Best windboxes in the game

[Truth35777]

For advantageous set-ups on the opponent or merely covering your characters's butt in the case ofthe attack whiffing, I'd like to know of the data and everyone's opinions on the windboxes for Sm4sh.

I really don't too much regarding this subject hence why I created the thread, but I can update this post as discussion progresses.

To start, I'd like to shift the spotlight towards Mr. Game & Watch's down tilt.
The windbox for this move is crazy large and powerful, and it's ability to carry up characters near the ledge make me consider it's potential as a gimping tool.

 

[Masonomace]

Windboxes involve two things mainly. One, windboxes that push you away such as FLUDD or Whispy Woods. And two, windboxes that pull you toward them such as Ganon's Utilt & Kirby's Inhale.

I think Mario's FLUDD & G&W's Dtilt are very good push windboxes, & pull windboxes include Link's Gale Boomerang on the way back.

 

[Rizen]

My vote goes for Greninja's upB. That thing is a powerful gimping tool and recovery.

 

[FullMoon]

Hydro Pump is the most versatile windbox in the game since it can be fired in multiple directions while stuff like FLUUD is more limited.

Release Hydro Pump was easily the most ridiculous non-custom windbox, now it's just balanced.

 

[Raijinken]

G&W's dtilt and uair, Hydro Pump, and the small one on Charizard's dtilt are all pretty nice.

Kong Cyclone and Storm Punch are high-power, though obviously lacking in flexibility.

Unfortunately Storm Thrust on Marth and Lucina just doesn't seem to compare.

The Gale Boomerang has its perks if you don't prefer the plain Boomerang, too.

And of course, the Fire Hydrant can lead to some great tricks with charged smashes.

 

[Furret24]

Game and Watch's are quite good.

Dtilt's windbox can deflect projectiles and deal damage, uair's is great for juggling, and Fire's can be used to kill (although it's situational).

 

[Xeze]

Mario's FLUDD is great. Fully charged it can push opponents away, resetting the neutral. Uncharged it can be used to stop an opponent's approach and give Mario an opening to punish.

 

[RIP|Merrick]

Mario's FLUDD is great. Fully charged it can push opponents away, resetting the neutral. Uncharged it can be used to stop an opponent's approach and give Mario an opening to punish.

Not to mention there are some very odd utilities it can hold for moves that put characters into freefall, such as Zelda's side special. Using it grounded will, toward the end of the animation, puts Zelda in free fall if some form of a windbox pushes her offstage. I used to have footage of this, but it has long been lost, unfortunately.

As a Luigi main, and honestly, anyone with an even remotely predictable or linear recovery, I find Greninja's gimping potential terrifying.

 

[Unclesatan]

megaman's uair has a windbox that kills. i'd say that's at least one of the best.

 

[Lavani]

(Dark) Pit's Guardian Orbitars are worth a mention. While the windboxes themselves aren't hugely powerful, they're tied to air-usable shields that are also reflectors and can be held for a significant period of time. The combination of wind+shielding allows them to be used aggressively for gimping recovery moves as well as pushing away aggressors while landing.

The title of Best should indisputably go to Hydro Pump in a default environment.

 

[MrGameguycolor]

I say the water from Pacman's Hydrant (Mostly the horizontal shots) mainly for it's many uses.
It ignores shields, it's good for annoying &/or spacing opponents (that is if they don't launch the Hydrant), you can ride it while charging an Smash Attack or Bonus Fruit, can be a good push for a grab, & has a wide amount of uses for your Bonus Fruit.

 

[Tythaeus]

I would have to say Greninja's Hydro Pump is one of the best if not the best since it can be fired off in several directions.

Pac-Man's Hydrant is also good as it has many uses like the ones MrGameguycolor stated.

 

[Fluorescent]

Don't forget Toon Link's D-Air.

It'll save you sometimes, sometimes it'll fail. The windbox isn't surprisingly as good since some fast characters can just go back in fast and well you did use D-Air and whiffed it so a punish is inevitable but you'll be happy there was a wind-box on that move.

