Q&A Bowser's Inside Story - Q&A

[Jerodak]

Duck SMASH! Do you have any footage?

 

[Duck SMASH!]

Duck SMASH! Do you have any footage?

unfortunately not. But I could recreate the scenario when I have more time and upload it.
That being said, Zapp Braniglenn already addressed it as not necessarily an optimal punish. Buffered air dodges suck.

 

[HoSmash4]

What are bowser's ledge coverage options?

 

[Cassius.]

Gonna keep this short because I have to run to NEC (actually short, for my standards)

Up-B: standard coverage option, has enough hits/activity to catch any option assuming they don't simply wait on the edge. Good and bad because you do have to fade away with it if the attempt is unsuccessful, a lot of lag afterward that can be punished depending on the character

DownTilt: Another standard option that's usually coupled with a reaction to jumps off the ledge (to catch with FAir), If timed and spaced properly one of the two hits will clip ledge rolls and standard getup, also clips people hanging at the edge/grabbing the edge twice. Nothing really bad to say about this one

Aerials: catch jumping options, DAir tech (shell shock?, where you either run off, use DAir and move yourself back to the stage or just short hop DAir; works with Bowser facing any side)...anyway, the DAir tech works especially well for ledgehop options and catching ledge vulnerability. also for people who like to mash when coming down with a button even though they're still in danger. also is really good for spinshot and awkward jump arcs like yoshi, ness, lucas etc. In the early game, NAir is actually the option you'd sometimes rather go for because it does more damage

Firebreath: Meaty option, you don't get anything out of it. If spaced poorly it is possible for someone to ledgeroll through it

Bowser Bomb: good as a trump option (aerial or even grounded, you can also use shorthop bomb to grab the edge fast; just jump back/forward and immediately use bowser bomb, it's essentially like down/forward-back + X & B, like a plink). anyway, bowser bomb covers standard getup, truth be told; jumping options and trumps, recoveries with vulnerable frames if timed properly i.e., falcon dive, etc.

Running off and using B/FAir: also good for catching recoveries with vulnerable frames (i guess this is part of the aerials section)

Smashes: ...I wouldn't do it unless you KNOW it'll hit, but gambles are fun, and hey; if bowser guesses right, they die. FSmash is kind of active enough..with good timing you could actually clip someone before they can shield. it also hits below the edge, so it catches vulnerability/people hanging there too long. USmash is the same; and there is also a hitbox for when he comes down, so you actually have two shots at guessing. Although USmash and DSmash have a lot more utility for ledgehop options because of USmash's properties and Bowser's decreased size with DSmash.

I'm probably missing something but it's a start and I'm in a rush.

 

[Conn1496]

Just wondering if Bows' U-throw has any super armor on it. I just took a bomb from Toon Link while I had him in it, and basically nothing happened. He took damage, but I don't think I did... Was I somehow out of the bomb's range? I know U-smash has trample on it and he can punch bombs out of the air safely sometimes, but I wasn't aware of any kind of similar effects with U-throw...

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Throws generally leave the thrower intangible during startup. We don't have data on this because it's only really relevant for doubles. But you can do some absurd things. I distinctly remember Bthrowing somebody as Sonic, through Robin's Thoron spell and being okay. And I have reason to believe (though never tested it) that intangibility on throws begins on frame 2, and probably lasts for the entire startup frames.

 

[Duck SMASH!]

Throws generally leave the thrower intangible during startup. We don't have data on this because it's only really relevant for doubles. But you can do some absurd things. I distinctly remember Bthrowing somebody as Sonic, through Robin's Thoron spell and being okay. And I have reason to believe (though never tested it) that intangibility on throws begins on frame 2, and probably lasts for the entire startup frames.

Yea you're generally safe throughout your throw animation for the most part.
I've dodged ZSS boost kicks by Fthrowing someone as Bowser, for instance.

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Yea you're generally safe throughout your throw animation for the most part.
I've dodged ZSS boost kicks by Fthrowing someone as Bowser, for instance.

I had a smash stream open last night of the BeefySmashDoods playing with Bowser's new Uthrow in doubles. Turns out it does not have invulnerability, at least not for the entire animation. So I was wrong, and throws are different in when/if they have intangibility.

Also, have you guys tried using Uthrow on Rosalina near a ledge? Instant killing luma is pretty hype. I already felt she was our best top tier matchup. It might even be even now.

