Smash 4 Custom Grinding Guide

Smash 4 Custom Grinding Guide by LOGIA666

I obviously love customs, considering the amount of time I spent collecting every custom, but let’s be real: It’s a bitch of an itch to scratch.

Now, I can’t scratch that itch for you. All I can do is hand you a back scratcher and tell you where to scratch. I can get you a nice headstart, but the rest is up to you.

There are a total of 376 custom specials in the game. This number excludes all the default specials, and all the specials, custom or otherwise for Palutena and the Mii Fighters.

The number shown in the Custom tab in the Records matches the number you have EXCLUDING the ones excluded. You’ll need to understand this so you don’t spend time like I did counting them all up, including defaults, including Mii Fighters, etc, and get confused at the number shown.

Make a list, or find one that contains the list of custom specials, so you can mark them off one by one. I hand wrote mine with each character’s name, and how many out of 8 I had unlocked. How you do this is up to you, but I highly recommend you make this list so you know exactly what you have left to obtain and how to do it. Making this list first thing is best, so you don’t have to scan every single fighter for their customs, like I ended up doing.

Lastly, before I go into the meat of this thread, you should know that I just unlocked the last custom special yesterday, and started about three weeks after release date, which is about 3 and a half months. That sounds like alot of time, but you need to be aware that I work full time, so some of you may have more time, or skill than me. Yes, skill to an extent, does matter. The more skill you have, the faster this will be.

The modes that can give you custom specials will be listed here, and you’ll get details on my experience with them, and when you should grind through them. You should also note that there are 7 custom moves that are only unlockable via a specific challenge. You can look these up anywhere.

CLASSIC MODE: Classic mode is, along with Crazy Orders, the most efficient way of obtaining custom specials in bulk. You should mainly be doing this when you have no more than 3/4’s of the total customs unlocked.

Many people believe that customs are awarded based on who you fight, or who you fight with. The short answer is “No” While it is true that the odds of gaining a custom related to that character are increased, the primary deciding factor for what custom special, if any you get is stage based. If you fight on a Metroid stage, the RNG will lean more towards Samus/Zero Suit Samus’ customs.

You can still get customs even if a Custom marker does not appear on either an opponent or the roulette. Those variables simply increase the amount of customs you can get, rather than increasing the odds of you getting one, so if you get a Custom X5, don’t be shocked when you don’t get single new custom.

If you’re doing this right out of the gate, you can pretty much ignore everything stage related and go at it, because you have more options at that point, but once you get low, pay attention to the stage silhouettes, and go for it.

For this mode, and all modes that allow customs, you’re going to want to use them. They make this crap so much easier. If you don’t have access to Home Run Bats, First Striker, etc, then just buff up their power, ignoring everything else. CPU’s in these modes are like butter to a hot knife, so increasing your power stat will take them out quickly.

If you reach Round 6 (Mii Fighters) and don’t have any new customs, quit. You won’t get anything from them or Master Hand other than customs for ROB for some reason, so unless you need specials from him, you start over. Not worth fighting two extra rounds for nothing.

Classic Mode is the one mode you should never abandon at any point in time. You can do it when you first start, or even when you’ve only got ten to go. It’s ideal, but it’s not enough alone.

It should be noted that you supposedly get better/more customs on higher difficulties. I’ve gotten plenty even as low as level 5. If you want to be safe, try 7. Don’t force yourself to fight on 9.0 and end up losing half of your customs.

Oh, and don’t forget about the HOME button trick with the roulette. Don’t rely on it too much though.

Crazy Orders: There’s really not much difference in the frequency of customs. Like both modes, you’ll get a large bulk of them, and many will center around the character/franchise you use.

The only real difference between the two, as far as how the RNG works is that in Crazy Orders, you get them based more on the award promised, and the stage becomes irrelevant.

Crazy Orders will get you customs in bulk, but after awhile, it becomes frustrating. I’ve gone as many as 30 rounds without obtaining a single new custom.

