Marie
Team Value
A great battery character who brings some good neutral assists to a team alongside a unique lockdown assist, though some of her assists are a bit more difficult to use as they come with a delayed activation. In terms of DHCs, her level 3 is a combo DHC, and her level 1 always results in a hard knockdown even if OTG is spent (as long as the super itself doesn't hit OTG), which makes it a pretty solid DHC ender for a combo that won't kill.
What they bring
Amazing battery character, her keepaway playstyle involves a lot of special move usage, which results in her quickly building meter
A selection of neutral assists alongside a unique lockdown assist
Easy access to sliding knockdown and a summon that can lead to advantageous situations after character tags makes her pair great with characters playing the "Fake Anchor" position
What they want
Neutral and Space-control assists: Marie wants the opponent to approach on her terms where she can fight back with Hilgard summons or her arsenal of great airborne attacks. Space-control assists help maneuver opponents to positions favorable for Marie
DP assists: While Marie does have armored moves, her defensive options are pretty poor
High damage assists: Marie's damage output is on the lower end of the cast, so she appreciates heavy-hitting assists
Youtube playlist of Marie tech - There are videos for both solo and assist/DHC tech. Damage values may differ in the videos recorded during Marie's beta period, so many of those "two touches" no longer two touch, but this may give you ideas.
Position - Point > Mid/Anchor
Point: Marie builds a lot of meter in her neutral game plan and combo routes, while she herself is not at all reliant on meter to be a threat. This makes her a great battery character for the rest of her team, while she herself gets assist help to aid in her keepaway game or combo damage to build said meter. Her evasive game plan is well-suited for a point character, as she tools to set the pace of a match while spending a lot of time out of reach of the opposing point character's neutral assists.
Mid: Marie has a nice selection of assists, but she very much pales in comparison to strong mid characters due to her lack of safe or combo DHCs outside of level 3. That said, a level 1 DHC that always provides a sliding knockdown isn't something to sleep on. Valid pick if you have no other strong mids on your team.
Anchor: Her solo damage is low alongside having poor defensive options, which hurts her comeback potential. However, she does have a strong threat in her invulnerable, safe on block level 3 which allows for a follow-up combo. If the opponent's assist gets caught up in it then it's a great way to turn a match around. Additionally, she holds up pretty well on her own when it comes to playing neutral, and with her meter building potential she may get more than one opportunity to turn the tables with a level 3.
Most Common Assists
Hilgard's Haymaker (236MP/HP) -
Delayed Armored Neutral
Marie comes out and summons Hilgard, who charges up then lunges for a punch. Good for both protecting the point or helping them approach as Hilgard is armored and moves a great distance. Medium punch version has one hit of armor and goes halfscreen, Heavy punch has two hits, goes fullscreen, and has a sliding knockdown over the medium version's normal knockdown. Disappears if Marie gets hit. Has similar usage to Big Band's Brass Knuckles assist.
H Marie Go Round / H Twirl (214HP) -
Armored Neutral, Stagger
The more aggressive, close-range option of Marie's armored neutral assists as it trades range for speed and easy combo pickups from a stray hit. Marie performs a Tetsuzanko with one (1!) hit of armor, giving it defensive usage against opponents that typically don't approach with multi-hit normals or alongside an assist. Staggers the opponent on hit, making it a great combo assist even if the assist's actual damage is nothing great. Similar in usage to Cerebella's H Lock 'n' Load assist.
Clean Cut (5HP) -
Neutral
Two quick hits on a move with good range and a disjointed hitbox. Very close in speed and range to H Twirl, just exchange the armor and stagger for a disjointed hitbox and longer blockstun. The vacuum effect makes for very easy combo conversions off of stray hits, while also pulling opponents out of the corner to enable left/right mixups there, though this only works on hit and not on block. Very straightforward.
Hop To It / Dust Bunny (236P) -
Delayed Lockdown
Marie shoots out a Bunny that waits a bit before hopping to the opponent, locking them down on contact. The Bunny goes away if Marie gets hit, and it takes a while for the Bunny to attack, so you'll have to work a bit harder to properly utilize this assist compared to other lockdown assists. It makes up for it with its amazing range... if you can manage to keep the opponent from simply jumping away. As a bonus, it vacuums opponents out of the corner, which can lead to left/right mixups that the opponent may not expect.