 

[Conn1496]

I had a smash stream open last night of the BeefySmashDoods playing with Bowser's new Uthrow in doubles. Turns out it does not have invulnerability, at least not for the entire animation. So I was wrong, and throws are different in when/if they have intangibility.

Also, have you guys tried using Uthrow on Rosalina near a ledge? Instant killing luma is pretty hype. I already felt she was our best top tier matchup. It might even be even now.

Yeah, I noticed this, too. I checked for it as soon as I heard U-throw had crazy collateral on it. lol

The only downside is that I've had it whiff on Luma a fair bit, so I'd just watch and be wary about Luma actually not being hit by it, though you generally act out of U-throw fast enough that you can shield stuff unless they hit you in the gap between intangibility and shield, it's something to watch out for.

 

[vegeta18]

since the knockback growth on bowsers up throw is so large now , does that mean its a powerful kill throw in this patch as well as good for combos?

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

vegeta18 UThrow does not kill till maybe 295+%.

 

[Jerodak]

I'm pretty sure you can act fast enough out of up throw to hit luma before Rosa makes it do stuff; the old up throw was like that at least.

Up-thorw to up tilt should cover both of their options if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Flubz]

So my friends and I were playing doubles, and one of my friends was playing Bowser. He grabbed someone, and did an Up Throw. Somehow, someone jumped/got launched into Bowser's Uthrow and into the looping hits. He got ejected very quickly, and at a very awkward angle similar to Pikachu's tail spike in Melee, and he died. Has anyone else found this?

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

F Flubz Some of us are aware of this, but the knowledge is slowly catching thanks to experiences like yours. Enjoy your unnecessary, random Bowser buff.

 

[S_B]

I'm pretty sure you can act fast enough out of up throw to hit luma before Rosa makes it do stuff; the old up throw was like that at least.

Up-thorw to up tilt should cover both of their options if I'm not mistaken.

After you grab Rosa, Luma moves behind her, so you need to do it VERY fast to get Luma with the Uthrow hitbox.

 

[Smashifer]

Just one quick question, and I'm not sure if this was answered before: are there any good setups for his Klaw? I know it's a good move in terms of killing but i can never find the right moment to use it.

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Just one quick question, and I'm not sure if this was answered before: are there any good setups for his Klaw? I know it's a good move in terms of killing but i can never find the right moment to use it.

Jab to dash side B. Beyond that, if you're a fan of short hop autocancelled Fairs, mixing up with Short hop Side B will grab them inside of their shield. And if they've dodged or moved away, you've got the same lack of lag as the autocancelled Fair. Finally, Short hop airdodge to Side B. We can jump clean through attacks and projectiles and land with Side B. Or any special move. As long as the buffer the move before landing, the grounded version comes out, allowing for scary pressure from grounded side B, Bowser Bomb, and Fortress. This tech is extremely strong for Bowser.

 

[Smashifer]

Jab to dash side B. Beyond that, if you're a fan of short hop autocancelled Fairs, mixing up with Short hop Side B will grab them inside of their shield. And if they've dodged or moved away, you've got the same lack of lag as the autocancelled Fair. Finally, Short hop airdodge to Side B. We can jump clean through attacks and projectiles and land with Side B. Or any special move. As long as the buffer the move before landing, the grounded version comes out, allowing for scary pressure from grounded side B, Bowser Bomb, and Fortress. This tech is extremely strong for Bowser.

Wow, thanks! I had no idea that all of these existed... I gotta learn these. Thanks again!

 

[BoxedOccaBerrys]

Do you guys have any tips for the matchup? I have a lot of trouble with him, because I get combo'd A LOT from his neutral air, and I end up dying from stupid things like B-air spikes...

(oh and tips also)

 

[MagiusNecros]

Do you guys have any tips for the matchup? I have a lot of trouble with him, because I get combo'd A LOT from his neutral air, and I end up dying from stupid things like B-air spikes...

(oh and tips also)

Staying on the ground may help. A large problem Bowser has is he doesn't want to be in the air. Despite Smash being air-centric.

 

[Cronoc]

Do you guys have any tips for the matchup? I have a lot of trouble with him, because I get combo'd A LOT from his neutral air, and I end up dying from stupid things like B-air spikes...

