Attack Priority in SSB4

[Reydiance]

As far as I know, there isn't a "priority" stat associated with each attack, so I often wondered if saying attacks having low or high priority are actually true. According to SmashWiki, grounded attacks clank if the damage difference is between 9%, otherwise an attack gets beaten; and aerials never get out-prioritized. People often say that Samus has low attack priority, but instead, isn't it because she has less favorable hit/hurtbox placements compared to the rest of the cast?

The reason I'm confused on this mechanic is because my Samus's u-tilt (13%) just clanked with a ZSS's jab 1 (1.5%) which contradicts SmashWiki's statement. Could it be due to staleness? Any knowledge on this is greatly appreciated.

 

[Shadó Chimera / シャドーキメラ]

It also includes staling. If uptilt is staled and would do 9.9% or less damage then it would clank. Also note that the aerial thing is partially true, but there are ways for aerials to clank. (not related to this just saying)

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

This video covers melee, but I think it's the same in Sm4sh. I watched it a long time ago, so I can't remember exactly what it covers, but I think it answers your question. The channel is callled melee mechanics. https://youtu.be/MOlQv-9S1zE

 

[Afro Smash]

This video covers melee, but I think it's the same in Sm4sh. I watched it a long time ago, so I can't remember exactly what it covers, but I think it answers your question. The channel is callled melee mechanics. https://youtu.be/MOlQv-9S1zE

Great vid, so does Samus have any attacks with transcendent priority?

 

[Xygonn]

Great vid, so does Samus have any attacks with transcendent priority?

No.

 

[DungeonMaster]

Isn't z-air transcendent? Really nice video linked in here. I've never really understood how and why z-air works the way it does.

The one that really galls me is when up-B clanks. That, that, drives me insane. When you see the shockwave on the ground, and nothing else happens. Weak jab, 16 frame shield grab, and up-B can *clank*. Unreal design, completely insane. How you could sit down at a computer and program that in, in good conscience with balance in mind, is beyond me. I just want to murder when that happens. With no exaggeration if my up-B out of shield clanks I literally stop playing for minutes at a time I get that frustrate.

 

[Xygonn]

Isn't z-air transcendent? Really nice video linked in here. I've never really understood how and why z-air works the way it does.

The one that really galls me is when up-B clanks. That, that, drives me insane. When you see the shockwave on the ground, and nothing else happens. Weak jab, 16 frame shield grab, and up-B can *clank*. Unreal design, completely insane. How you could sit down at a computer and program that in, in good conscience with balance in mind, is beyond me. I just want to murder when that happens. With no exaggeration if my up-B out of shield clanks I literally stop playing for minutes at a time I get that frustrate.

Zair is basically a very disjointed normal aerial box. Transcendent don't kill projectiles. Think megaman's charged buster or ROB's laser.

 

[DungeonMaster]

What confuses me is it's damage value for priority purposes, do you know if it's 1% or 3% or a mixture?

 

[Shadó Chimera / シャドーキメラ]

It's both, but you'll likely clash with the 1% hit.

 

[Xygonn]

What confuses me is it's damage value for priority purposes, do you know if it's 1% or 3% or a mixture?

The 1% box is 1% the 3% box is 3%. Aerials don't clash the same as ground moves. They just continue going (trade). The vast majority of projectiles do less than 10% damage so you'll be able to cancel out those projectiles because on the trade with the aerial the projectile is canceled.

 

[White_Pointer]

The one that really galls me is when up-B clanks. That, that, drives me insane. When you see the shockwave on the ground, and nothing else happens. Weak jab, 16 frame shield grab, and up-B can *clank*. Unreal design, completely insane. How you could sit down at a computer and program that in, in good conscience with balance in mind, is beyond me. I just want to murder when that happens. With no exaggeration if my up-B out of shield clanks I literally stop playing for minutes at a time I get that frustrate.

That's nowhere near as rage inducing as having your up-b actually get *beaten* by moves like Mario's down air. Like WTF.

 

[Zylach]

The video on melee "priority" put all the information very well. There are a few things about Samus that bother me that don't have answers it seems.

When playing as Samus, I can't play against ROB at all. One of those reasons is that a fully charged CS will be cancelled against his puny little gyro whereas against most other characters, it'll go through their projectiles (Pika, Sheik, Mario, Weegee). I can understand it getting cancelled against things like Lucario's charged AS or Mewtwo's charged SB but gyro? Why is gyro so amazing?

It also makes me question how Samus deals with weird projectiles like D3's gordo since it needs to take 3% to be sent back and most of Samus' highly disjointed attacks are multihits that deal <3% per tick until the final hit. How do projectiles like that interact with hitboxes that are so near to the hurtbox as well because I find, more often than not, hitting it with a move like ftilt or nair only ends in the gordo's favor.

I'll also agree on screw attack clanking and being outright beaten. I used to play a guy that didn't play a lot of sm4sh but played against me as Sheik for funsies and experimented with me on Samus' screw attack. Since all aerials trade rather than clank, if a long lasting hitbox like Sheik's nair is out and Samus uses screw attack from the ground, it will always trade and Sheik will win the trade since screw attack does 1% per tick. It's not a reliable move to be used on characters with long-lasting aerials (Looking at you Weegee -.-).

 

[Shadó Chimera / シャドーキメラ]

Gyro cancels it because Gyro has a hurtbox, so it's getting hit by the CS.

 

[Reydiance]

So here's a video explaining "priority"

 

[Douglas Jay Ganon]

Samus priority is enfuriating... and nonsense either. How can a stupid medieval bomb stop a super missile, or a charge shot?

 

[JAZZ_]

Samus priority is enfuriating... and nonsense either. How can a stupid medieval bomb stop a super missile, or a charge shot?

because the bomb has a hurt box, its a meat shield so to speak, like a lvl 1 luma. Picture it as an entity and it makes sense

 

[Douglas Jay Ganon]

because the bomb has a hurt box, its a meat shield so to speak, like a lvl 1 luma. Picture it as an entity and it makes sense

Technically is correct, I know. But think about it in a logic point of view. Plasma ball<medieval bomb? That's what bothers me

 

[JAZZ_]

Technically is correct, I know. But think about it in a logic point of view. Plasma ball<medieval bomb? That's what bothers me

magic triforce wielder is throwing said bomb though. not medieval either, Hylian

 

[MOM Samus]

That's nowhere near as rage inducing as having your up-b actually get *beaten* by moves like Mario's down air. Like WTF.

Ha. Recovering with Screw Attack only to get beaten by Kriby's Down Air that leads into you also getting footstooled. BS.

THAT is rage inducing.

EDIT 1: Rosa's D-air into footsool pissed me off to no end yesterday. SOB needs nerfed hard. That, or all other characters buffed with Samus receiving the most buffs.