Make Your Move 23; Moveset Contest! Top 50 posted! Congratulations everyone! 23 is dead; see you in 24 on Feb. 24th!

[Rychu]

"Don't worry guys, they say I'm a prodigy. Not my words, not my words baby"


(hey u gotta uhhhhh click that pic)​

 

[Deleted member]

Phoenix was a very nice surprise. I thought you'd hung up your boots, Rychu, but here you are coming out of retirement! I wasn't sure what to expect but this was a neat choice of character from a new game that I think has never had a moveset before. I said in chat that the visual aid (the charmingly MS Paint-quality images) and comparison image are really useful. The specials are pretty simple besides the down special where most of the flashiness in the set is located. Even then, the mechanic of finishing a move then teleporting back later after the duration is over is still quite basic considering the set doesn't have say a deeper melee focus to make the most of more inherently direct attacks. The set's largely Phoenix firing his various weapons, so the appeal of the clone finishing moves for you or being able to play with interrupting attacks isn't as fun as it could be, though it's still a good idea.

The set is very basic, though that doesn't mean it's bad. As is, this is really what you'd expect for Phoenix and it's perfectly serviceable. As your first set in a long time I understand you didn't want to dive in on complex mechanics. The "credits" mechanic is a good choice for you as it's a simple but rewarding way to encourage players to play well. Phoenix in general at least does get the playstyle right of "high risk, high reward" though the risk part is definitely too high. Phoenix lacks any good GTFO melee moves or close range, fast options in general which would make him very susceptible to Ultimate's brand of short hop aerial rushdown. His utilt and usmash don't hit in front of him so his anti-air unless the foe is directly above him, is way too punishing. I also think you should state whether a lot of these attacks are projectiles or not. I think not, because like Bullet Artes (Bayo's gun move) these could be disjointed hitboxes, reflecting his entire set would make him much worse, when he's already very weak. The dsmash also only hitting in front is another big weakness, as is the up special's lack of armour and it should definitely be basically invincible considering how weak he is in melee range. Massive buffs number-wise to just about everything would not be remiss here, and reworking some melee range fast options into moves like utilt and possibly jab/nair too, and he can afford to have stronger KO options too (lowering the KO % of the smashes would definitely be justified).

The credit system is a good idea. I think the up b's costs (500/1000) is way too high though, and the reward also isn't that great. I'd just lower it to more like 200/500, that's still costly, but you could also buff what it does a good bit to at least hit like a truck like Ken's EX Shoryuken. An easy approach you could take to improve the set is giving credit options for other moves, and if you could work in a way for Run It Back to work into that too, that'd be double good. The other specials are also not super relevant at the moment if you wanted to improve that aspect. I will say too the set is basic and I'm not going to nitpick it as your first in a while, but some things like a little flair on moves like jab would go a long way (just go into detail on how he holsters/fires the gun if he has any quirks there). I did enjoy moves like dtilt and its duck walk, the down special, and the general eclectic use of weaponry that brings me back to other sets that had the same approach to weaponry. While it's definitely got room to improve, this was a fun read and I'm glad you're back Rychu!

 

[GolisoPower]

“Good mo...top o’ the mornin’... Aye. How’s it goin’, lads?”

“Hey.”

“Eh? Wha? Somethin-burp-the matter, officer?”

“Can I see your passport?”

“Me passport? Right then, lemme see if I have it...nah...no...not this one...AH, there we go! Right, here’s yer passport-hic-or whatever…”

“...”

“...”

“...sir...is this covered in alcohol?”

 

[Deleted member]

I finally finished Cap’n Cuttlefish in its entirety! Sorry that took some time WCF, it’s really not the set’s fault, which is a leisurely and quite easy read, especially now you’ve rewritten the up special Grapplink. This set is easily your best besides Kilton and while I would give the edge to the rambunctious monster connoisseur that does not mean Cuttlefish isn’t very impressive in his own right, and shows a good deal of evolution from Kilton. For starters, the set really hits the right note for Cuttlefish as an old veteran trying to fight off invaders of his territory. This is quite subtle too, evoking memories of my ancient toxic gas sets with how it uses the Toxic Mist, the bubbles and CQ Cumber. It’s a simple base of stage control but one that ultimately has massive pay off for the characterization. Cuttlefish combines stage control and quirky mobility options/spacing moves to put pressure on the foe. The brilliance of this approach is naturally that just moving around the battlefield after a fairly minimal set up becomes its own deep playstyle as these small additions to the stage Cuttlefish makes really change the match. In the context of his various seemingly small traps, his rolls, traps, bombs and projectiles all become very different beasts.

I’ve always been a fan of this kind of playstyle, in fact besides sets like Weezing or Koffing, another set of mine this reminds me of is Caribou. Like Cuttlefish, he relied on heavy mobility and spacing to move around in his self-created swamp and made the mobility itself into a weapon. What’s evolved in the mean time since I posted that set is just how creative the moves can become while only deepening the complexity of these seemingly basic mechanics. For example the Bamboozler and CQ Cumber are a very simple mechanic on the face of it but once understood, form another level of deep strategy for Cuttlefish to play with as the foe always has to keep their ink in mind, adding some psychological warfare to the mix. It’s a full assault on all fronts. It’s not just a basic ticking time bomb but something that is easily manipulated and intuitive to all players.

The way that CQ Cumber is handled is quite nifty. One thought I had was that it’s actually kind of a good thing that the amount of ink on the opponent is not perfectly clear, to give the enemy not a perfect understanding of how close they are to summoning the jellyfish [?]. This is good I feel, as it should not be completely clear to keep the foe a little on edge, and gives its own unique kind of pressure for Cuttlefish, sort of how K. Rool’s belly armour is a bit of a guessing game for K. Rool to keep track of and that’s also okay. Just an interesting thought I had on this kind of balance.

The other core concepts are mostly well done too. The Toxic Mist is the obvious highlight here, creating a damaging zone to discourage foes camping there and strengthen Cuttlefish’s stage control. The thermal ink and Grapplink are not as strong of connectors I feel, and the Grapplink especially I could see improved with edits to better compliment his aerials in some way, perhaps if he could use it as an actual grappling hook? Even on foes, like Joker’s or Byleth’s up Bs, would open up many possibilities! The thermal ink was also, while fun enough, felt a tad confusing though I think this was fixed somewhat. The core idea is pretty great however.

The smashes I felt were some of the best moves, especially the interesting way that the up smash works to target foes and follow them around. This is of course because of the way the missile will follow foes and hit them a decent chunk of time after being fired so that not only can Cuttlefish overwhelm them with his own melee, but to pressure them alongside other parts of his playstyle, this is something of a master stroke. I also do like the focus on battle rolls in the dsmash and planting bombs all the while, like tagging the ground or crawling as Samus in Metroid planting bombs. I do appreciate that his walk speed is so good because a huge focus is put on his melee tilts that all have big positioning focuses too, and he is the type of playstyle that would be highly considerate/strategic to poke at the foe from his number of constructs/traps.

The animations range from perfunctory and good to just funny stuff. The golfing fthrow, the weird props he summons that largely all fit without being overbearing, the weirdness of the set that never really feels inappropriate is all super well done, and not easy to get right. I remember in Kilton I said to ramp up the characterization but here I think you’ve already pretty much gotten the set where it ought to be and that does show a large amount of evolution. It strikes a good chord between an old man and a competent military veteran without falling into dumb tropes of him being useless/a joke character. An old man from the Splatoon franchise is not something we’ve seen or likely will ever see again and the amount of weapons and references to the franchise is excellently done, as well as all the image work, so hats off to you on that.

If I was to level some criticism at the set, it does feel a bit forced at times with a few interactions. The down throw feels a bit weak conceptually especially when interacting off the pummel, when there’s no special reason for Cuttlefish to excel at re-grabs. The bubbles are currently the weakest part of the set, though a fun idea, I think if you re-focused them to interact more off how thermal ink works that’d be an improvement. The grab game in general feels a bit worse than the rest of the set but is definitely good. I also felt like Cuttlefish has some awkward weaknesses with his more gimmicky usmash and utilt. You state in utilt and nair how many blind spots the move have… well that is somewhat of an issue overall, Cuttlefish doesn’t have the best coverage and I am a little concerned about him being a little underpowered without a typical nair or fast melee ground move. I feel like he should at least have a couple of faster options maybe by reworking jab and nair for that purpose so he’s not struggling against the rushdown characters of Ultimate. I was also not one-hundred-percent sure about the curling bombs as a mechanic introduced late in the set, but they’re still fun.

Overall this set is really a tremendously good project and one of the best sets I’ve read in a long while. I have not read a huge amount of sets so far this MYM but this is definitely among the very best up there with the dancing clown, and that’s before you do any edits, which I’m sure you’re eager to do. Even as it stands, you should feel very proud for the many things you got right in this set and personally it brought back many fond memories of this type of playstyle and mix of concepts, thank you for that nostalgia trip. I remain eager to see whatever you have in store for Make Your Move.

 

[Champion of Hyrule]

I hate myself for not knowing what this competition was until now. Well, anyways time to share a moveset of my own: EDELGARD!

Spoiler: Who is Edelgard?

Edelgard is one of the three main lords in the game Fire Emblem: Three Houses. She usually fights using axes, although it is possible for her to learn how to use swords, bows, lances or even magic! For this moveset, she will mostly use an axe.
Edelgard is part of the Black Eagle house at Garreg Mach Monastery, and royalty of the Adrestian Empire. She later goes on to lead the "Black Eagle Strike Force" which is a direct cause of the conflict in the later half of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which I won't spoil here.
She's strong, responsible, and a difficult very opponent for anyone opposing her.

Spoiler: Her moveset

Edelgard wields the Hero's relic Aymr:

The axe is very slow and heavy, yet does a lot of damage.

She can also use a bit of dark magic. Some of her spells here are a reference to Hegemon Edelgard... Again, I won't get into that here because it would spoil the game. Her axe's swings also have a bit of dark energy on them, so it's not completely unusual in this context. The focus on darkness is to highlight the fact that Edelgard would technically be the first villain from Fire Emblem in Smash

Her Aymr can break after too much usage, which will make her revert to using a silver axe like this:


It is weaker and has slightly less range. She can only go back to using Aymr after losing a stock

Both her pre-timeskip and post-timeskip designs are playable here.




Jab - A two-hit jab. First she swings her axe forward just in front of her, very slowly. Afterwards, pressing the jab again will cause her to lift it off the ground and swing it upwards to knock opponents away

Dash Attack - As she dashes forward, she swings Aymr on the ground, hitting right below her

Up Tilt - She looks up, then grabs Aymr off the ground and swings it upwards in an arc motion, similarly to Byleth's Down Special

Forward Tilt - Grabbing the hilt of Aymr with both hands, she then thrusts it forward very slightly

Down Tilt - Edelgard lifts Aymr with both hands, then lets it fall to the ground, creating a small shockwave

Forward Smash - She starts off the attack by swinging Aymr forward. As it hits the ground, she then does a somersault forward, swinging Aymr forward again.

Up Smash - A little something to prove she can do more than just swing an axe: for this attack Edelgard will cross her hands in an X shape, then cause a small spire of purple-coloured dark energy to appear and travel slightly upwards

Down Smash - Swings Aymr below herself in both directions, the exact same way Byleth does

Neutral Air - Tucks in her arms and legs, then quickly releases them, firing off bullets of dark magic in all directions

Up Air - Thrusts Aymr directly upwards, using both hands

Down Air - Thrusts Aymr downwards the exact same way Byleth does in his down air

Forward Air - Holds her fist open with a dark ball of energy in her hand

Back Air - Holds Aymr behind her and lets it slip down, hitting any enemies behind her

Grab - She grabs the opponent's face with one hand surrounded in dark energy

Pummel - To pummel, she swings Aymr at the opponent's legs. It only slightly hits them, but still does damage

Up Throw - Edelgard swings Aymr on the ground in a circle around herself. The opponent gets caught in it and then gets launched upwards at the end of her attack

Down Throw - Using the hand she used to grab the opponent, Edelgard throws the opponent to the ground and then swings Aymr at them in an arch position, hitting them downwards at the end

Forward Throw - Edelgard places a small barrel on the ground. It then explodes, knocking the opponent away

Back Throw - Edelgard turns around while swinging Aymr along with her, hitting the opponent and dragging them to the other side of Edelgard where they then get launched off at the end of the attack

Neutral Special - Creates a small ball of shadow energy in her hand which can be charged up. She then throws the shadow ball forward to hit opponents. It makes an X shape after hitting them, similarly to Robin's Arcthunder

Side Special - A small cloud of darkness appears on the ground. If you hold the B button and move the control stick, you can control how far or near the cloud is. Letting go of the button will cause a large pillar of dark energy to erupt from the ground,

Down Special - Edelgard places a small barrel on the ground. It explodes after three seconds.

Up Special - As she jumps upwards, she swings Aymr up with her, making it go in an arc which can spike opponents. At the end of this attack, she'll start to fall downwards from the weight of her axe. Pressing the up special again will cause her to warp upwards, sending her into freefall. Otherwise she will fall of the ledge thanks to the weight of Aymr.

Final Smash - Edelgard grabs her head and writhes in agony, as in a cloud of darkness she transforms into Hegemon Edelgard:

While in this terrifying demonic form, she opens her fist and makes a gigantic ball of dark energy in one hand. For two seconds you can then control this huge energy ball and pursue opponents. It explodes in a cloud of darkness if it hits anyone, dealing massive damage.
Afterwards, she will transform back into her human form

Up Taunt - Holds up her axe and looks at it while saying "There can be no victory unless I defeat you..."

Side Taunt - Holds out her shield in front of her while saying "If you stand in my way, I will cut you down!"

Down Taunt - Holds Aymr forward with two hands while saying "The crests are to blame!"

Victory Animation 1 - Walks forward while saying "No one will strike me down" then turns and looks to the screen while holding Aymr

Victory Animation 2 - Takes a small, heavy step forward and swings her axe. She then turns and looks to the screen

Victory Animation 3 - Swings Aymr above her head, then plants it into the ground while saying "It was a sacrifice I had to make!"

 

[kaithehedgefox]

I would love to post my moveset for my mascot and OC Kai, but due to the evil COVID-19 pandemic, I'm going to post my moveset in Make Your Move 24 next year instead.

 

[plague126]

I would love to post my moveset for my mascot and OC Kai, but due to the evil COVID-19 pandemic, I'm going to post my moveset in Make Your Move 24 next year instead.

Is the moveset complete? If so, then you can probably post it now

 

[kaithehedgefox]

Is the moveset complete? If so, then you can probably post it now

It's almost complete, but not yet.

 

[GolisoPower]

The Chosen Undead awoke from yet another death, his last memory being a drunkard charging with extreme speed in what appeared to be a large metal box during a battle in Anor Londo. But as his vision returned to him, he noticed that his surroundings were different. This was not the glorious light-bathed hallways of the castle. This was something else. He was on a large platform of red stone. The skies were a burning red and orange. Large crooked rocks seemed to grow from the earth from a distance, some bearing dark runes etched in their faces. But what intrigued him the most was the two large, metal, demonic heads with chains flowing from the mouths. The Chosen looked off the side and noticed molten lava flowing as though it were a river. Had he gone to the land of Nekravol, told in the Doom Slayer’s travels? Or perhaps the Netherrealm from Sub-Zero’s? He knew not.

Suddenly, his intuition practically shrieked into his ear. He jumped out of the way just in time for a blade no bigger than his own body to embed itself into the earth. After steadying himself, he looked at his assailant. His memory flashed again, as this was another adversary from Anor Londo, one sporting a large pointed helmet that obscured his face. Pyramid Head, the Shambling Guillotine of Silent Hill who seemed fixated on the Furtive Pygmy’s Descendent at the moment. The air around them tensed. After what felt like ages, the Undead and Pyramid Head charged at one another, broadsword and Great Knife poised to strike. But their battle would be interrupted by a long white chain flying in between them. They stepped back and looked around, their assailant unknown. Suddenly, a loud, feminine voice rang through the air.

“SO YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED. I WAS SO EAGER TO MEET YOU MYSELF, FOR I HAVE HEARD THE TALES REGARDING EACH OF YOUR TRAVELS...AND YET I FIND MYSELF DISAPPOINTED, FOR WHAT DO I SEE BEFORE ME BUT AN EMPTY HUSK OF A MAN FOREVER SHACKLED FROM A PERMANENT DEATH...AND A HELMED ABOMINATION WHOSE VERY PRESENCE IS AN INSULT TO HIS ORIGINS. BUT REGARDLESS...YOU TWO HAVE SO MUCH TO ANSWER FOR, AND I’M GOING TO ENJOY FLAYING THE BOTH OF YOU UNTIL YOU ARE UTTERLY BROKEN!”

Lightning struck and thunder clapped as the two warriors looked at one another, knowing that they would have to put aside their battle before a new female figure plummeted from above and landed in front of them with a mighty impact. She let out a sinister chuckle as she straightened up, which then evolved a typical evil laugh as she raised her clawed gauntlets into the air, which in turn evolved into bellowing manic cackling as an aura of white exploded around her, large white chains erupting and swirling around her.

“IGNITE THE SIN MACHINE! SUFFERING MUST BE MADE!”

 

[ForwardArrow]

Captain Qwark
So I'll get the bad out of the way, I'm not a huge fan of the actual playstyle Qwark ends up with. Classical campers are a bit of an MYM cliche and I mentioned with Bleak that the result of them operating exactly as planned tends not to be very fun to play against, and Qwark feels like he's trying to be even more annoying than usual. He IS very limited by his cooldowns though, with the specials being his blatant best tools for this and all of them need to recharge after being used(though NSpecial has a lot of up time, but its the weakest tool to beef up his camping). I still think Up Special is way too strong as is though, and probably needs to descend during its use(albeit slowly) or just have massive nerfs to the cooldown/duration.

But, I still have a lot I like about it. The Up Smash/Forward Smash/Down Smash collectively are cool, and I like their uses out of Up Special. Where Qwark is actually a lot better than Bleak is that his camping patterns are actually pretty unique, and he has a real goal to them too of trying to rev up to the most powerful blaster shots. Its... not an especially ambitious goal as the high end of what his blaster does isn't all that crazy, but it still seems fun to play around with amidst his other stuff. The melee has a very deliberate design to it, its clearly not meant to take focus away from his projectile game and be honestly kind of bad, but never so bad as to be like "why the hell would I use this" or even reaching the level of like, IDK, Necrid's FTilt and how its basically nonfunctional without specific setup.

I do think maybe the projectiles outstay their welcome a tad. The two on the aerials feel a tad unnecessary when they take up all of his smashes, especially when they're both slow homing projectiles, which feels very clunky on their inputs. I know Qwark is supposed to suck at melee but like, it hits a point where I genuinely don't think he can beat characters with reflectors? Maybe giving him some kind of tool to help with that would do something, Groovitron does some work there at least?

On the plus side, this may very well be your best characterized set ever. And that's what is pushing the set into "I like it" territory despite all its flaws(albeit you REALLY need to fix Up Special's balance to avoid a stalling nightmare). Basically every animation is good, the cowardly playstyle feels perfectly in character, the writing style got a couple chuckles out of me, and in general a lot of the things I feel are faults of the set actually are kind of charming in the context of the characterization. Its not re-inventing the wheel of how to characterize a cowardly character, but it did a solid job of it, and I honestly think there's enough strategy and fun to be had with his camping game on top of that that I'm actually pretty satisfied with this as a set for Qwark on the whole, even if how exactly he feels to play and play against isn't really my bag.

I also feel the set does a better job of being consistent with inputs, like Carrot did. The set is consistently aware of what options it has already laid out and plays off them well enough. This kind of consistency is what you were missing IMO in your MYM21 efforts and I think the improvement here is really noticeable, so good job Bia.

Heist Mark
Coming into this set, I want to make it clear, I did think Giovanni Potage was a solid set that shows your skills well enough Nat. The advantage that set has over Heist Mark, however, is that Giovanni Potage clearly had something to centralize his playstyle, while Heist Mark is focused around... choices. Giving your character a large selection of options they can pick from and no other purpose, unfortunately, does not make for a very compelling playstyle by itself, so Heist Mark ends up feeling completely unfocused as there's no clear gameplan. He seems to not be particularly structured either way towards fast combos, camping, just massive heavyweight hits, and the bits and pieces of each playstyle that exist in his set don't really come together in any cohesive way. It kind of feels like random nonsense, which I guess makes sense for a character who has random stuff come out of a magic box on his person for the majority of his powerset. But I don't think that makes for a particularly compelling moveset, as without any focus there's nothing really to enjoy other than the surface level animations of each move.

Which I guess raises the question, are these moves particularly funny? I find having an actually compelling playstyle is basically what drives me to like or dislike a set, but Heist Mark could've at least carved out a niche by making me laugh. But I don't really feel the set manages to make me do so, as its basically just Mark pulls thing out of the box, occasionally the thing is weird, he slaps forward with it and puts it back. Occasionally he reacts a little to how weird the thing he got is. There's oddly little personality to this set in the animations, with things like the Down Smash that portray Mark as very disheveled and things blowing up in his face on FSmash/NSpecial being most of the characterization I get. A lot of the time he's just slapping with an object or a random thing appears around him like a lightbulb, and I came away not really feeling like there was a strong sense of personality here. I don't want to say this is something you're incapable of doing, because Giovanni Potage is right there and has tons of personality in the animations! But this was a clear misfire in that regard, and I don't think it really takes full advantage of the choatic craziness of the set's premise.

I did not come away from this set with much positive to say about it, but I think its at least worth commenting on because there's an important lesson you can take from this. Sets are more interesting when they have focus. Focus on a particular personality, focus on a particular playstyle, honing down a character to what their essence is and then emphasizing that above all else is a lot of what makes for good movesetting. For what its worth, a Youtube comedian/let's player is very hard to narrow down in that kind of way, so I can understand why this set didn't really work out. But in the future, I'd recommend thinking a lot more about what to focus on when tackling a character like this, as opposed to just giving them a large pool of options that don't connect and calling it a day.

 

[Rychu]

"There's no way! His battle power is, like... the scouter can't even measure it!"


​

 

[FrozenRoy]

We've decided to extend the contest to November 1st, allowing us to get Halloween into the mix! Especially since people had a pretty big lull between summer + the Coronavirus but seem to be picking up as the heat dies down. Get out there and make us even prouder, everyone!

 

[Katapultar]

Ochako moveset​

 

[GolisoPower]

FROZENROY.

Six years ago, you concocted a moveset for Kaguya Houraisan, the dreaded Hourai NEET. Though it did not rank very high, it was still a moveset to remember fondly. But the problem is that in this day and age, Final Smash-exclusive characters can be, and have been, promoted to the playable status! Just ask Robin and Chrom! For too long has she gone without proper representation of her rival to go against her, and I have come to remedy that!

So with that said, LET THE LITERAL ROASTING BEGIN.

 

[BKupa666]

"These days, you can be the smartest guy in the room, the most qualified, and no one cares. Unless you're flying around with a cape, or shooting lasers with your hands, no one will even listen. Well, I've got a cape...and lasers."

MYSTERIO
​

Though there have been multiple iterations of Mysterio over the character's history, this moveset centers on the character as he appears in the 2019 film Spider-Man: Far From Home, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.

In this most recent MCU release, the titular web-slinger first encounters the entity he'll come to know as Mysterio in Venice. There, the fishbowl-head swoops in to defend the city from a sudden canal attack by Hydro-Man, showcasing otherworldly mystical powers with great bombast. In the aftermath, the newcomer introduces himself to Peter Parker as Quentin Beck, a battle-hardened soldier from an alternate Earth he failed to save from the monstrous Elementals. With Molten Man projected to appear on Peter's Earth, he and Mysterio — as he's dubbed in news reports — quickly become comrades in arms, fighting together to stave off world-ending disaster. The experience bonds the two closely enough for Peter to gift Beck the multibillion-dollar E.D.I.T.H. glasses left to him by dearly-departed mentor Tony Stark. After all, in the insecure Parker's mind, all those tactical intelligence and defense technologies should be unlocked by more experienced hands, belonging to someone with true superhero potential. . .

. . .Yeah, as anyone who's even remotely familiar with Spider-Man lore could tell you, Mysterio was playing a more intricate game. Turns out, Quentin Beck was a prodigious inventor for Stark Industries, unceremoniously fired after insisting that his revolutionary hologram technologies could be used for more than rekindling the daddy issues story arc from Iron Man 2. Working with a cadre of disenchanted ex-Stark employees, Beck disguises a fleet of weaponized drones to convincingly stage Elemental attacks across the globe, which "Mysterio" then can defeat to sell his fictitious interdimensional backstory and gain superhero cred in one fell swoop. In a direct contrast with Homecoming's Vulture, who insists on operating under the radar, Mysterio ultimately craves the spotlight and all its resulting validation, even if getting it means using E.D.I.T.H.-enhanced illusions to reduce Europe's largest cities to rubble.

Opine as comic-purists-turned-YouTube-critics may over another MCU villain having ties to the MCU's flagship character while existing within the MCU, Mysterio stands out from the crowd in terms of just how extensively he sticks Spider-Man's head in a blender. Indeed, Mysterio leaves the web-head near-catatonic after subjecting him to the franchise's most mind-bending acid trip sequence to date while pounding on more or less every last one of his personal buttons. Mysterio ultimately is taken down before his largest Elemental can turn London into a smoking crater, after the modern Spider-Man writers remembered Spidey Sense still was a thing. But even in very-clearly-faked death, Mysterio continues to take a sledgehammer to Spider-Man's good name, winning over an actual multiversal being in the process, and becoming another green villain wearing golden armor and a red cape guaranteed to remain relevant in his series' future installments.

STATISTICS​

Jumps <O> 8.5 (comparable to Lucario)
Aerial Movement <O> 8 / 1.208 units (12th, tied with Mario, Donkey Kong and others)
Size <O> 8
Weight <O> 7 / 105 units (19th, between Snake and Link)
Ground Movement <O> 4.5 / 1.726 units (38th, between Kirby and R.O.B.)
Fall Speed <O> 3 / 1.33 units (63rd, tied with Samus)

In a creative departure from his source material, Mysterio joins the fray in person, rather than projecting his illusory self from afar. He stands atop one of his weaponized drones and rests his arms atop two more. This, of course, stays concealed during most regular gameplay, as Mysterio's holograms create the appearance of him moving around and attacking with his superhero creation's actual powers. That being said, when Mysterio is launched with enough force to enter tumble, his illusion momentarily flickers, revealing a mocap suit-wearing Beck and his drones for his first few frames of hitstun.

Otherwise, Mysterio hovers ever so slightly off the ground for his idle and dash animations, akin to Dark Samus, who would just barely exceed him height-wise if not for that memetic fishbowl. This apparent airiness carries over to his movement, as Mysterio weaves breezily through the air and boasts longer-than-average rolls imbued with a gliding quality. Though his lack of visible expression and stoic stance create the appearance of a composed warrior, Mysterio every now and again will steal a glance at the fourth wall, as though checking to ensure the camera remains trained on him.

As with Wolfgeist before him, Mysterio possesses the ability to float momentarily in midair. The player can hold either his first or midair jump inputs up to one second for Mysterio to hover either in place or in a controllable path, with his boots emitting a (currently) purely aesthetic green trail of smoke as he goes. Mysterio travels a hair slower than the chaotic conductor, at Snake's dash speed compared to Luigi's, though that hardly diminishes the world of aerial possibilities this opens up for him. The faux-reality warper can perform aerials while floating and returns to his regular airborne state after the player releases the jump input or cancels out with a dodge. He cannot jump again after initiating his float offstage but can rise up into the air from onstage before performing his midair jump for extra height.

Unless otherwise stated, KO percentages are on Mario from the middle of Final Destination.

SPECIALS​

NEUTRAL SPECIAL - MASTER OF ILLUSIONS

Mysterio rises a minuscule distance into the air over five frames, spreading his arms to the side while raising his hands as if shrugging cockily. In doing so, he enters a stance, during which the player can input...well, basically anything — one or more attacks, movement options, defensive maneuvers, or nothing at all (nothing at all! nothing at all!). He can remain in this stance for up to three seconds, or fewer if the player cancels out by hard-pressing Neutral Special or shield, or smashing a roll or dodge input (light presses or taps keep him in the stance, contributing to the payoff). Now, if he wasn't knocked out of his pose, and Neutral Special is tapped again, Mysterio will repeat precisely the same inputs the player plugged in during his initial stance...or so it would seem. Unbeknownst at first to all but the player, Mysterio has laglessly unleashed an illusory duplicate, turning himself invisible in one fell swoop.

Under his retro-reflective cover, Mysterio is free to move around and attack as usual, briefly able to zig one way as his illusion coaxes his opponent he actually has zagged another (his own duplicates do not obstruct his movement). With an illusion primed, the player can tap B to trigger it at any point, so long as Mysterio is not in hitstun — including at any point during an attack animation, upon which the illusion will come into being upon his first actionable frame. Mysterio is free to repeat the same inputted illusion as many times as he pleases, though performing the same specific actions over and over likely will give away the ruse, unless it's something quick, like a lone fake shorthop or spot dodge.

Should they wish to craft a new deception, the player can hold B for 30 frames to overwrite Mysterio's existing illusion, able to start plugging in new movements upon a subsequent tap of B. The real Mysterio becomes visible again after his illusion completes its programmed behavior, up to a three-second maximum, upon which it disappears. Mysterio also will reappear, as his illusion vanishes, upon a defensive input or the first active hitbox frame of his next attack (including grab), though his startup remains devilishly concealed. Mysterio automatically will exit his programming stance if the player plugs in more than three seconds worth of attacks before he spends three full seconds in the stance.

With specific timing, he can prompt the illusion to vanish in the middle of attack animations to help facilitate specific knockback (or a lack thereof), or even try to overlap its disappearance with his point of reappearance, presenting a facade that the illusion's previous behavior actually was his own. Mysterio is able to overwrite his illusion's behavior while invisible, at the cost of being a sitting duck and being unable to capitalize on what his illusion is doing. That being said, he can't just keep using his illusion while remaining invisible in perpetuity — he has a cooldown equal to 1.66 times as long as the illusion was onstage (up to about five seconds if the illusion was onstage its full three seconds) before he can send the fake back out.

The illusion is solid and, if struck by one or more enemy attacks, will be launched as though it had Mysterio's current damage level. It will resume its movements at the point where they left off after exiting its apparent hitstun, though attacks don't prolong the fake Mysterio's duration. For example, if the player inputted a full three seconds of movement, and the illusion is launched two seconds in, it likely will vanish right after its hitstun ends. To the untrained or unattentive eye, Mysterio's illusion can be quite convincing. Mysterio's deception extends to his own onscreen location, as depicted in Ultimate's corner box graphic, and damage counter, which will appear to rise as the illusion takes attacks but revert back to its prior total with a green smoky poof when the fake vanishes.

The damage counter also will return to normal upon the real Mysterio being attacked, which causes his illusion to vanish automatically, though at least — if his counter is artificially high on account of the illusion getting knocked around — it can throw off foes looking to land a specific combo or kill confirm based on the percentage they think he has. Without foresight, the invisible Mysterio can struggle to keep his illusion active when confronted with traps or large area-of-influence moves, though thankfully, characters with crosshair-type attacks or those that auto-target the nearest opponent will go after the illusion for its duration.

And the duplicate can be KOed, upon which, if there's enough time left on its clock, the illusion will come back down on its own realistic-looking respawn platform before resuming its programmed behavior. As one might expect from a showman of Mysterio's caliber, the illusion extends even to interface screws — the KO red lightning and blast graphics, the illusion appearing to undergo a Star or Screen KO on occasion when launched vertically, a stock icon disappearing, even getting its own "final stock zoom in" screen. That being said, all this pomp and circumstance won't mean much if the illusion's actual actions don't jive with what the Mysterio player reasonably would do upon getting hit or respawning.

The illusory jig pretty clearly will be up if the fake Mysterio's behavior immediately after eating a Smash attack is to start shorthopping aerials in the opposite direction, upon which the foe can safely ignore it and start hunting down its master. While visible, the real Mysterio can try pantomiming bizarre behavior to uphold his illusion's cover whenever its movement isn't spotless, though this of course is not foolproof. Sometimes, the best illusions can be the simplest — floating or dart-dashing away, or performing a few innocuous rolls to seem to get some breathing room. A devilish possibility involves programming Mysterio's illusion to furiously teabag, potentially baiting foes into recklessly rushing it down, without regard for what the real Mysterio might be plotting nearby.

While the damage "Mysterio" takes isn't real, the damage it deals most certainly is. Mysterio can plug in as many attacks as he can fit within the illusion's limited window, for them to deal as much damage from the duplicate as they would from the real thing. There's one catch, however — attacks the duplicate lands will stale 1.5 times as quickly, both for the duplicate and the real Mysterio. For instance, if the duplicate lands shorthop F-Air three times in a row, leaving the move in queue positions 1, 2 and 3 (as seen at this helpful resource), the aerial will experience a total damage and knockback reduction of 0.3777, becoming 0.6223 times as strong as it would be when fresh (the overreliance on single moves seems to fry his drones). The player can't really lean on Mysterio's duplicate as a superior alternative to dealing damage with the real thing, nor can they reliably, say, have the illusion spam a Smash attack without weakening that option for Mysterio proper.

This wrinkle incentivizes using Mysterio's illusion in a nuanced manner, for both attack- and movement-based trickery, and with a diversity of attacks to boot. Of course, from time to time, this mechanic also can let him stale specific moves more quickly to sharpen them as combo tools — an endeavor where a well-programmed illusion definitely can come in handy, as it bats a foe volleyball-like over to the invisible Mysterio to follow up upon. Of note, Mysterio can light-tap B while programming his illusion to have his duplicate to hover in place, as though preparing its own fake, but nothing more — the illusion won't be sending out illusions of its own, to the gratitude of everyone who would rather their Switch not spontaneously combust.

Another quirk worth mentioning for Mysterio's illusions is how, as you might have learned in sociology class, programmed behaviors can manifest differently in unique contexts. If the Mysterio player has primed their illusion by smashing the control stick forward and then pressing A, the duplicate normally would dart forward before performing a dash attack. Should they initiate the illusion in the air rather than on the ground, however, the duplicate will drift forward before performing N-Air. In this example, the illusion also would perform N-Air upon exiting hitstun if an opponent were to launch it before it could perform its grounded attack. This double-edged sword extends to programmed movements, too. If the illusion is knocked into apparent prone, a control stick flick for an intended dash instead will translate into a roll in that given direction, while if the duplicate grabs a ledge, an intended shoulder button press for shield will become a roll onto the stage. Such changes of context sometimes can result in an illusion disappearing before it has time to complete all of Mysterio's preset inputs — for instance, if a duplicate gets launched into the air right before a quick planned roll and ends up doing a laggy directional air dodge instead.

Played to his fullest potential, Mysterio can reap benefits choreographing his illusions in ways such that they're useful to him summoned both in the air or on the ground, or that even if they were to be interrupted, their next action could make sense as a response. In the aforementioned examples, N-Air could make sense as a combo breaker, while a jump and shield empowers the illusion to recover if knocked offstage. However, the inverse is true too — if it was a planned U-Tilt that got interrupted, a random U-Air could expose the fakery, as could an intended roll that results in a wild air dodge self-destruct offstage. In terms of counterplay, the more complex or situation-sensitive Mysterio's illusion is, the greater the reward is for foes who interrupt it, as they can dispatch a long con early on and go on to bait a shield or dodge so the real Mysterio shows himself. This circles back to the whole "simplest can be best" mantra from earlier.

Of note, if "Mysterio" is grabbed or pitfalled, his subsequent inputs will translate over into button-mashing, or a lack thereof. The duplicate generally will appear to be mashing poorly, as most illusions won't involve nearly as many control stick spins or button presses as are needed to escape those situations at higher damage levels. Opponents who get too greedy pummeling or charging a Smash attack against these illusions become juicy targets for Mysterio, though if he never goes for mix-ups when personally in the same situations, and always easily mashes free, foes will stop buying it.

Last but not least, Mysterio is capable of storing not one, but two illusions at a time, by virtue of his Shield Special input. After an initial press of B while Mysterio is shielding, the player can start programming in inputs as usual, canceling out with a hard press of Neutral Special or shield, or a smashed roll or dodge input. He then can trigger the illusion with a second press of shield and B, or overwrite it by holding the input for 30 frames. As a general housekeeping item, this added Special input helps lower the learning curve for Mysterio's illusions, as players can allocate offensive attack-based illusions to Neutral Special and defensive movement-based ones to Shield Special for ease of use. Priming illusions, especially lengthier ones, is riskier here than with vanilla Neutral Special, as Mysterio's shield still dwindles during this prep time, creating openings for foes to go for a shield-break if he overcommits (Ultimate shields can be held up to 5.5 seconds, compared to the three-second maximum for Mysterio's illusions). That being said, Shield Special allows Mysterio to be productive while blocking, say, a multi-hit attack, and makes shield pressure a scarier task for opponents.

A quick-on-the-draw player could punish a foe for mindless rushdown by creating a modified tech chase situation, as his illusion rolls one way and Mysterio stays stationary or jumps another to sandwich that opponent between attacks (though as a defensive input, a roll will uncloak the real thing). With practiced timing, "Mysterio" could be the one to shield-grab a shorthopped aerial and either pummel or throw the victim in range of Mysterio proper's Smash attack. An expert maneuver involves the illusion parrying an attack, with Mysterio remaining in close quarters so both he and his duplicate can land back-to-back counterattacks. And, of course, even if the player is a bit late in timing their illusion programming, and the duplicate's shield is broken, Mysterio could find himself with another opening for punishment — a mind-bending possibility that could deter foes from standing around and charging a Smash, even when it appears to be the real illusionist they've got dead to rights.

Mysterio's duplicate will disappear automatically whenever its master is KOed, though thankfully, illusions from his previous stock will remain programmed. If the end of one stock appears nigh, a forward-thinking Mysterio player could set up an illusion that, once he respawns, will help him corner his opponent as they screw around in the seconds after landing the fatal blow — perhaps as they demonstrate just how "skillful" a player they are by "wavelanding" on a platform.

DOWN SPECIAL - FISHBOWL FALSIFICATION

Mysterio performs a showy flip of his cape, which his underlings thankfully ironed in time for his Smash debut, as a brief, bright shine appears over his fishbowl. It's a relatively short 10-frame animation, after which he's free to glide around and attack as usual, which is exactly the point. The next time the player inputs Down Special, Mysterio won't undergo any visible animation but will log a modified copy of whatever attack he performed right beforehand (with the exception of Neutral Special). Now, after a one-second buffer period, tapping Down Special a third time will have Mysterio remove his fishbowl over 10 frames and toss it as a spherical projectile, about as large as Samus' half-charged Charge Shot, horizontally by default but with any of the other three cardinal directions selectable during startup. Upon impact with the ground, or an opponent or construct if the player smashed their directional throw, the fishbowl will shatter to reveal a giant Mysterio illusion, evocative of one of his myriad boss appearances, which will repeat that attack before vanishing. A new fishbowl poofs over Mysterio's empty neck hole immediately after he throws the old one.

This illusion, which we'll call a mega-Mysterio for clarity's sake, is sized as though its master had grabbed a Super Mushroom — about two training stage squares wide and three and one-third squares tall — and has that item's same 1.56x multiplier on its damage and knockback. Needless to say, these mega-Mysterio attacks factor into KO setups in a big way, a benefit for which Mysterio is all too thankful, given his relative dearth of powerful attacks otherwise. His lack of animation in logging the mega-Mysterio's eventual move also serves to condition paranoia in foes, in that, once they see Mysterio's fishbowl flash, any subsequent attack he throws out conceivably could manifest out of a suddenly-thrown fishbowl in a much more dangerous capacity.

There are, however, several ways foes can play around these setups, especially if Mysterio becomes too predictable. Opponents can dodge souped-up attacks from a mega-Mysterio, and though they can't inflict damage or knockback upon the giants, they're free to clank with the summons using moves with damage output within 9%. Foes cannot grab fishbowls out of midair as items, but attacks dealing 7% or more can shatter them early; this still spawns the mega-Mysterio, though projectiles and some disjointed moves can do so so the giant spawns safely out of range. Reflectors even can send fishbowls cascading away, turning the mega-Mysterio devastatingly against its creator.

Of course, Mysterio not only can keep opponents on their toes by throwing out a variety of different attacks with his fishbowl over a match, but also mixing up his throw trajectories and forces. A fishbowl tossed with regular force will deal a light 5% and stun, before falling to the ground and shattering, while one smash-tossed will deal 9% and below average set knockback as it breaks instantly. Both types of throws have their uses; a light-tossed fishbowl can hold a foe in their shield before the mega-Mysterio erupts out and eats a much bigger chunk out of the opponent's defenses, maybe even leading to a shield-break. A smash-thrown fishbowl can combo into the mega-Mysterio's strike for great damage, though depending on what attack Mysterio has stored, the projectile's impact could knock a foe with high damage out of the giant's range — timing and spacing, perhaps with aid from Mysterio's hover, both remain important here. The two types of throws even allow Mysterio to time when his fishbowl will land at his feet thrown down, slightly staggering when the Mega Mysterio's attack will manifest around him as a pseudo-counter.

Mysterio is fully capable of programming his illusion to prepare and summon a mega-Mysterio of its own, though this requires more setup than might be apparent at first. There are some parameters, too. Though Mysterio can have one illusion prime a fishbowl for a future duplicate to throw, the first illusion must activate Down Special, perform and store its chosen move in one sitting. Given that each illusion only has three seconds onstage tops, minus the 10-frame fishbowl flashing animation, there's a shorter window for the imposter to throw out different moves and create confusion as to which mega-Mysterio attack it's shooting for. Fishbowl throw timing also becomes even more important for illusions. If for whatever reason the duplicates disappear (their time ran out, Mysterio attacked or took damage, etc.), any of their extensions, including tossed mid-air fishbowls and mid-attack mega-Mysterios, will vanish early too, cutting short whatever best laid plans their master was enacting.

That being said, Mysterio can really delve into some MYM mInDgAmEs pairing his and his illusion's fishbowl setups together. Because the initial flash animation has no hitbox, Mysterio is perfectly free to initiate that while invisible (at the cost of brief vulnerability). As though visibly triggering Down Special weren't paranoia-inducing enough, now foes can't rest entirely easy even if they've successfully sussed out and subdued an illusion, not knowing for sure whether Mysterio started going for an eventual mega-Mysterio unbeknownst to them. Illusions also help obfuscate what specific attack foes expect to see out of a thrown fishbowl. An opponent might expect the giant to use one of a handful of attacks, based on those they believe the real Mysterio has used, only to be caught off-guard as he seamlessly sends out an illusion to throw a fishbowl containing something entirely different — or vice versa, if the player skillfully has the illusion disappear precisely where Mysterio reappears. Though variable in practice, on paper having both Mysterio and his illusion use a myriad of moves effectively doubles the number of attacks foes have to be ready to avoid from a mega-Mysterio, which in the heat of battle can prove mentally taxing.

Mechanics-wise, Mysterio is limited to two fishbowls at a time — one for himself and one for his illusions. In other words, he cannot create separate fishbowl projectiles for duplicates summoned both from Neutral Special and Shield Special. Mysterio's thrown fishbowls and their summons remain visible even after he's triggered an illusion and disappeared. As such, duplicates can be programmed to deal 7% and shatter Mysterio proper's fishbowls early, modifying where the mega-Mysterio appears, including to have it perform grounded attacks in midair. With careful input programming, illusions also can catch and re-throw the projectiles, which resume falling if in the duplicates' hands upon their disappearance.

The real Mysterio, unfortunately, can't really interact with illusions' fishbowls, which as mentioned vanish upon his reappearance. Two mega-Mysterios briefly can share the stage, but only if real Mysterio is the first to toss his fishbowl, as if he's invisible, he'll reappear as his thrown fishbowl's projectile hitbox comes into being. Depending on what attacks the two giants are using, and from where onstage, they can cover a terrifying amount of space; real Mysterio's summons could even launch a hapless victim into the illusion's one for massive damage. Of course, just because a skillful player can pull off this setup doesn't mean that they should. Excessive fishbowl use can bring the illusion's heightened stale moves multiplier into play for Down Special on the whole, reducing Mega Mysterios' KO utility with all moves at a time when the real Mysterio might need it the most.

A few more housekeeping items to note for this Special — Mysterio can overwrite an attack he's logged for a mega-Mysterio if the player holds the Down Special input for 30 frames, upon which a new fishbowl flash is prompted. By inputting jump and an aerial input, the player can prompt a giant to perform that aerial from Mysterio's shorthop height. If Mysterio has logged an angled or charged move like a Smash, his mega-Mysterio will skip right to using that attack at that same angle or charge, not sitting around and mirroring these preparatory animations. Though he's limited to one attack per mega-Mysterio, multiple inputs as needed for a single attack are fair game. If Mysterio's most recent attack before a second Down Special input was a throw, the corresponding mega-Mysterio will perform a grab and, if it snags a victim, that same throw, plus any pummels Mysterio did in the lead-up. Because it holds victims off the ground, the giant also can be made to put foes into an aerial grab-release state if Mysterio has logged a grab with no throw, and with or without pummels.

SIDE SPECIAL - SORCERER'S SMOG

Mysterio reaches an arm forward, spawning a smoky green hieroglyphic, shaped like one of his triangular Eye of Providence cape fasteners, in midair a ways in front of him over 20 frames. A moment later, both Mysterio and his triangle begin spewing a torrent of green fog inward, shrouding the area in between at a pace that varies based on how far away the symbol spawned. Tapping the input brings the hieroglyphic into being five training stage squares away, filling the four squares between it and Mysterio with fog over 40 additional frames, while a smashed input has the symbol appear 6.5 squares away and fill the intervening space over a full second.

By default, the fog from Mysterio and his triangle flows horizontally and reaches 2.5 training stage squares vertically, though the player also can direct the control stick diagonally up or down to angle where the hieroglyphic spawns, so it and Mysterio shoot slanted fog torrents in the corresponding direction. And, if the player taps the control stick outward again in summoning the symbol, Mysterio will turn its inner eye to face opposite rather than toward him before it spews fog. The triangle by itself will only spit fog two to three squares outward, with Mysterio not filling in the middle space with fog of his own. That being said, this option lets him produce the substance a further distance away across the stage, while also giving him an earlier first actionable frame right after summoning the symbol. If Mysterio is attacked mid-move or the Kirby-sized triangle is destroyed, upon opponents dealing it 15% or more, both sides will stop their fog emissions, potentially creating smaller puffs of the green stuff a short distance apart if broken up partway through.

So what does take #9451 on "Into Red Smoke" actually do? As far as damage goes, Mysterio's fog is rather wanting, dealing just 1% every 45 frames to characters in contact over the seven seconds it remains out before dissipating. The fog does, however, come with its own special effects that really can throw opponents for a loop. Opponents' damage counters will not visibly increase as long as they're within the gas, only upon exiting or getting knocked out, and their players' controllers will not rumble whenever they're using or getting hit by attacks. For Mysterio himself, his damage counter won't rise when he takes damage within his fog, nor will his illusion's, until either leave. What's more, if an illusion vanishes within fog while its master also is shrouded in the substance, any 'fake' damage it endured will remain artificially part of Mysterio's counter until he or a new illusion exits. However, unlike their opponent, the Mysterio player's controller still will vibrate when he attacks or is attacked, giving them better baked-in awareness as to what is transpiring within fog. Rounding out the fog's effects, visual effects from attacks (on-hit sparks, red lightning and so on) are disabled for all characters, as are any audible sound effects their attacks normally would produce.

In essence, Mysterio's fog plunges opponents into the Smash equivalent of a sensory deprivation tank, with an even greater deal of uncertainty than is par for the course with regular gas or smoke attacks. Not only is their visibility disrupted, but they also won't have the foggiest (heh) idea whether their combos are hitting their mark or if they themselves have become the mark. This, in turn, can lead to whiplash when a foe suddenly finds themselves launched out of the fog with higher-than-expected damage, potentially giving them far less lead time to get themselves to safety with proper DI. Some opponents might also find themselves less prepared to press their advantage against Mysterio, even if they're able to successfully knock him out of the fog. Even so, despite the fog's twisted effects, Mysterio often will have to put himself at close-range risk to meaningfully capitalize upon them, which could result in canny foes sending him lurching out in a similar manner. Mysterio's direct involvement, or at least a convincing representation of it, also tends to be necessary to chase foes into the mist, given they can otherwise dash or jump through with minuscule harm, or even zone Mysterio from opposite puffs or slanted torrents of fog.

One key exception to the fog's sensory deprivation adds a sneaky wrinkle to goings-on inside: The typical "P1," "P2," and so on indicators remain in effect for all characters, but only during the frames they're performing a defensive maneuver. Mysterio's opponents can glean some idea of what's happening as they're traversing fog with, say, a quick shield input or spot dodge. Beyond reflecting their location inside, that a character can complete such an input in the first place signals that they're not caught in one of Mysterio's attacks. Of course, this can turn into somewhat of a devil's bargain — such defensive maneuvers also unveil that enemy's position to Mysterio himself. At close enough range, he's able to move in with a more targeted attack, chosen to read and punish whatever option the foe's player indicator suggests they are performing (a constant stationary indicator reflects a held shield, for instance, while an indicator moving along the ground indicates a roll).

Key here, as most elsewhere in Mysterio's matches, is moving in with a game plan: If he rushes into his fog swinging wildly, an opponent could try baiting him into his own rash defensive maneuver, allowing them to identify his position and put him in a world of hurt. This game planning is one of the prime areas where illusions get to shine. Mysterio can follow close to a duplicate after it has knocked an opponent into fog, ready to swoop in against any adverse defensive movements. This can prove particularly effective for pressuring badly-timed enemy shields, as, though characters can see their location while shielding, their bubble's health is obscured, and with it, their urgency to make a move.

Alternatively, Mysterio can personally enter fog and begin programming an illusion via Shield Special; though riskier, this option can bait foes into moving in on him, only to be blasted back by something quick, like a shorthop aerial. And within fog, illusions bring perks beyond just the potential to pile on damage. Like their master, the duplicates have their own player indicators show up whenever they're programmed to use a shield, dodge or what have you within fog. Mysterio has no shortage of ways to work this in his favor for bits of trickery — for example, by having an illusion do a staple game option, like "run up and shield" into fog, to fool foes into a hasty reaction he then can move and punish. In that way, Mysterio effectively can weaponize Smash Ultimate's own player indicators against unsuspecting dupes!

More generally, a foe who outside the mist might suss out an illusion upon seeing a behavioral hiccup now could continue whaling away if they successfully launch duplicate out of the shroud, biding Mysterio precious time to get his own machinations in order. If Mysterio also is within the fog, he can much more easily create the appearance of a seamless transition upon his illusion vanishing, including to create confusion around fishbowls. Speaking of which, fog is fully capable of obscuring (and silencing) both Mysterio's initial fishbowl flash and subsequent attacks, building even more uncertainty into his mega-Mysterio summons — which themselves can suddenly erupt out of the mist to further terrorize foes.

Of note, both illusions and mega-Mysterios can create fog of their own, the latter even having its size boost applied to the stuff. Given Side Special's laggy startup, Mysterio definitely appreciates this assistance in terms of spreading the substance around the stage. That being said, much like with mega-Mysterios, fog summoned by an illusion or by way of one's fishbowl will vanish whenever they do. And to prevent spam, only two sections of fog — regular-sized or giant — can exist onstage at a time. Which might even be fine by more entry-level Mysterio players, as the more fog he has onstage, the harder it can be for him to monitor his own damage level, especially in scenarios where he starts getting beat up within fog while the substance still is preserving his illusion's fake damage.

