IvanQuote
Smash Ace
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- Apr 7, 2014
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- ivanquote
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- 1693-3075-2999
Well this was a long time coming. I'm not going to be making many friends with the final smash or customs, but I've put this off for far too long. I hope you enjoy...
Toa Tahu
The leader of the Toa Nuva, Tahu is fierce, short tempered, and impatient. On the other hand, he is very courageous and protective of his fellow teammates. Both of these descriptions aptly describe his powers nicely. He is the Toa of Fire, and as such, can command it at will. Tahu’s mask, the Hau, is a mask of shielding, which is said to shield against any known attack he can see coming. His weapons of choice are twin magma swords, which can be dual wielded (the most common way they’re held, seen above) or put together to form one large blade.
In the latter form, it could be used as a surfboard to travel across lava. Even in his Toa Nuva form, Tahu brings various past and future weapons along with him, such as a sword literally made of fire and a rotating fan-like blade. He is a fierce competitor who can easily manage his defenses and will never back down.
Statistics:
Size: (8) As a mechanical warrior, he’s relatively tall standing at around Samus’ height.
Size: (8) As a mechanical warrior, he’s relatively tall standing at around Samus’ height.
Weight: (9) Being the Toa of Shielding, he is the heaviest of the Toa, at around Ganondorf’s weight.
Fall Speed: (7) Around that of Diddy; he falls somewhat quickly
Jump: He has average jumping capability, just enough to get good air mileage out of his attacks.
Air Speed: (5) His air speed is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s better than his ground maneuverability.
Ground Speed: (2) He is the slowest of the Toa, just barely above Snake’s speed.
Misc: With the mask of shielding, Tahu’s shield becomes more durable than that of any other fighter. In fact, it is completely unbreakable and will not shrink. In addition, if you perfect shield an attack, an explosive burst comes out, damaging nearby opponents (identical to the respective custom effect, which will stack and amplify these further).
However, there is one massive catch; his mask of shielding blocks all attacks he can see. In other words, his shield only covers his front half (more specifically, it goes in a curve from a tiny bit behind his head to the tip of his toe). This means he is completely vulnerable to attacks from behind and below. Additionally, his rolls and dodges are quite a bit slower than normal, so he has trouble escaping attacks. Also, he can still be attacked by moves that ignore shields (Little Mac’s custom B, any grab, etc.).
Aesthetically, the shields have a fiery look to them. Unrelatedly, Tahu can wall-cling by sticking his magma swords into the wall.
However, there is one massive catch; his mask of shielding blocks all attacks he can see. In other words, his shield only covers his front half (more specifically, it goes in a curve from a tiny bit behind his head to the tip of his toe). This means he is completely vulnerable to attacks from behind and below. Additionally, his rolls and dodges are quite a bit slower than normal, so he has trouble escaping attacks. Also, he can still be attacked by moves that ignore shields (Little Mac’s custom B, any grab, etc.).
Aesthetically, the shields have a fiery look to them. Unrelatedly, Tahu can wall-cling by sticking his magma swords into the wall.
Standards:
Jab: A two-hit combo that involves a vertical chop and a horizontal slice with the dual blades in succession (3, 4%). It has little beginning and ending lag, making it reliable for netting quick damage or starting to plan out a combo.
S Tilt: In a stiff motion, resembling the motion the physical toy does when its inner mechanism is turned, he slices his right dual blade downwards (8%). This move isn’t really the best Tahu has to offer. It’s a bit weak and oddly has a tiny bit of ending lag, but the startup is instantaneous, so it can be used to surprise people.
U Tilt: He slices one magma blade in an arc over his head (11%). During this attack, he channels fire energy into the blade, leaving a trail of fire behind the slice that does a bit of damage (7%). The blade part of the attack bumps the opponents up, but the small ending lag prevents following up well. Also, if someone is aiming to attack Tahu from above, using this attack early will let them fall into the fire trail, which will both halt their attack and provide hitstun that will allow Tahu to retaliate if acted upon quickly enough. A good place to start with this attack is to hit a grounded opponent with the blade to knock them upwards and use it again on their way down to catch them in the flames. At this point, the opponent can be either hit by an up smash for a KO off the top, or a jump to follow up with aerial moves.
