Basic Guide to ZSS Special Moves

[mawwwk]

This is meant as a beginner’s resource to understand ZSS’ special moves in PM/P+. Ported from this Google Doc, I figured it'd belong here in a more permanent, readable format.
Each of these moves is highly unique with many different use cases, so I'll only be scratching the surface here.
Anyone seeking more in-depth info should feel free to join the P+ ZSS Discord

Paralyzer (Neutral B)

Uncharged shot:

• Effective against dashdancing opponents, or for catching a jump or platform drop.
• Can be used in neutral to harass and force an approach. Use safely and stay aware of the opponent’s threat range
• While offstage, shooting a laser can threaten the ledge area, or can pressure opponents from different heights while recovering

Charged shot:

• Covers more space for a longer time. Riskier to shoot (57 IASA), but higher reward if it hits (side b, u-tilt, any aerial)
• Use to catch a landing, or for delayed shield pressure
• Fastfall during the startup to mix up height and cover different options

Any space within the blue lines can be covered by a double-jump charged paralyzer, depending on when you time the fastfall.

Blaster length comparison shot from ZSS’ position: uncharged (shorter) vs charged (longer)

Plasma Whip (Side B)

• Slow mid-range move that sends the opponent upward for an aerial combo, with a close-range hit that sends into the main hitbox
• Both hits are unsafe on shield, and can easily be crouch-canceled by grounded targets
• Effective at punishing landings, after a downsmash, or as a techchase
• Unreliable in the air, though it can be used to snap to ledge (frame 21)

DI options as Kirby at 24%, at ZSS’ first actionable frame.
DI in (green, 138°) and DI out (red, 92°)
Can often lead to u-tilt, grab, up-B, or any aerial.
At very high %, DI in may send the target too far behind ZSS for her to get a followup hit.

Plasma Wire (Up B)

Offense

• Has 1 pop-up hitbox followed by a strong pulldown hit, and a weak pulldown hit
• On the ground only, it has an additional frame 7 hitbox that sends upward, making it an effective out-of-shield option
• Weak pulldown (spike) leaves the opponent above ZSS, and sets up into u-air, or another up-B
• Strong pull (meteor) can KO offstage, or send them on stage underneath ZSS for a techchase, dsmash, or landing bair

Recovery

• Snaps to ledge on frame 12
• No usage limit in the air, but can only snap to ledge twice
• If the ledge isn’t occupied by another character, ZSS will grab the ledge normally after a reel-in.
• If the ledge is occupied by another character, ZSS will do a reel-in followed by a forced tether jump.
• During a forced tether jump, she can drift in and land on the stage (27-36 frames of air lag, plus 30 frames of landing lag),
  or drift out, fading away from the stage (50 frames of lag).
• After the fade away lag, ZSS becomes actionable and can up-b again. However, her jumps do not refresh.

Fastfalling during fade in can shorten the jump lag by 10 frames, though fastfalling during fade out isn’t recommended, since ZSS cannot tether again in time.

Visual display of ZSS' forced reel-in options (gfycat link)

Other notes

• Using up-B immediately after a jump gives ZSS twice the regular height. This is commonly called a “super up-B,” and can be used to avoid a forced tether jump situation, or as an offensive option to reach higher opponents.
• While within tether range, ZSS can still use up-B without tethering to the ledge. This is done by falling, facing away from ledge, and holding away on the control stick during the move. Hitboxes will come out like normal. This is convenient for avoiding forced tether jump situations, or as an option to pull down opponents holding the ledge.
• Tether reel-in length varies between 3 and 10 frames, depending on her distance from the ledge. It can be done with the A, B, or jump buttons.
• Normally, a character is actionable 8 frames after grabbing the ledge. However, after a tether reel-in, a character can act 2 frames after grabbing the ledge. Invincibility frames are adjusted accordingly, ending 6 frames sooner.

Tether wallclimb
Combine ZSS' wall jump with her super up-B to recover from extremely low spots on walled stages. This is called a tether wallclimb.
First walljump, then use an up-b to climb back to the wall, and repeat. This can gain height for up to five uses. The hitbox can also pull down an unsuspecting opponent at the ledge.

Wallclimb example (gfycat link)

Flip Jump (Down B)

• Essential to ZSS’s recovery and mobility, it gives burst horizontal movement.
• Gives a wider, lower trajectory than her double-jump
• Use this on-stage to start far offstage edgeguards, correctly align aerial hitboxes, or shift momentum to bait opponents

Maximum horizontal movement: Flip Jump (blue) vs. double jump (red)

Flip Jump lasts 51 frames, and during this time ZSS cannot perform regular aerial attacks. Her options in this state are:

• Walljump (frame 6 onward)
• Divekick (frames 15-51)
• Flipstool (frames 15-51)
• Double jump (frame 20 onward)
• Grab ledge (frame 31 onward)

Divekick

• ZSS shoots downward, kicking at a slight diagonal angle
• To use divekick, press A during a Flip Jump (or use the C-stick). Can be used facing left or right, independent of Flip Jump's direction
• First 5 frames of the hit are a sweetspot, with kill power comparable to her back-air.
• Late hit is weaker, but still an effective edgeguarding tool against low, linear recoveries
• Notably strong for kill confirms when used immediately after a d-air
• Easy to edge-cancel, making it a quick on-stage movement option and a low-risk aerial attack. This gives her burst vertical movement to complement Flip Jump’s horizontal movement.

Edge-cancel divekick: As low as 4 frames of landing lag, and allows for a fast follow-up aerial, or continued use of tricky platform movement


Flipstool

• A footstool-esque move that props ZSS upwards while weakly sending the opponent downward
• Hit B while above an opponent during a Flip Jump. Direction is reversible upon hitting a target
• Invincible for the first 4 frames (plus hitlag), and can be used as a pocket recovery option or situational edgeguard tool
• Trips grounded opponents, and weakly meteors aerial opponents