Robin Hood Matchup Thread: Currently Discussing RRH
Sept 22, 2015 15:12:05 GMT
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Post by m0th64 on Sept 22, 2015 15:12:05 GMT
This thread will contain discussion and theory-crafting pertaining to Robin Hood's character matchups. Discussion should include more than just whether a matchup is good or bad. They should also include breakdown of why the matchup works that way, how the matchup should be played, and what options and stages Robin Hood can use in that matchup.
To ensure that each matchup gets a thorough examination, matchups will be discussed only a couple at a time. Currently, I feel Red Riding Hood should be discussed first and foremost. She defines the current metagame, so it makes sense that her matchup be discussed in detail before moving forward with other characters.
45:55
I personally feel this matchup may be a true 50:50, however, due to the prevalence of RRH in the current meta and how much more developed her gameplay is, I'll give her the slight advantage right now. My reasoning is that even though RRH is the dominant character in the game right now due to her amazing neutral and followups, Robin Hood has all the tools to potentially beat her in both aspects. His arrows outrange her apples, and since Robin Hood favors a defensive playstyle, he has plenty of capability to shield her apples. RRH also happens to be an ideal size for Robin Hood to combo, meaning that once Robin Hood confirms a hit, he can confirm massive damage, even going 0-death in many situations. Red Riding Hood doesn't have the mobility or the ground combos to take Robin Hood up close and stay on top of him, which is what the other top tiers rely on in this matchup. This matchup breaks down that RRH will control the center of the arena and the air, while Robin Hood will control the ground, ledges and walls. Most of the match will be fought in neutral, as one well-spaced hit will result in a stock more often than not. Robin Hood is also arguably the only character with the ability to safely stuff RRH's Slam, as his arrows outrange all of her options and he only needs one good confirm to drain her entire Slam meter. However, RRH can drain Robin Hood's slam meter easily as well, as she's small enough to slip through his vertical slam and can confirm her air attack if he goes for his horizontal slam unsafely. Avoid tall stages that force close-quarters combat (Namely, Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall). As much as Robin Hood loves these stages in many matchups, Robin Hood has a difficult time landing his Slam against RRH here, while her Slam takes up almost the entire stage. They also make it more dificult for Robin Hood to stay out of RRH's aerial range. Try to pick large, open stages with lots of ledges (Romeo Drive, Fat Boy, etc.), or failing that, Mine Cart, Gepetto's Workshop and Far Far Away Tower tend to be more neutral options.
35:65
Gingerbread Man is almost definitely Robin Hood's worst matchup among the top tiers. His small hurtbox and agility make it difficult for Robin Hood to combo him, as well as make landing arrows difficult to impossible. Meanwhile, Gingerbread Man's grapple game makes it really easy for him to stay on top of Robin Hood, where Robin Hood has few options to fight him. Robin Hood has a very difficult time Slamming Gingerbread Man as well, as sometimes even Slams that should hit will just pass harmlessly around his tiny body. Most of this matchup consists of Gingerbread Man trying to combo Robin Hood up close while Robin Hood tries desperately to break away. Pick large, flat stages like Romeo Drive to ensure landing Slams is as easy as possible, and avoid small stages like Beanstalk as they force close-range fighting that Robin Hood can't do in this matchup.
70:30
Robin Hood's best matchup among the top tiers. Robin Hood can arrow camp Black Knight pretty much forever thanks to Black Knight's giant hurtbox, lack of mobility, and poor neutral game and approaches. Black Knight is also an easy character to combo and Slam. Black Knight's signature anti-air does him no favors here as Robin Hood should almost never approach from the air in the first place. Depending on personal preference, platform camping on Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall can be very effective here because of Black Knight's poor mobility, or larger stages like Fat Boy and Romeo Drive can allow Robin Hood to run away and camp Black Knight out. Personally, I ban Medieval Chef in this matchup, solely based on the fact that it's a pathetic stage for Robin Hood in general.