UP SPECIAL - PINWHEEL OF PERPLEXION
Mysterio gestures upward with one palm for eight miniature illusions of himself to poof into being around him in a mid-sized circle, briefly halting his descent in midair before gravity starts to kick in again. These mini-Mysterios, each sized as though Mysterio had come in contact with a Poison Mushroom, spawn with their own hitbox on frame 13 and, on frame 26, begin rotating semi-quickly around their master in a pinwheel formation. Looks as though he's continuing to evoke the good Mr. Dr. Strange in his quest to captivate the masses. The mini-Mysterios rotate up to two seconds, each dealing 2% and low set knockback as it explodes into green smoke on contact with a foe, construct or disjointed move — these can combo into each other at a rate of two to three per second against larger foes or foes with low damage, especially those who make contact near the top of the circle.

At any point after the mini-Mysterios appear, before or after they start spinning, the player can hard-press or hold the control stick toward any of them for Mysterio to warp a respective four to five training stage squares in that direction. Upon this selection, Mysterio will disappear at the circle's center as most of the mini-Mysterios freeze in place; the directional one chosen travels the four to five squares over 25 frames, trailed by a green smoke trail as it quickly grows to the regular Mysterio's size. When it reaches maximum distance, a bit of energy poofs around the reappearing full-sized Mysterio, briefly granting him a point-blank 12% hitbox that KOs around 135%. Input quickly, Mysterio can punish poorly-thought-out rolls with his warp as a burst option, and even polish off a stock at higher damage levels (including by warping downward onstage to trigger the hitbox at close range). He's also able to cross up enemy shields while mid-warp, or warp backwards so the leftover stationary mini-Mysterios serve as a protective obstacle until he reappears, upon which they poof harmlessly away. Even so, though Mysterio doesn't enter helpless after his warp, his 20 frames of cooldown leaves an opening for foes to counterattack, especially if they shield-grab him as he lands onstage.

Before the mini-Mysterios start spinning, a recovering Mysterio has access to the eight cardinal or diagonal directions typical of a recovery like Fire Fox, plus minor variations once the spinning begins. That being said, if a foe destroys the corresponding mini-Mysterio as he's trying to recover in a linear direction, he'll have to wait for another one to rotate around before he can access that direction again — a problem if a foe can run offstage and destroy several in one fell swoop, like some can with Ness' PK Thunder. If Mysterio himself is knocked away before or while in the warping animation, all remaining mini-Mysterios will vanish harmlessly. Mysterio only can use his Up Special once in midair before touching the ground and, though he remains able to perform his second jump or hover after aerial Up Special, he only can do so if he hasn't already exhausted one such option.

After two seconds have elapsed, Mysterio will prompt all remaining mini-Mysterios to stop rotating and detonate one at a time in a rapid clockwise circle over 30 frames. Their previous 2% hitbox still applies, though the low set knockback now pushes opponents generally in the direction of the next mini-Mysterio to explode. Mysterio's first actionable frame for attacking comes 20 frames into the circle's explosion, meaning that, though he can't really throw out moves to hold foes in more mini-Mysterios' path, he can effectively combo out of their hitboxes if one or two land. Foes can work around the miniatures if the hitboxes are pushing them downward into the stage, where they can throw out their shield, or if it's a smaller number of mini-Mysterios remaining at their master's disposal.

Rather than be caught flat-footed, however, Mysterio is able to move around to a limited degree while the rotation is ongoing in a manner evocative of Mega Man's Leaf Shield, helping him land the miniature explosions more efficiently. Light control stick presses let him walk forward on the ground, where he can push the mini-Mysterio hitboxes into an opponent and even grab them if they aren't careful shielding. These light inputs also allow Mysterio to hover around with the spinning hitboxes intact, letting him land on top of opponents with the mini-Mysterio explosions. With proper maneuvering, he can even turn the tables on would-be gimpers offstage by using the mini-Mysterios' multiple hitboxes to bait an adverse buffered air dodge, though this can be a risky gambit, if his used-up hover leaves him unable to recover.

Up Special is perhaps one of the easier behaviors to program into an illusion to assist in damage-racking. Mysterio can send out a duplicate to pressure a victim's shield with mini-Mysterios and, whether or not they find their mark, position himself to land a follow-up attack (up to and including a charged Smash attack if a foe gets stuck in the multiple hits). He even can sandwich a foe in with his illusion so that, once the duplicate's mini-Mysterios have finished exploding, he can move in to catch the victim with his own. The startup he undergoes summoning mini-Mysterios in combination with Neutral Special's illusion cooldown means Mysterio players can't spam Up Special to trap the same victim over and over. With the right positioning, however, the bonus damage can be all the difference he needs to turn the match in his favor. He or an illusion can get even more mileage following up on these Up Special explosions from within Side Special fog. However, if a foe lands on shrouded mini-Mysterios when entering fog from above, the start and sudden stop of controller rumbling from the hits will give them more clarity than they ordinarily might have as to what's going on in there.

Illusions also can give Mysterio an edge in recovering — he can prompt his illusion to perform an initial warp, whether to make believe he's pursuing one linear route back to the stage, or else to position its point-blank hitbox as a buffer against aspiring gimpers. Meanwhile, Mysterio himself can hover around to his liking while invisible, whether to perform a second Up Special (prompting the illusion to disappear as his mini-Mysterio hitboxes become active), or perhaps to land a brutal spike on his attacker from above. As fun as these options can be, some enemy gimping options nevertheless can cover enough space to knock both Mysterio and his illusion away in one clean hit regardless, keeping with the "versatile, but exploitable" recurring theme across his moveset at large.

As one might expect, when mega-Mysterios use Up Special, their corresponding mini-Mysterios aren't quite miniature anymore. They're not quite the size of Mysterio himself as they manifest around the giant, but still cover an area of stage that's nothing to sneeze at, in a circle approximately as large as Hero's Kaboom spell. Up Special is one of a few attacks that aren't translated to mega-Mysterios 1:1, with the mini-Mysterios only remaining onstage for one, rather than two seconds, to prevent the excessive annoyance that would ensue from an oversized hitbox of that duration (in case it weren't clear, the giants also can't walk or hover with this hitbox). Even still, Up Special becomes a sort of twist on the mega-Mysterios' usual function, letting it assist more with damage-racking than KOing.

Even when spinning around a mega-Mysterio, the "mini-Mysterios" still deal low enough knockback that larger characters or those with low damage can get struck by several in a row, though it's worth noting that their more-spaced-out nature means foes have a better chance at parrying the multiple hits. Then, upon their detonation, each exploding mini-Mysterio still knocks foes in the direction of the next in line, which, in combination with their larger size, makes avoidance more difficult, especially if the mega-Mysterio spawned from a fishbowl that shattered in midair. And situationally, the real Mysterio can cause a duplicate's mega-Mysterio to vanish early, perhaps resulting in a punishable air dodge or aerial from the victim as they try to escape from being caught in its sequential explosions.

On the flipside, the mega-Mysterio can KO quite effectively (around 65-70%) if Mysterio or his illusion have logged Up Special's warping component for a fishbowl. Despite the giant's large reappearing hitbox, this can be deceptively difficult to land, as Mysterio will have to account both for where he throws his fishbowl and which pre-determined direction the giant will warp. As with a good number of Mysterio's other tricks, subversion can be key for success — here, perhaps by priming the mega-Mysterio to warp a little ways off from where a foe is expected to be upon the fishbowl breaking, missing them initially but successfully catching them out of their roll or air dodge a split-second later.

GRAB-GAME​

GRAB - CHARLATAN'S CLUTCHES

Mysterio nonchalantly stretches a hand forward about Ganondorf's grab range, palm facing upward and his gold-gloved hand glowing momentarily green as he attempts to grasp a foe. Though his reach is really nothing special, Mysterio at least enjoys a slight speed upgrade compared to the demon king, at six versus eight startup frames and 35 versus 38 frames of end lag. This end lag, of course, increases by a few frames if Mysterio whiffs a pivot or dash grab, both of which in turn grant him a hair more range for catching a target. Upon a successful grab, Mysterio holds his victim up by the throat or closest equivalent, dangling characters in the bottom half for character height a short ways off the ground as a result.

You might or might not be surprised to learn that Mysterio's grab-game enters zanier territory when it comes to his illusions. Generally speaking, grab tends to be an effective dual-context option to plug in, as a directionless Z button press will result in the duplicate performing a relatively innocuous air dodge if it's triggered in midair or launched. Illusions are fully capable of grabbing, pummeling and throwing foes, which as alluded to under Neutral Special, can be quite the boon for Mysterio in terms of following up with his own attack, though the one-second regrab timer is in play across the board to prevent unfun shenanigans. Given their short duration, illusions can't lollygag in getting off a throw, though inventive players can find a silver lining, even if the duplicate's timing is off and it vanishes mid-grab.

In these situations, foes are forced into their grab-release state, on the ground in front of where the illusion disappeared if they're in the upper half for character height and in a short aerial arc if they're not. Depending on the character and desired combo, Mysterio might even choose to trigger these states on purpose. By using an attack — Up Special being a potentially scrumptious choice — or defensive maneuver while invisible, he'll get rid of his illusion and achieve grab-release on command, rather than waiting for the duplicate to disappear on its own. Unique to situations where an illusion has a foe grabbed, Mysterio experiences a five-frame pause before reappearing with the offensive or defensive option his player has inputted. This brief buffer inhibits Mysterio from a guaranteed frame-one combo on foes he's right up against while triggering a forced grab-release this way, but still requires near-instant defensive timing on opponents' part to escape some of his faster follow-ups. And as a reminder, mega-Mysterios dangle all grab victims and, if they're programmed to grab but not throw, will always grab-release victims into the punishable aerial arc.

Nuttier still are the possibilities Mysterio accesses in triggering an illusion while grabbing an opponent. In these scenarios, Mysterio can briefly craft an illusion not just of himself, but of his victim too! If the player hits Neutral Special mid-grab, both the real Mysterio and his victim will be rendered invisible, as the illusion seamlessly appears in his place, manhandling a duplicate opponent. Unlike an illusion in any other context, these grab duplicates only can last half as long, up to 1.5 second — drone magic has any limitations whatsoever, apparently. Nevertheless, within this window, the fake Mysterio can be made to convincingly pummel and throw the illusory victim with respective programmed A inputs and control stick presses (the inputs normally needed for jab or N-Air and dashes or aerial movement). Of note, given the relatively noncommittal nature of these inputs, an illusory grab-game stands out as a good option for Mysterio to program through Shield Special without overextending himself. Still, if he wants to get more elaborate, in or out of Shield Special, a feature-length illusion could even strike their thrown "victim" with a combo hit or two before vanishing.

As when opposing players attack Mysterio's own doppelgangers, their controllers will rumble when the duplicate in their likeness takes damage. Their counter briefly reflects that extra percentage before poofing back once the illusion ends, which happens upon what would be the duplicate's first actionable frame or after 1.5 seconds if it's "hit" again, whichever comes sooner. Also comparable to Mysterio's illusions, fake foes make their usual sound effects and are subject to Neutral Special's outlined interface screws, up to and including Ultimate's locator box, KO graphics, the respawn platform and so on if they're thrown off a blast zone. In essence, as long as the duplicate victim's onstage timer will permit, the real victim has no clear sensory indicator that Mysterio has substituted himself, and them, for a stand-in.

The real Mysterio, meanwhile, continues to grip his victim while invisible, fully able to pummel and throw them to his heart's content. As a rare exception within his arsenal of attacks, Mysterio's throws don't render him visible as, at all relevant times, they produce on-hit effects strictly against his victim rather than an active hitbox capable of striking any target. His pummel, too, abides by this on-hit rule, in a contrast with most other Ultimate pummels, which inflict weak damage against external opponents at point-blank range. The real opponent's damage counter won't reflect any pummel or throw damage they endure, helping to sell the illusion but putting the onus on Mysterio to note their damage pre-grab if he wants to attempt a percentage-based string. Foes will remain invisible once thrown or grab-released until the illusion timer ends or Mysterio performs an attack or defensive option — no protracted invisible combos for you, wicked as it might sound.

Well-crafted grab illusions create a number of built-in mix-up scenarios Mysterio can game out with his victim. By programming a duplicate to throw its fake victim, the Mysterio player can coax their opponent to prematurely stop button-mashing, under the delusion that they're out of his clutches as he racks up incrementally more damage via pummel. The foe can try counteracting this by continuing to mash even as they appear to be thrown, at the risk of performing a random, punishable jump or aerial if it turns out the visible Mysterio was legitimate.

On the flipside, with an illusion that repeatedly pummels its apparent victim, Mysterio can try tricking his victim into precisely such a random, punishable movement upon throwing them while invisible. The foe won't stay invisible long enough to self-destruct barring walk-off tomfoolery, but they might just find themselves an easier target for Mysterio's next attack, especially if their attempted mix-up involves not button-mashing, under the impression that the visibly pummeling Mysterio is a ruse. His aforementioned grab-release combos in tandem with regular illusions have extra relevance here — the fact that Mysterio has legitimate reasons to perform multiple consecutive pummels instead of throwing a victim means him doing so doesn't necessarily signify a fakeout (and can even net him extra pummel damage if the victim decides otherwise and doesn't mash). Rounding out Mysterio's shortlist of grab illusion mix-ups, he can have his illusion seem to throw its victim one way at the same time he in reality throws them the other to bait bad DI, with potentially fatal results at higher damage levels.

Closing out grab with a few miscellaneous items, Mysterio has no technical limit on the number of times he can trigger an illusion mid-grab, with his real self and victim reappearing after each 1.5-second timer elapses. He won't build any extra damage on his victim in doing so, though, and combining his illusion's cooldown with automatic grab-release even for foes who don't mash, this will virtually never see use in a match, outside of toying with foes at obscene damage levels. Mysterio's grab illusions will end prematurely if he takes damage from an external source, such as in a free-for-all, or if he ends up KOing his invisible victim (throwing them off a walk-off, etc.). Grab-game is a quality distillation of Mysterio's overall moveset, with a potentially daunting learning curve but a ton of room for custom deception in the right hands.

PUMMEL - TASE 'ER FACE
Mysterio presses his free hand into his victim's body as it pulses with green energy, dealing 2% at a rather quick rate of approximately three pummels per second. The good damage output serves as its own reward for Mysterio in landing his limited-range grab and amplifies the pressure on foes to break free, potentially scaring them into mashing even when the use of an illusion could render this perilous. And beyond the grab-release setups mentioned at earlier junctures, Mysterio's rapid pummel gives him a reliable means for refreshing stale moves. This, of course, is a boon if he's leaned too heavily on an illusion repeating the same attack, or otherwise has gotten the desired combo utility out of a move intentionally staled via illusion and that now would serve him best at full strength.

FORWARD THROW - FAST-FLOORED

Mysterio forcefully shoves his victim to the ground at his feet, dealing 3% as they land in their dizzy state. A split-second later, a green blur effect appears around the foe, as they slide one-half of Final Destination's distance along the ground while remaining in that state, at the speed of Space Pirate Rush, before regaining control. If they reach a ledge or the end of a platform beforehand, they'll enter their tumble state for half a second, entering prone if they land beforehand. Though F-Throw can quite effectively put space between Mysterio and his victim, he'll have to put in some legwork if he wants to capitalize upon it in any meaningful way, damage-wise — his first actionable frame comes just as his foe begins sliding, leaving him unable to smack them during their initial dizziness.

As with most situations, however, Mysterio has a number of answers. Most obviously, Mysterio can F-Throw a victim toward a trap, like his Side Special fog or upcoming D-Smash, before floating over to follow up. When illusions perform F-Throw, a most helpful property is unveiled, as thrown opponents will not cross up the real Mysterio, instead pushing him harmlessly, invisibly along without slowing down, regardless of their weight. In essence, Mysterio has the ability to determine at which specific point his foe is launched out of their slide, and at what trajectory, positioning them as optimally as possible for his ensuing attacks. This isn't foolproof, as victims whose attacks have quick first actionable frames can punish Mysterio if he gets too greedy or is too slow following up, though this builds in potential for further trickery.

By mixing up whether he actually does get in front of an F-Throw victim, or just creeps up from behind, Mysterio can try baiting either a shield or retaliatory attack into thin air before punishing. A conservative player also can shield while being pushed along; though this unveils the real Mysterio, and can backfire if his victim immediately grabs upon regaining control, players can tailor this response to opponents prone to mashing attack buttons while sliding. He'll then tank their buffered move and earn himself a free re-grab, with his timer likely having just worn off by this point. Though Mysterio isn't able to put an illusion in front of his own sliding victim, given F-Throw's delayed first actionable frame, he can trigger an illusion to pursue his victim immediately afterward while he remains in place himself. This enables Mysterio to expand his coverage of his victim's response — an illusion could connect with its own attack, steer the foe backward into its master's reach or, if it starts getting pummeled, create a window for him to glide over and break up the fracas.

A few other F-Throw uses worth noting — a grab illusion can use this option on a duplicate victim to net Mysterio more time to pummel or throw his real foe. This is most effective against more calculating opponents who, rather than mashing attack buttons, try to time their retaliatory attack as they exit their slide, or instead try jumping, dashing or rolling away as they come to (the fake foe vanishes before they get the chance, of course). As those approaches involve fewer button presses, the real victim will remain in Mysterio's clutches or flailing aimlessly around upon being invisibly thrown for longer. Given their height, mega-Mysterios that use F-Throw most likely will shove their victims onto an aerial platform, if the stage has any, increasing the likelihood of triggering the drop-off tumble effect.

Which, under regular circumstances, and especially when triggered by an illusion's F-Throw, is great for Mysterio in setting up jab-lock combos. Sliding a foe into tumble offstage presents a solid chance for a gimp: an illusion could create a stage-spike setup for invisible Mysterio offstage, or the real Mysterio could have an illusion fly out, as though attempting this, while he lurks above to land a spike. All the better if it's a grab illusion sliding a duplicate foe offstage in this manner — their attempt to tech will result in their real invisible self performing a punishable air dodge if Mysterio proper has thrown them in the meantime.

BACK THROW - ELECTRIFYING STUNT

Mysterio quickly turns around and punches his opponent backward, his fist glowing with green energy to deal a straightforward 7% and below-average set knockback that KOs at the ledge around 155%. This mediocrity is bolstered one second later, as an intangible misty portal appears directly behind the victim, wherever they are, and shoots a Kirby-sized energy ball right at them. There's a 25-frame pause between when the portal appears and the ball fires. If the victim doesn't remain stationary within that window, the ball will be fired in a linear path at their current position, traveling three-quarters of Battlefield's distance at the speed of a max-charged Charge Shot before vanishing. If the projectile connects, the victim suffers a meaty 16% but low diagonal knockback, as though they'd exited stun from one of ZSS' paralyzer shots.

If both hits connect, B-Throw serves as Mysterio's most damaging throw, and a punishing one in the grand scheme of things to boot, with more damage than any vanilla Ultimate character's counterparts. Against heavy foes or those with low damage, he even can turn around and follow up from his punch's initial knockback with Up Special, waylaying his target long enough for his projectile to meet its mark. That being said, uninterrupted foes aren't likely to experience much difficulty in dodging the energy ball after their first few attempts, whether by timing a dodge or holding shield — though the ball deals 5% in bonus shield damage, plus a moment of extra shieldstun. In many scenarios, Mysterio will find the threat of the ball more compelling in terms of steering enemy movement. He's likely to find himself sending out an illusion to pressure his target as the portal is about to appear, baiting an adverse defensive reaction for his real self to punish. If his victim specifically shields, the energy ball becomes a great setup for invisible Mysterio to attempt a shieldbreak.

Capitalizing on B-Throw becomes a bit tougher when it's an illusion initiating the throw, as invisible Mysterio will cancel the portal or prompt it and its projectile to vanish if he himself attacks early. That's not to say Mysterio can't prompt the duplicate itself to apply pressure after a B-Throw, however, or that its portal won't trigger an opponent's punishable defensive muscle memory, even if it vanishes before the ball itself is fired. With perfect timing, Mysterio can have his illusion grab a victim right as his own energy ball is being fired at a target, with the grabbed victim tanking its damage akin to a Gordo before the illusion performs a throw. Of note, Mysterio's portal and projectile do not become invisible, even when he does, nor is he forcibly rendered visible upon the projectile being fired — a rare exception when it comes to active hitboxes.

From a grab illusion, B-Throw is mostly useful at those low damage levels, where a quick buffered action is necessary for foes in avoiding Mysterio's follow-ups like Up Special that can hold them in a portal's path. As with F-Throw, those singular action button-presses can be punishable if the real Mysterio has simultaneously continued to pummel or has thrown his invisible victim. Regularly, however, duplicate foes will vanish as soon as their "hitstun" from the initial B-Throw punch wears off. It is possible for the illusion to keep the fake foe in hitstun long enough for the portal to appear, possibly baiting more punishable actions from their thrown invisible counterpart, though the grab illusion will vanish before any projectile is fired.

Rounding off B-Throw's uses, its energy ball can become a potent threat when it's a mega-Mysterio performing the throw. The mega-Mysterio's upscaled size carries over to the projectile, rendering it a hair larger than Bowser while boosting its damage up to 25%. Though it still can be avoided, the energy ball now is borderline foolish to shield, as its shieldstun is boosted to the point where, if Mysterio himself is on top of his target, he can land a Smash attack for a guaranteed shieldbreak.

If Mysterio has a section of stage covered in Side Special mist, he can find himself richly rewarded for pressuring a foe into its midst between his B-Throw punch and the portal appearing. Even a practiced foe could struggle in avoiding the energy ball without a visual cue, and often might not even immediately know whether they were successful, as up until higher damage levels, the projectile's minor knockback likely won't be sufficient to send them out of the fog. That being said, the player indicator mechanics of Mysterio's fog and grab illusions are such that he can't casually use an illusory B-Throw into a large smoke patch to force his foe to flail around with uninformed defensive options. In those situations, the character could, for instance, press a shoulder button to shield and, when the player indicator doesn't show up in the fog, glean that Mysterio still is holding them. In FFAs, Mysterio's energy ball can strike other characters, if his victim dodges and they're in the line of fire. B-Throw is an unorthodox way to send out a large projectile of this nature but can be potent in terms of causing chaos, especially if Mysterio punches his initial victim into the thick of a preoccupied crowd.

DOWN THROW - REALITY WARP
Mysterio clenches his fist around his victim's throat, dealing 5% and dropping them to the ground in a manner reminiscent of Flame Choke. Only, rather than landing in prone, his opponent appears to disappear through the ground, as it shatters into shards beneath them in a slightly slowed-down visual effect. If Mysterio enters the portal with his foe inside, the stage blacks out for a second, before clearing to reveal...

OH JEEZ, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT

Heh. In any case, a short period of time after the victim disappears, a green mist portal appears above Mysterio's head and spits the foe at the ground at high speed. This deals a further 5% and deposits the victim into prone if they fail to time a tech. By default, the portal appears 45 frames after the foe disappears into the ground, though in a manner comparable to the Warp Star item, the player can throw off their tech timing by holding the control stick up or down to add or subtract 25 frames from this window. Mysterio's first active frame comes right as the portal appears, whenever it does, giving him a moment to either prepare for a jab lock combo or attempt a successful tech chase.

Such chases are especially fun when illusions come into play. The player can choose between sending the duplicate one way, perhaps with Up Special's warping hitbox, while Mysterio hangs back, and sending both Mysterio and his illusion in the same direction, chancing double the commitment for double the potential reward. Speaking of illusions, if one vanishes in the period between the foe disappearing and being shot out of the portal, they'll simply fall in tumble from where the portal would have appeared — an effect Mysterio also can trigger by ending the illusion early, though it's not a free hit, as the foe can air dodge midway through their fall. While on the subject of tech chases, Mysterio's Side Special mist can be both a blessing or a curse. In most circumstances, the fog covers the portal, giving foes no real indicator as to the necessary tech timing nor whether they've succeeded (unless they land it and roll out). Even so, Mysterio has no visual cue of his own which way his victim has landed, leaving him to assume strictly based on precedent or how he's conditioned his opponent, though thankfully, his player's continuing controller vibrations within the gas will let him know if he's succeeded in any follow-up attacks.

Used through a 1.5-second grab illusion, D-Throw either will last long enough for the portal to spit the duplicate foe into prone (if programmed at its default or expedited duration) or for the portal to appear but not spit anything out (if programmed at the prolonged duration). Though a keen-eyed opponent who has the tech timing down will recognize the fakery upon their character falling flat to the ground, the illusory D-Throw still can keep a victim waiting to press a single shoulder-button input, which conveniently enough will manifest as a punishable air dodge if invisible Mysterio has used a different throw in the interim. Different fun tricks involve "stacking" D-Throws between the grab illusion and real Mysterios. He can have his invisible victim quickly spit to the ground as his opponent is waiting for the illusion's slower portal to appear, all but guaranteeing they land in prone. Alternatively, he can further mess with his target by preparing a D-Throw of any length so its legitimate portal appears right as a fake, prolonged D-Throw's portal is dissipating. Timed right, a visually seamless transition will occur back to the real Mysterio, and the foe will be left all the more clueless as to when they must make that near-instantaneous reaction to tech.

A few more neat D-Throw applications come into play when mega-Mysterios enter the playing field. Normally, if Mysterio uses D-Throw right at the ledge, his portal will shoot his victim down so they automatically grab the ledge — helpful for skillful players who can hover down to ledge-trump and gimp but not for the purposes of cheap KOs. That being said, if Mysterio has plugged D-Throw into a fishbowl that he goes on to shatter over a blast zone, and that mega-Mysterio succeeds in grabbing a foe, its portal will fire them down with force sufficient to outright KO extremely early, unless they have basically no damage or are a rare combination of heavy and proficient in vertical recovery. Even onstage, mega-Mysterios can get some utility out of D-Throw, as their portal's brute force bounces victims untechably into the air rather than putting them in prone. This won't KO off the screentop until higher damage levels, around 160%, but still packs in enough hitstun to where Mysterio can leap up and pursue the victim with an aerial, in an inversion of his usual comboing into the mega-Mysterio's own hits.

Of course, Mysterio retains access to those sequences with fishbowls in the context of D-Throw. Throwing a fishbowl is a nasty way Mysterio can engage in those aforementioned tech chases, whether by throwing the projectile in the direction of the foe's anticipated roll or at his feet, depending on the range of the attack logged. With truly masterful timing, Mysterio even can throw a fishbowl up, grab a foe right beneath and time D-Throw so that the fishbowl lands and shatters right as his foe is being spat downward. If he's succeeded, the mega-Mysterio will erupt out to hit the victim during the brief window they're in the air leaving the portal, before they can even react upon approaching the ground.

UP THROW - SUPERHERO LANDING
Mysterio hoists his victim in one hand as he rapidly jets six training stage squares upward in a column of green smoke. He pauses a split second upon reaching his ascent's apex before plummeting back downward, planting his fist into his foe's chest or chest equivalent as he punches it into the ground, one knee raised with the other bent behind him. Whoo, superhero landing! Really hard on the knees, totally impractical...In any case, Mysterio's over-the-top punch deals 12% and vertical knockback capable of KOing from the top Battlefield platform — which his ascent takes him high enough to reach — around 140%. In a manner comparable to Charizard's U-Throw, Mysterio ends the animation in midair, a hair above the ground, a position from which he can either jump or hover after his victim or fastfall to land in short order.

This is perhaps Mysterio's simplest throw used in the context of a grab illusion, though its uses still are nothing to sneeze at. His duplicate's startup animation provides for a window where the opponent likely will hold their control stick in a set direction, preparing to DI, though this will end when the fake victim vanishes upon their first actionable frame in midair. Within that window is, of course, when the real Mysterio can look to capitalize on a different throw — say, F-Throw, which timed right, can result in his invisible victim running blindly inward at him.

The more versatile U-Throw uses, however, come at the hands of regular illusions. Mysterio can create 50/50 situations both in terms of whether or not his duplicate hovers up after its victim and whether his invisible self does the same. With perfect preparation, Mysterio can cover both sides of this coin, keeping one entity stationary on the ground to take aim at the foe with a ranged attack while the other pursues with an aerial. This can fall apart against a sufficiently slippery target, however, or if Mysterio is too hasty in attacking, prompting the illusion to vanish prematurely. Canceling an illusion mid-U-Throw on command can, however, drop a foe into tumble at varying points in the duplicate's ascent, potentially depositing them into prone on a high platform.

U-Throw is a great candidate for taking advantage of another illusion property — their heightened damage and knockback staling multipliers. Outside of low damage levels, U-Throw sends victims up far enough that, while Mysterio still can chase them down, they can react a few frames beforehand, often requiring a read on his end for a combo to ensue. Not so with a sufficiently staled U-Throw; now, an illusion can U-Throw a victim onto a high platform where the real Mysterio lies in waiting. Though the duplicate's first actionable frame isn't quick enough for a direct follow-up, Mysterio himself can true combo into Up Special, U-Tilt, U-Air or U-Smash, the latter of which he can even charge in anticipation of his illusion's landing for added oomph.

One more combo of note — Mysterio or his illusion can U-Throw a foe into a midair fishbowl it has thrown vertically (based on the duplicates' mechanics, they also can U-Throw into real Mysterio's fishbowls but not vice versa). The throw's timing and the force with which the fishbowl was tossed determines whether it shatters on contact with the victim, releasing the mega-Mysterio for a possible follow-up hit, or they take its light toss damage before U-Throw proceeds as normal, with the giant likely erupting out immediately after they're launched. This, of course, can be a frightening proposition on a top platform, as can the mega-Mysterio itself landing U-Throw on one for a far earlier KO. From fishbowls shattered offstage, mega-Mysterios will not plummet all the way to the bottom blast zone with U-Throw, but will drop as far as an equal and opposite six training stage squares before roughly hurling their victim at a slightly-modified, yet still powerful diagonal trajectory.

STANDARDS​

JAB - LEAVES OF GLASS

Mysterio points forward at the ground for a Mario-sized triangular shard of glass to appear in the air and plummet 2.5 training stage squares down to the stage with a sleek slashing sound. There, the shard embeds deeply into the ground, leaving just its flat glossy top poking out in front of him. Foes skewered as the glass falls take 3%, plus 7% in extra shield damage, with below-average set diagonal knockback if they were standing upon getting hit or a below-average spike if they were airborne, possibly landing them in prone or setting up a tech chase situation.

The shard appears with its hitbox active on frame 4 and reaches the ground on frame 7, a fast pace that renders it fast enough to fall onto characters somewhere in the interim, depending on their height; the glass even can spawn on top of giant characters to automatically hit them. The shard passes through foes and constructs on hit to reach the ground, as a non-projectile disjointed hitbox that can be clanked with or destroyed with attacks dealing 12% or more damage as it descends. Upon embedding, the shard's top sticks a short, albeit noticeable distance from the ground for the next three seconds before disappearing. In this state, it doesn't damage foes or impede their movement, though it's far from off the playing field just yet.

Mysterio can end jab after summoning a single shard of glass, enduring 28 cooldown frames before he regains control. Within the first half of this window, the player can repeat the input twice more for Mysterio to spawn two more shards with the same damage, properties and frame data as the first. These shards are staggered to land a miniscule distance from where the previous one fell, with the third and furthest landing four training stage squares away from Mysterio. Subsequent shards appear two frames after the prior one landed; in other words, if the player presses A three times uninterrupted, glass will appear on frames four, 10 and 16.

An unorthodox jab, Mysterio can set up 50/50 situations if he puts a foe in prone with the initial shard — he can follow up with subsequent shards or the upcoming finisher jab hit if they roll away or remain stationary, respectively, though if they choose the opposite option or roll behind him, he can find himself jammed. Against approaching foes, Mysterio's jab also has more defensive equity than your generic punch-punch-kick strings, capable of covering inward rolls or too-short shorthops. However, unlike with such strings, Mysterio must commit harder to bring out multiple shards, leaving a window where prepared foes can leap sufficiently high over the hitboxes and smack him away. Alternatively, those with ranged attacks could poke at him from afar in between his falling shards or, with sufficiently strong aerials, simultaneously destroy an aerial shard and hit him in one fell swoop.

At any point between the back half of Mysterio's jab cooldown and when his embedded glass disappears, the player can press A one more time for any such shards to explode at once in a Kirby-sized blast. Each blast deals 6%, 10% in added shield damage, and knockback capable of KOing around 155%, with multiple blasts capable of hitting the same foe if they land in the middle of a patch of embedded shards. Mysterio claps his hands together to prompt the detonation in a grounded 25-frame animation, with the shards exploding on frame 6. This comes fast enough for him to chain together with his third and final falling shard, especially against foes with low damage or if he's staled jab.

With precise timing, the player also can drop shard one, pause momentarily so the window for shard two expires, and then immediately press A again to blow the glass up in completing the first two hits of a jab lock combo. And Mysterio can get mileage out of the shards as a standard momentary trap. He's punishable during his triggering animation, especially as he must first blow up any embedded shards before dropping more for cover at close range. Even still, embedded shards now can serve as a tool in helping him retreat briefly backward, potentially biding a few moments for Mysterio to program in the crucial illusion he needs to win.

If Mysterio catches a foe from the front as his mini-Mysterios from Up Special start to explode, he can true combo into his first falling glass shard. He'll spike them to the ground, from where he can follow up with additional shards or stop jab and go for a different grounded option, like grab, depending on their reaction. Shards embedded in the path of Mysterio's F-Throw can be detonated as his foe is sliding away, and can help steer foes in tech chase situations from D-Throw, too. If Mysterio uses jab at or near the edge of a platform, he'll automatically stop dropping shards after the first piece of glass that falls over, with shards falling down either to the closest land below or to the bottom blast zone at their regular rapid pace. Though this pace can allow offstage foes to air dodge safely through, and they remain able to shatter the glass with sufficiently strong aerials, they can be fatally spiked if they're caught too low under the stage. Though no legal stages have bottom blast zones low enough for this to apply, Mysterio also technically can trigger the falling shard to explode with his finishing jab hit.

More practically, with shards placed at the ledge, Mysterio can cover get-up options or instill regret in foes who hang from ledge too long. He also simply can cover more territory with his explosions after placing a shard both on a drop-through platform and the main stage. Glass shards embedded by the real Mysterio stay visible even after he's disappeared from summoning an illusion. The threat of their explosions can help him confine a foe's movement to be hit more easily by the illusion, or else combo out of the illusion's attacks — especially those keeping a foe low to or against the ground. A more conservative Mysterio might also choose to simply stand atop the embedded shard traps while his illusion works its magic, detonating them if his foe gets too close, though this still leaves the upper portion of his hurtbox exposed.

Illusions can assist in hiding regular Mysterio's shards with Side Special smog or pressure a foe across the stage with jab themselves, potentially to soften up their shield for their master to finish off. The repeat A inputs necessary to summon shards provide for relatively safe cover when illusions get launched, prompting them to use N-Air as they land before continuing jab. Situationally, however, duplicates can give up the gig via jab, if their additional shards supplement Mysterio's embedded ones rather than blowing them up as his jab inputs normally would do. Unless slanted, mist tunnels just barely cover the shards' spawn point, as the glass drops foes who skim the surface down into its midst. Beyond the confusion that can ensue as to whether Mysterio is dropping multiple shards or preparing to blow one up, he can sit at varying distances from the edge of a mist patch before using jab, leaving foes unsure how many shards could still be left to drop and how far the explosion trap extends inside.

With jab programmed into a fishbowl, the mega-Mysterio only will drop a single glass shard, albeit one sized comparably to a giant Mario, which proceeds to explode a set second after embedding. The shard's damage and knockback here isn't quite as powerful as one might expect given the hitbox's size, given those properties have been scaled up from a jab rather than a stronger input. Even still, the falling shard and its ensuing blast cover quite an impressive area, especially if Mysterio has prolonged its duration by shattering the initial fishbowl in midair. Careless foes, like a Snake habitually using Up Special off the screentop to rain down projectiles, even can find themselves KOed instantly if they're at the top blast zone right as the giant's glass spawns overtop them. Offstage, the enlarged shard's aerial spiking hitbox now can finish off a foe at relatively early percentages, and precise timing is now needed to dodge the giant shard, compared to its smaller regular counterpart — timing Mysterio can seek to throw off by staggering when he throws or breaks his fishbowl.

DASH ATTACK - HEROIC SACRIFICE

Mysterio halts briefly in place and pulls back a clenched fist, pulsing with green energy. Immediately afterward, he thrusts his fist forward as he darts five training stage squares horizontally. The animation comes with two hitboxes — an initial, close-ranged one around his fist, dealing 5% and pushing foes lightly forward, and a more robust one around Mysterio's body as he charges, dealing 10% and diagonal knockback KOing around 115%. His fist takes on its hitbox on frame 7, with his charge following 10 frames later, itself lasting 18 frames.

The two hits chain into each other up until mid- to high percentages, after which the target, depending on their weight, is able to air dodge and escape hit number two. Mysterio takes on trample priority during his charge, able to blast through enemy attacks that otherwise would clank and cross up shields with some degree of reckless abandon. Too much, however, and he'll find himself in a sticky wicket, as he suffers a dangerous 38 frames of end lag rising back into his polished idle stance. Mysterio will not dart off platforms with dash attack, though its charge hitbox retains the same number of active frames when initiated right at a ledge, lending to a serviceable, albeit risky two-frame application.

Dash attack is one such attack that can pay off in big ways, even as the only action plugged in for an illusion to perform. In a vacuum, the duplicate's charge serves as a disjointed burst option that foes can't easily interrupt midway through to expose the hoax. If Mysterio himself has crossed up a shield with a dash attack, he can immediately turn around and initiate such an illusion for the duplicate to do a cross-up in the other direction, effectively surrounding that opponent. This is up there among Mysterio's best setups for a shieldbreak, as he now is positioned to inflict one, potentially two more hits on that shield, depending on whether his illusion has another attack baked in.

Depending on spacing, he's also able to follow behind his duplicate as it performs dash attack, following up with one of his own to bully a foe across the stage. And once the foe is at a damage level where they can escape the charge hit, Mysterio can initiate dash attack right as his duplicate is about to charge. Timed right, his opponent will get hit by the illusion's fist and instinctively air dodge, only for the duplicate to vanish as they fall right into a collision course with Mysterio himself. These uses are well and good, though it is worth Mysterio consciously thinking over how frequently he wants an illusion using it. Though staling dash attack can raise the threshold at which its two hits stop chaining together, this can come at the price of removing one of Mysterio's remotely serviceable regular KO options. The player also ought to take care in choosing whether to input an instant dash attack (simultaneous control and C-Stick presses) or a moving one (control stick to dash and then A), as this will determine whether the illusion performs F-Air or drifts before completing N-Air when summoned in midair.

Dash attack can be a premier KO option for mega-Mysterios as well, to the point where it can often become the input Mysterio wants to bait his foe into thinking he's logging in his fishbowl, even if he's going for something different. The giants travel seven training stage squares vs. Mysterio's five, with their charging hitbox reaching up just high enough to nick foes standing on low Battlefield platforms — essentially a weaker, yet still terrifying Ganondorf Final Smash. Despite this coverage, however, the mega-Mysterio's fist hitbox unfortunately doesn't link into its charge, sometimes popping foes with higher damage levels out of its crushing path unless Mysterio himself intervenes. And in a rare difference from the real thing's dash attack, the damage and knockback of the mega-Mysterio's charge hitbox decreases by about 0.4x midway through its 18 frames. This doesn't diminish the move's KO utility in a giant's hands all that much, though for best results, Mysterio ought to space his fishbowl toss such that his foe is walloped early into his summons' charge, rather than nicked at the tail end.

In approaching a foe, Mysterio can turn and throw a fishbowl at his feet or behind him so the giant rushes forward to provide cover. Depending on his and his target's positioning, he can try grabbing them before the mega-Mysterio charges to ensure they're struck, and in any case move in to punish their dodge or further assail his victim's shield. Consecutive hits from a smash-thrown fishbowl and a giant's dash attack will reduce a shield to basically nothing, if not outright shatter it, to say nothing of superb illusion-fishbowl timing allowing a real, then an illusory mega-Mysterio to bombard a hapless foe. As is, even just one mega-Mysterio rushing offstage — and yes, unlike their master, giants laugh at ledges — can spell the end for an opponent, whether it's punishing an ill-timed air dodge or is the cause of such a dodge to which Mysterio proper can respond.

FORWARD TILT - EYE IN THE SKY
Mysterio reaches a hand out to emit a triangular Eye of Providence hieroglyphic in front of him, spinning it briefly outward a short distance and then back in. The vertical triangle carries a slightly larger hitbox than K. Rool's crown, with frame data and range comparable to Palutena's F-Tilt. The symbol deals an initial hit of 6% between frames 13 and 22 as it's sent out, knocking foes away with force that scales to KO at the ledge around 120%. The second hit emerges between frames 23 and 34 as the triangle returns, not comboing from the first and dealing a weaker 5%. Within this window, foes hit by the triangle are popped weakly inward at Mysterio, in prime position for him to follow up with an aerial. In this form, F-Tilt serves as a passable poking tool for Mysterio, reaching out two training stage squares and capable of comboing out of fast-falled aerials, With 24 frames of cooldown, however, it can be a dicey proposition at close range against a superior melee combatant.

If the player holds down rather than taps the input, Mysterio can send out his hieroglyphic to reach incrementally further. Depending on the input holding time, he'll send the triangle three training stage squares, and then a maximum four squares away. Functionally, these extended F-Tilt variants prolong the symbol's initial hitbox, which becomes active on the same frame 13 but now lasts 6 extra frames per increment — or 12 frames of extra activity at the furthest increment. Though Mysterio undergoes five additional end lag frames per increment, these all are added on the back end, after the hieroglyphic returns to him. The symbol itself still returns over the same nine-frame window, regardless of how far out it was sent, having the appearance of snapping back at extended distances.

Sent further out, the triangle essentially serves as a disjointed mid-range boomerang without actually being a projectile, capable of passing through enemies and their shields on hit to boot. Camping with F-Tilt is a nonstarter, as foes will adapt by leaping over the symbol to hit Mysterio while he's awaiting its return (it disappears if they're successful). Nevertheless, it's great for keeping foes on their toes: against those hit at point-blank range for mid-length hieroglyphics, and close range for max-range ones, the symbol's two hits now can combo together if the foe doesn't immediately jump away or shield. And when they're shielding, the hieroglyphic's variable distances can leave them uncertain as to whether Mysterio intends to poke at or cross them up, punishing them with its respective first or second hitboxes if they misread and drop their defenses too soon. One satisfying string involves pushing a foe away with falling shards from jab and escorting them back inward with the returning triangle before detonating the glass as they pass by.

Plugged into an illusion, F-Tilt can become a great way to not-so-gently beckon foes inward at Mysterio. If a duplicate successfully launches a foe with either of the triangle's hits, Mysterio himself can try scooping them up again with an extended F-Tilt's return hit, potentially dragging them away from their beloved setup and into his Side Special mist, where a lack of the triangle's sparkly magic audio cues leaves opponents unaware which F-Tilt length Mysterio has selected. Mixing and matching lengths helps with this enemy positioning, especially when regular Mysterio is first to send out his triangle; if the illusion sends theirs further underneath the foe while they're airborne, the return hit tees them up perfectly for a third hit from their invisible master. Unless Mysterio actively is looking to use F-Tilt as a KO option against a high-recovering foe, the staling from repeated illusion uses oughtn't bother him too much, and may in fact be preferable, as foes knocked inward at lower trajectories become susceptible to a wider range of follow-up options.

In the hands of a mega-Mysterio, F-Tilt hieroglyphics travel out proportionally as far as Mysterio's did in the attack he ultimately plugged into his fishbowl. Sized up, the triangle serves as an oppressive analogue to the Isaac assist trophy's giant hand spell. The symbol doesn't continually push back foes but rather has a large area of influence in inflicting knockback powerful enough to KO at reasonable damage levels from the main stage, rather than just at the ledge. Alternating between F-Tilt lengths used becomes all the more scary with the giant summons involved, as an air dodge that might clear the move's enlarged vanilla variant could leave its user smack dab in the middle of its more ranged return path. An exceedingly stylish KO technique comes from carefully shattering a fishbowl below the ledge as a foe is recovering, timed so they're stage-spiked by the mega-Mysterio's F-Tilt. There's obviously a steep difficulty curve involved, though as a silver lining, the initial knockback on the giant's triangle is strong enough to become untechable once most foes are past moderately high damage levels. Give it a shot if you're really itching to wow your spectating crowd!

DOWN TILT - FLASH KICK
No, Mysterio is not aping Guile's attack, nor is he delivering a kick to Peter Parker's bullying classmate (I wouldn't want to deliver a kick to Peter Parker's bullying classmate neither — wait, wrong cinematic universe). Rather, Mysterio extends both feet horizontally low to the ground while leaning back, pointing both hands backward and using green magic as thrusters to boost himself three training stage squares along the ground. Foes caught at any point during his 16-frame thrust take 5% and are pushed a short distance forward, not taking real knockback to speak of. Mysterio has a decently quick startup here, at frame 7, and a follow-up attack to boot, coming up in just a sec. Even so, spacing is critical to success with this move. Mysterio won't travel over ledges with his boosted kick and will cross up enemy shields if he starts it at close range. On the flipside, he'll stop short if he's starting to lose momentum in the move's back half — a ripe target to be shield-grabbed out of his 19 cooldown frames, especially given his boost doesn't lower his profile all that much.

Onto the follow-up attack: if the player buffers an additional A input during the active frames of Mysterio's boosted kick, or hits the button again during the first 10 of his cooldown frames, a green smoke cloud will appear around his feet six frames later. This has just five active frames, after which Mysterio undergoes 30 frames of punishable end lag if his cloud does not connect either with a foe or shield. If it does, however, Mysterio will kick forcefully off of the target, performing a backflip as he quickly propels himself 3.5 training stage squares diagonally into the air. He travels backward at a steep 65-degree angle, as his foe takes 7% and a split-second of stun, comparable to ZSS' paralyzer charged three-quarters to capacity. This positioning gives Mysterio a brief frame advantage, during which he's free to swoop in with a fast-falled N-Air or F-Air, land to attempt a grounded option or some hybrid making use of Up Special's mini-Mysterios. He also can, of course, buffer an illusion right as he leaps backward, prompting the duplicate to feint whatever follow-up as he slinks elsewhere.

D-Tilt's follow-up hit heaps more risk and reward on top of the vanilla version — a practiced foe could double spot-dodge or roll after shielding to dodge Mysterio's cloud and stick him in punishable end lag. Used as a sneaky burst option, however, perhaps following invisibly behind an illusion, Mysterio's boosted kick can catch foes unawares, chaining into his backward leap against all but the fastest out-of-shield options. The second A input needed to trigger D-Tilt's phase two generally is helpful when programmed into an illusion as, even if the duplicate is interrupted prematurely, that input likely will manifest in a safe aerial as they're knocked back. With the right positioning, Mysterio is able to boost-kick into falling fishbowls. His initial kick's light damage won't shatter unscathed fishbowls but rather bumps them forward to micro-position where their mega-Mysterios spawn. On the other hand, propelling off of a fishbowl will break it early, unleashing its mega-Mysterio and positioning its master to hover over to continue applying pressure.

Speaking of the behemoths, mega-Mysterios will use a variant on D-Tilt's two hits, regardless of whether Mysterio himself uses both in setting up their fishbowls. The giant first will slide a proportionally longer distance with its boosted kick before the second hit's cloud bursts around its feet. As compared to its dash attack, a mega-Mysterio will not travel offstage with D-Tilt but will complete the animation at the ledge, with just long enough of a duration to cover ledge-hang invincibility if it appears right as a foe grabs hold. The cloud's hitbox is below-average when compared to most other mega-Mysterio moves but chains automatically from the kick and, rather than inflicting stun, deals strong diagonal knockback KOing around 80%.

Plugged into a fishbowl, D-Tilt can in some ways serve as an alternative to dash attack, with its own comparative pros and cons Mysterio can weigh depending on his current situation. Dash attack coming from a mega-Mysterio is more powerful when its initial charge hitbox connects and can cover more ground with its ability to travel offstage; that being said, the giant's rush comes with fewer active frames, a more telegraphed startup and a lack of connectivity between its fist and charge hits. Meanwhile, a mega-Mysterio's D-Tilt won't reach as far but gives foes less time to react, scooping them up with both linking hits if successfully landed. A giant D-Tilt initiated at the ledge, in particular, can serve as an unorthodox two-frame option and cover most lower get-ups, with potentially fatal results if a foe is too hasty at too high of a percentage.

UP TILT - LIGHTING THEM UP
Mysterio lifts a hand to the sky and sweeps it in an arc above his head, shooting green flares out of his palm in the process. Though Mysterio's hand sweep is a relatively quick animation, foes take a moment of stun upon each of the flares' four hits, giving it the appearance of a longer duration. The first hitbox comes out between frame 6-7, with the three remaining consecutive hitboxes coming out spaced between frames 12 and 25. The first three deal 2% and chain into the next three, while the last deals 3% and pops foes lightly upward, enough to KO upward of 220% but not at reasonable percentages. With 19 end lag frames, Mysterio can use U-Tilt to harass foes above him on platforms, especially if they're holding shield or have low damage, or combo into U-Air once they're at higher percentages. At mid-percentages, however, faster foes have a brief frame advantage in retaliating with an aerial as they fall back down.

This is, of course, if Mysterio chooses not to deploy his follow-up input, to which his player is clued in by the presence of a thin trail of smoke his flares leave behind. If the player buffers an additional A input or presses the button during their first 10 cooldown frames, Mysterio will yank his hand back downward, as though fist-pumping, prompting the smoke arc to detonate above him in a green arc. Foes in contact take a stronger 12% and knockback KOing around 110%. The blast's hitbox doesn't extend too far vertically, about as far as Mario's U-Tilt fist, albeit with coverage extending to both sides of Mysterio's dome. In essence, this second hit can convert his regular U-Tilt into 50/50 scenarios at those pesky middling percentages — the blast will catch mindlessly aggressive foes who try landing on Mysterio, but with a longer 36-frame cooldown, those who time an air dodge or jump away can net a greater punishment against him.

With the right positioning, illusions can turn U-Tilt into quite the efficient tool for extending juggling scenarios. If U-Tilt ends up putting a foe in prone on a platform, Mysterio can have an illusion dart forward a short distance to cover get-up options, guaranteeing at least one follow-up hit. Similar programming also allows the illusion to dart forward and catch landings after Mysterio proper has hit with U-Tilt. This, in turn, opens the door for him to invisibly run through his duplicate for a third and final U-Tilt (perhaps with the blast for a finishing hit), or alternatively remain in place to try spacing a more ranged option. Repeated uses will, of course, stale U-Tilt, a blessing if Mysterio is looking to increase the window during which he can safely string together the moves against a foe and a curse if he's looking to KO with the flare blast.

If Mysterio's opponent continually buffers air dodges to escape between U-Tilt's first and second hits, he can react by disappearing his illusion mid-move with his own attack that simultaneously will punish such a kneejerk defensive reaction. This bait-and-switch remains relevant when it's a mega-Mysterio pulling off U-Tilt. The giants will use one or both hits of U-Tilt, depending on whether Mysterio did before locking in his fishbowl move. The scary KO potential of a mega-Mysterio's U-Tilt hit two means programming in just the first hit, or else disappearing an illusory giant early, is a recipe for pressuring a foe into a more punishable air dodge, especially given those in a position to be hit likely will be higher in the air in the first place. Independently, in the same vein as Up Special, U-Tilt offers decent hitbox coverage and duration for mega-Mysterios, creating momentary leeway for its master to react to whatever evasive course of action his opponent takes.

