How to use Ganondorf to win a major match in Super Smash Bros.

Ganondorf is one of the most powerful characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but also one of the most challenging to use effectively. He has slow movement speed, poor recovery and laggy attacks that make him vulnerable to fast and agile opponents. However, he also has incredible strength, range and knockback that can KO enemies with just a few hits. In this blog post, we will give you some tips on how to use Ganondorf to win a major match in Super Smash Bros.

1) Know your strengths and weaknesses. Ganondorf excels at punishing mistakes and dealing massive damage with his smash attacks, which have been reworked to include his greatsword from Ocarina of Time. His neutral special, Warlock Punch, can deal over 30% damage if fully charged and break shields easily. His side special, Flame Choke, can grab enemies and slam them into the ground or offstage for a potential spike. His down special, Wizard's Foot, can be used as a surprise attack or a recovery option. His up special, Dark Dive, can grab enemies in midair and electrocute them before launching them away.

However, Ganondorf also has many drawbacks that you need to be aware of. He has low mobility and air speed that make him easy to combo and edgeguard. He has poor frame data that make him susceptible to shield grabs and out-of-shield options. He has small or poorly placed hitboxes that create blind spots or miss short opponents. He has limited recovery options that can be easily gimped or intercepted by projectiles.

2) Choose your stage wisely. Ganondorf benefits from stages that have large blast zones and platforms that allow him to extend his combos or escape pressure. Some examples are Battlefield , Yoshi's Island , Pokemon Stadium 2 , Kalos Pokemon League , etc. You should avoid stages that have small blast zones or hazards that can interfere with your movement or recovery. Some examples are Final Destination , WarioWare , Castle Siege , Skyloft , etc.

3) Adapt your playstyle according to your opponent. Ganondorf is not a character that can rely on a single strategy or approach for every match-up . You need to adjust your playstyle depending on who you are facing and what they are doing . For example:

- Against fast and aggressive characters like Fox , Pikachu , Sonic , etc., you need to play defensively and patiently . Wait for them to make a mistake or overextend their attacks , then punish them hard with your powerful moves . Use your shield wisely and avoid getting grabbed or pressured by their combos . Try to keep them at bay with your range and knockback .
- Against zoners and campers like Samus , Link , Snake , etc., you need to play offensively and aggressively . Close the gap between you and them as quickly as possible , then overwhelm them with your pressure and damage . Use your flame choke to bypass their projectiles or catch their rolls . Use your wizard's foot to break their setups or chase them offstage .
- Against heavyweights and superheavies like Bowser , King K.Rool , Ridley , etc., you need to play smartly and cautiously . Trade hits with them carefully as they can deal more damage than you in some cases . Use your warlock punch sparingly as they can easily punish it with their own powerful moves . Use your aerials more often as they have better frame data than your grounded attacks .

4) Practice your combos and techs . Ganondorf may not have many true combos compared to other characters but he still has some useful ones that you should learn how to execute consistently . Some examples are:

- Down throw into forward air (works at low percents)
- Flame choke into down tilt (works at low-mid percents)
- Flame choke into forward tilt (works at mid-high percents)
- Flame choke into up smash (works at high percents near the ledge)
- Wizard's foot into up air (works at high percents)

You should also practice some advanced techniques that can improve your performance with Ganondorf such as:

- Reverse warlock punch (turn around during the charge animation for more power)
- B-reverse flame choke (change direction during the startup animation for more mobility)
- Edge cancel wizard's foot (land on the edge of a platform during the move for less lag)
- Tech chase flame choke (read your opponent's tech option after slamming them into the ground)

5) Have fun! Ganondorf is not an easy character and I hope you could get a major championship.