D Tilt: With each magma blade, he swipes the ground in front of him (6, 6%). The second hit can trip, allowing you to use a variety of grounded options depending on how they try to get up. This attack has relatively long range, allowing Tahu to poke people trying to get back on stage. There is not much beginning or ending lag, so it is reliable in that regard.
Dash: He puts the swords in giant blade form and slices diagonally downwards whilst leaping (14%). If whiffed, the attack leaves him open, but the attack is rather powerful and has an enormous range. It can kill at around 100%, so keep the option open if your opponent leaves themselves open, particularly if they try to roll away from you after tripping them with your down tilt.
Smashes:
S Smash: This is a 2-part smash attack, not unlike Link’s. For the first part, he rears back, assembles his giant blade, and then stabs forward whilst lunging (18%). If the button is pressed again, he separates the blades by quickly slicing each blade in opposite vertical directions (13%). The first part has a good amount of hit stun, allowing the second to easily link into the attack. However, the first part actually does more knockback than the second and sends the opponent in a purely horizontal direction. The second part sends the opponent upwards at a 45 degree angle, and has a larger range to it by virtue of the vertical slices. Also, while the second part of the attack has less ending lag than the first part by itself, the animation of the second attack plus the ending lag of it is roughly equal to the solo ending lag, making whichever way the attack is used last the same amount of time regardless. If you trip your opponent with a down tilt, this move has great range to get them depending on how they retaliate and is probably your strongest option in this situation, but it is risky predicting where they will escape to, as no matter which form of the attack you use, Tahu is completely vulnerable from behind.
U Smash: He crosses his two blades above him, fire coursing between the two blades as he charges. Once the attack is charged, the fire energy explodes upwards in a searing beam (23%). Due to the explosive manner when the attack is raised, the blast has a deceptively large hit box in both width and height (about as tall and wide as Tahu himself!) This attack has large ending lag however, and the hit box can be avoided if one ducks low enough (below half of Tahu’s stature) so be careful when using this. The best time to use this is if the opponent gets caught in the fire trail from your up tilt. If the opponent is not paying attention in the air, you can use this move as well, but missing will definitely hurt. In general, this smash is perhaps Tahu’s strongest killing option, but is also the least versatile.
D Smash: Tahu puts his blades next to his feet, touching the ground. He then scrapes them on the ground in outwards slicing motions simultaneously (19%). Following the slices are waves of fire that extend the hit box (10%). The physical blades do more knockback than the flares, but the flares linger for a second, punishing those who try to rush in too early. The flames no not need to be on the ground to exist either (they can form off of a ledge), making a good edgehogging weapon. Tahu is completely vulnerable from above however, so be mindful of the opponent’s position, especially if they try to jump above you.
Aerial:
Nair: He crosses his dual blade and surrounds himself in a fiery shield (6%). This has neither super armor nor invincibility, but it has a lot of priority, making it a good approach attack. There is surprisingly little ending lag here, so use it to create an opening on the ground and can be used with the jab, side tilt, or down tilt for quick damage. This is not so good for following up opponents in the air, due to longer animation time, so this is mainly used as a safe landing and approaching option.
Fair: He slices outward with his Giant Blade (11%). Not a good killing move, but it is somewhat quick, so it can be used to juggle opponents off stage. This is probably the most versatile aerial, as it can be followed up from nearly any attack that launches the opponent upwards, as well as keep the opponent off stage with repeated use. If the opponent is bumped off stage, try to follow up with a bair, Up B, another fair, or dair if they are level, and uair or Up B if they are above you to go in for the kill. If they get launched out far, return to stage and guard the edge with a down tilt, down smash, or trump, then follow the above again.
Bair: He does a backwards roundhouse kick with fire channeled into his foot (14%). This is a great killing move for Tahu and is a great killing aerial, mixing the deadliness of the down air with the versatility of the fair. It’s a bit slower on the ending lag however, so be accurate with it.
Uair: With the Giant Blade, he twirls the weapon above him (2, 2, 2, 2, 8%). This can be easily used to rack up damage, especially when following someone into the air. This does not hit below Tahu’s head and has a longer animation however, so be sure to not leave yourself open. The final hit can kill, but it’s not as powerful as his other killing options. This is better used on a low ceiling for killing, but the main draw is the racking up of damage. If the opponent is knocked upwards with a bladed up tilt or any other move that bumps the opponent up, you can go for this move. At low to medium percent ranges, this can be used multiple times while keeping the opponent in the air. At higher percentages, the opponent is launched too far away to execute another uair on them, so resort to other options at that time, such as a well-timed bair or an Up B.
