*** **************************************************************************** * mm ***** mm* aaaaaaa rrrrrrrr IIIIIIIII OOOOOOO ****************************** * m m *** m m* a a r r I O O ****************************** * m m * m m* a *** a r **** r *** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m *m*m* m* a *** a r **** r *** I *** O *** O ** STRIKERS CHARGED FOOTBALL * * m *mm* m* a a r r *** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m m* aaaaaaa rrrrrrrr *** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m ******* m* a *** a r r \**** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m ******* m* a *** a r *** r **** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m ******* m* a *** a r *** r *** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m ******* m* a *** a r **** r *** I *** O *** O ****************************** * m ******* m* a *** a r **** r I O O *** by smit_massacre ********* * m ******* m* a *** a r **** r IIIIIIIII OOOOOOO ****************************** * ******* *** **** ******* ****** ****************************** ===========================SIDEKICKS STRATEGY FAQ============================== -------- CONTENTS -------- 0. Introduction___________________________________________[INT] 1. About this FAQ_________________________________________[FAQ] 2. How to use this FAQ____________________________________[HOW] 3. What are SIDEKICKS?____________________________________[SID] - What are the differences?______________________________[DIF] - What are Skillshots?___________________________________[SKL] - How to use Skillshots__________________________________[HSK] - Terminology____________________________________________[TRM] 4. Koopa__________________________________________________[KOP] 5. Shyguy_________________________________________________[SHY] 6. Boo____________________________________________________[BOO] 7. Toad___________________________________________________[TOD] 8. Hammer Bros.___________________________________________[BRO] 9. Dry Bones______________________________________________[DRY] 10. Birdo__________________________________________________[BRD] 11. Monty Mole_____________________________________________[MOM] 12. Formation suggestions__________________________________[CSS] 13. Credits, copyright etc.________________________________[CCE] =============================================================================== =============================================================================== 0. INTRODUCTION___________________________________________[INT] ================================================================ Welcome to this Mario Strikers Chargerd Football Sidekick FAQ! With the added ability to create your very own perfect strikers team from a range of different characters, beginners and those no too familiar with the game are bound to struggle, as well as some returning vets are bound to struggle with this new concept. So I've decided to help those in need of desperate help to get over this hurdle by making an FAQ that tells you all you need to know about each of the eight different Sidekicks and their different styles of play. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== 1. ABOUT THIS FAQ_________________________________________[FAQ] ================================================================ This FAQ basically goes through each of the 8 different Sidekicks available to you in the game and breaks them down to their most simpliest and tells you, the player what each sidekick will bring to the team and how they'll compliment your chosen captain and style of play. This FAQ will also offer team combinations for the starter captains (the ones you don't have to unlock) as well as some more basic information for those new to the game to help you tackle the online mode. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== 2. HOW TO US THIS FAQ____________________________________[HOW] =============================================================== By now you'll have noticed little boxes with words in such as the one above this sections subtitle, they look like this: [EXM] These boxes are infact shortcuts to sections, so you don't have to plough through all of the information to get to just one point. If your web browser allows for the Search tool (Ctrl+F) then copy paste the boxes next to the subject title and hit enter to be instantly taken there. You can find all of the subject boxes along the lines in the contents section. Try it Now! =============================================================================== =============================================================================== 3. WHAT ARE SIDEKICKS?____________________________________[SID] ================================================================ Sidekicks are basically the team mates of your chosen captain. They can do everything your captain can bar the megastrike ability. Instead they have their own unique Skillshots. The real beauty behind your choice of sidekicks will rely solely behind how well their Skillshots gel with your captains style of play and of course how well you execute them. Each sidekick is split into one of 5 different categories; OFFENSIVE, DEFENSIVE POWER, PLAYMAKER and BALANCED. Ideally you want to pick sidekicks from catergories that will blend with your own style of play and compliment your captains abilities. - What are the differences?