SMASHES​

FORWARD SMASH - FIRING HIS LASERS
As a mechanical precursor to this section, Mysterio cannot summon illusions in the middle of charging Smash attacks, with these qualifying as part of the moves' animations. As mentioned previously, though, he can charge Smashes while invisible and as his duplicates move around the stage, reappearing as his attacks' first active hitbox frame comes into being. Sending out an illusion right after a Smash attack can lull foes into a false sense of security, paving the way for invisible Mysterio to charge a second Smash, especially if the transition is obscured by green fog, though savvy foes picking up on excessive repeat Smashes can be a fatal proposition. More situationally, duplicates disappearing right as they begin charging a Smash can scare reactive foes into shielding or dodging. This outcome sometimes will helpfully take place if a foe scoops an illusion out of the skies, resulting in the inputs plugged in as intended aerials — say, a hard-pressed F-Air or B-Air — manifesting in context on the ground as a charged Smash.

Anyhow, for F-Smash specifically, Mysterio plants both feet, reaching both hands forward to fire two overlapping green lasers out of triangular symbols. Unobstructed, the lasers stretch out five training stage squares, as long and thick as Simon's F-Smash whip, coming out on frame 22 and lasting 18 frames in total. If a character or shield stands in the way as Mysterio's lasers emerge, the beam won't stretch its full length but rather will concentrate its hitboxes on the obstruction. Fully fired, Mysterio's lasers deal two rapid hits of 1% per square that push foes steadily backward toward a spherical end point burst the size of Olimar's helmet. Opponents who land and remain in the multi-hits upon the Smash ending take below-average set diagonal knockback, while those pushed into the burst take a single strong hit of 15-21% and knockback KOing from 120-85%. Those caught during the lasers' emergence, meanwhile, take a number of rapid multi-hits equivalent to those that would have existed along the length of beam blocked — for example, a foe caught at point-blank range would take ten 1% hits — before the finishing burst hitbox.

In execution, the hitboxes for Mysterio's "interrupted" F-Smash function similarly to those from Zelda's F-Smash, inflicting shieldstun by virtue of its multiple hits. By comparison, Mysterio can catch foes from a further distance away, up to four training stage squares, with foes taking above-average shield-push if they block the burst hitbox alone. He does, however, have a more punishing 40-frame cooldown to contend with, meaning foes who parry the lasers at close range won't just feel the rush that ensues when you parry a multi-hit attack; they'll also get a prime window to send Mysterio packing to the blast zone. With the lasers fired to their maximum range, characters will slide about half the laser's length (2.5 training stage squares) regardless of where they were caught. In other words, Mysterio can reap the reward of the strong burst hit if he spaces F-Smash so an enemy lands within the lasers' back half — a helpful punish for scenarios where a foe has air dodged away from him in a 50/50 scenario. He does, however, risk opponents having a clear shot at him if they get too close for comfort, as lower-damage foes tend to have a faster first actionable frame even after experiencing set knockback from the lasers' closer half.

Unique to Mysterio's F-Smash, players can angle the lasers not just before releasing the move's charge — up to a 20-degree diagonal angle into the air or downward — but throughout its duration as well. The lasers' angle can't be adjusted too severely (up to 15 degrees if the control stick is held the entire time) and their direction can't be reversed mid-move. Even so, rather than simply baiting a foe to fall onto full-length lasers shot out horizontally, Mysterio can to some degree chase foes with the beam, perhaps upward to pressure those attempting to jump over or downward from a platform to move the burst hitbox closer, to the detriment of those who try running underneath to poke. Then, if they're caught in the pushing multi-hits, Mysterio can direct the lasers to exert some control on his target's knockback trajectory if they impact the burst. Right at the ledge, Mysterio can angle F-Smash downward to gimp foes in a manner reminiscent of Min Min, though if they read the option, most of the cast can make him regret this if they time a high recovery.

Mysterio can really harness F-Smash to drill away at opponents with help from his illusions. If a duplicate catches a foe in an "interrupted" F-Smash, Mysterio either can run back to space the burst hitbox or move inward to try catching his target's landing (which his illusion can aim to steer an enemy into doing with a follow-up aerial). This proves beneficial in scenarios where the illusion mis-spaces F-Smash and catches a victim in the lasers' closer half, as Mysterio's own F-Smash then can snag them as it prompts the duplicate to vanish. With an angled F-Smash, an illusion also can guide a foe upward in its multiple hits, leaving Mysterio's own F-Smash to direct them further if he hops onto a platform (and he's still free to use other follow-ups, of course).

Of note, properly angled F-Smashes are a great option for shattering thrown fishbowls in midair to dictate the spawn point for mega-Mysterios. The glass projectiles will shatter outright if caught at the burst, while they're pushed along at the same pace as characters upon touching the lasers; if they enter the beam at its closer half, fishbowls will take a non-shattering 5% from the multi-hits, pausing briefly in midair before resuming their descent. Naturally, enlarged F-Smash lasers shot off by a mega-Mysterio are quite the potent KO threat.

The move is "nerfed" from its vanilla form in that, even though the lasers' range is scaled up, their multi-hits still push foes at the regular rate of 2.5 training stage squares per second — spacing isn't rendered irrelevant just because it's a mega-Mysterio involved. Even so, the giants' beam is fully capable of shattering shields at point-blank range and encompasses quite a scary coverage area, especially if it was an angled F-Smash plugged in. What's more, the regular lasers multi-hits' set knockback is upgraded to above-average for mega-Mysterios, giving them KO utility, especially if their fishbowl was shattered in midair, relatively close to the top or side blast zones.

DOWN SMASH - ENTER THE FIST

Mysterio lowers a hand, palm facing up, and appears to strain, as though preparing to conjure something from the earth. While charging, the player either can release the input for Mysterio to plant the ensuing Smash as a stage trap, the default option, or press A for him to manifest it as a direct attack. Both animations have Mysterio clench his hand together as it glows with green energy, over 28 and 68 frames for the respective trap and attack options. Mysterio's trap is signaled by a 1.5-training stage square cracked segment of ground, with green light shimmering through the fissures, and becomes active 20 frames after its creation.

Foes who set foot overtop are met by a large metal Mysterio fist, which erupts upward to deal 16-22% and vertical knockback KOing from 130-95%. The stage also briefly shatters around the fist's base as it emerges, dealing four weak stunning hits of 1% to foes who barely nick the cracked segment's edge in triggering the trap. The fist reaches up one Incineroar, its hitbox appearing between frames 7-11, after which it lingers briefly as a non-tangible object before vanishing. Only one such trap can be present at a time, lasting as long as Isabelle's rockets. Similar to the corporate mascot dog's Down Special, Mysterio's trap can be safely triggered with a disjointed attack or shield, albeit at the cost of more shield damage and stun unless the fist or shattering stage is outright parried. Mysterio and his duplicates thankfully will not trigger the others' traps in passing through; fake foes thrown onto the cracked stage segment will appear to set off the trap, keeping the deception persuasive, though it reappears after the grab illusion vanishes.

When input as a direct attack, Mysterio's fist erupts on frame 18, otherwise retaining the same properties as its trap form. His 46-frame cooldown renders D-Smash a mediocre at best option for fending off foes at melee range, already a bit of a tall order for Mysterio, though he still on occasion can catch landings or combo from returning F-Tilt at lower damage levels. D-Smash also gives Mysterio an alternate mechanism for shattering jab's embedded glass shards. Rather than blowing these up with jab itself, Mysterio can prompt his fist to do so in bursting out. Foes take the shard blast's bonus damage before the fist's knockback kicks in, upping its launching power or shield damage a smidge. This same effect can be passively achieved if D-Smash is triggered as a trap overtop embedded shards, though given the glass vanishes after three seconds, Mysterio tends to be best off taking the more proactive, direct approach.

That this direct option isn't D-Smash's default might strike some as odd, but the input scheme gives Mysterio an easier time both programming illusions to set traps of their own and planting fists himself while invisible. As with their other constructs, duplicates' D-Smash traps disappear when they do, but still can be briefly tacked onto Mysterio's own fractured segment of stage. These thankfully remain visible even after he vanishes, giving Mysterio a clearer target toward which his duplicate can be programmed to pressure a foe. F-Throw in particular offers a perfect lead-in to a D-Smash trap, whether used to slide a victim overtop or spaced so they must shield the fist right at the end of their path, letting Mysterio grab again or attempt a shield-break.

Mysterio himself isn't unveiled upon planting a fist while invisible, as its hitbox detection doesn't itself count as an active attack hitbox. The trap reappears when Mysterio himself does but nevertheless can weigh on his opponent's nerves, perhaps coaxing them into the air where their defenses are more limited. Just take care not to give away your own illusion by planting one D-Smash trap while visible and then prompting it to disappear by using the move again while in stealth mode. At least, that is, if you haven't concealed the first trap with Side Special smog — a handy tactic in general for obscuring the cracked stage area.

Either version of D-Smash can be programmed into a fishbowl, though both only prompt a mega-sized fist to appear, rather than a full-on mega-Mysterio. Input as a direct attack, the giant fist will simply erupt upon its fishbowl breaking. In this form, it's a beastly KO move with some anti-air utility, especially when Mysterio throws its fishbowl forward to intercept an opponent landing or air-dodging away from him. One fly in the ointment to note, however, the fist's vertically-oriented hitbox can miss if Mysterio either soft-throws the fishbowl so it bounces off his target or their shield, or smash-throws it when they're at high enough percentages for its impact to knock them out of range.

As a trap, the mega fist has a shorter seven-second set timer before it automatically vanishes, upping the ante for Mysterio to push a foe into it sooner rather than later. As a trade-off, the expanded cracked stage area means Mysterio can throw the fishbowl at his feet with a foe at close range to all but ensure they or their shield gets busted by what is in essence a stronger Power Geyser. Unique to Down Special, Mysterio's D-Smash trap also can come into being in midair if its fishbowl is shattered while airborne; here, the trap manifests as a cracked spherical area, two by two training stage squares wide and tall. Foes still can defuse the fist with a disjointed move or an air dodge through, though the trap's newfound size means they must be all the more careful in doing so. Mysterio and his illusions, meanwhile, are all too happy to hover around the cracked air, ready to push a victim at the earliest opportunity.

UP SMASH - INFERNAL RUSE
Mysterio points a finger to the sky, prompting a spire of flame to weave up and around him, though this particular spire happens to only have a singular green color. The flames stretch a hair to either side of Mysterio and about a training stage square above him, coming out on frame 20 with multiple hits lasting through frame 35 to roast foes in their path. The spire's sides deal a set 4% and set vertical knockback that always will launch foes into the top of the flames, where the meat of the hitbox is located. There, the flames deal five three-frame hits, each of which holds foes in place to be burned by the remaining ones. The first four hits deal 1.5-2%, with the last dealing 6-9% and vertical knockback KOing from 125-90%.

U-Smash comes with the fewest strings attached out of Mysterio's set of Smashes but still isn't an ideal move to throw out willy-nilly. With their upward-bursting hitbox, Mysterio's flames can be effective in terms of poking through low platforms, deterring attempted landings and punishing foes who choose to land rather than leap away in 50/50 scenarios. That being said, in a manner reminiscent to Mega Man's D-Smash, Mysterio is vulnerable over the 44 end lag frames it takes for his spire of flame to weave back down sans hitbox. This more often than not will incentivize selective, surprising use of U-Smash, perhaps to snag foes attempting to leap free from Side Special mist or over a jab or D-Smash trap.

In the hands of an illusion, however, the fire and flames often will turn into an effective, unorthodox combo starter. It's not often Mysterio will want to actually let an illusion finish U-Smash, given his ability to combo out of the flames' multi-hits. This, he can accomplish with an U-Smash of his own, or a Smash if his foe is caught shielding on a platform, if it's knockback he's seeking. To rack damage, Mysterio either can strike with an aerial or grab to hold foes in all of the flames' hits before throwing. The spire works great as a follow-up to a grab illusion's U-Throw, especially if it's staled to keep the fake foe in range, prolonging the trickery as long as possible. And, as the situational mix-up, Mysterio can have an illusion hit with the fire's launching side hitbox and then immediately vanish before the foe hit the flames' top, popping them into the air. As a general rule, just be sure to mind your spacing, as brighter opponents are likely to catch on as to the shot they've got at invisible Mysterio if he starts habitually lurking right outside his illusion's flames.

Like F-Smash, U-Smash is a helpful tool in terms of interacting with aerial thrown fishbowls. The flames' top can momentarily stall a fishbowl's descent or launch a falling one back up before shattering it to release its mega-Mysterio right above its master in midair. If it's an illusion stalling regular Mysterio's fishbowl, there's also nothing stopping him from disappearing the duplicate before its flames have broken through, letting the fishbowl continue intact the rest of the way to the ground.

Naturally, a mega-Mysterio performing U-Smash is an awesome sight to behold, especially if Mysterio proper has set it off from below with his own U-Smash. The ensuing flames' reach make Palutena's U-Smash look piddling by comparison, and their duration renders leaping up from the ledge a nonstarter for most foes. Under no circumstances will aerial foes want to be anywhere near a giant's U-Smash. That being said, grounded foes can escape relatively scot-free with a well-timed shield. Compared to the mega-Mysterios' other two Smashes, U-Smash won't eat away nearly as much of their shield's health, especially if they're to the giant's side and only must block the flames' initial launching hit.

AERIALS​

NEUTRAL AIR - LIGHT SHIELD

Mysterio turns toward the screen as he generates a swirling sphere of green energy around the lion's share of his torso. It's a relatively fast option, coming out on frame 7 and encompassing four rapid hits through frame 28. The first three hits deal 3% and chain together while the fourth inflicts 4% and outward knockback that can KO at the ledge around 130%. Though Mysterio has 23 end lag frames to deal with, he's able to auto-cancel N-Air during the back half of this cooldown — certainly a valuable feature, given Mysterio's ability to drag aerial foes down with the first three hits as a lead-in to something like jab or grab. He also can chain together two or three consecutive N-Airs hovering after a foe to rack damage. This feat is rendered easier after repeat illusion use has staled the aerial, as often will be the case, as you'll soon see.

During the first half of N-Air's cooldown, or buffered during the move itself, the player also can repeat the input for Mysterio to perform a follow-up, during which he detonates his usual sphere in a bubble-shaped green blast. Coming out between frames 9 and 16, this blast deals a stronger 13% and knockback KOing at the ledge closer to 100%. Though Mysterio's two N-Air variants don't true combo into each other, he still can consecutively connect the two in pursuing a foe, allowing the bubble burst to serve as a combo finisher of sorts. It's not something to throw out willy-nilly, as Mysterio endures a greater 38-frame cooldown period, but the threat of him triggering the explosion can deter foes from immediate retaliation upon popping out of regular N-Air's swirling sphere. He also can get mileage out of mixing up whether he follows up one N-Air with its blast or simply proceeds to a second N-Air, though it's worth noting that, unlike some N-Air-centric Ultimate character I could name, Mysterio's input scheme for determining this deters button-mashing.

N-Air simultaneously is a helpful option Mysterio can program into an illusion and one that they likely will perform at least a handful of times regardless, in situations where the duplicate's planned grounded inputs manifest as aerials. A relatively basic input scheme for an illusion involves quick, repeat shorthop N-Airs as, at low damage levels, they'll resume more or less the same obstructive behavior even when knocked back along the ground (though their shorthops into the air when launched at higher damage levels can become a giveaway). Among its uses, the duplicate's sphere hitbox (especially staled) can drag foes down into Mysterio's traps or hold them in place for him to fall down with Up Special's mini-Mysterios from above. And N-Air's bubble blast follow-up can help illusions push away foes who might otherwise uncover the ruse; the multiple aerial presses of A required for this won't necessarily give up the game even if the duplicate is forced to land early, upon which they'll manifest as relatively safe jab shards.

As a preface to the first mega-Mysterio aerial, it's worth noting the giants simply will perform aerials in place upon spawning, without the need to jump first, hovering right above the ground if that's where their fishbowls were shattered. With N-Air in particular, mega-Mysterios can perform both parts of the attack or just the swirling sphere, depending on what Mysterio does beforehand — adding a layer of risk and reward to him throwing out the burst hitbox. He certainly can capitalize on foes' fear as to how much of N-Air a giant will perform, perhaps by initiating N-Air and then drifting down into Side Special smog to conceal whether he proceeded to the bubble blast. This tends to be pretty crucial information for opponents, as a poorly-timed air dodge can net them pretty severe knockback from the mega-Mysterio's own blast, the size of which is nothing to sneeze at. Though regular N-Air doesn't rank among the giants' best damage-racking or KO options, their swirling sphere's newfound size coupled with its duration grants it utility as a two-framing tool, popping foes up for Mysterio himself to send packing.

FORWARD AIR - HERO'S ONSLAUGHT
Mysterio sweeps one hand from left to right, slashing green energy in a horizontal blade-shaped arc as he goes, before reversing the gesture right to left. He stabilizes momentarily in midair as he does so, comparable to Snake's D-Air or Cloud's Side Special, ensuring both 6% hits link together, with the second dealing diagonal knockback that can KO at the ledge around 120%. The first hit emerges between frames 10 and 12, with the second following 10 frames later, between frames 23 and 25.

As with N-Air, the player can buffer a follow-up attack during Mysterio's slashes or the first half of his 26 end lag frames, though here, it's in the form of a held input rather than a button press. Upon this, Mysterio rears back and glows slightly, as though charging a Smash, before swooping forward, both hands outstretched, to ram his target. The input can be held up to a second to charge this linear rush from four to nine training stage squares, as well as from Fire Fox's speed to that of Wonder Wing; the rush also can be angled diagonally up or down during this time. Mysterio's front becomes a strong hitbox with trample priority, dealing 15-21% and horizontal knockback KOing from 120-85% — earlier at the ledge, at the potential risk of him flying recklessly offstage.

With no charge, Mysterio's F-Air rush supercedes the final 14 frames of his slashes' cooldown; otherwise, that's when his charging window begins, with him slowly starting to fall afterward. His rush itself has an eight-frame startup and 25 frames of cooldown, whether he finishes in the air or early into the ground. On impact with an opponent or shield, Mysterio recoils slightly over just 10 frames rather than darting through, giving him some leeway to follow up on characters with low damage, though his rush still isn't entirely safe on shield against faster foes. That Mysterio doesn't enter helpless after rushing also lends F-Air some utility as a recovery tool, even able to sweetspot ledges, though he only can do so once in midair before touching the ground.

Mysterio's F-Air slashes and rush compliment each other nicely. Depending on his foe's damage level and the aerial's staling, he either can apply pressure directly with multiple pairs of slashes, or hang back after one, charging his rush to punish foes who hastily buffer their own aerial or air dodge in response. Depending on his opponent's movement, he also could angle his rush not directly at them, but to position himself for a different aerial follow-up. As another helpful feature, landing while charging F-Air cancels Mysterio out of doing so over 12 frames, letting him or an illusion threaten a rush before quickly pivoting to an alternate ground option — landing in Side Special mist while charging, in particular, can leave foes guessing as to whether Mysterio has done this or is about to come flying out at them. F-Air's slashes are helpful in a duplicate's hands in terms of bullying foes around the stage. And though properly angling an illusion's rush can require significant foresight, the movement can allow them to recover if knocked offstage amid their slashes. One more boon — the aerial inputs required for F-Air slashes followed by a rush will manifest as F-Tilt into F-Smash on the ground, a combination that can have a big payoff for illusions if the former's hierogylphic meets its mark.

Mega-Mysterios will perform just F-Air's slashes or the slashes followed by a rush, depending on Mysterio's actions beforehand. Regardless of how much he charged his own rush, however, the giants always will rush a set six training stage squares, scaled up from regular Mysterio's uncharged rush. A rushing mega-Mysterio still can KO quite early under the right circumstances, especially offstage, though at higher damage levels, foes who nick the top of the slashes' hitbox can be popped too high for the following finisher hit to connect. A rare stylish set-up that can resolve this involves programming F-Air's slashes and rush into both Mysterio and his duplicate's fishbowls. The former then can throw his fishbowl, have his illusion run forward a bit and throw its own while the opponent is caught within the first mega-Mysterio's F-Air. With proper spacing, the illusory mega-Mysterio's slashes will catch the victim out of knockback from the first giant's rush, culminating in rather bonkers damage that can in essence put the foe close to KO percentage in one fell swoop.

BACK AIR - BLASTING OFF AGAIN

Mysterio levels his body in midair, pointing both feet behind him as a green tendril of smoke encircles them to form a growing cloud of smoke around his boots. His feet deal two light stunning hits at close-range as the smoke cloud grows behind him, each dealing 1.5% between frames 7-8 and 11-12, followed by a third between frames 15-16, dealing 7% and below-average knockback that KOs at the ledge around 140%. What's more, up until frame 12, the player can repeat the input to use a modified B-Air. When this happens, the third cloud hit now is rendered identical to the first two, and a moment later, on frame 21, the cloud bursts, propelling Mysterio forward two training stage squares. This hitbox extends a short distance beyond his boots, dealing one stronger hit of 10% and knockback KOing around 105% at the ledge.

The presence of this optional second hit gives Mysterio mix-up potential in terms of his own input choices. He can string a few B-Airs together out of shorthop or hovering inward at an opponent while monitoring how safe on hit the move remains based on their damage. At the point his foe will get launched just far enough that they can leap back with a retaliatory aerial, Mysterio can opt to use his cloud burst, threatening their approach with its stronger hitbox while netting some breathing room.

These mix-ups also extend to whether Mysterio fastfalls out of the aerial early. Both B-Air variants have 20 frames of end lag in midair but only 13 upon landing. This opens the door for him or an illusion to fastfall B-Air so its multi-hits drag the foe down to the stage, upon which follow-ups like turnaround Up Special or a pivot grab become possible with the right spacing. Alternatively, Mysterio can combo a foe out of the illusion's multiple B-Air hits; even if he whiffs, the duplicate is likely to drop his opponent vulnerably at his feet as it vanishes.

If Mysterio has his foe on the ropes such that he no longer cares about maintaining a persuasive illusion, he also can have his duplicate fastfall B-Air offstage so all of its hits leave their victim worse for wear in terms of recovering. An illusion can push a foe closer to the blast zone with multiple swirling cloud B-Air variants, while the cloud burst is better equipped for KOing outright. The burst's push can keep Mysterio or an illusion safe upon whiffing that B-Air variant, and even gives them a limited horizontal recovery tool.

Mysterio has one more trick up his sleeve when he chooses to deploy B-Air's strong finishing hit. During the first half of Mysterio's two training stage-square momentum from the cloud burst, the player can smash the F-Air input to skip right to charging that aerial's rush phase! This charge pauses Mysterio's forward movement from B-Air, potentially saving him from bursting headlong into an enemy attack, after which he can punish with F-Air's strong final rush (charged even stronger if he reads a foe's panicked dodge upon realizing what has happened).

B-Air's cloud burst and an angled F-Air rush together give Mysterio a way to perform two consecutive darts for midair positioning, like a clunkier version of a Pikachu Up Special. In cases where just one aerial dart will suffice, Mysterio simply can use a strong B-Air and hover around slightly faster in the cloud burst's immediate aftermath, temporarily riding its momentum. And tapping, rather than smashing F-Air out of strong B-Air lets Mysterio follow up with the former move's initial slashes as usual.

The functions of both B-Air variants in the hands of a mega-Mysterio are relatively self-explanatory, with both the multiple rapid cloud hits and its enlarged boots snaring foes more easily. The giants' burst hitbox won't KO as early as some of its more bombastic alternatives, though that's not to say Mysterio still can't situationally capitalize. Throwing a B-Air-laden fishbowl away from him, for instance, lets Mysterio sandwich foes and potentially scoop them up with the giant's cloud. Depending on the final hit's strength, his opponent then can be launched correspondingly far back inward at him for a follow-up hit, or see their shield whittled down a proportional amount for Mysterio to pile on with his own hits. Given the separate aerials involved, mega-Mysterios cannot segue into F-Air rushes from their own B-Air cloud bursts.

UP AIR - FISHING FOR FISHIES
Mysterio snatches his fishbowl over 10 frames and tosses it three training stage squares into the air as a disjointed hitbox to peg airborne nuisances. The fishbowl reaches its apex over 12 frames, its upper half retaining a hitbox in the process; the glass orb then falls back down to land on Mysterio's neck hole over 10 more frames, the hitbox transitioning to its underside as it descends. During most of the fishbowl's movement, it retains a 7% hitbox, with vertical knockback KOing around 140% as it rises and below-average set downward knockback downward as it falls. However, between frames 12-13 — the moment the fishbowl reaches its maximum height and begins returning to earth — it takes on a stronger electrical sweetspot. This deals 16% and either vertical knockback KOing around 90% or a strong spike that can KO off the screentop from a stage bounce around 145%. If Mysterio was knocked out of U-Air or for whatever reason was put in a position where he couldn't catch his fishbowl, the orb vanishes at the spot where it otherwise would have rejoined its master's body, as a new one reappears there in its place.

U-Air is a rather multi-functional tool for Mysterio, able to combo out of options like U-Tilt or U-Throw as well as scare foes coming in for a landing. With a relatively low 10 frames of end and landing lag, Mysterio can poke through platforms and steer foes toward the ground with the threat of juggling and, if his spacing is on point, the fishbowl's sweetspot. You might also have noticed that Mysterio's frame data in removing and throwing his fishbowl with U-Air is identical to that from Down Special — this is no accident, as his animation for removing his glass dome begins identically as well. His throw itself looks marginally different, as he uses one arm for U-Air vs. two for Down Special, though that's small comfort to the opponents who might already have input a kneejerk air dodge by that point.

Like N-Air, U-Air is a relatively safe option for an illusion to perform repeatedly out of a shorthop. As a surprise option against a foe approaching from the air, the fishbowl's coverage generally requires them to air dodge through its trajectory or else fall to the ground early and predictably. If they're too slow, they can find themselves hit by U-Air's falling hitbox and knocked downward into prone onstage for the invisible Mysterio to abuse. Positioned well, repeated falling U-Airs at the ledge can cover high get-up options, launching foes downward if they nevertheless persist; as such, stationing an illusion to do this frees up Mysterio himself to sneak offstage for the actual gimp.

Though mega-Mysterios enjoy having an oversized fishbowl with which to smack foes, their master will need to think ahead in terms of when he throws the projectile, in adjusting to the different spacing required to land its sweetspot. Foes generally will need to be high in the air for the giant's rising fishbowl hitbox to connect; a good KO setup in this respect involves Mysterio throwing his Down Special fishbowl at his feet after successfully connecting with U-Smash at mid- to high percentages. Sweetspot or otherwise, a mega-Mysterio's falling fishbowl is more than capable of spiking offstage foes once the player has the admittedly-difficult timing down for shattering their thrown fishbowl offstage. Until then, Mysterio still can profit from chucking his fishbowl at his feet before U-Throwing a victim into the giant's descending headpiece for greater knockback at the animation's end.

DOWN AIR - LASER TAG
Mysterio spreads his legs and positions both hands between them, pausing before firing a thin green laser stream downward out of each. About as thick collectively as a Pikmin, the lasers stretch 2.5 training stage squares downward, where they culminate in a spherical end point ever-so-slightly larger than a Poké Ball. Compared to F-Smash, D-Air's lasers similarly deal multiple light hits but here don't stop on impact with a foe or construct. The hits also are structured differently, with the entirety of the lasers and their end point dealing four rapid hits of 2% between frames 24 and 36, followed immediately by a launching hit of 5% and diagonal knockback KOing offstage around 135%. Opponents zapped right at the lasers' end point as it appears on frame 23 also take 15% and are spiked with above-average force, capable of KOing off the screentop around 150%.

Naturally, spacing is critical for a spike that manifests a good ways below Mysterio, especially given his 38 frames of cooldown that can be turned against him on whiff offstage. That being said, his hover can prove an invaluable asset leading up to such a gimping attempt, especially if Mysterio is invisibly floating up above an illusion performing Up Special to stall a foe amid its mini-Mysterios. D-Air's range also lends it utility as essentially a momentary downward wall; in tandem with Mysterio's great aerial mobility, he can buzz back and forth overtop victims, drilling down at them to build damage with his lasers. Of note, fishbowls will be shattered in midair if caught in enough of D-Air's hits, giving Mysterio a direct option for breaking those beneath him offstage rather than just as they're falling from above.

If an illusion is programmed to perform D-Air, followed by double-jump and another D-Air, Mysterio can open the door for himself to perform two or more Ganondorf-esque repeat stage-bounce spikes, as he hovers invisibly nearby in case the victim DIs away to either side. This same setup can be harnessed upon Mysterio running offstage and triggering his illusion close to the bottom blast zone, prompting his illusion to leap gradually upward and wall off a recovering target. Duplicate D-Airs also can come in handy as a mechanism for forcing opponents back down into Mysterio's grounded traps, be it Side Special smog, embedded jab shards or a D-Smash fist.

Plugged into a fishbowl, D-Air's walling capabilities are enhanced via the mega-Mysterios' thicker laser and greater range. Needless to say, its end point sweetspot is essentially an instant spike offstage against all but heavy foes with great vertical recoveries. The timing for this is rather unorthodox, as Mysterio generally must shatter the fishbowl above him in midair for the giant's lasers to stretch down and spike downward. Even if that ideal result falls short, however, he might get to fall back on the contingency of his mega-Mysterio's regular laser launcher finishing higher-percentage foes off instead.

FINAL SMASH​

FINAL SMASH - WEB OF DECEPTION
Mysterio suddenly removes his fishbowl and with both hands thrusts it forward, where it shatters to reveal a swirling green portal about the size of Zelda's Triforce. The portal remains onstage for 1.5 seconds, capturing foes caught at point-blank range while exerting an above-average pull over those within Final Destination's length. On whiff, Mysterio will stomp a foot angrily as the portal vanishes and his fishbowl reappears over his head. With one or more foes captured, up to a maximum of three, Mysterio will bring his hands together, appearing to encapsulate the portal in a new fishbowl, onto which the camera briefly zooms...

...before pulling out to reveal one of eight milky eyes of a massive nightmare fuel spider! The scene broadens to show the victims visibly struggling at the center of a vast web, in a hellish illusory scene dusted off from Far From Home's concept art for Smash. The arachnid drops down and uses Mysterio's voice to gaslight its prey as it crawls closer — "Things didn't have to end this way...," "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you..." or another such mocking quip — before rushing in and burying its fangs in their flesh. The bite deals 56% and knockback KOing around 60% as the victims return to the stage and Mysterio swoops back down in a swirling flight path.

Illusions are capable of breaking Smash Balls and taking on the associated rainbow hue, which transfers to the real Mysterio upon his reappearance. Given that an additional Neutral Special then would trigger the Final Smash, Mysterio can't send an illusion back out to use the attack. Very situationally, if the duplicate has been programmed to attack and then feint Neutral Special's illusion-priming pose, it will obtain the Smash Ball and carry out the Final Smash animation, complete with the momentary screen zoom-in and character render streak graphic. This is a purely aesthetic effect, with the fake portal having no pull or capturing ability. Even still, the scare can bait foes into dashing predictably to escape the expected suction, leaving Mysterio — still in possession of the actual Final Smash — in a prime position to cook their goose for real. It probably goes without saying, but Mysterio cannot log Final Smash in his fishbowl for its mega-Mysterio to follow suit.

EXTRAS​

UP TAUNT - VANISHING ACT
Mysterio performs a quick tip-of-the-cap gesture before disappearing. He remains invisible for a split-second before poofing back in what's meant to be a heroic pose, with his arms folded and cape flowing. Though not feasible against those familiar with the match-up, Mysterio can throw casual-setting foes off as to his illusion timer by timing U-Taunt while invisible so the animation lets him stay concealed for that extra split-second, even after he's technically "reappeared" (and his hurtbox never disappears). Alternatively programming illusions to U-Taunt as they're about to vanish and right after they're unleashed also can become fun bait, as in the latter scenario, the illusion can cancel the taunt into an attack as the foe rushes in to hit what they think is going to be the real Mysterio reappearing nearby.

SIDE TAUNT - HERO GIG
Mysterio claps his hands together twice and calls flatly out, "Let's save the world, people!" He would be hard-pressed to sound less enthusiastic about this faux-endeavor if he tried.

DOWN TAUNT - IMPOSTER SYNDROME
An illusion of Mysterio's nearest opponent instantly appears in his place and starts to perform one of their taunts at random. The animation is interrupted by the character's stamina death animation, as they let out their echoing KO cry and collapse to the ground. The character reverts back into Mysterio in a puff of green smoke at the moment their corpse typically would vanish. Mysterio will not perform Mysterio's D-Taunt when performing D-Taunt in a match against another Mysterio.

ENTRANCE - SUIT UP
The real Quentin Beck stands onstage in his mocap suit, tapping the side of his visor as if to perform a comms check and surrounded by half a dozen drones. A moment later, he taps his forearm control panel for the drones to rapidly circle him, gradually fading away as they envelop him in green smog. The costumed Mysterio ultimately bursts forth, hovering down with triangular hieroglyphics circling over both hands to begin the fight.

VICTORY POSE #1 - MARCHING ORDERS

An army of shoulder-to-shoulder Mysterio duplicates march continuously and in synchronicity toward the screen, as his voice rings out in the background, "I control the truth. Mysterio -is- the truth."

VICTORY POSE #2 - CURTAIN CALL

Mysterio gives the audience a wave before jetting off in a torrent of green smoke. A short while later, his voice can be heard offscreen, "Somebody get this stupid costume off me!" as can the swoons of his fanfiction shippers, whose minds just went somewhere entirely different.

VICTORY POSE #3 - THE END?

Mysterio's opponent appears to perform one of their victory poses, as their typical victory theme plays and Xander Mobus begins announcing their name, only for the music and his voice to slowly become distorted along the lines of those G major YouTube memes. At the moment when the screen ordinarily would zoom in for that character's splash screen, they poof away in a cloud of green smoke to reveal a large stone Mysterio statue in their place. Mysterio remains clapping in the "loser" window while all of this transpires, eventually commenting, "Nowadays, they'll believe anything..."

VICTORY THEME - SPIDER-MAN VILLAINY
Mysterio's victory jingle is an orchestrated snippet from the classic Spider-Man theme albeit with ominous-sounding instrumentals and in a minor key, a little evocative of the music that plays when Ridley or Dark Samus win.

LOSS POSE - BODY DOUBLE
Mysterio seems to clap unremarkably, though his body flickers translucently every so often, giving away that the sore loser has left an illusion to applaud in his place.

LINK TO CHANGE LOG (last updated 1/17/2021):
1. Gave mega-Mysterio dash attack "sex kick" properties, rendering it a less-dominant KO option with more pronounced trade-offs
2. Specified mega-Mysterio down tilt stops at ledges, rendering it a less-dominant KO option with more different situational uses when compared with giant dash attack
3. Tweaked Side Special fog so that one visual indicator, player markers (i.e. "P1," "P2") remain visible inside, but only during defensive maneuvers — giving characters a limited means for knowing what's happening within mist while also bolstering its potential for trickery in tandem with illusions
4. Converted B-Air to an optional two-hit control scheme for better aerial versatility, new application with F-Air
5. Creating brief delay for Mysterio in reappearing while illusion has victim grabbed, preventing guaranteed combos from grab-release

"Now that is an Avengers-level threat!"

 

[Kholdstare]

Read Mysterio BKupa666 . I have to say it was a blast reading and i love the commentary and references. You nailed everything that you could reference from the movie while still repurposing them into really cool playstyle tools (didn't expect Mega Mysterio to be a cornerstone of the playstyle but you made it work well). the evolution of single digit MYM mindgame gimmicks comes to full force here but you get to put your own cool take on it due to the nature of the character. in particular i like how you handled the smokescreen. the duplicates remind me a lot of programming vulture's drones, if that was intentional. this looks like a really fun toolbox character i'd love to play. only complaints I have is the set is a lot to read which can't be helped because of the complexity, cause you cover what you need to. fantastic take on the character and just what i've been looking for from you.

 

[ForwardArrow]

Mysterio
I'm going to be honest, this set made kind of a poor first impression with me. Its been a very long time since the invisibility/duplicates genre has been considered a particularly legitimate one, and Mysterio commits very hard to it with the duplicate mechanic being a much more convincing fake than we had back in the olden days. This was something I was worried about becoming a problem as the potential guessing games this kind of mindgame set creates seem like they'd be miserable for the opponent if the illusion is powerful enough. My fears were compounded by the Grab Illusions and Side Special, and we'll get to those, and I was pretty ready to write the set off coming out of the grab game. And then my opinion basically just improved the longer I read until I realized "this is actually quite good" is about how I was feeling when I finished. There's a few reasons why, and to be honest the set has stuck with me in a good way since finishing it too, but my objections to the Side Special and Grab Illusions remain at least to some degree.

To start with, the way Mysterio's illusions are designed is clearly very careful to avoid being eiither unfun or impractical. In keeping with Pennywise from earlier this contest, the illusion's damage is actually completely real, so its not just a deception, its a deception that also works as a way to "double up" on Mysterio's attacks. This is powerful, but its balanced out by the illusion's programming path easily going haywire if something goes wrong, as well as the fact that it'll vanish once Mysterio shows up for real. These weaknesses mean that Mysterio's deceptions are certainly good but imperfect, and have applications beyond just mindgames, which were two of the major problems of sets of that type in the past. If the Neutral Special wasn't a good enough payoff on its own for illusory shenanigans, the Down Special absolutely is, as Mega Mysterio is something that the foe has a number of tools to play around but is a downright terrifying threat that only becomes moreso when the foe has no idea what Mysterio has planned. The prospect of somehow making two of them off an illusion is a hell of an endgame for Mysterio players to go for, giving a Mysterio playing at his skill ceiling something delightfully absurd to go for, which I always enjoy.

And the thing which definitely helps this set is, once you get past the initial Neutral Special illusions with a little help from Side Special's fog or the grab illusions, Mysterio's mindgame plan is self-sufficient, so the set is free to move onto other endeavors. And honestly, I like what it does there. Jab and Forward Tilt are versatile, compelling, but flawed moves to center Mysterio's melee game around, loaded with applications with his mindgame tools. FThrow provides a pretty unique sort of advantage state(though I wonder if the half second tumble is too long), and Back Throw is can provide some terrifying emergency pressure in the context of all the chaos of Mysterio's gameplan. I like all the mix-ups Mysterio has access to in the context of his illusions and Mega Mysterios, creating brutally punishable air dodge baits when they work and giving some nice reason to plug these into Mega Mysterio even if on paper they're not his most powerful options. FSmash and Up Smash are fun moves to work with on their own, but I like the idea of using them to fine tune Mega Mysterio positioning, as one of the challenges of using Mega Mysterio properly is actually aiming that thing accurately, which can be surprisingly annoying due to its nature. While its a little scary that he can plant an invisible trap during the illusion without revealing himself, this does require the illusion plan to work properly, which isn't exactly a guarantee, and I think the fist is a solid addition to his gameplan overall.

So as for the set's faults, the smaller issue I have is the fact that Dash Attack, and a couple of its contemporaries in Fair and Down Tilt, feel like they might be a bit much in the context of a Mega Mysterio. Don't get me wrong, this set earns its share of powerful things to do. Mysterio's actual melee is flawed(albeit only to a degree that's reasonable, he doesn't snap like a twig to pressure or anything) and his illusions need their prep time, but Mega Mysterio is not THAT big of a commitment and you're describing the Dash Attack variant as a mini-Ganon final smash that has two additional variations. While I think the set sells the idea of using Mega Mysterio in a lot of different ways pretty well and I'm sure there's niche uses for basically every move, I feel like he'd be going for one of those options a very large percentage of the time simply because of the absurd spacial coverage/power combo, and it might overcentralize his gameplan on just going for that. I'd probably just recommend nerfs on Dash Attack and Down Tilt's KO potential with a Mega Mysterio(Fair is a valuable variation to have over them but it feels a bit more reasonable by comparison), and Up Smash/Down Smash are maybe worth looking at in that regard too, the latter being a ridiculous scope and power trap and the former's range description and the way the knockback work seeming possibly a little much, but this isn't something I'm super confident is a big criticism.

Nor am I really that confident that the Side Special/Grab Illusion problems I found earlier are really the kind of problem that dragged the set down like I thought. You rightfully pointed out in Discord, these are very committal options, grab illusions requiring you to use a valuable illusion setup on something that only activates if Mysterio lands his not particularly valuable grab, and Side Special being a setup tool that doesn't really directly obstruct anything and has a reasonably heavy lag commitment. With all that said, I'm largely pretty happy with the way Mysterio incorporates illusions into smash otherwise, and these two tricks feel a bit more like older style MYM mindgames than I'd like. Side Special just totally obscures what's happening in a comprehensive fashion, leaving the foe pretty close to randomly flailing while they're in there especially when you factor in their inability to even see if they took damage. Sure, knockback being a thing will keep the foe from getting combo'd too long by this, but it acts as a problem in the same way stun does, where instead of taking away the foe's ability to play the game, you take away their information and ability to play the game in a sensible manner. I think this becomes a little scary when you factor in the existence of illusions or even Mega Mysterios creating more fog... but fortunately, those creations are pretty brief, so I don't think Mysterio can ever get too oppressive with that.

The grab illusions are kind of a similar deal, during the period that Mysterio has the foe subjected to them, there simply isn't room for meaningful counterplay. Though, I do realize now that if the foe reads Mysterio well, they might be able to see a grab illusion coming, as Mysterio will probably end up committing heavily towards a grab if he programmed an illusion for it specifically, but I question how meaningfully they can really respond to it, and in the end if the reward is really interesting/powerful enough to be worth committing the illusion toward. Like what you're ultimately getting out of it is a mixup, and if the reward for said mixup is too powerful its a feels bad moment because it doesn't give the foe a reasonable enough clue as to which of your four throws you're doing and when for them to be able to meaningfully interact with it, while if its too weak then its just kind of a super niche or downright useless tool to talk about in Mysterio's kit. I also question the logic behind this mechanic, maybe Mysterio's putting hallucinogens in the mist he makes when he's using these mechanics but its weird to me the foe only suddenly realizees they've been taking damage once they're out of the mist from a flavor standpoint. Its technically justifiable so I can't hold it against the set too much, but it does require stretching Mysterio's powers quite a bit.

I rambled a lot about these issues, mostly because they were weighing heavily on my mind while reading the set, but I'm going to say something that I wasn't really expecting to come away from this thinking: the previous three paragraphs are not THAT big of a deal. The foe still has free movement in fog and without a very serious setup commitment, its going to be hard to take away their ability to tell what's going on for a while, plus the fog actually creates its share of surprisingly interesting scenarios from time to time that I don't think are unfun as far as mindgames go. The grab illusions I've come away from the set thinking are actually kind of weak and a bit extraneous as an add-on, which admittedly leads me to think I'd prefer if they weren't there at all. The power level of his stronger options is pretty justified considering his numerous weaknesses as a character in other areas, and I'm actually kind of a sucker for "flawed character with huge payoffs". I found the set almost never had a move that felt too gimmicky to me(the kind of silly Uair/DSpecial mixup and DThrow are the main ones I don't care that much for, but neither are particularly egregious), nor did it have a move that I found underwhelming in terms of playstyle application, which is incredibly solid and honestly not something I think Wolfgeist, SkekMal, SkekSil, or Vulture can claim. The more I think about it, this set is your best, and frankly its a contender for the best set in the contest, something I really did not think I'd end up saying, and while I'll probably stick with Lucky Louise as my SV+ choice for now, I can respect how someone who enjoyed the grab illusion mechanics or was more willing to forgive Side Special's faults than I was might disagree on that.

And I, for what its worth, cannot emphasize enough how impressive that all is in the context of this being a set in what is basically a dead genre as far as MYM is concerned, with the most representation it had in a long time being mild, subdued use in Kat Pennywise. And it was a genre that was dead for a reason and you absolutely nailed it somehow despite that. You have every reason to be proud of this one Kupa.

 

[GolisoPower]

Dr. Demo pulled up in the parking lot of Demo Mesa, his last battle with the likes of Pyramid Head and the Chosen Undead successful. He hobbled out of his large bread van and took a large swig of his signature scrumpy before shambling towards the door. Just as he was about to grab the door, small, thin spikes of metal flew past his hand like slow bullets and embedded themselves into the glass of the door. Dr. Demo whirled around and saw a young girl in red carrying what looked like a stick with paper on it. She floated above the doctor, her black hair billowing in the air as her brown eyes glared down at him.

Reimu Hakurei, the Shrine Maiden of Paradise, had arrived.

“Reimu, me lass,” slurred Dr. Demo. “What brings ye-”

Dr. Demo’s greeting was swiftly interrupted by Reimu’s gohei whirling forward, pointing at the drunkard’s neck.

“I don’t have time for your drunken nonsense,” she growled, “I have little reason to trust you after your little stunt at Anor Londo!”

Dr. Demo’s single eye widened as he looked between his bottle and her gohei.

“...did somethin’ happen?”

“Of course something happened! Where are those two you were fighting with!?”

“...”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Judgement, the High Prosecutor, was having the time of her life. She watched with glee as white-hot chains flew from practically everywhere. In spite of their respective stamina and steadfastness, the Chosen Undead and Pyramid Head were being weighed down by the very pain that the ash-clad demoness had inflicted thus far.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YES! FEEL THE PAIN OF YOUR VICTIMS! BE WEIGHED DOWN BY YOUR SINS! REGRET EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...they went on vacation.”

“...really…?”

Dr. Demo whistled innocently, hoping Reimu would let her off the hook.

“You’re lucky I’m not here for you right now,” sighed Reimu. “I’m here because I heard stuff about something that happened here in Demo Mesa.”

“Oh, did that Bird Experiment finally follow through? Did it finally drink the scrumpy?”

“...what? No, this is something much worse.”

“Another Scrumpy Cascade?”

“No!”

“...another-”

“Look, just come along!”

Reimu, having enough of his drunken nonsense, grabbed Dr. Demo by the back of his suit and dragged him inside.

The labs were a total mess. Multiple Demomen appeared murdered from various methods, their faces stretched outwards in a pained fear. Glowing orange fluids trickled down the wall, like miniature waterfalls of horrific fluids.

Dr. Demo looked around, his usual drunken self gone as his jaw dropped. Usually, when they died, it was from their usual alcohol-laden crazes or from wacky experiments gone wrong. This...this was something else.

“Aye, I’m startin’ tae see yer point, lass.”

“Yeah. I heard rumors of youkai leaking some volatile orange fluid, and that they were last seen near this location. Whoever they are, they clearly have no mercy.”

They delved deeper into the labs, witnessing corpses left behind from deaths more bone-chilling and traumatizing than the last. Finally, after what felt like eons of labyrinthian descent, they heard something.

Heavy breathing. The ringing of glass falling on the floor. Visceral cracking of bones, and the wet, disturbing sloshes of entrails. The wet trickling of multiple liquids pouring off a table and onto the floor.

Reimu and Dr. Demo pressed themselves against the wall, their respective weapons ready.

“That must be the guy, right,” asked Dr. Demo.

“No doubt about it. It’s him.”

They slinked towards the edge of the wall and peeked into the room beyond. There, a hunched figure experimented on the body of another Demo, who was strapped to the table and unconscious. The figure clumsily took out a large syringe filled with an ominous orange serum and stabbed him with it. What happened next would be grilled into the brain of Dr. Demo and Reimu for a good portion of their lives.

Loud guttural screams erupted from the Demo as more of that orange substance started bursting from near every orifice, his body violently spasming in pain. Violent cracks are heard as the Demo’s limbs begin to pull themselves apart, stretched out as though they were of a demented rubber. Large pustules grew from his body, sprouting large vein-like tendrils that rammed itself into the unfortunate test subject’s neck, pumping whatever foul fluids from whatever new organs were formed within. After what felt like an eternity of this foul horror show, the test subject’s limbs slumped downward, his eyes clouded over by a mist of death.

The figure, letting out a growl of what sounded like disappointment, picked up a nearby clipboard, and began writing notes as though it were recording the results of this horrid experiment.

Dr. Demo felt like throwing up, and for once, it was not from the alcohol. His single eye widened in fear, his pupils twitching in fear.

In all her years of youkai extermination, Reimu had never seen anything as heartless as this youkai. There was that Fortune-teller she annihilated a while ago, yes, but that was because he was violating the natural order of Gensokyo. This man was uncaring of his victims, and the experiment he conducted was atrocious.

Dr. Demo felt something bubble in his throat as he let out a cough, prompting Reimu to hastily hush the drunken scientist, but it was too late.

The hooded figure slightly turned towards the corner of the wall, having heard this sudden coughing. It put down its notes and started slowly trudging towards the direction of the sound, taking out a large, sharp cane that he brandished with sadistic intent.

Dr. Demo and Reimu watched as this hunched figure walked out of the room, like a flesh-hungry undead, looking around in a predatory manner. He turned his head towards the shrine maiden and the suited-up Demo, revealing glowing orange eyes and a large, teardrop-shaped mouth that appeared as though it was melting from his face, various sharp teeth placed on parts of his lips.

Dr. Demo took out his bottle and Reimu took out a pair of ofuda, ready to retaliate should it attack.

The hunched...beast...took out another syringe of the orange fluid and stabbed himself with it before letting out a loud shriek and charging towards them, his cane ready.

At that moment, Reimu and Dr. Demo knew that this was the price to pay for Descending Beyond.

 

[UserShadow7989]

Well, it's been about half a year since I started this set (and MAN what a half a year it was) and since I posted my last, but it seems to me that this is the perfect time to post this set; say hello to yet another OC set by yours truly!

"Save your apologies. You're leaving. Now!"

 

[FrozenRoy]

Immortal Flame (Fujiwara no Mokou GolisoPower )

Considering I tried my hand at Mokou and didn't finish her once before (although I WILL make a set for her some day!), it is without a doubt unsurprising I'd take interest in seeing how you handled her Goliso! And the set is one that certainly swings for the fences with some moves, but it strikes out a little more than I'd like.

First off, though, I am going to ask something that left me incredibly confused the entire set: What's up with the cancel windows? Aside from autocancels on aerials, Smash characters don't have any kind of universal cancel ala GG's Roman Cancels or whatever, but every move here talks about how it can be canceled early. At first I thought you could just cancel into SSpec, but SSpec actually just mentions having a cancel window and not being cancellable, so I have noooo clue what these cancel windows even mean. If I'm missing something, please explain it to me!

On the note of cancels, I will say there's two interesting ideas you could go with if the cancels are just some leftover error or a misunderstanding or something:

1. Giving Mokou the ability to cancel any of her attacks on-hit (maybe even some on-whiff?) at the cost of increased recoil could be an interesting idea, letting her get safety on shield or create sickass combos she otherwise can't at the cost of more damage to herself. This could help Mokou be more aggressive, an issue with the set, and lead to some sick stuff.

2. Alternately, I do think Mokou being able to cancel into SSpec or DSpec in general could be interesting, DSpec could sometimes lower the end lag of the move in question if it was fast enough or something? Mostly just SSpec mixups could be fun.

Getting into the set, the moveset starts off with its gimmick and then right into a pretty bold option with the Possessed by Phoenix NSpec. I'll get to the mechanic more later and focus on NSpec for now, because I don't really like it for a few reasons. First off, given it is ambiguous if Mokou can be damaged (but I don't think so? It is written a bit confusingly), having it last for 10 seconds feels bad not just for balance but also just because it's a long time of not really interactin' and playing this minigame style move. Another is that it feels a bit...dull? I wish you could, say, choose where you fired from with A + a direction and maybe even change up what you fire via tap vs. smash, make it more like you're creating a bullet hell pattern rather than meh randomness.

