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Data From Rags to Riches: Wario Moveset Data (and soon-to-be character guide)

TheReflexWonder

Wonderful!
BRoomer
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
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Atlanta, GA
NNID
TheReflexWonder
3DS FC
2492-4449-2771
I decided to compile some data for 2.5 Wario, as we should make the most of the new subforum on SmashBoards, and I've heard from a lot of people that they want to play Wario but don't know where to start.

If you're new to the character and you're wondering what Wario has to offer you, here's a list of some of his strong points and flaws--

Strengths:
Good ground speed
Many potential combo opportunities
Low tech skill barrier/ceiling
Great at setting the pace of the match
Many mix-up opportunities
Varied and effective grab game
Above-average weight
Excellent horizontal aerial mobility
Arguably the best edgeguard/gimp potential
Very dynamic playstyle
Doesn't mind going up against camping (due to Down-B's passive charge)
Is an effective team player in Doubles


Weaknesses:
Bad range
Mediocre recovery
Few reliable combos
Limited shield pressure potential
Few strong/reliable KO moves
Cannot effectively commit to an especially-aggressive playstyle
Can find it difficult to escape combos


In essence, he relies on his ability to seamlessly go from defense to offense and back again to confuse and confound the opponent. While he doesn't have many reliable combos that rely on using the same couple moves repeatedly, he has a great number of attacks that put the opponent in a guessing game that highly favors Wario. His moveset does not demand the kind of technical skill you might expect from a space animal, but you have to understand all the ways his situational moves will work well for you. If you can get in your opponent's mind and stay a step ahead, you'll tear your opponents a new one.

Here's some hitboxes and frame data; I'll go over the general use of moves in a little bit. I'm missing some of it due to my inexperience with PSA/Brawlbox (and some pictures are larger than others for the same reason), but, appreciate it, regardless.

Currently missing: Various data on throws. F-Tilt wind-up time. Up-B frame data.

Each bit will read as follows:

Picture of move's hitboxes (when applicable)
When the hitboxes come out (in # of frames)
How long the moves takes to finish (in # of frames)
How much damage it does (in %)
What buttons to press to make it happen
A description of how the move works and some ideas on how to use them effectively

AT move means there is an intricacy in how the move works that makes it more complicated/useful than it might initially seem.
Forward-Tilt, Up-Smash, Neutral-B, Forward-B, Forward-B Squat Cancel, Standing Grab, Dash Grab, Forward-Throw (Charged)
Spacing tool means it is a useful option to try and control space by either keeping people out or approaching in a reasonably safe manner.
Down-Tilt, Down-Smash, Neutral-Air, Forward-Air, Back-Air, Standing Grab
Combo starter means it is easy to combo into other moves after hitting with this one in neutral position.
Jab1, Jab2, Up-Tilt, Down-Tilt, Down-Smash, Neutral-Air, Neutral-B, Forward-Throw (Uncharged), Down-Throw
Combo extender means it is easy to continue a combo by hitting with this move.
Dash Attack, Up-Tilt, Down-Tilt, Up-Smash, Down-Smash, Neutral-Air, Forward-Air, Down-Air, Neutral-B, Forward-B Squat Cancel, Standing Grab
KO move means it has enough knockback to cleanly KO at or under 100% from on-stage.
Forward-Tilt, Forward-Smash, Back-Air, Up-Air, Neutral-B Bomb Eat, Forward-B, Down-B
Panic Button means it can be used to get people away from you when you're being pressured and will work reliably as an out-of-shield option.
Neutral-Air, Neutral-B Bomb Eat, Forward-B Squat Cancel, Up-B, Down-B
Edgeguarding tool means it has a property that makes it useful for hitting off-stage opponents.
Forward-Tilt, Down-Smash, Neutral-Air, Forward-Air, Down-Air, Forward-B, Down-B


Alright, let's get to it--


Hits on: 3-7
Links into Jab2 at: 12-16
Cooldown: 8-17
Damage: 3/2% (front/back)
Command: :abutton:

| Combo starter |

Wario leans back a bit and throws a jab downward. Pretty straightforward. Average speed for a jab. Combos into other fast moves like Grab, D-Tilt, Up-B, and Level 2 Down-B. Susceptible to crouch-canceling at any percent, but you can go into Jab2 to disrupt or just wait until it ends to mix up the opponent when you're already there.


Hits on: 4-6
Cooldown: 7-25
Damage: 6%
Command: (During Jab1) :abutton:

| Combo starter |

Wario swings his body around with a quick uppercut. Pops the opponent upward. Combos into all sorts of stuff after low percents, including another Jab1. At higher percents, it'll let you easily land a KO move, so there's that. Also susceptible to crouch-canceling at any percent that matters. At lower percents, it can be okay for a little extra damage, but you're usually better off going into other moves from Jab1 in that case.