______________________________[DIF] --------------------------------------------------------------- The differences between the different categories are very noticeable once you get on the field, unfortunately by that point it is already too late. So what do this stats next to the sidekicks portrait actually mean? POWER:: Power players excel in the position you put them in. So upfront near your Captain will mean they'll help you score goals with their powerful shots and at the back they'll always be there to deliver a heavy tackle. However they can't pass properly and you'll often have your other players running to recieve passes that have gone astray. They also move very slow and will to catch the more balanced players and the faster ones until they stop. OFFENSIVE:: Offensive players are slightly more team attacking orientated as they can pass the ball and shoot. They still suffer from poor movement and they'll stay in their own half if you rely on them to defend, leaving the goalie vulnerable at the back. But at least you won't be worrying about the other team getting to your passes before you and Offensive players still have an awesome strike at the ball. DEFENSIVE:: Obviously the exact opposite of offensive. Goodspeed making them an excellent choice to have at the front or back for defensive purposes as they can nip in and out of both the oppositions and your own area to make the tackle that can potentially stop a goal. Unlike offensive Sidekicks, defensive players have a poor passing and shooting ability. So stick with short simple passes or you may find them going astray. PLAYMAKER:: Playmakers are the closest a specialist category comes to being balanced. They've got great movement and are very fast as well as being the best at passing the ball and clearing the ball. Another great category to have at the back in front of keeping but their passing ability alone will warrant the excuse of sending them up to connect the goals together. BALANCED:: Does exactly what it says on the tin. Balanced characters don't excel in any particular field but don't have any major hang-ups like the other specialists either. The beauty of Balanced characters is that it's their skillshots and your own style of play when it comes to those skillshots that sets them apart. - What are Skillshots?___________________________________[SKL] ---------------------------------------------------------------- So you've had all this talk of skillshots and how important they are, but you're probably asking, what are they? Skillshots are the special technique shots that only the sidekicks can perform and each are different for each sidekick character. However, skillshots can be "slotted" into specific categories into what exactly they do. Some skillshots stun the keeper. These "stunners" have a 50/50 chance of going in the back of the net, or hitting the keeper meaning you've got to go for the rebound shot. Great if you've got a "finisher" upfront, not so good if the computer ge to it first. Other skillshots just look to damage your goalkeeping any what way. These are your "sure-thing" skillshots and you'll find they take a fraction longer to charge but they'll be worth it in the long run. Then theres's skillshots which some will deem as "cheap" as their is near to no chance of stopping them. These skillshots basically give the goalie no chance of saving them bu the characters that posses them really do need to be noted as they can make a difference. Take note in later sections - Terminology____________________________________________[TRM] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a basic explanation of some of the key/buzz words to do with Football and the game that you'll find in the FAQ: VOLLEY - As in "on the Volley", basically shooting the ball whilst it's in the air or being rebounded off the keeper. WING - The top and bottom lanes or edges of the pitch. In Football they'd be refered to as the left and right Wings. Winger - Someone who plays along the Wings. Their primary role would be to cross a pass into the box for a team mate to take a shot on. LONG BALL - As in "Long Ball Game", this is the act of making a long overhead pass to your players up front to either Head or shoot the ball on. WHITE BALL - Refers to when the ball in MSCF is glowing white, this means the chance to score is far greater than before. ITEM RUN - When you dribble the ball and use Items to attack opposition and keep possession rather than pass. The best way to get Mega Strikes in. SMALL SCREEN ADVANTAGE - The theory (because it hasn't been proven) that having a smaller TV screen helps you stop incoming goals when you're defending Mega Strikes. SPAMMING - When you continuously use the same move over and over again. Like when you use Hammer Bros. DEKE over and over again. UPFRONT - Refers to the area of play with the oppositions half where your main attackers should lie. CLEANSHEET - As in "keeping the cleansheet", making sure you're final goal score is 0 and you don't give the opponent an opportunity to score a goal. FINISHER - Refers to someone who has got the appropriate skill to get the ball in the back of the net. For example Monty would be classed as a finisher whereas Dry Bones would not be. THE BOX - The Goalie's domain and the only area where he can pick up the ball (usually). ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE SIDEKICKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Here they are. All the sidekicks with an indepth and detailed look at what they'll bring to the tea, what their abilities are and what possibly strategies you can play around with them. -------------------------------------------------------------- - Koopa__________________________________________________[KOP] -------------------------------------------------------------- A strikers veteran and player favourite. Koopa returns in Charged Football on hi own rather than with his brothers, but don't underestimate, he's still top notch. KOOPA STATS =========== CLASS:: Balanced SKILLSHOT:: Shell Smash A swift charged on the ball will see Koopa unleash a giant Green Shell on Goal that will take out all in its way, except the goalkeeper who'll force the ball back at Koopa and make you go for the shot on the volley. Useful for clearing the way of opponents and a good way to get your goals. Caution should be taken as there's friendly fire involved in the shot and you could potentially take ou those waiting for the Volley. DEKE/FAKE:: Rapid Spin Very poor Deke/Fake by anyone's standards. Koopa will just move in his in the desired Fake direction at no great pace or speed. Don't expect this to get you the Koopa goals or get passed opposition for that matter. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: Place Koopa on your preferable side, top or bottom it's your choice and you should put him where you feel most comfortable running down as Koopa is a versatile character. If you can't choose between top or bottom then try at the back. This will mean he'll attack down the centre and won't garnish the attention of your opponents heavy hitters upfront. BEST STRATEGY:: Koopa is best used as partnership up front either with your Captain or with another SideKick that will complement Koopa and go on the attack because that is the way forward with Koopa as his Shell Smash is a powerful tool for scoring goals, especially if another BALANCED or Power/Offensive character is upfront with Koopa, ready for the Volley. Play Koopa at the back only if you're going for a centre offensive in a power house team as his FAKE won't help him keep possesion and he's not got the best pace for stopping other faster characters and captains from scoring. CONCLUSION:: 9/10 - a top notch character wherever you put him but best suited to a wingers role because of his excellent Skillshot and poor FAKE. -------------------------------------------------------------- - Shyguy_________________________________________________[SHY] -------------------------------------------------------------- An old nemesis of Mario and Luigi and a character whose appeared in nearly all the Mario spinoff games. He's quiet, dangerous and who knows what's lurking behind that mas of his? SHYGUY STATS ============ CLASS:: Balanced SKILLSHOT:: Bullet Bill Blast One of the more colourful and quirky skillshots. Shyguy and the ball go for a ride on a Bullet Bill that Blasts the goal area and everyone (that's right, everyone!) who get's involved. The great thing about this shot is it clears the area for a weaker shooter to nip it in the bud and score, or you can wait a sec for Shyguy to get up and put the ball in the back of the net. You'll have to be quick though whatever you do because at the end of the day the blast isn't permanent and the opposition is bound to be wanting to get the ball out of the goal area. Be careful when and where you chose to use the shot as well. You don't want to do it when the rest of your team is in the blast radius and if someone gets in the way of the flight path the blast will go premature. DEKE/FAKE:: Air Hop Another poor FAKE put slightly better than the woeful Koopa's. Shyguy will just hop in the chosen FAKE direction, hoever whilst going forward this is useful for getting away from same speed characters as well as dodging the odd shell and charging a shot. Not horrid but nowhere near the best. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: Personally, I'd pair him up with Koopa on your weak side, because then if he's able to grasp a breakaway the charge shot will come in handy whilst the opposition are slightly surprised by a change in tactic - that ends in a surprise result. At the back is good too as Shyguy isn't too attacking orientated and can get away with sluthing in front of your Keeper. This is also the best place to initiate his Bullet Bill Blast, as in the centre there's usually not as much havoc - especially if you can charge the shot all the way as you'll get past the last line of defence and wingers get finish Shyguy's work. BEST STRATEGY:: A little more flexible than Koopa as he's not as attacking orientated but still does a fine job on the Wing. Partnering him up with Hammer Bros. or Koopa will pay off as if you get a chance for the Skillshot with Shyguy, either one of will be able to finish it off appropriately and odds are they won't be in the box all cluttered up. At the back he's slightly better than koopa being slightly more defensive, downside is he won't be as available for finishing strkes or setting them up as perhaps Koopa would be. It's more ideal for his Skillshot as well. You'll perhaps get less opportunities to use it howeverand therefore less goals. CONCLUSION: 7/10 - Slightly harsh but his Bullet Bill Blast is a gamble and you can never guarantee his contribution will be there every game. ------------------------------------------------------------- Boo____________________________________________________[BOO] ------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps the most annoying of all the Mario enemies in