(oh and tips also)

The two are very different at high level. Lucas can zair into a landing grab which is incredibly hard to deal with, I can't say I really have an answer for it myself besides trying to shield and spotdodge or roll, but that's just theorycrafting that I haven't put into practice. Lucas can also do all sorts of stuff to Bowser because of his height, like full jump dair'ing over Bowser and generally flying around him spamming pk fires. Walk, don't run when this is happening, or you'll get hit in the start of the dashing animation. Walking may be slower but allows you to shield at any time. Basically, you have to shield all his crap and get more grabs than he does, even though he has what seems like an almost guaranteed grab off a zair hit, a move too fast to be shielded on reaction. So the shielding has to happen based on prediction. It can be a little rough.

For Ness, it's more an issue of his ridiculous disjoints (dash attack and fair cannot be contested by any other normal attack when head to head) and grab combos (check the DI guide for ways to get out of them), and of course the killing backthrow. Getting hit by Ness' pk fire after 60% or so really hurts, so Bowser has to be able to shield them on reaction, but Ness can't pelt Bowser with them like Lucas, and they're much easier to punish. Perhaps start by keeping about 2 character lengths away from the Ness and try to punish any laggy moves he throws. Don't try to pivot grab the dash attack, it's not happening. Oh, and use flame breath for edge guarding, most Ness players will take it as a challenge if Bowser is standing at the ledge while they recover and aim straight for him. With good enough timing that the flame breath hasn't petered out much and properly aimed, Bowser is completely safe from being hit by pk thunder 2, it'll dissipate Ness' recovery and force him to try again. At this point you can stop the fire breath and prepare to punish the landing, because after being denied in this way Ness is often at a weird angle to the ledge, and will likely go over it. So hold shield and prepare to punish. They might be in range for a fair but that's a real risky thing to attempt while Ness is about to explode toward you.

That's it for now.

 

[Conn1496]

Does anyone have any kind of idea about F-air true combos?..

I know they're kind of specific and difficult to pull off, but I'm interested in them. I know it's possible (Though difficult.) to combo Jab and Dash attack off F-air, but I was also wondering about Fortress (Which I'm sure you can at lower %s.) and dash grabs (Which is the one I'm most unsure of.).

 

[Jerodak]

Does anyone have any kind of idea about F-air true combos?..

I know they're kind of specific and difficult to pull off, but I'm interested in them. I know it's possible (Though difficult.) to combo Jab and Dash attack off F-air, but I was also wondering about Fortress (Which I'm sure you can at lower %s.) and dash grabs (Which is the one I'm most unsure of.).

You need to more or less land a close (or reverse) f-air for those to work, which makes them pretty risky to use but you can get combos into F-tilt, Dash grab, Dash Attack, and even Back air if you're at a ledge, but the question comes down to practicality and risk-reward.

The F-air to back air combo, for example, is rewarding because it'll K.O but it's situational because you need to land a reverse f-air near a ledge or on a platform and your opponent has to not know about it and try to D.I towards the stage, as they would typically do to increase their survivability. If they D.I away, they should escape pretty free, also the percent range where it works is somewhat specific. It's not impossible to land I suppose, since you'd only need one ledge attack punish or neutral get up read but the question is if it's more viable than simply doing anything else.

That's just my opinion though.

If you still want to learn more, one tip for getting the moves to link more consistently is learning fast-fall F-air timing on hit so you can shave off the excess frames.

EDIT: Know when multiple N-air hitboxes connect at the same time and do around 12-18% together? So how does this come into play on shield? Cause if you can land that combined 18% then n-air is only -8 or so vs out of shield options isn't it? Or would the shield stun function differently in this case? Just wondering.

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Know when multiple N-air hitboxes connect at the same time and do around 12-18% together? So how does this come into play on shield? Cause if you can land that combined 18% then n-air is only -8 or so vs out of shield options isn't it? Or would the shield stun function differently in this case? Just wondering.

Multiple hitboxes connecting at the same frame does result in a 12% or even 18% hit. And yes, the shieldstun will be recalculated as such. Running the numbers, a 12% hit would have 3 more frame advantage, and a 18% hit would have 7 more.

The problem is that Shields are extremely large targets, always larger than the character they cover. So, intentionally falling on a shield for three hits to connect on the same frame should be near to impossible, even on a stationary target. Two hits on the other hand is very possible. Since the last two hits, Bowser's two legs, become hitboxes on the very same frame. So if you're already inside of their shield and about to land, you can net yourself that 3 extra frames of blockstun.

 

[Jerodak]

Thanks for the clarification.

And thanks to whichever mod came in with the epic save! I'm actually a big weirdo that cares about keeping my record warning free!

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Thanks for the clarification.

