When people think of the competitive scene for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they often think of tournaments like EVO and Frostbite. However, there's actually an underground branch to the platformer fighting game that involves training Amiibo to do battle against other people's trained figures. There are also online tournaments, such as the Amiibo World Tournament and S.L.A.P.
Amiibo are incredibly fascinating when paired with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Amiibo are typically only used in-game to earn special unlocks themed around whatever Amiibo was scanned, but in Smash Ultimate they become highly trainable CPU fighters that adapt and change their fighting styles. There's a lot to understand about Amiibo, so here are some tips and tricks to help anyone looking to get into this often overlooked feature of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
How Amiibo Work in Smash Ultimate
One of the first things for Amiibo trainers to understand is how Amiibo work. All Amiibo start at level 1, using the equivalent of a level 1 CPU AI. As they level, they'll slowly begin to use higher and higher CPU AI, eventually reaching level 9 CPU AI once they reach level 50.
At any point between level 40 and level 50, one could expect an Amiibo to start showing signs of a "personality." An Amiibo's personality is used to refer to one of 25 different fighting styles that an Amiibo can take on during its training. These range from Cautious, which would see an Amiibo avoiding edge guarding and taking risks, to Show-Off, which sees an Amiibo frequently going for off-stage spikes.
There's plenty more Amiibo fighting styles, all of which have in depth descriptions on the Amiibo training website Exion Vault. This is a great resource for any Amiibo trainer, as it features information about upcoming tournaments, guides for training specific fighters and an extensive tier list of every currently available Amiibo for Smash Ultimate. The website's been the main center of research for figuring out just how Amiibo work.
How to Train Amiibo in Smash Ultimate
Before a trainer worries about their Amiibo's fighting style, they need to know how to train an Amiibo. Different Amiibo trainers will have their own methods, but there are some generally agreed upon tips. Keep in mind that these tips only apply to Smash Ultimate, since how Amiibos learn changed greatly from Smash 4.
First off, it's usually a good idea to train an Amiibo against another player until level 30. This'll get them to the point where they've developed a strong enough base AI to be leveled in different scenarios. At this point, most Amiibo training guides recommend turning off the Amiibo's "learning" in its options and leveling it against a level 9 CPU.
The reason behind turning the learning feature off against CPUs is that since CPUs follow a fairly rhythmic AI, an Amiibo trained off CPUs could easily get tripped up by unorthodox strategies that a human player might use.
Another reason not to train an Amiibo on level 9 CPUs is because the player can't pick what a CPU is going to do. If a trainer wants to control what personality their Amiibo takes on, they're going to want to train it themselves. Keep in mind the difference between learning and leveling, as an Amiibo can still level up its AI if its learning setting is turned off.
What to Watch Out For When Training Amiibo
One of the biggest tips with training an Amiibo is to remember that it's using the fighter's AI as a base, so it'll have the same exploitable weaknesses as said fighter. For example, a Little Mac Amiibo will still have the same problems with recovering as a Little Mac CPU. Though training an Amiibo can help them "learn" how to handle these weaknesses better, they'll still have said weaknesses, so it's better to play to a fighter's strengths.
For a new trainer, it's generally advised to train the Amiibo by playing the same fighter as the figure. Whilst this isn't incredibly necessary, Amiibos learn by watching what button inputs their opponents do in certain circumstances. Playing the same fighter as the Amiibo helps the trainer better correlate how their playstyle is affecting their Amiibo.
That being said, players shouldn't limit the kinds of opponents an Amiibo is facing. Different fighters could put them in different scenarios that they might not have the training to handle otherwise. Going back to the Little Mac Amiibo example, training him against another Little Mac will result in the Amiibo being really good at countering rush-down characters. However, training it against a zoner like Villager or even the newest DLC character, Steve, would help it handle projectiles.
Trainers looking to enter competitive tournaments should be aware of restrictions for competitive play. Different tournaments will have bans on certain spirits and fighters, with Bowser and Incineroar being the most commonly banned Amiibos. In addition, plenty of tournaments will run items on, so training Amiibo to use items may not be a terrible idea.