I finally finished my moveset for Krystal!
An interesting proposition. I'll do my best, but I won't make any guarantees...
First of all, let’s set up a knockback scale for Krystal’s moveset:
(From weakest to strongest)
Ineffective (Very minor hitstun, used only with juggle; 0 KO potential [unless it somehow breaks a shield at the ledge]).
Puny (minor hitstun; might KO around 350+%, depending on the position and stage)
Weak (minor hitstun; might KO around 305+%, depending on the position and stage)
Mild (low hitstun; might KO around 180-200+%, depending on the position and stage)
Moderate (low hitstun; might KO around 150-160+%, depending on the position and stage)
Good (okay hitstun; might KO around 120-130+%, depending on the position and stage)
Great (fair hitstun; might KO around 90-100+%, depending on the position and stage)
Excellent (good hitstun; might KO around 75-85+%, depending on the position and stage)
If any one of Krystal’s moves state an in-between (ex: Mild-moderate) knockback, the KO potential is roughly between both categories.
I will refrain from describing the damage dealt with each move. That’s a bit too technical, as it varies with hitbox priority among other things.
Krystal’s ground movement speed would probably be a little below Fox’s. However, her aerial control + ability would probably a little above Fox’s.
The expected goals of a Krystal main: A quasi-ranger. Keep your opponent at least at the full reach of her longer-ranged staff for best results. Characters like Little Mac—who are able to charge in and get within her staff’s range, or use Super Armor abilities to withstand her ranging tactics—would be more difficult to deal with. One example of a more intuitive, challenging strategy for Krystal would include an adept knowledge of her staff’s concealment (will be explained further in the following paragraph).
A side note: Krystal’s staff is to always appear in her right hand (unless she is performing moves that require bothhands with a weapon/weapons other than her staff, i.e. her down smash, but I’ll get to that later). If she uses her staff with moves that require both hands, the item in her left hand will be held through the attacks (obviously, as Smash already does this with certain weapon-wielding characters). However, when not being used, the staff appears in its shorter form (like how it appears on Fox’s back when not equipped in Star Fox Adventures). This allows Krystal only her left hand to use most items. If she uses an item that requires both hands (i.e. the Hammer), her staff will materialize in a strap on her back, sheathed (for “materialization”, think swapping weapons in Borderlands 2—and don’t argue about “they can’t do that in Star Fox”, because plenty of characters can do things in Smash they can’t in their respective franchises [this is especially evidenced by Sakurai’s potd regarding Robin’s nosferatu attack; also, need I mention that Fox can’t use the Fire Fox or Fox Illusion in any Star Fox title? Yeah, case closed]). The reason for the staff being shorter when not used is a play on her mysterious, proverbially playful/tricky nature—it is to conceal the full range of the staff in its physical form, and thus, the reach of some of her physical attacks, only resorting to the staff’s full range when an opportunity presents itself. This would add up into one of the hidden strategies for Krystal mains (as mentioned above).
Neutral A: Basic combos with the staff. 1-2-3-4 style, with the 3rd hit being the juggler ("juggle", as in swiftly spinning the staff from the right side of her body to her left, then back to the right, to "juggle" the opponent for a short time before using the finishing combo move).
The 1st hit: Weak horizontal knockback.
The 2nd hit: Puny vertical knockback.
The 3rd hit: Ineffective horizontal knockback, leaves opponent in front after juggle for finisher.
The 4th hit is a finisher: Moderate-good horizontal-vertical knockback.
Down Tilt: Krystal performs a deft, low forward swipe with her staff. This move has a long and low horizontal reach. Moderate-good horizontal knockback.
Up Tilt: Krystal loosens a moderately small, offensive telekinetic barrier above with her left hand. The barrier acts like a semi-fast projectile, and disappears after a brief moment (only reaching a maximum height roughly twice Krystal’s). The barrier grows weaker as it travels upward, and so does its knockback. Moderate vertical-horizontal knockback. The horizontal direction of the knockback depends on the side of the barrier that struck the opponent (left side = left, right side = right).