Hits on: 4-23 (4-7 strong, 8-23 weak)
Cooldown: 24-49
Damage: 7/5%
Command: (During a run) :abutton:

| Combo extender |

Wario falls over on his face and slides forward. Pretty fast attack, and the sourspot hitbox stays out for a long time, but it leaves you wide open if it doesn't hit. Neat thing is that it combos into good stuff at mid-to-high percents, and since it sends people behind you, people attempting to DI away will go almost straight up. That means that it can be useful for throwing peoples' DI off mid-combo, potentially giving you a better follow-up than you would've otherwise had. Use with caution, though, as you have to be two steps ahead of the opponent to make the most of it.




Hits on: 14-21
Cooldown: 22-39
Damage: 15/12% (high, front/back), 14/11% (mid, front/back), 13/11% (low, front/back)
Command: (Slight tilt or hold) :stick4: / :stick6: + :abutton:

| AT move | KO move | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario leans back, swings his arm in place and throws a punch forward. Decent poke for spacing, and it's Wario's strongest ground move as far as knockback is concerned. By holding the A button on start-up, you can make Wario spins his arm repeatedly to delay the attack. The wind-up aspect combined with the fact that he leans back on start-up allows him to throw off opponents looking to read Wario and punish his cooldown, which makes it safer than the frame data would suggest. A great finisher if you can get the opponent in that space to land it, but it's hard to combo into and requires a read to land otherwise.[/collapse]



Hits on: 12-27 (12-14 strong, 15-27 weak)
Cooldown: 28-36
Damage: 10/6%
Command: (Slight tilt or hold) :stick8: + :abutton:

| Combo starter | Combo extender |

Wario opens his hands and reaches for the sky. The sweetspot is a surprisingly decent KO move in a pinch, a late hit with the sourspot is great for comboing, and both are great as a dedicated anti-air. However, both moves require you to know what's coming, as it is a little slow to come out and the horizontal range isn't great. If a character with bad horizontal aerial mobility has taken to mix-ups using their double-jump, wavedashing forward and doing a U-Tilt will really limit their options and often leads to a combo or KO, depending on percents. Fun fact--Wario's head is invulnerable during the attack.


Hits on: 5-12
Cooldown: 13-22
Damage: 8%
Command: (Slight tilt or hold) :stick2: + :abutton:

| Spacing tool | Combo starter | Combo extender |

Wario leans down and sticks a finger forward on the ground. This is one of Wario's premier ground pokes--Fast to come out, low cooldown, has solid range (by Wario standards), gives you frame advantage on hit, pops the opponent up, starts and extends combos, makes Wario's hurtbox smaller and moves him forward...So many good things about this move. It's definitely one you'll want to lean on when you're looking to space attacks in neutral position.



Hits on: 9-16 (9-12 strong, 13-16 weak)
Cooldown: 17-45
Damage: 16/10%
Command: (Fast tap) :stick4: / :stick6: + :abutton: OR :cstick4: / :cstick6:

| KO move |

Wario quickly thrusts his stubby leg forward, then flails in place afterward. It has a useful niche in being his fastest grounded KO move by a good margin. In situations where you don't have the time/positioning to use an F-Tilt or B-Air, and a point-blank Forward-B wouldn't give you the power you need, this gives you reasonable power without having to sacrifice speed. It works well at mid-to-high percents to follow up stuff like Jab2 or a Neutral-B throw that the opponent DI'd poorly. It's rarely an optimal option once you get comfortable with the rest of his moves, as Wario is really good at continuing combos and pressure, but it's simple to use as a combo ender and KO move. The cooldown is horrendous, though, and it's susceptible to crouch-canceling until about 80%, so try not to use it outside of combos and quick punishes.



Hits on: 11-21 (11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-20, 21)
Cooldown: 22-46
Damage: 18% (2%, 2%, 2%, 2%, 2%, 8%)
Command: (Hard tap) :stick8: + :abutton: OR :cstick8:

| AT move | Combo extender |

Wario spins in place and hits the opponent with his head, which grows in size. Does nice damage and isn't too slow. Can end combos well, and it combos into other stuff against fastfallers. The multi-hit aspect of it means that it can shieldpoke in specific situations. Also, Wario has a DACUS that covers a lot of distance and draws the opponent in with him if it hits. If the opponent DIs one of your throw mix-ups away from you, you can still follow up with a DACUS, allowing you to react and get free damage pretty much no matter what against most characters.


Hits on: 10-12
Cooldown: 13-42
Damage: 15/14% (center hit does 15%)
Command: (Hard tap) :stick2: + :abutton: OR :cstick2:

| Spacing tool | Combo starter | Combo extender | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario grabs one of his arms to brace himself, then punches the ground, creating a small shockwave that sends the opponent downward. The hitbox is enormous on both sides and does a great deal of shield damage if they're close to the center. The range allows you to threaten opponents from afar without having to stick out a limb, so using it out of the blue here and there should make your opponents think twice about getting too cute at mid range. While it is crouch-cancelable at any percent, that won't work once you've already been hit by it once. This move is often very troublesome for inexperienced opponents to fight against and is probably the easiest "mindgame" move to understand how to use effectively.

