Many Brawlhalla players ask the question: How do I choose a main in Brawlhalla? Well to start, Brawlhalla is a free to play platform fighting game that is easy to pick up yet takes a lifetime to master. Although fighting games typically have a high skill floor and high skill ceiling, Brawlhalla is made to be simple to control but with competitive depth once you delve into optimizing your gameplay. Brawlhalla is a special type of fighting game where your choice in character revolves around choosing two weapons that are paired together to form a character (legend). Because of this, knowing your weapon(s) is just as crucial as knowing your legend's stats and signature (heavy) attacks. Taking all of this into account, we have two main methods of finding a character to main.

It is a common trap where you attain a sort of proficiency with a specific weapon in Brawlhalla and then you just gravitate to a pool of legends that share the same weapon, since they share the same light attack kit meaning you have overlap to draw skills from. This sounds good on paper since you have a balance of variety and familiarity, but this ultimately still spreads your optimal progression too thin. The most important thing to remember about Brawlhalla is that your first weapon pickup is given at random; you won't know which of the two weapons you will pick up when you start. Playing a legend with a less than optimal secondary weapon that you happen to be stuck on for the majority of your first stock is a waste of advantage, as another weapon spawn to switch out of won't spawn unless either you or your opponent is unarmed. Throwing the less optimal weapon away and then being potentially weapon-starved by an enemy is the worst case scenario when you are playing an off-weapon, as this can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Instead, spend your sweet time in experimental and strike out beforehand, testing as many weapons as you can; focusing on using light attacks only. This way, you can safely figure out which weapons you can space and vibe well with. Once you figured out your best weapon, repeat again until you find a second weapon that is just as good (or almost as good) as the first. Now all you have to do is choose the legend that has those two weapons as your weapon combination and you are set. An example of this would be me trying out all the characters in experimental, and then realizing that I can solo carry games with lance and I can do almost the same thing with spear. Thus, I would seek out Orion (who has both of those weapons) as my main, regardless of what pre-conceived notions anyone has, since I want to win as many games as I can.

Advantages of Choosing Based on Weapon Combination:
- You have a dependable light attack kit that you can always fall back on against any opponent
- You don't have to worry about spawning with the wrong weapon
- You have little to no RNG involved when you are playing the game

Disadvantages of Choosing Based on Weapon Combination:
- You may have to put up with either signatures, stats, or aesthetics of a character that you don't fully enjoy

With all of this mind, choosing a main based on the weapon combination is a very optimal choice so long as you can endure the nuances of the legend that happens to hold those weapons. Don't be afraid to spend many hours getting accustomed to a legend's signatures and stats if you truly enjoy playing those weapons in tandem.

There is nothing more rewarding than playing with a character that you deem to be fun to play, whether it's based on looks, lore, signatures or anything in between. But this is, without a doubt, the most difficult method as you may or may not be so fortunate to have weapons that are easy to use. An example of this is that I really enjoy cyberpunk aesthetics and I think that Ada (spear/blasters) has cool and sleek signatures. I can use spear well enough, but what if I spawned and my first pick up was blasters? If my signatures cannot cheese it, I may end up being on the backfoot as blasters are not that easy for the uninitiated. This is where your dedication to working with your character is the deciding factor on whether they are worth keeping and fine-tuning or scrapped for a better pick.

It is unsurprising that certain weapons will come to you naturally as a result of individual playstyle and habits, while others seem counter-intuitive and force to you play a certain way to actually get to work well. The best advice I can give someone who is struggling with picking an optimal main that they actually would enjoy is this: "Don't be afraid to lose, because it's super easy to just play what is meta, or to play what is obvious. But playing what you truly love is all the more sweeter when you can get a well-deserved win". With due practice, you can master any weapon with varying degrees of persistence. What matters is you are having fun. Winning of course is important, but a shallow victory only means so much unless it's for tournament earnings. Thankfully Brawlhalla has an amazing design team, so it should not be hard to find someone that is remotely cool, adorable, or whatever archetype you are looking for. If you found your fun legend and want to make them work at top levels, remember, YOU CAN DO IT. Don't be afraid to consult other guides that go in-depth on specific weapon nuances, signature application, and whatnot.

Advantages of Choosing Based on Coolness:
- You will always enjoy the character that is your persona that you control at all times
- You can feel assured that you aren't wasting time on something insignificant
- Winning feels more satisfying

Disadvantages of Choosing Based On Coolness:
- You may have to put in a lot of work if you are forced to work with difficult weapon pairings

While weapons themselves are much more objective in terms of what the kit can offer in regards to frame data, damage, force, range, priority etc, stats and signatures are truly up to personal preference. As an example, I find blasters to be the most interesting case in finding the right stats for me. 4 speed is pretty solid since I don't over or undershoot nearly as much, but having 5 or 6 speed feels like I need to micro manage more to land hits. Strangely enough, 7 speed blasters is fine because it allows me to space and approach more easily.

Stats as a factor to a legend is not too significant, although having at least 5 points in stats per category aside from dex seems to be a good rule of thumb. If you can land your hits easily, strength becomes more important, as you can end a game sooner, and at the same time low strength is less of a hassle if you are accurate as you can make up for the deficit with greater number of hits landed. Defense is to account for your lifeline when you get hit. The more mistakes you make and the more you lose neutral, and as well as how frequently you dodge poorly and get read, all make defense all the more important. On the other hand, if you have a lot of defense, but lose engagements often, it won't matter, likewise if you get gimped offstage and can't get back. Then the defense was for naught. As long as you have at least 4 defense points, you are fine enough. It's just more chances to come back from mistakes. 6 defense is optimal as you noticeably survive at least a couple more hits than 4 and 5 defense. Any more defense is just wasted potential in other stats. Speed is personal preference but can vary greatly based on playstyle. A more grounded player is less likely going to need high speed compared to someone who makes offstage plays or relies on aerial combat, due to dash. Dexterity is also player preference, although the difference is very minute and you'd be well off having more points in any other category unless you need high dex for a niche combo exclusive to that dex level.

Signatures are personal preference as different players have different styles and habits when playing the game. If you enjoy mixing heavy attacks into your gameplay, you would probably do well from picking legends that have signatures with quick frame data or generous hitboxes. If you like offstage gameplay, having signatures that knock the enemy there will force people to play your game. Don't forget to use the freeze frame features in training room to make sure how fast or how the signatures hit to optimize your choices in a legend.

I hope you all enjoyed my take and my methods on choosing a main in Brawlhalla. This is Miyuminh hoping you guys have a good one. Peace