Stride
Smash Ace
This is a table of each character's airborne frames when wavedashing back to grab the ledge, both when they fastfall and don't fastfall. I tested a few characters to answer a question in another thread, and decided to do the same for the whole cast.
This was tested on Battlefield, in case that makes any difference. Some of the edge cases might differ by a frame on Yoshi's story or Fountain of Dreams because of the slopes near the ledge, but I haven't checked.
The fastfalls were started as soon as possible. For the "maximum airborne frames with fastfall" value, the fastfalls were also continued for as long as possible while still allowing the ledge to be grabbed. I haven't tested it, but depending on the character's falling acceleration and terminal velocity, it may be possible to achieve a greater "maximum airborne frames with fastfall" value than the one given in the table by fastfalling only briefly or by starting it later than the first possible frame.
On the 1st airborne frame, vertical velocity is always 0 (i.e. the character isn't falling on this frame).
On the 2nd airborne frame, the character starts to fall. Fastfalling doesn't happen on this frame (i.e. the vertical velocity is the same regardless of whether the control stick is being held downwards or not).
On the 3rd airborne frame and afterwards, fastfalling takes effect if the control stick is being held downwards.
Fastfall inputs are buffered for 3 frames (the last 2 grounded frames and the first airborne frame). The input from the wavedash counts as a fastfall input; if the wavedash was done within the buffer zone and you keep holding down afterwards, you will fastfall (you have to be very close to the ledge for this to be possible).
All characters save a considerable number of frames by fastfalling. Floaty characters tend to save relatively more frames while also being able to fastfall for longer before they drop too low to grab the ledge compared to fastfallers (although "floaty" and "fastfaller" are pretty nebulous terms considering they encompasses falling acceleration, terminal aerial velocity, fastfalling velocity increase, etc.). In some cases, such as doing a long wavedash from very close to the ledge with Peach, it is not possible to grab the ledge at all without fastfalling.
Mario, Doctor Mario, and Mr. Game & Watch all have the same relevant properties (falling acceleration, terminal velocity, etc.), which is why they're grouped together in the table.
Character|Airborne frames without fastfall|Minimum airborne frames with fastfall|Maximum airborne frames with fastfall|Maximum number of frames saved by fastfalling (airborne frames without fastfall - minimum airborne frames)|Leniency when fastfalling (maximum airborne frames - minimum airborne frames)
Bowser|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|9 (grab on 10)|6|5
Captain Falcon|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|8|3
Donkey Kong|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|9|3
Fox|9 (grab on 10)|4 (grab on 5)|7 (grab on 8)|5|3
Falco|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|6 (grab on 7)|6|2
Ganondorf|13 (grab on 14|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|7|4
Ice Climbers|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|10 (grab on 11)|8|5
Jigglypuff|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|11 (grab on 12)|8|6
Kirby|11 (grab on 12)|4 (grab on 5)|8 (grab on 9)|6|4
Luigi|17 (grab on 18)|6 (grab on 7)|11 (grab on 12)|11|5
Link|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|9|3
Mario/Doctor Mario/Mr. Game & Watch|15 (grab on 16)|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|9|4
Marth|16 (grab on 17)|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|10|4
Mewtwo|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|10 (grab on 11)|9|5
Ness|12 (grab on 13)|5 (grab on 6)|9 (grab on 10)|7|4
Peach|15 (grab on 16)|6 (grab on 7)|12 (grab on 13)|9|6
Pichu|7 (grab on 8)|3 (grab on 4)|5 (grab on 6)|4|2
Pikachu|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|7 (grab on 8)|6|3
Roy|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|9 (grab on 10)|9|4
Samus|13 (grab on 14)|4 (grab on 5)|8 (grab on 9)|9|4
Sheik|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|8|3
Yoshi|10 (grab on 11)|3 (grab on 4)|7 (grab on 8)|7|4
Young Link|13 (grab on 14)|6 (grab on 7)|11 (grab on 12)|7|5
Zelda|11 (grab on 12)|4 (grab on 5)|10 (grab on 11)|6|6
This was tested on Battlefield, in case that makes any difference. Some of the edge cases might differ by a frame on Yoshi's story or Fountain of Dreams because of the slopes near the ledge, but I haven't checked.
