Major Contender: Set Analysis of Zain vs. Hungrybox at Shine 2018

With Plup opting to play mostly Samus and Mango recently acting as a beacon of inconsistency, Shine 2018 seemed like it would be a sure victory for Hungrybox. So to hear Chroma and Vish excitedly announce over the commentary that “Zain wins Shine!” felt like something out of a dream. Though his rapid improvement has been lauded over the past few years, Zain has risen to the very edge of the pantheon of the gods much sooner than anyone could have ever anticipated. With a major win under his belt and victories against four of the six active gods, Zain only needs a win against Mew2King to cement his title as the newest member of Melee’s elite.

Of course, in this article we will look specifically at his historic victories against Hungrybox in both Winners Semis and Grand Finals of Shine 2018. Each subsequent set Zain has played against Hungrybox has grown increasingly in his favor, and it would certainly be interesting to track his dynamic gameplay shifts across these various sets. However, for this article, we will focus strictly on the key aspects of Zain’s game plan against Hungrybox at Shine, synthesizing information from both of the sets they played against each other.

Patient Neutral

At this point in Melee’s metagame, patience in the neutral is practically a given in order to overcome a high-level floaty player. Even so, Zain himself pointed it out as a key aspect of his game plan against Hungrybox, and we can see several clear examples of his own patience across their two sets at Shine. Zain would employ a good bit of dash dancing in the neutral, always ready to pounce on Hungrybox when a clear opening arose, yet never committing to any approach option recklessly. Of course, even his own dash dancing was well-monitored, as he made sure not to leave his back turned long enough to give Hungrybox the opportunity to sneak in a back-air.

Through the use of both Marth’s forward-air and his neutral-air, Zain was able to keep out several active aerial hitboxes which served the purpose of walling Hungrybox out, allowing Zain to occasionally catch his opponent without really approaching himself. As seen in the above gif, Zain would typically fast fall immediately after putting out a forward-air, knowing he could only afford to stay in the air to the extent that it helped him protect himself against Puff’s approach.

Zain’s approaches were naturally regimented throughout the two sets; rarely would he force himself into Hungrybox’s space, instead he opted to take clear punish opportunities whenever Hungrybox presented them. On those few occasions where Zain did overexert, he was able to adapt to his own mistakes and revert back to a more patient playstyle. In fact, Zain upheld a patient approach to the neutral regardless of the stage; whether they were playing on Yoshi’s Story or Dream Land, Zain’s neutral game was quite disciplined. If ever Zain found himself down in stocks or percentage, he maintained a patient neutral game and was often able to inch his way back to victory.

Spatial Recognition

Related to Zain’s patience in the neutral was his key understanding of spacing. Mere camping in the neutral is not enough to get anything done in Melee; it must be accompanied by an understanding of the positions in which one’s character can afford to push an advantage, as well as the positions in which one’s character should opt to play it safe. See the above left gif for an example of Zain’s spatial awareness. Not only does Zain employ the aforementioned fast fall aerial technique to get to the ground quicker, but whenever he determines he is dangerously close to Hungrybox, he puts up shield, opting for a defensive option as a result of his positioning relative to Hungrybox.

In other instances, Zain was able to jump back to avoid Hungrybox’s aerial approaches while staying close enough to retaliate with an aerial of his own. When on the ground, Zain was able to make use of Marth’s down tilt to catch Hungrybox whenever he landed nearby and to force him away. Even while executing a punish of his own, Zain displayed a clear awareness of the space in which he was playing. In the above right gif, rather than immediately going for a follow-up which could miss and leave him within Hungrybox’s range, Zain fades back in attempt to find a better-placed aerial. Though he does not find it in this particular instance, it still shows Zain’s understanding of the different ranges at play; those wherein he had an opportunity to punish his opponent and those wherein he had a responsibility to defend himself.

Practical Implementation of Tech Skill

While Zain was already known to be one of the flashier Marth mains in regards to tech skill, it is worth mentioning how he managed to seamlessly incorporate technically difficult actions into his overall game plan against Hungrybox. Perhaps the most notable example of this is his repeated use of pivot tipper forward smashes. Zain would use the pivot to perfectly place his forward smashes, allowing him to land the tipper hitbox and secure early kills, avoiding the “Marthritis” from which many Marth mains suffer against Puff.

