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MARTH Not a lot about Marth is known over here in the states. He's the main character from a Japan-only game called Fire Emblem, and is the prince of a nation under siege by dark forces. Most importantly of all, he has an incredibly large sword. Marth may seem like a limited character at first, having no projectiles and attacking only with his sword. While his attacks can be one- dimensional, they're quick, powerful, and varied enough to make him a potent and versatile character. His heavy bodyweight and ability to recover make him a very tough character to knock out, and his speed makes him a tough opponent in the hands of a skilled player. CLASSIFICATION: Swordsman Regular Attacks Your basic overhead sword attack. Sword goes back, sword comes down on someone's head. A powerful attack even when not charged. Use it every chance you get, as the sword's reach is makes it one of the more useful smash attacks. Marth ducks and sweeps the sword around on both sides of himself. Kind of slow compared to some of Marth's other attacks, but powerful and with good range. It also sends your opponent into a nice, high arc, so it can be used to set up an attack when he lands. Marth stabs his sword straight up in an impressive-looking if not altogether great attack. The horizontal range is limited, but the vertical range is very good. It's also a very powerful attack if it hits straight-on, and can KO an opponent that's not been very damaged if charge up. Special Attacks Shield Breaker: This attack resembles the forward smash, but it's a lot more powerful and a little slower. Hold B and Marth will pull his sword back and start to glow. When B is released or when the attack is fully charged, Marth finishes the swing. This move is best used for edge guarding, or as a quick attack to knock someone away. It can be tough to find the time to charge up, but the attack is devastating if fully charged. Dancing Blade: A slightly confusing move at first, but very versatile and useful in the hands of an expert. Marth turns red makes a swing that does very little damage. But if you hit B again when the stroke ends, he'll attack again. Repeat for about 4 hits of increasing power. Up and down directions can also be added in after the first hit, giving you greater range. The move also causes Marth to move horizontally, so it can be used as a recovery as well as an aerial attack. Dolphin Slash: Marth leaps into the air and stabs his sword upwards. This attack loses power the higher in the jump it makes contact, so it's best used when your opponent is closely above you, or right next to you. It's quick and has good reach, which makes it a good counter for aerial attacks. It's also Marth's vertical recovery, but it lacks horizontal movement. Use the Swords Dance first to move over to the side. Counter: This move blocks attacks and hits the opponent with a powerful swipe of the sword. It can also be used to bat away projectiles. Its effects will only last for a second though, so timing is crucial. Strategies for Marth Swordsmen -Link -Young Link -Marth -Roy Fighting the other swordsmen isn't too tough. Use Counter on Link's projectiles, or just dodge them while moving into mid-range. Marth has the longest reach of any of the swordsmen, so once you're close it's just a matter of slashing away. Use your superior speed against Roy, as his flame attacks do a LOT of damage. Marth's strong attacks are quick and do a fair amount of damage, so just keep going with those until you see a chance for a smash or Shield Breaker. Speedsters -Fox -Falco -Pikachu -Pichu -Captain Falcon The speedsters aren't too tough, as Marth isn't too slow himself. Counter is your friend, use it whenever they get close enough to get in a shot, and just keep using the strong attacks and smash attacks to keep them back. Swords Dance isn't too useful against these guys as their speed lets them hit you in the gap between strokes. Close Range -Dr. Mario -Mario -Luigi -Yoshi -Mr. Game & Watch -Ice Climbers Counter, Counter, Counter. As soon as they get close enough to attack, use it. They'll get knocked away far enough that you can take a few shots before they move in again. swords dance works here, and the third or fourth stroke does significant damage, usually enough to send them off the edge if not KO them. Long Range -Ness -Samus -Mewtwo These guys are a bit difficult due to Marth's lack of projectiles. Your running slash is essential against these opponents, because that's the best way to get in close enough to take away their advantage. Counter the projectiles that you can, try to dodge the rest, but don't let them get away once they're close. Beat them bloody with your basic A attack and strong attacks, then finish them off with a smash or a Shield Breaker. Lightweights -Kirby -Jigglypuff -Peach -Zelda These guys are no sweat for Marth. Frequent smash attacks and shield breakers are almost always enough to finish them off in seconds. Shiek's speed is really your only concern, but good use of Counter should keep all his physical attacks from landing too often. Heavyweights -Donkey Kong -Bowser -Ganondorf These guys are slow and lack projectiles, so use the time that gives you to charge up a shield breaker attack while they're trying to move in. You should be able to get in a little charge, which ups the damage significantly. Keep using that, the smash, and Swords Dance to rack up enough damage to let them fly. Watch for Ganondorf's Wizard Dive, as Marth is tall enough to grab right off the ground. The Gerudo Dragon and Wizards Foot can be annoying, but a Counter or strong attack can handle those.