First Official 4BR Smash for Wii U Tier List

It is common for fighting game communities to create a tier list for their game as a source of reference and debate regarding the tournament viability of the cast. The Smash scene is no exception to this, and all games in the series have had a tier list posted to SmashBoards. More often than not, the website itself was instrumental to the creation of these lists, mainly through projects organized by the so-called Smash Back Room for each respective game.

Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS finds itself in the unique position of receiving patches, DLC characters and stages for more than a year after release, with two more characters still forthcoming. As a result of this, it made sense to hold off on tier list discussion until a period of relative stability came along. The current patch (1.1.3) left the majority of the cast relatively untouched and had Genesis 3 as a major showcase, so we chose this build as a foundation. With the recent launch of the 4BR, we were in a good position for the official tier list project to finally get underway.

The 4BR acknowledges that tier lists are often controversial and won't be perfect at the first iteration, if ever. We do, however, strive to study the game to the best of our ability and give a sincere opinion on the current state of affairs. As such, a tier list can be an important benchmark to look back on as the game progresses.

To illustrate this, compare the first and last tier lists for Brawl. Over the nearly 5 years separating the two, we saw the fall of top tier threats like King Dedede, R.O.B. and Mr. Game & Watch, the rise of supposed mid tiers like Captain Olimar and Zero Suit Samus and the blatant early misjudgment of Zelda's potential. Despite these major shifts, the majority of the cast did not end up that far from where they initially started.

Our community has pushed Smash 4 hard from day one, and we have more resources at our disposal than ever before, be it complete frame data, tutorials, or tournament footage. It will be interesting to see how this affects our accuracy in rating the cast, something only time will tell. All that being said, we are proud to present you the first official tier list for Smash Bros. for Wii U!

Procedure

In late December 2015, 4BR members were asked to distribute all 56 released characters across 20 tiers, with no differentiation within the same tier. Voters could place gaps wherever they wanted and there were no restrictions on the amount of characters in the same group. They had to assume play under the 1.1.3 patch with no custom moves allowed, while Miis had to be considered with their 1111 moveset only, in accordance with tournament reality at the biggest events. The 4BR at this moment has no official stance or recommendation on ruleset matters.

We agreed to let voting run until after Genesis 3, which would hopefully provide us with insights into especially the more recent additions to the cast, most notably Cloud. During the voting process, there was a separate topic for reasoning and discussion. We also asked a small group of non-members to submit a vote, in order to involve more people at the forefront of the metagame. We ended up with 53 votes, of which 34 were American and 19 were international.

These are the people who submitted a vote:

Spoiler: List of Voters

@AeroLink_the_SoulMaster (AeroLink)
@Alphicans
@Amazing Ampharos
@Ambrose (My Smash Corner)
@ASC | Red Ryu
@Camalange
@CHOMPY
@CYVE
@Dabuz
@DtJ XeroXen
@D1
@earth_tyt (Earth)
@False
@Fox Is Openly Deceptive
@gsmVoiD (VoiD)
@istudying
@John123456
@Katakiri
@k9.
@Liberation
Marc
@Meru.
@Mister Eric
@Mr-R
@Myran
@NAKAT
@NickRiddle
@nietono
@qb9b
@Ranai
@Raziek
@Rayquaza07
@Remzi (VABengal)
@rintarosu10 (RIN)
@san.
@Seagull Joe
@Shaya
@Slice~ (Beefy Smash Doods)
@Spinosaurus
@SS_and_TH (Komorikiri)
@TA~Mav
@The calm tyrant... (Tyrant)
@TheReflexWonder
@Thinkaman
@Trela
@UltimateRazer (GrimTurtle)
@vyQ (Beefy Smash Doods)
@Xiivi
@Xzax Kasrani
@Zan-
@Zigsta
@---
@-6WX-

Spoiler: Breakdown by region

USA
Atlantic North: 12
Midwest: 8
Pacific West: 7
Southwest: 4
Atlantic South: 3

International
Europe: 8
Japan: 6
Canada: 3
Australia: 2

Note that we will not release individual votes, but any voter is free to share his own vote with the public. The most notable abstainee was @TSM ZeRo, who felt it was still too early for a tier list.