When an opponent is hit, they bounce very low off the ground, forcing them to have to tech. If they miss the tech, they're in a prime position to get hit by another move. That could be a Jab to reset them, a D-Tilt to pop them up, or an F-Smash to end it quickly and decisively...or you could just use another D-Smash to tack another 14% on them and start the situation over. Many opponents accidentally mistime a tech, which will prevent them from being able to tech the next D-Smash. Because of how much space the move covers, another D-Smash can hit an opponent who tech rolls toward Wario or techs in place, but rolling away makes them vulnerable to a strong Forward-B or Dash Grab, allowing you to KO very early or to go for a new grab mix-up.

As far as edgeguarding goes, the hitboxes are not set to ground-only, so it can be used to protect yourself decently well if you're being pressured while on a platform, and if an opponent is within range off-stage, a well-timed D-Smash will send them straight down to their doom. It won't hit most edge sweetspots, but it's very effective when opponents mistime it, try to recover high, or get brave.



Hits on: 4-33 (4-14 strong, 15-33 weak)
Cooldown: 34-39
Damage: 15% (9%, 6%)
Landing lag: 15 without L-Cancel, 7 with L-Cancel
Command: (While in the air) :abutton:

| Spacing tool | Combo starter | Combo extender | Panic Button | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario spreads his body out like a skydiver and spins around. This is quite possibly Wario's best move overall, and if it wasn't made obvious by all the colorful tags above this paragraph, it's an incredibly versatile move. Due to Wario's excellent horizonal aerial mobility and how long this move's hitboxes are active, you can threaten a great deal of space with the opponent having to guess where you're gonna be if they have much hope of approaching. If they guess that you're going to move forward when you stay back, they'll whiff an attack, allowing you to capitalize. If they guess that you're going to move backward when you move forward, they get hit before they stick out an attack, getting you a hit and the ability to capitalize. The uncertainty is very useful and dangerous to the opponent, so it's an excellent move to stick out in neutral position.

As far as comboing is concerned, it has a lot going for it--It hits twice, meaning that you can L-Cancel soon after hitting the second time and get easy follow-ups like Jab, Grab, D-Tilt, Down-B, or even another N-Air in some cases! It also threatens quick shield drops with the second hit. The second hit is a pseudo-spike, so it forces tech-chase situations at mid-to-high percents, allowing you to follow up in ways similar to D-Smash.

Since it comes out on Frame 4, it's a solid out-of-shield option to protect yourself from shield pressure that isn't especially tight. The extremely low cooldown and ability to weave in and out makes it very difficult to punish reliably. That also makes it an absolute monster when it comes to edgeguarding, as the two-hit move can drag an opponent outward, and the late hit often puts opponents just outside of a position to recover. If you hit very late in the move, it reasonably combos into footstools at low percents, which helps a ton with gimping potential. You don't have to time the sweetspot, as the sourspot is usually better for edgeguarding, making your job easier. Depending on what areas the opponent's aerials are bad at covering, you can come from that angle and flatten them with your big pancake or cut straight through them like a spinning blade. I can't say enough good things about this move, and you should use it very, very often.



Hits on: 5-15 (5-7 strong, 8-15 weak)
Cooldown: 16-24
Damage: 11/6%
Landing lag: 16 without L-Cancel, 8 with L-Cancel
Command: (While in the air, toward whichever direction your character is facing) :stick4: / :stick6: + :abutton: OR :cstick4: / :cstick6:
| Spacing tool | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario sticks his foot out in front for an aerial kick. A solid poke with good damage. The sweetspot sends people at an upward angle, making comboing relatively simple, even though it's usually just into another F-Air. It has slightly more range than N-Air and about the same cooldown (which is to say quite low), so it's safe to come in and out with it, as well as getting late sourspot F-Air -> footstool for neat combos on-stage and nasty gimps off-stage. Rising F-Air tends to be safer than falling F-Air when spacing, as you can always pull back in the former's case. Good to have in your back pocket.

Something neat about F-Air is that an immediate shorthop F-Air allows you to waveland afterward, so F-Air -> waveland is a great way to land grabs and D-Smashes.




Hits on: 10-19 (10-14 strong, 15-19 weak)
Cooldown: 20-45
Damage: 16/9%
Landing lag: 24 without L-Cancel, 12 with L-Cancel
Command: (While in the air, toward whichever direction your character is NOT facing) :stick4: / :stick6: + :abutton: OR :cstick4: / :cstick6:

| Spacing tool | KO move |

Wario swings his body around entirely and throws out a devastating haymaker. This move is Wario's strongest aerial in terms of both damage and knockback, making it an ideal combo finisher and KO move on heavier characters. Because N-Air and F-Air are so quick, you can often throw out a late B-Air without too much worry about the start-up. One thing to keep in mind is that B-Air is Wario's safest reasonable aerial on shield (don't expect people to sit there and let you D-Air their shields for free), so it's alright to actively approach with from time to time. The cooldown is significant enough to prevent you from using it for edgeguarding low, but, it certainly packs a punch if you're edgeguarding high recoveries.



