The age of exploration has dawned upon the
world of Arcadia. Brave adventurers set sail
across the vast skies in search of treasures untold.
And, where there is treasure,
there will be Air Pirates.
"Impossible is just a word people use to make themselves feel better when they quit."
Vyse is a 17-year old Air Pirate and the main protagonist of the RPG Skies of Arcadia. Affiliated with the Blue Rogues, Vyse is an aspiring, adventurous young lad with a never-say-die attitude. Though young, Vyse's rearing and long, challenging adventure have bestowed him with experience far beyond his years. His vehement determination has acquired him a legendary reputation far and wide across Arcadia, a world of endless sky and floating continents. Bathed in the magic of six moons, the planet is host to six elemental energy types, which are inherent in all its living inhabitants. Through the extraction of the energy of fallen moon stones, Vyse and his friends have been able to power their airships and weapons, imbuing them with the powers of the lunar bodies. Vyse's weapon of choice are his twin cutlasses, which he uses to fight with in a dual-wielding fashion.
Vyse's dream has always been to see the world; to experience its peoples, landmarks, countries, and wonders. What might lay beyond the clouds in the realm of Smash Bros is beyond the young pirate's imagination, though he knows that wherever he may go, there always exist the possibility of confrontation. Usually fighting in a small party, Vyse has his experience in swashbuckling group combat. While he's perfectly capable of fending for himself, he hasn't quite shaken his history of battling with his crew. As a result, Vyse's playstyle emphasizes cooperation with other fighters, and is most effective in battles involving teams.
Size ~ 5
Weight ~ 5
Jumping ~ 7
Ground Speed ~ 6
Traction ~ 8
Air Speed ~ 8
Fall Speed ~ 8
Vyse appears to fall into the mid-to-high tier for most of his stats, corresponding to his role as an everyman in Skies of Arcadia. This doesn't make him too impressive at first glance, but his middling stats play well into making him not only a good assistant, but also a dependent, in team battles. While much of Vyse's moveset lingers in the field of offense, his mild ground speed prevents him from being a true rushdown fighter. His decent jumps, air speed, and fall speed, on the other sword-wielding hand, contribute greatly to his ground-to-sky and vise-versa chasing capabilities, allowing the pirate to keep pursuit over his victims. Vyse's attacks tend to have a lot of “impact”; resonating booms and shredding slice sounds accompany most of his landed hits. In spite of the apparent presence of power behind much of Vyse's attacks, he isn't exceptionally powerful, preferring to keep his enemies around longer so that he may enact a more gruling series of skillful attacks on them.
Defensively, Vyse's lacking weight keeps him from lasting too long into a stock, though the shifty rogue has some tricks that allow him to extend the time he spends on a life. His middle-ground frame sees him standing just taller than Falco, his height restrained by his crouching stance. A modestly large shield helps, to some extent, protect Vyse from projectile spam, which he may find to be a nuisance.
Idle Stance
Vyse, the swashbuckling sailor that he is, slightly shimmies forward and back in a battle-ready stance, holding his right cutlass out to his side, with the other held facing backward.
Walk
Vyse approaches forward slowly, back and knees bent. He holds both cutlasses forward, with his left sword held straight out and the other slightly retracted at his side.
Crouch
Vyse bends down onto one knee and one foot, his right sword held forward at his side, and his left sword resting on the ground, with his palm on top of it.
Dash
Leaning forward slightly, Vyse dashes, right cutlass held facing forward and left cutlass facing outward from Vyse.
Jump
A quick bound off of the ground, darting into the air with his right sword held across his chest and his left sword facing behind him. Vyse's midair jump has him backflipping or frontflipping, with his swords held crossed over his chest or both diagonally outward, respectively.
Shield
Vyse raises his left cutlass to guard his face with its blunt side, and holds his right one with its sharp edge facing in front of his body.
Sidestep
Quickly side-hops into the background, then jumps back into the action.
Roll
When rolling backwards, Vyse crosses his swords in an X-formation over his chest while backflipping once. A short-distance roll that comes out quickly. When rolling forward, Vyse somersaults with his cutlasses held outward beside him. This gives the same distance as his backward roll, but is slower.
Air Dodge
Strikes a pose with his right cutlass held facing backward and his left cutlass held facing forward, and with one leg extended diagonally behind him.
Helpless Fall
Falls with one leg held below the other, and both arms raised and bent.
Edgehang
Vyse, face stern with determination, grips the ledge with his left forearm resting atop the stage's lip, his left hand pressing down on his cutlass. He holds his right arm down at his side, cutlass facing downward.
Trip
Reeling back on one leg, Vyse lands on his rear, dropping his right sword beside him and holding his left behind him. With his free right hand, he brushes his hair in embarassment, smiling with his eyes closed.
Sleep
Vyse is so persistant that he doesn't even take time to lay down, instead resting his right forearm on his right knee, forehead pressed to his arm. The blue “sleep effect” indicator from
Skies of Arcadia appears over Vyse's head.
Neutral Special – Moon Stone Shift
The Moon Stone Shift is Vyse's most important and defining move, and the first action that should be mastered by prospecting players. Pressing the special button causes Vyse to shift which type of moon stone his cutlasses are powered by, thus changing their properties (along with their color) and the function of some attacks. Vyse will always start a battle with the red moon stone equipped, representing his associated element, fire. The Moon Stone Shift cycles through the spectrum of moon stones in a set order: red (fire), purple (ice), blue (wind and water), yellow (electricity), silver (dark/light/void), green (earth), red (fire). Shifting moon stones is instantaneous (pressing the button rapidly can shift through the entire list in one second) and is accompanied by a distinct sword-unsheathing sound effect, and Vyse can even shift his element during most of the frames of his attacks, though he cannot shift when grabbed, helpless, in a grab-release or flinching animation, or otherwise incapacitated. Nonetheless, the ability to shift at almost any time grants Vyse the ability to mix up different element combinations for potentially highly effective combos.
As previously stated, the color of Vyse's weapon dictates the element that is associated with it, which affects how opponents react to his attacks. Like the inhabitants of Arcadia, all of the other fighters have elements that they are associated with. They respond to Vyse's attacks according to the rules set forth by the
Skies of Arcadia type chart.
