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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Villager Character Review

Villager, hailing from the Animal Crossing series, brings a unique and quirky playstyle to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that can be both charming and challenging to master. With a toolkit that emphasizes zoning and stage control, Villager can be a formidable opponent in the hands of a skilled player. Below, we explore Villager's strengths, weaknesses, effective strategies, and matchup considerations.

Strengths

1. Zoning and Stage Control: Villager excels at controlling space with projectiles such as the Lloid Rocket and the slingshot attack. These moves allow Villager to dictate the pace of the match and maintain pressure on opponents from a distance.

2. Versatile Recovery: Villager's recovery options are excellent, with the Balloon Trip (Up Special) providing significant vertical and horizontal distance. This makes it difficult for opponents to edge-guard effectively.

3. Tree and Axe Mechanics: The Down Special, Timber, involves planting and chopping down a tree. The tree itself can act as a powerful stage control tool, and the axe, which becomes available after chopping, is a potent close-range option.

4. Pocket Ability: Pocket (Neutral Special) is a unique and versatile move that allows Villager to store and later use opponent projectiles, turning the tables in projectile-heavy matchups.

5. Edge-guarding Prowess: Villager's aerials, particularly the forward and back aerials (slingshot), are great for edge-guarding due to their range and speed.

Weaknesses

1. Lack of Close-Range Options: While Villager has some close-range tools, they generally lack the speed and priority to compete with rushdown characters in direct confrontations.

2. Reliance on Projectiles: Villager's game plan heavily relies on projectiles, making the character vulnerable to opponents with reflectors or those who can navigate around projectiles efficiently.

3. Lightweight: Villager is a relatively light character, which makes them susceptible to early knockouts from strong attacks.

4. Slow Ground Speed: Villager's mobility on the ground is limited, which can make it challenging to escape pressure or quickly chase down opponents.

How to Play Villager Effectively

• Zoning: Utilize Villager's projectiles to control space and keep opponents at bay. Mixing up the Lloid Rocket, forward and back aerials, and Timber can create a wall of pressure.

• Stage Control: Leverage the tree from the Timber move to control sections of the stage. Position it in strategic locations to limit your opponent's movement options.

• Pocketing: Use Pocket to neutralize opponents' projectiles and turn them against their users. This can be a game-changer in matchups against characters reliant on projectiles.

• Edge-guarding: Use Villager's aerials off-stage to pressure recovering opponents. The long-lasting hitboxes and range of these moves can effectively close stocks.

• Mind Games: Villager's moves can be used to set up traps and bait opponents into making mistakes. Use the tree's growth and chopping animations to confuse and pressure your opponent.

Matchup Considerations

• Good Matchups:

  • Little Mac: Villager can keep Little Mac at bay with projectiles and exploit his weak recovery using edge-guarding.
  • Ganondorf: Villager's zoning tools can effectively keep Ganondorf out, and his poor recovery can be capitalized on with edge-guarding.

• Challenging Matchups:

  • Fox: Fox's speed and reflector can pose significant challenges, making it difficult for Villager to establish zoning.
  • Pikachu: Pikachu's agility and ability to navigate around projectiles, along with strong edge-guarding tools, can make this matchup tough.

• Even Matchups:

  • Mario: While Mario can reflect projectiles, the matchup can balance out as Villager can pocket Mario's fireballs and keep him zoned out effectively.
  • Samus: Both characters rely on projectiles, making it a battle of who can control space more effectively, with Villager having the edge in unpredictability.

In conclusion, Villager is a character that thrives on strategic play, utilizing a diverse arsenal of tools to control the stage and frustrate opponents. While the character has clear weaknesses, particularly in close-range combat and against fast, aggressive foes, mastering Villager's zoning potential and unique mechanics can lead to rewarding and exciting gameplay experiences.