Hits on: 7-9 (7 weak, 8-9 strong)
Cooldown: 10-28
Damage: 9/14%
Landing lag: 20 without L-Cancel, 10 with L-Cancel
Command: (While in the air) :stick8: + :abutton: OR :cstick8:

| Combo extender | KO move |

Wario claps his hands above his head. This move is Wario's best vertical KO move by a huge margin. The hitbox is large, but it can be tricky to land because coding issues make it so that gravity seems to pull on Wario harder when he uses it, almost like he's fastfalling on start-up. Also, the sourspot hits on either side of Wario before the sweetspot comes out, so if you don't space it well, you won't get a powerful hit. Sometimes you won't have time to get into position, so it can be best to use another move to finish a combo in those situations, like Down-B, N-Air, or Neutral-B. Practice makes perfect, though--The more you use it, the better you'll get at making that decision.

Something to keep in mind is that the sourspot is not necessarily a bad thing to land; it can be used well as a combo move against fastfallers at mid-to-high percent, since it's not difficult to follow up no matter what they do. If they stay up, you get a clean finisher with sweetspot U-Air or something similar, and if they DI left or right, you can easily string more U-Airs or finish with a Forward-B or B-Air. Against other opponents, it keeps them above you, and the hitbox is large enough to prevent trades in most scenarios. Don't underestimate it as a solid juggling move.


Hits on: 15-29
Cooldown: 30-50
Damage: 14%
Landing lag: 34 without L-Cancel, 17 with L-Cancel
Command: :stick2: + :abutton: OR :cstick2:

| Combo extender | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario lifts his legs and falls straight down with a Ground Pound. This move is a Meteor Smash, meaning that it sends opponents straight downward, but opponents can time a jump or Up-B after a point to cancel the momentum. It takes a while to start up and you lose horizontal control after you start moving downward, which prevents it from being a useful approaching or pressure option. That said, it has a few properties that make it very useful in certain situations. It's still a very powerful Meteor Smash, so it can outright KO recovering opponents at mid percents even when properly Meteor Canceled. Because Wario retains aerial mobility during the start-up, you can steer it a little to aim at recovering opponents before you drop, which is nice.

For comboing, it creates all sorts of opportunities, but you have to know how to reasonably land it. The best way to manage it would be in the tech-chase positions that are caused by things like late N-Air, D-Smash, Bite, and D-Throw/weak F-Throw. If they're not choosing to roll away from you when teching, you can commit to a spot and do a D-Air to catch their movement before they start standing again, causing them to bounce upward off the ground.

When they're above you like that, you can do all sorts of stuff--Juggle with sourspot U-Air, land a B-Air, sweetspot U-Air, or Down-B for a KO opportunity, or try to continue the pressure with Neutral-B (which puts them in the Bite throw mix-up), D-Air (for more damage and a decent tech-chase position), or footstool (which throws off common teching and gives you free follow-ups with pretty much whatever you want). Just think about where they can go afterward and try to beat a couple options at a time. Wario's horizontal aerial mobility and good tech-chase attacks allow you to commit to a side while keeping yourself safe and keeping the momentum.



Hits on: 9-10 (minimum), 9-23 (maximum)
Cooldown 11-45 (minimum), 23-59 (maximum)
Damage 13% (8% optional bite, 5% throw)
With no DI: 67°
With DI: 49° to 85°
Command: :bbutton:

| AT move | Combo starter | Combo extender |

Wario opens his mouth and tries to grab the opponent in his jaws. When in the air, Wario can move left or right while holding out the move. You can hold the B button to extend the duration of the grab hitbox. Once Wario grabs an opponent, he will bite them once and throw them away. You can speed up the bite by pressing B once you've grabbed them, and you can choose to throw the opponent either left or right by pressing the appropriate direction. If you press left or right before he would normally throw the opponent, Wario skips to the throw animation. If you catch an opponent in the air while already moving left or right, you can continue moving in that direction without automatically throwing them.

Now that we've gotten the mechanics out of the way, here are some notes on practical use. The aerial hitbox is much smaller than the grounded hitbox, and it doesn't change if you land during Neutral-B. As a result, only the grounded version can "catch" certain moves before they send you flying. That's the main advantage of the grounded version, but it's still pretty unsafe, and you'll find yourself using the aerial version much more often. Wario retains his full horizontal aerial mobility, so it's a good counter to shields and crouch-canceling, as well as a safe and powerful way to catch people on platforms.