Finally, I just don't feel like it did much for the set, it feels much more fitting for a Mokou set focusing around her fire powers and Touhou bullet hell where you set up stuff to make it harder to avoid your possessed attacks rather than what is ultimately a very focused melee-style moveset akin to her Touhou fighter moveset. If you do keep it around, definitely fix the time at minimum and I would definitely make it more involved to use the attack. Personally, though, I would probably shelve this attack concept for a set that can be dedicated to using it more effectively and put in something more fitting to the set's current playstyle, one idea that comes to mind is a big fiery explosion akin to her current Final Smash that uses up her current healing stock at the cost of being massively damaging if you use it a lot. Kinda like Magic Burst. Maybe in DSpec it is ridiculously powerful but automatically triggers her Resurrection (or if she doesn't have it, kills her like Kamikaze) in return. This would fit Mokou's "min-maxer" theme a lot more and play into how her set works.

The rest of the Specials are fine, DSpec is kinda fun, nothing much jumps out at me but they work well enough, I think the set kinda loses me after that for a while for a big reason, which is that Mokou comes across as very UP. The set feels a lot like it is going for "incredible power at a price", but the problem is Mokou doesn't feel particularly strong! Take F-Smash for example, it only kills at 95% at the ledge despite being a laggy attack that also deals 11% recoil! 95% kill AT LEDGE is pretty dang mediocre for Smash Ultimate, let alone on an attack like this. A move like this should be inspiring fear into the heart of foes, I'm talking killing at like 70% center stage which can then be boosted by DSpec. The move is about as slow as a Ganondorf Up Smash while dealing less damage and huge recoil, no reason it can't kill earlier. Alternately, bring the starting lag down a couple of frames but make it only kill at around 80% center stage. F-Smash feels like it should be inspiring fear in the opponent!

Also, Mokou's standards and a large part of her set make a lot of effort to stress that they are unsafe, which is bizarre when the intended playstyle very much feels like rushdown (and the playstyle section even discusses rushdown and hit + run). Since so many of Mokou's attacks are punishable and unsafe + deal recoil, she plays much more as a bait and punish character, but her punishes aren't too strong. I would say it would be especially fitting if Dash Attack and Forward Tilt were much more safe on shield or even whiff, Dash Attack especially could do with less ending lag (maybe extending how long it could be used as a combo tool?) so that she gets the advantage against shield, maybe even with the cancel idea you could make it so Dash Attack -> Forward Smash combos against a shield and in turn thanks to F-Smash being safe on shield means Mokou can tag on really strong shield damage (threatening shield breaks) at the cost of massive self-damage due to F-Smash's recoil being boosted. This would help sharpen Mokou's rushdown aspects (and even her hit and run aspects) while making her feel less UP.

Finally, the way Mokou's recoil is saved feels a bit weak for her, largely due to every single move dealing recoil. Unless you don't attack the entire time you're healing from recoil, you're going to overwrite it with another move and essentially "lose out" on all the healing of a previous attack! This is especially true with combos which will naturally overwrite each other and turn it into normal self-damage. I would say Mokou either needs more attacks that do not deal recoil OR to expand the amount of moves that are kept around in recoil to be healed off, say making it the last 3 recoil attacks rather than the 1.

tldr Buff Mokou's kill power on her kill moves like F-Smash and U-Smash (honestly maybe even D-Smash), buff the safety of some of her standards/aerials to enhance her rushdown playstyle (I would also lower jab's starting lag to 3 frames on Jab 1 personally), increase recoil moves you heal off of to the last 3 OR reduc the number of recoil moves. Oh, and while I said to increase the power of kill moves, I would recommend NOT increasing Up Throw's power as that's pretty strong for a KO throw already.

Oh, and here's a writing tip: Instead of dumping the negatives at te end of every move in a paragraph, I would highly recommend mixing them more into the moves themselves organically. while bringing up the negatives at the end of a move is not inherently bad at all, you'll see me use it a fair deal (especially on moves I bring up a WHOA STRONG start), doing it too much starts to make it read like the moveset doesn't want you to have fun and can make a set rea worse than it is because it constantly feels like moves go "this is good except ha ha no it isn't". Being able to end on high notes can help lead readers to more naturally feel positive about it.

Unrelated to that and jamming it in here kinda random because I couldn't think of where else to put it, UAir being this aimable rise-then-fall projectile is pretty cool but feels pretty odd in this set where it doesn't have much synergy (getting above opponents never feels important to her, she doesn't have projectiles it is cutting the foe off from, her melee attacks make her feel like she might desire a more traditional up hitting UAir), I wonder if this is another move that is good but in the wrong set. But unlike NSpec it is fine to keep and who knows could find some use I am not thinking of or just be worth it as a neat move on its own.

Overall, Mokou takes some ambitious stuff that I appreciate like incorporating Resurrection or stuff like Possessed by Phoenix, but I ultimately didn't like NSpec and too many of the normals and aerials feel unsafe or otherwise not pushing the power envelope enough given she seems to have quite a few weaknesses and takes high recoil damage, the smashes feel weak (she kinda feels too close to Samus in having like 2 kill moves) on a character where they seem like they are supposed to feel scary as hell and there's not enough interesting to carry it up. It is possible it could be edited up, but as-is not a fan.

 

[GolisoPower]

Immortal Flame (Fujiwara no Mokou GolisoPower )

Thank you, FrozenRoy for the comment.

Reading through this comment has given me some advice on this whole "moveset making" thing I didn't know I needed. Thank you for pointing out the things that I realize needed changing and for making me realize that my writing needs a bit of a facelift.

As for the cancels, it wasn't anything too special, I was just applying what I knew from other fighting games like canceling and the like and applying it into this moveset. The closest connection my brain could connect to it was the stuff like "First Actionable Frame" or in the SmashWiki's case, "Interruptible". It also made me think about moveset balance coming forward, such as with stuff like unsafe frames, kill percentages, all that. So again, thanks.

 

[Janx_uwu]

"If the world chooses to become my enemy...I will fight like I always have!"

Shadow The Hedgehog Moveset!
My first one BTW. Any and all feedback is appreciated!!

EDIT: Apparently there's problems with the link on Shadow. I'll just copy and paste the set here then. Sorry if it comes out a bit weird.

Shadow The Hedgehog




(Smash reveal intro appears)
The shot opens on Sonic The Hedgehog's shoe-which is unbuckled. He kneels down and begins to fix it up. The camera zooms out to reveal that this is a Mario Kart race track-and next to Sonic are some of the fastest characters in Ultimate (most of them, anyways), getting warmed up. Doc Louis is coaching Little Mac, and Pokemon Trainer is doing the same for Charizard. Wario is making adjustments to his bike and simultaneously eating ungodly amounts of garlic. Captain Falcon is stretching his legs, Hero is opening his commands menu and has his cursor set on Acceleratle, Banjo and Kazooie are both running in place, Mario is adding gas to his kart, Bowser is lifting Bowser Jr as a weight (who is pretending to be an airplane), and Zelda is transforming into Sheik.
Many characters from Smash's current roster are standing on the sides and cheering the racers on. Lakitu is being ref. He blows into a whistle, which means it's sixty seconds until go time. Everyone in the race steps up to the checkered squares. Sonic bumps fists with Captain Falcon, and Mario and Wario exchange looks that could kill-but when Bowser roars at them both, everyone in the stadium cowers in fear. Little Mac chugs a water bottle and throws it behind him, where Doc catches it. Squirtle and Ivysaur stand behind Charizard, smiling and clapping for him. Lakitu flies to the front and above the racers, and holds up his starting lights.
3…
Sonic and many others bend down. The sound of leather squeaking against the paved ground can be heard.
2…
Mario and Wario's vehicles begin to rev for the instant speed boost. Charizard flaps his wings, and Hero gets ready to choose his spell.
1…
Banjo and Kazooie swap out for the Talon Trot. Bowser has smoke coming out of his mouth, and Sheik charges up her needles.
GO!!!
Everyone runs off at once-except for Wario, who didn't time his engine right and spun out. He starts behind everyone else.
Squirtle and Ivysaur are covered in dust. They cough. Then, Toad hops up from the top seat and hits the floor (the racers are long gone by now). Everyone stares at him, wondering why-until he curiously picks up a piece of black hair or fur. "What is this?" he asks no one in particular.
Sonic and Hero are neck and neck. "You might be fast…" says Sonic, "But how's your Magic Points, Eleven?"
Eleven/Hero looks down-it reads 5, and is whittling down every second. Hero panics and tries swinging his sword at Sonic. Sonic dodges, and Hero's Magic fades away as he falls to the ground. He looks up, not only to see Sonic far ahead but the other racers close behind him. Hero gets up, finds two Slimes in the grass next to the road, and begins to partake in a turn-based battle with them to farm more Magic. But after one turn each, someone or something-a black blur-zooms by and takes out the Slimes in one fell swoop. Hero is bewildered, but after looking around, picks up the MP and begins running with Accelerate again.
Mario and Wario are close behind Captain Falcon, who is right next to Sonic. Mario runs into an item box, and gets three green shells and smirks. He throws one at Wario, who gets hit and spins out. With him out of the picture, Mario tosses the other two at Sonic and Captain Falcon-who dodge them gracefully. Mario's starting to get angry now, so he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Mushroom-but then a black blur swoops by and takes it.
Mario looks surprised. Then he looks back in his rearview mirror and sees that the racers behind them are either super far behind or are knocked out cold. Mario says "Stop!" to Captain Falcon and Sonic, who look back, see the damage, and obey. Mario stops as well, and hops out of his vehicle. The trio ball their fists and get ready for a fight-when all of a sudden, with a flash of green, they become stunned. Then, a black blur, and now it's just Mario and Sonic. They go back to back and start circling, trying to find out who the wrongdoer is. Sonic senses something, sighs (like Samus did in the Ridley trailer) and hops over Mario before doing a flip and kicking the perpetrator right over the head. Whoever it is looks dazed-but soon they aren't there anymore, and with one more blur Mario is gone as well, going out with a very Mario-y yell.
"Hey, shads, didn't you get the memo? You're not invited!" Sonic says.
"Maybe not. I took this from a tall purple man-he looked too silly to be in Smash." Says the mysterious voice, who we now see the dark outline of, in front of Sonic. He's holding a SMash invitation. "But the way I see it," he says as he clenches his fist, "this is a way for strong beings all over the world to prove just how strong they are. And I consider myself to be...Ultimate, wouldn't you say, you so-called 'fastest thing alive'?" We now see Shadow in all his glory.
SHADOW
Unleashes the Chaos!!
We get some gameplay footage of him. Before the trailer ends, we see Sonic and Shadow, racing neck to neck for the finish line that's in sight, the other racers close behind, just recovering from being knocked out. It looks like it'll be a tie or very close-and then, at the last second, Hero jumps over the pair of them and crosses the finish line! Sonic and Shadow come to a halt, confused. They look away from each other, annoyed, finally agreeing on something-a rare sight indeed.













Shadow was created as the Ultimate Life Form by Gerald Robotnik 50 years ago, aboard the Space Colony Ark. Gerald wanted to create an invincible being that could heal and help the people of Earth. Aboard the Ark, Shadow felt fond of Gerald's granddaughter, Maria. They were best friends-that is, until the government raided the ship, stole some of Gerald's experiments, and murdered Maria. Gerald was thrown into a blind rage, losing sight of his well-meaning goals, and wiped Shadow's memories, making him think he had to avenge Maria's death by murdering the human population.
50 years later, and Gerald's grandson Ivo takes Shadow out of the ice he's been contained in, using him to fulfill his vision of destroying Earth.
Over time, Shadow regained his memories, and when he remembered the true promise Maria made him keep-to give those on Earth a chance-he teamed up with his rival Sonic to save the planet and prevent the Space Colony from crashing into it.
Shadow has a special connection with the Chaos Energy that hails from the Chaos Emeralds-the lifeblood of the world that possess unlimited power. His connection with them is so powerful, in fact, that over time he has learned to do certain Chaos techniques without the use of an Emerald. He truly is the Ultimate Life Form, and ever since the events of Sonic Adventure 2, he has remained an ally to Sonic and his friends, ready to stop the evil Doctor in his tracks whenever possible, in Maria's name. He is not a good guy, nor is he a bad guy-he does what he thinks is most right and lives by his own way.

Shadow's fighting style relies on brutal hand-to-hand combat, utilizing a variety of roundhouse kicks, punches and jabs. He's just as fast as Sonic and shares nearly all the same attacks as Sonic He also possesses many Chaos techniques, which use Chaos Energy to enhance his abilities or give him entirely new ones. He's no stranger to firearms either, and though he's not the friendliest of people, he'll accept help from his allies if he thinks he needs it. He also has his Air Shoes, which let him hover in the air and strengthen his foot attacks. Finally, he possesses inhibitor rings on his wrists and ankles, which limit his abilities-and if he takes them off, he becomes a near unstoppable force. And his most powerful ability, when he assembles all seven Chaos Emeralds, he becomes Super Shadow, and is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Tagline

Shadow Unleashes The Chaos!!



Stats

Shadow's height, weight, ground speed, and rolls/dodges/techs are all equal to Sonic's, due to them having equal agility, speed, weight and height in the games. Jumps are a bit higher than Sonic's, due to his Air Shoes (it should also be noted Shadow does not go into a ball like Sonic during his jump which allows him to use said Air Shoes).
Shadow's special characteristic is hovering. Hovering is very similar to the hover Peach and Daisy have-he can do it thanks to his Air Shoes (I might say Air Shoes a lot in this doc ). Just like Paisy, he can do attacks, move left and right, and hover cancel. He even has a move he can only use during a hover, his Chaos Attack neutral air.



Special Moves


Neutral B: Chaos Spear
In the games, Shadow uses the power of a Chaos Emerald to attack his opponents with various Chaos powers, and one of them is Chaos Spear-several electric spears that hone in on the opponent and pursue at high speeds. In Ultimate, Shadow snaps his fingers with one hand and holds the Chaos Emerald in his other hand (The costume he's using decides the color of said Emerald, with one referencing the fake Chaos Emerald from Sonic Adventure 2 and the others being the actual Emeralds). Right as he snaps, a Chaos Spear appears above his head. After a few frames, the Spear (8%) launches itself at the opponent. When hit, the opponent is stunned for a short time before they are knocked back. This means Shadow can follow up the Spear with a fast attack, granted that he is close enough to his opponent. If he is too far away to follow up, he can still press the button a second and third time to use more Spears (4%). These Spears will always hit the opponent and damage them but do zero knockback. It takes 10 frames for the first Spear to launch and 8 frames for the other two to launch if activated.




Side B: Boost
This is a move more closely associated with Sonic, but as Sonic Forces proves, Shadow also has this power. When activated, it has a frame 18 startup, and afterwards Shadow boosts forward, knocking away any opponents in his path with high speeds. He is invincible at this time. The move has high knockback, but it does have a few downsides. When it hits a shield, Shadow stops in his tracks and has 30 frames of endlag, not doing too much damage to the shield. Like Wonderwing he can be grabbed out of his Boost. And if Shadow doesn't hit anything during the attack, he'll likely fall offstage and have to recover.


Up B: Chaos Control
Shadow's signature move since 2001's Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow teleports away and reappears somewhere else. In Ultimate, this move is functionally identical to Metwo's teleport-but it has one key difference. When activated next to an opponent, Shadow kicks the opponent in the direction indicated by the player's control stick. When Shadow reappears, he will kick the opponent again in the direction indicated by the player's control stick. After this Shadow can act again in the air but he cannot use Chaos Control again. The reason for the way this move works is this cutscene from Sonic Forces. Shadow also does a similar thing in this cutscene from Shadow The Hedgehog, and this scene from the Sonic Boom television show. Also, when it is angled down it is a spike, and Shadow uses his two hands to smash them down, sort of like Mii Brawler and Diddy Kong (you can see this in action in the above clips). It has a pretty miserable startup for a teleport move, meaning you can't use it as a reliable OOS option against most moves (Frame 11).




Down B: Chaos Counter

This move is inspired by this scene from Sonic The Hedgehog (2006). Works very similarly to Greninja's counter. Shadow holds up a Chaos Emerald, and if he is attacked, time stops thanks to Chaos Control, and Shadow flies forward and kicks his opponent into the direction they were attacking him from. For example, if Mario hit Shadow during Chaos Counter's active frames with a forward aerial or back aerial from the left side of Shadow, Shadow will fly behind Mario and hit him to the left. If Mario hits Shadow from the top, Shadow will teleport above Mario and send him down with a forceful Sonic Eagle (more on that later), spiking him. If Mario hits Shadow from below, Shadow teleports below Mario and uppercuts him. This is a very strong counter move, and is great for punishing your opponents for trying to edgeguard you. Has the same frame data as Greninja's counter because of their similarities.



Standard Attacks


Jab
A jab, leading into a kick, that leads into another kick that sends the opponent straight up, and afterwards Shadow flies up to their level and summons Chaos Energy spheres to his hands, hitting the opponent away in a rather powerful jab. This is one of Shadow's ground attacks from Sonic Battle. It cannot combo into anything and has no rapid jab variant, however it does kill at ledge after 85% on most characters. (18%)




Forward Tilt

Shadow pulls his fist back and backhands the opponent with another Chaos Energy sphere-yet another reference to one of his Sonic Battle moves. It's a move with considerable knockback that can kill as early as 90% at the ledge on most characters. It comes out on frame 17. (15%)


Down Tilt: Fire Somersault
A move Sonic and Shadow use in Sonic Adventure 2. It's a move that instantly spins you forward at a slow speed, breaking metal crates and destroying enemies. In Ultimate, it's a slow move that slides Shadow forward, a little faster than Joker's down tilt for comparison. However it is a very good kill move. (Pretend the image is of Shadow and not Sonic, couldn't find an image for him). It comes out very fast (frame 8) and has considerable endlag. (20%)

Up Tilt
Shadow does a flip kick, utilizing his Air Shoes to create a fiery blaze around him, damaging anyone caught in the blast and hitting them up in the air for combos. This move does not directly reference anything. It is visually similar to Min Min's up tilt. (8%)

Dash Attack: Slide
The move from the Boost Sonic games, it lets you slide under obstacles and attack enemies all while maintaining your speed. In Ultimate, Shadow slides low on the ground, attacking opponents and staying low to avoid high or mid hitting attacks. Functionally the same as Cloud's down tilt, or Joker's, for comparison. (Shadow performs this move in Forces, sorry I couldn't find a screenshot of him doing it). He hits the opponent straight up for a follow up attack until about 60%, when it doesn't combo anymore. (7%)

Grab Game


Grab

Since Silver will likely never make a playable appearance in Smash, I decided to make him part of Shadow's moveset (he's my favorite character so I may be slightly biased). When pressing the grab button, Silver teleports from out of nowhere in front of Shadow (though he has no hurtbox) and grabs the opponent with his psychokinesis (it's an ability that lets him pick up living and nonliving objects with his mind). When pummeling, Silver clenches his fist, damaging the opponent. (Pictured below is the Silver fight from Sonic 06).

Back Throw

Silver tosses the opponent behind him, and following up with a pistol, Shadow fires a round into the opponent, which they could dodge at certain percentages. It's incredibly strong, both in knockback and in percent, but only if the opponent gets hit by the bullet. (5% and weak knockback with no bullet, 15% and kill knockback with bullet)



Forward Throw

Silver steps out of the way, and Shadow dashes through and Boosts right into the opponent, knocking them far bac (this does not have anything to do with his side b).. It is a kill throw that does considerable damage as well. (Pictured below is the rival fight from Sonic Generations). (14.5%)

Up Throw

Silver does an uppercut into the opponent, letting Shadow follow up. Can be combo'd off of until 50% when the opponent is too far away. (10%)



Down Throw

Silver steps out of the way for Shadow, and Shadow places his Air Shoe onto the opponent with force, and shoots them with his pistol. In fact, it very closely represents this statue from Sega's E3 2005 to promote their then-upcoming release Shadow The Hedgehog (pictured below). They are sent at a good angle for combos granted that they are at low percent. (19%)

Smash Attacks


Forward Smash

Shadow snaps his fingers and a rift of Chaos Energy appears in front of him-another one of his Sonic Battle moves. It's the quickest of his smashes albeit the weakest. (16%, worst knockback of the smashes but still a kill move)



Up Smash: Black Tornado
In Sonic Heroes, the Black Tornado has Shadow spin in his ball form in the air for a bit, greatly damaging flying opponents and armored ones as well. In Ultimate, it accomplishes a similar thing: Shadow creates a Black Tornado above him and sends his opponent straight up if they're caught in the multi-hit attack. (18%, good knockback)

Down Smash: Spin Kick
In Sonic 2006, Shadow's Spin Kick lets him pull in enemies while also damaging them in a breakdance-like sweep. In Ultimate, it functions similarly. When charging, there's a windbox that pulls in nearby opponents, and the longer you charge, the stronger the windbox and power of the kick becomes-when released, the windbox stops Shadow performs the kick. It's his slowest smash attack, a little bit slower than up smash. It can break shields! (21%, most knockback of his smashes)

Aerial Attacks


Forward Air: Sonic Eagle

Shadow flips midair and brings his Air Shoe down onto the opponent, leaving with it a fiery trail like his up tilt. The fiery trail is easier to hit with and doesn't spike, while the shoe and leg do spike but are harder to hit with. This attack references the Sonic Eagle attack from Sonic Battle-Shadow cannot perform the attack in Battle, but he did later on in Sonic The Hedgehog's IDW comic issue #31 against Metal Sonic, in a move that looks strikingly similar. Couldn't find an image of the panel unfortunately. (19%)

Down Air

The stomp move from the Boost games. Can break shields the same as Yoshi's down b. Has high knockback and is pretty fast as well. (19%)



Neutral Air: Spin Attack/Chaos Attack

In Sonic 06, after performing a homing attack with Shadow, pressing the A button multiple times will have Shadow attack the target with various punches and kicks. In Ultimate, it works a little differently. When in the air normally, Shadow will spin around in his ball form, identically to Sonic's nair. (12/ 8/5% depending on hitbox). However, if you utilize Shadow's hover ability (more on that at the end when I discuss his special mechanics), you can do the Chaos Attack for as long as you hold down the A button or until your hover runs out. When you let go of A Shadow will deliver a finishing blow. This move is very good for racking up considerable damage. (22% if you get every blow, which is difficult but doable).



Back Air

Exactly the same as Sonic's but with a fiery effect and slightly larger hitbox thanks to said fire. (14%)



Up Air
Similarly to Min Min, Shadow's up air is a faster, stronger, aerial version of his up tilt. It too has a fiery trail that slightly extends the hitbox. (14%)
Final Smash
Shadow assembles the seven Chaos Emeralds and unlocks his most powerful form, Super Shadow. Super Shadow rushes forward after the slowdown and hits the opponent into a cutscene (if he doesn't, there's a good chance he'll fall to the side blast zone). In the cutscene, Super Shadow flies to the ruined streets of Westopolis, where he throws the opponent onto the ground. He delivers several strong punches before grabbing them and throwing them up. He teleports up to them, grabs them by the chest, holds a Chaos Emerald, and yells, "Chaos...BLAST!!" A huge dome of Chaos Energy surrounds Shadow, decimating the nearby city and laying waste to your opponent. If they're above 100% after the Final Smash they poof as a cloud of smoke.
Taunts
Up Taunt: Shadow juggles the Chaos Emerald, like he does in his first Hero Story cutscene from Sonic Adventure 2.
Side taunt: Shadow points at his opponent and says "You're too slow!" in a much more aggressive tone than Sonic in Brawl.
Down taunt: Shadow crosses his arms and lets out a "You're weak." (This is what he says to Infinite multiple times in Sonic Forces).
Winning animations
Winning animation 1: Shadow performs his winning animation from Sonic Adventure 2, saying, "Here we go!" If he is fighting against Sonic, he'll instead say, "You're not even good enough to be my fake!"
Winning animation 2: "You'll never understand the power of CHAOS CONTROL!" Shadow says, holding up a gleaming emerald. After the splash screen, he disappears.
Winning animation 3: Shadow stands next to a results screen that is inspired by various results screens from Sonic games. He looks it up and down as it totals up Rings, Time, and Score (Time will actually be counted with the match but won't affect the ranking. Playing on Golden Plains also increases your Ring Count proportionately to your number of coins collected.) Shadow sees himself get an S rank just as the splash screen appears. He crosses his arms and smiles at the screen. "Ultimate victory!" He says.
Losing animation: Shadow scratches his forehead and frowns, in deep thought.

Misc.
His getup attacks feature kicks.

His rolling animation has him sliding backwards on his Air Shoes.

When dying in Stamina mode, he says, "Maria…" This is to reference his death line from that game. He also says it when being spiked, to reference the end of Sonic Adventure 2.




Alternate costumes:
Color 1: Shadow's default color. Uses a green Emerald for attacks (this is the one he is most commonly seen with).

Color 2: Super Shadow. Not as bright as the actual Super Shadow and doesn't have a glow effect either. Uses a clear Emerald for attacks.

Color 3: Mephelis, the antagonist from the game Sonic 06. Uses a purple Emerald for attacks (this is one Mephelis is often associated with given his color scheme when crystalized, and it's the last Emerald he obtains before killing Sonic).

Color 4: Shadow android. A robotic version of Shadow from Shadow The Hedgehog. Uses a yellow Emerald for attacks. (Render by Nibroc-Rock)

Color 5: Sonic. He has a blue tint to his black fur and has tan chest hair rather than white, plus his Air Shoes are given a more Sonic-y design, mostly red with a white strap while still having the same shape and function. Uses a fake Chaos Emerald for attacks (at the end of the Hero Story in Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic uses this fake Emerald to perform Chaos Control and save his life).
Color 6: A blue Shadow android. Uses a blue Chaos Emerald. (Thanks to Nibroc-Rock once again)

Color 7: Shadow's redesign from the Sonic Boom era. Uses a red Chaos Emerald.

Color 8: Shadow wears his Sonic Riders gear. Uses a cyan Chaos Emerald.

Stage: Radical Highway
The first Shadow stage from Sonic Adventure 2. This part of Radical Highway in Ultimate is on the bridge segment near the middle. It's basically a plane of flat land with some overturned cars that can be destroyed. There are often G.U.N. robots that will fly in occasionally, and defeating one will net you a Chaos Drive, and depending on the color of said Drive it can upgrade a certain stat (Purple=jump height and air speed, green=running speed, red=power, and yellow=defense). This is from Sonic Adventure 2's Chao Garden where you collect Drives in action stages and feed them to Chao in the Chao garden,, and the only one I changed the function of was yellow, since yellow in that game improves swimming, and Radical Highway has no water.
Classic Mode: I Am The Ultimate Life Form!!
Shadow fights characters who are canonically the strongest on the roster. This includes characters like Palutena, Bayonetta, Kirby, Sonic, Rosalina, Zelda, Mewtwo, and Meta Knight. Ends in a fight against Rathalos, with Sonic as an ally and Final Smash Meters turned on.
Spirits
Maria-****
Gerald Robotnik-**
Biolizard-* (can enhance into Final Lizard-**)
Black Doom-***
Mephiles-* (can enhance into Solaris-**)
Shadow Android-*
Doom's Eye-*
Songs
Radical Highway
Throw it all away
Final Chase
White Jungle
Westopolis
I Am...All Of Me
All Hail Shadow
This Machine
Metal Harbor
Final Rush
Solaris Boss Phase 2
Shadow Rival Fight (Sonic Generations)
Virtual Reality (Supporting Me Remix)
Wave Ocean (The inlet)
Radical Train (The Chase)
Crisis City (Sonic Generations Act 2 remix)






Playstyle


Chaotic Glass Cannon
Shadow's moveset is simple yet brutal, and the same goes for his combos. However, he has the Boost and the Chaos Spear to play passive if needed, but not to the degree that Sonic has, as it's pretty easy to dodge the Spears if that's all Shadow is throwing out. His playstyle will revolve around getting as much damage as quickly as possible, because he's as light as Sonic and therefore a glass cannon. I was even considering giving him a Chaos Boost, that would damage him over time and make him stronger as a result, but I figured that would make him too strong. Overall he's a character where you want to get in, and if you can't maintain your advantage state, get out. His main problem will come from his lightness and his lack of "get off me" moves. He can also be unwieldy at times due to his high speed and weight. He can't cancel his fast burst option like Sonic can, so you have to be careful with your approaches. His endlag from moves is also not great, since his only safe aerials come from utilizing hovering (except for bair, which is always safe if spaced). Overall Shadow is the kind of character that can get pushed around all stock but still gain the upper hand if you read where the opponent will be or bait it, and then attack accordingly. Moves like his up b and down smash are great for punishing because of their early kill potential and semi-big hitboxes.

This was my first moveset and I'm very thankful if you've made it all the way here! I have to admit I've been messing around with the idea of making a Shadow set since back in May, but never really organized my thoughts until now. I appreciate all kinds of feedback, praise and criticisms, so I can use those to make a better set next time.
EDIT 2: adjusted image sizes to be smaller and changed alignment so that the images aren't plaguing everyone's screen.

 

[Katapultar]

Spoiler: Judgement

As the first Helltaker set, Judgement is definitely a hype character choice! Willpower is a unique take on the in-game mechanic and reminds me of the Critical 13 mechanic in Nat’s Giovanni set this contest. Making mechanics once-per stock (like Wonderwing) can raise eyebrows, but here it would create a unique dynamic where Judgement could kill REALLY early with a Smash if she times it to hit when the foe’s Willpower is depleted, but at the cost of potentially making herself predictable.

Chains of Sin is a pretty fun and potent Special. If anything, I would make the chains not act as a wall or a platform, maybe only interact with fighters when they’re knocked into it. You can curve these chains and place them in the air or off-stage, after all. If the foe bounces off the chains just by touching them, they’re essentially a more overpowered version of Steve’s blocks for gimping. In fact, Steve is a good(?) reference point for balancing solid constructs: he can’t place his blocks too far off the stage, they don’t last long and he has to mine the resources for them. Of course, Steve came out a good while after Judgement was posted.

If a foe’s willpower is depleted from being smashed through a chain, is the damage and knockback of the move that launched them multiplied? If not, then perhaps knocking the foe through the chain when their willpower would get depleted won’t deplete it, so you don’t waste the buff.

The rock is a nice take on Villager’s Down Special: it would be cool to have more moves with different stages to them based on the condition/growth of a construct on that input. I wonder if the rock’s push could get increased to 2-3 units? Being 1 unit seems a bit short at the moment. Also, can you summon the rock in midair and drop it on enemies ala Pac-Man’s Fire Hydrant? That would certainly let Judgement get use of the bury effect while fighting on an omega stage. Maybe the rock could even not fall through your chains, so it could get set there as a trap (though I’m not sure if traps are really Judgement’s stye character-wise).

Success Warp is a creative take on teleport-style recoveries, similar to Mysterio, basically a “projectile” that shortens your recovery distance if it hits early. It’s certainly odd that the Helltaker himself makes an appearance here, but I got no problem with using existing characters as assists, heck even if said characters already have movesets themselves. Hol Horse and Dragonmaid Hauskee from last contest used assists in their movesets, the latter using 4 characters who all but one had their own movesets in that same contest.

Hell Spikes is another unique Special, one that I/we haven’t seen a lot of in MYM despite there being many, many trap sets. That being a trap that toggles on and off when fighters land. It’s a trap that deals knockback, but that it can be turned on and off by landing and only hits once makes it pretty well-balanced! Maybe they could have a 10 second time-limit or something, but then I assume that you can only have one out at a time. A nice stand-alone move.

(As far as I know, frames 6-8 tend to be quick/average for a (standing) grab in Ultimate. Frame 11 would be getting into ranged grab territory, which would make sense for Judgement given her grab animation. Most tether grabs come out around frame 12-13, or frame 15 if you’re Samus)

The throws have some pretty fun animations! These are generally a great section to show off a character’s personality, something Captain Qwark did really well this contest. And nah, B-throw isn’t too graphic for MYM when sets for horror movie villains exist. I like the historical references of the pictures in the throws, it’s always great when people go and research stuff for their movesets. I also like the animations of the Smashes, especially that U-Smash.

Love that you have voice actresses listed for Judgement.

Judgement’s chains and willpower mechanic give her a lot of potential as a set. Willpower had some good execution here with its input placement, being assigned to stronger moves like the Smashes and U-air which I could see juggling and eventually KO’ing. To really sell the mechanic, it would have been amazing if Judgement had a strong smash (D-Smash, maybe?) that was good by itself but amazing with willpower, and you straight-up gave a really low percent for it to KO (like 30%) if it depleted the foe’s willpower.

The chains would be a strong foundation in a solid moveset. Just one thing: I want to know how they work with Judgement’s moves, and the combos you could pull off with them! You could U-air > U-Smash if you bounced foes back into you from chains placed high above, for instance. With that kind of combo potential, a character like Judgement’s chains would probably be expected to have little-to-no combo potential to balance out the insanity they can pull off with the chains. Thinking about it, perhaps the chains should break in just 2-3 hits instead of 6? Not only would this limit the times you can combo a foe off of them (even if they could tech against the chains), it would make it easier for you to use them to deplete willpower.

Of course, listing all the different combos and ways of using the chain would be pretty advanced as far as setmaking skills go. Don’t sweat it! It’s one of those details you’ll pick up if you moveset for longer, especially if you read other sets and were thinking of voting this contest.

In any case, I did enjoy Judgement! Her Specials and mechanics were promising in a way that you could make a really cool set if their base concepts were applied to their entire kit with great thought and consistency. I heard that you’re going to change the way you approach setmaking after Froy commented Mokou, which is extra promising, you’ve made a lot of sets this contest but haven’t gotten much attention. Whether it’s more Touhou, Dead by Daylights or Helltaker or a new franchise, I’m curious what you’ll whip up next and which direction you’ll go with your franchises.

Spoiler: Mysterio

Mysterio is definitely my favourite set from you so far, Kupa! He actually reminds me a lot of Hol Horse last contest, between his set length, mind-game nature and big emphasis on clarification to sell the main moves across (Hol's Dash Attack for instance VS Mysterio's illusions). In fact, I would say that Mysterio's Neutral Special - the illusions - is a prime example of how clarifying a move/mechanic and just about all of its applications can be to key to selling your concept. And you know what? It paid off here, big time. Case in point: I wasn't actually sure about the illusions, but the balance behind them and the fact that you have to account for an enemy hitting them and potentially ruining the intention of your inputs really sold the Neutral Special.

Also, the player's controller rumbling when they land an attack is something that I myself... never thought about when designing movesets. I only remembered because of this moveset and from getting to play the Switch again for the moment. Still, it's one of those things that's only ever going to come up in this type of elaborate mindgame moveset.

Mysterio also felt more willing to embrace more simple moves like Dash Attack, which felt refreshingly less gimmicky than some of the non-Specials/Smashes in the previous contest. That's not to say there weren't some great moves, even without taking the illusions into account! Up Special was a very unique take on the teleport-style recovery, borrowing a bit from the exploitable elements of PK Thunder. And Jab was an excellent move, possibly my favourite in the set! (After the excellently crafted Neutral Special, I guess) It felt like a proper move while still having some fun unothodox uses beyond say, throwing out a projectile or detonating the foe, I don't think too many Jabs have played around with giving different results based on when you input the second attack. It's usually a tap vs hold case.

While FA greatly enjoyed the F-tilt, Dash Attack was actually one of my favourite moves: a great use of trample priority on a slow but powerful Dash Attack, making great use of the illusions and a move that the foe will fear and expect the illusions to throw out. Beyond that, there were two design aspects of Mysterio that I thought were very clever. The range on Mysterio's attacks helps him be a threat when he's invisible compared to say, if he had less range, making it less likely for him to goof up if the player loses track of his position. The second aspect: this moveset makes very great use of multi-input moves ala Snake's F-tilt or Link's F-Smash. That the set is conscious of what an illusion could be primed to do if say, a foe knocks it out of U-tilt's hit 1 and forces it into a N-air. Those two moves are particularly good in that area, and D-Smash's control scheme is very interesting in being tailored to allowing illusions to easily place down their own traps.

It was also refreshing how simple the later inputs became. Mysterio didn't feel that long despite being a 20k+ read, though he did take over an hour to finish. Most of the moves still feel condensed in a good way like your other sets, which definitely helped.

Bottom line, Mysterio is a masterfully crafted set, currently my favourite this contest and almost up there with Hol Horse for me. As far as your sets go, he feels improved over your MYM22 sets and SkekMal and good step in the right direction, a definitely deserved frontrunner for a potential win. Astounding work, Kupa!

 

[Deleted member]

Ernest Amano is an antagonist from Ace Attorney Investigations, an Ace Attorney spin-off starring Miles Edgeworth. Amano appears primarily in Turnabout Kidnapping, a peculiar case where Amano's son Lance is taken hostage within an amusement park, Bando Land. Amano is extorted for $1,000,000 though to him, that's a measly sum, because Amano is an extraordinarily wealthy man! In fact Amano's great wealth as the CEO of the Amano Group plays a pivotal role in the conspiracy that wraps around the entire plot of the game. Without getting into any unnecessary spoilers here, Amano's seemingly infinite wealth and connections - even being an old friend of Manfred von Karma - make him a vital player in the criminal Smuggling Ring organization. [If you want to watch a full playthrough of the case, here's a currently active link.]

Mr. Amano at first befriends Miles Edgeworth because of his friendship with Manfred von Karma, Edgeworth's mentor, though by this time Manfred is long since incarcerated. Mr. Amano's initially likable persona as a passive and doting father helps sweeten the deal, though he has an odd obsession with money. Edgeworth agrees to help rescue Amano's kidnapped son from within Bando Land. Bando Land is an amusement park based around the Blue Badger and his badger cohorts, who play a surprisingly critical role in the case. As the case develops, it takes a shocking turn: Lance Amano is discovered, but a corpse is also found. It's also revealed that Lance Amano is a spoiled and hysterical brat. Eventually with help from both Kay Faraday and her tech gadgets and Gumshoe's detective work, Edgeworth discovers the diabolical truth: Lance staged the kidnapping to extort money from his own father. In the midst of the plot, Lance and another co-conspirator got into a fight and Lance shot the man to death. This only becomes clearer as the case progresses. This is despite Lance's girlfriend trying to frame herself for the murder.

The case doesn't end there however, as Amano desperately tries to defend his son by any means necessary. Amano's personality truly comes to shine here, as he is not only unimaginably rich, but incredibly manipulative. Amano successfully manipulates the situation by appealing to Edgeworth's rival on the scene, Agent Lang, to simply "obey the laws." At the same time he has a powerful way of calming the situation by saying "Now, Now, Now" and waving his hands, that seems to somehow always de-escalate the argument. Amano's vast connections means he has friends in high places and at various points, brings up signed documents from the Chief of Police and the park owner. In perhaps his most impressive and devious move of all, Amano buys the entire Mirror House plot of land where the murder took place, negotiating with the park owner when Edgeworth is arguing with Agent Lang and Lance Amano. After Edgeworth requests to search the Mirror House again, Amano simply denies the request. The case would have ended right there if not for Kay's ridiculously sci-fi device that replicated the attraction site to investigate.

At the finale of the case Edgeworth manages to prove that due to the way the murder took place, it could only be Lance, who breaks down in tears saying he's sorry. Lance claims the murder was only self-defence as he was attacked by the victim. When the police come to arrest Lance, Agent Lang tells them to arrest Mr. Amano too. A visibly nervous Amano finally cuts his son loose and says they should only arrest him, causing Lance to collapse from the stress. Agent Lang points out that Mr. Amano had tampered with both evidence and the murder scene to help cover for his son. Amano and his son are arrested, but not before a kerfuffle with a prosecutor claiming to be sent by the Chief of Police, again showing Amano's reach. Agent Lang just ignores this and arrests them anyway, thanking Edgeworth for giving him legitimate reasons to take in Amano, who he was investigating for his links to a certain Smuggling Ring.

Weight: Well Nourished 116 (Super Heavyweight, tied with Incineroar)
Size: Portly Businessman (Simon height, roughly as wide as Wario)
Walk Speed: A Leisurely 1.617 (51st, tied with Olimar)
Run Speed: Out Of Breath 1.48 (70th, tied with Isabelle)
Air Speed: Buoyant 1.277 (8th, above Wario)
Fall Speed: Middle-Of-The-Road 1.65 (Average, tied for 29-34th with various others)
Initial Dash: Front Heavy 2.09 (Above Average, tied for 17-23rd with DK and various others)
Gravity: Low (he's fat)

Size comparison chart here. These statistics can be found here.

Ernest Amano is what you'd expect out of a non-fighter in his native series: he's on the lower end of the super heavyweight spectrum clocking in at the very end, despite a life of gourmet foods. He's not extraordinarily tall but fairly wide, having a wide middle but a normal human in any other way. Simon is hunched over keep in mind, while Amano stands up straight most of the time. His stomach points out enough to make it an issue, while his arms are held behind his robe out of harm's way, giving him a strangely pertinent ability to dodge some low or high-hitting attacks by pure accident. He's painfully slow as a runner but has a half-decent initial dash and walk speed, must be all those expensive yoga classes. Amano's walk is a measured and confident stride that is not half bad, while his initial dash, a clumsy leaning forward rush, leads into a more unsurprising slow run where Amano barely waddles faster than his walk resembling the old man Ganondorf of Brawl and Smash 4.

In the air, Amano's rotund figure helps to keep him afloat and move around at an impressive speed, beating out most of the cast in fact! What goes up must come down and Amano is largely average when it comes to fall speed, his low fall speed means he definitely fits into the floaty archetype. To get into the air, Amano's jumps are as awkward as you would expect: Amano extends his arms and legs far and wide, netting him two very average jumps but losing the innate advantage of his fat gut when flailing his arms to gain height in the air. Mr. Amano’s rolls are a funny little shuffle back and forth as he visibly sweats from the exercise. His jump animations somewhat resemble another Capcom character who also had an affinity for lances, though less ghoulish. This is Amano's parry animation. All KO percents will be from the middle of FD on a midweight unless stated otherwise.

Overall Amano doesn't excel but he may be okay if he doesn't have anything else to drag down his playstyle...

Enter Lance Amano, Ernest Amano's beloved son. Just as in the game, Amano and his child are inseparable, and the loving family duo fight alongside each other! In fact, Amano himself allows his son to fight on his behalf much in the same way as Captain Olimar and his Pikmin, commanding Lance to perform attacks while Amano cheers on his brilliantly talented offspring. Lance will attack regardless of where he is on stage. Mr. Amano's specials are always the same regardless of Lance but on many inputs, Mr. Amano needs Lance around, otherwise he is forced to fight on his own and will use his own attacks when Lance is unavailable! This should strike terror into the hearts of enemies. This is unlike Olimar's moveset that never changes and whose smashes, four of his aerials and his grab game do nothing without Pikmin. Lance can be incapacitated for far longer than a Pikmin and Mr. Amano has more problems than Olimar picking up the slack, so he needs the wiggle room. Mr. Amano may command Lance only when he isn’t being attacked/isn’t suffering any form of knockback, and this means he can order attacks while he himself is attacking! Giving orders for attacks will have Mr. Amano give a signal, though this is largely seamless with no additional lag for Lance. When Lance is in lag or is stunned by attacks his father is unaffected and will then use his own set. Mr. Amano will sweat profusely if he has to use his own attacks at any given moment as a visual cue for players. Lance himself acts like a normal character so can easily be caught by the foe's combos when mismanaged like a poorly run pyramid scheme.

Lance does follow Amano around as closely as he can, but this doesn’t mean he can’t be found a little out of position, and he does follow behind Amano too though this can be manipulated by simply rolling backwards, putting Lance in front. Lance will try to get back behind Amano as soon as he can by walking towards Amano and has his own little roll he performs similar to Amano’s to get back there. Must be a genius strategic move. Lance will move ahead of his father when commanded to attack unless stated otherwise, attacking from directly in front of his father, this being what mostly happens in a match. This will leave him in front of Amano for the time being and he will not attempt to get back behind his father as long as he's attacking, so just one attack puts Mr. Amano in the clear. Amano can be attacked too and this will not interrupt Lance, but attacking Lance does not add to Amano's damage percent, so it's best for Mr. Amano to not get involved in a damaging conflict. Lance will follow Mr. Amano into the air closely like a Pikmin too, following a good bit closer than on the ground for aerials. Lance Amano still is wearing the handcuffs from The Kidnapped Turnabout. The handcuffs are largely only for show; Lance will casually take them off to cover his brow and idly look around at his surroundings and curiously pull them around. Lance has an inquisitive mind.

Lance is a little taller than his father but much, much thinner. When he walks or runs around he seems to be slowing his movement to not show up his aging, very healthy elder, to outsiders this may appear to be dragging his feet. Despite all of the love in the world Amano's many scientific investments, Lance still is only human and thus will collapse after taking 50% damage, having a set 50HP.

Lance will follow Mr. Amano along but has regular ledge grabbing mechanics too while not occupying any space for regular characters. This is similar to the Ice Climbers. Lance can be used to block projectiles and other attacks for Mr. Amano, but this doesn't achieve much - Lance will just be wasted away quicker and Amano has no great means to take advantage of such camping! On top of that Lance does take regular knockback at the same rate as Chrom at 0%. It's impossible to KO Lance off stage as he simply appears back besides Amano when he hits a blast zone, how wonderful that he won’t ever leave his family’s side! Lance falls at the speed of Falcon and if he falls for over 3 seconds away from the match he will mysteriously appear back next to Amano. When Lance is down for the count, it's time for the great Mr. Amano himself to fight by himself!

That's right! Like Popo, Amano is too much of a strong man and has spent many American dollars on not just hamburgers, but self defence class! He abandons his neutral stance to fight foes alone when Lance is incapacitated. Amano has a full moveset of attacks, though his grab and specials are unchanged and function the same regardless of Lance. This set is truly impressive stuff and you will see for yourself that Mr. Amano is a top tier character without his various mechanics. For better or worse, Lance cannot be hit when he collapses and will get back up on his feet to continue the battle after 8 seconds! This fully restores his HP back to 50HP. You can stay down son, I've got this one.

Lance Amano has a specific mechanic that is extremely understandable for someone under the level of pressure he has with the expectations of his father hanging over his head. He's an extremely important part of Amano's whole operation! Lance has a Stress Meter that will naturally increase over the course of the match, unless certain conditions are met that will be talked about later. The Stress Meter is above Amano's own HUD icon, that's how important it is!

For every quarter the stress meter fills, Lance becomes agitated under the great strain of being in the match. This causes all his moves to gain a single frame of start-up lag extra, growing to 2 frames at a half filled stress meter and caps at 3 frames once it hits the three-quarters mark as shown. A few frames isn’t a huge issue, and strangely helps because of another mechanic up Mr. Amano’s sleeve. The visual for this is like Rage and builds up as stress goes up: anxious visual effects such as comical giant sweat drops, a minor throbbing red hue around his hurtbox and the more subtle Rage effects.

When I talk about the Stress Meter I am going to use percents and they will be coloured red. Lance will naturally build stress at a rate of 1% a second, so that means 1% of the total meter. Lance loses stress for an equivalent 1% every second he isn’t in use, and we’ll get to that later. Any attack Amano performs that uses Lance causes him a great deal of stress, adding another 3% to the meter on its own. Over 100 seconds Lance automatically fills the meter! When the meter does fill up completely the thermometer will begin to burst and explode. Lance will have a breakdown, stopping in place and going into a long animation to let off all of the stress as he cries out to the foe and Mr. Amano that he's sorry!

You are encouraged to shed a tear for Lance if you have any empathy. This takes 8 seconds and another 4 seconds before Lance manages to compose himself and return to helping his father. As you'd expect, being hit by the foe will carry its own penalty of 2% added to the meter, multihits do not count. Naturally when Lance is under such stress and having a breakdown, he can't exactly be expected to help Amano, and so Mr. Amano - not that he needs Lance's help mind you - will fight on his own too, just like when Lance has collapsed after a hard fight from losing all his HP. When Lance returns to the fight, he will begin again with 0 stress, but maintains the same HP. The foe can interrupt Lance’s breakdown simply by attacking him and Lance can collapse from 0HP still, potentially creating a horrific combo of stress -> losing HP so that he’s out for a potential 20 seconds! If the foe doesn’t outright KO Lance or do considerable damage this can be bad however as it still reduces Lance’s stress to nothing, almost as if Lance was only crying crocodile tears...

Being attacked by the foe is one thing... but causing his son stress is not so easily forgiven! Amano will become enraged and max out his Rage for the duration of Lance's breakdown! Amano effectively is set to 150% until his son returns to action, at which point he will go back to normal, seemingly non-plussed by his son's return but that is only for gameplay purposes. This isn't a huge advantage at high percents but Lance is so strong and competent there surely can't be much left to do when he's downed for a well-deserved cry. This isn't all a positive as it means the foe will be hit further away, making some follow-ups harder, but will help in desperate situations where Solo Amano has to close the deal on a tough fought match. There is even more to talk about Lance and his many talents that are central to Amano's playstyle. Any good Amano player has to have strong interpersonal skills to manage Lance's stress and not make him work too hard, thankfully that's all made easier by the power of money!

Neutral Special: Buy the Badger Patrol

Amano takes out a fat stack of cash from his belt of money and examines it momentarily, sadly counting out well earned dividends he's about to sacrifice, before holding them over his head! The money is covered in a flash of green circular lights to tell you this is some important cash. This is a very quick animation taking just 10 frames. In an instant, a Badger is summoned!

By Badger I of course mean one of the four Badgers from the Bando Land group of four mascots! These men or women in suits are all around the park and represent the popular mascots of the Police Department, now turned into an amusement park attraction’s gaggle of cartoonish characters. Just as in Turnabout Kidnapping, the numerous Badger outfits now come into play, Amano must have bought off the staff who run the park or simply paid goons to wear the outfits to hide their true identity. In either case, Amano’s fat wad of cash disappears as he returns to his ho-hum idle stance, with a follower Badger appearing at his side. The Badger immediately takes the place of Lance with Lance following closely behind. They are very similar proportions to Lance only slightly wider because of their costumes, varying negligibly if at all depending on the Badger.

Lance and the badger will attack in unison like the Ice Climbers, a very chaotic duet that can be far more oppressive than Lance on his own. They will bunch up as tight as the Ice Climbers when together, and the way they attack is very comparably free form, attacking if and when available or ignoring orders when hit too far from Mr. Amano. The Badgers are for all intents and purposes a replacement Lance, who has clearly suffered enough stress, even at the very start of the match! Lance will as long as a Badger is around only take 1% of stress every 2 seconds. Lance does still follow along behind the Badger who follows Mr. Amano, but is no longer in the stressful leading man position, preferring to take a back seat - like father like son? What’s important here is that Mr. Amano can easily roll behind the Badger, who unlike Lance, will make no attempt to get back in front by rolling behind Amano or even walk towards him, making him into a meat shield important ally. The two attack and walk next to each other like the Ice Climbers unless actively separated by Mr. Amano or the foe. Another very important detail is that when a Badger and Lance are around, this gives Mr. Amano two characters to command. This means more often than not at least one will be available to use for attacks, drastically reducing how much Mr. Amano has to directly engage in the battle with his own attacks.

The combination of the two naturally makes for much bigger hitboxes and stronger attacks. Stress comes into play here too as Lance’s slightly slower moves become surprisingly useful because they are now slower than the hired help, who have no Stress meter, so will always attack at the default speed. Lance can be desynched easily if he has quarter-filled stress or higher giving him a slight buffer after the Badger, leading to harder to dodge patterns of attack when the two are attacking together, ignoring how they can be desynched by the foe’s attacks or other factors. Mr. Amano can also stand in-between them or manipulate their position to create very dynamic attack patterns, wholly by existing! Just like sitting on a big fat 401. This makes the Badger a truly mean addition to the team. Once the Badger is down though, it’s back to Lance and Mr. Amano, or possibly Mr. Amano on his own.