Left/Right A Tilt: For the sideways tilts, allow me to propose something interesting: a Tilt Combo. This functions similarly to Marth’s Dancing Blade (in the sense of keeping it in mind, so you have a base to understand how the following will function, not necessarily in the sense that it will be similar in-game, per se), but I will point out key elements that diversify Krystal and Marth. One, Krystal’s staff will be tipped with a specific element depending on the moves you use. Two, Krystal will be able to change direction depending on the how you tilt (left or right) during the combo—not only that, but Krystal’s tilt combo itself actually changes if you change direction. Three, Krystal’s tilt combo can end with an up or down tilt, which won’t change depending on the situation—in other words they will act as her regular up/down tilts, but they could be used in conjunction with her tilt combos to end them. Four, Krystal’s tilt combo can intertwine with her neutral A combo. These tilt combos aren’t supposed to juggle your opponent like most players might suspect, rather to provide the player with different ways to keep the opponent at bay (kind of, again, like the mindset behind Marth’s Dancing Blade). This is why knockback will vary with each move. Also, while the striking speed of her tilt combo might not be as fast as her neutral A combo, they are still considerably fast—viable enough for many different uses.
The 1st strike of the sideways A tilt combo has no element. Mild horizontal knockback.
When the 1st strike is initiated backward, the move slightly changes (what I mean by initiated backward is that you tilt A in the direction opposite Krystal is facing in a timely-enough fashion to achieve a different move in the tilt combo [think of the Falcon turn-a-round Punch from Brawl, but maybe not that precise; there’d be a larger grace period to allow the backward initiation for the player]). Weak-mild horizontal knockback.
The options of variance for the tilt combos become sort of exponential after the first strike. After the 1st strike, elements shroud both tips of the staff in this affixed sequence: Fire (2nd strike), Lightning (3rd strike), Ice (4th strike). Keep in mind that these elements override Krystal’s knockback (with a few exceptions).
Fire causes vertical-horizontal knockback. (Always the second strike of the Tilt Combo)
Lightning causes downward knockback. (Always the third strike of the Tilt Combo)
Ice causes vertical-horizontal knockback. (Always the fourth strike of the Tilt Combo)
The damage dealt may, imaginably, slightly differ depending on the element. As a rule of thumb:
Fire = Ice > Lightning. Although the physical moves dictate most of the damage, elements actually have a very minor influence as well. Elemental damage is additive. Elemental damage is also always applied when they’re active, as none of Krystal’s applicable moves are “overridden” damage-wise—they are only enhanced. Like I mentioned before, the additive bonus is very minor, but there is a difference. The main focus of the elemental tilt combo is not the damage, but the knockback.
Before I explain the different 2nd strikes you could make, allow me to explain what exactly these elements entail. First of all, you’re going to have to be aware of the elemental order to intentionally achieve certain results; it’s not gimmicky though, much like Olimar’s Pikmin order (but Olimar’s Pikmin order has more variants of Pikmin than Krystal does elements). Here’s an example: you could initiate the tilt combo early to strike an opponent with a particular element. For instance, lightning causes the opponent to be knocked downward—if they’re on the ground, it could leave them vulnerable for the ice from the 4th strike. If you time yourself well enough, you could even use one of the longer-ranged physical staff attacks, available to the tilt combo, with lightning to spike your recovering opponents from the ledge without having to jump (this is assuming your staff can reach them, or they’re not above you when recovering). Of course, these lighting spikes wouldn’t become too effective until the opponent is roughly around 40%.
After the 1st strike, you could choose one of the following to further (or end) the combo:
Forward Initiated 2nd Strike (Another Forward A-Tilt in the same direction)
Backward Initiated 2nd Strike (A-Tilt in the direction opposite you are facing)
Down Tilt (This effectively ends the current combo—you will not be able to further combo after this move)
Up Tilt (This effectively ends current the combo—you will not be able to further combo after this move)
Neutral A (The Tilt Combo turns into the 2nd strike of the Neutral A Combo—after which, you will not be able to return to the Tilt Combo [you will have to resume the Neutral A Combo, or you could wait for the combo to end via Krystal returning to idle animation])
Nothing (Wait for the combo to end via Krystal returning to idle animation; in this sense, you will have treated the combo as a single Forward/Backward A-Tilt. Quick recovery time.)
The forward initiated 2nd strike has the element of Fire. Mild-moderate vertical-horizontal knockback.
The backward initiated 2nd strike has the element of Fire. Moderate vertical-horizontal knockback.
The Down Tilt, in this instance, has the element of Fire. If used, it will end the current tilt combo. Moderate-good horizontal-vertical knockback.
The Up Tilt, in this instance (even though it doesn’t use the staff), has the element of Fire. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Moderate vertical-horizontal knockback. The horizontal direction of the knockback depends on the side of the barrier that struck the opponent (left side = left, right side = right).
With Neutral A, Krystal chains her tilt combo into the 2nd strike of the neutral A combo with the element of Fire. You will not be able to re-chain back into the tilt combo afterwards. This, however, grants her remaining Neutral Combo the elements. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Puny vertical knockback.