Neutral-B is also one of Wario's best moves for set-ups and combos until high percents. Because you can choose to throw the opponent either left or right too quickly for an opponent to wait and react, it has the ability to throw off DI. If they don't choose to DI, it sends the opponent slightly upward, allowing Wario to adequately pressure the opponent and/or get a free F-Air follow-up.

The optimal way to DI this move is away, so that Wario throws them too far to get follow-ups in most cases (though a quick DACUS can usually catch that if you have the fingers for it!). However, optimal DI for throwing forward is bad DI for throwing backward and vice-versa. As a result, they can either not DI at all and give you a free-but-weak follow-up and decent pressure, or they can play the 50/50 guessing game. If they get good DI, they leave with 13% and no more harm done. If they get bad DI, you can pretty much do whatever you want--Grab, most aerials, a footstool, a Smash, Down-B, Forward-B...You can even Neutral-B again and restart the situation, but you're usually better off making the most of your other combo moves at that point.

One thing to consider is how grabbing the opponent with Neutral-B gives you a win-win situation. If they use "optimal" or no DI, they will be thrown off the stage in prime position for an edgeguard attempt, and if they use bad DI, you can follow up with whatever you want for an easy KO or edgeguard opportunity. That's good to know when you're thinking about pressure in such a scenario.


Invincible from: 1-16
Hits on: 16 (so it's invincible until the attack part is over!)
Cooldown: 17-71
Damage: 13%
Command: :bbutton:

| KO move | Panic Button |

Wario eats an explosive, expands, and is frozen in place. A lot of people don't realize this, but there's a hitbox on this animation (a pretty big one, too) with very strong KO potential. Also, he's actually completely invincible until the hitbox goes away, so this can catch a Snake or (Toon) Link player off-guard, and it gives you a good reason to try and catch bombs. You can actually use Z in mid-air to drop a bomb and then Neutral-B toward it as an approach option in specific situations. It leaves you incredibly open if you miss, but the payoff can be pretty huge if it works.



Hits on: 9-41 (differences only on ground; 9-14 weak, 15-26 medium, 27-41 strong )
Cooldown: 42-57
Damage: 12/16/21% (12% all the time for aerial)
Command: :stick4: / :stick6: + :bbutton:

| AT move | KO move | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario runs forward with his shoulder up in an attempt to crash into the opponent. The longer the grounded version goes on for, the larger the hitbox and the greater the damage. You can only jump during a Forward-B that was started from the ground. If you left the ground with a jump, you can do your mid-air jump after you reach the peak of your first jump. This makes it pretty good for edgeguarding, as you can use your jumps to catch recovering opponents while still managing to recover afterward. Also, because of the increasing power, a mid-to-late Forward-B will tear straight through many projectiles and even some weaker ground moves! It has considerable endlag after hitting, though, so try not to make a habit of hitting shields with it. This move is a mix-up with your Dash Grab, which looks almost the same in animation. As a result, you can switch between these two options in tech-chase positions. If they fear a strong Forward-B, their panicked shielding allows you to land a Dash Grab, and vice-versa.

An aerial Forward-B will put you in SpecialFall if you don't run into a wall or an opponent by the end of the animation, the hitbox is small, and it doesn't get more powerful as time goes on. That said, it still has its uses for ending combos and mobility tricks. If you land on the ground before the end of the animation (usually by running off a platform or jumping onto a platform), Wario incurs very little landing lag, allowing you to quickly follow it up with something else. Also, if you land and slide off the edge of a platform, you'll go seamlessly from the landing into the air, as if you just walked off the platform. You can then tag an approaching opponent with a move like B-Air or you can move away to safety.

When recovering, you can use a Forward-B to try to stop opponents from intercepting you, and since Forward-B covers slightly more horizontal distance than simply moving forward and using Up-B, you can hit the wall with Forward-B and go into an Up-B for a little extra distance if the stage has a wall to run into.


Hits on: ?? (almost instantaneous, though)
Cooldown: ?? (not long)
Damage: 3% (I think)
Command: (During Forward-B) :stick2:

| AT move | Combo extender | Panic Button |

By pressing Down during a grounded Forward-B, Wario will slide forward quickly in a squatting position. This move has a couple of niche uses that makes it pretty handy. Because a shielded Forward-B has atrocious endlag and a jumping Forward-B will be read and punished after a while, you can use this to slide past the opponent. It isn't entirely safe, but it's fast enough to catch opponent off-guard and prevent yourself from being shieldgrabbed or punished too severely.

Also, if an opponent misses their tech after a late N-Air or D-Throw, you can actually reset the opponent with it and force them to get up in place, giving you a free follow-up. The only other reliable resetting move Wario has is Jab1, which requires you to be right next to the opponent on start-up. The speed and distance this move covers allows you to catch people from a ways away, and because the endlag is somewhat short, you probably won't be punished if they manage to tech in the first place, and you'll be very close to apply more pressure.




