I recognize a genius when I see one, thank you for the god tier information man

This is a clear example that Verma is one of the top smash content creators right now. His videos actually give information that helps players of all levels grow. Thanks so much Verma!!

Currently in a rut where I can recognize situations where I need to counter my opponents moves but don’t have the mechanical skill to execute effectively under pressure. This video is the answer I didn’t realize I needed to further my progress. Thank you good sir! Loved the live stream!

Great ideas. I play with a dude who is pretty good besides the fact that he almost always rolls behind after flame choke (unless he's being deliberate; we've talked about it). I can take 90% of games from him just off that, but it's more important that I be ready to respond to other options that are more typical in higher level play. As always, good stuff 👍

Man, your videos are definitely the most informative in the subtle details of smash I’ve ever seen. I’ve been playing smash since 64, and only your videos have shined light on what the game really is

The concepts in this video are why I've gone out of my way to compile gameplay of Kirby in a playlist for others reference. Sometimes you really need a role model or a visual point of reference to help you grasp how you can improve or what you need to consider. And it's truly a godsend when you don't have the resources to test things firsthand. A lot of my improvement in SSB4 came from watching what worked and didn't work for more competent Kirby's in tournament and then envisioning myself in those same scenarios when fighting similar characters so I know not to get to used to doing things that a competent player could heavily exploit.

I really love and can appreciate your conceptual clarity, not just in this video, but in general in all your efforts at giving systematic and meaningful articulations of some domain. Did you formally study philosophy, or have you figured out the importance of the conceptual foundations (in general, for any subject matter) by yourself? Having some formal philosophy background myself, I can really recognize the effort at clarification, systematization and conceptualization/categorization you put in your videos, unlike the majority of other videos one finds elsewhere. Anyway, just wanted to give you this recognition, and thank you for your incredible syntheses through these videos, which have certainly helped me shortened the gap towards understanding the game. Please, keep the videos coming! 😁

The Philosopher of Smash

Script seemed very balanced/polished, audio quality seems to be upgraded somehow (?), plus we got a recap. Loving the changes and improvements that have been made in this upload. Shadowboxing seems very helpful, as I used to just visualise the changes I wanted to see myself doing, rather than simply practice them in-game regardless of what my opponent is doing. Quite excited to put it to use now.

6:50 : its rewind time

Bruh where are u your videos were ahead of there time an easy to understand need more of these in 2024

Our lord and savior Jesusnubis has provided the answer to our undying question(s)

Watching your vids has helped me improve my Ganondorf a lot. Thanks a lot! Your content is great.

Phenominal job spreading your ideas to others. Also am a huge fan of all of Final Fantasy tracks so props for the FFX track as well. You got a new sub here!

mentality is, I think, one of the toughest aspects of smash, and you do a wonderful job at breaking it down. thank you for creating such helpful content, verma!

Im so impressed every time i watch your videos, i went to this conclussion after playing several tournaments in my region and thinking about it, just to confirm that i was doing it right, now im feeling more confident about my theories in Smash. Thank you for this bro,i hope your channel keeps growing up because you really deserve it!

I love how cleanly you write these videos. Awesome.

Another vermanubis video added to my favorites. Great work!!

This is so deep and zen! A lot of it went over my head, but I still learned a lot! Thanks for the tips!

Your videos really help my playstyle become more organized and result in less questions in the moments of bracket. I can just feel the ascent they bring me.

Great as always. I've never had a term for this but it's something I've done for quite some time. Thanks for adding structure to the approach. Definitely joining your patreon.

Great video, Verm! This is a really interesting concept and something I'll have to try out, as I live somewhat in the middle of nowhere where I only play against a handful of other players.

As someone stuck without stronger opponents than myself to play against, I really appreciate this video. Solid stuff as always verm.

Love the FFX music choice! :)

Wow, in my opinion, you are spot on concerning the visualization process. If I had to bet on a main difference between a top player and a mid player, that's precisely the thing that I would mention: the top player has a better visualization of the things that can go on than the mid player. Shadow boxing looks like a straightforward way to practice this. Is it the way that top-rated players practice, nowadays? If not, I'm sure it must be really close.

Hey Vermanubis. Good vid as always! I really enjoy your conceptual approach to competing. I've been noticing recently, however, that while playing better players than myself a very big part of the value of going against them lies in the fact that they highlight your mistakes very clearly. They are very quick to notice your weaknesses and exploiting them. Shadowboxing assumes that you know how to get better, but (at least in my experience) getting better requires you to first know on what it is exactly that you have to improve. To follow your method, I would say that Shadowboxing works to better the explicit things you know you need to (e.g. technical stuff, spacing, option coverage, etc.) But then there's the (partly) implicit things: your mistakes, your habits, which are hidden to you until someone points at them. That is where I see the value in playing high level players, and that is why I would say that shadowboxing cannot get you to the level of people that constantly play them. I know you don't claim this method to be perfect, but you do say that you can recreate anything effectively, and I don't find that to be completely true. It seems to me that it is impossible to imagine what a better opponent would do to our habits: many of them go totally unnoticed until someone exploits them. You also cannot find them while watching matches of high/top level players, because they are only your habits. This is not a matter of optimal play, for which I'm sure shadowboxing works fine, but of unnoticed repetition. I don't know if this makes sense to you, but it has been my experience when I compare playing against my circle of friends with playing against better players in tournaments. I love your content, it has definitely made me a better and more conscientious player. Keep it up and thank you!