After the 2nd strike, you could choose one of the following to further (or end) the combo:
Forward Initiated 3rd Strike (Another Forward A-Tilt in the same direction)
Backward Initiated 3rd Strike (A-Tilt in the direction opposite you are facing)
Down Tilt (This effectively ends the current combo—you will not be able to further combo after this move)
Up Tilt (This effectively ends current the combo—you will not be able to further combo after this move)
Neutral A (The Tilt Combo turns into the 3rd strike of the Neutral A Combo—after which, you will not be able to return to the Tilt Combo [you will have to resume the Neutral A Combo, or you could wait for the combo to end via Krystal returning to idle animation])
Nothing (Wait for the combo to end via Krystal returning to idle animation. Quick recovery time.)
The forward initiated 3rd strike has the element of Lightning. Moderate-good downward knockback.
The backward initiated 3rd strike has the element of Lightning. Moderate-good downward knockback.
The Down Tilt, in this instance, has the element of Lightning. If used, it will end the current tilt combo. Moderate-good downward knockback.
The Up Tilt, in this instance (even though it doesn’t use the staff), has the element of Lightning. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Moderate vertical-horizontal knockback. The horizontal direction of the knockback depends on the side of the barrier that struck the opponent (left side = left, right side = right).
With Neutral A, Krystal chains her tilt combo into the 3rd strike (juggler) of the neutral A combo with the element of Lightning. You will not be able to re-chain back into the tilt combo afterwards. This, however, grants her remaining Neutral Combo the elements. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Ineffective horizontal knockback, leaves opponent in front after juggle for Neutral A finisher.
After the 3rd strike, you could choose one of the following to finish the combo:
Forward Initiated 4th Strike (Another Forward A-Tilt in the same direction)
Backward Initiated 4th Strike (A-Tilt in the direction opposite you are facing)
Down Tilt
Up Tilt
Neutral A (The Tilt Combo turns into the 4th strike of the Neutral A Combo)
Nothing (Wait for the combo to end via Krystal returning to idle animation. Quick recovery time.)
The forward initiated 4th strike has the element of Ice. Good vertical-horizontal knockback.
The backward initiated 4th strike has the element of Ice. Good vertical-horizontal knockback.
The Down Tilt, in this instance, has the element of Ice. Moderate-good vertical-horizontal knockback.
The Up Tilt, in this instance (even though it doesn’t use the staff), has the element of Ice. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Moderate vertical-horizontal knockback. The horizontal direction of the knockback depends on the side of the barrier that struck the opponent (left side = left, right side = right).
With Neutral A, Krystal chains her tilt combo into the 4th strike (finisher) of the neutral A combo with the element of Ice. The knockback is not overridden by the element. Moderate-good horizontal-vertical knockback.
Dash Attack: One of three moves inspired off of Smash Brothers Crusade. Krystal plunges her staff into the ground and uses her forward momentum to spin around it, effectively kicking any would-be opponent. Unlike other characters’ dash attacks, Krystal doesn’t keep moving forward slightly—her position on the ground is stagnant. Moderate-good horizontal knockback.
Neutral Special: One of the few moves inspired off of Joe D.’s moveset. Krystal uses the Gatling Gun in a short burst. This move is chargeable, but you can’t hold onto a charge after it is complete—it’s charged to release. The amount of charge dictates the range of the bullets, as well as the damage of the move itself. Higher charge = more range + damage. Damage and knockback efficiency are also affected by where the opponent was hit—the closer to Krystal the opponent is, the more damage/knockback the move generates. Be mindful, this move does not grant Krystal Super Armor, and can leave her vulnerable while charging. Puny-to-good knockback potential, depending on how close the opponent is to Krystal.
Side Special: Krystal pounces in the direction provided with the tilt to strike with her staff. This move has a slight arch in the trajectory, and can be used to aid in recovering from the left or right. If Krystal makes contact with an opponent, she will deliver a swift blow with her staff. If Krystal makes no contact, only the pounce is performed. Weak-mild horizontal knockback.
Up Special: The staff’s Rocket Booster ability. It’s a recovery move that is able to damage opponents in the way. The Rocket Booster is chargeable like Diddy’s Jet Pack, but can be controlled similarly to Lucario’s ExtremeSpeed while boosting (however it’s not nearly as fast as Lucario’s ExtremeSpeed itself). Weak-mild knockback whose trajectory depends on the direction that the opponent was hit from.
