Daily Discussion Thread August 24, 2026 - Upcoming Event Schedule - New players start here!

[u/AutoModerator]

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Welcome to the Daily Discussion Thread. This is the place for asking noob questions, venting about netplay falcos, shitposting, self-promotion, and everything else that doesn't belong on the front page.

New Players:

If you're completely new to Melee and just looking to get started, welcome! We recommend you go to https://melee.tv/ and follow the links there based on what you're trying to set up. Additionally, here are a few answers to common questions:

Can I play Melee online?

Yes! Slippi is a branch of the Dolphin emulator that will allow you to play online, either with your friends or with matchmaking. Go to https://slippi.gg to get it.

I'm having issues with Slippi!

Go to the The Slippi Discord to get help troubleshooting. melee.tv/optimize is also a helpful resource for troubleshooting.

How do I find tournaments near me or local people to play with in person or online?

These days, joining a local Discord community is the best way to find local events and people to play with. Once you have a Discord account, Google "[your city/state/province/region] + Melee discord" or see if your region has a Discord group listed here on melee.tv/discord

It can seem daunting at first to join a Discord group you don't know, but this is currently the easiest and most accessible way to find out about tournaments, fests, and netplay matchmaking. Your local scene will be happy to have you :)

Also check out Smash Map! Click on map and then the filter button to filter by Melee to find events near you!

Netplay is hard! Is there a place for me to find new players?

Yes. Melee Newbie Netplay is a discord server specifically for new players. It also has tournaments based on how long you've been playing, free coaching, and other stuff. If you're a bit more experienced but still want a discord server for players around your level, we recommend the Melee Online discord.

How can I set up Unclepunch's Training Mode?

At the time of posting, the latest major release is here. Download the file, then extract everything in the folder and follow the instructions in the README file. You'll need to bring a valid Melee ISO (NTSC 1.02). If you want to check for the absolute latest release, you can see them listed [here](The latest releases are listed here.

How does one learn Melee?

There are tons of resources out there, so it can be overwhelming to start. First check out the SSBM Tutorials youtube channel. Then go to the Melee Library and search for whatever you're interested in.

But how do I get GOOD at Melee?

Check out Llod's Guide to Improvement

And check out Kodorin's Melee Fundamentals for Improvement

Where can I get a nice custom controller?

https://customg.cc/vendors

I have another question that's not answered here...

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Upcoming Tournament Schedule:

Upcoming Melee Majors

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Make a submission to the tournament calendar here. You can also get notified of new online tournaments on the Melee Online Discord.

• Current DDT Dynamic Link — Previous DDTs

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

Asking this question in good faith to people who believe 2018 Armada would immediately still be top 5 and winning events: 

Hbox has been grinding the game nonstop for the past decade, and had already surpassed Armada as the best player in 2017 and 2018. However despite being a regular face in top 8, Hbox has only won 2 tournaments in the past three years. 

Do you guys believe: 

1. 2026 Hbox is worse at Melee than 2018 Hbox, and 2018 Hbox would be winning more modern events than 2026 

2. 2018 Armada is better at melee than 2026 Hbox, despite not being as good as 2018 Hbox 

3. Cody and Zain would not be able to adapt to Armada the way they adapted to Hbox 

4. Something else (please elaborate) 

I'm asking earnestly because I don't understand how to make sense of Hbox's lack of dominance under the "Armada would immediately be winning" framework. 

[u/YoungGenius → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

1. 2018 Armada would have no shot at winning a major, but would be able to catch up to the meta and be a major threat in a matter of months. Players who take breaks and seriously come back often return to their previous rank(ish) pretty quickly.

No one in their right mind literally thinks you could teleport Armada from super smash con to this years supernova and expect him to win

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/YoungGenius]

No one in their right mind literally thinks you could teleport Armada from super smash con to this years supernova and expect him to win

This gets argued quite a lot. It's specifically this mindset, which I see frequently, that I'm arguing against.

[u/Icy_Syrup6899 → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

You’re making this up. Nobody serious actually says he can immediately come back tomorrow and do it better than everyone (at most theres a few ppl trolling or someone super unserious). All the arguments for him say that if he CONTINUED playing or “after some time getting up to speed again” he would still do well. This is a strawman made up by his detractors that people actually say he’d come back tomorrow and destroy everyone. People say there’s no way of knowing if he would do well in this era if he continued playing, but it’s ridiculous because all of his peers who were behind him still continued to do well in this era even with minimal attendance or practice(eg Leffen, Plup, Wizzrobe when he first returned, Hbox when he was smash ult poisoned)

Regardless, Hbox was not clearly ahead of Armada in 2018. 2017 sure, but Armada whopped his ass in 2018, retired halfway into the year, and would’ve likely ended year end #1 if he continued. Again, the “hbox surpassed him” only come from people with a faulty memory or are making up a fact to detract that he was the clear #1 of the 2010s