[collapse=Element Relationships]
[/collapse]
While it may seem complicated, the translation is simple. An advantageous attack deals 1.25x the normal amount of damage, while a doubly advantageous attack deals 1.5x the normal amount of damage. Likewise, resisted attacks deal .75x the normal amount of damage, with doubly resisted attacks dealing only .50x the normal amount. All damage output in this set will be given assuming hits are neutral, and all attacks make use of this system unless specified.
Elemental affiliations of the other fighters:
Croagunk –
Green
Tamoe Mami –
Yellow
Mace Windu –
Silver
Swallowman –
Blue
Megumi –
Silver
Jinbe –
Blue
Gruesome Twosome –
Yellow
Ultron –
Yellow
Lord Magnemite –
Yellow
Shadow –
Silver
Hammer Bro –
Blue
Axel –
Yellow
Anthill Mob –
Red
Bubble Witch Marin –
Blue
Starforce Megaman –
Yellow
Minami –
Purple
ChuChus –
Yellow
Ho-oh –
Red
Samurott –
Blue
Zoboomafoo –
Green
Blaziken –
Red
Bad Girl –
Purple
Koffing –
Green
Gyarados –
Blue
Merlina –
Silver
SSB Luigi –
Red
Dark Falz –
Silver
Volknerr –
Green
Spider-Man –
Green
Sho Minamimoto -
Purple
Nitros Oxide –
Red
Lethe –
Green
Little Nemo –
Blue
Riesz –
Green
Vespiquen –
Green
The Six Samurai – Kamon -
Red
Spider -
Yellow
Vyse – Varies based on equipped moon stone.
Salvatore -
Red
Pinsir -
Green
Armored Ventus Nightmare - Silver
Slayer -
Silver
Sol Badguy -
Red
TAC - Varies; Normally, TAC has no elemental alignment, but after copying enough of an opponent's moves, he takes on their element.
General Zod -
Blue
Elec Man -
Yellow
King Boo -
Silver
Blizzard Man -
Purple
Quick Man - Blue
Pac-Man - Yellow
Tingle - Green
Ring Man - Yellow
Magnet Man - Yellow
Kudgel - Red
Guts Man - Green
Dive Man - Blue
Heracross - Green
Vanellope von Schweetz - Yellow
Dr. Ivo Robotnik - Yellow
Whiscash - Blue
Soldier - Red
Ares - Silver
Dipper and Mabel Pines - Silver
Rain - Blue
Scrooge McDuck - Blue
Blood Falcon - Red
Nintendogs -
Green
Cody Travers -
Blue
Pichu -
Yellow
Strider Hiryu -
Yellow
Jet the Hawk -
Blue
Omega Ridley -
Red
Dust Man -
Blue
Even a pirate with an eyepatch can see that elemental matchups are important. Even though the difference in damage may seem minuscule, the multipliers can have a great effect. A doubly-resisted attack that normally would deal 5% damage would only deal 2-3% damage, essentially making an average attack little more than a slap on the wrist. Likewise, an attack that deals 30% damage could potentially deal 45%, tearing holes in an enemy's health. To correctly make use of Vyse's attacks, intelligent use of the Moon Stone Shift is required. Learn the order, learn the timing, learn the matchups, and Vyse's playstyle comes into clear view, opening up the doors to the rest of his moveset.
Pictured: Vyse's swords imbued with the power of a red moon stone, giving them a red, translucent appearance.
When Kirby copies Vyse's power, he gains the ability to shift moon stones (changing the color of his eyes as an indicator), and automatically shoots out a small burst of energy of whatever color he shifts to. This burst fires out ¾ the length of a Battlefield platform, straight from Kirby's hands. The attack follows the damage output rules of the type chart, with a 10% default power. Knockback is simlar to Kirby's own Forward Tilt. He also gets Vyse's hair and eyepatch/DBZ scouter hybrid...so that's pretty cool.
Down Special – Counterstrike
This move is not affected by Vyse's moonstone color. Bracing the blunt sides of both of his swords in front of himself, Vyse shouts “Bring it on!” and takes a counter-ready stance. The timing for this counter isn't anything very demanding, with a window similar in duration to Lucario's Double Team. If hit by a direct attack, Vyse quickly responds with an unavoidable downward slice from his right cutlass, which deals the same amount of damage that the opponent's attack would have done, in addition to Vyse himself taking half of the damage from the attack. Very slight, fixed knockback is also dealt. Counterstrike cannot parry indirect attacks.
With fixed knockback, an inability to reflect projectiles, and a halved-damage penalty, Counterstrike may come across as a pointlessly weak counter. However, the primary function of the move is not its main draw, nor is it its central use. If the down special input is held for 1.5 seconds, Vyse “charges” his counter, upgrading Counterstrike into its more potent form: Skull Shield, which will activate the next time Vyse counters. When attacked, Vyse will raise both arms, his swords pointing toward the sky, and summon the Pirate Spectre, the spirit of a deceased rogue.
The Pirate Spectre instantly counters for Vyse, swinging its massive cutlass to hit the attacking opponent for 20% damage (this is unaffected by Vyse's weapon type). In addition to countering the enemy's attack, Vyse will take no damage, and the Pirate's Spectre deals moderate, unfixed knockback, significantly improving upon the basic functionality of Counterstrike.
But the improvements don't end there. The Pirate Spectre continues to block attacks for Vyse for three more hits. These parries only apply to standard attacks, and the effect wears off after 8 seconds; during this time, Counterstrike functions as normal, though pulling off another Skull Shield does not add to the longevity of the automatic Pirate Spectre. This effect is the perfect way to limit an enemy's options, granting the player an easier time reading the foe's next actions, as any attacks that aren't grabs or specials become useless, lest the opponent risk 20% or more of damage.
If the player feels sufficient in their ability to defend themselves, they can instead bestow the effect of the Pirate Spectre onto an ally. When activating the counter, just as the Pirate Spectre appears but before it attacks, the player can direct the spirit either left or right using the joystick, which will cause Vyse to swipe his swords in the inputted direction, flinging the guardian ghost in the desired direction (Vyse still counters for himself, though only in Counterstrike form). The ghost only flies 4.5 character spaces before disappearing, but if it contacts an ally, all of the benefits of the auto-counter will then be granted to that partner (with the same 8-second time limit). Should he be fighting in a 3-man crew, Vyse can assign the Spectre to both of his teammates at the same time, though he must activate Skull Shield twice in order to do so (in rapid execution, given its time limit). While the benefits of the Skull Shield seem powerful, it is fairly difficult to pull off, and some degree of teamwork is required in order to bestow it upon someone else, as the player and their partner will need to be aligned well enough for the directed spirit to contact its target; failure results in a wasted attempt, though Vyse still counters for himself.