Honestly, this method is basically a more punishing, but less boring method of Classic Mode, and once you reach about 3/4’s completion, give up on it.

For a more indepth guide on Crazy Orders, check out Omni’s guide.

MASTER ORDERS This one is looked down on alot, but it’s actually fairly useful for both bulk, AND for specifics. The reward system is nearly identical to Crazy Orders. You get rewards based on the franchise shown, rather than the stage.

When you receive a reward, you either get an equipment for that franchise, or a custom for that franchise. You’ll always get the same of everything, so there’s no mix and match between the two.

The other 1 – 2 rewards received will lean more towards the character you use. Don’t play on Intense difficulty, because just like Classic Mode’s roulette, it won’t increase the odds of you getting a custom. It will only increase how many customs you get IF, you get them on the RNG. Not worth spending a grand on tickets you’ll most likely lose just to get three customs instead of 1.

SMASH TOUR Don’t bother. It’s a terrible game mode, with no indications of what you’ll get based on a reward system, and no character specific customs. It’s the very definition of random.

This mode only has one benefit, and that’s the Auto Play function, which is basically just leaving the game idle so the timer forced you to move. By far the slowest, yet easiest method.

What’s more is that if you end up in a Target Blast, or Home Run Contest, it’ll keep you there until you press A, so you can’t leave it on all night and expect anything. You’d need to check on it periodically to make it work.

Once you’ve got about half of the customs, drop this method. For good.

TARGET BLAST This one is only all that good for character specific runs. I wouldn’t recommend this mode to anyone, because you can’t get it in bulk, and there’s a much better mode for individual customs.

ALL STAR MODE Speak of the Devil. This mode is the last mode that you’ll be doing, just like me. It focuses more on character specific customs than anything else, so if you just need a few left, or want to finish up a character, this is it for you. The best part about it is that there’s no penalty for losing. You keep everything you get once you get it.

Unfortunately, the only way to get customs is in Hard Mode, so if you lack the skill with a certain character to get anywhere, you’re out of luck. Customs aren’t an option either.

If you lose in Round 1, you only get abit of Gold. If you win, you get gold, a custom part, and move onto Round 2. Even if you lose in Round 2, you’ll still get the custom part inbetween Round 1 and 2, though you won’t see it until the end. In other words, all you really need to be able to do is beat one round on Hard Mode, and this method will be useful to you. That being said, completing the mode is alot more consistent, as I’ve noticed that you get better rewards a few rounds in.

TROPHY RUSH This mode appears to give you customs based primarily on the character you use, much like in All Star Mode. The only problem is that there’s no guarantee you’ll even get one at all. Even if you do, you still end up spending 900 Gold, and spend 2:30 hitting dumb blocks just for a chance. It’s ideal, but only under certain circumstances.

So, in a nutshell, this is what you should be doing, and when:

Classic: When you should do it: 376 – 50 left Good for: Bulk + Specific

Crazy: When you should do it: 376 – 150 left Good for: Bulk + Specific (Not as consistent as Classic on the latter)

Master: When you should do it: Less than 100. Good for: Specific

Trophy: When you should do it: Never, really. What few advantages it has gets outclassed by all the others. Other than the Falco custom, there’s no real reason to do this mode. Good for: Specific….. sorta.

Target: When to do it: Never. Same problems as Trophy. Good for: Specific.

Tour: When to do it: When you’re too busy jerking off to Lithuanian midget porn and want to multitask by getting a few customs while you’re choking the chicken. Otherwise, don’t bother. Once you’ve got less than 100 customs to unlock, this method becomes useless. Good for: Absolutely nothing. It neither gives you large amounts for general characters, nor rewards you with specifics for certain characters. Lame.

All Star: When to do it: Any time is fine, but it’s pointless to grind in a semi difficult game mode when you’ve still got +300 customs you can get via an easier mode. The best time for this is when you’ve got less than 50. This mode will essentially be the last stand in order to wrap up the ones you need once the RNG works against you.