platforming and now he's here to aggrivate on the pitch. It's the Zidane Headbut incident all over again.... BOO STATS ========= CLASS:: PLAYMAKER SKILLSHOT:: POSSESSED BALL One of those Skillshots that when you first witness them you'll scream; "cheap!" At the top of your lungs. Whilst we can argue whether or not it is indeed cheap it's in the game and you've got to deal with it. The Skillshot in question is not so much a shot but more Boo rushing through the goalkeeper with the ball and scoring. This makes it very difficult to intercept as Boo is in a "proper" ghost state and stuff passess right through him, meaning the trick is to sLIDE tackle the Ball rather than the player. Easier said than done. Problem with this Skillshot is it can be used in only one way otherwise it's useless. The main purpose of the shot is to score as the goalie's deflection isn't favourable to anyone, so you've gotta get close, charge up and ghost it into the back of the net. DEKE/FAKE:: Basically disapears and reappears in ghost form giving him some invulnerability from items and attacks. Pretty decent infact, especially as Boo is a fast character. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: His speed would suggest a place on the top/right or left/bottom wing as they he can blitz in and out of he opponents half and get a set up for his Skillshot. However, poor shooting means that if he's going for the Volley chances are that the Goalkeeper's going to catch the ball with ease because there's no power behind hit. This is why I'd suggest placing him at the back, the speed and precision passing will be useful at the back and the speed will be good in defending the goal area as well. The speed also gives you the edge to whip inside the opponents area and try for the Skillshot. BEST STRATEGY:: Stick Boo at the back as your last line of defence. His good passing means you can play a long ball game with the aerial passes from within yor own half and let the Captain or other characters with better shots score the goals. If your desperate or confident use the Skillshot to score a goal by mixing up passes and items to give Boo some space to charge up and score. Remember though you've got to get close-ish to score. He's not that much of a versatile character, you could use him as a Winger but you'd get better results and Skillshots from other characters who are better suited to the role. Your best bet is to make Boo wait for his opportunity to strike whilst he's keeping guard of the back and throwing the ball up in the air. CONCLUSION:: 5/10 - By no means useless but there's just nothing but his DEKE that should draw you to him. He's really only good if you have an annoying gameplan. ------------------------------------------------------------ Toad___________________________________________________[TOD] ------------------------------------------------------------ A good friend of Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom and he's taking he loyalty back on to the pitch again and showing everyone what real team spirit is all about! TOAD STATS ========== CLASS:: Playmaker Skillshot:: Fire Meteor Well, this isn't exactly the Skillshot to end all Skillshots neither is it that good either. Basically it's equivalent to one of Monty Moles charged curved shots but the balls on Fire and the goal keeper cANNOT catch the ball, only punch it away. The likelyhood of you scoring without the ball glowing White are slim and chances are still low when the ball's glowing White as well. Toad's poor shooting ability means the Skillshot itself is poor and pointless in all honestly. I'd say use Boo's over Toad's Skillshot any time of the day. Purely as you've got a better chance to score. DEKE/FAKE:: Front Flip The best quality of Toad and one of the best DEKEs in the game. Not only does it get you out of harms way from non-explosive items as well as slide tackles and the occassional heavy tackle but itcan also be used to flip over opponents AND the goal keeper, meaning you can do one of the most sensational goals ever. A FAKE good for offense and defense. Simply brilliant. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: No brainer - at the back in front of goal. Whilst the Skillshot Toad has may be near useless, as a Playmaker his passing is personally better than Boos and he still has speed to best any offensive players, meaning he's great for defensive roles. His speed combined with the DEKE allows you to do runs from one goal to another without having to think about the consequences, especially if you can really nail and master the art of Front Flipping the Goalkeeper. You'll be near unstoppable then. BEST STRATEGY:: If you're looking for a Sidekick who's good on his feet, can pass the ball and create opportunities for the team and is a ricky one to take down, Toad is your man - and that's how you play with him. He's an Owen Hargreaves or Gattuso of your team. You have him at the back and move him in, letting him create chances for the team and get in a cross or pass that can lead to a goal. With Boo you're best bet is to lay low and wait for the right moment to go for goal, with Toad you can do the exact opposite because his DEKE is that good and can allow you to not only dodge item danger, but player danger and interceptions as well as being useful to jump over Keeper and score. There's no use playing him as a winger as his poor shooting ability will mean any shots he gets on the Volley are prety much a waste except for the odd 'un. CONCLUSION: 7/10 - His DEKE is alot better than Boo's and makes up for his poor Skillshot. A good replacement for Shyguy if you want one, but only at the back. TOAD>SHYGUY at the back in short. ------------------------------------------------------------- Hammer Bros.