Up Special – Rain of Swords
Rays of light emit upward from a circle around the pirate's feet as Vyse crouches down slightly for a second, preparing a great leap so long as the input is held, then forcefully jumps into the air at an 80-degree angle, traveling six character spaces (though he can travel three if the move is not charged and the input is released early). At the height of his jump, Vyse, pausing in midair and swords crossed across his chest, swipes both weapons outward, releasing twelve bursts of light that travel diagonally toward the ground, six of which exist on the plane of battle. This spray of hitboxes tends to pelt foes in its path with a barrage of impacts, each dealing 9% damage. While knockback is low, the attack itself serves a defensive purpose, creating a showering wall of projectiles that can shield Vyse from enemies attempting to approach from the ground, making this attack a short-hopper's worst enemy. In addition, Rain of Swords can also be used as a pseudo-shield to guard one of Vyse's allies below him. Offensively, the attack serves well in allowing Vyse to approach, as the sting from the projectiles is often enough to allow Vyse to follow up after landing, providing him with the opportunity to string in another attack, making this a decent strategy to land a finishing blow. However, the move is very telegraphed, so it is best used, both as an attack and a shield, if the player can properly read their opponent. Vyse is left semi-helpless after using this move, being able to perform aerial standards, air dodge, and shift his moon stone, but nothing else.
When used in the air, Rain of Swords works much the same way, though without anything for Vyse to jump off of, it has a decreased distance of five character spaces total.
Side Special – Cutlass Fury
Vyse stops in place for ¼ of a second, then, if uninterrupted, quickly bursts forward ¾ of a Battlefield platform in length, initiating a string of attacks that rely on the special move button nd a joystick input being pressed upon impact in order to initiate each succeeding hit. If using all upward inputs, Vyse slices the foe with an inward slash from his left cutlass, uppercuts with his left blade, slashes upward with both swords together, then brings both swords together at his left hip, swinging them high up as he jumps. The strikes deal 5%, 7%, 6%, and 8% respectively. As Vyse jumps upward, the upward swing, with fixed vertical knockback, brings opponents with him; a distance of four character spaces. Vyse ends his onslaught by holding both swords together, and slamming them down, plummeting to the ground along with his opponent, putting them into prone state, from which Vyse can read their next tech and attempt to capitalize on it. This final blow deals 9% damage. However, if the input for Up Special is inserted instead of the normal input for Vyse's jumping strike, he will instead leave his opponent on the ground, and use Rain of Swords instead. This significantly cuts down on the move's normal start-up, and allows for mix-ups that can potentially make the move easier to execute and land.
With all downward inputs, Vyse uses the same inward slash from his left cutlass, then diagonally downward and inward with his right cutlass, downward and inward with his left cutlass, then foregoes the jump and finishes with a downward slam with both swords together that puts the enemy in prone state. The same damage is done regardless of which inputs are used; they key differences lay in their hitbox functionalities. Failing to press either an upward or downward input during this move cancels its execution mid-use. In addition, Vyse can cancel into any of his ground moves at any time during this move. If used in the air, Cutlass Fury functions the same way, and Vyse's descent is stalled completely for the first two hits and then slightly for the rest. He can cancel into any of his aerial moves.
Cutlass Fury deals a total of 35% damage, and 52-53% when amplified by a max type multiplier. While this may be a hefty chunk of damage, it may be preferable to cancel into another move early and end the string before it can finish through.
Forward Smash – Sword Wave
Vyse twists his torso to his right, winding up for a strike, then swings his right cutlass in a horizontal half-circle that encompasses the full 180-degrees in front of his body. Right before delivering the blow, the move can be canceled into a jab or Forward Tilt. While deceptively short in range, and a bit slow to start up, this attack has little in the way of cooldown and packs a decent punch, dealing 13-20% damage and killing horizontally at ~130% damage uncharged. Like other Forward Smashes, it can be angled. When this move is fully charged, the sword glints just before it is swung, and if the equipped moon stone is red, it sends out an arc-shaped wave, about as long as Kirby's cutter wave (though much more flat) and as fast as a thrown item straight forward (or diagonally if angled), traveling in midair for the length of ¾ of Battlefield. While the range may seem impressive, it should not be thrown out recklessly in a team match, as the projectile could mean big trouble for Vyse's allies. In singles and team matches, the wave can work well as a pseudo-shield to deter approaching enemies, or as a way to punish rollers who dodge the physical brunt of the attack, and even though it's a projectile, another Vyse can counter the wave with Counterstrike. At middle percentages, Jab and Forward Tilt both lead well into the beam, and smart tech reads can catch an opponent getting up from Down Tilt off guard.The projectile portion of the attack deals less knockback than the actual sword strike, and kills at around 190%.
If the equipped moon stone is yellow, the wave sent out from this move is replaced by Electri, a lightning strike spell that sends out a narrow bolt of electricity that deals less damage than normal, at 18%, but stuns opponents for ½ of a second and passes through characters. The range of the projectile is still the same.
A green moon stone changes the projectile into an earth rupture attack that distorts the floor of the stage or platform, traveling along the ground. Foes hit by this attack are launched into the air. At very low percentages, this is useful for tech-chasing in the same manner as DK's Hand Slap, as it sends the enemy only a few inches from the ground. Vyse can initiate a combo string on a foe's fresh stock by flipping them up with the quake and then using Quika to meet and catch them with a grab or second attack. At higher percentages, it is a possible kill move, sending foes off the top of the screen and killing at 150%. Damage output is the same as normal.
A blue moon stone sends out a small wave of water along the ground, traveling at a slower speed than its other variations, at Kirby's running speed and the height of a crouching Pikachu. The wave eventually dissipates as the other versions of the projectile do, but travels off of ledges. Foes are weakly pushed as the wave runs into them, dealing small, multiple hits that add up to a maximum of 23%. This can weakly pull enemies down off of a stage, similar to a weaker versions of Piplup, and is also useful in “passing” foes to an ally.
A purple wave is nearly identical to the red version, though it freezes the foe it contacts in a block of ice, like the Blizzard of the Ice Climbers. If Vyse is quick to follow up, he can potentially engage his opponent as they are about to break free from the ice.