The fastfalls were started as soon as possible. For the "maximum airborne frames with fastfall" value, the fastfalls were also continued for as long as possible while still allowing the ledge to be grabbed. I haven't tested it, but depending on the character's falling acceleration and terminal velocity, it may be possible to achieve a greater "maximum airborne frames with fastfall" value than the one given in the table by fastfalling only briefly or by starting it later than the first possible frame.
On the 1st airborne frame, vertical velocity is always 0 (i.e. the character isn't falling on this frame).
On the 2nd airborne frame, the character starts to fall. Fastfalling doesn't happen on this frame (i.e. the vertical velocity is the same regardless of whether the control stick is being held downwards or not).
On the 3rd airborne frame and afterwards, fastfalling takes effect if the control stick is being held downwards.
Fastfall inputs are buffered for 3 frames (the last 2 grounded frames and the first airborne frame). The input from the wavedash counts as a fastfall input; if the wavedash was done within the buffer zone and you keep holding down afterwards, you will fastfall (you have to be very close to the ledge for this to be possible).
All characters save a considerable number of frames by fastfalling. Floaty characters tend to save relatively more frames while also being able to fastfall for longer before they drop too low to grab the ledge compared to fastfallers (although "floaty" and "fastfaller" are pretty nebulous terms considering they encompasses falling acceleration, terminal aerial velocity, fastfalling velocity increase, etc.). In some cases, such as doing a long wavedash from very close to the ledge with Peach, it is not possible to grab the ledge at all without fastfalling.
Mario, Doctor Mario, and Mr. Game & Watch all have the same relevant properties (falling acceleration, terminal velocity, etc.), which is why they're grouped together in the table.
Bowser|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|9 (grab on 10)|6|5
Captain Falcon|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|8|3
Donkey Kong|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|9|3
Fox|9 (grab on 10)|4 (grab on 5)|7 (grab on 8)|5|3
Falco|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|6 (grab on 7)|6|2
Ganondorf|13 (grab on 14|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|7|4
Ice Climbers|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|10 (grab on 11)|8|5
Jigglypuff|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|11 (grab on 12)|8|6
Kirby|11 (grab on 12)|4 (grab on 5)|8 (grab on 9)|6|4
Luigi|17 (grab on 18)|6 (grab on 7)|11 (grab on 12)|11|5
Link|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|9|3
Mario/Doctor Mario/Mr. Game & Watch|15 (grab on 16)|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|9|4
Marth|16 (grab on 17)|6 (grab on 7)|10 (grab on 11)|10|4
Mewtwo|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|10 (grab on 11)|9|5
Ness|12 (grab on 13)|5 (grab on 6)|9 (grab on 10)|7|4
Peach|15 (grab on 16)|6 (grab on 7)|12 (grab on 13)|9|6
Pichu|7 (grab on 8)|3 (grab on 4)|5 (grab on 6)|4|2
Pikachu|10 (grab on 11)|4 (grab on 5)|7 (grab on 8)|6|3
Roy|14 (grab on 15)|5 (grab on 6)|9 (grab on 10)|9|4
Samus|13 (grab on 14)|4 (grab on 5)|8 (grab on 9)|9|4
Sheik|13 (grab on 14)|5 (grab on 6)|8 (grab on 9)|8|3
Yoshi|10 (grab on 11)|3 (grab on 4)|7 (grab on 8)|7|4
Young Link|13 (grab on 14)|6 (grab on 7)|11 (grab on 12)|7|5
Zelda|11 (grab on 12)|4 (grab on 5)|10 (grab on 11)|6|6
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