Hilgard's Howl (214K) -
Delayed Projectile, Lockdown
Hilgard fires a laser at the ground that triggers a set of delayed explosions. Note that this is the grounded version where the explosions move away from Marie instead of the aerial version where the explosions move toward her. Different kick strengths determine where the laser and resulting explosions occur, so choose your version depending on whether you want Marie to cover close, midscreen, or fullscreen positions. Hilgard disappears if Marie gets hit, so be sure to protect her.
Dead Lift (2HP) -
Overhead
It's an overhead! Good for mixing up opponents.
Partners
Beowulf
Recommended Assists:
H Hurting Hurl/H Chair, Grendel Flex (Chairless 2HP)
H Chair - Projectile DP
DP with a projectile arc that's nice for protecting Marie whether she's on the ground or in the air
Amazing Alpha Counter as it's +1 on block, which is especially great for Marie as she herself has no good invulnerable options to rely on
Grendel Flex - Armored Space-Control, Pressure
Huge, lengthy hitbox to protect the space in front of Marie to aid in her keepaway game
Requires that Beowulf is chairless, which means he'll have to have been on point at some time in the match (not a big issue as Marie can relinquish the point position to Beowulf then switch into her later)
Pros:
Marie gets helps on defense from Beowulf's assists
Beo gets either neutral or taunt support from Marie's assists
If Marie plays on point, she can setup a sliding knockdown into Bunny summon, then tag into Beowulf to get him into perfect position to run a 50/50 with the Bunny providing lockdown for him
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Beowulf
A good duo in either order as Marie on point plays well with fake anchor Beowulf. Ideally, Marie ends up as the real anchor.
A strong mid character would be the preferred choice for this shell.
Big Band
Recommended Assists:
H Brass Knuckles, Beat Extend
H Brass - Armored Neutral, Anti-Zoning
Does everything Marie wants: keeps opponents off of her, adds big damage to combos, and helps fight the zoners who naturally out-zone her
Beat Extend - Anti-Air DP
Top tier DP assist that also allows Marie to summon a Dust Bunny or Hilgard mid-combo
L version if you care most for a fast DP, M version if Cerebella is on the team, H version if you want a DP assist that's a bit weaker defensively, but doubles as a lockdown assist
Pros:
Marie gets everything she wants from Big Band's assists in keeping opponents off of her and raising her combo damage
Big Band gets a lot of mileage from Marie's assists for neutral and upping his combo damage
Marie can do tag routes into Big Band by summoning Bunny mid-combo, the resulting tag combo dealing more damage than what Marie could otherwise do on her own
Marie also allows Band to combo post-DHC - Marie/Band post-SSJ DHC route - JuuseBox
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Favorite for Marie, Good for Big Band
A very strong duo in either order
Any character can jump on this team for a strong trio
Cerebella
Recommended Assists:
H Lock 'n' Load, Cerecopter
H Lock 'n' Load - Armored Neutral, Pressure
Fights off opponents attempting to approach Marie on the ground, forcing them to either deal with it while Marie escapes or pressure with Hilgard summons, or chase Marie in the air and compete with her amazing air buttons
Adds a large chunk of damage and meter build to combo routes
Cerecopter - Lockdown, Space-Control
Similar to Lock 'n' Load, creates a grounded danger zone for the opponent; slightly easier to contest compared to an armored assist, but it lasts longer
Lockdown gives Marie time to summon Hilgard or Dust Bunnies, or similarly stall for them to recharge
Marie/Copter mix - iControl
Pros:
Marie gets great assists to bolster her keepaway game
Cerebella gets either a good combo assist or a good neutral assist from Marie
You can run the setup of having Marie play on point, get a knockdown into Bunny summon, then tag into Bella so she gets to the fun part of her game plan while having someone else play neutral for her
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Cerebella
Strong duo in either order
Any additional character can fit on this team in a trio
Double
Recommended Assists:
Hornet Bomber
Hornet Bomber - DP (L), Lockdown (M), Neutral (M, H), Zoning (H)
Aids Marie's defense and keepaway games
Any version of Hornet Bomber is great for Marie, so choose depending on the range you feel you need the most help in covering, or go with what your third character on the team wants if you're playing a trio
Pros:
Marie gets a great neutral assist or a decent DP assist in Hornet Bomber
Double gets help in neutral or pressure situations from Marie's assists
Marie can fuel Double with plenty of meter
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Double
A strong duo in either team order
Any character will fit on this team for a trio
Eliza
Recommended Assists:
H Osiris Spiral, Butcher's Blade
H Spiral - Space-Control, Lockdown
Tall, long-lasting hitbox to contest opponents approaching Marie. Normal jumps might get clipped by Spiral, so if the opponent wants to continue chasing Marie they either have to deal with Spiral on the ground where Marie can fight back with summons, or commit to a superjump and contend with Marie's amazing air normals
Lengthy lockdown time gives Marie time to summon Hilgard or Bunnies
Butcher's Blade - Armored Space-Control, Lockdown
