I think a thread that highlights the various options to start, continue, and end a jab lock for Squirtle (and Charizard, apparently) would be a good way to get an active thread in here. I don't quite understand Charizard's jab lock mechanics, so I'm hoping someone else will post something informative that I can quote into this post. In the meantime, I have lots to say about Squirtle.
Squirtle's Jab Lock setups
Jab Locks in general are hard to start, because they require your opponent to miss a ground tech, but when playing around with platforms, Squirtle has a sizeable amount of moves that help put the opponent into position. B-Air, F-Air, N-Air, and U-Air all have potential to hit a shielding opponent off of a platform when they are right next to the edge. Among those, I believe U-Air has the most "push". D-Air, while normally somewhat risky, hits multiple times, which means that it pushes the opponent more than usual when they shield, and it can shieldstab as well, so even if you don't push them off, you have a chance of damaging them, which is always good.
When you're on a platform with an opponent, F-Tilt sends the opponent straight across the ground, and will easily push them off in an unavoidable tumble animation where they will be forced to either tech or be a target for an easy jab lock. Also, when you and the opponent are both on the ground, if they don't DI a N-Air upwards, they'll pretty much have to tech, as well. A good option to keep in mind.
Squirtle's Jab Lock starters
In order to actually start a Jab Lock on a grounded opponent, Squirtle has the highest amount of options for any character in Brawl. Most commonly-known are his single jab, his second jab, and his F-Tilt. F-Tilt is not good if you want to keep the opponent next to you. Jab 1 and Jab 2 seem to have about the same amount of distance, but you can jab cancel Jab 1 more quickly, so I would recommend constantly jab-canceling the first jab and moving forward. However, with the discovery of unsweetspotted aerial locks, such as Peach's B-Air Lock, aerials were tried, and at least two of Squirtle's aerials are useful for that at some point: the unsweetspotted ("late") B-Air and the unsweetspotted ("late") N-Air. I don't know the percentage when these aerials no longer start a lock (testing would be good), but I know that they work at low percentages at least. Also, when fatigued, the aerials should work until higher percentages, which is a currently-miniscule boost to fatigued Squirtle's play. This gives you two possible options from the air and three possible options from the ground.
Now that I think about it, if the short-hop is fast enough, I think it may be possible to jab lock someone to the edge, do a short-hopped, unsweetspotted B-Air on the other side of the opponent, and repeat the jab lock to the other side. This would depend on two things: "Will the unsweetspotted B-Air hit the opponent before the lock ends?" and "Will the unsweetspotted B-Air be weak enough to continue a Jab Lock even after the damage from the first portion of the Jab Lock?"
Testing shows that what was said in the above text does not work, as Squirtle can't get the fastfalled B-Air quickly enough.
Squirtle's Jab Lock finishers
As for finishers, Squirtle has a couple of useful ones. Up-Smash is the most obvious; deals the most damage out of all of his grounded moves, and it will usually be your best killing option. Forward-Smash and Down-Smash both make for good alternatives, especially when the ceiling is somewhat high, like on Yoshi's Island or Jungle Japes. Forward-Smash deals more damage and knockback, but Down-Smash has a larger margin of error, since it has a larger hitbox and it stays out longer.
If you lock them at a low percentage, you can get an Up-Tilt, Down-Tilt or immediate U-Air and attempt to combo them from there. Keep in mind that the U-Air will only land on taller characters, though. You can grab and Up-Throw to attempt to combo as well, but that's best done from a hydrograb, as explained below.
Also, a Jab Lock sets up for a free hydrograb to the edge afterwards, which might give you an easy gimp or lots of pummels and a throw, depending on your opponent's response. However, basic psychology dictates that they'll be frustrated and attempt to get out as quickly as possible, which maximizes the chance of an easy gimp.
Squirtle's Jab Lock infinite...?
There is also the possibility of a Jab Lock infinite. I talked about this with a few people before, but it sort of faded into obscurity.
Watch 0:08-0:12 of this video.
As you can see, when I did my first and second jab, I went past Snake and I was able to continue the Jab Lock from the other side. If anything, this definitely shows that an infinite is possible. Since the effects of Squirtle's jab are the same no matter what part of the jab hits, it might be possible to simply single jab and walk forward more than normal before doing another hit each time; this might be enough to go through the opponent and start it from the other side.
It's not plausible, because Smash DI will push the opponent far enough to seemingly prevent you from getting far enough into them per hit to let you eventually get behind them.
However, if they do not Smash DI each hit, testing shows that this is fairly easy to do with the right timing. Even if they correctly Smash DI, we could do a late N-Air on the opposite side of them when we get to the end of the stage and hope that they miss the necessary tech so we can Jab Lock them a second time.
