What Strategies Counter Top Picks On The Skullgirls Tier List?

When I sit down for a long session of 'Skullgirls' I think in roles first: who holds neutral, who punishes, and who dies for the team. For dealing with top-tier characters, I build teams and habits around counters rather than one-off tricks.

If the enemy has a strong neutral character like 'Filia' or 'Double', I pick assists that either extend my pressure safely or break their rhythm. For example, an assist that hits low or creates frame advantage can stop loop attempts and force them to reset. I deliberately experiment with team order so that if my point gets zoned or grabbed, my second character has tools to reverse the situation—armor, invincible moves or a projectile that outranges theirs.

Match-specific notes: versus mixup-heavy characters, I train myself to delay techs and watch for cross-up timing rather than mashing; versus pure zoners I refine my air approach timing and use high-priority anti-airs. Also, I keep the meter game in mind—saving a meter for one well-timed invincible super can turn a round, especially against grapplers who rely on one guaranteed setup. Lastly, mental pacing matters: I take rounds to study their habits, punish the same whiff twice to teach them a lesson, and then exploit the hesitation. It’s not flashy, but steadily taking control of pace and team composition makes facing top picks feel like a solvable puzzle. I usually end the night with a couple of replays I’m proud of and a clear idea for the next lab session.

I love breaking down matchups in 'Skullgirls' because the game rewards small adaptations more than flashy plays. If you’re facing the usual top picks—think heavy grapplers and space-controlling zoners—my go-to strategy is to simplify the map into zones you can consistently control.

Start with space management: for zoners like 'Peacock' or 'Parasoul', I make a habit of getting to that middle distance where their projectiles are less effective and my own normals can contest. Use short hops and super-jumps to mix up approach heights, and bait the heavy projectile or assist to create a gap you can dash into. Against 'Peacock', timing is everything—block that first cartoonish blast, then watch for the assist call that covers your recovery; punish whiffed normals right after. For 'Parasoul', neutralize napalm with well-timed counterprojectiles or by forcing her to use meter on defense.

Versus grapplers like 'Cerebella', my philosophy flips: I play smarter around her command grabs. Keep your buffer for throw tech and use low-profile pokes to interrupt Armored startup. If your character has Invincible reversals or armor-breakers, hold them for when she tries to bully close range. Use assists that create escape windows or keep her at tip-of-poke range so her heavy command grab whiffs; when she overextends, punish with your fastest punish combo.

Finally, obsess over the lab. Recreate common pressure strings and practice your option selects for teching throws and beating overheads. Swap in teammates that naturally cover each other’s weaknesses—if your point gets zoned, the assist should buy space; if your anchor is vulnerable to grabs, make sure your team has a reversal option. That small preparation wins more sets than throwing yourself at the top picks without a plan. I always finish a training block feeling sharper and oddly happier about facing a tough meta pick.

I get a kick out of countering the heavy hitters in 'Skullgirls' with scrappy, low-tech solutions that actually work in realtime. My quick checklist is: respect their best tools, limit their options, and punish mistakes hard.

For grapplers (think big command-grab types), I keep distance and bait. I’ll backdash and use fast pokes to make throws miss, and I always have an eye on throw-escape timing so I don’t get locked into a setup. Against zoners like 'Peacock', I stop trying to out-projectile them and instead aim to be unpredictable in the air—short hop low, delayed air dash, or a neutral jump to bait out the projectile and punish recovery. If my character has a beam or a multi-hitting assist, I use it to disrupt full-screen zoning and create a corridor to approach.

When the matchup gets messy, I force trades on my terms: use armor moves when you can afford the trade, or burn a meter for an invincible reversal when you need to reset the neutral. I also lean on team synergy—my assists are chosen to break blockstrings or to cover my recovery after risky entries. At the end of the day, keeping calm, learning one reliable punish per matchup, and practicing it until it’s muscle memory has helped me flip a lot of games that looked hopeless. It’s satisfying to see a plan click, and it keeps me hyped to play more.