And thanks to whichever mod came in with the epic save! I'm actually a big weirdo that cares about keeping my record warning free!

I've give you two hints. He's the only active Bowser board moderator and his name is an amalgamation of two ultimate spells from Square Enix games.

 

[Jerodak]

I've give you two hints. He's the only active Bowser board moderator and his name is an amalgamation of two ultimate spells from Square Enix games.

Oh.. Thanks Zigsta! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Only kidding, I knew who it was, but wanted to keep his identity a secret! I was very much jokingly serious about the warnings though, so let's not derail the thread.

 

[CreamyFatone]

Hey Bowsers,

I've been playing Bowser since day 1,but I wanted your thoughts on this matter.

Before the Up-throw patch came down from Smash heaven and blessed us, what was your primary way of getting damage and killing? Nowadays all you do is go for grabs and go from 0 to 35 to 60 to 80 to death almost for free off a grab.

 

[Conn1496]

Can anyone tell me the shield stun for B-air?.. It seems to give me advantage sometimes when I short hop it, so I was just wondering if that actually checks out in theory in relation to land-lag etc.

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

CreamyFatone We did anything that would get our opponent off stage. Simple Jab combo, Throw, FTilts, FAir, you name it. Just look at the video thread. After that it was wracking up damage off of edge guards and bad spacing.

In fact, we still do this because tunnel visioning into grab typically doesn't work in competitive play.

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Can anyone tell me the shield stun for B-air?.. It seems to give me advantage sometimes when I short hop it, so I was just wondering if that actually checks out in theory in relation to land-lag etc.

Shieldstun is 13. Which is a lot. Bowser's Bair is one example of an aerial that has better Block advantage from a short hop auto cancel than it does landing with the move a frame after it connects. This is a testament to how dumb it is to put 40 landing lag on a move. Auto cancel block advantage is -19. Landing is -27

Hey Bowsers,

I've been playing Bowser since day 1,but I wanted your thoughts on this matter.

Before the Up-throw patch came down from Smash heaven and blessed us, what was your primary way of getting damage and killing? Nowadays all you do is go for grabs and go from 0 to 35 to 60 to 80 to death almost for free off a grab.

My primary way of getting damage was poking with jabs. We outrange anybody that doesn't have a sword, so I'd play a grounded zoner style with just jab and a few tilts. Jab itself leads to so many different moves. There was also heavy use of OoS Fortress to make them think air approaches are no good (they were actually the very good). Once they were conditioned to shield, I'd get aggressive with grabs and Side B. Grab led to absolutely nothing, but the throws themselves dealing 12% damage was about as good as other throw combos from the likes of Robin and Diddy. Side B probably scored me more kills than any other move. Even outside of Battlefield.

After the patch, I try on a lot more edgeguard setups now that Fortress ledge snaps backwards. Other Bowsers already did a lot of this, but after missing so many golden opportunities and then being the guy who's at the ledge and has to get up, I was tired of it. There's still a lot of MUs where offstage edgeguarding is near impossible, but I was never able to stretch these muscles before as Bowser. Feels good. Bowser's non-commital jab 1 + 2 is sort of the perfect move for gaining ground and forcing recoveries. Also trying on a lot more of this now that I know it works as well as it does on all characters. As for how the new Uthrow changed my style, not too much. I try shieldgrabs now, that's different. Our is slower and has more endlag than just about every non-tether grab. I really enjoy Uthrow to Nair and Utilt. What a great way to make those moves suddenly useful.

 

[Conn1496]

Shieldstun is 13. Which is a lot. Bowser's Bair is one example of an aerial that has better Block advantage from a short hop auto cancel than it does landing with the move a frame after it connects. This is a testament to how dumb it is to put 40 landing lag on a move. Auto cancel block advantage is -19. Landing is -27

So basically, "no advantage". lol

Still, I think I'm gonna keep trying to catch people with fortress out of it, it seems to work most of the time.

Hey Bowsers,

I've been playing Bowser since day 1,but I wanted your thoughts on this matter.

Before the Up-throw patch came down from Smash heaven and blessed us, what was your primary way of getting damage and killing? Nowadays all you do is go for grabs and go from 0 to 35 to 60 to 80 to death almost for free off a grab.