Results

@Shaya processed the votes and found these average placements, standard deviations and gaps between average placements for the cast:

Spoiler: Raw voting data

Character | Average Placement | Standard Deviation | Gap
Sheik | 20.0 | 0.0 | 0.0
Zero Suit Samus | 19.46 | 0.708 | 0.538
Rosalina | 18.77 | 0.87 | 0.687
Ryu | 17.95 | 1.103 | 0.82
Pikachu | 17.86 | 1.065 | 0.099
Sonic | 17.83 | 1.269 | 0.021
Fox | 17.52 | 1.146 | 0.313
Mario | 17.51 | 1.108 | 0.014
Diddy Kong | 17.43 | 0.998 | 0.082
Meta Knight | 17.12 | 1.489 | 0.307
Villager | 16.52 | 1.614 | 0.597
Cloud | 16.5 | 1.657 | 0.023
Ness | 16.39 | 1.502 | 0.11
Captain Falcon | 15.16 | 1.767 | 1.228
Yoshi | 15.15 | 1.893 | 0.013
Luigi | 14.27 | 1.996 | 0.881
Dark Pit | 13.89 | 2.138 | 0.381
Pit | 13.88 | 2.308 | 0.006
Peach | 13.75 | 2.115 | 0.133
R.O.B. | 13.63 | 2.221 | 0.12
Wario | 13.56 | 1.898 | 0.067
Toon Link | 13.2 | 2.416 | 0.357
Lucario | 12.92 | 2.224 | 0.285
Olimar | 12.47 | 2.452 | 0.454
Greninja | 12.25 | 2.633 | 0.215
Ike | 12.12 | 2.425 | 0.126
Donkey Kong | 11.8 | 2.252 | 0.325
Mega Man | 11.41 | 2.159 | 0.386
Pac-Man | 11.29 | 2.278 | 0.124
Bowser | 10.81 | 2.66 | 0.477
Robin | 10.17 | 2.722 | 0.642
Roy | 9.29 | 3.209 | 0.883
Kirby | 9.1 | 3.388 | 0.183
Bowser Jr. | 8.93 | 2.671 | 0.176
Mr. Game & Watch | 8.72 | 2.47 | 0.21
Lucas | 8.65 | 2.993 | 0.071
Mewtwo | 8.35 | 2.666 | 0.297
Falco | 8.12 | 3.026 | 0.232
Wii Fit Trainer | 8.08 | 2.674 | 0.037
Shulk | 7.75 | 2.926 | 0.325
Marth | 7.72 | 2.237 | 0.038
Link | 7.47 | 2.474 | 0.249
Duck Hunt Dog | 7.18 | 3.11 | 0.283
Little Mac | 7.18 | 2.633 | 0.009
Dr. Mario | 7.14 | 2.437 | 0.033
King Dedede | 6.04 | 2.721 | 1.107
Lucina | 5.59 | 2.547 | 0.447
Mii Brawler | 5.01 | 2.952 | 0.584
Charizard | 4.79 | 2.255 | 0.218
Palutena | 4.78 | 2.199 | 0.008
Samus | 4.12 | 1.942 | 0.656
Mii Gunner | 3.6 | 2.153 | 0.525
Mii Swordsman | 3.32 | 2.054 | 0.282
Ganondorf | 3.23 | 1.675 | 0.082
Jigglypuff | 2.79 | 2.035 | 0.448
Zelda | 1.96 | 1.259 | 0.828

A standard deviation of (close to) 0 means that voters generally placed the character close to the mean, while a higher standard deviation means that the character had a larger range of placements. Most standard deviations are over 1, indicating that we are far from a consensus.

We considered all gaps over .50 as tier separation points and those above .75 for a change in label (Top, High, etc.). However, we decided against single character tiers and the C tier occupying a "High Mid" label with just two characters. Finally, we split F tier into two based on the largest difference within that group of 14 characters.