Similar in function to Osiris Spiral, but in exchange for wider range coverage, you get an assist that you always have to wait longer to call thanks to Butcher's forced assist lockout
Pros:
Marie enjoys the space-control brought by Eliza's assists
Eliza gets help in neutral from Marie's assists
Marie is one of the few characters who can land a DHC midscreen after the final hit of Eliza's Lady of Slaughter level 1 super
Marie's low combo damage can be circumvented by Eliza's combo tag, and Eliza herself can easily setup a sliding knockdown to tag Marie back in to an advantageous position
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Eliza
This shell makes for a good duo in either order
A character to play the mid position is recommended for this shell, as it's the least preferred placement for both of them
Filia
Recommended Assists:
H Hairball, H Updo
H Hairball - Lockdown, Neutral
Pushes opponents off of Marie in neutral, great lockdown once she starts running pressure to buy time for summons
When combined with air version of Hilgard's Howl (laser), she can convert into a combo from far away or otherwise keep the opponent locked down further
H Updo - Anti-Air DP
Solid DP assist to help Marie out with her poor defense
Pros:
Marie gets a lot of mileage out of Hairball assist for neutral and pressure, and Updo being a solid DP assist is always nice
Filia gets armored assists to either help her get in on the opponent, or to stay in once she's already there
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Filia
A good duo in either order
Any character fits this shell well in a trio
Fortune
Recommended Assists:
HK Fiber Upper, Dash
H Fiber - Anti-Air DP
Marie's ability to convert from stray Fiber hits is alright, but even if she can't convert then the opponent is still knocked away from her
H Fiber builds a large amount of meter to further complement Marie's great meter-build
Dash - Alpha Counter options
Lets you Alpha Counter into Fortune and have her choose any option, including a 5 frame jab, a fast DP, super, jump, or just block. You get to steal your turn out of some pressure strings or get punishes that no other Alpha Counter will safely allow.
Pros:
Marie gets decent defensive help from Fortune's assists
A rushdown character like Fortune enjoys armored assists to help her approach or keep running her pressure
This shell has two characters who build a lot of meter
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Decent for Marie, Good for Fortune
A decent duo, running Fortune on point is recommended
A good mid or anchor character is recommended for this shell
Fukua
Recommended Assists:
H Platonic Drillationship, M Forever A Clone
H Drill - Neutral, Lockdown
Good for contesting the ground space in front of Marie, with the additional lockdown giving her time to throw out Hilgard or a Bunny safely
M Clone - Neutral
The shadow for M Clone doesn't have a hurtbox, making it a great assist for keeping opponents from getting close to Marie, with easy combo conversions if you land a stray hit with it
Pros:
Marie gets help in grounded space-control from Fukua's assists
Fukua gets nice help in neutral or combo routing from Marie's assists
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Fukua
A pretty good duo
Any character can fit on this team in a trio
Marie Fukua synergy ideas - Softie
Painwheel
Recommended Assists:
L Pinion Dash, L Gae Bolga Stinger (Nail)
L Pinion - Neutral, Pressure
Pinion's hitbox and speed makes it hard to contest, so it's good for controlling the ground space in front of Marie
Easy to work into combos and pressure resets, while the restand property makes it great for Marie's left/right mixups
L Nail - Projectile
It's a projectile
Pros:
Painwheel gets good neutral assistance from Marie's assists
Marie is a great battery for Painwheel
Marie's low combo damage can be compensated for by how easily she can tag into Painwheel's combo tag
Cons:
Marie doesn't really get much help in her keepaway game with Painwheel's assists
Marie can't take advantage of Hatred Install being a safe DHC as she has no reversal to blockstring into it
Synergy:
Decent for Marie, Good for Painwheel
Not a duo I would recommend as Painwheel doesn't support Marie well enough
An anchor character with a DP or space-control/neutral assist is recommended for a trio
Parasoul
Recommended Assists:
Napalm Pillar, L/H Napalm Shot
Pillar - Anti-Air DP
Solid DP assist to get opponents off of Marie
L/H Shot - Projectile, Pressure
Projectile that's good for helping Marie keep space or approach the opponent, with the detonation also being great for pressure situations
Pros:
Marie gets good generic assists from Parasoul to aid in playing keepaway
Parasoul likes any of Marie's good assists for any playstyle she chooses
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Parasoul
A fairly solid duo in either order
A strong mid would be preferred in this shell, as neither character loves playing that position
Peacock
Recommended Assists:
Screwball Cannonball (5HP), L George's Day Out
Cannonball - Projectile, Lockdown
A fast projectile to complement Marie's keepaway playstyle
The lockdown when called up close covers gaps in Marie's pressure and gives her time to summon Hilgard or a Dust Bunny
L George - Space-Control
A lingering ground threat that the opponent is forced to block, shoot, or jump over if you hide behind it, or can cover your approach and act as a combo breaker if you get ahead of the bomb. If you have a second partner, you can still call them while George is out.