A silver projectile takes the shape of a silver crescent shape that spins as it travels. Those it contacts are “stuck” to the projectile, spinning along with it as it travels. When the projectile reaches its max range, it disappears, slinging the foe back toward Vyse. If timed correctly, this can be chained into Vyse's Down Tilt, or for more advanced options, Vyse can attempt to meet his opponent with an attack out of Quika.
The sword strike itself is an important part of the move, being the primary killer of the sword-wave duo. In addition, the range of the move extends just slightly behind Vyse, allowing him to possibly hit a foe standing behind him (though this requires very close proximity). This is helpful in playing into reads and punishing rollers, as well as protecting an ally behind oneself from an assailant, though in a friendly fire match, back-to-back partners are forced to either read one another very well or stay seperated, as this move could backfire and damage an ally.
Up Smash – Slice and Dice
Holding both cutlasses above his head, Vyse twirls his twin weapons in a synchronized, clock-wise motion. Shredding aerial foes up for multiple hits of .07% damage, a total of 16-25% damage may be dealt depending on DI, launching foes upward diagonally. The entire animation takes about 1.25 seconds to execute, giving Vyse ample time to shift moon stones during the attack, should the opportunity arise that another fighter enters the hitboxes of the move during its duration. This is a relatively weak move in terms of knockback, killing at ~190% when uncharged.
Some of this attack's properties are altered by Vyse's moon stones. The basic attack described above is universal, but different elements add their own quirks. The fire variant adds burn damage to the attack.
Purple weapons shred foes up with chunks of ice while a chilling gale swirls around Vyse's swords. The icy crystals in this move alter its launch trajectory, sending foes vertically.
Silver weapons create a gravity-bending rend of energy that increases the pull strength of the move, and launches foes outward in a horizontal path. Smart players can use this variation to pull in foes, then launch them by switching to the ice variant. Damage is lessened from the fire variant by 7%.
Yellow weapons emit electricity from the edges of the swords, electrocuting foes in a manner similar to Pichu's Forward Smash before launching them. This keeps them vulnerable to an ally's attack, but deals 4% less damage than the fire variant.
Blue weapons create a swashing, swirling aura of water within the hitbox range, dealing 5% less damage than normal. At the end of the move, Vyse swings both swords upward, creating a splash of water that tosses the opponent upward and causes them to tumble to the ground, putting them in a prone state. This variant has little KO potential.
Green weapons grind foes up with a bit of rubble and dirt, dealing the maximum amount of damage but a bit less knockback than the fire variant, making it more useful for combos at higher percentages.
Down Smash – Whirlwind Strike
Like some Forward Tilts and Forward Smashes, this move can be angled, either forward or backward. If angled forward (or if no directional input is given), Vyse, crouching, swipes his right sword down clockwise at an angle at the ground in front of him, dealing 11-17% damage and dealing moderate upward diagonal knockback to his target, then twisting to slice backward, counter-clockwise along the ground with his left cutlass, a hitbox which deals 9-15% damage and pulls any target behind him to stand in front of himself. If this move is angled backward, then the reverse happens. Vyse swings his left cutlass, behind his back, clockwise, dealing an identical hit to its forward version, then swings his right cutlass in front of him counter-clockwise, dragging any target in front of him to land right behind him. The initial hit of this move kills at 170%. Transition from one phase of the move can be slowed by a small amount with timed presses of the attack button.
This is a crazy move that grants Vyse the ability to reposition his teammates, should he have any. The first hit of the attack knocks foes away, and the second hit drags a partner in to take their place. This can be used to force a teammate to take an attack for oneself or engage a foe head-on, or, if the player feels less cruel, it can also be used to save or protect a teammate in immediate danger. Of course, both players should be fighting on the same wavelength and should mutually have a general idea of when this move is going to be used, lest unwelcome scenarios, such as knocking away allies and dragging foes into range of punishment, become a regular event. Luckily, due to Vyse's nearly universal moon stone shifting, damage on an ally can be mitigated while maximizing damage on an enemy by quickly shifting moon stones from a high-damage output stone to one of a lesser strength, a process aided by transition slowing as described in the above paragraph.
Jab – Cutlass Slice
Vyse raises his right arm, and swipes downward with his cutlass. A fairly basic move with two separate, linking hitboxes in a manner similar to Wolf's Forward Tilt, dealing 2% and 3% damage. Granting decent knockback for a jab, this is a relatively quick move that serves reliably in mix-ups and reads, but has little use outside of such situations, as it is outclassed by other moves in Vyse's arsenal.
Floor Attack – Arc Blade
Vyse rises and crouches, swinging his left cutlass diagonally up behind his shoulder. This knocks any opponent behind him into the air just above and behind Vyse, dealing 4% damage. If the attack button is pressed again, Vyse foregoes entering his idle stance, and instead backflips up from his position, landing one character space behind his previous position, putting him right behind the launched opponent and allowing him to follow up with any number of options, such as a Rain of Swords if the opponent is unsuspecting and techs downward, or a jab if they try to fall in front of Vyse for an attack.
Floor Attack (Strong) – Bootleg
Performing a quick recovery, Vyse handstands while facing the camera, spreading his legs out on either side of himself and kicking with his boots. Fairly telegraphed and not too quick to come out, this move lingers for about 2 frames, giving it some exploitative value. Knockback is low, and damage output is 3%. Vyse's moon stone does not affect this attack.
Trip Attack – Unsuspecting Strike
In his sitting position, Vyse feigns his own embarassment at having tripped by smirking and quickly jabbing his left sword along the ground behind him, tripping the opponent in retaliation and dealing 3% damage.
Ledge Attack – Cutlass Spear
Vyse hoists himself up, and, holding himself up with his knees and one hand, stabs forward with his right cutlass, low to the ground. The attack has rather impressive range and a lingering hitbox, and deals low knockback coupled with 5% damage.
Ledge Attack (Strong) – Rogue's Landing
Vyse front-flips onto the stage, rising two character spaces into the air before slamming down to the ground at the edge of the platform in a tripod stance with his right arm behind him, dealing next to no knockback, but a bit of stun resulting from the sheer unexpectedness of the attack. Only the downward motion of this maneuver deals damage, a slight 3%, making it weaker than Vyse's “weak” ledge attack. What makes this move “stronger” are the options it gives.
