Counterpick
- This article is about the act of counterpicking. For information on and examples of counterpick stages, seeStage legality.
Counterpicking is the act of choosing acharacter orstage in order to have the advantage on the opponent in the next round.
Character counterpicks may be made after losing a match in atournament ruleset, with most tournaments allowing the losing player to pick their character after the winning player, in what is known as "slob picks". For example, after losing to aJigglypuff player inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, a smasher might counterpick withFox if the opponent chooses to stay as Jigglypuff. Fox soft counters Jigglypuff because although he is more susceptible toRest setups than most other characters, he in return possesses faster movement options and equally as powerful options toKO Jigglypuff; hisup smash andup aerial, which are his best KO moves, can KO Jigglypuff at as low as 55%damage since Jigglypuff is a light and floaty character.
Stage counterpicks are much the same, except that the losing player chooses the stage to be played on instead. For example, inMelee, aFox player may counterpickPokémon Stadium against various characters, as the stage is large enough for said character to lasercamp and exploit fast movement options, and the low ceiling on the stage greatly benefits Fox's vertical finishers. Alternatively, aMarth player may counterpickFinal Destination against fastfallers, as the lack of platforms for the enemy to escape pressure allows Marth to chain grab or tech chase them without fail. Stage counterpicks are often regulated byDave's Stupid Rule or one of its variants.
