Please Read this Guide AFTER reading my previous guides:

1. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2280753550

2. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1832138621

3. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2200688410

These guide will allow you to improve your knowledge on the game. Once finished with those you can now read on.

Enjoy!

This is basically reading the mind of your opponent or knowing the future if one may. At basically all levels, you're using a set of expectations through your experiences to predict what's about to happen. In the neutral phase, let's say you're about to get a guaranteed hit onto an opponent who has whiffed a move (like a dair). In your head, you know where he is landing and that if placed well you will get the first hit. On the other hand in your opponent's head, they are thinking about getting into a safe spot to avoid said punish. From the spectator's POV, we will just see the end result of that situation (you getting that guaranteed hit) and enforcing your "prediction" onto the big screen.
Sometimes, the whole context of someone's playstyle will leads to common reads out of their opponent do to experience alone. The biggest factor to making a successful prediction is attention to detail.You must first take information from one segment of the game in a similar situation, understand something about your opponent's reaction, then use that to crack them when the opportunity arrives. From that, you can build your own database on what work's and what fails due to the habits that get updated along with you improving at the game and fighting higher level players.Making educated predictions are about using experience and knowledge to understand the balance of all of these things while also making judgement calls about your opponent based on their gameplay and reactions.

All predictions are not guaranteed, but they are allowed by a factor of 2 stressors; Intuitive thinking and Analytic thinking.

"Intuitive thinking means going with one's first instinct and reaching decisions quickly based on automatic cognitive processes."

"Analytic thinking, on the other hand, is slow, logical, conscious and deliberate."

While most players rely on Intuitive thinking to advance in Brawlhalla but once they hit a wall it makes them feel like near impossible for them to improve. As players we must see that intuitive thinking is the fundamental prowess that we posses. To enhance one's intuitive thinking one must first un-learn their fundamentals and start a new. Once a player has built a database of sorts due to experience they have also built bad habits, when that happens there is not a way for them to improve while still being punished for bad habits built through a false database. The main goal as a player is to basically begin to build a database filled with right answers; these answers will be gained by 1 of 2 factors, interaction training and adaptation practice or watching footage of high level gameplay and taking the answers from someone else's database.

While this mode of thinking is mainly accessed by high level players , anyone can do it generally speaking. Analytic thinking is a mode like no other, it allows you to consciously alter your subconscious reaction for a better result in a situation overall. As players we now know that we rely on our subconscious instincts when put into a stressful situation that requires real-time reaction. Once you are in a high tier of gameplay where you can no longer rely on pure instincts you must now adapt and overcome your opponent. We now look into our database for real-time answers, we not only use instincts but we add to our instincts with real-time information like: Positioning, Spacing, understanding of the opponent, stage control, ect.
ONLY when a player has a proper database and well-trained instincts will they be able to properly access the analytical thinking of a high level player.

We all know those "passive" players and those "aggressive" players.
To some relying on their opponent to whiff moves to then punish works for them, it doesn't get them far but it works for them. For others, just simply running up and either hitting their opponent or trying to hit their opponent works for them, again doesn't get them far but it works for them.

These are 2 ideologies of how to win neutral. The vast majority of players from silver to even high platinum/diamond, according to their mechanical skills, fits in one of these two categories.
There must be a balance thinking about the game like either being passive or being aggressive is like thinking about the world where people only exist either far ends of the spectrum (incredibly reckless or incredibly careful).

Players that are in one of the spectrum's extremes while they are in game will seriously struggle since no matters how skillful their minds/mechanics are, the perfection they are seeking to win neutral by using exclusively one of these strategy is unreachable. They will get hard stuck at an elo where people are able to adapt well-enough to get around their ideology.

As players you begin not to react on instinct but rather are forcing yourself to react on fear. Fear that is based on assumptions to what is going to happen if you act on instinct.

The way to overcome this problem we must first understand everything on the entire spectrum. When someone progresses as a player, they will move from one of the extremes closer towards the center. As a result they will soon find the appropriate times to move on the spectrum freely making neutral very easy to win.

As a player you must understand all behavior is communication, everything you do in-game is information for the opponent. A great player can punish not only your whiffed attacks but your movement as well. High level gameplay is so difficult to understand because much of it is based on what has been communicated between the players. Information as small as dash jumping in neutral to something as big as whiffing a signature is all being communicated.

To successfully execute a proper PPF (Punish per Frame) you must first understand the information given during your current match.

When you look at the spectrum from safe to unsafe moves there is a gray area of conditional moves that are safe due to certain frames being thrown out first. To really make a PPF you can look at something as simple as Back dash or Forward Dash vs Standing still.

Player 1 (Wu shang) is standing still, they are not in any stun frames and can throw out literally anything while in neutral. Player 2 (Val) is dashing forward and as a result has now extended their start-up frames to every/any move they will decide to throw out.

This is where the PPF comes in while forward dashing doesn't add a considerable amount of start-up frames compared to back dash it still is a factor.

Player 1 will execute a proper PPF when they simply throw out a Down Light (Gauntlets).
Player 2 is currently dashing forward and decided to do a Side Light (Sword).
Player 1 not only wins this trade but has now secured a true combo and information on how Player 2 reacts out of hitstun.

This is a very simple and effective example of a proper PPF (Punish Per Frame)

As a 2D game, on the X axis, you have : walk, dash and dodge. On the Y axis, you have : jump, fast fall and dodge.

As players you must focus on BOTH axis and not just one. In the game, hitboxes are designed to beat upwards rather than downwards while there are some exceptions but usually , when similar attacks are thrown the one underneath wins. These are mechanical imbalances that promote grounded play over aerial. Grounded movements are infinite. You can keep dashing and better reward on dodge. Aerial movement is strong because there is a high variance of area you could be.

On ground, you have forward & back dash. Forward is better since back dash has lag and slow your momentum. In the turning around animation, whatever directions you're facing, you will forward dash. To forward dash from wherever you are (in this situation, you are walking to the left), you can press right 1 frame, left 1 frame, and then then forward dash right for a 3 frames forward dash. Back dash is not useless though. Back dash jump height is slightly different and you can have so good weapon tricks with it for example back dash jump orb dair is unpunishable.

In games, opponents often start to pay attention to what you're doing after getting hit. So you need to pay a close attention to their reactions out of hitstun. By not attacking at all, your opponent will stop thinking about your spacing which can leave some impression to your opponent's mind. In those situations, you should use those safe attacks. There is a very thin line between safe & unsafe moves within the game, it always comes down to which parts of your movement you're in. If you're dashing or jumping, if your dodging or moving towards them then away. So timing is key.

Learn what is safe in certain interactions then process the information you have gather from your opponent's movements/attacks to create a proper PPF (Punish per Frame made by Cosmic)

Thank you for viewing my guide so far!

I hope it helps a player that is feeling stuck.

Please follow me on twitter @CosmicBH

I also Coach players all links will be below if interested.

Again thank you for reading this guide and have a great time improving in BRAWLHALLA!

Links:
Coaching- https://mfy.gg/@cosmic

Twitter- https://twitter.com/CosmicBH

Coaching Server- https://discord.gg/zqzrYTN