The Badgers have a largely identical moveset but like Pikmin have slightly different properties. The way a Badger is summoned works a bit like Olimar's Pikmin, only Amano has a much smaller limit of only 1 Badger alongside Lance, and if Lance is incapacitated, Amano can’t summon a second! Lance and the Badger attack at the same time too and work in a largely identical way to the Ice Climbers, doubling up on their attacks. In comparison to the ICers, Lance and the Badger are a lot more powerful but the Badger is much easier to KO. Amano on his own is debatably as strong as a solo Popo! ...Wait, I guess that's not so great. Mr. Amano would very much prefer to have allies get their hands dirty over his own. While Lance or a Badger alone with Mr. Amano varies at times from mediocre to decent, the two together being conducted by the strategic genius Mr. Amano is a scary prospect, even scarier than the Mirror House. It's not all mattress money and boat rides in Bando Land river for Mr. Amano when he does get his two allies - Lance requires a good deal of micromanagement and the Badgers vary from weak to okay durability.

When Amano summons another Badger and has one out already, Amano can replace his current one, but this takes a good 30 frames on top of the existing lag for Mr. Amano to angrily shoo away the apparently worthless Badger who glumly turns from the screen, holds a paw to its crying eyes and dissipates. It’s instead better to wait for the Badger to be KO’d. How long that takes depends on the particular badger. Each badger shares the same loose handcuffs as Lance. There’s no surprise that Amano surrounds himself by the criminal class, he’s just trying to help them find a different path in life! As said already, Mr. Amano will not attack himself when Lance and a Badger are available together, now acting more like Captain Olimar and merely commanding them.

The type of Badger summoned is randomized but the initial move can be charged to further increase the chance of a stronger Badger being summoned. Amano thumbs through more of his precious money to spend, bidding for higher paid employees. He is also something of a gambling man though, so he’s not averse to trying for a high risk strategy with a low investment! At higher charges/more money, the move will completely lock out the weaker Badgers! Amano can charge the move for up to 50 frames. Now, now, now, blame your bad luck you were not chosen!

First up is the Proto Badger. This Badger is, well, the very first, and easily the weakest having only 15HP. Once the Badgers are reduced in health to zero, they collapse over like a mascot just punched in the gut and dissipate after curling up in the fetal position. What a waste… of money! Proto Badger is a little taller than Lance and has a much bigger head, so is an easy target for foes, but this is something all the Badgers have in common. The head is roughly the size of Dedede’s. Proto Badger’s animations are a bit more comical and docile than the other Badgers, because he’s obviously “the dumb one.” The Proto Badger will be summoned at a higher chance the lower the charge, at no charge he is summoned 60% of the time. Once charge reaches 21 frames however, he is locked out. Largely the other Badgers will get their moment in the spotlight once the previous Badger is priced out of the market, and until they are locked out, every other Badger largely has the remaining chance split evenly, always starting at a high of roughly 60% for the lowliest character (Proto->Blue->Pink->Bad).

Next up is the Blue Badger who while an improvement on the Proto Badger, it’s not a big improvement. He has a bulkier 20HP of health. The Blue Badger is not quite the wimp of Proto Badger and thus does 1.05x the damage and knockback, a significant improvement offensively (numbers in the set simply need to be multiplied). The Blue Badger is a lot more serious than the Proto Badger… but it still a man in a Badger suit, so largely “serious” means a more comical version of Captain Falcon, as he tries to stay somewhat in character. A perk of the Blue Badger is his idle animation: he bobs his head left and right in reference to the dance performed by the original Blue Badger, designed by Detective Dick Gumshoe! This serves no purpose other than lowering Lance’s stress by 2% a second that he is in view of the Blue Badger. It is quite a soothing dance. Fittingly the Blue Badger’s major gimmick, being that he is of justice, is that when sweetspots are involved his tend to be larger or stronger! He becomes the likeliest to be summoned from 20-30 frames, but at 31 frames is locked out alongside the Proto Badger.

Next in line is the sole female member of the group, the Pink Badger. She is an even sturdier 24HP, which is a good bargain considering there is a chance she’ll drop at no charge at all! She’s the most innocent of the bunch in her animations, though when damaged is a lot less willing to play her part, quickly dropping the act when herself being hit by foes or during the attacks all the Amano minions share. Her differentiating trait is that the weapons she uses tend to be the tackiest of the group and usually have a larger or more specialized hitbox. The Pink Badger shows up 60% of the time once the Blue Badger is excluded until the money is charged for 41 frames, then locking her, and all the other Badgers out of the running! This leaves only the last and baddest of all badger kind…

The villainous Bad Badger is saved for last and you can just tell from his evil goatee and sunglasses that he means business. In terms of his body he largely is identical to the Blue Badger only having a different head. He clocks in at an impressive 28HP, a far cry from the 15HP of the Proto Badger. The Bad Badger has this obviously evil air about him, at least when he’s not being attacked, striding around the stage as if he owns it! What a sickening villain, Mr. Amano must be making an exception in this case, he’d never help out an evil doer! The Bad Badger always carries a gun, and this extends any melee hitboxes using his right hand to include the gun as a pistol whip hitbox. The Bad Badger like the Pink Badger has a few of his own evil-themed props that he’ll bring out that deal excessive damage and he is certainly Amano’s favourite. Opposites attract I suppose.

The Badgers on the face of it may not seem intuitive. Why replace such a competent character as Lance? In truth, like his father, Lance does not need to get as involved directly in such affairs and is better suited to more of a bystander role, so that he can contribute to the team’s victory in his own way. Most of the match Amano should aim to at least have one Badger out to stop Lance being wasted. However a foe who aggressively attacks Amano will force him to summon the weakest Badgers and at best gamble on getting the stronger ones. None of the Badgers are particularly bad, though the Proto Badger is much less sturdy than the Bad Badger, all sharing largely the same moveset. Nonetheless Amano must adapt his playstyle slightly as luck will likely decide on which mascot characters joins his side!

Side Special: Buy the Badger Mobile

Amano gestures towards Lance in the reverse of his iconic “Now, Now, Now” motion with his hands, raising them rather than lowering them and not saying a word. Lance looks shocked for a moment knowing what his father requests as the Badger Mobile is summoned around him, with Lance in the driving seat!

The Badger Mobile is a vehicle roughly the width of Wario’s bike and as tall as Luigi, with Lance sat in the driver’s seat. The Badger Mobile takes a solid 20 frames to summon and an aggravated Lance immediately puts his foot on the accelerator the moment it appears! The Badger Mobile careens forward at a good clip, a little faster Wario's bike at its top speed. Lance can barely keep control of the Badger Mobile either despite being a talented driver, driving wildly across the stage! This is much like the bad driving of Kapp’n and his bus in the assist trophy, and really, it’s a sight to behold.

The main attack of the Badger Mobile is in fact very similar to Kapp’n – any foes hit by the top of the Badger Mobile (above the front where the wheels are) will be grabbed and tossed in the back, where they are seen scrambling to escape pushed up against the crammed mobile designed for badgers, not humans! The foe has to mash out at a much more lenient rate than that of the Kapp’n assist trophy, a little easier than the assist trophy at regular grab difficulty while taking 1% damage 4 times a second. When he catches a foe, Lance will continue driving wildly until he hits the edge where he swerves wildly to avoid going off the cliff edge, the Badger Mobile falls over and collapses into pieces, as the proud honking horn of the Badgers plays one last time. The foe is launched for 12% damage at a straight diagonal angle able to KO from 130%. This happens when the foe successfully mashes out too. While the foe is in the mobile they can still be attacked by Amano to rack even more damage, making the ending knockback that much more powerful. If the foe is dealt strong knockback, enough to activate the red scar effect, they'll be hit out of the mobile!

If Lance does not catch a foe, he will instead turn the mobile around once he hits an edge and make a u-turn, going the opposite direction. If he fails to hit a foe again Lance will jump from the mobile entirely and let the mobile go off the next edge. Mr. Amano will quickly point to the mobile telling Lance to do it independently, if Lance is already driving the mobile. Lance will quickly return to Mr. Amano’s side, though it may not be a complete loss. When falling the Badger Mobile becomes a powerful hitbox that spikes for 20% damage over its entire hurtbox, while losing its grab hitbox. However for as long as it’s on-screen and then 10 seconds after it hits a blast zone, Mr. Amano will try to summon it before getting all nervous momentarily as it’s not available! This goes for when the mobile collapses too. But I thought I paid for several hundred of those?

The Badger Mobile does have another hitbox at its wheels and front where it will not grab foes but instead drag them along for a constant 1% damage 6 times a second and then a 10th hit for 10% damage, to KO from 115% at a semi spike. This means the mobile will only keep dragging the foe along for 100 frames, just under two seconds, before launching them away. This can be very powerful if catching a foe next to the ledge. If Lance does reach a ledge too early though, this will just cause Lance to turn around, so unlike the grab hitbox it's better to hit the foe long before hitting the ledge or just at the right time to avoid going too far. As the mobile makes two passes when not grabbing a foe, this can hit twice, or potentially hit the first trip before grabbing the foe the second, setting up a trap!

Arguably the most threatening aspect of the Badger Mobile is how it punishes foes who try to dodge it or Amano in general as they will dodge the initial 18% damage hitbox of the mobile, but then get hit by the grab hitbox, which is far more dangerous! Even if not high enough to take them all the way to the edge, this can easily set up a follow up by Mr. Amano and a Badger, at low percents even setting up potential juggles. On the bright side for foes, the Badger Mobile is not exactly a tank, and was bought for bulk, not sturdiness. It only has 20HP and will explode in place when dealt this much damage, dealing Lance 20% damage as it happens and stunning him for a moment.

Lance will continuously take 3% Stress every second he drives the Badger Mobile, risking his life driving a dangerous vehicle for his father! If Lance does reach max 100% Stress as he drives the mobile, he will start to have his breakdown in the middle of it! This makes him lose control and will drive the mobile off the stage even with the foe! The foe will now have to mash out or be carried off stage potentially all the way to the blast zone. This not only destroys the Badger Mobile, but means when Lance respawns he also collapses in place! This option is quite high risk high reward, as it puts Lance in immense danger as well, something Amano would never naturally want to do… However, though this is below Mr. Amano’s high morality, it is possible to time a breakdown to take the foe off-stage for a last ride. This is between Lance and the foe after all, it’s only fair he take his punishment!

Lance specifically will always be chosen to do the move, even when a Badger is present. This is because Lance is taken out of the match effectively as long as he is in the Badger Mobile, only taking hits to his Stress unless the mobile explodes. If Lance is having a breakdown or collapsed from losing all his HP, Amano will use his Badger instead, but he only has one Badger Mobile at a time! If he's already destroyed it, he can't use it with a Badger right away. Keep in mind that both in this case and when Lance is out solo, this leaves Mr. Amano forced to use his regular set without any allies! When the Pink Badger is used she gets a special Pink Badger Mobile purely as a visual difference. Mr. Amano spared no expense.

The Badger Mobile is a crucial part of Mr. Amano’s game plan as it can singlehandedly catch foes out and OHKO them in some cases, however it has a long start up and uses up many of Amano’s resources, both his allies, his own moveset as a result and the mobile itself can easily be destroyed. He has to use the mobile to distract or overwhelm. By using his Badgers and Lance he can force the foe into being hit by either of its powerful hitboxes, or combo the foe out of being hit. He can also take advantage of his son’s stressful hard work ethic, to get something out of a breakdown and force the mobile off stage. The mobile falls at a low arc so can catch foes already hit far off stage, considering the start up this is perfect for gimp attempts!

Down Special: Now, Now, Now

Amano raises and lowers his hands three times in quick succession, saying “Now, Now, Now” in a slow and convincing, confident, calming manner. A strange aura surrounds Amano for the move of little money stacks dancing around in the background. The motion is emphatic enough that the first two gestures each deal a light 1% to foes and will combo into the next. The third hit however deals for some reason 5% damage and higher knockback, knocking foes away to KO radially at... 300%, so still not particularly strong. In game, this motion is powerful enough to make the screen shake, which may hint at the incredibly manipulative power of Amano’s argumentative skills! “Now, Now, Now” has a few variants that Amano chooses from, including “There, There, There” and a combination of the two words, “There, Now, Now" based on his in-game dialogue.

This move has several important functions that will mean that “Now, Now, Now” is a key part of Amano’s strategy. The first is that it has the same ability as Olimar's Whistle down special to bring both Lance and any Badger back to Amano’s side immediately once it’s used, summoning them behind his back. This does not work if they are in the Badger Mobile. There is no way to desync Amano’s various minions as easily as Rosalina’s Luma, but this move works wonders if one of the two is still in the middle of an attack as they cannot be interrupted while summoning back the free one, same going for when they're in hitstun. Amano besides that use of the move can easily separate the two just by putting one of the two in harm's way and unlike Olimar he finds it much harder to summon new ones, with Lance being irreplaceable, so bringing them back to his side is an important utility.

This can change the order of Lance/Badger, but Lance will always hang back behind the Badger if he's available. By default they will both be behind Amano. By pressing the direction behind Amano as he reorganizes his group, he will place Lance/Badger in front, while Lance is behind if he is available. If only Lance or a Badger is available they will instead be placed in the back. By pressing in front of Amano, both Lance and the Badger will be put in front of Amano, though Lance will continue to try and get behind his father when he can! This will put a solo Lance or Badger in front too if they're by themselves. Pressing down Amano will seem to calm himself with deep breathing, causing a comical Wii Fit Trainer-like circle of energy to automatically close in on a money-green circle around him instead. This is a fast motion, as while it can be interrupted, it can be cancelled early on and has the same effect - this sets Amano so that he will refuse to use any of his own solo set! This means that Amano is a bit more vulnerable, but any mistakes made from inputting his own solo set and going into lag will be avoided, a must for beginner Amano players. This resets upon using the move again, Amano being KO'd or his allies all being KO'd.

The second use is that when used in range of Lance – Lance looking at Amano within 2x Disable’s range front or back – its calming effects will reduce Lance’s Stress. Each motion will reduce Lance’s stress by 11% so overall the entire move will heal the Stress Meter by 33%. For every motion Lance's delay from the stress - be it 0 frames at under a quarter of meter or higher - will be frozen for 5 seconds and ignore any further meter added, so that Mr. Amano's set up becomes more consistent. If Lance is left idle he will let out a calming sigh. The entire move takes around a second, so this is considerable investment for only a third of a bar, best saved for when Amano is not under any of his own pressure!

An important detail to note that is most relevant to say now is that Amano will summon his allies back to him almost immediately when he does the first motion, and will only say the quote after that. At that early point, Amano can cancel out of the move by pressing any other button, so it’s far more useful than it sounds purely for summoning back his allies. This is relevant to say now as when Amano summons back Lance he will automatically be in range for a “Now, Now, Now” pep talk. Sadly the Badgers do not get any benefit from “Now, Now, Now” – maybe they can’t see the relaxing hand motions from within their costume?

The foe however is the final piece of the puzzle, and shows the terrifying powers of “Now, Now, Now!” Any foe hit by the attack or in view of the hand motions by the same 2x Disable range of Amano will have their Rage reduced, by an equivalent 11% for each motion performed! The visual effects of Rage are also dialled down to show this, giving an indicator to the foe what happened. Whether out of confusion or because Amano’s manipulation really is that strong, this is not long-lasting, the foe’s Rage will build back up to wherever it was after 12 seconds. This can’t be stacked but can be refreshed by landing the move again. This appeasing of the foe helps Amano’s already heavy weight to survive that much longer at high percents, but can be a negative as foes will combo him at lower percents and because of that this can be more of a flashy option or merely a disrespect. Now, now, now, Amano would never willingly disrespect his opponent, he can hardly help it if the foe's player becomes offended.

Up Special: Buy the Recovery​

Amano’s recovery differs depending on if Lance/Badgers are at his side. If he has no one, Amano will desperately claw at the air over his head as he gets little distance into the air grabbing at stray dollar bills. This desperation attack 5 constant hits of 3% damage launching the foe away weakly at the end, the whole move has super armour and low start up. This has considerable range and lingers long enough to catch foes trying to land. Amano is exhausted after this unseemly desperation move and will enter a fast fall in the air after performing the attack, rotating around and around as he faces the screen, this does greatly increase his already good air speed and lowers his fall speed a little bit. The fast fall can ever be used to recover though the foe can easily punish this when Amano is recovering high, so is largely not a good idea other than as a mix up.

This recovery travels around 3/4s the distance of Ganondorf’s Dark Dive in a similarly linear diagonal angle. The last hit will hit foes away to vertically KO at 150%. Amano will snap to ledge, so it’s not quite as bad as Little Mac, though it is considerably worse than Olimar’s recovery that gets better when he has less Pikmin. This is a huge negative for why Amano doesn’t want to lose his allies. It isn’t the easiest recovery to gimp in the game, but it’s very linear.

When Lance, a solo Badger or the two of them are next to Amano, he instead tosses a big wad of cash over his head. The cash explodes letting all the cash fall down around Amano This has the same start-up as the regular move. Amano doesn't jump for it, instead Lance, the Badger or both will jump up in the air and scramble for the cash! Blue Badger, this doesn’t seem to help the cause of justice at all! Amano grabs on to the lower legs of his allies and is carried upwards. This goes 2x as far as his normal move when just Lance or 1 Badger is involved, and the damage is increased. Lance/Badgers deal 5 hits of 4% damage instead, and the last hit will KO vertically from 130%! At the end of the move Amano will not enter helpless and his allies return to his side. Amano and his allies gain super armour though Mr. Amano enters the same fast fall at the end of the move, despite not doing anything, it's a taxing manoeuvre for all involved.

When Lance and a Badger are available next to Amano, they will both scramble in the air, creating a massive hitbox above them that deals the same damage but over a longer time, dealing 7 hits instead for up to 28% damage if the foe is hit from the start. The fact it takes longer means it’s easier to hit Amano, however it carries him an excellent 2.5x the distance of the normal move and much better horizontal distance too and it still ledge snaps. The two allies cover a much larger range too. The solo Amano/single ally character doing the move is comparable to an average uair’s range, but the two together is a huge amount of coverage, making it a decent offensive move and it no longer sends Amano into a free fall. It’s still a bad idea out of shield or if it whiffs as the foe can easily do a massive punish if Amano goes above them as the move now lasts longer with two allies. As it doesn't send Amano into a free fall he can now abuse it to attack foes while his Badger and son recalibrate lower. So kind of you to take a hit.

Forward Smash: Pre-Emptive Fireworks​

Amano makes a gun gesture with his hand and pokes it forward harmlessly, this signals to Lance to take out his own tacky looking gun and shoot out 3 explosives! Lance would never carry a real gun after all, he's no criminal! Lance has a shaky grip on the gun and tries to carefully aim it forward over the charge, before firing forward 3 separate fireworks that shoot forward and explode in small circular hitboxes at different points. These points are set just in front and then a Kirby width forward two times, getting higher and higher. Any foe caught by a firework will be stunned in place and carried forward, almost guaranteed to be hit by the third and final explosion. The first 2 fireworks deal 3% damage with the last dealing 5% damage and able to KO from 140% at a largely flat angle. The angle makes it a strong anti-air move if a foe tries to recover high, nice as Mr. Amano does not have the best off-stage gimps. Visually the gun is branded after the Blue Badger and the explosions resemble the Duck Hunt Dog's tacky smashes, causing a cartoonish explosion full of confetti when they go off. The different Badgers have their own specially branded guns coloured and themed after their characters - that you can buy at your local toy store! - the explosions instead are shaped to look like the specific Badger's own face. This may not look threatening but does have the same power. These explosions are disjointed hitboxes and so cannot be reflected.

The attack has the same start up of Duck Hunt Dog's fsmash, which is not bad, but not great, and slightly longer end lag. This means that Mr. Amano may very well have to use his own attacks if it whiffs as the foe will have plenty of time to counter and go after him or his allies. The attack deals a respectable 11% but this can be doubled up to deal 22% when the two allies of Mr. Amano shoot their guns at the same time. When shot at the same time the guns may overlap and deal an intimidating amount of hitstun with the 6 hits over a short period of time and goofy amounts of hitlag for a kiddy prop. This is important as the move on its own has the same issue as Duck Hunt Dog's fsmash - not totally reliable to combo into the last hit, especially when the foe is not at KO percent yet. When two of the attack came out at once however the foe will always be hit into the last regardless, with increased power on top of it! By comparison the Duck Hunt Dog's fsmash deals 17% uncharged when all 3 hits land, so 22% is a considerable power-up on the laughing dog's infamously unreliable smash.

Mr. Amano can angle the move down or up. A down angle will cause all the hits to track along the ground ensuring he hits even a crouching Puff or Kirby with the later explosions, though deals 1% less for each hit and has a bit weaker KO power. This will change the angle to be a pure semi spike like the DHD fsmash is so can be better used to push foes off stage and has a little more reliability to combo than the normal angle, it obviously can be easily jumped over. The up angle instead pushes the angles higher up so that by the end, they're up to Mr. Amano's own head, and this angles the knockback to be more vertical at a almost diagonal angle. This has the same power nerf as the down angle, and is better suited for setting up juggles or when fighting floaty characters.

One big distinction from its inspiration is that charging the move technically does also extend the range, but in this case by adding more of the early explosions. This ranges from 1-3 further explosions, this can push the foe up to another 1-3 Kirby widths as a result before being hit by the final explosion! The earlier explosions are however marginally smaller and deal less damage, 0.5% less for each additional explosion, dealing 2.5%, 2% and finally 1.5% each respectively for the longer charged versions. This ends up making the fsmash deal 15%, 17% and 14%, strangely scaling so that the strongest fsmash deals less damage overall. This isn't all bad however, as the move's final knockback is not nerfed nor is the final explosion's power, and on lighter foes, actually helps the reliability a little to not push the foe out of range! This makes the longest charge version surprisingly the best and strongest for pushing the foe the furthest before being launched and makes it the most reliable.

This is a fun move to throw out with both Lance and a Badger available due to its amazing range, coverage and how it will helps Mr. Amano's game plan. When desynched or in different positions Mr. Amano can focus his fire on a specific part of the stage to pressure foes, but it is a bit of a risky move because of its lag and leaving Amano vulnerable. When the Badger Mobile is out on stage it's a great move to put out to catch the foe and try to get them hit by the mobile either by forcing them to avoid the fireworks or by directly comboing them into the mobile as it passes by.

The Bad Badger is not one to trifle with and instead of taking out the gun all the others do, he takes out the real gun! He must have inspected every suspicious-looking nook and cranny before resorting to this extreme measure. The Badger takes aim the same as before but instead of an explosion simply shoots bullets where the explosion would've taken place that deal 4% each. The final hit deals slightly more knockback than usual, with the angle being opposite to the angle shot, so semi spike by default and diagonally up or down for those angles, and will be the dominant angle when doubled up with Lance! The set 4% hitbox will be duplicated with longer charge so that theoretically, the Blue Badger could deal up to 24% on his own, however with maximum charge the Badger's shots are even less reliable than the move normally and he will always miss up to 3 shots while comboing the foe for the other times. He must not have gone to the shooting range as Mr. Amano suggested. While the scattershot inaccuracy of the Blue Badger is bad, it does lead to more chaotic hitbox that are harder to jump or dodge around as each bullet will be shot over a Final Destination range before dissipating instead of being an explosion. This makes it a good alternative for hitting into the Badger Mobile, among many other potential combos. He really is a bad badger.

Mr. Amano gets his first solo set move here and it's a very impressive one - a punch! Mr. Amano takes a sumo-like stance and looks angered, he pulls back his arm, and then punches forward with vigour! This deals 10% uncharged and will KO from 130% at a largely horizontal angle! This doesn't sound too bad, however it has slightly worse lag than the Mii Brawler fsmash and equal end lag. Unlike the Mii Brawler or even K. Rool's fsmash Mr. Amano doesn't get a significantly big boxing glove or fist to enhance the range either, it has worse range than Ryu's comparable Focus Attack down special punch, and without any of the mechanics of that move! This means the move is strictly used as a hard read and one of its own positives is that it shifts back Amano's hurtbox during the start up, a little more than K. Rool's fsmash, but landing the move is practically not viable. It can be angled up or down to mildly help its pitiful range. When Mr. Amano is angered from his son's breakdown, this is one of the most directly buffed moves due to its power, and it is one of Amano's main KO moves solo, a glorious KO move.

Up Smash: Stop the Debate​

Mr. Amano stops abruptly in place and raises both hands in a “stop” motion, this alerts Lance Amano to quickly pull out a large stop sign prop from the Bando Land park and hold it beneath him as if it's extremely heavy for the charge, flailing it over his head in a wide arc for 13% damage uncharged! This prop is scooped over Lance's head in a similar arc to Cloud's up smash, and deals decent knockback able to KO uncharged from 100% at the centre of the hitbox where it hits straight up, while further left or right, the angle is radial and KOs a little later, hitting the foe up to 25 degrees left or right. This is technically stronger all around than the fsmash but at the cost of the fsmash's great horizontal range, but has some of the best coverage in all of Mr. Amano's moveset matching Cloud's buster sword and has the same frame data/lag as Cloud's usmash, which is a decent 12 frame start up and decent FAF at 45 frames.

Besides the main hitbox on the Kirby sized octagonal sign itself, the post connecting to the sign is a weaker hitbox that deals 8% damage uncharged and will deal significantly lower knockback when closer to Lance. This will scoop foes up or even behind Lance when above and behind him, extending the angle far past the normal 25 degrees so that Lance can semi-spoke the foe backwards, potentially at Mr. Amano! This is the same in front of Lance too. The post will only KO at its strongest, the centre point, at 165%, but has more use as a combo start if only to hit the foe into Mr. Amano or the Badger doing another attack. This is one of the best ways to make use of Mr. Amano's own moveset or a Badger as Lance's end lag winds down, making it a surprisingly versatile attack. Amano can't do much, but a Badger can even directly combo into their own usmash if Lance and a Badger are properly desynched so that Lance goes first.

The prop sign itself is an octagonal sign that most resembles Isabelle's in her up smash. What's on the prop sign is randomized as one of the Badgers, ranging from Proto, Blue, Pink and finally Bad Badger with equal chances for each, coloured after them just like their guns in the fsmash.

The Badgers' version of the usmash is instead to summon the sign out of the stage much like Isabelle's up smash, dealing 14% uncharged and KOs at 125%, For the start up the Badger puts a whistle to their "lips" keeping this pose for charging, and blows into it as they raise their hand to do the stop sign. When the Badgers use the attack, this instead is set to be their own personal Badger sign. This both resembles Olimar's down special Whistle for their animation and Isabelle's up smash for the attack. The sign will be pulled out of the ground just ahead of the Badger to match the height of the Badger which is the same as Lance. Just like Isabelle's usmash, the sign returns underground after the attack is over. The Lance sign move can utilize the sourspot to hit the foe behind into the waiting Badger to combo the foe, depending on percent and how much the Badger/Lance are desyched, though will never work if they aren't desynched. This version is weaker but has much better end lag, and marginally better start lag than Lance's version so will naturally leave the Badger ahead of Lance's version by default, setting up for moves that benefit from the Badgers attacking first.

The sign itself is a "Badger Crossing" sign with the character's face on it with a large crossed out red circle over it, to denote that no one can cross, perhaps during a big tacky parade or in no-go areas for the public. Perhaps Mr. Amano has bought off parts of the stage? While this has no effect on foes, if the Badger Mobile touches the sign/Lance or Badger while using the move, it will treat the sign as the end of the stage and turn around. Amano can manipulate his ally to be in the way of the mobile at the right moment to trip up foes. The simple threat of turning around the mobile around Mr. Amano's allies is enough to make the mobile far more of a threat when it's driving around the stage.

Mr. Amano's up smash is another basic melee move like his fsmash, turning sideways to face the screen/away from the screen, takes a deep breath, and exhales as he punches directly up for 14% damage uncharged and high knockback to KO from 110% at a straight vertical! This is a surprisingly strong move for Mr. Amano, but the start up is as bad as it sounds, coming out on frame 20. The range of the move is also abysmal as it only hits directly above Amano and has no capability to launch foes into it, relying on hard reads or hitting a foe into Amano. This can combo out of Lance's sourspot but is very percent dependant and if it does whiff Amano suffers a FAF of 52! As in the fsmash, Amano's fist by itself has very poor range too, so all in all, takes a lot of skill and smart management to ever land.

Down Smash: Face the Music

Mr. Amano taps his foot impatiently several times while pointing forward, Lance takes out a guitar and holds it over his head for charge, then smashes it into the ground for a powerful 16% damage uncharged able to KO from mostly horizontal angle at 95%! Lance must be taking out his anger at missing a live show of the Gavinners. This has decent start up of 13 frames for its power and decent end lag for Lance or Badgers, while Mr. Amano's own start up is more relevant than usual as this is the one move where he does a remotely long animation to command his allies, making the move deceptively slower than it looks on the surface. As the guitar hits the ground it explodes into bits on the ground in a secondary shockwave hitbox as a broken note of music plays, dealing 1% damage and very light hitstun to anyone in touching distance, just enough to be safe on hit for Lance or a Badger. The guitar in question is one of the Bando Land guitars from the Back Room area. The guitars simply vary from the Blue Badger blue to the Pink Badger pink, with the face of the Badger mascot on each. The Blue and Bad Badger get the blue guitar, while the Pink Badger gets the pink guitar. The one other difference is the Proto Badger gets a shabbier looking acoustic guitar that functions the same but clearly is far cheaper and more expendable than the electric ones.

From a default position where his ally is behind Mr. Amano, Lance will step forward and smash the guitar right down in front of Mr. Amano, making this a poor dsmash as it will not hit behind. However a Badger will do the same, while Lance turns away and performs the dsmash backwards. The Badger and Lance will shift more to keep this pattern consistent as much as possible unless pushed decently far out of position, such as Amano dashing into the dsmash, forcing them to smash them towards his position. This still means the foe is guaranteed to be hit if they roll behind Amano, but limits this as a forward attack move at that point. When the Badger or Lance is pushed in front of Mr. Amano they will choose to smash the guitar in front of him a little further ahead than usual, while the one behind Amano will smash it towards Amano, making it more of a traditional dsmash hitting both sides.

The exact timing of when each guitar smash depends on if the allies are desynched, but if not, they do attack at the same time, meaning it can’t be use as effectively to read rolls. The immediate hitbox all around Amano from smashing guitars makes it strangely great as a “get off me” attack if Amano is surrounded by traps, foes trying to cross him up or just generally to clear out any threats. When Lance and the Badger are desynched, then Mr. Amano can play with hitting in front or behind first, which can be a good way to trick the foe into getting hit by one or the other. The positioning and timing and presence or lack of desynch can allow the move to do fun combos with Mr. Amano himself or the spare Lance/Badger if the guitar smash hits a foe particularly late. The possibility of the smash itself and 1% damage hitbox shockwave comboing into Mr. Amano or the Badger/Lance doing an attack makes its coverage even scarier than usual.

There are slight differences for a couple of the Badgers here. The Pink Badger has a bass guitar, that has a little more flair than the regular Blue Badger guitar, having more pointed features on the guitar's body and neck having a fancier bended shape. The guitar is also a little bit smaller. The normal guitar is around the size of a Star Rod item, while the bass guitar is roughly 90% as big, and deals a slightly lower 14% damage uncharged. When it hits the ground, it makes a much raspier metal sound and creates a pink shockwave that covers a Jigglypuff-wide area all around the ground where it was smashed. This deals 2% damage and enough hitstun to give the Pink Badger a couple of frames of advantage over the foe, and really helps Mr. Amano or Lance to do a follow-up, at the cost of the bass guitar being weaker and lower range.

For his solo attack, Amano raises a leg in a sumo-like stance, only without any of the proper form, for charge then slams it down on the ground for 14% damage uncharged and knockback to KO from 130%! This has as you'd expect, fairly poor start up at frame 16 and Amano has to compose himself for a somewhat poor end lag, and like the other two smashes, this is not great range. Amano doesn't even get the typical heavyweight quake from pounding the ground! The range of the move is not the best either as Mr. Amano can't extend his leg much inside of his robe. The saving grace is that he does technically dodge low hitting attacks, though the move is too slow to make that much of that quality.

Jab: Upwards Rend

Mr. Amano performs a fast, ineffectual karate chop as Lance pulls out a small sword prop used in Turnabout Kidnapping to knock out Edgeworth - using it to swipe in an overhead strike for a quick 3%, then a (comparatively) lightning fast upwards strike with the sword for 1% damage! This will combo for up to 10 hits at 0% before the foe escapes and will never deal much knockback. This is one of Lance's fastest attacks for both start and end lag, above average for a jab, and can rack up decent damage from middling percents or combo beyond that at super low percents. The range of the first hit is decent, comparable to Roy's ftilt while the later hits are more like Roy's jab. A Badger performing the jab alongside Lance can combo a little longer than Lance by himself to net up to 15% when both manage to land the move on the foe at once. This is highly similar to the Ice Climbers' jab functionally, though has worse "horizontal range" because of the sword not being nearly as big as the ICer hammers.

As the move is so fast and has little end lag this is one move that used repeatedly will rarely leave Mr. Amano having to attack himself unless Lance or the Badger are hit. Lance is one thing, where it's not quite that great even as a fast move, but a Badger doing it at the same time is very powerful. In that sense this is one of his most reliable or "safe" attacks, especially if you want to buffer into other attacks by Lance or the Badgers. Simply mashing jab and then another attack is not the worst idea, much like how Terry in Smash Ultimate can mash out an easy combo here or there. This is worthy reward if Mr. Amano manages to corner a foe at close range using the move - the foe has to DI up and away like similar moves in Ultimate, but it's made far harder by the presence of Badgers. The jab is a key Mr. Amano moves that largely combos into imagination, a boundless potential as immaterial as his bank balance. The only thing stopping it is Lance's stress. This move's every hit counts as a hit, giving another 3% of stress every time, making it a costly stress move and there's another budgetary issue holding back the move.

As the prop sword is just that, a prop sword, being swung repeatedly causes it to break and deal 6% damage as it snaps in half, forcing a decent bit of end lag on its bewildered user! Again like the Badger Mobile Mr. Amano invested in the cheaper bulk products. The 6% hitbox has a bit of oomph behind it too unlike the normal jab and can KO at a diagonal forward angle at 170%. This isn't the most powerful jab finisher, but considering the damage Mr. Amano's team can do, 170% is not that bad especially when it's lowered on platforms. Whether Lance or a Badger has their prop sword break this will forcibly end the jab and launch the foe which is part of why the jab cannot infinite even with a perfectly positioned set of jabs from both characters, which is necessary given they can be manipulated a good bit more creatively than the Ice Climbers.

Mr. Amano had to cut costs somewhere and this means that not every member of the team could be given as good of a prop sword. Now, now, now, the props sword will at least net a good few hits before they break, so don't be so entitled! Lance's prop sword is the strongest taking 10 hits to break, which is unlikely to come into play before the foe escapes. The Bad Badger has the second strongest prop sword taking 7 hits before it breaks, again this is enough hits it's largely not too relevant in play unless the foe is at a super low percent, though it will ensure if the foe is near KO percent for the move they may not escape this hitbox by DI. Pink Badger is third strongest at 6 hits, and largely this makes her the same as Bad Badger.

Blue Badger has 4 hits before his prop sword breaks, which is low enough it can come into play, while the Proto Badger is the bottom of the pack at 3 hits. These two are the real issue if Mr. Amano wants to abuse the double jab of Lance and a Badger as they will quickly break the jab up, though 3-4 hits is still enough time to try and score a quick combo of some kind if the foe is at a low percent. While this limits the combo-ability of the jab, the fact the foe is launched and leaves the Badger far more than Lance in lag does open up the opportunity for other combos. As the Badger is in more lag and Lance almost always will be free to act after his low jab end lag, he can go on an offence of his own, especially when the foe is at very low percents. For example at super low percents Lance can try for an up angled fsmash, follow Mr. Amano into the air for an assault or simply take a relaxing break as his father calms him down with a Now, Now, Now. What helps is that the weaker Badgers are also the ones that will tend to crop up earlier in the match, so in a strange way this can make it a good thing to end up having bad luck! Mr. Amano knows every way to game the system.

Mr. Amano's solo move for this is very quick but weak - a simplistic knife-like poke with one hand forwards, resembling Incineroar's jab though without any of the strength, dealing 4% and weak knockback. Those are powerful hands after all, though Mr. Amano looks none too pleased having to perform the attack. This will seldom combo into itself other than very close and at low percents, and will absolutely never KO, dealing straight ninety-degree diagonal forward knockback. This does have very low start and end lag, coming out frame 2, but has abysmal range as Mr. Amano's struggles to stretch his arm far beyond his own body. The default move even with Lance is so fast this has to be assumed to be used as a panic button if the foe is in Amano's face and he has no further defence. This move is itself fast enough it can act as an okay combo into Lance or the Badgers' attacks, though it is not particularly useful due to the angle.

Dash Attack: Financial Collapse​

Amano grits his teeth and barges forward in a pseudo-football shoulder charge, dealing 13% damage and high vertical knockback to KO from 125%, before falling to the floor in an exhausted pile of fat, money and broken dreams. When Amano hits the ground he creates another hitbox as he slides forward a short distance, dealing a further 5% damage and light radial knockback. All in all, this deals decent shield damage when both hits land but is pathetically easy to counter if Amano doesn't have at least Lance around to help out his old man. As he collapses on the ground the money around his waist bursts open and breaks his fall, many dollar bills can be seen flying around close to Amano after the move purely as a visual. This has average start-up for a dash attack but long end lag as Amano picks himself up, though it would've been worse if not for his stacks of money. Mr. Amano can't expect his allies to help in every move, and whenever he dashes and performs the dash attack input, he'll always attack on his own!

The fact that Mr. Amano does attack on his own every time here makes this an indispensable tool for his ground game. This sets up his allies to be attacking while Amano charges forward, potentially covering the foe's options if they tried to duck back or duck below moves such as fsmash, or even just to put extended shield pressure on the foe. At the same time this attack is if anything an even better move to end an assault with if Mr. Amano can charge into the foe after landing an fsmash to go for a shield break - while a little predictable, this is a great mix-up if it doesn't whiff or get read by the foe. The secondary hitbox may even shield poke then, letting Amano and his end lag off the hook.

Mr. Amano can always use the instant dash attack (IDA) advanced technique to segue right into his dash attack out of idle and ignore his dash speed entirely so Amano can for example get his allies to attack, then IDA away as an escape option! This is especially handy in situations where the foe is about to land say, a Ganondorf fsmash right into the Amano Group all together and Amano wants to make a quick escape. The move will push his allies around too if they're in the way, potentially pushing his allies forward or back during their attack, an incredibly useful tool to get his beloved son and Badger helpers out of harm's way. Sometimes however tough decisions must be made! If Lance or the Badger can land a good hit at the cost of some damage to themselves, that's fine too, it's a group effort after all.

Forward Tilt: Slashing Plastic Stock​

Amano traces his finger in a quick horizontal slice, signalling for Lance to take back out the same sword prop he has in his jab and slice it in a horizontal swipe for 6% damage and weak knockback, with a stronger sweetspot at the tip of the sword that deals 9% damage and knockback to KO at 120%!. The sourspot is over the rest of the sword and will deal minor forwards knockback at a slight upwards diagonal, while the sweetspot is a semi spike excellent for spacing foes away from Amano. The ftilt can be angled as other ftilts can do to instead aim the sword diagonally up or down, shifting the knockback in that direction. This is dissimilar to the jab in many ways, as it has slightly worse start lag, equivalent end lag and is much less spammable, despite having a little more range than the jab's second hit. Despite that both Lance and a Badger using the attack together can net a few hits all together if the foe is hit together, where it's actually better to land the sweetspot because of the angle of the knockback.

Hitting the foe forwards can result in the largely horizontal swipe hitting them a second time from the other ally of Amano, while the sourspot may well send them into space, where they can no longer be reached. At the lowest percents a foe can potentially be combo'd into the first, overhead hit of jab instead, but this requires a good deal of foresight, even by the standards of commercial genius Mr. Amano. This stops being a true combo around 30% on a midweight, and still can only combo for around 24% or 4 hits from the combined efforts of Lance and a Badger in a relatively perfect set up. The sweetspot can also be more useful to hit the foe into the ground for a ground bounce or forced tech if angling it downwards, which can open up later percent combos, while the upward angle is a decent anti-air, dealing 1% more damage/slightly more knockback for both hits.

The prop sword won't break here and the mechanic does not carry over or affect this move, perhaps Mr. Amano saved his more expensive props for his ftilt? In any case, the prop swords do come into play in their own strange way similarly to the jab. Mr. Amano's allies are not true swordfighters and so inevitably their fingers will slip and they will make a mistake here or there, in this case this means they will accidentally toss forward the prop sword by accident at the end of the attack. This "accident" occurs if the player mashes their ftilt, for example the A button while holding forward with the classic control scheme, and is easily achieved by any player with the right feel for mashing, though any player should probably discover this trick with any play of Mr. Amano. Lance/the Badger will look shocked (in the Badger's case, this is indicated by a visual effect of a "!" appearing over them in their suit's colour) and suffer more extensive, though not horrible end lag, so any combo attempt is definitely over. This doesn't affect their ability to use their ftilt again taking out another prop sword.

The sword deals a slightly higher 10% damage and can KO from 110%, much stronger than the normal ftilt, at a steep vertical, but more diagonal angle. is a little smaller than Toon Link's up special sword hitbox, minus the Toon Link, and shot at a straight horizontal angle at the slow speed of Duck Hunt Dog's Clay Pigeon. The prop sword is thrown as a horizontal projectile (so it can be reflected, though is not an energy projectile so can't be absorbed) and will travel forward a battlefield platform in range before poofing out of existence, a prop so cheap it breaks in thin air. The sword will also be thrown either down at the ground or at a generic diagonal upwards/forwards when the ftilt is angled up. The angle of the ftilt is crucial here as it will let Mr. Amano's allies do quite dynamic combos with the sourspot into a thrown prop sword, even allowing them to at times land combos such as a sourspot hit, a second sourspot hit and then throwing the sword up at the foe, or hitting the foe into the ground, hitting them with the sourspot then throwing the sword forward to catch them out or initiate a tech chase. Depending on percent it can be very fun to come up with different ways to try and entrap the foe, befitting of a corporate politician!

Mr. Amano's solo move has him angrily slap forward in a motion similar to Wario's ftilt, and has comparable (slow) start lag and end lag, so is even more of a read than Wario's move, this deals 10% damage (1% lower than Wario's ftilt) and marginally less knockback than the Wario slap. This is a fun move to throw out and can be angled, however the problem is obvious: Mr. Amano is much taller than Wario and his hand doesn't balloon up in the same way, so the range is far worse! This makes it even more of a read and while it is fun to land the disrespectful solo Amano slap, it's another desperation move that doesn't even have the speed of his jab, mostly reserved for hitting lower or higher foes where his jab can't reach.

Down Tilt: Argumental Dropkick​

Mr. Amano slices the air horizontally with his fingers held together, signalling Lance to quickly perform a dropkick close to the ground, using both legs to kick out an impressive distance for 11% damage and high knockback at the Sakurai angle! The animation is quite similar to Snake’s bair, though not nearly as nimble poking out 0.8x as far. This will KO from 130% though most of the time it will due to the angle simply keep the foe grounded and susceptible to further beatdowns by Mr. Amano's cunning tactics. The knockback is great enough that this will not be further melee moves, unless the foe is struck at practically the same time as being launched.

It's feasible to hit the foe with a jab or ftilt by Lance or a Badger while they're launched away by the dtilt. The dtilt comes out below average for a dtilt and has enough end lag it cannot be spammed, though it is not as laggy as the thrown prop sword in ftilt. Nonetheless, this is unlike jab or the regular ftilt, much slower and a more risky option that will leave the user vulnerable.

This is one of the worse moves so far to gang up on the foe, due to its slower speed, end lag and how it will often push the foe out of range for Lance/Badger. At very low percents it can combo into a jab or ftilt, but in that case, it’s better to just use jab or ftilt as the end lag of the ally who used the move means they won’t be able to get in a further attacks. A better use of the move is simply as a combo finisher either at the end of a low percent jab or ftilt string, to give further utility to the low percent combos Mr. Amano can perform! More than that it’s a risky way to safeguard Amano due to its knockback- if the move doesn’t whiff it will reliably push the foe too far too attack in some cases. In other cases, if the ally in the back uses the move while both are in front of Amano, the front ally can be saved if the foe was pushing them forward with an attack! In that way it acts as a good defensive move if the further back ally uses the attack. For the front ally however, it’s more useful as a poke or soft read against foes trying to approach.

Lance cannot trip with the move, however the Badgers have a slight chance to trip that can definitely come into play. The Proto Badger has a 7% chance, Blue Badger has a 10% chance, Pink Badger has a 7% chance and Bad Badger has a 12% chance. As the move is not spammable like Ness’ dtilt which had a 10% chance to trip, this is not quite as useful, but can make the move far scarier especially with those stronger Badgers and their higher trip chances. This can make it worth throwing out the move in a situation where the foe is not yet at KO percent for the move but above the range for a combo, as if they trip, all bets are off on what Amano can do next! The fsmash alone will check many of the foe’s options out of prone or simply rushing into the foe’s face to start mashing jab or ftilt to try and get a massive Terry-style punish. Besides that, this gives Mr. Amano a chance to restock on his Badger or set off Lance on a lucrative Badger Mobile journey especially if the foe didn’t expect the trip. The fact this only applies to the Badgers and not Lance can make it a lot harder to predict as a mindgame. When Lance is KO’d, having a stress-related breakdown or using the Badger Mobile foes have to watch out for this move.

The solo set Amano move is a simple leg sweep, a fast and amateurish kick that does 5% damage and light knockback, this has poor end lag as Mr. Amano awkwardly pulls back the leg. This comes out very fast for Amano and unlike the Lance/Badger dtilt though like many of his solo moves has bad range and no obvious follow-up out of his own set. This can lead handily into an attack by his allies though, as it sends the foe at a pretty flat angle for low knockback, opening up avenues for a combo. If it’s shielded however it will deal little shield damage and barely budge the foe, leaving Amano open to being punished. One positive of this move is that it can make it safe to throw out dtilts in place so that once allies are down, Mr. Amano can quickly hit an approaching foe away, though it is more of a safety measure than a viable offensive tactic.

Up Tilt: Red Flag

Mr. Amano raises one hand straight up in the air, Lance responds by raising first his forward-facing arm up in a similar manner to G&W's utilt, holding up a flag that damages for 6% damage and then after putting it down, holds up another flag with his other hand for another 6% damage on his other side! This has average start lag, better than G&W's move, but just as bad duration and end lag. The first flag combos the foe into the second, which will hit the foe vertically upward and a little forward with weak knockback, good for an aerial follow-up, though little else. This is of course based on Game&Watch's utilt as inspiration, but has far greater range as the flags used are a little bigger and Lance will scoop up anyone immediately in front of him with the first flag. The second flag scoops up foes behind Lance launching them directly above Lance. Lance holds up the flags higher making it a better anti-air. The flags themselves for Lance are a giant monolithic-looking "A" to represent the Amano group for the first flag, while the second is a Bando Land logo that's been compressed to fit onto the flag. Lance seems particularly stressed when he performs the attack, as it is a thinly-veiled excuse to advertise Mr. Amano's businesses!

The Badgers have the same attack, but their flags are instead coloured after their costumes and have their Badger's face on the front. When the Badger attacks and Lance is able to attack with the utilt at the same time, Lance will instead take out a much larger flag for his attack, swiping it backwards in a wide arc for 10% damage and high upwards knockback, to KO at 130%! While the normal flag is comparable to G&W's, a small giddily flag, this is a large, proud flag that's comparable to Ganondorf's "Doriyah" usmash in range, though not nearly as powerful. Lance looks very stressed - dealing 6% to his stress from handling this giant flag! Ironically this more resembles G&W's old utilt from pre-Ultimate. This has worse start lag but actually has slightly lower duration and end lag. The flag is the same blue as Mr. Amano's kimono and has a beautiful artistic rendition of the businessman on it too, giving a welcoming smile!

The new utilt for Lance is important here as there is no chance that the base move could possibly combo even off of the first hit by the Badger. When the first flags go up, Lance would always miss before he could hit the foe from his first flag. As a result the slower start lag lets Lance combo out of the first hit of the utilt by a Badger, hitting instead of the second hit, doing a combined 16% damage. If Lance is stressed, it's possible to hit with Lance's big flag and the Badger's first flag at the same time, dealing the knockback of the bigger flag while dealing a mighty 22% damage overall! This requires good timing, and overall this move requires very good management. Lance and the Badger have to hit the foe perfectly without much room for failure. The first flag does scoop but it doesn't have the greatest range, so largely like the jab or ftilt this acts as a reward as one of the best melee KO methods when Lance and a Badger are primed.

The big flag has a sourspot at its flappy end where the flag thins out into a triangle, dealing 5% damage and light radial knockback. If Lance is particularly delayed either by stress, being out of position or both, this can instead hit foes as they're hit by both the 6% hitbox of the Badger's second flag and the big flag's sourspot. This will instead launch the foe with the knockback of the Badger's second flag, rather than the big flag, so while it deals less damage overall this can be preferable to then convert this into an aerial follow-up or simply to get the foe away from Mr. Amano's delightful flags.

When Lance and the Badger are particularly out of sync, so that Lance uses his utilt while the Badger is doing nothing or another move, then Lance will performs the same move. This is notable as this means Lance's utilt is on the face of it worse, having much higher start lag, but gives him a decent read-based KO option whenever the Badger is out without relying on his laggier usmash or dsmash. Its duration is quite long but it has a very wide arc as an anti-air which can make it better than the usmash which has good but not great horizontal range.

Mr. Amano's solo utilt is an uppercut reminiscent of K. Rool's utilt, dealing 7% damage and good knockback, but only enough to KO at around 170%, a far cry from the crocodile king. As is tradition Amano fails to match the sheer range of the move he's inspired by, being that he is nowhere near as big as K. Rool, but the frame data is surprisingly good mirroring K. Rool's so it serves the same function as in K. Rool's set as a decent anti-air/defensive move. It's still a fairly mediocre move that has even worse KO power than K. Rool's and with no dthrow shenanigans like K. Rool it's nothing too special despite all those self-defence classes.

Neutral Aerial: Circular Argument ​

Mr. Amano spins around in place awkwardly, dealing a single strong hit of 12% damage to anyone who comes in contact and decent knockback at a radial knockback able to KO from 200%. Amano spins in a horizontal 360, impressive for the over-indulged businessman, though it is not as mobile as other characters in Smash. The start and end lag is low but the move has a decently long duration. The 12% damage decays to an 8% sourspot by the end of the duration to instead only KO at 250%, though this can more easily lead into combos. Mr. Amano spins a single time and tucks in his limbs to help move around faster, needing any help he can get to perform this ever so slightly acrobatic attack.

Upon landing, Amano causes a small quake hitbox directly on the ground next to Amano for 1% damage and enough hitstun to make the move safe as he concentrates in a sumo-like pose. It may deal 1% damage but this is definitely the most intimidating look for Mr. Amano. This has worse landing lag than the move's end lag, though is overall not the worst move with good damage and Amano's good air speed letting him get some momentum as he launches into the spin. Amano's body continues to be a hitbox for the landing hitbox and deals the same 12% or 8% and respective damage, depending on when the sex kick hit the ground, so he can mix up whether going for a late KO/spacing the foe more versus a more juggle-based approach if he can afford to carefully space the move.