Dair: He holds his Giant Blade, saturated with fire elemental, in one hand and smashes it downwards. This can spike if sweet spotted (15%). If Tahu lands on the ground during the animation, there is a large amount of ending lag, so watch out. There is understandably large ending lag if whiffed or landed, so its only real purpose is to spike the opponent off the stage. This is easily the least versatile air move of Tahu, so consider other options before this, as the risk many times outweighs the reward.
Grabs:
Grab: Tahu puts his blades together and grabs with his free hand. It is decently quick, and when combined with his amazing shield prowess, makes a great attacking tool. If you get a perfect shield explosion that will almost guarantee a free grab for Tahu. If you are feeling daring or want to mix up your game, when the perfect shield explosion goes off, try a forward smash, side B, or dash attack instead. In general, Tahu has a good throw and grab game, so be sure to use it.
Pummel: He channels fire into his hand and burns the opponent (2%). It is somewhat on the slower side for pummels.
F Throw: Tahu pushes a fire ball into the opponent’s chest, launching them as it explodes (15%). This has high damage and knockback, but not quite enough to be considered a great kill throw. The knock back also prevents much following up, unless your opponent does not react, at which point you could try for a dash attack or side B, but this will rarely work to your benefit. If you use this, it will mainly to be getting opponents off the stage, at which edge guarding tactics come into play.
B Throw: He spins around the opponent and slices the opponent’s back with each magma blade (5, 5%). If at midrange damage, the opponent will be able to be hit by a forward aerial or back aerial if they do not act quickly enough. At lower percentages, try grounding a nair, then follow up with a quick jab, side tilt, or down tilt. A dash attack could be used, but the ending lag makes it risky.
U Throw: Tahu slices upwards in an arc with his Giant Blade (10%). This attack is quick and sends the opponent upwards at a 75 degree angle, allowing Tahu to retaliate with practically any air moves, making it one of his better throws. On the way down, you could catch them in the flare wave part of the up tilt or do a plain, simple up smash, and follow from there.
D Throw: He kicks the opponent in the back of the leg, knocking them to the ground, pins the opponent down with the two magma blades, then pulls the blades out of the ground. Following the uprooting is an explosion that launches the opponent vertically (1, 5, 12%). This attack has a long animation time for a throw (3-4 seconds), but is one of the strongest down throws, roughly as strong as his up smash, and is a viable killing option, launching the opponent straight up. However, this attack can easily be interrupted by a third party, making this attack not as conducive to team battles. This attack is really slow, so there is little to no following up that can be done. At low percentages, the opponent can quickly move back to you while you’re reeling, so try to only use it at killing percentages (90%).
Specials:
Neutral: (Aegis Fireball) Tahu holds the Giant Blade in his left hand and extends the other, channeling fire element into it. Once released, he shoots a fireball forward that travels ½ FD (10%), while another few begin to rapidly circle Tahu, like a shield. The projectile is not affected by charge, rather, the charge affects the shield’s duration (no charge means the shield ends according to the cooldown, full charge means up to 4 seconds after cooldown). If charged long enough, Tahu can even move a short while the shield is still active. If Tahu begins using any special while a fire shield is already active however, the current one will immediately extinguish. The fire shield has roughly half damage and knockback of the projectile. The projectile can be used to rack up damage on approaching opponents uncharged, but the charged shield’s stun can leave opponents open for an easy grab or smash or dash attack, so don’t forget to use this shield.
Side: (Burning Meteor) Crossing his Magma Blades, he surrounds himself in fire elemental, then bursts forward in a fireball 2/3 FD (17%). Using it in the air puts you into recovery mode, but it is Tahu’s main method of horizontal recovery and is reliable with super armor and high knockback. This has no vertical movement though, so it should be handled in a similar vein to Ike’s Side B. This move can be used as a killing move, as it is very powerful, but it is easy to see coming and avoid. It should be noted that this attack also does massive shield damage, so blocking is not optimal.
