I have one more thing I want to take care of before the curtain rises later. While I wanted to finish a full video for a revamped character concept based around the Dusk form, things just...didn't line up. So instead, I want to type out some rough notes for it for reference. If we
do get a confirmation later, it'll be a means to compare the canon moveset with what I've personally envisioned, free of any apparent bias that'd come from writing it down after the fact.
So, without further ado:
Basics
Size: 6/10 (Slightly above average; shorter yet longer than characters of similar size due to quadrupedal build)
Weight: 96 (Middleweight; nearly dead center, same as Pit)
Walk Speed: 1.25 (T-11th with Diddy Kong compared to the Smash 4 cast)
Run Speed: 2.025 (8th fastest, between Mewtwo and Sheik; that 110 base Speed ain't just for show!)
Air Speed: 0.98 (36th; slightly below average, just below Meta Knight)
Fall Speed: 1.72 (12th fastest; fitting for a character with earth powers)
Playstyle: Bait & Punish/Lockdown - Uses quick grounded movement and feints to provoke opposing attacks and cause them to miss, then punishes the end lag with strong conversions. Emphasis is on whiff punishes in particular rather than punishing out-of-shield. Combines this with a few stage control elements to discourage opponents from moving around and corral them into detrimental situations. Dusk Lycanrocs are willing to fight yet don't actively seek combat nor antagonize anyone who hasn't already shown hostility, so such a playstyle lines right up with that!
Gimmick: Sunset Fury - Dusk Lycanrocs gain the Midnight form's eye glow when attacking in the games, and Ash's Lycanroc had a whole character arc about gaining control of that state! Connecting with a special or certain other attacks would trigger this fury state, causing the same eye glow and a faint orange aura. While in this state, Lycanroc's attacks would speed up significantly, taking normally subpar frame data and cranking it up into a terrifying force to behold for a short time. Notably, the attacks would not have their damage or knockback values altered while in this state, only their frame data. This would make it easier to keep track of and make combos only possible in this state easier to practice!
Grounded Normals
Jab: Jabs forward with one forepaw, then swings its head at a diagonal angle to hit with its stone mane. A two part jab, like with Bowser and Donkey Kong.
Forward Tilt: Swings one foreleg horizontally, with a small stone appearing and trailing behind it. A decent spacing tool that works well off a pivot.
Up Tilt: Performs a quick backflip in place. Good anti-air, but has no disjoint, and comes with too much end lag to start a combo with...unless Fury is active.
Down Tilt: Swipes at the ground, stirring up a low-hanging cloud of dust. Inspired by Sand-Attack, it deals multiple hits and creates breathing room, but has enough end lag that getting anything going from it is difficult even
with Fury up.
Dash Attack: Ducks head low and performs a running tackle. Inspired by, well, Tackle, it's best as a running punish to set up juggle opportunities, just like with Captain Falcon's dash attack.
Smash Attacks
Forward Smash: Lunges forward with a powerful bite, complete with
the fanged energy projection from the anime. Slow to start, but
very strong and with a surprising amount of range and disjoint, it's one of Lycanroc's premier kill moves with the proper read.
Up Smash: Howls skyward, summoning a stalagmite immediately in front that juts upward forcefully. Inspired by Stone Edge, the stalagmite has about a 60 degree angle and a slight curve. If you've seen Sylvanos' up smash in Rivals of Aether, think something like that but with more reasonable range
though I actually had this idea before I saw that move.
Down Smash: Slams downward to ground level, summoning stalagmites on either side. These are at exact diagonal angles, with less range than the one from the up smash but faster startup.
Aerials
Neutral Air: Performs a midair
barrel roll, spinning in place as rocks shoot out from its collar to rotate around. Imagine something like Sonic's forward air for the animation, but without the forward movement. A long lasting multi-hit nair similar to Lucas, it's a force up close but also very unsafe on shield.
Forward Air: Lurches forward and bites. This one doesn't have the energy projection the fsmash does, so it has less range and power, but it's also much faster and usable in horizontal combos.
Back Air: Kicks backward with both hindlegs. Simplistic and predictable, but damn strong, Lycanroc's go-to killing aerial.