If the attack button is pressed again as Vyse lands, he'll rise to his feet and swing his right cutlass upward at an angle, starting at his left hip and ending above his right shoulder. If the attack manages to connect with an enemy (more easily done if they're stunned by the first part of the attack), they are dealt 5% damage, sent two character spaces into the air, and can possibly be followed for another hit. Only this part of the attack calculates Vyse's moon stone.
The player can also press the shield button after landing to have Vyse roll backward and snap right back onto the ledge, possibly allowing for a partner to follow up on the stun provided by his initial leap, or simply to play mind games and mix up one's pattern.
Dash Attack – Quika
Vyse pauses for ¼ of a second, a blue ring of light emitting from around his feet. He then bursts forward at light speed for a maximum of three character spaces, dealing no damage. Vyse moves so quickly that he disappears, appearing to teleport. He reappears either in place or one, two, or three character spaces away, determined by the timing of an attack input. Vyse will reappear using any of his ground attacks (chosen by the player), including his grab, possibly catching his enemy off-guard and allowing Vyse to intercept, mix-up, or play mind-games. Tilting the control stick in the opposite direction will cause Vyse to face the other way when he reappears, forcing his opponent to rely on a difficult read to dodge or block accordingly. Vyse can even Moon Stone Shift while teleporting, allowing him to pull off some devious stunts. The sound effect of shifting does not occur during the invisiblity frames, so while the player must know the pattern and timing of the Moon Stone Shift exceptionally well in order to effectively make use of Quika shifting, the foe will have no idea whether the player is shifting or not.
Forward Tilt – Piercing Purge
Vyse quickly leans into a straight stab, dealing 8% damage and “impaling” the enemy by locking them in place. Vyse can either choose to end the attack here, leaving the opponent stunned for ¼ of a second after releasing them, or input the attack button again to transition from the stab into a rising cutlass “pimp slap” from the hilt of his left cutlass, knocking the opponent away with 5% damage, killing at 185%.
The initial stun from the first hit gives Vyse the opportunity to retreat and judge the opponent's next tech (the stun isn't long enough for him to reliably use another attack every time), or leave them susceptible to a partner's attack. This move is useful in multiple ways, acting as a pseudo-defensive tech-forcing move that allows the player to choose whether they wish to cancel the action early or string into a knock-away attack.
Up Tilt – Hoist
At half of the speed of Piercing Purge, Vyse swings both swords up together as he clutches them side-by-side, their chopping ends facing upward. This has the property of sending targets into the air, about 4-6 character spaces, depending on percentage. Dealing 7% damage, this move puts foes right into position for a following Rain of Swords or an aerial attack, though the launch trajectory varies based on where the move connects and how the foe DIs. The tips of Vyse's swords send enemies into the air at a forward angle, potentially out of range, while the middle portions send them straight up or at a slight forward or backward slant, depending on DI. Contact with Vyse's hands results in a meager 2% damage; however, it launches targets straight upward at the heighest distance, and gives them greatest control over their trajectory. With friendly fire turned on, Vyse can also hoist his teammates, so it is preferable for Vyse's hands to make contact, not only to deal less damage, but also to provide the best possible set-ups. Some characters would not be able to perform aerial chases of high caliber without assistance from Vyse. The maneuver has many applications, with a simple strategy involving hoisting an ally immediately after tossing an enemy, or vise-versa: tossing an enemy into an airborne ally's range of attack. Obviously, the hand part of this move's hitbox is not affected by moon stones.
Down Tilt – Sliding Kick
Vyse slides along the ground for one character space with one leg extended. If he contacts a grounded enemy (the only way for this move to hit), he kicks off of the opponent, sending them sliding anywhere from ¾ of a Battlefield platform in length to two of such platforms in length, depending on the enemy's damage. 5% damage is dealt. Vyse himself kicks into the air just a few inches, allowing him time to execute one aerial move before landing, though the choice to do so will result in landing lag, for obvious reasons. This move is not affected by moon stones.
The sliding knockback provided by this move is useful in “passing” enemies to an ally.
Neutral Aerial – Cutlass Cross
Vyse pulls his legs in so that he's in an almost sitting position, and brings both cutlasses in over his chest in an X-formation. Immediately, he pulls his swords apart in an X-shaped slicing motion. As he pulls his swords inward, a small hitbox on the weapons deals 3% damage and pulls enemies in toward the area where the swords meet, before pushing the target out with the outward part of the attack, which deals 15% damage in a small range directly in front of Vyse. This attack kills at 140%. The transition from the pull to the push portions of this action lends itself to a moon stone shift, should Vyse which to do so.
Forward Aerial – Dual Slice
Raising both cutlasses over his head a la the final hit of Cutlass Fury, Vyse quickly brings both swords down in front of him, slicing down to his waist-level. Dealing 15%, this move spikes, dunking foes toward the ground. By fast-falling, Vyse can often reach his opponent in time to continue his assault. Comes out rather quickly, though even as a sword-based move, its range is disappointingly low.
Back Aerial – Lunar Cleave
Vyse, almost non-chalantly, swings upward behind his back with his backward-facing left cutlass, creating a swishing blur of light resembling a crescent moon. The upward motion of the swing launches targets depending on the point of the motion that contacts them. While in its initial frames of swinging backward, the blade sends fighters diagonally upward behind Vyse. As it comes upward, the attack sends the target in a more vertical path, and while curling forward toward the back of Vyse's shoulder, it sends them diagonally forward and upward in front of Vyse. Deals 14% damage and kills at ~155% for most variations.
Each moon stone adds an accompanying stream of energy that trails Vyse's sword, extending behind it in a (usually) lingering arc. Red leaves a trail of fire that singes and eats projectiles that contact it, safeguarding Vyse from the back (deals 3%). Yellow brings a crackling arc of electricity that does not linger, but stuns opponents (even in midair) for ½ of a second (deals 5%). Blue creates a sudden, curling wind current that launches targets 1.5x higher than normal (making it excellent for getting foes off one's back or aiding an ally's movement). Green leaves behind a noxious, shining aura that poisons anyone it contacts, dealing 2% per second for 3 seconds. Purple creates an arc of sharp ice that melts away after 2/3 of a second, but knocks foes at a downward angle (deals 7%). Silver sends out a crescent-shaped arc that travels straight behind Vyse at Jigglypuff's dash speed for a distance of one Battlefield platform, granting Vyse a tricky projectile that serves well in punishing opponents (deals 4%). Vyse can short-hop away from a foe with one element equipped, baiting them to pursue, but unexpectedly shift to silver and give them a nice treat.