EDIT: ^ Just thought it was worth a mention. Has anyone else considered Little Mac's windbox on his KO move? I don't recall if that's still a thing or not.

 

[Furret24]

EDIT: ^ Just thought it was worth a mention. Has anyone else considered Little Mac's windbox on his KO move? I don't recall if that's still a thing or not.

I've never noticed. :/

 

[Lavani]

Don't forget Toon Link's D-Air.

It'll save you sometimes, sometimes it'll fail. The windbox isn't surprisingly as good since some fast characters can just go back in fast and well you did use D-Air and whiffed it so a punish is inevitable but you'll be happy there was a wind-box on that move.

EDIT: ^ Just thought it was worth a mention. Has anyone else considered Little Mac's windbox on his KO move? I don't recall if that's still a thing or not.

Does the windbox on Mac's KO Punch actually help ever? It's so strong that even a pointblank opponent can start moving away from Mac during the punch's startup and the wind will blow them safely out of punching range.

Tink's dair windbox blew me offstage and made me lose a pivot grab once, I don't think it's an amazing windbox but it does help the move's safety a bit.

 

[Mario766]

Best Windbox? Probably Fludd.

Stupidest Windbox?

Vanish.

 

[Bill cipher3]

megaman's uair has a windbox that kills. i'd say that's at least one of the best.

But you can easily escape it because there's no True combo that ends with upair but it dose get in the way so I wouldn't say it is the best.
But onto the best wind / push box; I know rosalina's empty luma shot! ( or using it when luma is dead ) but imo fludd and I guess gale boomerang is the best wind box.

 

[Unclesatan]

But you can easily escape it because there's no True combo that ends with upair but it dose get in the way so I wouldn't say it is the best.
But onto the best wind / push box; I know rosalina's empty luma shot! ( or using it when luma is dead ) but imo fludd and I guess gale boomerang is the best wind box.

I never said it's the best, just one of the best. Also uair does have true combos into it! For the record it's easy to escape boomerang and fludd as well, I never see anyone use those properly. Never been killed by either of those as well, except for fludd maybe once or twice.

I think its more likely that hydro pump is the best with Megamans uair coming in top 5

 

[Bill cipher3]

I never said it's the best, just one of the best. Also uair does have true combos into it! For the record it's easy to escape boomerang and fludd as well, I never see anyone use those properly. Never been killed by either of those as well, except for fludd maybe once or twice.

I think its more likely that hydro pump is the best with Megamans uair coming in top 5

Wait, mega man's upair have trues?

 

[Masonomace]

Mega man's air shooter is good to the max. I do wanna go back & give Fire Hydrant's water push effect some praise now since Tythaeus brought up that the windbox is unblockable.

Also, crouching against said windbox reduces the push effect thus you don't get pushed or pulled in as far. Shielding against most windboxes won't push you at all. Or, you could be a fast running character & just run against the windbox move.

 

[Bill cipher3]

Best Windbox? Probably Fludd.

Stupidest Windbox?Stupidest Windbox?

Vanish.

Just play Ssf2 and everytime reflete the windbox as fox and watch as shiek just used her recovery to kill herself

 

[Masonomace]

Does anyone know if a character's air speed, air acceleration, air deceleration, or anything airborne influences how far or short you're pushed away? I recall that a character's friction reduces the push effect from windboxes.

 

[Kofu]

Does the windbox on Mac's KO Punch actually help ever? It's so strong that even a pointblank opponent can start moving away from Mac during the punch's startup and the wind will blow them safely out of punching range.

Tink's dair windbox blew me offstage and made me lose a pivot grab once, I don't think it's an amazing windbox but it does help the move's safety a bit.

IIRC Little Mac's KO Punch wind box only works on grounded foes anyway. If it worked on airborne opponents it might be useful but as it is it's probably a hindrance 99% of the time. I think I caused another Mac to kill himself with it once though.

Kong Cyclone is powerful due to its size. Reflect Barrier is somewhat weak but unlockable which gives it a niche.