50:50
Robin Hood vs Puss In Boots plays out similarly to Robin Hood vs Gingerbread Man. Puss tries to stay on top of Robin Hood with combos and prevent camping while Robin Hood tries to zone Puss out with projectiles to counter Puss's lack of range. The difference is that Robin Hood can actually connect arrows and grabs against Puss and Puss can't stay on top of Robin Hood and completely dominate up close. Robin Hood should focus on zoning Puss out with arrows and preventing approaches. Robin Hood also benefits from platform camping more here than against Gingy because Puss has less ability to approach an opponent above him and because of his larger hurtbox. Generally stages that have platforms and room to run away are Robin Hood's best bet. Personally, I gravitate toward Romeo Drive or Beanstalk, but this is personal preference. Most stages play out relatively well here. Mine Cart, Fat Boy and Giant's Table are all viable options.
60:40
I don't have much experience with this matchup so any input would be appreciated. I feel like this is relatively even. Charming doesn't have the beeeest mobility or neutral game but he does have a good airdodge and combos that can threaten Robin Hood up close. He's also a relatively large hurtbox so Robin Hood has no trouble at all landing arrows and comboing off of a hit. Again, as with most melee-based opponents, Robin Hood wants a big stage that he can zone easily on. Fat Boy and Romeo Drive seem to be the obvious choices.
Edit: I've played this matchup a good bit recently and I now feel it to be slightly in Robin Hood's favor. Charming relies too much on baiting arrows and then airdodging under them to try to approach, and Robin Hood can turn his own bait against him with good shield cancels. Prince Charming really has no way to approach Robin Hood safely and is too easy to grab due to his lack of zoning options combined with his large body.
60:40
Robin Hood does surprisingly well in this matchup, largely due to Dronkey's lack of safe approaches and combo game. Dronkey likes to run around in the neutral and try to avoid hits, but Robin Hood's homing arrows make this difficult to impossible. Dronkey's large hurtbox makes him an easy target for arrows, combos and chain grabs, while Dronkey struggles to rack up damage against a campy opponent like Robin Hood. Robin Hood should focus on playing the neutral game and shooting Dronkey out of the sky. Pick stages that prevent Dronkey from dominating in the air because Dronkey will try to use his mobility to run away from your Slam. This means no Beanstalk and no Dragon's Hall. Most other stages are fair game, however.
65:35
Anthrax has very good vertical mobility but is actually comparatively slow on horizontal movement. Her slow aerials and short dashes combined with an overall lack of range give her less ways to break through Robin Hood's arrow game than the top tiers, and while she combos Robin Hood pretty well off of a hit, the difficulty in actually landing one combined with the fact that Robin Hood gets as much or more damage off of a solid close range hit leave this matchup leaning in Robin Hood's favor. The main downside to this matchup as Robin Hood is that Anthrax's vertical mobility makes slamming her quite difficult. For this reason the Robin Hood player needs to be sure that they have their setups and neutral pretty well on point in order to play this matchup, as a skilled Anthrax can make things frustrating for Robin Hood at times. Robin Hood should strive to take Anthrax to a large, open stage to help in creating distance and landing slams. Vertical stages like Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall are a no-go, while stages like Romeo Drive, Mine Cart (it it's legal), Gepetto's Workshop and Giant's Table are safer bets.
40:60
Pinnochio is a bit of a rough matchup for Robin Hood. He's small, quick, has good frame data and combos, and has safe approach mixups. His aerial is difficult to punish out of shield as it has deceptively very low lag after a hit on shield, and his grounded moves and dashes lead into hard combos. This matchup isn't as dreadful as Gingerbread Man, however, as Pinnochio lacks Gingy's obscenely large hitboxes and has combos that are at least a bit easier for the big guy to break out of. Robin Hood also has slightly more reliable followups here than in the Gingy match.In theory this matchup plays out very similarly, with Robin Hood being forced to arrow camp and be super patient about when he tries to approach. Much like the Gingerbread Man matchup, the idea on stages is to try to force as much space between you and Pinnochio as possible. Platform camping on vertical stages (Beanstalk, etc.) is also an option, as Pinnochio lacks vertical approaches and has a difficult time landing his Slam on anything other than a horizontal plane. Avoid Mine Cart.
