Top players win matches because they can maximize the amount of damage they get out of every opening. Often, we stand in awe when we see Mew2king execute a zero-to-death combo on his opponents. Armada was once quoted to say that people don’t punish hard enough and that improving one’s punishment game is the easiest way to improve and win more sets. In his earlier days, Dr. PeePee would watch his videos to see how much damage he got off of each opening. He strived to at least get 50% off of each opening.

What is a punishment?

Everyone has their own loose definition of punishment. In SSBM, there are a combination of things that are valuable which include stocks, percentages, stage position, and momentum. The maximum punishment that can be achieved is taking off a stock off your opponent. Increasing your opponent’s percentage is also a desirable trait of a punishment. Next is relative stage position. Having the center of the stage has great value and, in some instances, maintaining that center stage is more important than racking additional percentage. When I use the term “momentum”, I’m referring to the ability to move and cover a large amount of space. A “shielding” enemy covers much less than an enemy that’s dash dancing.

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