When Amano is in the midst of his Circular Argument, then he can make use of his allies! The neutral aerial like Olimar is the dedicated Mr. Amano attack button and he can then order his allies to attack at the same time, however it is quite dangerous because Amano is left vulnerable by the nair’s end lag – and especially landing lag. He needs to time his nair so that it’s best offensively used and gives proper space for his allies’ aerials to land. Amano will still command his allies if they not even in the air as well or grounded, so he can for example do a short hop nair into foes, while having Lance or the Badgers launch into a fsmash! This way the foe may be caught out of a jump with nair while the allies go for a dtilt read on foes dashing across the ground, creating a powerful barrage of attacks! The risk of this is obvious, putting all of Mr. Amano’s eggs in one basket where all of his investments so to speak are now going to be attacked at once if the foe just shields them all.

The move has some limited offensive use too because of its radial knockback and sourspot. This can easily push foes into Lance or the Badgers as they attack as one of the most direct attacks Mr. Amano can directly perform at any time to get involved in this fight that well, isn’t even his fault really. This is especially good for close range moves like jab or dsmash when Lance or a Badger is right next to Amano, if the foe was being sneaky and trying to dash past Mr. Amano’s dear allies. Now, now, now, no need to recklessly pick fights, but please enjoy our Bando Land music!

Forward Aerial: Ahead of the Game​

Mr. Amano points forward – hey it’s in the air this time! – and this makes Lance or a Badger carelessly launch themselves into a Luigi Missile-style headbutt, dealing 11% and good knockback to KO at a fairly flat angle from 135%! When positioned behind Amano in the air Lance or a Badger will launch themselves so that they headbutt forward at the midsection of Amano, around his stomach, and their entire upper half also becomes a hitbox, giving the attack solid range. This is helped further by the Badgers’ oversized mascot heads. The attack does have poor end lag and not the best start up either. Lance or the Badger have to right themselves ending the move in the air, while they have to forcibly get off the ground when landing the move. This will turn around Lance/a Badger to perform forward aerial so will turn them if they were facing Amano.

When Lance is at high stress, 75% or higher, he will instead have a more aggressive missile! He's had enough and using his head as a battering ram makes him so mad, he explodes with rage, launching himself forwards aflame into foes, dealing anyone he hits 17% damage, but if he lands the hit, will deal himself 17% damage too, as well as 15% to his stress! This will KO from 80% at a diagonal angle, and considered how strong it is, that's pretty strong for that fairly bad KO angle. Lance travels an impressive 1.5x battlefield platforms! This is one of the best ways to desync Lance and Amano period due to how much room this creates between the two. The move has much worse start lag however and while Lance travels very fast, comparable to the Misfire Luigi Missile, he will likely have a breakdown at the end and deals himself sizable damage. This makes it a risky option, though if Lance is going to have a breakdown or is already low on HP, it may be time for Mr. Amano to make a tough decision on his son's behalf.

This is a unique move as unlike most of Amano's attacks, this will only launch the first ally upon inputting the move, not both at once. This is largely all that's needed given the nature of the attack but opens up many possibilities with either throwing out two "missiles" at the same time for a high-risk approach, or only using up one ally at a time while putting pressure on the foe with the other. Keeping an ally around to fight their own battle on Mr. Amano's behalf has its own utility benefits too, given how vulnerable Amano is - his recovery especially is really nerfed using up both of his allies at the same time - so he has to be careful in the air. This lets Amano position Lance and the Badger on stage too so that they fall and land on the ground or simply end up lower to attack foes. This is like tossing a Pikmin with Olimar's side B but with an attack like Olimar's fsmash, who then turns into a Nana secondary Ice Climbers as they rush back to their leader's side! On the way, Amano can use them to bully grounded foes if he quickly attacks before they get back in position. There isn't much time to attack like this but makes the area directly below Amano more dangerous for opponents.

Lance will travel a short distance, a little further than Luigi's uncharged missile. The distance that Badgers launch themselves varies. The Proto Badger will travel 1.2x far as, the Blue Badger 1.25x as far, the Pink Badger 1.3x as far and the Bad Badger a mighty 1.5x as far! This has a small impact on knockback in a way, as it means the foe will be launched from further away by Amano, artificially making the horizontal knockback KO sooner. This can be an intriguing mix-up for foes to take into account, but also means these allies end up a greater distance from Amano, even if it's not that great.

Lance or the Badger will always be launched from the same area relative to Amano, at his midsection, but the properties of the move can vary wildly depending on Amano's own location in the air. If Amano is rising, this will hit foes as he travels upwards, acting as a good defensive option for foes trying to follow him into the air. When he is falling, instead it acts as a good offensive as Amano can then combo into his ground moves. As a short hop this can be used to pressure foes either hitting high to shield poke or Amano can delay the attack to even hit lower/crouching foes, so it can be used strategically for a decent amount of precision!

Mr. Amano's own move for his solo fair is a simple one, slapping downwards in a lame imitation of Luigi's fair for 5% damage and decent knockback. Funny how that worked out. This ineffectual slap has poor range though does come out decently fast and has low end lag. If the foe is being particularly careless, the angle going diagonally down can be a very embarrassing weak spike if they're at a high percent or have a poor recovery. It works fairly well at hitting foes down into the allies of Mr. Amano too, for all that's worth.

Up Aerial: One Hand Clapping​

Mr. Amano points his pointing fingers up close to his chest, Lance and the Badgers react by leaping upwards in an over-the-top uppercut that deals up to 5 hits of 1% damage before launching foes for 5% damage and decent upwards/slightly diagonal forward knockback, similar to Mario's up special! This has a fast start up but a long duration, with minimal end lag. The uppercut travels far and fast enough to get above Amano’s head a decent distance when they’re next to the genius businessman. The issue with the move is that it only reaches strictly above Amano after a longer period where Lance or the Badger makes their desperate lunge for the air, hitting at first where Lance and the Badger are before they reach Mr. Amano. The ending hit deals moderate knockback to KO from around 120% though can KO much earlier closer to the blast zone, where it's harder to land because of Amano's middling fall speed and poor jumps.

This is an aerial that will use any available allies to Amano at once, both Lance and potentially a Badger at the same time, leaving Amano vulnerable. Lance and the Badger will be raised slightly to perform the move at the right height if slightly out of position, and this only works if both are in the air in the first place otherwise they will perform utilt. It's possible to have Lance or a Badger hit the foe into the other ally's uair, especially with how much base knockback is involved to hit from flag 1 to flag 2 of utilt, and Lance will never use his laggier big flag when the Badger is in the air/unable to use utilt.

The allies will aim their uppercut to meet the other ally if they're performing the move at the same time, the two allies uppercutting into one another! When the two meet in midair at the end, they will clap their hands together in an awkward moment of teamwork, showing how Mr. Amano brings people together. This clap is another small hitbox that deals 7% damage and will send the foe straight up for marginally higher knockback than the regular uppercut. At the end of the move, this will leave Lance and the Badger in slightly less end lag too, as they simply back away promptly rather than recovering from their attack and are spaced more evenly apart to deal with foes. This makes it a decent idea to use to try against more floaty opponents.

The Proto and Badger have slightly different, somewhat mirrored endings to the combined move than Lance has with the other badgers. The Proto Badger will instead be launched away by the clap, losing his “balance” a little in midair as he is pushed back by Lance, who is not exactly physically strong. This will turn Proto Badger’s hurtbox into a hitbox that deals 6% and high radial knockback to KO from 120% as he is launched back half a battlefield platform over a short time frame, not enough to make it horrible end lag wise. This does move the Badger a good bit further away. I guess Lance is not a fan of the Proto Badger… or Proto is simply that pathetically weak.

The Bad Badger has the opposite effect to the Proto Badger, pushing Lance away, who turns into a hitbox the same as the Proto Badger. Unlike the Proto Badger this has some negative effect as Lance’s stress goes up by 10% from the very Bad Badger’s disrespect. This can all work to Mr. Amano’s advantage by shuffling around his allies for offensive or defensive purposes, and to cover the foe’s own options in the air so they can’t dodge the two allies. If the positioning all goes too wrong, a Now. Now, Now is all he needs to set things right in the group politics.

Mr. Amano’s solo up aerial is a very fast sweep of his arm over his head, somewhat comparable to Mac’s up aerial and has comparably poor range and does 4% damage and low upwards knockback. The saving grace of this move is that it is very fast coming out frame 2 and has low end lag. It’s very hard to land, despite its large range as Mr. Amano only has the reach of an average human, and thus it is best only to use in defence or to maybe set up for his allies to go for a juggle. It does have some use as a means to hit foes into the incoming up aerial by the allies of Mr. Amano when they’re close range. There’s a short window of opportunity to juggle foes into the two allies at the beginning of the attack and in general the move isn’t too bad to use in this way. It’s generally not the worst combo starter in this way too if Amano is forced to help his son and allies fight.

Back Aerial: Chair Man

Mr. Amano swipes a chop with one hand behind him, so that Lance takes out one of the chairs from behind-the-scenes at Bando Land and swings wildly, dealing 12% damage and high knockback able to KO from 105%! This deals knockback at a largely horizontal but slightly upward angle, making it a little worse for KOs, but is one of Amano's stronger aerials besides Lance's more powerful forward aerial. This the sweetspot at the end of the chair, where a glint appears, but the majority of the chair closer to Lance/a Badger deals 10% and will KO instead at 115%, still strong, but at an even more vertical angle, at a 50 degree angle. The fact it's so much worse of an angle but KOs only 10% later shows you how good the base knockback is compared to the sweetspot and is great at low percents to juggle foes for further anti-air assaults by Mr. Amano and his allies, as well as making space to summon a stronger or replenished Badger.

The range of the chair is good, comparable to Dedede's back aerial in size, though the chair is not fully facing the screen to not be as big as it may sound. This has average start and end lag but comes out fast, making it a reliably fast attack for its power, and has low end lag. The downside is that landing the back aerial in general can be hard as Mr. Amano will turn his allies around like his forward aerial, so the foe has to be directly behind them, not Mr. Amano. This means while the move is very strong it has to be to justify the heavy read or combos Mr. Amano has to set up to land the move, or just the sheer predictability of the foe.

This is like the forward aerial only using one ally at a time, so will not make Lance perform any attack while the Badger will use his back aerial. This can mean that positioned well, the foe can be put under huge shield pressure by Lance and a Badger's chair shots if they can get the foe in an awkward spot. Mr. Amano's allies will follow Mr. Amano into the air to perform their aerials, if they are in the air they will only perform their aerials, so this has to be timed and pulled off with good executions. If all of this goes well however the foe can be caught in a very strong string of chair shot shield stun due to its low lag, high damage and great reach.

The shield pressure makes bair surprisingly one of the better aerials for Mr. Amano's advantage state if he can get the foe in a close range trap of bairs, much like his ftilt or jab, but requires much more careful timing. On the plus side though the sweetspot is so powerful that Mr. Amano can just end the stock right then and there if he can land the bairs on a shielding foe. On a regular foe it also still deals enough damage and knockback to be worth it poking shields or of course, simply hitting the foe away. If not just trying to hit shields the bair comes out so fast alongside moves like jab or ftilt that they can easily catch rolls and especially jumps, depending on what the foe does in response to the grounded ally. While the bair is not strictly spammable it has very little lag and the high range makes it one of the safest options available to Lance or Badgers.

Mr. Amano's solo bair is a weak looking kick where Amano tries to kick out of the back of his kimono and seems to be struggling to even do that, dealing 3% and low semi-spike knockback. This is very unsafe on shield, and bordering on unsafe on hit, while it is fast enough that it is also technically one of Amano's fastest moves, largely accomplishing nothing. Accomplishing nothing in the world of business is not always a bad thing however as just delaying the foe in shield or hitting them a short distance can actually be a good thing when allies are nearby to put their own pressure on the foe once they're out of lag or come back online after a good Lance cry. This makes it another surprise as a decent way for Amano to directly combo into his allies' attacks, a necessary boon when the move is on its face pretty pathetic. This bair has Mr. Amano's trademark poor range, despite sweeping a decent quarter-circle of air.

Down Aerial: Stamp Your Feet​

Mr. Amano points both fingers downwards similarly to his up aerial but mirrored, making Lance repeatedly kick downwards in midair dealing 1 hit of 3%, 1 hit of 4% damage and one final hit of 9% damage for a total of 15%! The last hit will knock the foe away at a slightly upward angle, so will almost never KO unless Lance was going deep off stage and Mr. Amano was being particularly ballsy. The move is very comparable to Snake's dair which has 1 more hit, so lasts a little longer and deals a far greater 20% damage. By comparison for the animation Lance and the Badgers kick out more desperately but has marginally worse range due to the longer legs of Snake, having the same disjointed hitboxes to extend the legs greatly, and moving down Lance/the Badgers a little during the move to further help properly combo the various hits.

This is like the uair a move that will use up the two allies at once if they are both in the air, which can be really powerful given the nature of the move and how strong it is already on Snake. This comes out on frame 3 just like Snake's dair making it the fastest start up equal to Snake's dair in the game, while this can be nerfed slightly when Lance is stressed out adding important frames to the start up. The duration and end lag is a little lower than Snake's and the move can still be auto-cancelled too due to the forced movement, making it great out of short hop for Amano. This lets him do a short hop then as his ally is still in the air as Amano lands, performing "dair" for his allies to his back to catch out foes trying to roll behind or go over Amano's head!

This is as you'd expect very powerful when Lance and the Badger can land both their dairs at once on the foe. This is devastating on shields dealing 6 hits for up to 30% damage in one combined attack and Mr. Amano has a decent amount of time, even with it being shorter than Snake's dair, to do his own attack to potentially shield break! This is a unique case where Mr. Amano can contribute hugely to the team with his own set if the foe is caught in shield, or even in general by these many hits. Amano's allies can be moving forward during the attack to trade between each other - the Badger when in front can land his first two hits, and if he's moving forward, then pass on to be hit by Lance performing the same move, aided by delays and intelligent play by Mr. Amano. This will give Amano a ridiculous advantage to attack the foe as they're in hitstun to go for his own attacks or to simply space for the first actionable frame of the Badger or in rarer cases Lance to finish the foe off. All in all, this can be another scary move in the vein of jab, ftilt and bair when spaced right and is arguably the easiest to pull off so long as the foe shields the attack.

Mr. Amano makes even the most counter-intuitive possible, as it is plausible to land both a dair and dtilt despite the two being seemingly at odds. This is because as the dair lands on a landed foe they will be carried across the ground and can still be hit by the other ally's dropkick, ironically another move similar to a Snake move (his bair) with worse traits. This is largely not that relevant as neither move is that damaging or powerful, though it is good. The main effect of this combo is more shield pressure and an easier shield poke if the foe tries to aim their shields to counter either of the hits. This would normally be an effective counter to attempts to shield poke the top of the foe's shield but an ally on the ground can make this unviable. A simple delay too, either to do an "empty jump" (land) and do dtilt for the first ally while having the other ally perform dair as planned, makes the sheer act of Mr. Amano's allies landing around the foe a scary prospect.

The solo move of Mr. Amano's is arguably his strongest - Mr. Amano tucks in his legs and arms into a sitting pose, resembling a peaceful praying portly man, as he then falls after a brief stall to relax dealing 12% damage to foes he hits and a 13% landing hitbox on the ground. The first hit will KO from 107% straight upwards while the landing hit KOs at a largely flat angle at 123%. Neither of these are easy to land but as hard reads, it's by far Amano's most viable melee option. The stall is average length for a stall then fall as Amano, who has no stress at all over this match, takes a break in a moment of zen. The fall goes as fast as Bowser's dair which is ridiculously fast for a human. This can be cancelled after falling 0.7.x the height as Kirby's Stone down special, which can definitely lead to SDs if misused. The fact it can SD makes this a bit dangerous off-stage particularly when allies are being attacked and keeps in check how powerful the two dairs off-stage can be as a gimping move. When Mr. Amano can accidentally dair if they're interrupted, and even making it back on stage normally can be difficult, this balances things in the other direction.

Allies will try to follow Mr. Amano downwards but sometimes it's good for Amano to leave his allies to fend for themselves. Now, now, now, this is really Lance and the Badgers' fight after all. When he's falling he can then use his allies to attack foes. The fight can remain in the air while Mr. Amano parachutes out, making it a great utility in Amano's playstyle. The landing lag of the move is predictably bad however as Amano continues to enjoy his peace, as bad as Bowser Bomb. This can make it preferable to use higher in the air to get the most out of it and not go into the painful landing lag. This can definitely combo as well because of the upwards knockback of the first aerial hit dealing 12% damage, hitting into allies above Mr. Amano. This can also deal huge shield damage if the foe shields both hits. It's not hard to hit a shield with a falling well fed businessman, but with his allies' help, it can be a decent strategy to pressure shields or simply to steward foes where Mr. Amano wants them to occupy space. A solid move, good work Mr. Amano!

Grab and Pummel: Arrested Development​

Mr. Amano points forward telling Lance or the Badger to grab forward, only doing so if they are close enough to be able to shuffle out in front of Mr. Amano and grab for very good range with a simple swipe, though with bad end lag if they whiff. Their handcuffs comically fly off into the air above as they use both hands to try and grab the foe two-handed - when this whiffs, they looked shocked and hold out their hands to catch the handcuffs back on their wrists. When the foe is grabbed by an ally Mr. Amano will rush forward and grab the foe himself, his ally letting go and applauding the genius Mr. Amano's strategic grab. It was his idea after all! The allies will like the Nana/Popo who are not actively played in Ice Climbers' moveset, stand aside and celebrate Mr. Amano's grab, in this case able to lend their help to Amano during his throws! This makes the grab a good way to passively bring the team back together as they will approach Mr. Amano during the grab if they had gotten separated. Mr. Amano holds the foe lightly by the shirt/chest area as if he is above them and the match.

The range when an ally is used for the grab quite picky and only one ally will grab at a time, the Badger with both Lance and a Badger or solo Lance. If the two allies are not in close range at the start of the move, Mr. Amano will instead grab forward. His grab is a very average grab and has poor range, comparable to Hero's grab, though largely is unremarkable. In either case, Mr. Amano or his allies initiating the grab, the outcome of the foe being grabbed by Mr. Amano is the same as the default grab.

For the pummel Mr. Amano will slap the foe for 1.5% in a slow and methodical pummel, mirroring the rhythm of his “Now, Now, Now” attack, for an overall poor pummel. When an ally is near enough he will instead cross his arms and allow them to give the foe a beating with their prop sword by bashing them over the heads for a quicker 1.2% damage, for overall good damage. A second ally will do the same in a slower individually, but dealing 1.2% damage more rapidly for a very good pummel that’s stronger than any of the Ultimate pummels by a decent margin. This only occurs with an ally behind Amano will step forward in front of him to hit from the other side. Mr. Amano’s throws are unaffected by the pummel, though will make use of any allies that happen to be involved in the grab, whether pummelling or cheering on their leader.

Forward Throw: Balloon Payment

Mr. Amano flings the foe away weakly for 2% damage, knocking them into the air a short distance forwards in a fast motion. Amano kicks forward a colourful light blue and light pink pump connected to a device of some kind in the background, stamping down on the pump - this causes a giant contraption to burst to life, a Blue Badger with the iconic Ace Attorney pointing finger that hits the foe away for a much stronger 5% damage and good knockback at a semi-spike! The Blue Badger figure is a balloon and Bando Land written on its arm up to its finger, written in the same fashion as the writing on the fountain near Bando Land’s entrance! After launching the foe away the Blue Badger will quickly deflate and dissipate by the time Mr. Amano can act. The Blue Badger is decently large, but seems only semi-inflated, roughly comparable to Bowser's ftilt in terms of size though with much of the balloon deflating in a sad looking sag below the Blue Badger.

The throw is mostly good for combos due to the weak knockback of the move, only capable of KOing at ridiculously high percents. The semi spike knockback does help at the ledge to get the most out of the knockback. Besides this, the throw is largely unremarkable. Mr. Amano will be out of lag quickly once the throw is over and can easily buffer attacks for his allies to attack the foe if they're close by. The throw launches the opponent high enough that they are hit over any nearby allies, as the pointing finger of the Badger balloon is quite tall. This means to fully take advantage to directly hit the foe right off the bat the allies need to be in the air, and as the throw has a high duration, this is hard to set up. It's easier at low percents to combo into anti-airs out of the fthrow such as usmash or utilt, and at 0% this can lead to a nice few hits of utilt between the allies. It can also hit into usmash at low percents, largely giving Amano the choice of pure damage or starting off a juggle.

The throw greatly changes when the fthrow is mashed when the allies are near, this is signalled by a glint on the HUD over Amano's closed eye like other moves in Smash Ultimate. After he throws the foe Mr. Amano will start to aggressively snap his fingers when he kicks out the pump. This will immediately cause Lance/a Badger to stomp down several times on the pump as fast as Amano stamped once. This causes the Blue Badger balloon to blow up much larger than the normal one, growing to 1.5x the size of Bowser's ftilt, and growing that iconic pointing finger to point a whole battlefield platform further! The sagging balloon is almost totally filled out now and it deals a stronger 5% damage, bringing the total damage to 7% damage! The knockback of the move also improves partly because the foe is now launched from further away, though at a more generic slight upward diagonal angle. This will start to KO from 200% at the ledge. This is not a great KO throw, but is great to hit the foe off stage. This will only use Lance if he is available, leaving the Badger to defend Mr. Amano solo as Lance suffers from extended lag as the balloon Blue Badger pops in his face. This has a decent chunk of end lag for Lance but is “frame neutral” with the foe recovering at the same time as Lance.

Amano can continuously snap his fingers when the button is pressed repeatedly, the 7% hitbox only being for one extra press of A. Amano will snap his fingers aggressively another 2-4 times, each time Lance/a Badger will stomp down even harder on the pump, causing the Blue Badger balloon to inflate more and more! This has marginally longer lag for duration, but is otherwise the same. For each snap, the balloon finger will deal an extra flat 2% damage, so coming out to 7%, 9% and 11% respectively, adding another 2% for the total damage from the initial throw by Mr. Amano. On top of that, the balloon itself will inflate more and more to the point at its max, it will be 1.5x battlefield platforms long and as tall as Ganondorf. It can barely hold in all that air! This will increase the knockback a little bit, but most of the strength comes from simply having the foe launched from the now much farther away finger. The angle of the knockback still makes this not that strong of a gimp on characters like Mac but now does a fantastic job of hitting foes off stage either to summon a better Badger or to set up a ledge guard situation with the Badger Mobile or moves like fsmash. On the downside, this marginally increases the lag of the ally each time, trading combo potential for simple follow up potential.

Every snap will decrease the aforementioned 200% KO potential at ledge by 10%, going to 190%, 180% and finally 170%, a pretty good KO percent for a throw! The cost of these much stronger versions of fthrow is the toll it takes on Lance and having to perform such a strenuous task as stomping on a pump. Each time, Lance will take an additional 5% hit to his stress level. This can add up to another 20% bonus stress if all the pump commands are given by Amano. The Blue Badger balloon will blow up and up visually getting the point it's practically bursting from the seams because of the excess air.

When Lance crosses the threshold into having full on breakdown while pumping up the Blue Badger balloon, he will start to violently jump up and down on the pump in a rage! Mr. Amano looks shocked at this out-of-character display. The jumping has significantly longer start up, with the foe almost escaping from the balloon popping up, but then the balloon explodes! Poor Blue Badger, he was only a quarterly report away from retirement. The balloon popping deals 10% damage to both the foe, Lance and any foes close to the balloon, dealing strong 90 degree forwards/up diagonal knockback to both, able to KO the foe from 180%! Not a bad cost to pay for the stress. This also puts both the foe and Lance into the air. Lance does immediately go into his breakdown, but this can be good as the foe has to focus on landing versus Amano and possibly a Badger, so might be forced to hit him out of the breakdown. When Lance is at low HP then the foe won’t necessarily have the time to attack a falling, breaking down Lance, who will spare no time in breaking down in the air because of the potential for Amano to punish their cruel attacks on a brilliant young man.

Up Throw: Generosity Lifts Us All​

Mr. Amano grabs the foe tighter, glaring at the foe, then tosses them up simply into the air with all his strength, a similar animation to Hero's uthrow! It doesn't look quite as impressive on Amano and it deals 5%, a weak up throw that will only KO at ridiculous percents. There's even a funny little crack sound once Amano throws the foe, and he grabs his back for a moment during the end lag! The positive side of the low knockback is that it will combo into even the very low range Mr. Amano solo usmash, despite him grabbing his back, but only at 0% or close to it. At low but not 0% low percents, it's also possible to combo into the Lance or Badger usmash, and at relatively mid-range percents up to even 40% can combo into utilts.

The combos naturally are the primary reason to use the move at all, though it doesn't result in a huge amount of damage racking compared to a fully-pumped fthrow. These can also depend on if Mr. Amano can land a dash grab and then uthrow the foe immediately in the case of the Badger's usmash, as the sign pole will otherwise not reach the purely vertical hitbox. On the other hand, Lance's scooping hitbox will hit foes, but being able to slide into foes with a dash grab is a more guaranteed combo, otherwise it might hit the sourspot at the back of the hitbox. This may not seem that viable as a strategy because of Amano's awful dash speed, but his initial dash is actually quite good and his dash attack will force the foe to be hesitant about being too aggressive when in range of a hard dash attack read. This makes it possible to condition foes to get overly defensive and land a quick dash grab to get these truly impressive uthrow combos.

A glint will appear over Amano's eye when he has allies available during the start of the move. When he grabs the foe Amano will look to his ally, Lance or Badger whoever is the "front" ally. They will then grab Amano himself and raise him as high as they can into the air! Using this increased momentum Mr. Amano is able to put more strength into the throw to toss the foe for 7% damage and higher knockback! This isn't actually that much stronger, but with how the Badger or Lance hold up Mr. Amano, it improves the strength of the throw to KO from an ever useful 210%. This is made better of course by platforms. The upside of this is that Mr. Amano has even less end lag than the normal throw as his ally's back cracks from lifting the well-fed Amano, putting themselves in that end lag instead! While the foe is thrown further and can be KO'd realistically now, this opens up aerial follow-ups instead! A low % nair out of uthrow is now plausible, as is a cheeky uair for both solo Amano at super low percents! This is very plausible too given the ally will be in enough lag to immediately buffer a solo Amano move. This can combo a few times too, potentially comboing the Amano uair into the ally uppercut if landed at very low percents, usually not viable. When two allies are available this instead turns into more of a hard read scenario as Amano can use his always available nair but has to have his ally use a utilt/usmash or guess at the foe's DI with the laggier Lance/Badger uair.

Back Throw: Coin Flip​

Mr. Amano performs an amateur judo throw, dealing 4% damage and throwing the foe behind him lightly into the air, then tosses a ball of coins at the foe that deals a further 4% damage and launches the foe even further! Amano's judo throw will send the foe in a quick loop before they are properly launched, alongside dair perhaps a sign of some meagre knowledge of martial arts in his distant past. The light knockback gives the foe a good deal of base knockback while the ball of coins, roughly the size of a Smash ball, launches the foe at a sharp diagonal to KO from 215%. This is not an unusable bthrow for KO power but definitely on the weak side. The coins explode on contact with the for and shower down in a purely visual effect, as they dissipate they can be seen to be branded with the Blue Badger, so have no real worth - Amano would never throw away money for no good reason!

The ball of Bando Land coins will always hit the foe but works in the same way as the laser throws of the Star Fox characters. In this case it most strongly resembles Falco's bthrow where the ball can miss foes at certain percents. The ball is thrown at a sharp angle which at most percents will directly hit the foe or will force the foe to be hit but not when they are nowhere near the ball. In Amano's case, this is at low percents where the foe is launched so weakly by the incompetent judo throw, they are not high enough to be hit by the ball of coins. The other case is when the foe is at middling percents, 70-110% for a midweight, scaling differently for heavier foes. This is due to the weird lobbing arc that Amano sends the foe in as part of the judo throw, where they will be looping around in such a way they miss it, though this window is narrower for particularly large foes as they just get hit anyway.

The effective point of the foe not being hit by the coin ball is that they are then dealt less hitstun naturally, and are out of the move faster, but also much closer to Amano who still has a slight frame advantage. This makes it possible to combo at very low percents, which is not much different from uthrow but behind Amano, or at the more dynamic middle percents. That this varies depending on size/weight makes it more match up dependant, this is more useful on heavier foes who will largely never be KO'd by the bthrow anyway. This opens up a few very different follow-ups for Amano largely revolving around trying to cross up the foe with allies on either side of the foe to juggle and doing quick air-to-air nairs or predicting them with a uair on light foes. Heavier foes or fast fallers are in more danger as they can fall to the ground faster and then be hit by a jab or ftilt to trigger a massive combo, and as the middle percents are much less defined than the lower ones, this is something foes just have to learn.

Mr. Amano gets that same glint in his eyes when he throws the ball and will point at the ball if the A button is pressed at this point if an ally is close to Amano. The first ally in line if they are close will jump at the coin ball! They grab the ball and look surprised as it's shattered into many of those Bando Land coins all over the place, then look saddened by no easy money, while the foe is hit by their body blow for 8% damage and high radial knockback, this will KO at a marginally better 205%. The ally don't really think it's money either, they are just helping their leader. The ally's knockback angle depends on their exact location and the further they are from the foe and behind Amano, without being too far to not activate the move, the stronger the move is! This is again something Amano simply has to get a feel for, much like the jab or ftilt, and can lower the KO% to around 190% with a perfect position. The ally can completely miss the foe at the same percents as the money ball, though again there is less room to miss for bigger foes. This leaves the ally in the air where they can then be commanded aerially, similar to Lance's breakdown-induced uthrow, though with no downside.

Down Throw: Cuff Em​

Amano takes out a pair of handcuffs and harshly slaps them onto the foe, if not on their hands then onto another part of their body, slapping on the cuffs deals a weak 1% damage. Mr. Amano looks around angrily if he has no allies, quickly flashing a wad of cash and summoning a Proto Badger to the match who is attached on the other side of the handcuffs. The Proto Badger desperately charges forwards into the ground in a body slam motion, an impatient-looking Amano giving him a harsh glare, as the foe is dragged along the ground for 3 hits of 3% damage and launched weakly. The Proto Badger collapses into a pile with a confused look on his face, with stars circling his head as he disappears. This will pop the foe into the air just in front of Amano primed for combos! At 0% this pretty much combos into anything… to bad that the allies not being around makes it fairly pointless. Instead Amano has to use his throw opportunistically when his allies aren’t around for the throw, but directly after, one way or another. Then he can perform truly impressive combos! This will require some masterful manipulation and makes it a much harder sell to use than the other throws that lead to much easier combos at any given percent, though nonetheless, even without a guaranteed combo it’s 10% and a good chance at a follow-up.

You may be thinking, now is the time for a classic handcuff throw! Well that would be the case… but I already said earlier these aren’t real handcuffs, they break with much of any friction, and they’re exceptionally short too! So trying to cuff anyone to Lance or the Badgers is sadly not on the table unless Mr. Amano takes out a pair of real handcuffs and well, who would do that in a moveset?

What happens when an ally is nearby depends on the ally, ranging from Lance to all the various different Badgers. Mr. Amano will clamp down the handcuff on the foe before the ally performs the throw. The Proto Badger will perform the same throw as the one that Mr. Amano summons, only sticking around at the end in moderate end lag before getting back on their feet.

Lance will perform largely the identical throw, this deals 3% damage for the 3 hits dragging the foe across the ground and Lance or the Badger collapses on the floor at the end launching the foe as they are released from the handcuffs. Lance will however take 3% to his stress for each hit against the ground accounting for 9% overall! That’s a hefty sum, though given that this will guarantee combo into some great stuff at 0%, when Lance is likely to be low on the stress meter anyway, it’s likely a worthy trade-off to immediately use Lance. However, Lance alone is nice, but not as nice as Lance plus a Badger, and if a Badger is present instead, this isn’t quite the same.

The Blue Badger follows the ideals of justice and undoes the handcuffs! Striking a pose, he quickly looks to a non-plussed Mr. Amano and quickly perform an uppercut on the foe instead for 6% damage and low upward, steep knockback. This is a weak launcher that puts Mr. Amano into less end lag than the regular move with the Proto Badger, but results in more lag for the Blue Badger so that ideally Lance will have to make up for this, which can be advantageous if Lance was in front the whole time. This puts the foe higher in the air, but closer to Amano meaning technically it can lead into more grounded combos and follow-ups, at the cost of only having Lance as the reliable one to start anything.

The Pink Badger will go along with this attack but instead of slamming the foe will dunk them onto the ground in front and leap into the foe instead, causing tacky pink stars to erupt (from the costume perhaps?) as they both slide across the ground together. The foe slides a little further, roughly half a battlefield platform in distance before launching the foe for a slightly stronger 4%... in the opposite direction at a steep diagonal towards Mr. Amano. This goes without saying, leads to some interesting set-ups with or without Lance, though is very different from the usual move. You can try for the utilt or usmash, or fsmash at lower percents when the foe will hit the ground sooner. The problem with this is that the foe will largely not get close enough at low percents, so this fits the niche of the middling percents before bthrow comes online, but after the already good 0% combos from dthrow, but this depends on if Lance is around.

The Bad Badger will as you’d expect for the Bad Badger not play by the rules, ramming his foot into the foe and kicking them away hard enough the fake cuffs break, dealing 9% damage and high knockback at the Sakurai angle! Bad Badger will get out some new cuffs immediately, so he doesn’t suffer much end lag for this show of rebellion. This is your standard Sakurai angle throw, but can KO starting at 200% too, unlike fthrow not requiring so much involvement to do it though at a far more horizontal angle so technically less base knockback, scaling faster than the fthrow. As your Sakurai angle throw it will lead into some great tech chases potentially with the foe being hit across the ground, easily leading into moves like fsmash, jab, ftilt, a re-grab and other magical follow-ups if Mr. Amano can correctly read the foe. This will leave Bad Badger is slightly worse end lag than the Proto Badger however, so he will have to follow up behind Mr. Amano and possibly Lance if he’s up.

The dthrow is the most versatile throw by a mile due to all the various versions. Each version lacks a key component to make it truly devastating and instead fills a particular niche that is lacking throughout the rest of Mr. Amano’s grab game, giving him a plethora of combo starters, pressure tools and ways to manipulate his allies to his desires. The issue for the match is the foe has to keep track of who is up, be it Lance or one of the badgers and react accordingly. The foe will probably expect a dthrow at low percents as the most obvious options but this is not always available, it’s quite counter-productive for Amano that at the start of the match he’s also unlikely to have a badger out to make the most of all that dthrow offers, and certainly not enough time to roll for a good badger with his Buy the Badger Patrol neutral B! This largely makes the dthrow into a wild card sort of throw where Mr. Amano can mix up how he fights the foe to change the pace of the match, especially if he doesn’t have a Proto Badger in the front, giving a unique edge to each of the other 3 badgers and Lance.

Lets Come to an Agreement​

Mr. Amano throws money devilishly into the air above him as a parade of badgers – Blue, Proto, Pink and Bad – rush across the stage in a giant crowd! The crowd is huge, ranging two BF platforms in width and as tall as the ones in Amano’s set, and will rush forward ignoring if there’s even no ground there! Mr. Amano continues to throw wads of money into the air for the duration to keep them motivated, looking on disappointed if the foe is not hit. Any foe who is hit by the crowd is launched off into the cutscene portion of the final smash and dealt 12% damage by the crowd, who will themselves disappear after rushing forward an impressive FD in range at Fox’s dash speed, ignoring shields.

/​

The foe is hit into the Ace Attorney courtroom, landing in the witness box facing the judge, who looks down on them scornfully! On the defence side is Mr. Amano, who is as always not particularly concerned about the conclusion of this trial, but in fact is in the middle of the argument. On the opposing side is Winston Payne who spends the final smash looking at a stack of dollar bills for some odd reason. The trial seems to go very quickly, not much longer than your typical final smash cutscene. It would seem that Mr. Amano is begging the court for forgiveness for the foe, he is on his side after all, doing his best “Now, Now, Now” to help them out.

After much deliberation the judge decides to go lenient on the foe, sentencing them with a slam of the gavel. A giant cannon branded with the Bando Land logo pushes out of the front of the judge’s bench and shoots the foe point blank for a powerful 25% damage to KO from 70%! See, this could have been a much stronger final smash, some of them can even KO in one hit sometimes! Mr. Amano is nothing if not a very fair mediator. The foe will be launched at a high angle by the cannon upon returning to the stage, and Mr. Amano dusts off his kimono and returns to his business of running his affairs for his allies who are the ones who are actually fighting the foe after all.

Playstyle: The Stress of Teamwork​

Mr. Amano on the face of it is a complex character, straddling several mechanics. Lance and the Badger alone may seem intimidating at a glance. The stress meter that Lance always carries around is another intimidating factor for new players to grapple with. The fact Mr. Amano has his own set, even with the ability to set it on or off when allies are available, is another daunting element f the set. Mr. Amano is deceptively simple however and while he definitely is a complex character mechanically is designed to be able to be played in quite a mashy and chaotic way because of his plethora of options and surprising amount of combo potential.

By far the most important mechanic in the set is the use of Lance, the Badger or both. Mr. Amano can manipulate exactly where they attack from and this is crucially important because it means he can focus on either defence with them stationed between him on either side or to catch cross up attempts (which are extremely bad for Amano). The offensive position of putting them in front will let him go more aggressive. Moves like utilt, uair and usmash revolve around this basic position and can be versatile in ho they’re used. The HP and stress of Lance is something to keep in mind too, and the HP is not shown, so like Nana just has to be kept in mind. Once you master this mechanic, the rest of Amano’s playstyle is not far beyond that.

Mr. Amano largely ranges from three different modes. The first is his solo set, a very bad set that’s about as bad as SoPo, swapping his decent range for more power, and his weight makes him a lot more viable to survive long enough to re-summon his allies. He’s at least fast and strong at times here, but this is absolutely where you don’t want to be. Mr. Amano and Lance is the next mode, and that is a semi-competent character, which is significant as this is the most likely mode for Amano to be in for most of the match, even if Lance does go down for much of it, this is also highly comparable to just having a Badger out for when that happens. This is however not the most desirable outcome, you clearly want to have a Badger out at all times too, and even a Proto Badger is much better than no Badger!

The Badgers themselves are largely to make it less predictable for the foe, as they have differing attributes and some different move variations. They are not nearly as important as Lance arguably, solely because of fair and fthrow acting as strong game changes when Lance is at the right percent. These surprise KO moves break the monotony of comboing the foe into the eventual later KO moves like fsmash that reliably hit, as Amano’s KO potential not that the greatest, but these moves change that. The badgers are still invaluable and their differences mean the foe always has to stay on their toes as just swapping them out can change not only certain moves but how some combos connect and how early some moves KO depending on the badger.

When you do have a Badger out and understand all the mechanics Mr. Amano can be an outright broken character… with quite a few asterisks on that brokenness. Mr. Amano at all times with his allies presents a huge amount of hurtboxes for the foe to chew away at and for Mr. Amano to get confused by as he tries to bring them all together in concert. The fact he can turn off his own set acts as some basic training wheels for the player. Badger Mobile can be worth giving up this powerful moveset for a short time if Mr. Amano can play well enough to force the foe into the badger mobile or pressure around it, and acts as a nice way to relieve the pressure on Amano to land a close range hit. The most obvious thing for Mr. Amano to do is just get close to land a jab or ftilt. Depending on how close he gets, this will alone shut down the foe in the same vein as an ICers with good combo knowledge or as stated in those moves, a Terry primed to combo into his FF inputs! However the simple act of getting in close on the foe, with all those bodies to walk around and manipulate, that’s the real difficult part in mastering Amano.

The neutral game is where Amano can be a great or mediocre character depending on how the minutia of all his depth is utilized by the player. His many disjointed attacks using his allies have to be able to bait in foes close enough to punish, as well as dangling the allies around temptingly enough that the foe will come in and fall for the actual attack. Mr. Amano is always the king of this chess match and if the foe manages to chip away to get an unacceptable 1on1 with the master himself, the stock may well be lost right there. From the beginning of the match Mr. Amano has to fight the foe away from depleting his resource – his son and his very low committal badger allies – so that he doesn’t find himself in a compromised position.

Mr. Amano then plays exactly how his personality would be portrayed: it’s not his fight, but he’s going to win it! The more he can put his allies in harm’s way but not get them harmed and punish the foe for trying to get through to him, the better. But the thing is Mr. Amano can absolutely fall apart in the face of rushdown or just a couple of mistakes to leave himself open. What stops this getting too one sided either way is that solo Amano while bad, can mount a comeback, putting the impetus on the foe to make the most of this rare opportunity to duke it out with the king of the middle ground. Mr. Amano has to fight to keep his position on the fence through any means necessary.

Ultimately Mr. Amano has to conduct his team in spite of how chaotic it can become with all the variables, much like a good Ice Climbers or Olimar player. There’s still plenty of consistency to this plan, only the badger summon is random at all, but there’s so many small factors that go into how the two allies will attack. Whether it be the slight stress delay, the different badgers, Amano’s own set and how the player utilizes it, the ordering of the allies and their position, they all have to come together. It’s in this execution that Mr. Amano’s playstyle shines, trying to expand his control to the very match itself and staying above it all, while picking his moment to make the foe’s comeback insurmountable! The potential for dominance is as terrible as the potential for absolute failure, but Mr. Amano’s slow and calculated set full of careful planning betrays that, as he is swimming in deep mechanics. So long as he doesn’t make a big splash and swims with the tide, he can excel. Now, now, now, please direct all of your praise to Mr. Amano and Lance will be handling all of the criticism.

 

[plague126]

On a hill near a museum, sits one pink haired thief. He looks out towards a museum, checking his map.

"This should be the right place...Oh man, when I steal the Tunisian Diamond right under their noses, everyone will fear the great Giovanni Potage!" the man yells, before looking around to make sure nobody heard that. "Now, busting in would be way too risky...gotta look for routes to sneak in..aha! The roof! A genius plan! Now, to put it into-"

Suddenly Giovanni hears the sound of a motorcycle revving, whirling around to see where the noise came from...as he is almost knocked over by a stickman on a motorized scooter, jumping the hill towards the museum as Giovanni looks on in shock, the man busting in through the entrance. Giovanni quickly shakes off his shock, attempting to get to the museum and steal it first...but by the time he gets there, it's gone.

"Darnit! I missed my shot! Who even was that dude..."

"...And where's my bat?"




In an apartment, said Stickman brings his diamond in, along with what seems to be many other items...it appears he was on a mission today. He spreads his haul on the table.

A bat with a knife taped to it, stolen from the thief from earlier.

A box teeming with eldritch energy, from a thief also familiar with timelines.

A bag of bombs, from an alchemist looking for love.

A passport with strange energy, from an even stranger security guard.


And finally...a white invite, with a familiar red seal.

Henry Stickmin has Completed the Mission.

 

[Etheus Rook]

Hello, beautiful. It is I, that hunter of love.


Olivier Lenheim.

Trails of Cold Steel Outfit ​

Color Variants:

Default (Red Primary, Blue Secondary, White Tertiary, Gold Trim, Blonde Hair)

Mueller Vander (Purple Primary, Black Secondary, White Tertiary, Gold Trim, Dark Hair)

Blueblanc (White Primary, Blue Secondary, Purple Tertiary, Silver Trim, Light Blue Hair)

Rean Schwarzer (Black Primary, White Secondary, Gray Tertiary, Silver Trim, White Hair)

Trails in the Sky Outfit​

Color Variants:

Default (White Primary, Light Blue Secondary, Red Tertiary, Dark Blue Trim, Blonde Hair)

Estelle Bright (Orange Primary, Teal Secondary, White Tertiary, Brown Trim, Brown Hair)

Joshua Bright (Black Primary, Gray Secondary, White Tertiary, Blue Trim, Dark Hair)

Scherazard Harvey (Black Primary, Teal Secondary, Red and Gold Tertiary, White Trim, White Hair)

Introduction​

The Legend of Heroes (Kiseki) franchise is one of, if not the longest running official continuous narrative in gaming, with 10 mainline dialogue-heavy RPGs and counting. It takes place in the world of Zemuria, with 3 current arcs taking place in different countries. It’s a cult classic JRPG franchise with grid-based, turn-based combat, though this should not be confused with strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem. The grid in Trails is for the positioning of up to 4 characters and the placement of area of effect attacks and spells. It’s a heavily story-based franchise with a serialized narrative, and one of the best soundtracks in all of gaming.



Though Olivier is not the main character of any of the franchise’s 3 arcs, he is one of the most influential characters in the narrative, with appearances in 9 of the 10 games. He is also one of the most popular characters with the fanbase due to his playful, flirtatious nature that disguises a clever, but well-meaning political manipulator. He’s also one of the most adept magic users in Trails.

Story (Spoilers)​

When the protagonists of Trails in the Sky, Estelle and Joshua Bright, meet Olivier, he is a traveling bard from Erebonia on a quest to experience all of the cuisine, entertainment, and other pleasures of the Liberl kingdom. After finding employment in a high class restaurant, he is swiftly imprisoned after drinking an entire bottle of 500,000 mira wine. The party finds him in his cell and pulls some strings to have him released, after which point he temporarily joins the party in their quest to capture the Capua sky bandits who are holding an airship hostage. Though he leaves thereafter, he rejoins towards the end of the game to help the protagonists stop the coup de gras that threatens the peace of their kingdom.



In Trails in the Sky Second Chapter, he rejoins Estelle in her quest to find Joshua, and forms two critical character relationships – a romantic relationship with the Liberlian bracer Scherazard Harvey and a rivalry with the Phantom Thief Bleublanc, Enforcer X of the criminal organization Ouroboros – the primary antagonists of all arcs of the franchise. When Ouroboros’ plans in Liberl come to fruition, Olivier’s home, the Erebonian Empire threatens to invade the weakened Liberl. At this moment, Olivier reveals himself to be Olivert Reise Arnor, the illegitimate prince of Erebonia. He successfully negotiates a ceasefire with the Liberlian princess, buying the group time to thwart Ouroboros.

Stats​

Weight = Marth
Height = Marth
Run Speed = Link
Jump Height = Peach
Falling Speed = Peach

Special Mechanic – Crafts​

Olivier’s special moves utilize a resource called Craft Points, which slowly accumulate over time and rapidly accumulate through successful attacks. Craft Points cap out at 200, and can be utilized to use either of his two Final Smashes at 100 points and 200 points respectively, should you choose to save them rather than consume them for his specials.



As such, Olivert’s final smashes cannot be disabled, but they are balanced towards actually being used in matches. Playing with Final Smash bars enabled increases the rate at which he accumulates Craft Points. Acquiring a Smash Ball fully charges his Craft Points.

Special Mechanic – Elemental Shield​

As with his bullets, Olivier’s shield varies depending on the last Orbal Art (attack, aerial, or throw) used. An elemental shield can only be used once before using a different element. Otherwise, it will revert to a normal shield on additional shield presses.

Fire (Flame Shield) – Burns foes who strike it, dealing 5% damage over 5 seconds. Does not stack.

Water (Diamond Shield) – Shatters on impact, dealing 3% damage to nearby enemies and flinching them. Does not stun Olivier as with a normal broken shield.

Air (Sylpharion) – Counterattacks and blows foes away, dealing no damage. Increases Olivier’s run speed temporarily.

Earth (Adamantine Shield) – Lasts a short duration during which Olivier can attack normally.

Time (Chrono Burst) – Dodges the first attack to strike it and grants Olivier a 25% attack speed bonus for 2 seconds.

Space (Fortuna) – This shield does not prevent damage and it does not prevent Olivier from taking other actions, but it does reduce the damage and knockback Olivier takes by 33% for 3 seconds.

Mirage (Crescent Mirror) – Shield reflects projectiles.

Specials - Crafts​

Neutral Special – Requiem Shot

Hold the button to charge and aim. Olivier fires a shining silver bullet in a straight line over the full length of Final Destination. It deals 12.5%-22.5% damage and passes through foes. Every foe hit is stunned for 1.25 seconds.

Costs 15 Craft Points.


Side Special – Quick Draw

Olivier fires a burst of 5 bullets in a straight line, which ricochet off of every foe or other surface hit up to 3 times. Each collision of each bullet deals 3% damage.

Use this in tandem with Olivier’s down smash – Cyclone Napalm, to spin the bullets around to hit the same foe repeatedly, then launch them all up in the air.

Drains 10 Craft Points.


Up Special – Howling Bullet

Olivier points his gun downwards and fires an explosive that propels him in the air and deals 15% damage to foes around him. Airborne foes caught in the explosion are spiked to the ground. Olivier’s recovery distance is similar to that of Ness/Lukas’s recovery.

Costs 10 Craft Points.


Down Special – Happy Trigger

Olivier fires a healing bullet into the air, which pops, releasing healing rain around him and any adjacent allied fighters. Recovers a total of 15% health.

Costs 25 Craft Points.

Ground Attacks​

Neutral A and Neutral Air – Elemental Bullets

Generates 1 Craft Point per hit.

Olivier fires magically charged bullets from his orbal pistol, dealing 2% damage per bullet to the first foe hit. The properties of this move are very similar to Megaman’s bullets, albeit with a slower firing rate and slightly shorter travel distance. The bullet properties change based on the nature of the last Orbal Art (attack, aerial, or throw) used.

Fire (Fire Bolt) – Deals an additional 5% damage over 5 seconds. Does not stack.

Water (Crystal Edge) – Stacks Chill on the foe, slowing their movement and attack speeds by 5% per bullet, stacking up to 5 times. At 5 stacks, the foe is frozen for 2 seconds. Stacks fade at a rate of 1 every 2.5 seconds, unless refreshed by an additional stack.

Air (Air Strike) – Bullets deal no damage, but push foes back.

Earth (Needle Shoot) – Deals heavy damage to shields and causes bullets to deal slight knockback.

Time (Soul Blur) – Firing rate is 33% faster and priority is increased.

Space (Dark Matter) – Bullets explode on impact, dealing an additional 1.5% damage and affecting a small area around the target.

Mirage (Phantom Bullet) – Bullets pass through foes and obstacles and travel an additional 2.5 Battlefield platform lengths.


Dash Attack – Syphen Wing (Air)

Olivier dashes forward with wings of wind and rose petals, knocking foe back substantially without damaging them.


Side Tilt – Shadow Spear (Time)

Generates 3 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier thrusts forward with a spear of darkness, dealing 6% damage. This move deals variable knockback. At low damage percentages, it knocks foes a couple body lengths away at a 25 degree angle, and is thus a pretty solid combo tool. At over 100% damage, it suddenly gains much higher KO potential (in reference to its 20% chance to insta-kill in the Trails franchise). At over 200% damage, it KOs the foe outright, with an insta-kill animation.

Within a half-second time frame, the input can be tapped again to throw the spear forward at a 25 degree arc, likely hitting the opponent knocked back by the previous hit, with the same damage and knockback properties as the melee hit.


Side Smash – Blue Impact (Water)

Generates 5 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier points and releases a blast of high pressure water from his fingertip over one Bowser body length, dealing heavy knockback and 15% damage.


Down Tilt – Petrify Cloud (Earth)

Generates 1 Craft Point per hit.

Olivier blows a dramatic kiss, releasing a cloud of dust that causes foes to flinch multiple times, with very high priority. Deals 3 hits of 3% damage each.


Down Smash – Cyclone Napalm (Fire)

Generates 1 Craft Point per hit.

Olivier releases a whirling tornado of flames that travels slowly, picking up foes and dealing rapid hits of 1%-2% depending on charge. Near the end of its duration, it will shoot them vertically with set knockback and remain on the ground for 2 seconds. Not a KO move, but great for setting up air combos.