Hits on: 6-??
Cooldown: ??
Damage: 19% (5%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1%, 1% 1%, 4%)
Command: :stick8: + :bbutton:

| Panic Button |

Wario spins his body while moving upward. This move draws opponents in and deals great damage when you get all of it to hit. The initial hitbox is surprisingly large and can catch opponents off-guard when they're in your space. You can "steer" it left or right to various degrees, which can help with shield poking and recovery. You can jump out of your shield and Up-B without having to wait to leave the ground, so it's a fairly reliable move to throw out when your shield is being pressured.




Hits on: 10-11 (Level 1), 5-7 (Level 2) 9-25 (Level 3; 9-10 bottom, 11-25 body)
Damage: 10% (Level 1), 21+% (Level 2), 40%/20% (Level 3; bottom and body)
Command: :stick2: + :bbutton:

| KO move | Panic Button | Edgeguarding tool |

Wario lets out a gassy explosion that propels him upward. This move's power is on a timer; it goes to Level 1 after 15 seconds since its last use, Level 2 in 55 seconds, and Level 3 after 120 seconds (two minutes). The longer the charge (which caps at Level 3), the more powerful it becomes and the higher it sends Wario. A Waft at 60 seconds is significantly less power than a Waft at 100 seconds, even though they're both technically at Level 2. Each time the level changes, Wario will flash brown, and he will continually flash brown at max charge, but it's best to keep track via the match timer.

Let's get some practical information out of the way: this move is useless until it hits Level 2; Level 0 doesn't really do anything, and Level 1 is weak and unsafe. While Level 3 is the strongest in terms of damage and knockback, Level 2 Waft is significantly faster, making it harder to avoid and better for out-of-shield stuff and finishing combos.

As far as utility goes, it's pretty straightforward. This move kills people dead, it's quite fast, and it's safe when you miss it. The hitbox is large, too, so it's easy to insert it as a combo finisher or to punish something in place of almost any of your other single-hit attacks. Unfortunately, you only get it after almost a minute of gameplay without it, so you have to keep up with the timer and do without for most of the match. That said, it's not something to take lightly. Opponents live in fear of it, and you'll want to find just the right moment for it. Interestingly enough, flying upward on the Level 3 Waft has a powerful hitbox attached to it, so if you ever find yourself landing a D-Air at high percents with the opponent flying too high to catch with a U-Air, you can chase with that for a KO.

Also, never forget that Wario is the only character that actually benefits just from time passing, so if you're facing an opponent who isn't keen on approaching you, feel free to set up shop, since it's only going to make you stronger. They have to come to you unless they don't mind giving you a move that regularly KOs at 40% every 90 seconds.

Because it propels you upward, you can use it for recovery, but since it takes a while to charge it again, you'll want to make sure it's worth it. It's smart to use it if you'll get gimped at a low percent otherwise, or when you're on your last stock and can't recover otherwise. Normally, though, it's best to use for the kill than for recovering. In the same way, you can go out deep and get easy edgeguarding KOs, so don't forget that.


Hits on: 7-8
Cooldown: 9-30
Command: :zbutton: OR :ltrigger: / :rtrigger: + :abutton:

| AT move | Spacing tool | Combo extender |

Wario reaches forward from the side. Above-average range for a grab, which is nice. The range and relatively low cooldown make it a good option for approaching, if that's your thing.Using Jump-Canceled Grabs allows you to use the range straight out of your run, significantly increasing your burst range and letting you grab people before they realize you could manage it. Many of Wario's low-percent combos can be extended by following up stuff like N-Air, Jabs, and D-Tilt with a Jump-Canceled Grab.[/collapse]


Hits on: 12-13 (at the earliest)
Cooldown: 14-39 (at the earliest)
Command: (During a run) :zbutton: OR :ltrigger: / :rtrigger: + :abutton:

| AT move |

Wario dashes forward in a manner very similar to his Forward-B before reaching out to grab the opponent. By holding the Grab button, you can extend the distance Wario runs before attempting to grab, which is initiated by letting go of the Grab button. While Jump-Canceled Grabs are faster and generally easier to land, it has a neat dynamic with Forward-B that allows you to grab a panicking opponent, as mentioned in the Forward-B section. While it's far from spammable, it has its place.[/collapse]


Hits on: 8-9
Cooldown: 10-35
Command: (During a run, toward whichever direction you are NOT currently running in) :stick4: / :stick6: + :zbutton:

Wario turns his upper body around and grabs behind himself. This move is pretty useful against characters that are good at approaching with shorthop aerials. You won't have to play the shield pressure game if you're a step ahead of them like that. It also has the added advantage of moving away from your opponent so you don't need to commit to much in order to make it work. If they don't take the bait, you can just not pivot grab! Good to throw out here and there to keep people guessing.


Hits on: 5
Damage: 3%
Cooldown: 6-23
Command: (With an opponent grabbed) :abutton:

Wario pokes the foe with a single finger. Thought it was a punch? Look closely! Good rate of damage; an above-average pummel. Not much else to say.