Up: (Magma Tide) He combines his Magma Blades into a surf board, summons a wave of magma, and rides up the back of it.
At the apex, he does a flip off the wave, boosting him upwards at bit more before sending him into recovery. It is mainly a vertical move, rising to Battlefield’s top platform (such that Tahu just would barely miss landing on it), but it has some amount of horizontal recovery too. The flip has good launching power if hit at the beginning (12%), which can be set up, as the lava can carry an opponent up with Tahu (2, 3, 3%). This is one of his more reliable killing moves due to the carrying nature and is one of Tahu’s many aerial options, so consider using this if opponents are near the top of the screen.
Down: (Mistika Propeller) He takes out his High-Speed Rotating Blade (a fan with 3 blades) and starts spinning it in one direction.
It is a bit like Pit’s mirror shield and angel ring in one: it can hit multiple times for racking up damage if the opponent gets caught in it (each hit does 2.5%), but it has a small windbox to it that pushes opponents away as to not infinitely trap them. This windbox is around the length of that of the Gust Bellows and a bit shorter than Tahu’s height, but not anywhere close to as strong. Due to this property, the fan can be used to impede those with weak recoveries and can also be tilted diagonally slightly to attempt to deal with those who try to jump above you. Those who don’t jump high enough risk getting gimped by the fan, while those who clear the fan, depending on their height, risk getting knocked off again with a fair or bumped upwards with uair or up B. One would think a quick up smash would work well, but between the small ending lag of the fan and the start-up of the up smash are just too long to be effective. If the opponent is low, consider using an up tilt to lead up into more aerials. With his added shielding powers, this fan also reflects projectiles back at the opponent. The projectiles have not a damage increase, but a speed increase, which can make it easier to hit opponents. This move can be rolled out of, but as mentioned before, Tahu’s rolls are extremely slow, so don’t really bother.
Final Smash (Toa Kaita Akamai):
Tahu breaks up into individual Lego pieces. From off screen, the pieces of the brown Toa Pohatu and black Toa Onua fly in. The pieces all connect together to form the colossal Toa Kaita of Valor, Akamai. He has all the mask and elemental powers of the fused Toa: Fire, Stone, Earth, Shielding, Speed, and Strength. He gains new stats and a different move set:
Size: 25 (He is about 3 times larger than the Toa)
Weight: Indefinite (Attacks cause neither hit stun nor damage on him)
Fall Speed: 10 (He falls like a rock. He is not really good in the air.)
Jump: His jump heights increased proportionally to his body
Air Speed: 15 (The power of speed is in full effect here)
Ground Speed: 15 (He is now much faster than even Sonic)
Misc.: Can no longer wall cling or shield (not that he needs to). He also has no grabs, dash attack, or smash attacks. His running and walking speeds are equivalent and he only has one aerial. Also he remains in this form for 11 seconds.
Final Standards:
Jab: A three-hit combo that involves two slices with the great sword and a punch with the Kodan Ball (11, 10, 14%). The great sword has the range, but the Kodan Ball (the thing in his left hand) is where the power is. The sword swings knock the opponents in position to get hit by this Kodan Ball.
S Tilt: He rears his leg back and kicks in an arc (23%). Around 5-7 rocks are kicked up, which travel in parabolic motion (if used on the edge of FD, horizontally around 2/3 of FD and vertically about 2 Samus’s) until the hit something (8% per rock). The Kick itself is where the power lies; it can easily KO fighters around 52%, but the range is smaller than it appears, as the leg does no damage.
U Tilt: He spins his great sword above him in a rapid vortex of flames, akin to Tahu’s uair (6 hits for around 5% each, then a final hit of 15%). The last hit KO’s around 90%, but it can rack up a lot of damage. This attack only hits above Akamai however, so there is a large blind spot next to Akamai.
D Tilt: He slams his sword into the ground, creating a pow-block like effect around his feet (19%). This move can pop opponents up to get hit by the up tilt, as the knockback is too great to combo into the side tilt.
Final Aerial:
Nova Shield: He only has one aerial. A great shield of fire, earth, and stone circle surround him in the air. It is very similar to Tahu’s Nair, in the sense that it doesn’t launch. The difference here is that the shield is MASSIVE, to the point where Akamai is as tall as the radius! If the opponent is in the entire attack, it hits 5 times for 5% per hit. This is difficult to dodge ad is focused on racking up damage.