Pros:
Peacock really enjoys the armored assists from Marie to keep opponents off of her, or to switch to close-range aggression
Both characters in this shell build a ton of meter just from playing neutral
Cons:
Peacock's assists, while good, don't do the greatest job of keeping opponents off of Marie or buying time for her summons in neutral
Marie has no way to DHC after Argus Agony outside of the corner
Synergy:
Decent for Marie, Good for Peacock
Not a recommended duo as Marie does not get enough help from Peacock
Throw on a meter-hungry mid or anchor character and you will have a great trio
Robo Fortune
Recommended Assists:
H Theonite Beam, Collimating Saw (5HP)
Beam - Beam Projectile, Anti-Armor
Top tier neutral assist, either locks opponents down on the ground or encourages them to retreat to the air
Great for buying time for summons in neutral, and with the right timing, air versions of Hilgard's Howl can enable fullscreen combo conversions if the opponent gets tagged
Saw - Armored Lockdown, Anti-Armor
If you value defensive options over neutral control, Saw is a solid option that is also better for up-close pressure over Beam
Can cover Marie's own armored move with Saw assist and keep your turn
Pros:
Marie gets beam assist, or a good defensive assist, both very nice options for her
Robo gets really good combo help from Marie's Twirl assist, or general good neutral help from other options to keep opponents locked down from zoning
Robo's high DHC damage can help make up for Marie's low damaging combos
Marie as a battery character can build a lot of meter for Robo
Cons:
Outside of Robo Fortune's DHC damage, this shell doesn't deal a lot of damage
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Robo Fortune
A fine duo in either order, and their weakness of low damage is lessened a bit
Any character would love fitting in for a trio
Squigly
Recommended Assists:
Drag 'n' Bite, Cremation (2HP), Center Stage (Sing)
DnB - Lockdown, Neutral
Long-lasting lockdown from this assist gives Marie plenty of time to create space, approach, throw out a summon, or convert into a combo in the event that it hits the opponent
DnB Reset - Burgerito
Cremation - Lockdown, Low
Same deal as DnB in that it provides lockdown, but trades DnB's range for a shorter, though disjointed hitbox that still does a fair job of contesting ground space
A solid counter-call to the opponent's traveling neutral assists due to the disjointed hitbox, but be warned that the multi-hit nature is too slow to break 2-hit armored assists like Cerebella's Lock 'n' Load or Big Band's Brass Knuckles
Hits low, so it's good for mixing up the opponent along with Marie's threat of her overhead 2HP
Sing - Screen Manipulation
The ability to drag the opponent directly into an active Hilgard, Dust Bunny, or into the range of Marie's great, disjointed normals is not something to be ignored
If Charged Sing is available, if the opponent is dragged in front of Marie in a grabbable state, she gets a guaranteed level 1 command grab which can be combo'd from
Marie + Center Stage ideas - Universe Wrath
Pros:
Marie gets help in locking down opponents for her summons, or dragging characters directly in front of a summon from Squigly's assists
Squigly likes the help in neutral and pressure from Marie's assists
Marie is a wonderful battery character to supply Squigly with meter
Note: If you wish to do Marie's Carpal Pummel super and DHC into Squigly's SBO to juggle and continue the combo, you must have Hilgard's Haymaker hit right after Pummel connects so you don't get the knockdown. Some examples:
Ground route: ... 2HP > 236LP > Pummel (236LP connects) > SBO (LK + MK)
Air route: jMK > jHP(1) > 236HP, land > Pummel (236HP connects) > SBO (LK + MK)
Cons:
When used as a reversal, Marie as the point character has no way to take advantage of SBO as a safe DHC because she has no invulnerable level 1 to blockstring into SBO
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Squigly
This shell works well as a duo in either order
Any character would fit in well for a trio
Valentine
Recommended Assists:
H Savage Bypass, Kakushi Caliper (2MK)
H Bypass - Combo Tool
Bypass hits fairly hard, helping out Marie with her low solo combo damage
Marie's style of keepaway isn't great for protecting Valentine if she gets blocked. Instead of using an assist to buy time for summons, you have to use a summon to prevent Valentine from getting wailed on.