Throws on: 13
Damage: 7%
With no DI: 48°
With DI: 30° to 66°
Command: (With an opponent grabbed, toward whichever direction your character is facing) :stick4: / :stick6:

| Combo starter |

Wario does a quick overhead throw forward. This move is -really- quick and has excellent mix-up potential in tandem with D-Throw. Much like the Neutral-B throw mix-up, good DI for uncharged F-Throw is bad DI for D-Throw and vice-versa. Regardless of how they DI, the opponent isn't thrown far from you, so you can run up and attempt to harass them.

Some standard follow-ups would be the Forward-B/Dash Grab mix-up and the Jump-Canceled Grab/chasing aerial mix-up Forward-B can catch mid-air jumps and characters without a fast, good N-Air or F-Air, while Dash Grab seeks to punish those who reflexively attempt to shield a Forward-B instead of jumping away. A Jump-Canceled Grab also makes for a good follow-up, since most people are often afraid to "waste" their double-jump, while a brave N-Air or F-Air seeks to punish people who just want to jump away from the situation. At low percents, it makes for a good set-up for D-Smash shenanigans, too, and it keeps people in a really awkward position to deal with Wario stuff. A reliable move for getting the upper hand.

Throws on: ?? (probably something like 45)
Damage: 10%
With no DI: ??° (probably something like 40°)
With DI: ??° to ??°
Command: (With an opponent grabbed, toward whichever direction your character is facing) Hold :abutton: + :stick4: / :stick6:

| AT move |

By holding an Attack or Grab button when using Forward-Throw, Wario will do an exaggerated wind-up and heave the opponent forward. While it's Wario's strongest throw by a longshot, it's not going to KO anyone until something like 140%. Still, it's great for edgeguards at mid-to-high percents, so if the edge is in front of you, it can net you a KO that way. Don't use it unless you're looking for an edgeguard out of it.[/collapse]


Throws on: 55
Damage: 9%
With no DI: 45°
With DI: 27° to 63°
Command: (With an opponent grabbed, toward whichever direction your character is NOT facing) :stick4: / :stick6:

Wario spins the opponent around in Giant Swing fashion, eventually throwing them behind his original position. You can actually move left and right during this throw's animation, allowing you to use the opponent as a battering ram in Doubles and letting Wario move closer to the edge before throwing. This move is great for setting up edgeguards when you land a grab away from the edge, but it isn't very powerful, so save it for gimping opportunities.[/collapse]


Throws on: 25
Damage: 10%
With no DI: 90°
With DI: 72° to 108°
Command: (With an opponent grabbed) :stick8:

Wario puts the opponent over his head and throws them straight upward. This move can be good for juggling and pressure against opponents who don't cover themselves well underneath, and it creates good pressure on fastfallers. It's actually used for a chaingrab against Fox, Falco, and Wolf[/COLOR] because of how fast they fall. Try to keep platforms (or lack thereof) in mind when choosing to use this throw. Outside of the scenarios I suggested and for setting up for your partner in Doubles, other throws tend to be better.[/collapse]


Throws on: 15
Damage: 12%
With no DI: 50°
With DI: 32° to 68°
Command: (With an opponent grabbed) :stick2:

| Combo starter |

Wario throws the opponent on the ground and sits on them. Here is the other part of the mix-up that makes Wario so dangerous when he gets a grab. As explained in the uncharged F-Throw section, this move is quite fast and puts the opponent in an uncomfortable position no matter what. Unlike F-Throw, though, this move does an impressive amount of damage by itself and can force a tech-chase position if the opponent is a fastfaller or DIs wrong. From there, you can go into standard tech-chase options like D-Smash, Forward-B, Neutral-B, Jump-Canceled Grab, a landing aerial, DACUS...The possibilities are many--Just go experiment with them!
 
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Ace55

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You the man Reflex!

Look at that grab-box on aerial bite. They really have to be in your throat or belly.

And whoa that head on Upsmash.
 

Translucent

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Awwww yeah! I'm so excited for what this is going to be! Great job Reflex!
 

TheReflexWonder

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I added basic move categories for quick reference and I've added descriptions for moves up to Forward-Smash. I'll continue as I have time.
 

Translucent

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I really like the list of strengths and weaknesses, and the color coded uses for moves. I am curious about f-tilt winding up, it's an interesting option. Keep it up Reflex.
 

#HBC | Joker

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This looks really good so far! Having something like this will do wonders for making Wario a more relevant character in the metagame. Noobies like to have a guide to reference.

Don't hesitate to ask for some help/input either. Offhand I'm not sure what I have to contribute, but I'd certainly do what I can.
 

TheReflexWonder

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I've put information up to Grab Pummel. Unfortunately for that part of the guide, F-Throw and D-Throw are a very important part of his game, so I'll try to knock it out soon.
 