Like other moves in Vyse's repertoire, the trajectory on this attack allows Vyse to choose a way to position his ally, given that they're willing to take some damage. If Vyse follows an Up Tilt hoist with a quick jump and Lunar Cleave, his target can gain substantial height.
Up Aerial – Lunar Rend
Vyse holds his left arm into the air, spinning his cutlass in a counter-clockwise motion, creating a full circle above himself and leaving a blur of light resembling a full moon. The animation takes about .75 of a second, with the target receiving knockback dependent on which part of the hitbox they contacted. 13% damage is given. Because of this attack's large area of effect, it can be difficult for teammates to avoid, but it also works as a high-priority shield that deflects projectiles in directions based on positioning. While it may pose a threat to teammates, it also serves well in protecting them, as well as Vyse himself. Kills at 190%.
This move has elemental variations. Red imbues the sword with flame, creating a ring of fire that deals burn damage.
Yellow shooks sparks out from the sword, radiating around all sides of the hitbox, acting as a single hit that zaps the enemy, increasing this move's area of effect. Damage is 2-3% less than the fire version.
Green emits a shining green aura around the hitbox, poisoning foes for 2% per second for 3 seconds; if foes are caught within the center of the circle, the move is sweetspotted, and they are badly poisoned for 4% a second for 3 seconds.
Blue creates a current of wind that travels around the spinning sword, redirecting projectiles and nearby items based on where they contact the wind hitbox. Additionally, fighters are dragged in the general direction of the wind if they are nearby, but this effect is not significant. 5% less damage is dealt.
Purple encases the sword in a strong coat of ice, giving the attack high priority at the cost of encasing the sword's bladed edge and reducing damage by 8%.
Silver creates a gleaming grey void within the circle, which pulls foes, projectiles, and items inward toward the attack, with an effective pull range of ¾ of a character space around the hitbox. Enemies and items are shredded by the sword and this pseudo-black hole, while projectiles are completely absorbed. 4% damage is lost in exchange. In team battles, Vyse can use this move to great effect in protecting he and his partner from projectile spam. Additionally, the pull effect of this move is great for punishing air dodgers and helpless fallers; Vyse can pull them off of the stage if they are close enough, then use his recovery to keep himself alive.
Down Aerial – Sky Bomber
A stall-then-fall move similar to Sonic's dive kick, Vyse pounces downward at ¾ the speed of Zero Suit Samus' plummet, right cutlass held out in front of him. While falling, Vyse zips through any target in his path, dealing some stun accompanied by 8% damage. While Vyse does not plummet indefinitely, he falls for half the height of Skyworld's ceiling before leaving this move's animation.
When Vyse hits the ground, he crashes blade-first, piercing any bystander for 10% damage and low knockback. Rather unimpressive as an attack, this move works best for mobility and chasing. When Vyse's fall speed isn't quite enough, this plummeting maneuver can get him to the ground faster, allowing him to chase foes to the ground just as Rain of Swords allows him to bring a grounded fight to the air. This move also allows Vyse to intercept attacks on his allies. While landing lag is moderate, Vyse isn't drastically vulnerable should this move miss, though it should be used cleverly, like the rest of his arsenal. Throwing it out carelessly weakens its effectiveness.
Grab
Vyse grabs with both arms grasping the target's shoulders, cutlasses gripped firmly and facing forward. Because both of his hands are occupied, Vyse has a clumsy and low-range dash grab and a slow standing grab.
Pummel – Pirate's Scorn
Vyse, smirking in confidence, knees his captive with his right leg. A moderately-high speed grab attack that deals 2-3% per hit. Its damage output is the same, regardless of moon stone equipped.
Forward Throw – Cutlass Wrath
Vyse sternly slices away at his opponent in a series of quick sword strikes, accumulating to a total of 13% damage. The final hit knocks enemies at a 45-degree incline, killing at 165%. The entire animation lasts for 1.5 seconds, leaving Vyse vulnerable. While best used in a 1v1 situation, this throw does have its usefulness in multiplayer matches, as the foe is held in place long enough for another player to capitalize on their vulnerability. Ideally, an ally should attempt an easy KO during this window.
Back Throw – Quick Shift
Vyse, holding his opponent with both arms, quickly twirls around, pressing his back to his captive and reversing the direction each of them faces. Dealing 6% damage, this weak throw is unaffected by moon stones and is useful for quickly repositioning an ally (or using them as a shield). If the shifted individual is swung into another character, the third player takes 4% damage and modest horizontal knockback. Essentially acting as a more efficient version of Down Smash when used on an ally, it's also a more situational move.
Up Throw – Rising Strike
Vyse smacks the enemy with the hilt of his right cutlass, stunning the foe, then quickly rolls around through the background to stand behind them, bringing both swords upward from his left side at a diagonal angle. The foe is propelled upward (being star KO'd at 180%). The first hit deals 4% damage, while the second deals 8%.
Vyse is able to to cancel the second parts of this attack by pressing and holding the shield button at one of two times. If the shield button is pressed after attacking with the hilt, Vyse immediately dodge-rolls backward. He can do the same after the automatic roll to the opponent's backside, causing him to continue his roll and distance himself from the enemy. Both options are valuable in that Vyse can stun his opponent, then remove himself from the situation, allowing an ally to step in for an attack. Such a tactic is also useful in tech chase reads based on how the opponent recovers from their stun state, which functions as a grab release. A new type of depth emerges in team battles, where Vyse can cleverly use his dodges and rolls to deal damage on his captive while avoiding their partner's advances. With three different ways to carry out the throw, players should mix their choices up so that opponents are never certain of exactly what the player will do.
Down Throw – Wevli
A blue circle of light shines up from around Vyse's feet, and a shining, azure vortex of wind and water, resembling a whirlpool, encompasses the enemy, spinning them round while racking up 8% damage. The whirlpool is about a head taller than Ganondorf, and one character space in width. After Wevli racks up damage for 2.5 seconds, the whirlpool collapses and dissipates, dragging the opponent to the ground and instantly putting them into a prone position in a splash of water that deals 4% damage, for a total of 12% overall. Vyse can then use this opportunity to tech chase the opponent. 4% damage is also dealt to any non-captive opponent that finds their way into the attack's hitbox.
Wevli deals blue (water) damage, regardless of which moon stone Vyse has equipped.