Maybe if we turn around mid-walk, a hit would send them in the opposite direction and counteract it? If so, a doop-walked single jab or F-Tilt backwards while on top of them might do the trick. Or, if there is an undiscovered shellshift -> jab, that could be an infinite in itself, and it would look cursed sexy.
Everyone, give this a look and help yourself by helping me with testing. Also, if you learned something from this, good for you.
Squirtle's Jab Lock setups
Jab Locks in general are hard to start, because they require your opponent to miss a ground tech, but when playing around with platforms, Squirtle has a sizeable amount of moves that help put the opponent into position. B-Air, F-Air, N-Air, and U-Air all have potential to hit a shielding opponent off of a platform when they are right next to the edge. Among those, I believe U-Air has the most "push". D-Air, while normally somewhat risky, hits multiple times, which means that it pushes the opponent more than usual when they shield, and it can shieldstab as well, so even if you don't push them off, you have a chance of damaging them, which is always good.
When you're on a platform with an opponent, F-Tilt sends the opponent straight across the ground, and will easily push them off in an unavoidable tumble animation where they will be forced to either tech or be a target for an easy jab lock. Also, when you and the opponent are both on the ground, if they don't DI a N-Air upwards, they'll pretty much have to tech, as well. A good option to keep in mind.
Squirtle's Jab Lock starters
In order to actually start a Jab Lock on a grounded opponent, Squirtle has the highest amount of options for any character in Brawl. Most commonly-known are his single jab, his second jab, and his F-Tilt. F-Tilt is not good if you want to keep the opponent next to you. Jab 1 and Jab 2 seem to have about the same amount of distance, but you can jab cancel Jab 1 more quickly, so I would recommend constantly jab-canceling the first jab and moving forward. However, with the discovery of unsweetspotted aerial locks, such as Peach's B-Air Lock, aerials were tried, and at least two of Squirtle's aerials are useful for that at some point: the unsweetspotted ("late") B-Air and the unsweetspotted ("late") N-Air. I don't know the percentage when these aerials no longer start a lock (testing would be good), but I know that they work at low percentages at least. Also, when fatigued, the aerials should work until higher percentages, which is a currently-miniscule boost to fatigued Squirtle's play. This gives you two possible options from the air and three possible options from the ground.
Testing shows that what was said in the above text does not work, as Squirtle can't get the fastfalled B-Air quickly enough.
Squirtle's Jab Lock finishers
As for finishers, Squirtle has a couple of useful ones. Up-Smash is the most obvious; deals the most damage out of all of his grounded moves, and it will usually be your best killing option. Forward-Smash and Down-Smash both make for good alternatives, especially when the ceiling is somewhat high, like on Yoshi's Island or Jungle Japes. Forward-Smash deals more damage and knockback, but Down-Smash has a larger margin of error, since it has a larger hitbox and it stays out longer.
If you lock them at a low percentage, you can get an Up-Tilt, Down-Tilt or immediate U-Air and attempt to combo them from there. Keep in mind that the U-Air will only land on taller characters, though. You can grab and Up-Throw to attempt to combo as well, but that's best done from a hydrograb, as explained below.
Also, a Jab Lock sets up for a free hydrograb to the edge afterwards, which might give you an easy gimp or lots of pummels and a throw, depending on your opponent's response. However, basic psychology dictates that they'll be frustrated and attempt to get out as quickly as possible, which maximizes the chance of an easy gimp.
Squirtle's Jab Lock infinite...?
There is also the possibility of a Jab Lock infinite. I talked about this with a few people before, but it sort of faded into obscurity.
Watch 0:08-0:12 of this video.
As you can see, when I did my first and second jab, I went past Snake and I was able to continue the Jab Lock from the other side. If anything, this definitely shows that an infinite is possible. Since the effects of Squirtle's jab are the same no matter what part of the jab hits, it might be possible to simply single jab and walk forward more than normal before doing another hit each time; this might be enough to go through the opponent and start it from the other side.
It's not plausible, because Smash DI will push the opponent far enough to seemingly prevent you from getting far enough into them per hit to let you eventually get behind them.
However, if they do not Smash DI each hit, testing shows that this is fairly easy to do with the right timing. Even if they correctly Smash DI, we could do a late N-Air on the opposite side of them when we get to the end of the stage and hope that they miss the necessary tech so we can Jab Lock them a second time.
Maybe if we turn around mid-walk, a hit would send them in the opposite direction and counteract it? If so, a doop-walked single jab or F-Tilt backwards while on top of them might do the trick. Or, if there is an undiscovered shellshift -> jab, that could be an infinite in itself, and it would look cursed sexy.
Everyone, give this a look and help yourself by helping me with testing. Also, if you learned something from this, good for you.