Of course, upon pivoting, Zain only had a one frame window wherein he could successfully input the turnaround forward smash; if he missed it, he would merely turn the opposite direction. Despite such a tight window of opportunity, Zain successfully pulled off this technique over and over again, securing a multitude of kills with something most Marth players would be lucky to pull off once in a set.

Zain also made use of edge cancels in a manner which was pragmatically useful to his gameplay. In the above right gif, he edge cancels multiple aerials in order to stay on Hungrybox, quickly putting out a plethora of hitboxes which made it difficult for Hungrybox to escape without getting hit. In another instances, Zain would edge cancel a move simply to quickly return to the neutral and regain his footing. In such instances, Zain proved that his tech skill could be used not just for show, but in order to gain a practical advantage over his opponent.

Strong Punish Game

Across his various sets against Hungrybox this year, Zain has displayed a remarkable punish game against Puff, the likes of which next to no Marth mains have replicated in recent history. The top left gif portrays Zain’s uncanny ability to combo Jigglypuff in action. Whenever true combos weren’t available, Zain did an excellent job following Hungrybox’s DI and aerial drift in order to string together moves which helped to tack on damage rather quickly. Zain also showcased a unique ability to keep Hungrybox in the air, a position where Hungrybox is normally quite comfortable, without allowing Hungrybox to turn the situation around on him.

Zain notably made consistent use of Marth’s grab in his sets against Hungrybox at Shine, somewhat of a lost art in many occurences of the Marth-Puff match-up. The top right gif shows Zain’s use of Marth’s back throw to form brief chain throw follow-ups. Not the most damage-dealing combo ever, but certainly efficient and optimal given the circumstances Zain had to work with. He was also quite consistent at finding grabs at the perfect percents so he could kill with forward throw into pivot tipper forward smash. Indeed, Zain found kill opportunities in unique situations (see the bottom center gif above), allowing him to take Hungrybox’s stocks without often drudging through the aforementioned “Marthritis.”

Gameplay Optimization

Tying together all the other aspects of Zain’s game plan was his ability to consistently execute the most optimal option in each situation he found himself in. All of the above gifs showcase various examples of this complete optimization of every moment of Zain’s gameplay. In the top left gif, Zain is forced onto a platform and caught in his shield. Aware that Hungrybox is about to come in with an aerial, Zain switches to light shield just a few frames before Hungrybox makes contact. As a result, the back-air causes him to slide off the platform, giving him an opportunity to land an up-air, thus allowing him to add on to Hungrybox’s percent while also returning to a more comfortable position in the neutral.

In the top right gif, after being thrown by Hungrybox, Zain is able to tech on the platform, immediately slide off of it, and then land on the stage with shield, effectively avoiding his disadvantaged state altogether. On the whole, Zain reacted to Hungrybox’s attacks excellently, allowing him to avoid or punish when appropriate. He even had moments where he was able to challenge Hungrybox successfully offstage, displaying a comfort in portions of the match-up where Puff is usually thought to have the upper hand.

Next we’ll look at the bottom left gif, where Zain techs against the side of the stage twice and swats Hungrybox away with a back-air before returning to the ledge. In what should have been an edgeguard against him, Zain was able to survive and rack up a little bit of extra damage. He showcases a similar excellence at recovering in the bottom right gif, where he slips past Hungrybox and turns an edgeguard against him into an opportunity to edgeguard Hungrybox. Zain missed few opportunities to gain the upperhand, presenting an impressive ability to acknowledge and perform the most optimal action in most every scenario.

Looking at Zain’s phenomenal play at Shine 2018, it becomes hard to fathom the fact that Hungrybox had not lost to a Marth player since losing to PewPewU over three and a half years ago. This, of course, is a testament to Zain’s rapid advancements in the match-up. Though Hungrybox certainly put up a fight at Shine, his sets with Zain could become more one-sided in Zain’s favor if Zain continues to improve at the rate he has been. In any case, these sets mark a turning point in the way Melee history views Zain: one of few to have ever won a major, and perhaps the next one to break the barrier into the Top 6. Certainly, Zain’s remarkable tech skill and in-game decision making will serve him well in the years to come.

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