Pirates' Wrath / Delphinus Bombardment
Vyse's fighting style differs so much between 1-on-1 and multi-man environments that the crafty pirate has decided to use a different Final Smash depending on the situation.
In a 1-on-1 brawl, Vyse gets personal with Pirates' Wrath. The screen darkens as the background shifts into a celestial night sky, with moon stone comets falling in the distance. “Behold,” Vyse shouts, raising his right sword into the air. A large tornado, which pulls in nearby foes, is conjured around the pirate, and a crackling bolt of lightning shoots straight down the cyclone's center. Vyse swings his raised cutlass, dissolving the tornado and sending the lightning bolt crackling across the length of the stage. If the bolt contacts anyone, whether while in the tornado or while it is traveling, they are dealt 40% damage and stunned in place. As soon as (and if) a single opponent is stunned, Vyse darts through the sky to reach them while shouting “Pirates' Wrath!”, delivering two wide-swinging sword slashes that form a skull-and-crossbones insignia over the foe. A massive explosion result from this concussive attack, dealing 60% damage to the enemy, and almost certainly killing them. While somewhat difficult to avoid, the lightning bolt
can be dodged by ledgehanging, ending Vyse's fit of destruction prematurely. The entire process is a shortened version of
this.
In a team battle, however, Vyse takes a far different approach. He calls upon his (stolen) airship, the Delphinus, the most technologically advanced and powerful warship created by the Valuan Empire. The massive vessel lowers itself in the background, and Vyse backflips onto the ship. Pulling around to about 40 feet in the background, Vyse commands his vessel's crew to rain destruction upon the stage. A targeting reticle appears, which can be moved with the joystick, dictating the direction of fire from several of the Delphinus' weapons. Pressing the special move button fires the ship's cannons, which send cannonballs hurtling straight towards the arena. Each deals 30% damage and moderate knockback to anyone they hit. The standard attack button launches torpedoes, which come falling down from the top of the screen in random locations, similar to PK Starstorm, but far fewer in number. Dealing 50% damage and high knockback each, torpedoes cannot be aimed. Finally, pressing the standard attack button and the special move button together fires the Moon Stone Cannon, the most powerful weapon of the Delphinues. Repositioning itself so that the ship's front is facing the stage, rather than its side, a massive pink laser fires in the direction of the reticle, functioning very similarly to the laser on the Halberd, though it is more telegraphed at the bonus of being far more powerful, dealing 200% damage and instantly sending anything it hits into the blast zone. As soon as the Moon Stone Cannon is fired, the Final Smash ends. Alternatively, it ends after 15 seconds. Regardless of how crazy powerful the cannon is, the weapon is still highly telegraphed, so it's best saved for a finisher at the end of the move's duration.
One final factor is the crew assist techniques, which derive from Vyse's teammates. Vyse's team hops aboard the Delphinus with him, and they can assist him in taking out their enemies with their crew assists, simplified but based upon the techniques featured in Skies of Arcadia. Depending on his teammate's elemental affiliation, a number of spells can be casted to increase the flurry of hitboxes in this Final Smash. Activated by the players of the crew members themselves, an assisting spell can be used once per Final Smash.
Red – Pyrum is cast, raining down fireballs all over the stage.
Green – Noxum is cast, conjuring a thin fog of green gas that poisons players, gradually dealing 3% of damage a second while the Final Smash lasts.
Purple – Panika is cast, causing the enemies to become confused and have their controls reversed, possibly attacking one another. This lasts 7 seconds or until the Final Smash ends.
Blue – Slipara is cast, putting the enemies to sleep until they are next hit and leaving them as sitting ducks.
Yellow – Driln is cast, halving the speed of the opponents for 8 seconds or the duration of the Final Smash.
Silver – Eterni is cast, with the ability to instantly KO a target. The target is chosen at random if there are two enemies, and the chance of the spell succeeding increases with the target's damage. This move is best reserved for the end of the Final Smash, after racking up damage with cannonballs and torpedoes, to take out persistant enemies that refuse to be KO'd.
Only one of these assists can be used per Final Smash. If Vyse has two partners, the partner that presses the special button to activate theirs first determines which will be used. Still, it's always nice to have options.
Entrance
Vyse fades in from a translucent, still, red model of his body, entering his idle stance as his coloring appears.
Up Taunt
Vyse concentrates, focusing his power. He rises about 2 inches off of the ground, with his hair blowing from the force of the power rising from his feet. “Moons, give me strength!” he shouts aloud.
Side Taunt
“Haaaa!” Vyse “focuses” his strength, charging up his spirit power, bending his knees and brandishing his right cutlass over his face in a dual-stabbing pose.
Down Taunt
Vyse reels back on his heels and waves a hand over his mouth while snoring.
Victory 1
Vyse triumphantly
plants a Blue Rogues flag into the ground before him, brushes his hands against one another to signify his hard work, and puts his hands on his hips, smiling at the camera.
Victory 2
Brushes the hair from his face in exhaust, grinning at his success. “It's an air pirate's duty to cause trouble,” he mutters tauntingly.
Victory 3
Vyse brandishes his swords in a showboating fashion, ending with holding his right cutlass over his shoulder. “That wasn't so bad,” he says, grinning.
Victory (Special)
In a doubles match, if the players performed substantially well (led by 3 stocks or more, or 4 points or more), and Vyse's partner is at least somewhat humanoid, they will perform
this victory maneuver.
Vyse has different goals depending on the match type. In 1v1 combat, Vyse's goal is much more straightforward; he should primarily focus on using mix-ups and tech chases to lay down the hurt on his opponent, putting to use his decent combo-ability. Even his more team-oriented moves, such as Back Throw, have a use in solo combat, generally playing mind games with the opponent and forcing their strategies to get in line behind what Vyse is planning. It's a very assertive way to play, a style that the boisterous air pirate works well with.
At the core of Vyse's playstyle, however, lay the moon stone shifting and elemental weapon types, which the player's game should revolve around. Mastery of the system is crucial for maximizing damage output in all match types, and in 1v1 situations in particular, the various effects offered on some of Vyse's key moves can go to great lengths in keeping an opponent on their toes and frustrated with predicting what Vyse will choose to do. Since Vyse isn't the greatest at scoring kills, he needs to rack up an above-average amount of damage. Type matchups can be used in a variety of ways, and skilled players will be able to switch reflexively while hardly thinking about it, with memorization of the color order and the timing for the shift in relation to each attack being key factors in making the element system effective. Back Aerial may be effective in its knockback properties alone, for example, but its true beauty is revealed when coupled with mid-animation moon stone shifts. Hitting Croagunk at the beginning of the swing with a red weapon but then quickly changing to hit Blaziken with purple and then using silver to hit another foe approaching from behind maximizes the damage dealt by the single attack. Applying this to the rest of Vyse's moves is crucial for dealing the great amounts of damage the rogue is possible of scoring.