___________________________________________[BRO] ------------------------------------------------------------- Another classic villian of the Mario Bros. and another returning Vet. This time Hammer Bros. has brought his Hammers with him and honed his strike! HAMMER BROS. STATS ================== CLASS:: OFFENSIVE SKILLSHOT:: HAMMER THROW Throws 5 Hammers in direction of goal all at distances greater than the last Hammer thrown, so there's potential to Hit the Keeper nearly 5 times and score an open net goal! The trick is getting into appropriate range of the goal and getting th time to charge as it's a fracion longer than the others charges. You also need to take into account the angle of the goal as there's a small chance the Keeper will be in the way of the shot as he's dazed. The trick is to angle the attack and keeper so that there's a large part of the net uncovered by the goalie in this situation. In truth it's slightly cheap because your keeper can be ou for quite sometime depending on the amountof Hammers that hit him and how badly beat up he is anyway, but Hammer Bros. slow movement balances that out pretty fairly anyway. DEKE/FAKE:: Hammer Slam (or Hammer Spam as it's come to be known) The best DEKE in the game, simply as. Hammer Bros. Slams a huge Hammer into the ground below him whilst jumping forwards a bit. This Hammer can and will and does hit your team mates. In fact a decent Hammer Spammer will run Hammer Bros. from the back, spam his DEKE, knock all nearby opponents to the floor then charge for the shot.A simply brilliant if antagonising strategy and one you must take advantage of and learn how to counter it also. The DEKE is one of the top 3 reasons for picking Hammer Bros. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: Despite the label he's a very versatile character in where he can be placed thanks to Hammer Spam. At first instance it's obviously upfront on the wing as this means he can get the passes going with his excellent passing ability and get the goal on the volley from an overhead pass or snipe it in along the floor. Don't forget to charge your regular shots slightly as well. Being good at Offense means Hammmer Bros. can get more curve on the ball than Beckham and score a goal from the halfway line by doing just this. Next, you can have him at the back. Perfect for Hammer Spam runs and even better as a surprise White Ball Shot from way out goal area. Of course his high attack drive and low speed will mean he won't be the first to run back if there's a one on one with your goal keeper and an oppositions player. BEST STRATEGY:: Hammer Spam is the best strategy I can give for Hammer Bros. It may be cheap but all Hammer Bro. players do it , and do it to perfection, so train up whils you play. If you are going to Hammer Spam do it from the Wing as there's less danger at the sides anyway and your Hammer Slam has a chance of getting opponents caught on the electric fence as well, giving you more time to charge up the Skillshot - an essential goal scoring technique for Hammer Bros. as it is very effective. If you chose not to Hammer Spam, fair play - keep it clean! Use HB as a winger, that's where he's most dangerous, especially if you partner him up with someone like Koopa or Shyguy who offer good passing and speed and shooting as well. Remember HB's passing is as good as a playmakers so don't be afraid to use him as a set up man for other SideKicks to score off of. Try to get the Hammer Throw in however, at any moment you can as it's a dangerous tool of destruction that begs to be used. Don't be afraid to DEKE to do it either... CONCLUSION:: 8/10 - Brilliant in everyway but his slow movement and the unpopularity that he has the potential to cause make him lose a mark and because he's happy to leave goalie unprotected. ------------------------------------------------------------- Dry Bones______________________________________________[DRY] ------------------------------------------------------------- Quite possibly one of the most popular characters in the game as you'll find out quickly by playing around as him... DRY BONES STATS =============== CLASS:: Defensive SKILLSHOT:: The Shocker One of the best Skillshots in the game and the best skillshot for a Sidekick with low Shooting ability. Not only does it stun the Goal Keeper but it also has a good chance of going in the back of the net on its own merit. The shot itself is powerful and electrocutes the Keeper, stunning him and giving you a goal-scoring opportunity on the Volley. If an opponents player gets in the way they'll be the ones getting shocked, unfortunately this does send the ball astray. With the Shocker you do have a certain amount of control over which way the ball will curve. This helps you increase the chances of Scoring rather than stunning. DEKE/FAKE:: Shake, Rattle and Roll Another great DEKE move and another reason to have Dry Bones on the team. This DEKE causes Dry Bones to roll forwards and disappear then reappear a distance in front of him. What this means is that you can run at goal, DEKE and walk the ball into goal. The trick behind this DEKE is the longer Dry Bones has the ball and the closer to being a White Ball it is, the