Official 4BR Smash for Wii U Tier List v1.0 (1.1.3 patch)

Top
S:

High
A:
B:

Middle
C:
D:
E:

Low
F:
G:

Bottom
H:
I:
J:

Text version:

S: Sheik, Zero Suit Samus, Rosalina & Luma
A: Ryu, Pikachu, Sonic, Fox, Mario, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight
B: Villager, Cloud, Ness
C: Captain Falcon, Yoshi
D: Luigi, Dark Pit, Pit, Peach, R.O.B., Wario, Toon Link, Lucario
E: Captain Olimar, Greninja, Ike, Donkey Kong, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Bowser, Robin
F: Roy, Kirby, Bowser Jr., Mr. Game & Watch, Lucas, Mewtwo, Falco, Wii Fit Trainer
G: Shulk, Marth, Link, Duck Hunt, Little Mac, Dr. Mario
H: King Dedede, Lucina
I: Mii Brawler, Charizard, Palutena
J: Samus, Mii Gunner, Mii Swordfighter, Ganondorf, Jigglypuff, Zelda

Graphic version:

Conclusion

The first year of Smash 4 has been an absolute rollercoaster, with players flocking from Bowser to Diddy Kong to Sheik to Luigi to Donkey Kong to Sheik again. With the completion of the cast on the horizon and the nerfs and buffs slowing to a halt, the game can be expected to come to full fruition in 2016. We can't wait to see the Smash 4 tier list evolve over the years as Smashers all over the world rise to the challenge -- and with them, their respective characters.

What do you think of the tier list? Would you have placed any characters differently? Let us know what your thoughts and questions are and we will try to address the most common ones in a followup article, which will also include a more in-depth analysis of the results with statements by 4BR members.

Major thanks go out to @Shaya for processing the votes, @Zigsta and @Liberation for helping with the release and @Xiivi, @Shaya, and @Camalange for collecting outside votes and various odds and ends. Finally, a shoutout to all the voters for their time and input. I was proud to spearhead this project and receive help from so many dedicated people.

 

Page 16, post 629. Pookum Gamer said it too.

...Why are you trying to call me queer when you're ending every other sentence with "lol" and "lmao" while outright ignoring everything I've presented?

He said nothing of the sort. I actually agree with him, but Roy and Lucina don't have the results to go much higher yet I don't think. Is he saying Roy is amazing though? Nope.

And that's because your arguments are hilariously awful or just wrong altogether. You're not worth arguing with because you'll just make up more bs for me to tell you you're wrong. It's the most obnoxious thing about you.

 

If you guys started fighting in SSB4 and posted it on Youtube, I would totally watch it XD *no offense intended*. It would be an amazing clash!

 

He said nothing of the sort. I actually agree with him, but Roy and Lucina don't have the results to go much higher yet I don't think. Is he saying Roy is amazing though? Nope.

And that's because your arguments are hilariously awful or just wrong altogether. You're not worth arguing with because you'll just make up more bs for me to tell you you're wrong. It's the most obnoxious thing about you.

Dude was trying to compare the bogus stat values on Kuroganehammer to prove to me he's decent. Come on man.

"You suck at arguing" ain't an argument. And you've brought next to no actual proof and resorted to the "your character sucks and nobody talks about him lmao" argument. Pot, meet kettle.

What am I wrong about, exactly? Every time I ask you just shirk away...

 

If you guys started fighting in SSB4 and posted it on Youtube, I would totally watch it XD *no offense intended*. It would be an amazing clash!

I doubt it would be close at all. I can already tell you with certainty that he's garbage at this game. Sorry to say this, but the "settle it in smash" rule doesn't apply here lol.

Dude was trying to compare the bogus stat values on Kuroganehammer to prove to me he's decent. Come on man.

"You suck at arguing" ain't an argument. And you've brought next to no actual proof and resorted to the "your character sucks and nobody talks about him lmao" argument. Pot, meet kettle.

What am I wrong about, exactly? Every time I ask you just shirk away...

You never did ask. I never said Pit sucked either, only that his hitboxes are subpar at best minus a few moves. Roy has some decent frame data too, there's no denying that. For example his Nair comes out on frame 6, and has 11 frames of landing lag compared to Sheik's Fair which has 10 frames of landing lag. And just because a move or two is bad doesn't necessarily make the character bad. Think of Sheik's burst grenade.

I've told you what you were wrong about already multiple times. You're hopeless. There's really no saving you at all.

 

I doubt it would be close at all. I can already tell you with certainty that he's garbage at this game. Sorry to say this, but the "settle it in smash" rule doesn't apply here lol.