Vyse has an excellent mix-up game based around move cancels, fake-outs, and Quika in particular. He has various ways to end many of his animations, leaving his next action a guessing game for the opponent. Vyse forces his opponent to consider a multitude of possible options in how they respond to his actions, exploiting the enemy psychologically as well as physically.
Vyse's mix-ups come at a cost, however, in that they operate in a different light in a doubles match, which the rogue is specifically effective in due to his history of fighting in and against crews.
Vyse's unpredictability can cause harm for teammates who are not in tune, so anyone playing as or partnered with Vyse in a team battle should definitely know the character and his strategies, and be prepared for anything in the thick of battle. Vyse's partner should typically be covering their ally like a true crewmate, not only so they can protect Vyse and allow him to carry through with his more telegraphed or charge-reliant moves, but also to make his partner-involving techniques more effective. At the same time, Vyse should be using his AoE attacks and mix-ups to keep foes away from his partner and allow them to execute their own strategies. Rain of Swords, for example, is a great pseudo-shield that can buy a partner enough time to pull out a slow-winding attack or charge a special move. Vyse can also grant both he and his partner a Pirate Spectre, providing opportunities of seconds-long but grueling scenarios where the opponent team's offensive choices are greatly limited against both players, allowing both players to take advantage of the situation. All of these acts of unison require talented execution and great synchronization, however, as Vyse's mix-ups can throw his own partner off-guard and result in clumsy, painful situations for the crewmates. Both Vyse and his partner should also be aware of Vyse's element at all times, especially in a match with friendly fire turned on; the player should try to avoid hitting their opponent with elements effective against them. This becomes very apparent with moves such as Up Tilt and Down Smash, which are specifically intended to assist allies. The player should minimize damage done to their partner; if more damage is done to one's partner than the opponent, the payoff isn't there, and Vyse's partner-based set-ups aren't worth the effort put into them just to pull them off. Proper execution of crew-based techniques reaps high rewards for the air pirate, however, so any serious team should learn their way around them. A successful player can reap a treasure-trove of rewards, but dead men tell no tales.
Rather than explaining Vyse's advantageous and disadvantageous match-ups in a 1v1 scenario, this section will give examples of a few doubles pairings that work well in both Vyse's and his partner's favors, in order to illustrate Vyse's effectiveness in a 2-on-2 environment and paint a clearer picture of how he interacts with other characters in a cooperative fashion.
Mami Tomoe
What may seem as an unorthodox pairing actually has a few core unities that tie the characters together. While Mami is most effective in a 1-on-1 battle, she and Vyse both enjoy putting their opponents into prone states and effectively reading their techs. The degree of stage control Mami possesses from her floating rifles – including the free range of their placement – is a very helpful characteristic that works wonders for Vyse. The pirate's more telegraphed moves (which are often his most effective ways to kill or approach) become much safer to attempt and easier to execute due to the coverage offered by Mami's floating rifles. In turn, Vyse's partner placement moves allow Mami to reach heights she normally couldn't, letting her place rifles in normally unreachable areas. This not only helps augment Mami's own interests, but it also feeds back into Vyse's protection.
Vyse can also protect Mami. She can more safely approach a rifle spawned on the ground with coverage from Vyse's Forward Smash or Rain of Swords. If Mami whiffs a grab, Vyse can use Down Smash to reorient her and keep her out of harm's way. Vyse and Mami also do well in feeding into each other's attacks. An opponent sent sliding from Vyse's Down Tilt can be fed right into Mami's own Down Tilt, proning the enemy and forcing them to respond under the pressure of two closed-in adversaries. Successful reads in such a scenario could result in a series of looped attacks for the duo.
Aside from supplementing the weaknesses of the other, Mami and Vyse also compliment each other's strengths. Vyse can meet with an opponent tugged from Mami's ribbons with an attack out of Quika, or use Silver-powered Forward Smash to tug enemies into range for Mami to shoot with a rifle attack, trouncing the need for Mami to do her own pursuing while risking the startup of her rifle moves. If Vyse and Mami give their own opponents trouble in reading their next moves after a set-up, then together, with a doubled amount of possible responses to bad techs, they can give opponents hell. As a whole, with the amount of mix-ups and forces they both can impose on the competition, they create an air of extreme pressure that can be blood-boilingly frustrating to deal with.
Ho-oh
Obviously, the first thing that may come to mind is Ho-oh's Sacred Flames, which are useful in any team match-up. Protecting the already vulnerable Vyse from hindering effects is a great benefit. Between Vyse's partner-positioning and Ho-oh's bequeathment of Sacred Flames, a partnership between the two might resemble a slap-happy, violent friendship as the two hit one another with their own attacks in an attempt to maximize performance while minimizing the damage they do to themselves. If Ho-oh begins to take too much damage, Vyse has the tools necessary to keep foes busy while Ho-oh retreats and heals/charges Sunny Day. However, Vyse isn't the most effective candidate for, and certainly isn't, a rushdown character in its truest form, so while an effective strategy, it's not an invincible one.
Besides that, Ho-oh cooperates with Vyse in much the same way as Mami, in that it compliments Vyse in a way that makes the partnership a success at applying ample pressure. Between Vyse's moon stone swaps and Ho-oh's variability regarding the presence or absence of Sunny Day, the opposition has to deal with an environment of severely perturbing unpredictability; keeping up with the alterations the two make to their movesets over the course of a match becomes incredibly difficult. Battles become even more disorienting when Ho-oh and Vyse make adept use of their wind effects to push and drag their enemies in disorienting, focus-breaking mind-games. Whereas with Mami, Vyse would overwhelm the opponent with disorienting offense, with Ho-oh, he'd shut them down with rapid-fire mind games.
Special thanks to everyone who provided advice and critique.
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Colonel, there's a busty military woman giving out orders to everyone...even me.
Seems you're up against Salvatore, Snake. Salvatore is a military enthusiast who lives for war, chaos and strong opponents. She's either taking orders from higher-ups or giving them out to whoever she meets.