Mostly just by punishing moves and catching people off guard. Poking with jabs and following up, D-airing just late enough to avoid and then hit, etc. Running in with Fortress is also a big deal for me, too, as is it out of shield. It does a lot of damage for something that comes out blindingly fast (for a Bowser move, most notably). A lot of Fortressing went on, in short. lol

To be fair, it still does. I kinda mentioned this in another thread, but U-throw is mostly a power creep buff for us, so it doesn't wholly change Bowser's playstyle outside of "normal grabs > Klaw", and even then, sometimes that's negotiable.

I also like Bowser Bomb a lot. Mostly grounded, but I looove this move. Confirm it on jab mix-up, punish with it, snap to ledge with it, break shields with it, kill with it, spread it on toast, frame it and hang it on a wall--... Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, Bowser Bomb is actually super useful. -not something you can throw out, but a good all-purpose mix-up, IMO. It's only really bad if it totally whiffs, which if you're choosing to use it, it shouldn't, to be fair.

I didn't play Bowser pre-1.1.3 for too long, since 1.1.3 seemingly dropped from the sky as soon as I decided to pick him up, but post-1.1.3 isn't much different IMO. You just have like... -1 or 2 extra options now, and U-throw is worth more. Also, Fortress is scarier now since it punishes the one thing that's gonna get people reliably out of the way of your grabs (Rolls.), which is nice.

 

[CreamyFatone]

CreamyFatone We did anything that would get our opponent off stage. Simple Jab combo, Throw, FTilts, FAir, you name it. Just look at the video thread. After that it was wracking up damage off of edge guards and bad spacing.

In fact, we still do this because tunnel visioning into grab typically doesn't work in competitive play.

Yeah, I agree. Although I'll say that one of the major things I focus on too is punishing landings, which I think Bowser is well equipped to do with his Up-smash, up-tilt, dash attack, dash grab range, and of course Fortress.

Shieldstun is 13. Which is a lot. Bowser's Bair is one example of an aerial that has better Block advantage from a short hop auto cancel than it does landing with the move a frame after it connects. This is a testament to how dumb it is to put 40 landing lag on a move. Auto cancel block advantage is -19. Landing is -27



My primary way of getting damage was poking with jabs. We outrange anybody that doesn't have a sword, so I'd play a grounded zoner style with just jab and a few tilts. Jab itself leads to so many different moves. There was also heavy use of OoS Fortress to make them think air approaches are no good (they were actually the very good). Once they were conditioned to shield, I'd get aggressive with grabs and Side B. Grab led to absolutely nothing, but the throws themselves dealing 12% damage was about as good as other throw combos from the likes of Robin and Diddy. Side B probably scored me more kills than any other move. Even outside of Battlefield.

After the patch, I try on a lot more edgeguard setups now that Fortress ledge snaps backwards. Other Bowsers already did a lot of this, but after missing so many golden opportunities and then being the guy who's at the ledge and has to get up, I was tired of it. There's still a lot of MUs where offstage edgeguarding is near impossible, but I was never able to stretch these muscles before as Bowser. Feels good. Bowser's non-commital jab 1 + 2 is sort of the perfect move for gaining ground and forcing recoveries. Also trying on a lot more of this now that I know it works as well as it does on all characters. As for how the new Uthrow changed my style, not too much. I try shieldgrabs now, that's different. Our is slower and has more endlag than just about every non-tether grab. I really enjoy Uthrow to Nair and Utilt. What a great way to make those moves suddenly useful.

I think that a well placed Fortress can beat a lot of aerials, and if you are good at that kind of positioning it can really shut down a lot of your opponents options. I sometimes use it when I need that slight crouching height to get underneath a move or projectile, so that I can slip in under their landing. But yeah, even with this new patch I always throw them offstage and try to keep them that way, or I would throw them up if I thought that I could punish landing consistently

Also, I found that tech-chasing with Bowser is really good. Does anyone else like tech chase situations with Bowser?

 

[CreamyFatone]

So basically, "no advantage". lol

Still, I think I'm gonna keep trying to catch people with fortress out of it, it seems to work most of the time.



Mostly just by punishing moves and catching people off guard. Poking with jabs and following up, D-airing just late enough to avoid and then hit, etc. Running in with Fortress is also a big deal for me, too, as is it out of shield. It does a lot of damage for something that comes out blindingly fast (for a Bowser move, most notably). A lot of Fortressing went on, in short. lol

To be fair, it still does. I kinda mentioned this in another thread, but U-throw is mostly a power creep buff for us, so it doesn't wholly change Bowser's playstyle outside of "normal grabs > Klaw", and even then, sometimes that's negotiable.