further Dry Bones will reappear after the initial roll. So mix up the passes between your team, give the ball to Bones and dribble in and go for the DEKE to score! WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: Dry Bones is another character who is able to go along the Wing or at the back. Personally I'd have him at the back. This allows you to have a speedy character whose strong in defense protecting the goal keeper, meaning it's very hard for the opponent to get a Mega Strike against you as well as allowing you greater ease at intercepting White Ball passes and Dry Bones will position himself when not be played as in front of the opponent meaning shots will get blocked. Having him at the back will also mean that he'll go unmarked and will be able to sneak into the oppositions have a go for a sneaky charge, thus allowing for a surprise shot and a surprise Volley and goal. Or you can zip in from the back and go for a DEKE goal and take the opposition by surprise once again. While he may not look or act like it, Dry Bones is very good at surprising the opponent and usually he'll score or develop a goal before the other team can react. BEST STRATEGY:: The best method to using Dry Bones is to stick him at the back as a proper defender and go for the Skillshot when you feel you have the best chance. Unlike Boo who you should play a patience game with at the back, Dry Bones can take a risk as if he does get tackled, he'll return to defending whilst you control a different character and if you don't do that his fast running speed will help you regain some ground against opposition. With him at the back you don't have to worry about his poor passing and shooting skills interrupting the rhythme of play you'll have going with your players upfront, as a pass from him good amount to leg work for your own players which in turn can result in you losing possession - possibly resulting in a goal for the other team. One little trick in the Dry Boes arsenal is his clearance. Whilst pressing Z+B You'll do a overhead Clearance into the opponents half, the trick is to do it just before the halfway line whilst standing in the centre, this will send the ball into the dip, drawing the Keeper out, but if you capitalise on the moment, especially with a White Ball you can score an impressive goal. Anyone can do it but Dry Bones seems to do it best because of his high defense skill. CONCLUSION:: 9/10 - Essential for most teams, fast, brilliant Skill shot and an amazing defender. ------------------------------------------------------------- Birdo__________________________________________________[BRD] ------------------------------------------------------------- He (yes he as in accordance to the manual) is yet another returning sidekick whose decided to hone their shooting and defending skills! BIRDO STATS =========== CLASS:: Power SKILLSHOT:: Extreme Egg Quite possibly the best Skillshot to get goals, otherwise it's useless. You'll either score in which case the Egg has just steamrollered the goalie or you'll hit someon along the way in which case the egg shatters and no-one's hit. The idea of the skillshot is to take it purely whenever you get a chance and when you're 90% sure no-one from the other team is going to get in the way of the shot. It's as simple as that and it's the simplicity that makes Birdo a goal generator. DEKE/FAKE:: Tail Whip Another great move from the great Birdo. Similar to Hammer Bros. Hammer Slam in that this DEKE will cause heartache fo opposition as Birdo knocks them to the floor as he spins round. The great thing is, if you DEKE an opponent near the electric fence they'l go flying into it and get shocked, buying you alot more time. The DEKE is different to Hammer Bros. as in it doesn't flow with your dribbling and causes you to stop at a stand still rather than continue, which whilst not a major hinderance and can lead to enemy items getting you when your most vulnerable. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: As a Powerhouse character you would expect Birdo to be good upfront and the back seeing how his stats dictate that, however, that Skillshot is to good to be wasted at the back, especially as Birdo is slow and chances are you'll only get one opportunity to stop a snap shot and if you don't you might concede a goal. So have Birdo upfront alongside your captain and other Winger and use him as a tank, hitting others hard and blasting those Extreme Egg shots left and right. BEST STRATEGY:: Definately have Birdo on the Wing as so he can fire off his skillshot whenever he's given the chance - this way you're guaranteed to rake in the goals and you can use Birdo as a finisher for White balls, seeing as he has a great offensive stat. Just don' rely on Birdo being the key person in the process of passing the ball as he has a poor passing stat being a Power class character. With Birdo on one side of the Wing have someone else who's going to compliment him and help lead up to some good passes and White Ball goals. CONCLUSION:: 8/10 - Really is a shame he can't run as fast as a balanced, he'd be perfect. ------------------------------------------------------------- Monty Mole_____________________________________________[MOM] ------------------------------------------------------------- Making one of his first Mario Sports debuts is the loveable Monty Mole, last seen digging around in the Super Mario series... MONTY MOLE STATS ================ CLASS:: POWER SKILLSHOT:: Dirt Drill This is