50:50
I almost put this matchup in Fiona's favor. I think it will be slightly in her favor (by slight I'm talking like 45:55) once her meta develops farther, but for now I'd say it's even. Robin Hood gets comboed quite hard by Fiona, just like the rest of the cast. He's also just as prone to getting hit with Bicycle Kick -> grab setups and strings off of Fiona's aerials as most characters if he isn't particular about his arrow spacing. That said, I think this matchup is almost even, because Fiona is a relatively large character as is still prone to arrow setups and grab combos. Fiona's approaches can be challenged by Robin Hood's superior range, and as long as Robin Hood spaces to avoid Fiona's combo starters and baiting out punishable options he should be golden. Like with any 50:50 matchup, it's all about how you set about playing it to determine who has the advantage. don't be afraid of Fiona's attacks as many of them are difficult to punish if you play too defensively, but don't get too impatient either unless you're prepared to eat a 75% combo as punishment. Fiona has a larger body than Gingerbread Man and Pinnochio so landing a slam or ABBB is relatively easy on most stages. Fiona has the vertial mobility to challenge Robin Hood on Dragon's Keep, though Beanstalk is a decent pick and can make it difficult for Fiona to get a Slam off. Like the Pinnochio matchup, small stages are to be avoided. Fat Boy works quite well against Fiona from my experience.
50:50
Robin Hood goes even with Luna, and not just because I main both of these characters. Luna has the approach game and mobility to get in and combo Robin Hood, while Robin Hood is one of the only characters with the ability to shoot Luna out of the air, thanks to homing arrows. Robin Hood also doesn't fear Luna's stage hazards as his range allows him to avoid dealing with them outright. This matchup is quite volatile and momentum-based, as any hit from either character will almost always string in the opponent being locked down and taking massive damage. The best stages in this matchup are stages where Luna doesn't have room to run around and start her Luna shenanigans. Avoid Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall, as well as Medieval Chef (which Robin Hood should be avoiding anyway), as Robin Hood will almost never land a Slam on Luna here unless he gets a guaranteed setup. Giant's Table is also rough for Robin Hood here, although it isn't great for Luna either. Romeo Drive is a safely neutral stage, Mine Cart and Fat Boy would likely be my picks as Robin Hood.
To ensure that each matchup gets a thorough examination, matchups will be discussed only a couple at a time. Currently, I feel Red Riding Hood should be discussed first and foremost. She defines the current metagame, so it makes sense that her matchup be discussed in detail before moving forward with other characters.
45:55
I personally feel this matchup may be a true 50:50, however, due to the prevalence of RRH in the current meta and how much more developed her gameplay is, I'll give her the slight advantage right now. My reasoning is that even though RRH is the dominant character in the game right now due to her amazing neutral and followups, Robin Hood has all the tools to potentially beat her in both aspects. His arrows outrange her apples, and since Robin Hood favors a defensive playstyle, he has plenty of capability to shield her apples. RRH also happens to be an ideal size for Robin Hood to combo, meaning that once Robin Hood confirms a hit, he can confirm massive damage, even going 0-death in many situations. Red Riding Hood doesn't have the mobility or the ground combos to take Robin Hood up close and stay on top of him, which is what the other top tiers rely on in this matchup. This matchup breaks down that RRH will control the center of the arena and the air, while Robin Hood will control the ground, ledges and walls. Most of the match will be fought in neutral, as one well-spaced hit will result in a stock more often than not. Robin Hood is also arguably the only character with the ability to safely stuff RRH's Slam, as his arrows outrange all of her options and he only needs one good confirm to drain her entire Slam meter. However, RRH can drain Robin Hood's slam meter easily as well, as she's small enough to slip through his vertical slam and can confirm her air attack if he goes for his horizontal slam unsafely. Avoid tall stages that force close-quarters combat (Namely, Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall). As much as Robin Hood loves these stages in many matchups, Robin Hood has a difficult time landing his Slam against RRH here, while her Slam takes up almost the entire stage. They also make it more dificult for Robin Hood to stay out of RRH's aerial range. Try to pick large, open stages with lots of ledges (Romeo Drive, Fat Boy, etc.), or failing that, Mine Cart, Gepetto's Workshop and Far Far Away Tower tend to be more neutral options.