I also like Bowser Bomb a lot. Mostly grounded, but I looove this move. Confirm it on jab mix-up, punish with it, snap to ledge with it, break shields with it, kill with it, spread it on toast, frame it and hang it on a wall--... Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, Bowser Bomb is actually super useful. -not something you can throw out, but a good all-purpose mix-up, IMO. It's only really bad if it totally whiffs, which if you're choosing to use it, it shouldn't, to be fair.

I didn't play Bowser pre-1.1.3 for too long, since 1.1.3 seemingly dropped from the sky as soon as I decided to pick him up, but post-1.1.3 isn't much different IMO. You just have like... -1 or 2 extra options now, and U-throw is worth more. Also, Fortress is scarier now since it punishes the one thing that's gonna get people reliably out of the way of your grabs (Rolls.), which is nice.

I feel like the situations in which using Bomb and/or Dair should ever be used is when you see that they're chasing you in the air and its not bait or if you're by the ledge and its advantageous to grab ledge quickly. Otherwise, I can't tell you how many times I felt stupid for having one of those moves baited out of me.

By the way, is there any way to confirm a shield break with Bomb? I saw Chaos did that double jump drifting Bomb onto that platform and it made me think maybe if you do it right on top of them they don't have time to shield drop?

 

[Conn1496]

I feel like the situations in which using Bomb and/or Dair should ever be used is when you see that they're chasing you in the air and its not bait or if you're by the ledge and its advantageous to grab ledge quickly. Otherwise, I can't tell you how many times I felt stupid for having one of those moves baited out of me.

That's true, but that's why you have to use these moves late or not at all. They're kind of a gambit if you see them trying to use a move themselves since D-air beats or trades with most moves favourably. Bomb mid-air is usually a big no-no unless you're snapping to ledge though, I'll agree there.

By the way, is there any way to confirm a shield break with Bomb? I saw Chaos did that double jump drifting Bomb onto that platform and it made me think maybe if you do it right on top of them they don't have time to shield drop?

I don't think there's a definite confirm - if all hits of grounded Bomb hit (including the horns) it's a shield break, but they don't "combo". Mid-air Bomb is a gamble too since sometimes they'll be left with some shield left. It's just really good as a mix-up since if you condition them for anything else out of Jab they'll be used to shielding instead of preparing to roll out of the horns-hit (or they'll roll pre-emptively, and if you're close enough to the ledge you tend to still hit them with the actual drop anyway.).

 

[pitfall356]

Bomb doesn't need the horns to connect in order to break shields. The hit from the bomb then the shockwave on landing allows for shield breaks. Horns do add some considerable shieldstun, but not so much that the opponent can't roll or dodge just in time to avoid the big hits that would otherwise break their shield. God, I wish horns had enough shieldstun to force the next two hits to connect...

 

[Conn1496]

Bomb doesn't need the horns to connect in order to break shields. The hit from the bomb then the shockwave on landing allows for shield breaks. Horns do add some considerable shieldstun, but not so much that the opponent can't roll or dodge just in time to avoid the big hits that would otherwise break their shield. God, I wish horns had enough shieldstun to force the next two hits to connect...

Oh, I know, but hitting with the horns actually keeps them in shield for long enough that the Bomb and shockwave will be a guaranteed break as opposed to one that just works on damaged shields.

 

[CreamyFatone]

I've tried this in training mode, and unless I screwed it up somehow, any character can shield drop inbetween the first and shockwave hit of Bomb, allowing them to only get hit by the shockwave. Believe me, I would love to be wrong about this.

 

[pitfall356]

Oh, I know, but hitting with the horns actually keeps them in shield for long enough that the Bomb and shockwave will be a guaranteed break as opposed to one that just works on damaged shields.

But Bowser bomb breaks new shields guaranteed, as long as the falling hit and shockwave both connect. I mean, there are issues where the falling hit pushes them far away from the shockwave, thus not breaking, but...

Maybe I'm just reading you wrong.

 

[Conn1496]

But Bowser bomb breaks new shields guaranteed, as long as the falling hit and shockwave both connect. I mean, there are issues where the falling hit pushes them far away from the shockwave, thus not breaking, but...

Maybe I'm just reading you wrong.

Wait, it does?.. Huh... Maybe I just missed the memo that Bomb always breaks shields now. *shrug*

I'm sure that Bomb doesn't break shields unless all hits hit including horns, or the shield is weakened, but... I could be wrong, it's been a while since I checked that kind of data.