Additionally, any projectiles shot into the tornado will be launched upwards. Use this to harass foes launched by the tornado.


Up Tilt – Silver Thorn (Mirage)

Generates 3 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier raises his hands and blades of silver light rain from the sky, dealing damage to enemies around him. Struck foes take 10% damage and are not knocked back, but run away in fear for 1 second.

Up Smash – Atlas Hammer (Earth)

Generates 7 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier produces a massive stone hammer and throws it at a 45 degree angle. It travels a horizontal distance equal to 1.5 Battlefield platforms. The hammer rises slowly and falls quickly. Foes struck by the sour spot (the throw) take 12% damage and light knockback. Foes struck by the sweet spot (the fall) take 15% damage and high knockback – enough to KO Mario at about 80%. Foes struck by the super sweet spot (the hammer smashing the ground) take 25% damage and heavy knockback – enough to KO Mario at about 50%.

Aerials​

Forward Aerial – Plasma Wave (Air)

Generates 4 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier sends out a wave of energy that passes through foes and obstacles, dealing 9% damage and light knockback. The distance is equivalent to 1.5 Battlefield platforms. The speed and reach of this move give it a high priority.


Back Aerial – Golden Sphere (Time)

Generates 3 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier spins around, releasing golden orbs a short distance in all directions (think Pit’s reflection shield), which deal 5% damage each and lightly push foes back. Reflects projectiles.


Up Aerial – Blue Ascension (Water)

Generates 1 Craft Point per hit.

Olivier rises up on a tidal wave, surfing on foes caught in his path. Deals rapid hits of 1% damage and flinch each, then a final hit of 7% damage and high knockback, comparable to that of Mario’s Up Special. Can be used to recover, with similar distance covered to the Belmonts’ Up Special.


Down Aerial – Cross Crusade (Time)

Generates 5 Craft Points on the initial smash, then 1 Craft Point per pulse.

Olivier rapidly descends. On contact with a foe or terrain, he’ll Goomba stomp them for 10% damage, and create a large cross symbol around their current location that deals 7 pulses of 7% damage each, at a rate of one per second. Note, this is at the location that the foe or obstacle was at impact; it does not follow them.

Grabs and Throws​

Grab – Olivier’s grab is the standard close-range grab.


Pummel – Rose Thorns

Olivier slaps the opponent across the face, releasing a handful of rose petals that fall to the floor. Deals 2% damage.


Forward Throw – Gale Lance (Air)

Generates 4 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier throws the foe with the force of wind for high knockback, capable of KO’ing Mario at roughly 75%. Deals 3% damage, and an additional 7% damage if they strike another opponent, wall, or other surface.


Back Throw – Stone Impact (Earth)

Generates 4 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier petrifies his foe, creates a boulder around them, and casually rolls it behind him. The foe will roll for 2 seconds before the boulder explodes, dealing 10% damage and, unless they are airborne at the time of the explosion, briefly burying them.


Up Throw – Luminous Ray (Mirage)

Generates 4 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier launches the foe at a 85 degree angle with a massive beam of light, dealing 8% damage. The beam will continue traveling upwards at a 90 degree angle for the full vertical reach of the stage, damaging and knocking back any other enemy in its path. The beam, when struck at ground level, can KO Mario at roughly 120% damage.


Down Throw – Death Scythe (Time)

Generates 4 Craft Points per hit.

Olivier produces a shadow scythe and slashes the foe. Deals 6% damage and variable knockback. At low damage percentages, it knocks foes a couple body lengths away at a 25 degree angle, and is thus a pretty solid combo tool. At over 100% damage, it suddenly gains much higher KO potential (in reference to its 20% chance to insta-kill in the Trails franchise). At over 200% damage, it KOs the foe outright, with an insta-kill animation.

Final Smashes – S-Crafts​

Olivier’s 2 final smashes can be utilized in regular matches utilizing Craft Points. S-Scrafts are activated at will by pressing the Attack and Special buttons together at 100 points or 200 points respectively.


Press and Hold Attack & Special at 100 Craft Points – Requiem Hearts

Olivier pulls out his lute and strums it while a targeting reticle appears on screen. If Olivier successfully targets a foe, he will lock them in place with a barrage of bullets, then fire a sniper shot that deals very high knockback. The total damage dealt is 25%.

If Smash Bars or Smash Balls are enabled, the knockback of the final shot is drastically increased, to the point that it could easily KO a lightweight at 30%.

Legend of Heroes VI Trails in the Sky (Sora no Kiseki) SC - Requiem Hearts

Olivier Lenheim's S-Craft in Sora no Kiseki Second Chapter. I love Olivier to death, and this move just adds to the reason why he's so awesome. :D Enjoy!

youtu.be

Tap Attack & Special at 200 Craft Points – Akashic Star

Olivier gains temporary invulnerability as he crushes a sphere of light into a rain of bullets that damage everyone on the battlefield over the course of 5 seconds, dealing a total of 35 unavoidable damage, with no knockback or flinch.

If Smash Bars or Smash Balls are enabled, this move’s damage is increased to 45% and it gains heavy KO power at the end.

https://youtu.be/fU5YV1HZHP0

Taunts​

Up Taunt - "Remember! There is but one truth: Love is eternal."



Side Taunt – No more words. Fly! Fly to my embrace!



Down Taunt – Plays his lute

Victory Poses​

1 – Olivier’s Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5uD6r1am-s



2 – Drunken Bard

Olivier faints at the table with swirls in his eyes while his love interest, Schera, shakes her head in disappointment.



3 – Rose Flourish

Olivier rides the Courageous into the background behind his opponents and tosses a bouqet of roses, which he shoots, raining rose petals everywhere.

https://youtu.be/Jxdq4mI46kY?t=24

Stage​

The Courageous

Olivier’s massive red airship travels across the continent of Zemuria, dropping fighters off at locations in Liberl, Crossbell, and Erebonia.

Absolute Jammers​

Sophisticated Fight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpNJoRN-O54



Silver Will

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAvvw0qk6o8



To Gamble All or Nothing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVi1YZmCaAA



Transcend Beat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdXZCE7frZs



Blue Destination

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Goj8hyy_L0M



Atrocious Raid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbXAqwxwamE



Even if Driven to the Wall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M42oppB2KHc&list=PLzFTGYa_evXg9ZudTxcGNs2m5X4O9nj66&index=35



Crimson Wings – A New Wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_9WUb9LxJE&list=PLzFTGYa_evXg9ZudTxcGNs2m5X4O9nj66&index=64



To Become the Foundation of the World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JDWIPftf1M&list=PLzFTGYa_evXg9ZudTxcGNs2m5X4O9nj66&index=69



Exceed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2OBpsUK5PU&list=PLzFTGYa_evXg9ZudTxcGNs2m5X4O9nj66&index=70



To Grasp Tomorrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDG5PeXgVk&list=PLzFTGYa_evXg9ZudTxcGNs2m5X4O9nj66&index=74



Awakening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88tfiEAvXg&list=PLzFTGYa_evXiOHCB_cb1Sqsk-LIARmLgd&index=10



Bring Up Trust!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMQnrk5Iobk&list=PLzFTGYa_evXiOHCB_cb1Sqsk-LIARmLgd&index=14



E.O.V.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dga3Vw1NQ0&list=PLzFTGYa_evXiOHCB_cb1Sqsk-LIARmLgd&index=39



Brave Steel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zciFSXZdxfk&list=PLzFTGYa_evXgvRyxTwNGWJ2MGgI_uwNqp&index=9

Spirit Board


Estelle Bright

Joshua Bright

Scherazard Harvey

Rean Schwarzer

Mueller Vander

Agate and Tita

 

[bubbyboytoo]

did you know that, in smash, luigi's mansion is counted as part of the mario series? that's why i used the mario logo for this set, which is kinda weird but ehhhhhhhhhhhhh whatever. anyway enjoy ghost cat that took far too long for me to finish. or don't, i can't tell you what to do, i'm just some flavor text

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I'd also like to take this moment to formally announce the MYM Abyss Rune Project! I know it's a tad bit late in the contest, but with the release of Rivals of Aether's Definitive Edition and official rune support for all base-game characters, there's really no better time for it. Click the image below to discover a whole new type of extra to spice a set up with a creative exercise inspired by one of the most MYM-ish games on the market!

 

[PeridotGX]

This isn't a serious submission, but I made AI Dungeon generate an Ameterasu moveset. Half because I thought it would be funny, half because I wanted to see what it could do.

Spoiler: Amaterasu Moveset

Spoiler: Text Version

"Hello. I'm Masahiro Sakurai, and I'd like to introduce the 8th DLC fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Amaterasu from the Okami Series! This is her moveset." Neutral B: Fireball. Ameterasu's Fireball attakck is a small ball of fire that she can shoot out at enemies. It has a fairly long range, but it's not too powerful. Forward B: Water Wave. Ameterasu will create a wave of water that hits all nearby opponents. The move has decent power, but its very slow moving. Backward B: Ice Storm. Ameterasu creates an ice storm around herself that freezes any opponent caught within it. The move has decent range, but it's hard to control. Down B: Vampiric Embrace. Amaterasu sucks in any nearby opponent and drains their blood, healing herself slightly in the process. Up B: Celestial Brush. Amaterasu paints a quick picture of the skies, sending multiple raindrops out towards all nearby opponents. It's not very powerful, but it can cause opponents to flinch if they're hit. Up Smash: Wolf Fang Sword. Amaterasu summons her sword, which she will slash any opponent caught in the radius. It's fairly fast, but it doesn't do too much damage and it's vertical reach isn't the greatest. Down Smash: Fiery Mountain. Amaterasu summons a small fenced off area of earth that causes an explosion, launching any opponent caught in it high into the air. It's not very strong, but it has a good clip speed. Forward Smash: Celestial Press. Amaterasu places her hand on the ground, causing a large pressue to drop be placed on any opponent caught in front of her. She'll then lift them up and fling them away, sending them flying quite a distance. Grab: Celestial Twirl. Amaterasu grabs an opponent in a twirl, tossing them towards her. It's fairly slow and easy to escape from. Pummel: Amaterasu punches the opponent. If she twists her wrist, she'll send them flying into the air. Up Throw: Amaterasu throws an opponent up and then backwards, flipping them over. Backward Throw: Amaterasu throws an opponent behind her, breaking the momentum of the throw. It has great power, but bad range. Down Throw: Amaterasu puts an opponent on her knee and then slams her foot on their chest, sending them to the floor with a small bounce. Forward Throw: Amaterasu will toss her opponent forward and then across the stage, dragging them a bit on the way down. It does a lot of damage and has great range, but it's slow to execute. Jab: Amaterasu's signature move. She does a quick swipe at her opponent. Side Tilt: Amaterasu kicks her leg out to the side, sweeping any nearby opponents off of their feet. It has great range and power. Up Tilt: Amaterasu does a sweeping kick. It has great range, but it's slow to initiate and easy to avoid. Down Tilt: Amaterasu falls on one knee and then sweeps her foot out from under any opponent hit, sending them to the floor. Dash Attack: Amaterasu runs up to an opponent and hits them with her fist. It's very strong and has good range, but it's slow to initiate and easy to avoid. Neutral Air: Amaterasu does a spin kick. It's fairly weak, but has decent range. Forward Air: Amamaru will quickly sweep her leg out, tripping up any opponents hit. Back Air: Amamaru will rapidly sweep her leg back, kicking any opponent away from her. Up Air: Amaterasu will quickly head-butt her opponent. It isn't very strong, but it can be triggered by pressing the special move button (PSB). Down Air: Amaterasu does a quick sit-down drop, hitting any opponent directly beneath her. Final Smash: Ameterasu's ultimate attack is called "Apocalypse: Cocytus". It summons a black hole to appear in the stage. Then, Amaterasu will summon a horde of Behemoth, faster than Kyros'slessened, to run rampant throughout the entire stage, attacking any unfortunate souls caught in their path. Any surviving enemies will be set aflame by the Behemoths' flight, and the fact that they'll be running through said fire will speed up their already frantic charge. Taunt 1: Amaterasu does a small pose, flexing her muscles. Taunt 2: Amaterasu closes her eyes and smirks, licking her lips. Taunt 3: Amaterasu's gaze turns cold as the sun, and she snarls, showing her teeth. Ameterasu's Classic Mode route is called "Rebirth". You fight the following Smash Bros characters: Sora: The hero of the Kingdom Hearts universe. Sora fights using the Keyblade, a weapon with which he can cast various kinds of magic. Pit: The fearless pilot who saved the galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy. He also appears in Smash Bros. as a veteran fighter using his dramatically upgraded dual lightsaber. Ridley: The giant space monster who menace the Metroid universe in which Samus Aran works. He appears as a veteran foe, with his massive size and powerful attacks making him a big threat. Samus: The fearless bounty hunter who hunts Metroids in the Metroid universe. Samus is re-imagined as a powerful fighter able to use many technical skills. Dark Samus: The horrifying final form of Samus after she absorbs the powers of the Metroids in Metroid Prime. She can easily wipe out due to her overwhelming power, although she can be a big target and has a tendency to self-destruct. Ganondorf: The main villain of the Legend of Zelda series. Ganondorf is a skilled and powerful fighter, although he relies on brute force. King Dedede: The proud king of the- not very large- Dynastie of the Bunny Rabbits. The final battle is a boss fight against either King Dedede or Dark Samus, depending on the path you chose.
Ameterasu's home stage is an iconic location from Okami: The Tam-Tama Tree. The stage features a massive tree with several platforms and tunnels that stretch out from its branches.

Also, if anyone's wondering why I haven't done an actual submission this contest... I've been busy, there won't be a new set from me this contest. I'll have a lot more for MYM24.

 

[Torgo the Bear]

Hi everybody. I would love to present my very first MYM submission.
With this character, I have managed to answer the totally-real age-old question that loads of people have obviously been asking for years:
"Is it possible to have another Game & Watch character in Smash?"
And to that I say: Mr. Game & Watch Gallery.


Anyways I know I'm not the best writer, but I had fun making this, so enjoy.

 

[BKupa666]

OCHAKO URARAKA:
When the idea of a MYM centerpiece can border on trope-y at times, it's refreshing to have Ochako's stage cracks as a central concept that, while omnipresent by virtue of them getting generated whenever she or a foe lands a hit, don't feel as though they overshadow what's left. While it comes off as bizarre that MYM's powerhouse characters only create cracks when fighting Ochako, that they, too, can do so pretty seamlessly imbues each match-up with their own distinct crack formations she can expect to play with, given what bread-and-butter approaches or combos her specific foe is likely to use. I could've done with this being highlighted a bit more throughout the set, perhaps in some of the laggier moves, like D-Smash, where Ochako's vulnerability from certain angles could bait foes into approaching and forming still more cracks upon shielding their careless blows. This is a minor nitpick at best, though, easily overshadowed by the mileage Ochako gets out of the ensuing debris.

I enjoyed the degree of choice present in terms of when Ochako chooses to make her stage cracks FLOAT up into debris. A less patient player might choose to levitate a number of different smaller cracks to pepper the air with smaller, irritating hitboxes, or keep them there to bolster moves like U-Smash or D-Throw. Others instead might opt to enlarge cracks on the ground for a more powerful ultimate chunk to bat at her enemy, bounce off a D-Smash ramp, launch into the air for a neat "use grounded attacks in the air" variant, and so on. Ochako's use of debris folds into itself in a rather neat way, giving her defensive cover as he moves in on foes to boost her odds of creating more cracks and, thus, debris.

Then, there's the focus on spacing, not just in terms of when the debris lands and at what trajectory, but also in how Ochako follows up on it with the rest of her kit. I like when sets give attention to micro-level details like where two characters are positioned in exiting command-grab type moves (Up Special) or how safe or otherwise moves become at varying distances from foes (Up Smash), and Ochako has no shortage of them. Even the more simplistic moves have their own nice stronger applications when, for example, they're used against a prone foe (B-Air) or they're controlled such that they can bolster other constructs Ochako has out (U-Throw).

Even though Pennywise continues to reign supreme in terms of your sets I've read, I recommend more people check out Ochako when they have a chance, in the hopes that they'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

ERNEST AMANO:
Great to have a MYM23 set from you after checks just over 11 months since you posted my favorite work from last contest. I don't know that Ernest quite reaches Rudy's heights but now, now, now, he's still brimming with charm and what I think is a pretty strong multi-character mechanic. They're not truly comparable but compared to something like last contest's Stand mechanics, it's easier to infuse character into this type of set when the multiple characters consistently remain onstage, to say nothing of the sub-mechanic of Lance's angst. Which, when it comes to ways of balancing a set, having Amano's large adult son melt down when abused too heavily over the course of a match is a great way, beyond HP alone, to inhibit players from turtling up behind him too much, or not bothering to swap in the Badgers every now and again. Also a good inclusion in terms of balance is the rage manipulation, both in terms of Amano unlocking big angry dad energy when Lance is stressed out and being able to lower his opponent's rage with his hand-waving reassurances. If anything, I'd have liked to see a touch more focus on that element, where Amano's stronger knockback maybe gives him a few new setups in combination with a Badger while Lance is out of the picture.

Beyond that, Amano becomes a great exploration of what could be achieved through melding the Pikmin and Ice Climber mechanics and taking them to more mechanical extremes. As opposed to desyncs being a character's central focus literally by accident, Amano seeks them out as only a chessmaster could, stationing Lance and Badgers in order to maximize (and give any kind of strategic thought to) mash-y group attacks along the lines of B-Air or D-Air. Positioning options like using the Badger Mobile and stop signs in combination for Lance or bumping followers back variable distances with U-Air come in quite handy in terms of expanding Amano's options. And of course, if he so chooses, he can just literally throw his compatriots forward in a pinch with F-Air — especially handy if being comboed has Lance teetering on the edge — or burst away with dash attack to save his own skin. As some mentioned in chat, this isn't really in service of some greater, meatier playstyle goal, but I don't think this is strictly necessary. As is, Amano brings to the table almost a playground-esque take on the multi-character genre, one in which I'd not be surprised to see future attempts refer back to him for guidance.

 

[Torgo the Bear]

"Show me the Nintendo fighting game"
SUPER SMASH BROS.
"No, the other Nintendo fighting game"
JOY MECH FIGHT
"No, the REAL Nintendo fighting game"
PHOTO DOJO
"Perfection"

 

[Torgo the Bear]

I hate my internet. It keeps making me double post without meaning to.

 

[UserShadow7989]

Important Announcement!
​

We're extending the Submission Period deadline by 1 week, due to the number of people who are so close to finishing a set! That means the period ends at the end of November 8th! Make that final push if you can, but don't despair if you can't; MYM 24 will happily accept your submissions when it's eventually posted!

 

[ForwardArrow]

The Primordial Darkness

​

The Primordial Darkness is the final boss of Phantasy Star Online 2, after six "episodes" and quite a long period of updates. A being created from the vices of an ancient civilization given form, it corrupts the world around it and people it comes into contact with, even indirectly, turning particularly heavily corrupted hosts into the world-destroying Dark Falz. While Dark Falz has been a mainstay of the series, it has been a long time since its master played a major role in the series, only showing up originally in Phantasy Star 4(as the Profound Darkness, we'll get to why I'm using a different name in a moment). While the first two episodes deal with two hosts corrupted by it, Dark Falz Elder and Dark Falz Loser(or Luther in the English dub but he'll always be Dark Falz Loser to me), the Primordial Darkness finally comes into focus in Episode 3 as Dark Falz Gemini gathers together the power of each Falz to fully manifest their master to attempt to wipe out the entire universe. They succeed in summoning it, and while its defeated in the end it manages to escape to new hosts.

It hops bodies throughout the remaining 3 episodes, getting stronger as it goes as it keeps incarnating into more and more dangerous forms, until by Episode 6 its finally found effectively its perfect host in Shiva, a malevolent women best suited to channeling all its power and smart enough to give something of an actual battle plan to what is usually just a screaming mass of rage and hatred. While this pushes the heroes into a corner, the Primordial Darkness is ultimately purged from Shiva's body by weakening her power and resistance to weaponry before exorcizing the beast from Shiva. While up until this point in the game it had been referred to as the Profound Darkness, it took on a new title as it was forced into its original form, the Primordial Darkness, as the origin of all the "Profound Darkness" bodies the heroes have to keep fighting.

Suffice to say, after this long and wild goose chase, the only thing left to do is put the Primordial Darkness in its most powerful incarnation down for good. While previous fights with the being used the powers it developed in its Falz bodies, to the point it was getting kind of excessive how many times we'd see "oh this has all the powers of the four Dark Falz", the Primordial Darkness reverts to simpler, but perhaps even more devastating techniques. While in its more brute force oriented Gomorroth form it fights by simply using its absolutely massive bulk to try to crush the opponent alongside death lasers and miasma, the second form, which we're using for the moveset, takes a faster, more aggressive approach. The world twists around it as it uses ungodly powerful elemental techniques and it spawns huge arms of twisting flesh out of its shoulders to give it plenty of physical might as well. While this is where it ends in the single player version of the fight, the final phase of the raid boss version has the two forms merge together as the Primordial Darkness desperately tries to drown the foe in a sea of miasma, before ultimately being destroyed for good.

Because Gomorroth is, well, absolutely gigantic, this set will be using the Sodam form for its entirety, as depicted above. And yes, these are based on the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, a fittingly apocalyptic name for an apocalyptic threat. Although, if you want to know something funny, it does spend a huge chunk of the game in the body of an alternate timeline version of the player character. This can sometimes result in the Primordial Darkness forced to run around in the undignified body of a ridiculous looking player character like Adult Cool.

Boss Fight
Boss Theme #1
Boss Theme #2

Stats​

The Primordial Darkness' design might look a bit abstract, but its body shape ends up being a quite large humanoid with the cape-like structure flowing off to give it a wider bottom half, as the "cape" is a hurtbox. In terms of size, it's actually even taller than Ganondorf by a small amount, and quite a bit wider thanks to said cape, making it the biggest character in the game. It is fortunate enough to be a superheavyweight, at least, clocking in at 122 weight, making it a bit heavier than Ganondorf. And now for the really bad news, its run speed clocks in at... 1.05. That's worse than Incineroar by a full .13 units of speed, about twice the gap between him and the next worst runner in the game. This is awful, but slightly alleviated by the fact that the Primordial Darkness can actually reach the same 1.05 speed in the air, and it comes equipped with 3 jumps. Not small jumps either, the first jump is a pretty sizeable lunge and the second and third jumps are certainly bigger than multi-jump contemporaries like Ridley or Kirby, and combined with a floaty fall speed of 1.33, it manages some very impressive air time. Most of its movements, as an aside, are quite floaty looking and comparable to Mewtwo's, but without an exertion sounds, simply producing ominous humming noises, which become louder during its dash attack and first jump which trail a slight aura of pitch black void to their movements.

Specials​

Neutral Special - Eye of the Abyss
A pair of coiled, purple arms erupt out of the Primordial Darkness' shoulder voids, stretching out to a little under a battlefield platform distance in front of it. Between its enormous clawed hands, a large eye made of energy begins to grow between the hands, expanding over half a second after the initial 10 frame animation of the arms appearing. The eye by default is orange in coloration, but by pressing backward, it will change to an icy blue, upwards will change it to a bright yellow, and down changing it to a dark purple. As a hitbox, the eye isn't really anything to write home about, dealing 8% and weak radial knockback on contact, but it does have the decency to negate hitboxes that deal less than 15% that come into contact with it. The eye expands to a bit larger than Wario over the duration, though given the brief startup window and the fact that it doesn't cover Primordial Darkness' body directly its a pretty underwhelming projectile deflector. You can actually switch which color of eye you're going for during this move over ten frames, pressing forward going back to the original orange color.

This is not a move you use for its hitbox barring some extremely niche situations, but rather the after effects. The eye will flash out of existence at the end of the move, as the Primordial Darkness' ring of crystalline spikes take on the same color of energy around them(with the exception of orange, where the spikes will instead take on a pink shade), and a faint aura of energy surrounds it. If you picked the orange eye, faint flames will leak off the Primordial Darkness' body. The icy blue eye will leave a frosty mist lingering around it. If you picked the bright yellow, a grey wind will trail off Primordial Darkness' body. Finally, purple will have purple lightning occasionally crackling between Primordial Darkness' body parts. In a 1v1 match however, this is not the only visual indicator of the move, as it will also warp the background of the stage somewhat. The flame effect will carry into the background, the stage environment being visibly on fire if Primordial Darkness is. Ice will have the stage experience a blizzard in the background, which is strictly cosmetic and not nearly dense enough to obscure any action like all these effects. Wind will create tornadoes in the distance and have a fog begin to dominate the background, and finally lightning will leave the stage with a dark sky, crackling with lightning. While NPCs that actually interact with the stage will not be affected by this, its strictly a cosmetic change, this will provoke reactions from background NPCs like those on Mementoes, King of Fighters Stadium, and Minecraft World. Many characters will end up shivering on an icy stage, while you might notice Minecraft zombies or villagers getting incinerated by fire or killed by a bolt of lightning, while Makoto will cower in fear when lightning crashes down in the background. This visual is a bit too flashy to have to juggle with other character visuals outside of 1v1, so you'll just get the aura in those modes.

Okay so it sure looks flashy, but what does this elemental energy do? Effectively, it acts as elementally oriented armor for the Primordial Darkness, buffering its attacks with additional light super armor for their entire starting lag. This is only against attacks that deal less than 8%, and multi-hit attacks will break through after dealing 8% or more, but its still a powerful buffer. This is arguably the most important part of the move and consistent between all four types of elemental armor, because Primordial Darkness' moveset is plagued with a very big problem. Not only does it come with the worst dash speed in the game, it also just is generally the slowest character in the game in terms of attack speed, having some horrifically slow moves that really are begging for something to make them a bit more practical. It does, however, already have super armor on some of its attacks, and in the context of the elemental armor, the super armor becomes a lot more horrifying. See, any damage that would be dealt to the Primordial Darkness during its super armor frames will be nullified entirely, rendering it borderline invincible. The foe can still go for a grab, though.

Elemental armor will last for 8 seconds, or until the Primordial Darkness takes 40%. As an aside, this 40% does include damage nullified by the combination of your super and elemental armor, so you aren't getting off with literally nothing traded for armoring through an attack, but its close enough. In addition to this, you do get some additional effects based on what type of elemental armor you chose.

Orange/Fire
This provides a flat 1.1x damage and knockback boost to Primordial Darkness' attacks, which does mean a pretty notable overall knockback increase that would probably mess up your combos. However, its kind of a bold claim to say that the Primordial Darkness combos like a normal character, its combo options are incredibly limited. Primordial Darkness is more interested in getting space and killing hilariously early, which the overall knockback amplifier of this accomplishes nicely, as shaving another 15%-20% off Primordial Darkness' already low KO percentages while making each hit pile on even more damage just makes you hit like a nuclear warhead.

Blue/Ice
Ice armor is strictly defensive, but the defensive buff it gives is incredible. Remember how I said the foe can try to beat the Primordial Darkness' super armor with grabs? Yeah, ice armor causes the opponent to take 4% and release the Primordial Darkness if they try to grab it during attack startup, the ice freezing a foe that has gripped it and giving some minor frame adavantage. This won't work on the extremely few and far between projectile grab hitboxes like Steve's Minecart, but aside from that, this removes one of the main tools the opponent has to get through the Primordial Darkness' super armor. As a downside, there's no purely offensive benefits for picking ice, the move you were using still gets interrupted, and if the foe grabs you after the first 5 frames you won't get the damage or frame advantage. This means you can't quite "armor through" an opponent's grab hitboxes like you could their regular attacks and need to read them well to get an an advantage state out of it. Still, it does make the Primordial Darkness' super armor even more potent than it already was.

Yellow/Wind
Wind buffs up Primordial Darkness' aerial abilities, increasing the height of its second jump and buffing its air speed to a solid 1.20, giving it some actually pretty formidable aerial mobility. It is also blessed with a very small fourth jump, mostly used for steadying yourself in the air and providing a last little boost to an aerial assault. Primordial Darkness actually has a solid air game for reasons we'll get to later, and this gives you more air time and a rare chance to actually outmaneuver less aerially inclined opponents. Hell, this technically qualifies as a faster way to get around, given your ground speed is so utterly terrible moving through the air is actually faster with wind armor.

Purple/Lightning
Well if you want to get around Primordial Darkness' horrendous dash speed, this is how you do it. Lightning armor will boost Primordial Darkness' dash speed to a whopping... 1.55, putting it in 62nd place. It does change the dash animation to have it lean further forward while lightning crackles off its body, for that matter. While its nice to have some actual mobility, this has a second upside of selectively buffing the start lag of a few of Primordial Darkness' attacks to make them a bit faster. Its not much, and its not a universal buff, but it does shore up Primordial Darkness' weaknesses while also coating it in armor that will let it just plow through the opponent's attacks, which is quite threatening in its own right.

While none of the elemental armors are necessarily overbearingly powerful on their own, they do shore up a lot of Primordial Darkness' weaknesses while they're active, and it gives the opponent very good reason to stay close and keep fighting it head on rather than attempting to camp it out. Primordial Darkness does need a significant bit of time to set up its armor, even if the ending lag is very brief, and an opponent can easily pressure it out of using the move unless its gotten itself some space. Subsequent uses of Eye of the Abyss while armor is active will just refresh its health and duration, though if you pick a different element you can also switch to that element instead.

In its fight, the Primordial Darkness will start using two elements at once if its taken enough damage. That's true here too, as once the Primordial Darkness hits 75%, it can suddenly activate 2 elements at once. This makes the mid-move change relevant, as instead of just switching the element to a different one, it adds that element to the mix, replacing the oldest one if there's already two. The Primordial Darkness generally gets a lot scarier at high percents, and this is not the only reason why, as rage boosting its already high knockback and some later move mechanics, but it does help with a problem Primordial Darkness runs into. A lot of the time in neutral, Primordial Darkness is forced to take damage trades due to its super armor focused playstyle, but the fact that you can access doubled armor and other benefits at high percentages makes winning damage trades a lot more beneficial than it otherwise would be.

As for double armor, yeah, its horrifying. Get the offensive benefits of another armor while being immune to grabs on your start lag when that's the only way to power through? That's a good starting point, but you could also actually give yourself respectable smash character mobility including some impressive aerial prowess by combining wind and thunder. Get some ridiculous off stage kills by combining fire and wind and land super powerful attacks far off stage. There's a lot of terrifying options, and its even more versatile than the regular version with 6 combinations to worry about instead of 4, meaning the Primordial Darkness setting this up at a high percentage is something to be feared. On top of everything else, this also changes the background visuals even further, as the two elements combine to create things such as an intense blizzard or firestorm(fire/wind), or electrified ice or windstorms, the background effects becoming even more chaotic and intense.

As a final note, this move dictates what projectiles you can conjure with Side Special(and are also spawned and messed with on a couple other moves), and we'll get to how that all works later.

Up Special - Origin of Rage
Pitch black energy erupts from the Primordial Darkness' body, surrounding it as it stalls in the air similar to Fire Fox, able to be aimed around in all 8 cardinal directions. The aura of darkness comes out on Frame 22, and will surround the Primordial Darkness until it launches off on Frame 51 in a burst of black and purple energy, giving it super armor the entire time the aura of darkness is out. This goes 1.3x the distance of Fire Fox, but the aura sticks closer to the Primordial Darkness' body, giving it less ability to interrupt opponents out of their attacks, though the super armor makes up for that. The damage of the aura is actually pretty low, doing rapid hits of 0.6% that will only add up to 7.2% during the wind up if the foe gets hit by all of them. The Primordial Darkness' body deals 13% and knockback in the direction it was flying that kills at 160% with the black energy burst.

This is a decent recovery move, having extra range over Fox's version in exchange for a little more lag and worse power. Except this move is a bit more than that, for a couple reasons. The first is that it acts as a kind of long term counter, absorbing the damage of attacks dealt to you over time and adding 0.4x the total damage you took in the last 5 seconds to its power. This also will increase the damage the darkness flaring off the Primordial Darkness' body during the windup deals, up to tripling it if its taken 30% in the last 5 seconds, and also increases the scope of the darkness as its absolutely seething with black energy that covers a considerably bigger area than Fox's Up Special even compared to its body if it took 30%. The burst of black and purple magic is also exaggerated in scope and ferocity with higher levels of damage, giving the Primordial Darkness a considerably bigger hitbox than its own body potentially.

Oh, and for the record? Damage taken by the Primordial Darkness that was nullified completely by elemental armor? That counts for the power boost here, meaning you can get an incredibly powerful Up Special without having to pay for it. Still, this move is pretty predictable, so using it on the offensive is kind of difficult, but an opponent who hit the super armored part of the attack might just get caught in the dark energy and smashed away with the force of the Primordial Darkness' rage. It can also be layered with delayed hitboxes to be harder to dodge, which the Primordial Darkness has a few of, but admittedly using this high power move to retaliate on a foe who recently piled a lot of damage on you can be pretty tricky, given that'd usually mean you got launched away by a combo ender first.

Anyway all this stuff is potentially useful but a bit impractical due to the move's lag, but actually this move has one more property that makes it kind of horrifying. You can use it during hitstun. As long as the Primordial Darkness hasn't taken a hit that would deal a battlefield platform or more of knockback, it can use this attack in mid stun to end the stun and begin this move in retaliation. If the foe is in the middle of a combo, you can cancel out of one of their hits, and suddenly the foe has a super armored and incredibly strong Primordial Darkness bearing down on them while they're still dealing with the ending lag of whatever combo move they're dealing with. Essentially, while its not always going to actually land, this gives you the option to escape the combos that would otherwise wreck havoc on your floaty, giant character model by simply smashing through them, and sometimes even catch the opponent in the dark aura with the ending lag of their attack and then just throw a siezable portion of their combo's damage back at them at once, basically serving as a counter to an entire combo rather than a single hit! When even the pre-chargeup animation is given light super armor this move becomes all that much more horrifying too, as it nullifies the opponent's ability to predict their way around this move in combos nearly as easily.

There are flaws to this technique, mind you, the first one being that the landing lag on this move is abysmal, you really do not want to crash into the ground with it. Its better to go into helpless a short distance above the ground out of this move, but that requires positioning and aim an opponent comboing you won't always give, so really you won't always be able to escape a combo without any punishment, and certainly not get a real chance to setup unless you're in a particularly strong position with regards to the stage or you actually connect with the back hit. Which, mind you, won't always happen, the foe could always DI out of the flare up hits and dodge in time, or the timing of the attack you super armored through could give the foe a chance to weave out of the way. Also a foe can break up their combo to fake the Primordial Darkness out into using it and then punish them for committing to such a laggy attack. This is a risky move that requires you to have a good read on the foe to use properly, though positioning and other hitboxes you have flying around can certainly make it easier.

One of the better things about lightning armor is it makes this move's aura of darkness start on Frame 18 instead of 22, and the main hitbox will come out on Frame 45 instead of 51. This makes getting a proper read on the opponent's combos and rhythm easier as your timing window to punish them is less difficult. As a final note, if the Primordial Darkness has been dealt 30% or more in the last 5 seconds when using this move, it will let out an enraged, eldritch scream during the start lag, rather than the quieter hum it normally exhibits.

Side Special - Darkness Reigns
A dim purple light emits from the Primordial Darkness, a small black orb flying forth from its body, completely controllable as a cursor for up to 1.5 seconds of duration. The orb passes freely through objects and deals no damage or knockback to players, and travels at a fairly fast pace comparable to the speed Samus' charge shot moves at. It leaves a trail of faint elemental energy behind it, colored based on which element the Primordial Darkness is currently using or most recently used. If it has or most recently had dual elements, it will default to the element you selected first, but you can switch to the second element by pressing B again while the "indicator" is out. This move can be cancelled out of by shielding/dodging/rolling. Once you release this move, projectiles will begin firing from along the path the Primordial Darkness created, but the specifics of how will depend some on what element you were using at the time. This has a bit of start lag and end lag that ultimately are pretty tame by Primordial Darkness standards, but it is risky to just throw out without a plan due to lacking an immediate hitbox.

So for reference on how this all works, if you keep the orb out for 10 frames, the first projectile will spawn based on where the cursor is at the 10 frame mark(usually from the cursor's location) a few frames later, then if its been out for 20 frames the second projectile will be spawned where it was at the 20 frame mark, and so on. This means this move can spawn a total of 8 projectiles, but the thing is that they don't all spawn at once. Depending on which type of projectile you pick, there's an interval between their spawning point, effectively resulting in a constant stream of projectiles that is activating alongside the Primordial Darkness being out of lag. While this does make it very predictable where the projectiles will come out, the foe can see them forming after all, as well as the Primordial Darkness drawing the path, the delay means that the foe has to worry about the Primordial Darkness' own attacks alongside the projectile pattern, creating some genuinely horrifying bullet hell. This is compounded by the variation in how the projectiles move and act, so if you switch between 2 types you can create some pretty complex patterns for the opponent to worry about. Hell, the delay is long enough in some cases that a really ambitious Primordial Darkness player with a lot of time and space can go for one projectile pattern mixing two types of projectiles, switch elements, and then add projectiles of the other two elements to create absolute chaos for the opponent to try and fight through. As for the individual projectiles, their properties will be detailed below.

Fire: Meteors
The fire projectile is a bit unique with its spawning point, as unlike the other 3 types of projectile it will not spawn from where you left the cursor positioned. Rather, it will instead spawn from the ground with the terrain its on visibly heating up while the projectile prepares before cracking open, a meteor flying up from it up 4x Ganondorf's height before sizzling out of existence. These deal 8% and mostly upwards knockback that kills at 245%, not especially powerful but considering you can spawn eight of them from one Side Special, its formidable enough, and can even occasionally score kills near the top of its range. The meteors fly up fairly quickly, going about the speed of Wolf's Blaster, and if the orb goes off stage, they will instead spawn from the bottom blast zone but still reach the same height of 4 Ganondorf heights above the main platform.

The first meteor will spawn 20 frames after you release Side Special, and each subsequent meteor will be spaced another 30 frames apart. This makes it one of the more "spaced out" barrages of projectiles Primordial Darkness can form, potentially leaving the opponent with things to dodge for up to 4 seconds. The meteors are not very big though, only about half Kirby's width and about as tall, and due to firing upwards rather than forward they won't cover nearly as much of the stage. That said, they occupy a unique role among these projectiles by allowing you to section off parts of the stage vertically in addition to horizontally, letting you create a kind of "box" of projectiles for the opponent to avoid using the meteors to zone the opponent off certain parts of the ground.

Blue: Stalactites
The ice projectile, a spiky stalactite, and all subsequent projectiles, will actually form from the point the Primordial Darkness had the orb at in a burst of frigid energy, before firing forward, initially going straight ahead before succumbing to gravity and falling toward the ground. They have a maximum range of 3 battlefield platforms total(at which point they will have gone forward 2 battlefield platforms and down 1) before shattering in an explosion of ice. They travel a bit on the slower side, only about 0.8x the speed of Wolf's blaster, and deal 7% and slightly diagonally upward knockback at the start of their range. Interestingly, as the spike angles further downward, its knockback angle also shifts downward, until at the end of the range the stalactite it actually does a bit of downwards knockback to go with its horizontal knockback, giving it the ability to help gimping, and also comboing by bouncing the opponent against the floor. That said, its knockback is weaker than the meteor's, only killing at 290% approximately.

The first stalactite will spawn 20 frames after you release Side Special like with the meteor, but it actually spawns subsequent stalactites slower, a 40 frame gap between each. This is the most long term setup option of the projectiles, but having it this spaced out means the projectile patterns are a bit easier and more predictable to dodge in exchange. As an aside, if the projectile hits the ground or reaches the end of its range, it explodes in a burst of ice that deals mostly vertical knockback, actually comboing pretty well into Up Tilt(which is one of the Primordial Darkness' rare fast moves). Using the downward angle and knockback of this move to keep the foe pressed to the groudn is also rather helpful for the purposes of racking damage with another move, which we'll get to shortly.

For the record, if you're creating a barrage of two types of projectile, the longer wait time between the two types of projectile before the stream starts firing is used, but the individual wait time between projectiles within the same stream switches with whatever one is next. So if you shoot a meteor and then a stalactite, you wait 20 frames before the stream starts, 30 frames for the meteor, and then 40 frames after the meteor for the stalactite.

Wind: Vortexes
Spawning a miniature tornado that whips up from the wind that is a bit taller and much thinner than Kirby, this vortex will fire forward at an initially slow speed before speeding up to 1.3x the speed of Wolf's blaster over its 2.5 battlefield platforms of range. On contact, this projectile rapidly deals 3 hits of 0.6% before launching the opponent out of it in the opposite direction it was traveling with 5% and knockback that KOs at around 270%. They fly straight forward with no variation in height as they travel, but the key thing about these projectiles is the inward knockback. While Primordial Darkness is pretty terrible at comboing, inward knockback is probably the best thing one could ask for out of a projectile for combo setups, and even the Primordial Darkness' slow moves can either combo off or be landed off a small read thanks to these tornadoes. Its a great setup for Forward Tilt, for instance, even if the scenarios where it true combos from it are a bit specific.

The first tornado will spawn 30 frames after you release Side Special, and each subsequent tornado 20 frames after that. This does mean you're not getting your projectile support for a bit longer than the other variants, and it doesn't last quite as long, but in exchange you're getting a better potential on hit result for combo potential, and a taller projectile than any other one in the moveset. It also stays on screen a bit longer than the other projectiles due to its initial slow speed, but only by a few frames. One thing to note is that this projectile does only half the usual damage and lower than normal stun against shields though, so it is pretty easy for the foe to shield through it, but that assumes you don't have a plan to hammer the opponent's shield while they do that, which Down Tilt certainly comes in handy for.

Tornadoes will capture your stalactites and meteors in them for a couple frames before firing them back out in the opposite direction they entered from, refreshing their duration. This can create prolonged patterns and more complex patterns by mixing the two types of projectile, or by switching to wind during another projectile stream and creating tornadoes to start redirecting those projectiles around.

Lightning: Thunderbolts
A bolt of lightning is fired directly forward from its initial position after a brief crackle of electricity, going forth the shortest distance of 1.75 battlefield platforms at the speed of Falco's lasers. This thunderbolt is extremely thin, and about as long as Wario is wide, dealing 5% and the weakest knockback of the bunch, only killing at 330% and being mostly horizontal with a small diagonal component to it. This is on paper the worst projectile of the bunch strictly in terms of its own properties, but its fast movement does make it a bit harder to react to once it comes out, and that's not the only fast aspect of it.

While it takes 30 frames before the thunderbolts begin to fire, they only take 6 frames between each bolt to fire. This means rather than the usual case of the projectiles being a long term, consistent nuisance, the bolts have the possibility of comboing together fairly easily, creating one swift and hard to avoid barrage of lightning. While the foe can usually break after 2 hits, sometimes 3 at lower percents, with good DI, this can set up for Primordial Darkness to throw its own attacks into the mix fairly easily, and provided the foe isn't out of the way by the time the bolts start firing it can mean serious trouble for them, although the 30 frame window before they do start does give the foe time to get to a safe position. Weaving these into another projectile pattern is pretty scary however, as the slow pace of meteors coming out of the ground or icicles falling is suddenly interrupted by a swift barrage of bolts in the middle of it.

Speaking of which, like with the tornado, these interact with your other projectiles. If a bolt of lightning hits a stalactite or a meteor, it will supercharge it, sending it forward 1.75 battlefield platforms adding its speed to the projectiles, also meaning it can knock meteors forward from their upward path. The power of meteors is increased to dealing 12% and diagonally upward knockback that KOs at 175%, while stalactites grow to deal 10% and the knockback is increased to kill at 200%. The slight downward component of knockback to a lightning charged stalactite is scarier when a lightning bolt adds some actual punch to the somewhat weak projectile, which is another thing that makes the Primordial Darkness' edgeguarding very strong. If a lightning bolt hits a tornado, it won't speed it up but simply electrify it, meaning the 3 initial hits now deal 1.8% and a bit more hitstun before knocking the foe back. This means it can guaruntee a combo into FTilt if the foe is at the right range and make leads into even slower moves like Up Smash or Forward Smash feasible. All in all, lightning bolts provide the final piece to your projectile mayhem, a sudden speedy bolt to mix up amidst slower projectiles, a different kind of combo setup tool that leads well into Primordial Darkness' long ranged options, and something to accelerate faster and stronger projectiles than normal into the foe.

The key thing about all these patterns is, as a camping tool, its a bit of a mixed bag. When you get a ton of space due to a landed big hit that doesn't KO, or the opponent cowering away from you to try to wait out the super armor or the Down Special(we'll get to that), you can make some seriously nasty projectile patterns that make approaching you a living hell. But if the opponent's not really giving you time to prepare and closing a smaller, less advantageous gap, the delay in the firing will often mean the foe will not get boxed out at all. That's not to say it can't be an aid to your melee game as well. If the foe is closing in, you can set up a couple projectiles to fire and then immediately switch to defending yourself, giving the foe some extra pressure to worry about while trying to rush the Primordial Darkness down, and the delayed hitboxes are much more useful for actually pulling off combos than the Primordial Darkness' more "traditional" combo tools ever would be. And given comboing into almost any hit in this set will hurt, the opponent would do well to fear getting interrupted by one of your projectile setups. But if they fear you too much, well. That's when you make a much bigger one to make them regret trying to hide from you.

Down Special - Primordial Miasma
A grey mist begins to manifest around the Primordial Darkness' face and upper body, before it spreads its crystalline spikes out and releases the grey mist around itself, covering a patch of the ground a little wider than Ridley. It covers the ground up to about Kirby's height and will linger in place for about 6 seconds before disappearing, and this move is quite laggy, taking nearly 45 frames to pull off with minor end lag. This deadly miasma deals damage over time, starting out at 1% every half second, and we'll refer to each half second interval of damage this deals as a "tick" from here on out. The mist will actually cling lightly to a character who touched it as well, causing them to take 1% per second for the next 5 seconds, giving it a bit of extra damage if they stop touching it. Lastly, every 5th tick of damage the foe takes directly from the mist(not from the linger effect) will deal the foe a flinch, though this flinch will not interrupt knockback the foe is taking or shielding/dodging, rather just interrupting attacks or movement. Shielding actually blocks the miasma's damage entirely... though the foe's shield will very rapidly deplete if its active in the miasma, so be careful.

The real power of this move, however, comes from what happens if the foe sticks in the miasma for a while. Every tick of damage the opponent takes increases by 1%, scaling up indefinitely and meaning a foe standing in the miasma for 3 seconds will take 21%(as well as a flinch), and sticking around longer will mean the damage will start to absolutely pile on, as the 4th second increases it to 36%. The damage does not reset when the foe exits the mist either, because that lingering mist effect that deals 1% per second to the foe? That also means the miasma will continue to deal the same damage it dealt beforehand when the foe re-enters it. It even increases the damage of the lingering mist if the foe stays in it long enough, the lingering damage increasing by .25% for every 1% extra the ticks inside the miasma deal. This is a very, very powerful damage racking tool, even if its flaws are incredibly obvious. Laggy to make, no immediate effect on neutral, covers a small area on a character with terrible movement stats, and the area is small enough the foe can easily weave out and take a minimal amount of damage.

But there is one other thing to keep in mind with this move. If the miasma has dealt a foe 35% or more(which requires them to be in it for 4 seconds total), and the foe is over 130%, mist will seep into the foe's body and they will keel over, collapse, and dissolve into red energy. This results in a loss of a stock, so not only is this a powerful damage racker, if the opponent stays in it long enough, they will straight up die. For what its worth, damage done by the lingering mist is not counted toward the total dealt by the miasma, nor will the lingering mist just kill an opponent outright. But now factor in that this lingering around gives a new dilemma to an opponent, as staying away from the Primordial Darkness means bad things will happen. It can set up armor or barrage the opponent with a horribly powerful array of projectiles with Side Special, if only given time, and if the foe comes in close, they are suddenly under a lot of pressure to keep out of the miasma and get the Primordial Darkness away from it. As slow as the Primordial Darkness is, it can make every decision the opponent makes fighting it a painful one, and an indecisive opponent is one that will likely succumb to your immense power.

That said, I think you've probably noticed that a Kirby height patch a bit wider than Ridley is not a lot of space, especially given the Primordial Darkness will take up a lot of that and the miasma will vanish after 6 seconds. This makes the move kind of impractical for actually making the foe fear you as much as I've said this far... when the Primordial Darkness is at 0%. Yes, the higher the Primordial Darkness' percent goes, the more this move gets upgraded. Once you cross the threshold to 33%, the patch of mist will be created over only 30 frames and linger for 9 seconds instead of 6, so even if the area it covers is relatively small it becomes more practical to throw out, and will have a longer lasting effect on the battle. Also keep in mind the Primordial Darkness can make multiple patches of miasma(up to 3, the oldest one disappearing when its created), so leaving them around the stage is a bit more practical now, especially with wind or lightning armor to bolster your movement. A larger amount of mist gathers around the Primordial Darkness and it does a more dramatic motion as it gestures with its spikes if its using this variant.

At 66%, the move gains the option to be held longer, and the starting lag is cut again to 20 frames. Holding the move out will cause the miasma to keep spreading as more of it forms out of the Primordial Darkness' body and spreads out from it, covering an area twice as wide over a second of being held out like Bowser's fire breath, after which all holding the move out does is cause the miasma's duration timer to not count down. You can now hold this in a patch of miasma to keep its duration timer from ticking down while it expands outwards if it was not at max size, in fact causing the miasma's duration to very slowly increase back up at a rate of 1 second per 30 frames the Primordial Darkness was doing this, although it can't go over 9 seconds of duration without the Primordial Darkness going in to continue to sustain it. At 100%, the time it takes for the miasma to spread out to double size is cut to only 40 frames of holding it out, and the lag to make one in the first place is cut to only 15 frames, making creating miasma practical if the Primordial Darkness gets even an ounce of breathing room. Given how scary this stuff is to stick around in, the Primordial Darkness having such easy access to it is another reason why its so scary at high percents, as the foe is on a timer to kill the thing already before they succumb to the vile miasma.

If this miasma is placed in the air, it will fall at a slow pace towards the ground, taking about a second to fall a Ganondorf height. Its not the strongest aerial trap, but one thing you can do at higher percentages is drop some miasma in the foe's path and then put a projectile pattern around it to absolutely force the foe through it and possibly even stall them in the miasma for a couple seconds. Given they'll take some extra damage from the mist when they escape, just forcing the foe to weave through projectiles through miasma can actually mean they take quite a lot of damage, but you will need to plan around this somewhat carefully to make use of it.

As an aside, this move has a bonus reward if you manage to stick it out to 200%, which is possible with extremely good play with your super armor. You are a superheavy with a good, albeit somewhat gimpable recovery, after all. This will cause the miasma to turn a darker grey, and it will begin to deal 3 ticks of damage per second instead of 2. This means more flinching and both faster damage and faster damage scaling, making this move exponentially scarier. Yes, this does mean you have to stay alive at 200% for a bit to get mileage out of it(all your miasma disappears when you die, after all), but to give you an idea of how strong this is, a foe will go from 0% to dying from miasma in 5.33 seconds of exposure, not factoring in any damage the Primordial Darkness does in the meantime, and its not even that hard to spread around the stage at that point. Absolutely terrifying stuff.

The miasma and lingering mist sadly do not benefit from the 1.1x damage multiplier of Primordial Darkness with fire armor active.