Down Special: The staff’s Ground Quake ability. This move is at its most powerful when used on the ground. It’s a lengthy move where Krystal performs a short hop and forcefully shoves the staff into the ground, creating a minor shockwave. If used in the air, Krystal thrusts the staff downward—allowing her body to follow suit, similarly to the down air of Link/T. Link. If this move strikes the ground from the air, the considerable recovery time is shorter than when using it on the ground—the move however loses half of its power, as well as knockback potential (the Ground Quake is a move that derives power from the ground, so using it in the air cuts down on its power, but hastens its recovery time). There is an exception to this moves’ power when used in the air—it is when it strikes an opponent underneath her in midair. In this case, the move acts like a meteor smash. However, if this move is successfully used as a meteor smash, Krystal loses any further ability to retaliate, leaving her to fall (just like most characters would after using their recovery move). If Krystal strikes someone who is underneath her while she’s in the air, but the opponent is on the ground, the move is not nearly as powerful. Executed on the ground = Good-great horizontal-vertical knockback. Executed in the air to hit an opponent on the ground = Mild horizontal knockback. Executed in the air to hit an opponent in the air = Great downward knockback. If this move strikes the opponents indirectly with the shockwave, they will become temporarily half-buried in the ground. This can’t happen if Krystal executes this move in the air, as the staff will not create any shockwaves once it contacts the ground.
Neutral Air: Krystal briefly twirls her staff, creating a hitbox that covers her whole body. This move does not juggle. Instead it merely repels the opponent. Moderate-good knockback whose trajectory depends on the direction that the opponent was hit from.
Forward Air: Krystal simply extends her right arm forward and allows the staff to reach its full length. The actual attack stems from the force of the staff itself. Mild-moderate horizontal-vertical knockback.
Back Air: Krystal performs a midair backwards roundhouse kick. When finished, she faces the opposite direction she faced prior to the move’s execution. Moderate-good horizontal knockback.
Up Air: Krystal jabs upward with her staff. Moderate vertical knockback.
Down Air: Krystal kicks downward with her right heel. This is her safer-but-weaker alternative spike move, as opposed to the Ground Quake. Moderate downward knockback.
Side Smash: Krystal swiftly plunges her staff into the ground, and uses it to thrust herself forward into a powerful, semi-aerial Do Mawashi Kaiten Geri (wheel kick). This move has a little more forward movement than Fox’s forward smash, as well as a wider sweep. Moderate-to-great horizontal-vertical knockback. Knockback and damage depends on the charge of the smash.
Up Smash: One of the three moves inspired off of Smash Brothers Crusade. Krystal furiously spins her staff above her, juggling an opponent until the release of the move. This is Krystal’s weakest smash attack. Moderate-to-good vertical-horizontal knockback. Knockback and damage depends on the charge of the smash.
Down Smash: The final move inspired off of Smash Brothers Crusade. This move has inspiration from Star Fox Assault, as well. Krystal reaches for both Assault blasters within the holsters at each of her sides. She kneels half way and points each of the blasters at a downward angle, covering both of her sides. The charging animation is inspired by the Assault blaster’s charge in its respective game. She releases the charged blasters. This is Krystal’s strongest smash attack. Good-to-excellent horizontal knockback. Knockback and damage depends on the charge of the smash.
Grab: Krystal grabs with her left arm. She knees the opponent for her mid-grab attack.
Forward Throw: Krystal throws her opponent forward at an upward angle. She uses the Fire Blaster staff ability (from Star Fox Adventures) 3 times to hit the opponent that has been thrown forward to add a little bonus damage. Weak-mild horizontal-vertical knockback.
Back Throw: Krystal turns and throws her opponent backwards. Mild horizontal knockback.
Up Throw: Krystal shoves her opponent upward with her staff. During this move, her staff becomes tipped with electricity. There is a short surge of electricity at the end of the throw, and this is where most of the force from the throw comes from. Mild vertical knockback.
Down Throw: Krystal shoves her opponent to the ground and uses the Ice Blaster staff ability from Star Fox Adventures. After a brief period, she kicks the opponent away. Mild horizontal knockback.
Final Smash: The other ability inspired off of Joe D.’s moveset. It’s the “Cloudrunner Assault”. Krystal uses her telepathy to call upon an old friend. When active, the Cloudrunner whisks Krystal away on its back, and a target sight appears on-screen that can be aimed. The Cloudrunner loosens considerably-sized fireballs at the opponents on the stage, each time the A button is pressed. This is a call-back to the very first gameplay with Krystal, wherein lies its significance. When the final smash is finished, the target sight widens—soon the Cloudrunner swoops inward wherever the target sight is placed, dealing massive damage to whoever it hits (if it hits). Either way, this is the point where Krystal jumps off the Cloudrunner to resume smashing.
So, what do you think?