Final Specials:
Neutral: (Inferno Wave) He raises his great sword, channeling fire energy into it. He then slices it diagonally downwards in front of him, sending out a crescent-shaped wave of fire as tall as Akamai traveling Battlefield’s length, hitting multiple times (6 hits for 5% each). This attack is meant to rack up damage and keep the opponent in place for further attacks.
Side: (Homing Kodan) A large brown stone forms in the center of the Kodan Ball. Akamai then throws the Kodan Ball in front of him. It homes in on the nearest enemy (though somewhat inaccurately, as it curves only a tiny bit better than Dark Pit’s bow) and the stone center explodes on impact (24%). This attack is one of the easiest to avoid, especially if one is right next to Akamai, but it is rather powerful and can kill at 48%.
Up: (Rising Meteor) He wraps himself in earth and stone, ignites, and bursts skyward in a massive explosion (30%). This is perhaps his greatest killing move, but has 1.5 seconds of startup. This does put Akamai into recovery as well, so be careful around edges.
Down: (Tectonic Rupture) Putting away the Kodan Ball, he dual wields the pieces of the blades, which at that point gain chainsaw-like edges, as if Tahu’s weapon had fused with Onua’s. Akamai then stabs them both into the ground (23%); anyone on that surface at the time is buried or spiked through, depending on solidity. This attack is well telegraphed however (with a 2 second start up), so make sure to use it efficiently. This can lead to an easy side tilt if an opponent is buried.
Playstyle:
Tahu is a heavyweight who is majorly focused on defense. Many tactics revolve around his shield, which leaves him safe from attacks from above and in front. This makes shield grabs suit him rather well, knocking enemies away so they have difficulties approaching or into the air. Also, his air game is relatively good for following up on throws or approaching in general. Tahu’s smashes are rather strong and slow, but have huge blind spots, so one needs to be wary of them. On the other hand, each is designed to punish the opponent depending on certain position, so look for openings. For example, if one tries to come in from above, use the up tilt to catch them in the fire wave, then up smash while they are in hitstun.
Palette Swap:
As with all the Toa, two types of costumes are available, Toa Nuva and Toa Mata. Regardless of which costume is used, the characters naturally hold their Nuva weapons.
(Standard Nuva) Red
(Black Nuva)
(Poisoned Tahu) Green Nuva
(Gold Nuva)
(Gold Nuva)
(Standard Mata) Red
(Makuta) Black Mata
(Green Mata) Complimentary Color
(Jaller) Gold Mata
Taunt/Etc.:
Taunt 1: He channels fire energy into his magma swords and slowly drags their edges together, making an intense sizzling sound.
Taunt 2: He takes off his mask, looks at it curiously, then puts it on again.
Taunt 3: His body starts glowing red with fire elemental, ignites, and he says “Fire always finds a way”. The flames cause minimal knockback and 1% per hit, but this holds no practical, competitive purpose.
Entrance: Grey, colorless Lego pieces fall from the sky, assembling to form the main body a la ROB. Finally, the colored mask falls on the character’s face filling them with life and color. Tahu in particular has a shield of fire surround him as color fills his body.
Kirby Hat: Kirby wears the Nuva Mask over his face.
Series symbol: Standard Hau mask
Victory:
Pose 1: Riding a wave of lava, he jumps off his board, does a mid-air flip (see the up B picture), and lands on his two feet, as his giant blade lands, point down, right next to him.
Pose 2: He plants his magma swords into the ground, crosses his arms, and says “It was only my destiny.”
Pose 3: Tahu raises his giant sword and says “As Toa of Fire, I swear to protect Mata Nui!”
Alt Text:
Vs Kopaka: “Not so above-it-all anymore, eh brother?”
Vs Gali: “Water cannot hope to match the strength of fire, sister.”
Victory Music: Creeping In My Soul by Cryoshell (guitar riff from around 1:18 to 1:28, basically before the woman starts singing again, and yes, this is related to Bionicle)
Custom Specials:
The custom 2 specials are based on the powers of the respective color Bohrak-Kal enemies in the mythos; the red Bohrak-Kal uses the power of electricity, stunning the enemy and improving mobility at the cost of damage.