35:65
Gingerbread Man is almost definitely Robin Hood's worst matchup among the top tiers. His small hurtbox and agility make it difficult for Robin Hood to combo him, as well as make landing arrows difficult to impossible. Meanwhile, Gingerbread Man's grapple game makes it really easy for him to stay on top of Robin Hood, where Robin Hood has few options to fight him. Robin Hood has a very difficult time Slamming Gingerbread Man as well, as sometimes even Slams that should hit will just pass harmlessly around his tiny body. Most of this matchup consists of Gingerbread Man trying to combo Robin Hood up close while Robin Hood tries desperately to break away. Pick large, flat stages like Romeo Drive to ensure landing Slams is as easy as possible, and avoid small stages like Beanstalk as they force close-range fighting that Robin Hood can't do in this matchup.
70:30
Robin Hood's best matchup among the top tiers. Robin Hood can arrow camp Black Knight pretty much forever thanks to Black Knight's giant hurtbox, lack of mobility, and poor neutral game and approaches. Black Knight is also an easy character to combo and Slam. Black Knight's signature anti-air does him no favors here as Robin Hood should almost never approach from the air in the first place. Depending on personal preference, platform camping on Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall can be very effective here because of Black Knight's poor mobility, or larger stages like Fat Boy and Romeo Drive can allow Robin Hood to run away and camp Black Knight out. Personally, I ban Medieval Chef in this matchup, solely based on the fact that it's a pathetic stage for Robin Hood in general.
50:50
Robin Hood vs Puss In Boots plays out similarly to Robin Hood vs Gingerbread Man. Puss tries to stay on top of Robin Hood with combos and prevent camping while Robin Hood tries to zone Puss out with projectiles to counter Puss's lack of range. The difference is that Robin Hood can actually connect arrows and grabs against Puss and Puss can't stay on top of Robin Hood and completely dominate up close. Robin Hood should focus on zoning Puss out with arrows and preventing approaches. Robin Hood also benefits from platform camping more here than against Gingy because Puss has less ability to approach an opponent above him and because of his larger hurtbox. Generally stages that have platforms and room to run away are Robin Hood's best bet. Personally, I gravitate toward Romeo Drive or Beanstalk, but this is personal preference. Most stages play out relatively well here. Mine Cart, Fat Boy and Giant's Table are all viable options.
60:40
I don't have much experience with this matchup so any input would be appreciated. I feel like this is relatively even. Charming doesn't have the beeeest mobility or neutral game but he does have a good airdodge and combos that can threaten Robin Hood up close. He's also a relatively large hurtbox so Robin Hood has no trouble at all landing arrows and comboing off of a hit. Again, as with most melee-based opponents, Robin Hood wants a big stage that he can zone easily on. Fat Boy and Romeo Drive seem to be the obvious choices.
Edit: I've played this matchup a good bit recently and I now feel it to be slightly in Robin Hood's favor. Charming relies too much on baiting arrows and then airdodging under them to try to approach, and Robin Hood can turn his own bait against him with good shield cancels. Prince Charming really has no way to approach Robin Hood safely and is too easy to grab due to his lack of zoning options combined with his large body.
60:40
Robin Hood does surprisingly well in this matchup, largely due to Dronkey's lack of safe approaches and combo game. Dronkey likes to run around in the neutral and try to avoid hits, but Robin Hood's homing arrows make this difficult to impossible. Dronkey's large hurtbox makes him an easy target for arrows, combos and chain grabs, while Dronkey struggles to rack up damage against a campy opponent like Robin Hood. Robin Hood should focus on playing the neutral game and shooting Dronkey out of the sky. Pick stages that prevent Dronkey from dominating in the air because Dronkey will try to use his mobility to run away from your Slam. This means no Beanstalk and no Dragon's Hall. Most other stages are fair game, however.