a Skillshot similar to that of Boo's but it's better in everyway purely because it firstly it has a much better chance of scoring even if the range is spot on. Secondly it has better range, seriouly a few paces past the halfway line and you're capable of scoring with the Skillshot. Another great asset of Monty's shot is it can't be intercepted as he's underground and once he emerges anyone standing ovr him or nearby will be knocked down as if they've been heavy tackled. If they shot doesn't go in the net, any of your nearby team mates can have a shot on the volley with a decent success probability. DEK/FAKE:: Tunneling This DEKE is like a combination of Hammer Bros. and Birdo's. Take the opposition battering aspect of the Hammer Slam and the fact you have to stop ala Tailwhip and you basically have Monty's DEKE. He digs down sending the ball in the air and just before it touches the floor he pops back up again, now the great thing is this DEKE is amazing for item dodging, getting your timing right and no item can hit you. It's also great for attacking the other team as would be tacklers and sliders will be toppled and knocked dowm just like the Hammer Slam, if you can get he timimg right. Luckily enough timing isn't much of a problem for inexperienced players as they'll see the ball and think "oh! I'll take that!" and get hit by Monty's return. It's also great for keeping possession. WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT ME?:: You have a dialema here. Monty is great at attacking and great at defending thanks to his DEKE being able to bide you some time. Where you put Monty is a case of who else yo want in your team. If you have Birdo on your team as well stick Monty at the back as you don't want two poor passers of the ball upfront with the Captain, if you have a Playmaker or a Balanced Sidekick upfront and there's a free space on the wing, give Monty a trial run as if his skills fit in with your tactics you can have a lot of success thanks to his strong offensive abilities. So in short, have Monty fill in the gaps and empty spaces where you just can't see anyone else going, he'll get the job done right. BEST STRATEGY:: With the Skillshot and DEKE, Monty plays alot like Hammer Bros. just ever so slightly more flexible in that he'll be better hanging round near the centre left/right as well as totally upfront because his snap shots pack a bigger punch than Hammer Bros. especiallu on a White Ball close to goal and his skill shot and curved shots have a great impact on the match, purely because both can end up in the back of the net. So it's best to have Monty as one of your Wingers. His DEKE being so useful for keeping possession balances out his lack of speed and slow movement, not to mention you'll find that you will have alot more chances to spring a Dirt Drill on the opponents goal. CONCLUSION:: 7/10 Not quite as good as Birdo but still a damn sight better than Boo. ---------------------- So that's basically the all the Side Kicks in the game explained out in great detail. I hope that at least helps you to play or plan out better strategies with each of the Side Kicks. If not then the next section may be just right up your alley because I'll go through some good Captain - Sidekick combinations and game plans. 12. Captain/Sidekick suggestions___________________________[CSS] ================================================================ Like I said above, this section will go through some good Sidekick combinations for a few of the captains that can help youmap out some strategies of your own as well familiarise yourself with the concept of It should be noted that these aren't fool proof strategies and should be considered as the foundations for you to relay your own individual style of play. So let's get things started... MARIO + LUIGI ============= As balanced characterS, Mario AND Luigi can have several different game plans: POWERHOUSE SQUAD:: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MONTY MOLE HAMMER BROS. MARIO BIRDO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: Nothing to intense here, the basics of this formation is to use Hammer Bros. to attack down the centre with either his Skillshot or you spam his DEKE. You then have Moty and Birdo stop would be attackers from in deep within your own half. The great thing about having Monty and Birdo as you defenders is there's more chance of opposition getting electric fence'd and obviously there's two main defenders. Let's not also forget that both Birdo and Monty have decent Skill shots as well so use them to your advantage whenever possibly. With Hammer Bros. you have the choice of either Hammer Slam spamming or going on item runs and going for a Hammer Throw skillshot. Also use him to take pot shots, especially of any White Balls you may charge up or steal. --- AVERAGE JOE'S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KOOPA DRY BONES MARIO SHYGUY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: As you have an almost completely balanced squad, there are a numerous amounts of things you can do. One tactic that is favourable for this setup is to pass around the ball til it'sWhite and go for the pot shot. You may not have a distinguished Finisher but Mario and Koopa are both capable, and with Dry Bones at the back you have defensive issues immediately solved. Everyones skillshot in this team is also another excellent means of finding the goals, especially Dry Bones and your team mats will be appropriately