube channel ran by @Keitaro and False, has released it's third video in the Smash Theory series. The first video covered the neutral game, something fundemental in all fighting games from Smash 4 to Tekken and the second video covered zoning another fundamental skill in fighting games that you can see especially by certain characters in Smash. This video covers reads and some of the basics involved in those as well as baiting opponents.

Hopefully this video can help explain the basics of reads and can be used to help improve the skills of many Smash players!

SmashCapps has really enjoyed the Smash Theory series and has shown it to a lot of his friends who are just starting Smash. Go follow SmashCapps on Twitter and discuss some other excellent resources for new players.

 

[Sgt-Sol]

IK I CAN READ :^D

 

[Jahnathan]

How are these so damn good?

 

[Maximum Leech]

Am I the only one that watched this video twice? One to watch the sick plays, one to actually listen haha

 

[Vexor1011]

I'm a Ganon player. Reads are my life.

 

[Melonfrog]

I am learning! Never knew what a read was, now I do and I suck at it!

 

[Jiggly]

This hooked on phonics tutorial was pretty neat, nice introduction to reading for new competitive smashers! :D

 

[Man Li Gi]

Good reads
Leads to:

Hence

.

 

[Z25]

Interesting vidoe, smart plays, But what caused the homerun bat sound when luigi was fighting gannondorf

 

[Mr. KoopaTurtle]

I've really come to enjoy playing competitive Smash 4.

 

[Elite Smasher]

Interesting vidoe, smart plays, But what caused the homerun bat sound when luigi was fighting gannondorf

Luigi was actually fighting Ike, but the home run bat noise is heard when Luigi connects his up special's powerful hitbox with someone's hurtbox.

 

[Z25]

Luigi was actually fighting Ike, but the home run bat noise is heard when Luigi connects his up special's powerful hitbox with someone's hurtbox.

Sorry for that. Interesting, i have never seen that happen before.

 

[Elite Smasher]

Sorry for that. Interesting, i have never seen that happen before.

It happens only when Luigi initiates the up special from the ground and also the sound is not heard when the weaker hitbox makes contact with a hurtbox from either the air or ground.

 

[Z25]

It happens only when Luigi initiates the up special from the ground and also the sound is not heard when the weaker hitbox makes contact with a hurtbox from either the air or ground.

Ah alright, thanks

 

[Vincent21]

Solid video.

 

[ZomBiehn]

Great punish on Shiek tutorial in the end lol

 

[BananaBolts]

Isn't there more than 4 options on the ledge? There's ledge stall and ledge hop too. The latter being an effective form of getting back onstage and the former being a good fake out for a ledge hop.

I don't play Smash 4 but I know the ledge snapping is really janky. Is ledge hopping non-existent in the new game?

Note: ledge hop and ledge jump aren't the same thing

 

[◥θ┴θ◤ | JJ]

When you get the hard read:

 

[Metalex]

Isn't there more than 4 options on the ledge? There's ledge stall and ledge hop too. The latter being an effective form of getting back onstage and the former being a good fake out for a ledge hop.

I don't play Smash 4 but I know the ledge snapping is really janky. Is ledge hopping non-existent in the new game?

Note: ledge hop and ledge jump aren't the same thing

Yeah i thought about that too. With some characters people like to ledge hop into an aerial if the edgeguarder stands close to the edge so they didn't include that option.

Stalling isn't really a thing in Smash 4 though since the second time you grab the ledge you lose your invincibility frames.

 

[E_Wiggin]

I'm really liking these theory videos. Good stuff

 

[VERMN75]

Man, that was beautiful. After playing for so long, I still have a difficult time with reads.

 

[Oracle_Summon]

Man, that was beautiful. After playing for so long, I still have a difficult time with reads.

Just notice the habits that people have in matches. It is beneficial, since everyone has a certain playstyle to how they do things; however, if your opponent is smart, they will mix things up to throw you off.

 

[rp17000]

Isn't there more than 4 options on the ledge? There's ledge stall and ledge hop too. The latter being an effective form of getting back onstage and the former being a good fake out for a ledge hop.

I was surprised he didn't mention ledge hop. He even performed one at 0:09.

Stalling isn't really a thing in Smash 4 though since the second time you grab the ledge you lose your invincibility frames.

Like Metalex said, stalling isn't effective in Smash 4. In fact, it might as well be considered instant death to grab the ledge twice in a row in Smash 4.

 

[VERMN75]

Just notice the habits that people have in matches. It is beneficial, since everyone has a certain playstyle to how they do things; however, if your opponent is smart, they will mix things up to throw you off.

Yeah, the latter is usually what happens. I got one of my friends into competitive Smash, and he's only been playing for about 3 months and has gotten better than me. It's embarrassing, really.xD

 

[Oracle_Summon]

Yeah, the latter is usually what happens. I got one of my friends into competitive Smash, and he's only been playing for about 3 months and has gotten better than me. It's embarrassing, really.xD

Does he have any significant trait to his playstyle that sticks even when he switches things up?

 

[VERMN75]

Yeah, mostly he approaches with SHFF lasers with his Falco. That's mostly it. He can play aggressively and defensively very well, while I play very aggressively with my Ness. We play PM mostly.

 

[VERMN75]

Does he have any significant trait to his playstyle that sticks even when he switches things up?

Yeah, mostly he approaches with SHFF lasers with his Falco. That's mostly it. He can play aggressively and defensively very well, while I play very aggressively with my Ness. We play PM mostly.

 

[SAINAR]

Oh thank god for this. I'm terrible at reads, when I get even a slightly good one I have to congratulate myself

 

[KH1COM2]

I'm gonna risk sounding like an idiot, but is a "Hard Read" the best way to punish an opponent? Like, if you know your opponent is gonna roll, and the best punish is Fsmash for the stock, and you land it, is that a hard read? Watching that part of the video confused me, so maybe y'all can clarify?

 

[VERMN75]

I'm gonna risk sounding like an idiot, but is a "Hard Read" the best way to punish an opponent? Like, if you know your opponent is gonna roll, and the best punish is Fsmash for the stock, and you land it, is that a hard read? Watching that part of the video confused me, so maybe y'all can clarify?

Hard reading is an action where you perform an attack that can only land if your opponent does a VERY specific thing. Scroll up a bit on this feed and you'll see a hard read. When Mango read HBox's roll direction, thereafter KO'ing him with an up smash, that is a hard read.

 

[Astraea31]

Finally somebody making good videos on the neutral game instead of "lol just do x in x situation." These are MUCH easier to understand.

 

[the muted smasher]

You didn't read spot dodge You ran past because sheik is weaker with her back turned is just spot dodge happened to be covered.

Being passive removes reads by being proactive to mistakes. Real hard reads are rare.

 

[Koopakid 64]

Really good video.

 

[Raheem The Dream]

https://twitter.com/nintendodojo

 

[ValiantNorth]

Finally somebody making good videos on the neutral game instead of "lol just do x in x situation." These are MUCH easier to understand.

Agreed.

Thanks for putting these up they're actually quite insightful.

 

[Myougi]

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I am learning! Never knew what a read was, now I do and I suck at it!

We've all been there. Keep practicing!

 

[Omegascizor456]

I watched this yesterday and i think it is probably the perfect guide for a new smasher!:D

 

[Gionni]

Well that wasn't useful for learning reads, but that's because reading is something everyone does in their one way. The editing was sick and that edgeguard with falcon and link too

 

[Ookami Hajime]

Great videos as usual