Up Air: Flips upward, attempting to strike with its stone mane. Animation-wise, would resemble the second half of
this clip.
Down Air: Creates a rock in midair at its feet, then forcefully kicks it downward a short distance. The first part is a weak-ish outward hit to clear space, while the second is a laggy yet powerful spike. The first hit does
not combo into the second.
Grab and Throws
Grab: With no hands nor prehensile appendages, Lycanroc simply uses its mouth to grab. Would have a notably mediocre standing grab but really good dash and pivot grabs.
Pummel: Bites down on the enemy. Would have a visual effect similar to Charizard's pummel, with similar damage and frame data.
Forward Throw: Tosses the enemy forward. Nothing too fancy; best used for positioning.
Back Throw: Leaps slightly and forcefully hurls the enemy backward. Lycanroc's main kill throw, it'd start netting KOs a little earlier than when Mario's does.
Up Throw: Soft tosses the enemy a short distance forward, then summons a stalagmite that knocks them upward. Lycanroc's strongest throw, dealing about 10-11%.
Down Throw: Leaps upward, then throws the enemy toward the ground. Damage is dealt at the point where they ricochet, with smart aiming to ensure they always hit a surface and aren't thrown into the abyss if used at the edge of a platform. A potent combo starter at low-mid percents, this is one of Lycanroc's go-to punishes and something opponents must plan around.
Specials
Neutral Special: Accelerock - One of Lycanroc's signature moves is the backbone of its moveset. On use, Lycanroc is propelled forward about 1/3 the distance of Battlefield, shielded by a set of small stones that drag opponents along and deal multiple hits. A movement option and combo starter in one on top of triggering Fury for about 5 seconds if it connects, it's kept in check by having poor range, losing trades with nearly every other attack in the game, and having a
ton of end lag if it misses or hits a shield. Because of this, Accelerock is best used as a tool for punishing whiffed attacks, reinforcing Lycanroc's preferred playstyle.
Forward Special: Stealth Rock - Competitive trainers' least favorite move makes its presence known in Smash. On use, Lycanroc tosses a small, pointed stone a distance forward. If it touches a flat surface, it digs in with the edge sticking up. If an opponent gets too close, it grows and stabs them from below, dealing damage and popping them up for easy followups while also triggering Fury for several seconds. Lycanroc's main method of establishing stage control, it can also be used as a trapping move in a pinch or if your opponent is being predictable. Only one Stealth Rock can be active at a time, for obvious balancing reasons.
Up Special: Rock Climb - A rather unconventional recovery move, Lycanroc summons a large stone at its feet and then leaps off it to safety, also dealing damage to anyone nearby at the time. While the distance covered isn't anything to write home about, the hitbox on the rock and on Lycnaroc itself during the jump ensures you'll get that distance unless your opponent reads your movement and times an attack perfectly. Provides Lycanroc with a passable recovery with Accelrock as an alternate option, though you're still at risk of being hit too far back for Rock Climb to save you if you lose your double jump offstage.
Down Special: Counter Stone - Counter is Lycanroc's other signature move, so the key is finding a way to make it unique. For one, Counter Stone merely grants Lycanroc super armor, preventing only knockback while still letting the damage get through. For two, the counterattack itself...isn't all that powerful. But what it
does to is trigger Fury for an increasingly long timespan depending on Lycanroc's current % and the strength of the countered attack. At its most potent, this move can set off a fury state that lasts for up to 20 seconds!
Final Smash: Splintered Stormshards - What better Final Smash than a move that basically functions like one in the Pokémon games? On use, Lycanroc emanates an aura that glows with the fiery color of the setting sun. Anyone nearby caught in its light is whisked away to a cinematic where Lycanroc sunders the very earth into a volley of sharpened stones that blots out the sky! Deals tremendous damage and knockback as you'd expect, with the added bonus of destroying any items or traps currently in play just like it removes terrain effects in the games!
exists... Lycanroc would still feel different, though, due to its more "realistic" fighting style as opposed to Duck Hunt's cartoony antics.