As a boxer and smasher I love when you show how similar these are. Fighting, one on one in a closed space with a limited number of options to each situation. Body and mind games. You're the best

Thank you for making your content. As a fellow Ganon main (far less experience than you though) I definitely like your perspectives.

Great videos keep it up man

Someone needs to sponsor you this channel is fantastic and you're a fantastic player I wish I could see you at more high level tournaments

I feel my brain physically expand whenever I see a video from you

Man you a such an good coach, thanks to you

The music man. The MUSIC! Good content also. :)

1) Conceptual Progress-awareness of different options and high level strategies 2) Mechanical Progress- effectively implementing counterplay against said options and strategies into gameplay

I love your videos

This video is really good quality. Start uploading regularly

Much love from Idaho verm. You inspire me to get back into the scene

The galaxy brain Ganon main does it again, holy shit

I don't main Ganon, but dude your vids are awesome. I have so much respect for you as a player

I'm from Connecticut we have pretty much nothing here, so this video was really helpful!!!

FFX music?? Yassss

Commenting for the algorithm

Ok, but then if I were the Pichu for example, my opponents always shield and then Up Smash OoS but they space it badly so they’re still in grab range, how do I condition myself not to always grab when I’ll get punished and potentially lose a stock for doing Fair? That is to say, how do I learn to use options that are optimal if the opponents I fight are specifically doing things that only work against said optimal plays?

Yeah that'll be useful to me. You see, my local scene is very young. Like our first Local tournament was 2 weeks ago, before that I've only played online.

🤠🤠🤠Great

Do you use c stick for your aerials or no

I'm a Melee player, and this is still really helpful. Thank you! Nothing against Ultimate, though. I don't own the system because I'm poor...

What are the songs in your videos?

Thanks Vermanubis - this is insightful! How would you approach the scenario if your response to your shadow opponent is actually beaten by the response from your *actual opponent*? In the example from your video - 1. You mention that local competition will respond to your Fair with a shieldgrab, to which you respond with a Dair. 2. You show an example of your shadow opponent beating your Dair with their own Fair 3. You show of beating the shadow opponent's response by landing Fair, shielding shadow pichu's Fair, then punishing with Up Smash What if your spacing were off on Ganondorf's Fair, or the Pichu responded by moving forward to close the gap and *then* grabbing? If my understanding is correct, the mis-spacing or the pichu closing the gap to grab could beat your shielding in anticipation of the shadow pichu's fair. It looks like your Sonic example may cover this. Sonic's homing attack hits ganondorf spamming aerials to limit edge options, instead of using your normal f-smash which would beat homing attack. Do you just accept that training your response vs a shadow higher level opponent may lose you trades?

So its a matter of always expecting the optimal play in a match so we are always ready for it?

Any chance I can play some Ganon dittos? I’m a Ganon main from Georgia, and I’d like to play against an amazing Ganon that I can learn from.

Great ideas! Although if you're playing the same group of people over and over and you notice their lack of optimal play, you might get better practice by sitting down and helping them figure out the optimal play. They'll get better, and you'll have a better practice partner!

Question, how do I avoid getting royally salty over my character's shortcomings? I've been playing Zelda a lot, and while I love Nayrus and Phantom I constantly find the rest of her kit frustrating whether its the precision needed on all her kicks when other sourspots don't have to worry, the utter slowness of upair never hitting someone, jab being way too unsafe on shield, grab being super slow, and wind just being terrible as anything other than a way to ledge or a punish tool. Its just making me sick every time I try to get better and I don't know what to do.

Shadow boxing...

Yeah I'm in Western NY, not much here. Wish me and my friends could find more people to start one.

I'm in Oregon too bro! Big fan of your explanations/strategies/vocabulary lmao do you ever make it out to eugene? We are hosting stay in your lane with 1,000 dollars to the winner this Sunday. Any chance you want to make it? Lmk

Where in OR do you play?? Northwest coast seems to have zero scene

Im a ganon main ive been trying to use c stick for my aerials but I always miss and you dont see many nairs from me either

But who won grand finals in the background?

By the way i have an idea for a video. I'm fairly new and still have to get rid of bad habits. I airdodge way too often. Recognizing your mistakes is the first part but how do you get rid of them?

First Love your videos man

Music name?

What is the music? I remember this

But in the example of Sonic you get negative reward to your shadow boxing. Wont this make you develop the bad habit of not back airing since every time you did, you got punished for it.