65:35
Anthrax has very good vertical mobility but is actually comparatively slow on horizontal movement. Her slow aerials and short dashes combined with an overall lack of range give her less ways to break through Robin Hood's arrow game than the top tiers, and while she combos Robin Hood pretty well off of a hit, the difficulty in actually landing one combined with the fact that Robin Hood gets as much or more damage off of a solid close range hit leave this matchup leaning in Robin Hood's favor. The main downside to this matchup as Robin Hood is that Anthrax's vertical mobility makes slamming her quite difficult. For this reason the Robin Hood player needs to be sure that they have their setups and neutral pretty well on point in order to play this matchup, as a skilled Anthrax can make things frustrating for Robin Hood at times. Robin Hood should strive to take Anthrax to a large, open stage to help in creating distance and landing slams. Vertical stages like Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall are a no-go, while stages like Romeo Drive, Mine Cart (it it's legal), Gepetto's Workshop and Giant's Table are safer bets.
40:60
Pinnochio is a bit of a rough matchup for Robin Hood. He's small, quick, has good frame data and combos, and has safe approach mixups. His aerial is difficult to punish out of shield as it has deceptively very low lag after a hit on shield, and his grounded moves and dashes lead into hard combos. This matchup isn't as dreadful as Gingerbread Man, however, as Pinnochio lacks Gingy's obscenely large hitboxes and has combos that are at least a bit easier for the big guy to break out of. Robin Hood also has slightly more reliable followups here than in the Gingy match.In theory this matchup plays out very similarly, with Robin Hood being forced to arrow camp and be super patient about when he tries to approach. Much like the Gingerbread Man matchup, the idea on stages is to try to force as much space between you and Pinnochio as possible. Platform camping on vertical stages (Beanstalk, etc.) is also an option, as Pinnochio lacks vertical approaches and has a difficult time landing his Slam on anything other than a horizontal plane. Avoid Mine Cart.
50:50
I almost put this matchup in Fiona's favor. I think it will be slightly in her favor (by slight I'm talking like 45:55) once her meta develops farther, but for now I'd say it's even. Robin Hood gets comboed quite hard by Fiona, just like the rest of the cast. He's also just as prone to getting hit with Bicycle Kick -> grab setups and strings off of Fiona's aerials as most characters if he isn't particular about his arrow spacing. That said, I think this matchup is almost even, because Fiona is a relatively large character as is still prone to arrow setups and grab combos. Fiona's approaches can be challenged by Robin Hood's superior range, and as long as Robin Hood spaces to avoid Fiona's combo starters and baiting out punishable options he should be golden. Like with any 50:50 matchup, it's all about how you set about playing it to determine who has the advantage. don't be afraid of Fiona's attacks as many of them are difficult to punish if you play too defensively, but don't get too impatient either unless you're prepared to eat a 75% combo as punishment. Fiona has a larger body than Gingerbread Man and Pinnochio so landing a slam or ABBB is relatively easy on most stages. Fiona has the vertial mobility to challenge Robin Hood on Dragon's Keep, though Beanstalk is a decent pick and can make it difficult for Fiona to get a Slam off. Like the Pinnochio matchup, small stages are to be avoided. Fat Boy works quite well against Fiona from my experience.
50:50
Robin Hood goes even with Luna, and not just because I main both of these characters. Luna has the approach game and mobility to get in and combo Robin Hood, while Robin Hood is one of the only characters with the ability to shoot Luna out of the air, thanks to homing arrows. Robin Hood also doesn't fear Luna's stage hazards as his range allows him to avoid dealing with them outright. This matchup is quite volatile and momentum-based, as any hit from either character will almost always string in the opponent being locked down and taking massive damage. The best stages in this matchup are stages where Luna doesn't have room to run around and start her Luna shenanigans. Avoid Beanstalk and Dragon's Hall, as well as Medieval Chef (which Robin Hood should be avoiding anyway), as Robin Hood will almost never land a Slam on Luna here unless he gets a guaranteed setup. Giant's Table is also rough for Robin Hood here, although it isn't great for Luna either. Romeo Drive is a safely neutral stage, Mine Cart and Fat Boy would likely be my picks as Robin Hood.