Knee Smasher
Smash Ace
From my observation, it appears that according to the general consensus, Bowser is a top tier character while Charizard is low tier at best. As a player with a 78.41% win ratio in For Glory 1-on-1, who mains both Bowser and Charizard in this game and has used both of the aforementioned characters extensively (in Bowser's case, I have been using him ever since the launch of SSBB), this notion confuses me to no end. From my extensive experience using both characters, I find that Charizard is basically Bowser with (in order of importance):
1. A highly reliable, probably the single best KO move in the game, Flare Blitz (seriously, Charizard's Flare Blitz is to this game as Captain Falcon's Knee of Justice was to SSBM). Meanwhile, against a good player, the only moves of Bowser that can KO at a reasonable % that can consistently hit a good player are Fair, Bair and Usmash, all of which are still, from my experience, significantly more difficult to land than Flare Blitz (yes, I am aware that Flare Blitz is probably the single most punishable move in the game on shield, as a blocked Flare Blitz guarantees that Charizard is punished by a dash attack from any character... but still, an easily punished KO move is better than a KO move that cannot consistently hit in the first place)
2. The ability to actually deal with projectile campers, especially on Final Destination and Omega stages. This is because Charizard can use Flare Blitz to punish or at the very least close its distance from characters who sit back and spam projectiles, whereas Bowser, in comparison, has a much more difficult time dealing with projectile campers from my experience, especially Duck Hunt Duo, Robin, and Diddy Kong, as he can neither close his distance from the projectile camper nor outright go through those projectiles anywhere near as easily as Charizard can.
3. A jab that comes out much faster
4. A very consistently safe aerial attack, its Neutral Air, which is also a great method of approaching. Nair to jab is also a solid combo
5. Better recovery in the form of Flare Blitz
6. A faster and longer-ranged grab, giving it one of the best shieldgrabs in the game
7. Far better range in its Down Smash, giving it an easier time punishing rolls
8. A higher dash Speed, making it a better punisher
And what it lacks compared to Bowser are (in order of importance):
1. The lack of Whirling Fortress, meaning it cannot out-of-shield punish opponents behind it (its faster and longer-ranged grab somewhat makes up for this disadvantage in terms of Charizard's overall out-of-shield game though)
2. Its attacks in general don't deal as much damage as Bowser's
3. The lack of Bowsercide
4. A weaker Forward Air which also has an overall significantly worse hitbox than Bowser's
5. A much slower and laggier Back Air
I am convinced, from my extensive experience using both characters that Charizard is a better character than Bowser, despite the general consensus that the latter is a significantly higher-tiered character than the former. As this is a board dedicated to Charizard mains, can someone please explain to me why the general consensus is the way it is despite my observations? I would like to know if I am missing something with either character.
1. A highly reliable, probably the single best KO move in the game, Flare Blitz (seriously, Charizard's Flare Blitz is to this game as Captain Falcon's Knee of Justice was to SSBM). Meanwhile, against a good player, the only moves of Bowser that can KO at a reasonable % that can consistently hit a good player are Fair, Bair and Usmash, all of which are still, from my experience, significantly more difficult to land than Flare Blitz (yes, I am aware that Flare Blitz is probably the single most punishable move in the game on shield, as a blocked Flare Blitz guarantees that Charizard is punished by a dash attack from any character... but still, an easily punished KO move is better than a KO move that cannot consistently hit in the first place)
2. The ability to actually deal with projectile campers, especially on Final Destination and Omega stages. This is because Charizard can use Flare Blitz to punish or at the very least close its distance from characters who sit back and spam projectiles, whereas Bowser, in comparison, has a much more difficult time dealing with projectile campers from my experience, especially Duck Hunt Duo, Robin, and Diddy Kong, as he can neither close his distance from the projectile camper nor outright go through those projectiles anywhere near as easily as Charizard can.
3. A jab that comes out much faster
4. A very consistently safe aerial attack, its Neutral Air, which is also a great method of approaching. Nair to jab is also a solid combo
5. Better recovery in the form of Flare Blitz
6. A faster and longer-ranged grab, giving it one of the best shieldgrabs in the game
7. Far better range in its Down Smash, giving it an easier time punishing rolls
8. A higher dash Speed, making it a better punisher
And what it lacks compared to Bowser are (in order of importance):
1. The lack of Whirling Fortress, meaning it cannot out-of-shield punish opponents behind it (its faster and longer-ranged grab somewhat makes up for this disadvantage in terms of Charizard's overall out-of-shield game though)
2. Its attacks in general don't deal as much damage as Bowser's
3. The lack of Bowsercide
4. A weaker Forward Air which also has an overall significantly worse hitbox than Bowser's
5. A much slower and laggier Back Air
I am convinced, from my extensive experience using both characters that Charizard is a better character than Bowser, despite the general consensus that the latter is a significantly higher-tiered character than the former. As this is a board dedicated to Charizard mains, can someone please explain to me why the general consensus is the way it is despite my observations? I would like to know if I am missing something with either character.
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