Caliper - Lockdown, Low
Marie has a grounded overhead, so a low hitting assist makes her mixup game scarier
Pros:
Valentine gets nice additions to her neutral control or combo game with Marie's assists
Cons:
Marie doesn't get all that much from Valentine's assist kit
Synergy:
Poor for Marie, Good for Valentine
Not a recommended duo as Marie isn't supported enough
A character to play the position of mid or anchor is recommended if you want to play a trio
Annie
Recommended Assists:
H Destruction Pillar, H Crescent Cut
Pillar - Anti-Air DP, Combo Tool
DP assist with a high hitbox that also has high damage, aiding Marie both defensively and offensively in areas she struggles with
Thanks to Marie's large normals, she can typically convert from stray hits as long as she isn't actively retreating, and even if she can't, the opponent is knocked away fullscreen which is also usually beneficial for her
H Cut - Projectile
Slow moving projectile with a tall hitbox, making it good for helping Marie approach, run away, or keep pressure
Pros:
Marie gets great assists to aid in her keepaway game from Annie's assist kit
Annie gets a selection of generally good assists from Marie
Annie likes having a lot of meter to spend and Marie is good at building it
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Annie
A fine duo in either order
Any character fits on this team for a trio
Umbrella
Recommended Assists:
Cliff Hanger (6HP), Hungern Rush
Cliff Hanger - Anti-Air, Neutral, Combo Tool (Stagger)
Covers a lot of air and ground space to keep opponents at bay while also providing a lot of damage in combos
Hungern Rush - Anti-Air DP, Pressure (Overstuffed)
One of the weaker DP assists in the game because of its range, but having a DP assist is never a bad option
If Umbrella is Overstuffed, this assist gets much better at covering summon times when used during blockstring pressure
Worth considering if you have another good neutral assist on the team
Low Reset, High Reset - sillirfour
Pros:
Marie gets a selection of good assists that help her out defensive from Umbrella
Umbrella gets good neutral assists from Marie
Cons:
?
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Umbrella
This shell should work fine as a duo in either order
Any character can fit in for a trio
Black Dahlia
Recommended Assists:
Medici Mousetrap (2MK), L/M/H Order Up! (X Shot)
Mousetrap - Ground Space Control, Low
Mousetrap can't be directly destroyed, so the opponent either has to hang back and give Marie space to do whatever she wants, or chase her in the air and compete with her great air normals
The stun from Trap lets Marie taunt mid-combo for a better Dust Bunny summon
Also hits low so it's a great accompaniment to her mixup game
Because of how the cooldown for this assist works (see Dahlia's page), I would highly recommend picking a third character with another good assist
X Shot - Projectile, Multipurpose*
*Slow projectile (all but shotgun and beam), combo (shotgun, ice, electric), lockdown (ice, electric, fire), long-range (beam, electric)
Every type of bullet is good for Marie in some form, though be wary that Dahlia will eventually have to reload
Pros:
Marie gets good mileage out of Dahlia's Trap assist, Shot assist can be good
Dahlia gets nice neutral or combo assistance from Marie's kit
Dahlia likes having meter to spend that Marie can build
Cons:
Marie's combos often use up the stagger state, which conflicts with Dahlia's Parting Gift super which is a common combo ender. Damage potential is lessened as a result without a third character to open up your options.
Synergy:
Good for Marie, Good for Dahlia
This duo works fine
A strong mid or anchor character would be your best bet for a trio composition