You never did ask. I never said Pit sucked either, only that his hitboxes are subpar at best minus a few moves. Roy has some decent frame data too, there's no denying that. For example his Nair comes out on frame 6, and has 11 frames of landing lag compared to Sheik's Fair which has 10 frames of landing lag. And just because a move or two is bad doesn't necessarily make the character bad. Think of Sheik's burst grenade.

I've told you what you were wrong about already multiple times. You're hopeless. There's really no saving you at all.

Yep, insulting my ability to play... Good argument fam. Totally going to win over the bystanders.

No, you said he has no players and nobody talks about him even though Pit has more players then Roy (making your "my character vs. your character" thing moot) and he has an actual notable player who places well consistently.

Never said Roy's frame data was garbage. But when you're doing like 5% for a spaced hit when any other swordsman is doing at least 10% it makes him look sad. On the flipside, having a handful of good moves doesn't mean a character isn't bad. Zelda and Puff have actual good moves but it's not enough to matter.

Lucina's sword very clearly extends past the hitboxes. Pit's Uair is gigantic. Roy's aerial FAF isn't landing lag. These are things that I've backed up with actual proof. The most you've done is prove that Uair can start combos on somebody standing perfectly still. Who's listening to you, again?

 

Yep, insulting my ability to play... Good argument fam. Totally going to win over the bystanders.

No, you said he has no players and nobody talks about him even though Pit has more players then Roy (making your "my character vs. your character" thing moot) and he has an actual notable player who places well consistently.

Never said Roy's frame data was garbage. But when you're doing like 5% for a spaced hit when any other swordsman is doing at least 10% it makes him look sad. On the flipside, having a handful of good moves doesn't mean a character isn't bad. Zelda and Puff have actual good moves but it's not enough to matter.

Lucina's sword very clearly extends past the hitboxes. Pit's Uair is gigantic. Roy's aerial FAF isn't landing lag. These are things that I've backed up with actual proof. The most you've done is prove that Uair can start combos on somebody standing perfectly still. Who's listening to you, again?

That's so wrong that it's actually hilarious. You haven't provided any more proof than I have lol.

 

Will you two ever stop? It's been like 4 pages and it's going nowhere. Neither one wants to agree with anything other side says. Either move to PMs or to Roy threads.

 

Will you two ever stop? It's been like 4 pages and it's going nowhere. Neither one wants to agree with anything other side says. Either move to PMs or to Roy threads.

I feel ya. I'm honestly surprised a mod hasn't showed up yet. I was already going to just stop replying to him since there's really no persuading this kind of person.

 

That's so wrong that it's actually hilarious. You haven't provided any more proof than I have lol.

Lucina's Uair. Everybody can see it man.

 

I'll remember this when I play Smash... Or just in general. Glad to see my favorite character is still God Tier! As a Rosalina & Luma main, I will say I am total garbage <--- One of the reasons I don't play For Glory, it's embarrassing enough as it is to tolerate. I hear she has alot of potential, so I wanna expand my creativeness and improvisation But I'm still improving, and if anyone of you have any helpful advice or tips I would really appreciate it! Help me master and perfect Rojellina and Chiko! As for other characters, well, let's just say I'm better off at least trying to be decent as my main than even be near as okay with them. Once again, thank you!

 

I'll remember this when I play Smash... Or just in general. Glad to see my favorite character is still God Tier! As a Rosalina & Luma main, I will say I am total garbage <--- One of the reasons I don't play For Glory, it's embarrassing enough as it is to tolerate. I hear she has alot of potential, so I wanna expand my creativeness and improvisation But I'm still improving, and if anyone of you have any helpful advice or tips I would really appreciate it! Help me master and perfect Rojellina and Chiko! As for other characters, well, let's just say I'm better off at least trying to be decent as my main than even be near as okay with them. Once again, thank you!

If you want help on how to play Rosalina I suggest heading to the Rosa boards and ask there in the social. This thread is pretty dead as it stands, so don't expect a good reply anytime soon lol.

 

If you want help on how to play Rosalina I suggest heading to the Rosa boards and ask there in the social. This thread is pretty dead as it stands, so don't expect a good reply anytime soon lol.

That thread is also dead as well, shocking as it seems. I also talk there when I'm not speaking of Smash most of the time too. Thanks for replying though. There's always the Q&A thread, but I don't know about that. I'm just hoping for any active threads in general, like the Ganondorf one.