TheReflexWonder

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Added Forward-B squat cancel and basic information on the throws. Outside of formatting, the only other thing on high priority is explaining mix-ups in great detail. I don't know anything about stages and what's good on what, so if you want to help me with that, that'd be great.
 

HavikLink

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Good stuff Reflex. Don't forget to add Wario's ability to cancel his grounded side B into a crouch :) Lots of people probably don't even know the usefulness of the mechanic.

This guide is great though. Very in depth and the pictures help out a lot with your explanations.

Edit: Oops nvmd lol. It would probably have been smart on my part to refresh the thread after reading everything :p
 

TheReflexWonder

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I have all the formatting done now, I think. Still need to piece a little of the frame data together.
 

humble

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Hey Reflex, this is an awesome guide to Wario's moves and a great aid to look at! Thanks for putting this together, much appreciated. While I was reading two little errors popped out to me on DTilt and Dsmash, but other then that I didn't notice much, really well written and put together, it's very helpful as a guide and introduction to the character.

It's definitely one you'll want to lean on when you're looking to space attacks in neutral position.
...should make your opponents think twice about getting too cute at mid range.
Again, good work, and thanks. Definitely rekindled my interest in the slovenly fellow!
 

TheReflexWonder

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Hey Reflex, this is an awesome guide to Wario's moves and a great aid to look at! Thanks for putting this together, much appreciated. While I was reading two little errors popped out to me on DTilt and Dsmash, but other then that I didn't notice much, really well written and put together, it's very helpful as a guide and introduction to the character.

Again, good work, and thanks. Definitely rekindled my interest in the slovenly fellow!
Fixed. Thanks for letting me know. All this typing and retyping is throwing me off. :p Glad you find it helpful and interesting.
 

0RLY

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Great job! Awesome guide! I was wondering if you know the miscellaneous frame data, like jump squat or what frames during the dash attack are cancellable with usmash? Or spot dodge/roll dodge/air dodge data. Thanks in advance.
 

TheReflexWonder

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I know you have two frames to cancel the Dash Attack into a U-Smash, and I believe the spotdodge data is 2-20 invincibility, 21-32 cooldown.
 

TheReflexWonder

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Finally went through the run-around of fixing the BBCode tags on this thing after fixing it once before. Looks good now.
 

TheReflexWonder

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Doing my best to keep people informed. Don't want people having to figure everything out from scratch if I can help it.
 

Jreed420

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I've been sticking to trying to make my farts around 40 - 45 seconds. Feel like that's about the level 2 fart
 

Mr.Pickle

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Not very, be patient as 3.5 well be coming out in a month or so, after that you can get all the frame data you want in game. Even still, this guide can be useful if you know the changes that he got between versions.
 

CyberZixx

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I would love if 3.5 is out in October. What are you basing that statement on?
 

Mr.Pickle

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I've always suspected that the next release would be around November or December, but with the US release of smash 4 getting closer, I feel like they need to push for an October release. Also I have a friend in the backroom who kinda hints at something happening around October, he doesn't flat out tell me, but I'm fairly confident in my hunch.
 

TheDuckChris

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Hey folks, just a quick question here. Ive noticed in debug mode that Bite seems to have a hitbox on the end of it, after the grab comes out. If my testing is correct it lasts for about 3 frames so its pretty tight but not impossible. It looks pretty big so I was trying to test it and I found that I just can't hit it whatsoever. Has anyone else had any luck with this? Or is it not possible?
 
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Matasd

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The hitbox isn't actually a thing anymore. It was in 3.0 and has since been taken out but still appears in debug mode.
 

Matasd

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Its a relatively good option, easy to punish attacks that whiff on your shield. Also due to the properties of his up b you can angle it to get the maximum amount of punish. However past getting that initial hit(s) you can really combo that well off of it. Id generally prefer to whiff punish with a grab or nair out of shield or something.
 

Cyris Talkhelm

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There is kind of important tool you missed for the fair (this could be against certaint matchups or bad DI) but falling fair at early percentage leads to a free grab
 

Matasd

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While we're on grab setups some things i've gotten great usage of is falling up air(sour spot) ->jab->grab and fair->jab jab->dtilt-<grab are both setups that usually work. Though both are DI dependent it still lets you have some nice grab set ups
 

Mc.Rad

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Nice! NICE!

VERY NICE, REFLEX WONDER CHAN

(Btw has anybody noticed that Warios Side-B goes Diagonal towards the ground in the Air? It might be some helpful advice)
 
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Matasd

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Actually Mc.Rad you can angle warios aerial side b in at least 3 directions(I think its a few more) based on where your control stick is to the left or right notches when you do the input.
 

Mc.Rad

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Actually Mc.Rad you can angle warios aerial side b in at least 3 directions(I think its a few more) based on where your control stick is to the left or right notches when you do the input.
Oh Wow...

That will be useful in competitive play
 
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