B2: (Aegis Electrofield) When you charge power, an electric shield forms around you. It is smaller than the normal B shield, just barely covering Tahu’s model, but it racks up damage really quickly if you’re in contact with them (no knockback, 1% per second). You can store the charged energy and move around with the shield while attacking, but it slowly depletes when you’re not using it. By pressing B again, the shield around you quickly dissociates, hurting a close enemy relative to charge. There are 3 levels of charge (yellow to green to cyan): lowest makes the enemy flinch (1%), middle has more hitstun (4%), and max charge stuns the enemy, but not to the extent of the ZSS paralyzer (7%). The shield is better used when the charge is stored rather than dissipated, but maintaining the shield in the middle of battle can be a bit difficult to handle. This move works well with your nair for added damage.
Side B2: (Lightning Strike) This goes half of FD and hits for little damage and stun (4%), but the dash is near instantaneous and can travel horizontally and diagonally (+30*). If you ram into the ground though, there will be noticeable ending lag. This takes away one of Tahu’s killing option, but greatly increases his recovery options.
Up B2: (Electric Sail) Tahu rides on a trail of lightning, hitting multiple times for small damage and knockback (Hits 4 times for 1% each). The ending kick does no damage, but the attack goes 1.5 times as far. This means an aerial option is taken away, but Tahu can survive longer.
Down B2: (High-voltage Fan) The fan shoots one large, powerful gust of wind, but the fan itself does no damage. The fan no longer tilts or reflects/protects against projectiles either. It also takes 1 second to start up, visibly sparking as it’s “charging up”. It is good for pushing opponents off stage, but that comes at the cost of a somewhat laggy attack and no quick reflection against projectile.
The custom 3 specials are based on the powers of the respective color Rahkshi enemies in the mythos; the red Rahkshi uses the power of fear, making them turn tail out of sheer horror at the cost of speed.
B3: (Yellow Aegis) He channels an eerie yellow energy of some kind and fires it out of his palm (6-18%). This acts more like a standard projectile, in that there is no shield around Tahu after the fact and the charge just affects the power. However, this move travels a bit slower and turns around the opponent after hitting them. This makes it good for confusing opponents as they are sent off the stage or are made vulnerable for a strong attack of Tahu’s
Side B3: (Dread Charge) He surrounds himself in a dark aura and rushes forwards. He is completely eclipsed by the energy such that only his eyes, glowing blood red now, are visible. The knockback on this attack is actually behind Tahu and is stronger than normal (21%), but the attack travels half the distance and is noticeably slower than the normal attack. This is basically terrible for recovery, as it completely kills your momentum at the end, but the attack is much better at killing with this flip. Unfortunately, it is even easier to see coming and punish than the standard attack, so be warned.
Up B3: (Terror Wave) Tahu rides on a trail of what appears to be Master Core’s gastric juices (yellow, acidy substance) more quickly than his standard attack. The distance traveled is somewhat less, but at the top of the wave, his flip kicks up the strange liquid which is flung as a projectile that travels in parabolic motion and, once again, spins the opponent around (8%). There is no hit box on the way up however, so it is not nearly as easy to hit with.
Down B3: (Meat Grinder) The fan runs in reverse and is noticeably louder, having a stronger windbox that drags the opponent inwards. The fan does one powerful hit that launches far (15%), making it a somewhat decent killing move. Also, reflected projectiles oddly become slower, but they now can reverse the directional controls as if hit by Mario’s cape. Also, the fan can be tilted at a larger angle of 45*, but suffers from a longer cooldown. The main downside is that the windbox is much shorter at about half the length of the original.
Whew, well that's 1 down, 5 to go...
Edits:
· Removed the Mata weapon references, altering the appearances, but not the properties, of the up smash and dair.
· Changed Taunt 2’s text and added a hit box
· Removed the unnecessary reference from the neutral B.
· Strengthened the Final Down B, but increased the startup time.
· Increased Up Smash and Side B power
· Added to Down B’s description to make it less ambiguous and Custom Down 2 has decreased charge time and no change in length compared to the original
· Removed projectile properties of Custom B 2 in favor of a burst attack and lessened the amount of stun
· Changed victory pose 2 animation
· Strengthened Final Up Tilt
· Neutral B is now extinguished on any special input
· Beefed up all descriptions
· Beefed up all descriptions
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