placed or have the pace and skill to score whilst the balls on the volley. This teams best strength is the fact that Dry Bones is at the back and will be able to keep a clean sheet along with help of your Wingers. --- BAG OF MIXED NUTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KOOPA TOAD MARIO HAMMER BROS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: Well you have here a team of individuals that share nothing in common with one another yet, as a eam they have a number of strong points with barely any weaknesses. Everyone in the team is more than adept at passing the ball around as well as shooting at the goal. You should use Toad as the architect of the whole passing movement as he has the best passing ability within the team, use Koopa and Mario as linkers for Hammer Bros. to shoot at goal on a White ball. If passing the ball doesn't work you've got other options with Hammer Bros. Hammer Spam, as well as using Mario's Captain item to help clear some space for either a megastrike or to chain some passes together and finish off with a BIG kick! ================ YOSHI ===== Yoshi plays slightly differently to Mario and Luigi for several different reasons. Firstly his BIG HIT tackle has a sligltly larger range as he extends his tongue for the hit, his special item acts very differently as well, forcing you to either activate it when you have the ball giving you the added bonus of being able to dribble, or you can use it as a purely defensive means when you haven't got the ball - this also means you can't pick the ball up whilst in egg form. TYPICALLY BALANCED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KOOPA TOAD Yoshi Shyguy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: As you can see with Toad at the back this is a team where the main source of goals is through White Balls. Toad's excellent passing ability means he can do a long aerial pass from the back to the Box and have a team mate put in the back of the net. With passing being the best and in most situations only source of scoring a goal using your items at the right time and moment are key, so if you get Yoshi's captain item - which transforms him into a giant egg, use it when you're controlling Yoshi AND have the ball. This way you can stomp all the opposition and get a real powerful Megastrike charged. Don't bother going straight for goal as you'll just smash the egg shell. This team has only one strength and that's its ability to pass around the ball so make the most of it. Unlike some other teams you don't have any real weaknesses either. SPEEDWAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOO DRY BONES YOSHI BOO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: This team gives you more options on how to score goals with the two Boo's and Dry Bones at the back, but it still makes you rely on Yoshi's captain item. The speed of the two Boo's also let's you ge close to players an pass the ball with real ease and charge it up, this then in turn can give you the opportunity to get the ballto Yoshi and shoot. A high risk strategy but Boo's speed can help you pull it off, especially if the othe team isn't as fast as yours. Dry Bones at the back also means you can fire off his Skillshot and get anybody nearby to go for goal whilst the ball is on the volley if Dry Bones is unable to. ============ WALUIGI + DAISY + PEACH ======================= These are very good characters to play as if you can master the captains items and get used to the pace of the game they play at. These three also play very centrally which allows you to zip and weave in and out of opposition. SPEED DEMONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOAD DRY BONES WALUIGI BOO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: As you can see from the team selection, this team revolves purely around the staggering pace of all the players in the team. No-one is a slow coach here so use the pace to your advantage and attack down the slow/weakest area of the oppositions team and go for a skillshot. DONKEY KONG + WARIO =================== These two are both big hitters and cantake a few blows before being KO'd on the floor. They both have great shots and captain items that allow you to go with Megastrikes. WEAKNESS NULIFY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Koopa TOAD DK/WARIO HAMMER BROS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEGY:: Basically the idea here is to use the Sidekicks to pick up the pace a bit with Toad and Koopa as well as to really get the passes flowing with Toad and Hammer Bros. passing abilities, allowing Wario/DK to go for goal on a white ball. The Skillshots of Hammer Bros. and Koopa also add other sorces of goals to add on to the tally. 13. Credits, copyright etc.________________________________[CCE] ================================================================ Well that's about it for this FAQ on the Sidekicks. I hope it has been of some use to those who have read it and used it in their game. The following section is copyright details and credits to those who helped. This FAQ is copyright to Michael Smith 2007 and may not be re-used, editted or sectioned without permission. GAMEFAQ.com is the only site permitted to host this FAQ with my permission. Other sites wanting to host the FAQ on their site has only got to contact me via email at; Wendyanythin@aol.com Thanks goes to Tim "Webby 007" Webb and James Crossley and Shane Dolman as well as the whole GFAQS forums for Mario Strikers.