In Wrestle Bros, matches are rarely lost in the final tangle of limbs — they are lost in the first few seconds, when both players are still guessing. Whoever sets the opening tone usually controls the pace after it, and the player who reacts to it is playing on someone else’s terms. The good news: the opening is a skill you can build, not a talent. This guide walks through how to win those first seconds on purpose.
Why the Opening Sets the Match
Both players enter the first few seconds with no reads yet, so the first clean action defines the rhythm: it tells you whether your opponent guards early or attacks early, and it tells them whether you are a throw player or a timing player. Once that exchange happens, every move after it is a response to it. Winning the opening does not mean dominating it — it means choosing it.
Do Not Spend Your Best Move First
It is tempting to open with your strongest throw, and it is usually a trap. If your best tool is on the table in second two, your opponent now knows your ceiling and can guard or dodge around it. Hold your top move for a moment when it matters, and open with something that buys information instead of risking it. An opening that reveals less and learns more is worth more than one that simply hits harder.
Read the Tell in the First Seconds
Watch how your opponent handles their very first opportunity. Do they lunge at the earliest possible moment, or do they wait and bait? That single choice predicts most of what they will do for the rest of the round. You do not need to read ten moves; you need to read one and then build the rest of your plan around it. Early reads are cheap, and they compound.
Control the Pace, Not the Power
Aggressive openings often lose to patient ones, because power without a follow-up gives the opponent a clean reset. Instead of swinging for a big early hit, steer the pace: keep the exchange moving at a speed you are comfortable with, and force your opponent to speed up or slow down. Whichever player has to change pace mid-exchange is the one making mistakes.
If You Lose the Opening, Reset, Don’t Chase
Losing the first exchange is not losing the match — chasing it is. The fastest way to fall behind twice is to throw two more desperate moves trying to make up for the first. Take a clean, simple action to re-establish neutral, and start your read again. A player who resets calmly looks steady; a player who chases looks panicked, and opponents feed on the difference.
Drill One Opening Per Session
Pick a single opening style for your next session — patient baiting, or a measured first strike — and use it every round. Repetition is what turns a plan into a feel. You can start right away by opening Wrestle Bros on wrestlebros.cc and running three full rounds with the same opening. For the fundamentals behind it, the Wrestle Bros guides and news section has Wrestle Bros: Beginner’s Guide to Throws, which this opening routine builds on.