Standards​

Jab - Dark Claws
The cape-like mass coming off Primordial Darkness' back jabs forward in by forming its end into a claw, starting with the left claw and then hitting with the right on the second hit. This jab deals an initial hit of 3% and flinching, before the second hit launches the foe away with 6% and knockback that will basically never KO until about 450%, but actually has a decent enough base to space the opponent away. This move has a rare quality in Primordial Darkness' set that it appreciates, its fast. I'm not even talking Ganondorf Jab fast, the first hit comes out on Frame 3. That said, the ending lag on the second swing is enough that you'll sometimes get punished for throwing this out carelessly, and more importantly, that and the knockback means this follows up into literally nothing.

No seriously, this move does not get the foe far enough away you can safely go for one of your setup specials, it does not combo into basically anything, and we've established its never going to KO. So what purpose does it serve? Simple, it resets neutral if you're getting into a bit of a dicey spot and don't want to go for anything riskier. The two hit nature of it makes the move hard to avoid with a spot dodge, it comes out really fast, and just in general gives the Primordial Darkness something less predictable to go for in its melee game. The base knockback is good enough that you'll never come out of this at a disadvantage, and the Primordial Darkness has fairly massive range on a lot of its attacks so putting the foe at that distance is at least a bit advantageous most of the time. And while it won't exactly keep them in it for long, if you knock a foe into miasma that can tack on a extra few percent just from refreshing the mist effect on them. Or you can just space the foe into some lingering projectiles, that can turn this into a more legitimate combo tool even if following up with Forward Tilt is probably still not going to happen without a pretty good tornado setup.

As a final note, the tips of Primordial Darkness' claws are a bit of a sweetspot, increasing the damage to 4% on the first hit and 8% on the second. It also improves the knockback scaling on the second hit, meaning it will kill at around 250% and allow the Primordial Darkness to potentially do some setup if they land it at high percents, Its a small benefit, but this is a move that's more about taking small advantages than outright breaking open a fight in your favor, so getting a little more out of it is something. You are going to have to rely on your laggier moves to really swing the match in your favor, however.

Forward Tilt - Hand of Annihilation
The Primordial Darkness pulls in the "robes" around its waist defensively as its crystals point forward, before a massive claw hand erupts out of its shoulder voids, crushing down the space in front of it. How much damage this deals depends on where the attack hits, but its always impressive for a tilt and sometimes far more than that. At the edge of the claw(the front and back of the hitbox) is the attack's sourspot, dealing 15% and knockback that KOs at 130%, which is still on the high end for a tilt. For most of the claw, however, it deals 19% and knockback that KOs at 110%, making it incredibly powerful for a tilt and comparable to a number of Smash Attacks. At the very dead center of the claw crush, however, there's a sweetspot that deals an unholy 24% and knockback that KOs at 70%, which is nothing short of completely insane. That said, this hitbox is very precise to activate, so you won't be hitting with it without a good projectile setup especially when PD's awful movement is factored in. That said, this move has a lot of other incredible qualities, on top of its great(if slightly unreliable) power. The range is excellent, having range a bit greater than that of Ike's sword and much more vertical coverage. The lag is actually not that horrible, as the move comes out on frame 16 and the move has an FAF of 45, only 4 frames slower to come out and 3 frames slower FAF compared to K. Rool's FTilt as the hand is pulled back into the shoulder void surprisingly quickly.

But if you want to know why this move is comparable to K. Rool's Forward Tilt, its not just because they're both heavyweights. K. Rool's Forward Tilt gives him belly armor on frame 5 to when the attack comes out, which is nice, but limited by the stamina of his belly armor. Primordial Darkness has full super armor on this move starting from Frame 4 up until the attack is released, full super armor that can be buffed to also mean you take no damage via elemental armor and even nullify grabs if you specifically pick the ice armor. This is on top of all those other absurd properties. For almost any other character in the game, this move would be to die for, and frankly it is an amazing tool you're going to want to make the most of. On top of everything else good about it, the crushing motion of it makes it extra good against shields too, having a 1.15x damage multiplier against them provided you don't hit with the edge hitbox, which can come up from time to time. The sweetspot even breaks shields in one hit!

Of course, there's a problem with this move. Primordial Darkness is the slowest character in the game, and this doesn't change that. This move is absolutely too slow to matter in combos, it is predictable, and unfortunately because of how laggy a lot of Primordial Darkness' other options are, especially Down Tilt which you'd really hope you could fall back on, this is a big part of your neutral game. A frame 16 move as a neutral tool is not really what you'd be looking for, but what's nice about it is you can use this to catch out opponent's attacks, armor through them, and hit them with something that will probably win out in the damage trade. Given this move's armor comes out on Frame 4, it actually can actually win out in speed over many moves in the game, but keep in mind its punishable. Your down tilt is not really the best neutral tool and your smashes are slow enough to set records, so if you want to use something not super punishable you're going to have to rely on Jab and Fair, which have their own problems, Jab's being the already established lack of much real reward for landing it.

The reward for landing this move is a bit more than just its KO power, at least. While as has been mentioned, the Primordial Darkness is not a good combo character, it does value having a lot of space between it and the opponent. Room to set up projectile patterns, miasma, or armor is always nice, and this move will give you enough space to do that even before it starts reaching KO percents. The damage in a non-sourspot hit is also comparable to/a bit less than what some characters get off actual combos, but keep in mind that damage lead is not as impressive if you don't have elemental armor up. That said, using this to armor through attacks can mean your percentage gets high without having to pay any with your advantage state, boosting rage and giving you access to better elemental armor and miasma. If you do have your fire armor up, the small damage and knockback boost really is notable here, as cutting this already amazing move's KO percent even lower only emphasizes its good qualities further.

If there's one other downside to this move, its that Primordial Darkness is not exactly a character known for its precision. When your movement and attack speed is this slow, it makes landing that ultra powerful sweetspot very difficult, and it means sometimes you really will just have to settle for the less impressive edge hitbox when throwing this move arounds for its massive range and super armor. It makes for less effective damage trades and spacing when this happens, of course, but the sweetspot isn't necessarily a pipe dream. Primordial Darkness' projectiles, especially tornadoes and thunderbolts, can make lining it up perfectly feasible from time to time, and can also indirectly guide the opponent to fight PD in that range if they're worried about projectiles crashing on them outside of it. Then all it takes is one mistimed attack and they will be crushed to death in darkness' grip.

Lastly, the hand crushing in produces a powerful sounding "crunch" on contact, so on top of everything else, this move is satisfying to land, especially when you use it to catch out an opponent who thinks they have the upper hand.

Up Tilt - Crystalline Death
The crystal spikes around Primordial Darkness' body spread to out in an arc above its head, as purple lightning flows between them, dealing 5 rapid hits of 1.2%, followed by a final hit of another 5% for a total of 10%. The final hit deals weak base knockback that will scale to kill at around 240%, and this is actually another of Primordial Darkness' faster moves. By virtue of being a multi-hit, the duration makes it less fast than it otherwise would be, but the start lag and end lag are both pretty short, and unlike Jab, this does have a fast move it links into! Specifically your forward aerial, which means Primordial Darkness finally has a real combo. Its not much, mind you, but also the vertical knockback on this is low enough that at low percents, if the foe is close to the Primordial Darkness, this move can chain into itself once as the knockback won't push the foe completely out of range!

This move does have its downsides, in that while the range is good it won't hit opponents next to the Primordial Darkness at all, instead having good anti-air coverage, meaning it won't be of much use in ground to ground combat. That said, the multi-hit of this move has its perks, because it traps the opponent in place for a brief moment while they're taking the rapid flinching hits. This is quite helpful for setting up a hit from any of your projectiles, such as putting the foe into a string of lightning bolts to get a bigger advantage state or holding them down for a meteor to get a stronger final hit, possibly chained into another meteor. You can even hold the foe in place for them to get hit by falling miasma to reset their mist effect, or possibly trap them in it long enough to get another tick of damage on the foe. If this sounds niche, that's because it is, but getting situationally helpful effects on an already fast move with good range(even if the ground coverage is lacking) is nothing to sneeze at.

As a small bonus, during the multi-hit's duration, elemental super armor will remain active, so the foe might just fail to start the combo they were planning if they hit you during it and even end up in frame disadvantage due to this move's low end lag. Its a small benefit, but one you can use to make landing slower moves like FTilt or DTilt easier, even if you take a bit of damage in the process.

Down Tilt - Three Torments
Forming a twisted blade instead of a hand out of one of the voids on its shoulders, the Primordial Darkness slashes forward with it twice, before impaling the blade out further and then reeling it back in. This deals 3 hits, the first dealing 7% and locking the foe in place long enough to land the second hit, which deals 10% and knockback at a low diagonal angle that KOs at 130%. This hit will not combo into the third hit, which instead deals 15% and rather than knocking the opponent away, will hook them in and drop them quite to the Primordial Darkness in a state of heavy hitstun. This move actually outranges the great range of Forward Tilt, but hits much lower to the ground, giving it much worse vertical coverage. It comes out on Frame 14 and the ending lag isn't bad, but the fact that the Primordial Darkness takes three swings means the duration is quite long, making this a horribly unsafe move to whiff.

The third hit of this move is another of Primordial Darkness' rare combo tools, because the high hitstun and great positioning actually means it can link into mostly of its moves that aren't obscenely laggy. Chaining into FTilt, for one, is an instant 34%(you'll be lined up for the medium power hitbox, not the sweetspot or sourspot) on the foe off of just landing two moves, more than a lot of characters can get out of more elaborate combos. That said, landing this third hit is kind of difficult, after all the second hit will knock the opponent out of the second, and given its a three hit combo the Primordial Darkness is much less likely to skewer a foe who dodged the first hit with the third hit, rather than just landing the consolation prize of the second hit. You can still pull this off if you read a foe's dodge pretty well though, and the three hits of this move makes it pretty good against dodges in general.

While this move is good against dodges, if you really want the third hit, it can be triggered more reliably against a shielding foe. The first 2 hits will chip away at the shield's health, and then the third will shield poke, reeling the opponent in for a combo. This makes this move capable of covering both shields and dodges, forcing a foe to possibly commit to a roll or jump to get out of this move, or interrupt it. Due to the range of this move, a roll behind the Primordial Darkness won't necessarily work, and conditioning a foe to roll backwards with this certainly opens up possibilities for your Forward Smash. And when we get to that move, you'll see why getting an opening for it is so terrifying. It also outranges most melee moves in the game... although admittedly, jumping over this move is a pretty perfect way to get around it. Good news is you have FTilt and UTilt for that, but you're definently getting punished with an aerial if you whiff this against a foe that just jumps over it.

The lightning armor makes the three slashes take place over a shorter duration as the Primordial Darkness swings its blade faster, which is helpful for two reasons. One, it means a spotdodging foe is more likely to get hit by the third hit instead of the second one, making it even better against dodges. This also makes the move a bit less punishable on a whiff, you're less likely to get crossed up. Elemental armor in general is at its best for this move, as one of the best ways to deal with a move so good at fighting defensive options is to just throw out something faster, but a lot of the faster moves will just bounce off Primordial Darkness' super armor and result in the foe getting nailed by the hit, even stopping some of the aerials the opponent might use while they're leaping over the Primordial Darkness, as the super armor lasts through the actual slashing duration too.

Dash Attack - Overwhelming Wrath
One of the Primordial Darkness' hands grows out behind it as it continues to dash for a moment, before it swings it from behind itself forward with its claws facing the sky. This gives it a brief burst of movement as it swings the hand forward that propels it forward .6 battlefield platforms, going faster than its regular dash speed in the only burst movement the Primordial Darkness has access to aside from its Up Special. Oh yeah, this move also has 28 frames of starting lag, 2 more than the absurdly slow Dedede Dash Attack, so as far as burst movement options go its not exactly practical, especially with the small distance it goes forward. If nothing else, this is another one of the Primordial Darkness' heavily super armored options, starting from Frame 8 as its crystals form a bit of a defensive line in front of itself, although for a couple frames before the actual hitbox comes out the super armor will actually drop. Using out of an instant dash attack to intercept an approaching opponent can sometimes work out if an opponent is expecting you to go for Forward Tilt, as a dodge intended for that move might be caught out by this one.

As for what the hitbox itself does, it deals an initial high hitlag hit of 6% before dealing 4 hits of 4% on top of it for a total of 22%, and rather than launching the foe will leave them in heavy hitstun at the end, good for going into FTilt or DTilt. This leaves you with a second option for comboing into FTilt that's highly contextual, although this time rather than requiring a read on the opponent's movements you just have to land the hitbox, and its super armored. In exchange, the start lag is so much worse and it fails to do much of value against shields, although becuase the ending lag is rather low with the hand retreating into the void at the end of the swinging motion, so you won't get punished too badly, necessarily. That said, this move has 28 frames of start lag and unless the foe is anticipating something specific, it is a hard move to land, but it does round out some timing and defensive holes that FTilt and DTilt have from time to time. Plus the on hit reward is incredibly high, usually 41% and a very strong bit of knockback from FTilt in total unless FTilt staled from overuse(which it might be, its the best move in your entire set after all). Hell, with a slight read and proper positioning, sometimes you can even pull off the sweetspot hit out of this, which is 46% damage in total and KOs at a comically low percentage.

Also, because the Primordial Darkness is sliding forward with this move, you can potentially drag the foe through things with the multi-hit, possibly into miasma or through some projectiles to reap some extra damage. The multi-hit will also keep the opponent locked in for the stronger FTilt/DTilt follow ups if one of your projectiles happens to hit, so you get the damage while still getting the stronger end hit. Also if you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can try to go for another instant dash attack out of this to chain into itself or Forward Smash, as while either of these options are far from guaranteed they produce an even higher reward than going for Forward Tilt, and can sometimes work out on a read.

Smashes​

Forward Smash - Fury of the Abyss
From the Primordial Darkness' right shoulder, one of the hands erupts out, holding a dark orb of energy in its grip. It rapidly to immense size, a bit bigger than the entire rest of the Primordial Darkenss' body, and flies forward across the stage, attached to the Primordial Darkness' body by extending fleshy coils. On contact, the hand deals 28%-40% and knockback that KOs at 60%-15%, which is to say this move is stronger than Ganondorf's infamously powerful Forward Smash, in fact only KOing 6% later than Warlock Punch uncharged. But see, that's not the scary part of this move. The scary part is that it reaches the entire length of battlefield with its full range, easily outranging the ludicrously long distance Min-Min Forward Smash. The only saving grace is that this move cannot be angled, so its edgeguarding qualities aren't quite as impressive, although it still has an ace up its sleeve in that regard which we'll get to.

So if it wasn't obvious, the catch with this move is that its really, really slow. It comes out on Frame 44, and while the arm blazes across the stage at remarkable stage, the duration is still enough to matter, and then it takes a bit for it to retract for the ending lag. All in all, if you whiff with this, the opponent is going to make you pay for it, because you're dealing with more lag than any other FSmash in the game on basically all accounts. With that said, its maybe not quite as bad as you'd think, as that starting lag is only 4 frames slower than Dedede's FSmash, which does not cover the entire stage. Also this move has super armor from Frame 24 onward, and it should be mentioned that even beyond the absolutely horrifying horizontal range of this move, the hand is so big it actually has great vertical coverage too.

As a final note, at the end of the move's range, the orb of darkness in the hand, which usually just acts as an extension of the hand hitbox that deals the same damage and knockback, grows from the size of Donkey Kong to about twice that as it crackles with purple energy, and the damage and knockback on the orb is upgraded to 35%-49% that KOs at 40%-0%. Because this move's range is so insane, this hitbox is actually kind of hard to hit with, as its just positioned so far away. That said, since it will basically always hit a foe at ledge or offstage, that KO percent is even lower than it looks, and it already looks absolutely terrifying. In addition, the expansion of the move's vertical range is actually helpful for its edgeguarding abilities, allowing it to hit opponents recovering a bit lower or higher than normal. Of course, it requires good positioning on the part of the slow moving Primordial Darkness to make the most of this, easier with the Wind or Lightning armors but still difficult to accomplish, but it can make the foe's path to recovery significantly harder if they were knocked off stage by something like Forward Tilt.

So aside from edgeguarding, how would you even use this move? Well, that's where Side Special comes in. All those projectiles coming out desynced from the Primordial Darkness' own lag are a lot scarier when you consider that they can leave the foe unable to dodge a hit as powerful as this. Box them into its range, spike the foe down into it with the later hits of stalactites, trap the foe for the big hit with lightning bolts or tornadoes, and use meteors alongside everything else to mess with the foe's dodges. A foe trying to shield their way through projectiles might be in for a rude awakening when the Forward Smash comes their way and smashes through the entire rest of the shield's health, making that a much less reliable way to get through the Primordial Darkness' bullet hell. Also if a tornado flings the opponent towards you and you read them properly, sometimes you can just land this off of it, even if that's far from a true combo.

As for using this amidst the Primordial Darkness' melee, yes that's a bit of a tall order, but there's situations it ends up surprisingly relevant. The super armor might come out kind of late in the move's startup, but it combined with the massive coverage this move provides lets you sometimes surprise the opponent by powering through one of their moves on a hard read. If the opponent tries to roll backwards away from Primordial Darkness, this can catch a poorly timed roll due to its sheer, colossal range. In combination with miasma this can outright break a foe's shield pretty easily if they go for that as their defensive measure of choice. And lastly, this move's presense can be used to ward off grounded assaults due to its massive range, power, and coverage, and the Primordial Darkness has some pretty good anti-air moves like Up Tilt and Up Smash for if the foe is scared out of taking a grounded approach because of the presense of this move.

Mind you, this is not a great melee move, pretty much no matter what you do. With Forward Tilt also functioning as an amazing makeshift Forward Smash, however, you're at least left somewhat covered on that front already. Also, this is one of your moves that really benefits from lightning armor, its starting lag getting cut to 38 frames and the super armor instead starting on frame 19. It actually comes out faster than Dedede's FSmash now, which is a laughably pitiful move compared to this one in so many other ways, and makes incidental hard read kills with this a lot easier to pull off.

Down Smash - Apocalypse
Facing the screen, the Primordial Darkness brings out both arms as a growing mass of darkness forms between its hands, its crystalline structures flaring up with massive amounts of energy sparking off them, matching the element the Primordial Darkness most recently had active for its armor(fire by default). The flaring up goes into the background so its just cosmetic, which is a problem because the mass of darkness created by this move grows over a whopping 148 frames. Yes, this move has considerably more start up lag than a Warlock Punch, and while the reward is definitely worth it, its necessary to discuss that this move has some more practical applications before we get to that point.

15 frames into the start lag of this move, it becomes possible to cancel out of it, the darkness instead absorbing into the Primordial Darkness' claws as it slashes on both sides of it. This is an alternate Down Smash with 12 frames of start lag, of which all but the first 3 are super armored, but as far as Down Smashes go, this is still a 27 frame minimum start time before the hitbox comes out. The darkness imbued claws cover a solid amount of space around both sides of the Primordial Darkness, dealing 19%-26% and knockback that KOs at 100%-65%. Primarily, this attack is used to stuff opponent's approaches as they try to interrupt you out of the main attack, which the opponent really does not want you to get off for a number of reasons. The super armor lets you power through a lot of the interruption attempts, although the foe can still potentially slide in for a grab or fake out the Primordial Darkness' timing on activating this hit to get around, especially considering the end lag is bad. As the only cancel the Primordial Darkness has for Down Smash, its pretty predictable, but because of the range and super armor it can create quite the game of chicken for the opponent to play around. And in melee range, its definitely slower than you'd like but it can catch out the occasional foe trying to cross you up or roll behind you, and can surprise opponents who are used to the Primordial Darkness relying on FTilt/Jab as their main grounded melee options.

There is one thing about this move that should be mentioned. A foe might think they can just force you to use the Down Smash cancel and get away free by throwing a projectile at you and forcing you to just super armor it. That's actually a terrible idea, because the clawing motion reflects projectiles, and it reflects them hard. It sends them rocketing back at 2.5x the speed they were flung at the Primordial Darkness, and rather than just applying a damage multiplier, it instead multiplies the damage of the projectile by 1.4x and then adds that on top of the power of the main hitbox, which is now transferred to the reflected projectile. This means even something unimpressive like a Falco Laser that usually deals 3% would deal 23.2% reflected, and knockback that kills at around 80%. Suffice to say, trying to simply projectile the Primordial Darkness to knock them out of Down Smash past the first 15 frames is not going to work. This means the foe is forced to approach and play the game of chicken with Down Smash, and if you have miasma out, if both you and the foe start hesitating on that front it can easily result in them starting to build up miasma damage.

If the Primordial Darkness completes 74 frames of the startup lag, the mass of darkness will actually empower the claws to a much greater degree, and there's a clear visual cue as to when this happens with the mass of darkness growing to double its original size and pulsating more violently. If you cancel at this point, the attack will instead deal 25%-35% and knockback that KOs at 70%-40%, meaning if the foe's approach was slowed down enough, the game of chicken they're going to play with you actually using this attack gets much deadlier. On top of that, the hitbox is extended as the dark claws have energy trailing off them that increases their reach even further, and once the slash completes, it releases two black cutting waves of energy as tall as the Primordial Darkness, which fly off a distance of 1.8 battlefield platforms to each side of the Primordial Darkness. They deal the same 19%-26% of the regular claw slash with similar knockback, making it an impressive powerful projectile. It travels a bit on the slow side at the speed of Mario's fireballs, so Primordial Darkness will be out of its end lag long before it expires and potentially allow it to layer this projectile with others from Side Special, or even with Forward Smash. As a final note, the initial slash has the same projectile reflection properties as the base version... including the bit where it adds its damage and knockback to projectiles it reflects, so getting hit by anything this sends flying back at you is going to hurt a very large amount.

If the dark wave hits one of Primordial Darkness' projectiles, it will cause them to burst into a 2 Ganondorf tall pillar of elemental energy that lingers for 20 frames. The meteor will explode into a pillar of flame that deals 4 hits of 5% and a final hit that KOs at 130%, while a stalactite will explode into a chilling pillar of icy wind that will deal 14% and cause a brief freezie effect on the foe, enough for Primordial Darkness to follow up on with one of its aerials provided its not an absurdly laggy choice and in range. The tornadoes will create a burst of dark wind that deals 8% but KOs up off the top at 90%, and produces a wind hitbox out of the top of it that will launch foes higher into the air. This won't gimp off the top, but it does give Primordial Darkness impressive amounts of space to work with. The electric projectile creates a brief pillar of lightning that deals 12% and 25 frames of hitstun, shorter than the freezie effect but a bit easier to capitalize on as the opponent will get locked completely in place during the effect. If you manage to weave this dark wave with your other projectiles, it gains a large amount more coverage, making it into a rather impressive little "super attack" for your 74 frames of effort. That said, its paltry compares to what comes next.

If the opponent just lets the 148 frame startup run out and the attack activates in full, the Primordial Darkness' mass of darkness will erupt outwards in a massive black shockwave that overtakes an area with the circumference of Battlefield. This initial explosion of the mass of darkness will, at close range to the Primordial Darkness, deal 50%-70% and even uncharged that will KO Bowser at like 3%. Its basically instant death, but fortunately this hitbox is not all that long range and will as such never hit anyone barring some exotic circumstances. The black wave travels outwards relatively quickly and deals 18%-25% and long hitstun that freezes the opponent in place, followed by knockback that KOs at 120%-85%. The most likely place for this attack to actually be pulled off successfully is against off stage opponents, and in that case this hit will do fine, but it is perfectly possible for the foe to play around when they have nearly 2.5 seconds to see it coming and the damage and knockback reward is more "good" than incredible for the sheer amount of investment you put in.

That said, Apocalypse is scarier than that if the opponent is standing on a platform. Energy will erupt out of the ground of any stage this touches as the ground blackens and short geysers of dark enerrgy burst out, dealing 15%-21% with knockback that kills at 70%-40%, chaining out of the initial hit. Sure, the geysers don't come up too far above the ground, but touching the stage during the Apocalypse means you're going to take a minimum of 33% and knockback that will kill you earlier than any Ganondorf smash attack. This hitbox also catches out dodges and rolls due to it being two hits combined with the black wave. To put it simply, if the foe lets this attack go off and they're touching the ground, they are in for a world of pain, forcing the foe to the skies.

But the skies are not safe either, not if the Primordial Darkness has projectiles there. Any of Primordial Darkness' elemental projectiles hit by this move will explode in a massive blast of their element, 1.35x Bowser's size and lingering for 15 frames, like stronger versions of the pillars created by the 74 frame variant. This explosion deals 20%-28% and knockback that KOs at 90%-60% on a fire or ice projectile, 10%-14% but knockback buffed to kill at 65%-30% on a wind projectile, and 25%-37% and a 50 frame long stun on an electric projectile. These huge elemental explosions linger long enough that they don't really give the opponent room to dodge this in conjunction with the wave, so if the Primordial Darkness gets a chance to use this move alongside the right active projectile barrage, the fofe is effectively guarunteed to get hit by this. Of course, setting up and timing the Down Smash with the Primordial Darkness' projectiles is hard even against a helpless off stage guinea pig, let alone anyone else, but this is your strongest edgeguard in the situations you can pull it off, and it can absolutely force the issue of the opponent having to try to weave through your projectiles and attack you or get put into a situation they can't reasonably dodge around.

Is that not good enough for you yet? Are you thinking this move will set up unavoidable situations too rarely to justify its 2.5 second starting lag? Fair, that's not too common a thing, but it will force the opponent intensely on the defensive to avoid it, which is why the last component of the apocalypse is so scary. Its effects continue even after the black wave goes off, as it spawns a projectile pattern based on the Primordial Darkness' most recent choice of elemental armor. If you picked fire, meteors will rise from the ground on each side of the Primordial Darkness at the same pace they would after a Side Special, one on each side and spaced a Kirby width apart each, until 4 meteors have fired off from each side of the Primordial Darkness. If you picked ice, 2 stalactites will spawn at varying heights above the Primordial Darkness' initial position, starting from 2 Ganondorf heights above and descending by .4 Ganondorf heights for each subsequent pair of stalactites. Tornadoes will appear one at a time, starting a Bowser width behind the Primordial Darkness and each subsequent one being fired in from a point angled 30 degrees up and forward from that position relative to where the Primordial Darkness was standing until all 8 tornadoes have been fired off. Lastly, 4 lightning bolts will fire from each side of the Primordial Darkness in rapid succession if lightning was picked, the most directly covering this move's not particularly egregious ending lag with rapid firing projectiles starting from the ground and moving upwards slightly with each one. Oh, and if spawning these projectile patterns(indicated by residual energy from the apocalyptic explosion forming into them afterward) wasn't enough already, if you had double layered elemental armor on most recently, both types of projectile pattern will spawn at the same time.

So yes, this gives you free Side Special patterns after using it, while the opponent is probably already using their shields, dodges, and jumps to frantically weave around the main hits of this attack. This puts the Primordial Darkness at an absolutely massive advantage, pretty much no matter where the foe was on the stage, although without a pre-existing projectile pattern its something still at least manageable for off stage foes to work their way around. The opponent does not want you to get this move off under any circumstances, and given you have a rather powerful cancel available out of it that can beat out most other attacks in the game if they do close in, this move is terrifying. It does leave the opponent in some level of control over what's happening as the Primordial Darkness is left in such massive lag, but it at least can force them to take action to try and stop you, and with projectiles in the air or miasma on the ground, plus the chance to just leave this state if its no longer convenient to you anyway, there's a lot of ways you can use this move to get inside your opponent's head and dominate a match, even if it does suffer from being a weird, unconventional, and horrifically slow Down Smash.

Up Smash - Annihilator Array
Spreading its cape-like limbs to the side, the crystals around the Primordial Darkness glow purple for a moment before firing a massive barrage of small purple lasers into the air. The initial barrage of lasers hits a wide swath of space above the Primordial Darkness, about 1.5x Bowser's width 1.2x his height, but the amount of damage this move will deal will depend on how close the foe was to the Primordial Darkness. Directly above it, they'll take the brunt of the lasers, each of which deal 3%-4.2%, and at close range they'll take about 12 hits of this for 36%-50.2%. Further out from the center, the foe will take more like 5-8 hits, and can potentially be grazed by only one or two at the edge of the move's range. The foe will take knockback that kills at 120%-85% on the final hit in the up close variant, while further away the final hit will KO closer to around 170%-130%.

This move has a long startup and the barrage of lasers gives it quite a bit of duration, but thankfully the ending lag is not particularly bad. This is actually the fastest of the Primordial Darkness' smashes on the front end even, with its whole... 35 frames of start lag. Yeah okay, its not fast, but the good news is during the start lag the upper half of the Primordial Darkness' body is super armored from Frame 13, making it a half-decent counter to aerial assaults if nothing else. In addition, due to extensive multihit and the fact that the ending lag isn't that long, this actually has a tendancy to give the Primordial Darkness a big frame advantage on hit, even if it doesn't launch the opponent far. At low percents you can try to go for Fair or even Nair out of this, while at medium percents it offers a great chance to meet the foe with a projectile setup, or set up armor/miasma. It may lack KO power compared to some of Primordial Darkness' options, but in exchange it offers absolutely massive damage, great coverage, and a big advantage state, so it manages to mostly pay off its start lag.

But wait, this move is actually even better than that! While a good portion of the lasers will just fly off into the sky and fizzle out, some of them will come falling back down towards the ground, about 3 on each side of Primordial Darkness. Given the lasers are like a longer, thinner pokeball in size, they don't cover that much space, but they still deal 3%-4.2% and a flinch on contact, and their descent happens after the FAF of this move. The lasers will spread off about 2/3rds of a platform to each side of Primordial Darkness, leaving some space between them, but actually fairly little room for blind spots. While the lasers are falling, the Primordial Darkness is granted something of an actual combo tool. You can use Jab to link into these, situationally combo out of them into FTilt or DTilt, use them to supplement a projectile pattern, or even just needle the foe with flinching hits as they try to get around your miasma or projectiles. In particular with the miasma, you can trap the opponent down in it with the flinching hits, and throw in Jabs and end on grab to keep them stuck in the miasma as long as possible. This can add up to 3-4 ticks of miasma damage, which can end up making the race to get a big hit on the Primordial Darkness before they succumb to it all that much more dangerous.

The main downside of this move is, of course, it does fill out the Primordial Darkness' smashes with a third move that is horrifically, painfully slow. While this is the easiest of the Primordial Darkness' smashes to land by far due to its super armor and coverage, the fact that none of its Smashes take less than 25 frames(DSmash's cancel is effectively a fourth smash attack for you) to come out puts you in a position of having to rely even more heavily on your already flawed standards to win trades. Primordial Darkness really needs its setup options to work to actually make use of all the absurd power it has access to(or just some really good super armor reads), but at the very least Up Smash is interesting in that it serves a dual purpose. Primordial Darkness wins battles off its setup moves, and the Up Smash is a setup move that is also a not completely impractical attack, and you can use its sheer range to zone opponents off and then have a bit of temporary setup to work with. Sure, its not as good as miasma, armor, or a big projectile string, but simultaneously scaring the foe out of the air and leaving some later projectiles for them to deal with can be just what the Primordial Darkness needs to get leverage over a melee bout. So while this move may continue to leave a hole in the Primordial Darkness' gameplan for varied fast options, it gives just a little more variety to strategically combining the slow ones to overwhelm the opponent anyway.

Aerials​

Neutral Aerial - Void Control
Spawning both hands from the voids on its shoulders, Primordial Darkness spins around in a circle, the clawed hands slashing out to both sides of it. The hands take a moment to come out, so this is another rather slow move in Primordial Darkness' arsenal, but it does pack quite a punch, dealing 15% and diagonal knockback that KOs at 125%. The key thing here is the reach and coverage on both sides of the Primordial Darkness, as the claws are, while not quite as big as in FTilt, still pretty massive in size, and give this move some immense reach. On top of that, while the super armor is not quite as good as Forward Tilt's, coming out on Frame 6 of the move's 16 frames of starting lag, its still more than enough to beat out a lot of aerials and punch through them with its combination of range and armor. That said, between the starting lag and the fact that the hands hit a bit high up in the air, this move doesn't necessarily mean Primordial Darkness has a particularly good aerial alternative to FTilt for neutral.

With that said, what this move does offer is probably Primordial Darkness' best back hitting attack. Because of the hefty lag of Down Smash and the upcoming Back Aerial, Primordial Darkness on paper would struggle with people crossing it up, but this move is actually a pretty good counter to people getting behind you, especially when you can go for one of those moves instead. It also makes up for its power and range deficit to Forward Tilt in a couple other ways. For one, the Primordial Darkness' aerial abilities are generally pretty good, having access to three jumps and air speed that, while not great, isn't downright awful like its ground speed. Hell, if you have wind armor up, that small fourth jump and further increase in air speed along with its already great base jumps and good recovery makes the Primordial Darkness a surprisingly competent character in the air. At lower percents, while not strictly a combo move this is absolutely a move you can follow up on with continued aerial pressure from Fair, Uair, or additional Nairs by using the additional jumps the Primordial Darkness has access to.

Another reason the Primordial Darkness is a better character in the air than you might think is that it has additional variants on each of its aerials. If you hold the input rather than tap it, the Primordial Darkness will instead spawn two black voids in its hands as it spins them around, giving the move another 7 frames of starting lag. The voids add an additional hitbox past the main hitbox, although the arms extend out slightly less far, on the whole giving the move even more range. The arm hitbox's power is kept the same while the voids deal 5 rapid hits of 2% and a final hit of 8% which KOs at 90%. While the added reach is certainly helpful, as is the even more powerful hitbox, you do trade in some of this move's versatility when you use this, as the greatly increased lag makes it harder to actually armor through other aerials, as the super armor now only comes out on Frame 12.

The move also has increased duration and noticeably worse end lag than its usual average fair, because the Primordial Darkness crushes the voids at the end of the move as black light leaks out. The crushing of the voids deals 8% and locks the opponent in place for the black light explosion, which reaches out a tiny bit further than the voids did initially and deals another 8% and dazes the opponent, putting them in a tumbling state for 45 frames where they have no control over their character. This hitbox is only out for 1 frame, comes after the main attack so it requires tricky manuevering or a really good read on the foe's dodges to pull off, and contributes to making the duration and ending lag worse. With that said, this is a 45 frame stun. Remember how hilariously powerful Forward Smash is? It comes out on Frame 44, Frame 38 with lightning armor. Obviously that's not actually going to true combo out of this with this being an aerial and that being a grounded smash, but you can combo into something like an FTilt, or with a foe behind you, the held version of Bair. I will tell you right now that true comboing into the held version of Bair is a very, very scary thing. Also, if the foe lands during their 45 frames of tumble, they go into prone, which is even more fun when you have to worry about FSmash.

While this is definently a less practical variant than regular Nair, the fact that they both exist simultaneously gives this input some real versatility. Its fairly easy to tell the two types of animation apart after the first few frames, but a foe who dodges early can definently come to regret it especially if they somehow get hit by the black light hitbox. As per usual with a lot of long reaching moves in your set, weaving the black light hitbox in with your projectile game makes it much easier to land. Against an opponent already taking somewhat heavy miasma damage, if the black light follow up traps them in the miasma you can weave in some projectiles to box them in as well as your grab to just pile on the damage and possibly pull off a miasma kill.

Forward Aerial - Void Pulse
The Primordial Darkness' shoulder voids shoot out a flash of black light, dealing 8% and low mostly horizontal knockback that won't kill until around 300%. This move can be angled up or down, pointing the black light flash at a higher or lower angle and slightly tilting the knockback up or down(to a completely horizontal one if angled downward). In a rare change of pace for Primordial Darkness, this move is legitimately fast, and even capable of comboing into itself once or twice at lower percents, and comboing out of Up Tilt. This is an actual, non-stun or projectile dependant combo the Primordial Darkness can reliably use, and even if Fair doesn't go into a lot of things barring the occasional down angled Fair into Jab or Grab near the ground, having any combos to fall back on gives the Primordial Darkness a bit of a fallback plan. This move strings together even more comfortably if you have wind armor active, too.

This is another reason the Primordial Darkness has a genuinely pretty solid air game, but its not without its flaws. Like Nair, the hitbox is a bit higher off the ground than you'd like, making it not the best for short hops although the down angled version can work for that. And unlike the Primordial Darkness' usual massive range, this move trades that in for speed to make it actually pretty easy to outrange for characters with disjointed hitboxes, and doesn't give the Primordial Darkness its usual range advantage against close ranged melee characters like Mario. That said, due to its knockback scaling a bit better, this does transition into a decent spacer at higher percents when it stops chaining into itself unlike Jab.

This move also interacts with your projectiles, as the pulse from the voids will actually shove them around at an angle depending on how the move was angled. Either sending it straight forward by default, up 45 degrees, or down 45 degrees, this move will redirect any of the Primordial Darkness' Side Special projectiles a distance of a battlefield platform in that direction at a fast speed, maintaining the power of its hitbox and then letting it continue on its trajectory, displaced from its original position. This lets the Primordial Darkness actually play around with its projectiles after making them, redirecting its patterns around to make it even harder for foes to weave around them and potentially needling a foe with a projectile for it to jump after and follow up with Nair or more Fairs. In general, the fact that this gives the Primordial Darkness some level of control of its projectiles after they've already been created means if it dedicates itself to doing so, you can remix the projectile patterns so the opponent won't as confidently know what's about to come their way. This still doesn't alleviate the delay and make it terribly easy to camp unless the opponent's boxed out hard enough or distinctly not trying to close the gap because of fear of miasma, but adding even more variety to your bullet hell game that's not terribly impractical to use is a powerful thing.

The held variant of this has the shoulder voids flare up in size for a bit, completely telegraphing that this will be a different attack and as such not really tricking up opponents with its starting lag. That said, it fires the void flash out a fair bit further as there's a large, more violent pulse of black light, and the damage and knockback are increased to 13% and knockback that KOs at 130%. This variant of the move is, while no longer fast, actually still a bit faster than even the base version of Nair, and the increased range it has now means the ability to angle it for coverage can really matter. At really low percents, a regular Fair can sometimes combo into this for better spacing than the usual Fair strings would end on, but worse damage as you're sacrificing the chance to go for two in a row. Combined with the two variants of Nair and the other Fair variant though, the variety in timings, ranges, and access to super armor on the Nair, as well as three jumps and a less noticeable speed disadvantage, the Primordial Darkness is actually perfectly competent at outfighting and maneuvering what would usually be faster opponents with these moves, and with the right armor or combination of armors and projectiles it can feel downright terrifying to go up against.

The interaction with your projectiles goes a bit further here, as it will launch them 1.5 battlefield platforms in the direction you picked, and increase the damage of the projectile's final hit by 4%... as it also detonates in a burst of elemental energy, regardless of whether or not it hit a foe. This means using it to reposition your patterns to hit an opponent from a new angle aside from knocking it straight into them is removed as an option, and its a bit more predictable than the other variant of Fair for launching it into foes due to increased lag, but this does give you a timing mixup on how fast you want to shoot out projectiles from your patterns into the foe. This does also buff the knockback of the projectile by 1.15x on top of that, and combined with the damage increase, this can make a lightning imbued meteor or stalactite actually hit quite hard, situationally. Or you can abuse the buffed up knockback on a tornado to make it easier to combo into a Nair, or even sometimes Bair of all moves, which is pretty powerful combo. Between the already potentially complex and varied patterns your Side Special can create and multiple variants of the ability to reposition and nail the opponent with them, the Primordial Darkness can really play a very intricate projectile game.

Back Aerial - Crushing Darkness
Spawning both its flesh coil arms from the voids, Primordial Darkness briefly winds them up before having them smash down balled into fists behind itself, dealing 16% and knockback that KOs at 115% from center stage. Obviously, off stage this kills a lot earlier, and considering Primordial Darkness can go far off stage with its excellent jumps especially in wind form, getting early kills with this is far from unheard of. The lag is definitely very bad though, coming out on Frame 21 and having pretty poor ending lag as well, making this an extremely punishable move. Where it makes up for that is the huge range that will reach out past most other aerials, so even if this move doesn't have super armor the massive amount of disjoint gives it the coverage to make it not completely unsafe to go for. If you want to land it more easily, some projectiles supplementing your attempts to chase the opponent off stage(or just fight them in general) can do a lot to help.

If you use the held variant of this move instead of the tapped variant, the Primordial Darkness will wind its arms before swinging them down with even greater force, adding 10 frames to the starting lag of this move. The thing is, for about the first 14 frames of this move, the animation is exactly the same as the regular Bair, so the opponent has a very small timing window to figure out which variant you're going for, one that allows you to mix up dodges. That dodge mixup becomes a lot scarier when you consider that this version of the move deals a horrifying 25% and knockback that kills from center stage at 70%, making it comparable to Ganondorf's Forward Smash on an aerial, with even greater range... and some abysmal end lag/landing lag as the Primordial Darkness spins itself pretty far out of position and needs to slowly reset to normal. Also any opponent who sees the wind up version coming will almost certainly be able to beat it out with another aerial due to its massive lag and lack of any super armor, even with elemental armor up its not that hard to pull off an aerial that deals 9%+ against a move like this, or horribly punish it on a properly timed dodge/shield.

If you hit the ground with the fists during this move, it shakes the ground behind it back .7 battlefield platforms of range behind Primordial Darkness with a quake that deals 3 hits of 3% and popping the foe up with weak upwards knockback that never kills. The quake also hits where Primordial Darkness' fists land, catching out opponents who dodged the big swing, and the hitbox is so low to the ground that even the second hit of the quake will connect on a shielding foe. The wind up version instead causes black cracks that deals 2 initial hits of 2%, followed by spikes that rupture from the ground the same distance back as the previous version, dealing 14% and upwards knockback that kills at 110%, also hitting in range overlapping the hitbox of the actual arm swing. The first 2 hits will let the final one poke shields like with the first variant, and also catch out dodging foes unless they dodged with particularly good timing. This makes a landing wind up Bair a very, very hard move to stop defensively, and even the consolation hit of this version is a potent kill move with quite a bit of damage to it. That said, the landing lag on this move is terrible enough that you won't be able to capitalize hard on the non wind up version, but it can set the foe up to be hit by projectiles or mixup with the much more potent wind up version. And you won't be at a disadvantage after landing it, at least, like you would be if you outright whiffed. The amount of space this quake threatens behind Primordial Darkness is pretty incredible as well, which makes projectiles and miasma in the space all the more threatening as additional, overlapping threats.

Up Aerial - Cosmic Meltdown
Spreading its void arms above itself, dark energy briefly courses along its limbs before an black magic explosion occurs overhead. This explosion is pretty huge, larger than the comparable Uair of Zelda by about 1.5x in exchange for only coming out on Frame 20. The power is likewise upgraded to dealing 20%, and having knockback that'll KO at about 90%, and the hitbox lingers until Frame 27, although after the first 3 frames of the hitbox it only deals 13% and upwards knockback that KOs at 160%. This does make air dodging it a little harder than some of the Primordial Darkness' options, but this move is very telegraphed and has no super armor whatsoever, and its easier to dodge around than something like Down Tilt. It also doesn't really have the best options to lead into it, the best one being Up Smash, a move with 35 frames of start lag.

With that said, this move's predictability and lack of amazing lead-in isn't necessarily a death sentence. For one, the Primordial Darkness has three jumps, and this move has massive knockback. If you intercept a foe high in the air with this, that 90% KO percentage can actually go quite a bit lower, and with the big area of coverage and the fact that a foe above the Primordial Darkness has more limited means of interrupting its starting lag, getting the reads you need to land this move is not as hard as it sounds. Once the foe is at higher percents, this move becomes a fair bit scarier too, as hitting even past the initial ultra powerful hitbox can still score KOs off the top blast zone, so air dodging it becomes a bit harder.

There's also the held variant, which is even slower at 28 frames of startup as the arms spark with a larger amount of energy. Then, a series of smaller explosions of darkness occur above the Primordial Darkness, scattered throughout the air above it with usually two or three going off at once. They deal 3% per hit and lock the foe in place, regardless of how many of them overlap with the foe's body, and cover an area even larger than the regular Up Aerials with their combined coverage, though not all at once as they appear in a set but slightly chaotic looking pattern above the Primrodial Darkness. There's a final, especially massive explosion at the end that deals the same 20% as the base version but has its knockback scaled to KO at 70% now, and the initial hits will tack on even more damage.

The key thing about this variant is that while its slow as hell, high duration, and has zero base super armor so you can't even use this to super armor through a laggier attack like some of your slower super armor moves, its actually more complicated to dodge than you might think. Because the range is so big, and it has a multi-hit over a longer duration, this move's sheer scope makes it actually pretty hard to dodge around, particularly if the Primordial Darkness has wind armor active to bolster its aerial speed and give it the extra safety jump. You'll usually land 2-3 earlier hits on the starting lag so this deals like 26%-29%, for that matter. It also does help that you have both this and the regular Uair as options while most characters would only have one tool to threaten opponents above them, so despite both moves being very unsafe landing them is more practical than you might think, and can especially on this version score some pretty obscenely early KOs.

As a final note, using your elemental armor against some characters with weaker stall then fall aerials or Nairs can also be a good way to land the regular version of Uair, it being a move that benefits pretty nicely from the super armor in that regard.

Down Aerial - Into the Abyss
Energy fires from the Primordial Darkness' voids as it plunges downwards, its body covered in an aura of darkness. This is a fairly fast to come out stall then fall, dealing 10% on contact and moderate diagonal knockback up and away from the Primordial Darkness that kills at 200%. The initial firing of energy from the void covers an area around the upper half of its body and a bit into the air beyond that with a slightly stronger hitbox that deals 13% and KOs at 170%, situationally capable of getting kills but not exceptional. The Primordial Darkness will plummet 2.5 Ganondorf heights with this quite quickly, and while the ending and landing lag are not the best, this is easily the fastest "burst movement" option in the Primordial Darkness' set.

So what's this move good for? Well the power is okay, but its not a particularly potent KO move outside of niche situations. However, the fast starting lag means this can sometimes just let you escape an opponent winning out the aerial advantage against you, giving something of an emergency escape route even if its not as powerful a reversal as Up Special. And while it won't lead into immediate options especially well, this is a good move to use and then draw a projectile line between yourself and the opponent after its done as both of you are now spaced further apart. If you smack a grounded foe with this, you won't get the same kind of distance as you would an aerial foe, but it will still get you a reasonable amount of space at moderate percents. Just don't whiff entirely, the landing lag isn't awful but its definitely punishable enough to get you punished especially with Primordial Darkness' other lag and movement problems.

Halfway through the Primordial Darkness' fall, its giant claws will manifest from the voids as well, slamming down next to it. Given you have to be halfway through a stall then fall for these to come out, this is a fair bit more telegraphed than the main hitbox, but the claws deal 16% and a pretty powerful spike, potentially groundbouncing foes into an Up Tilt or Fair followup at low to mid percents. The claws also greatly increase the horizontal reach of this move, giving it way more coverage than most stall than falls, although actually making use of this bigger hitbox and the power it provides requires the Primordial Darkness fall into its usual problem of its attacks being very predictable to come out, just in a more unconvntional way as its duration rather than start lag that's the problem. Also, if you do land on a shield with the claws, they absolutely wreck shields, not quite capable of killing them in one blow but also dealing enough shield stun that if the foe does not drop shield immediately it will either get poked or broken by the next hit.

If you want something a bit more potent, use the held variant, as the voids will flare up with energy... before instead the Primordial Darkness' coiling limbs will descend from them, in a bit of a mixup with the original move. Albeit this one's not quite as nice as the Bair mixup because while it will look very similar at first, this move has nearly 20 frames of start lag as opposed to the 6 of the basic variant, but you can trick a foe on the ground who thinks they can just punish a regular Dair with this. On the way down the moves 2.5 Ganondorf heights of range, it deals 12% and a decently strong spike, not on par with something absurd like Ganondorf Dair but considering the huge range this covers its pretty impressive despite that. The real power of this move is at the bottom of the range, where the hands will claw together. This instead deals 18% and a good bit of stun before launching the opponent up... which combos into Uair. Given Uair's power, especially that high up, and the fact the foe already took 18% from this, that is kind of absurd.

Of course, this is a bit harder to use that it sounds. For one, if the hands hit the ground, they'll simply plant against it, dealing 14% and mostly horizontal knockback that KOs at 130%, solid but unimpressive for the start lag. That said, the spike can potentially combo into the second hit, meaning with really optimal positioning, you can spike the foe into the stage, rake them back upwards, and hit the foe with Uair after for 12% + 18% + 20%, or a combo that deals a whopping 50% off two moves. This is where the Primordial Darkness' three jumps come into play, especially with wind armor it becomes a bit more possible to position above the foe just right to get this absurdly powerful combo off, one that will kill the foe at incredibly low percents and deal massive damage if it doesn't. That said, hitting with a fairly specific sweetspot that's nullified by the ground is a lot of work on a move with 20 frames of start lag, but the consolation prize of possibly getting 26% out of a spike into the hands planting against the ground isn't half bad either.

Because the two hits will chain on shield and leave the Primordial Darkness not really at the best range for the opponent to punish despite this variant's still bad ending lag, it makes the opponent have to respect the prospect of the Primordial Darkness dropping on them from above more. Sure, the regular Dair isn't remarkably powerful if you hit directly below with it in this mixup, if the foe responds assuming that will come out and you use the held Dair, they will either take a big chunk of 26% and some good horizontal knockback to set yourself up with good spacing... or they take like 50% and possibly just die, if your spacing's particularly good. While the regular Dair doesn't really have a high payoff, the fact that the foe has to play around this other variant coming out makes it a bit more viable to drop down on the foe from above with it. This is compounded when you consider that the elemental armor and its fast start lag and movement speed actually make it pretty good at getting through some anti-air tactics, giving the opponent yet more reason to respect the Primordial Darkness when its above them. In addition, if the foe thinks you're going for the laggier variant, they might simply think they can weave off to the side safely, only to get caught by the claw hands that come out in the second half of the tapped Dair variant and take a heavy hit!

To prevent this move from being too good of a ledgeguard, foes on ledges will take mostly vertical knockback from this move regardless of what hitbox it lands. While this can still KO at high percents, it does mean the foe won't get spiked or launched way back horizontally, but that said this move is still horrifying against offstage foes for obvious reasons.

Grab Game​

Grab - Dragged to the Abyss
Rather than summoning the shoulder hands, the Primordial Darkness instead uses the claw-like components of its cape to latch onto an opponent in front of it, in a grab that has pretty good range and is about average speed for a grab. This makes for another one of the Primordial Darkness' fast options, as while most characters barring those with a tether grab have access to a fast grab, the combination of speed and range here makes it a pretty respectable choice to go for in neutral. Sadly the dash grab is a bit worse, having greater range but greater starting lag and much more punishable end lag, and combined with the Primordial Darkness' dash that's not as helpful a technique as you'd hope, but the impressive grab range can help out in a pinch.

Pummel - Break
Black energy pours along the Primordial Darkness' arms, wrapping around the foe's body over a pummel that takes an impressively long time to complete, with the ability to pummel the opponent even once only becoming possible around 55%. However, the pummel itself is not to be trifled with when you do hit that percentage, dealing a whopping 10% to the foe as the darkness constricts and contorts their body with the sounds of what appear to be bones breaking as the darkness crushes their body into a position it is not meant to take. While this is a fairly bad pummel at face value, it actually has an above average damage rate at specific percents, so its more situational than terrible in the end. And if you want extra damage during the grab, grab the foe in miasma. The damage will still keep ticking on them while they're held in the grab, which is one of the best ways to build up miasma damage on a foe. If an enemy has been trying to pressure you a bit and going "to hell with the miasma", the combination of the pummel's damage and being forced to take additional miasma damage can punish them quite a bit.

Forward Throw - Overwhelm
The Primordial Darkness lightly tosses the oppponent forward into the air for 3%, before blasting the foe with three miniature projectiles, based on its most recent choice of element. While this will only use one element even if you have double armor, you can choose which elemental you want to use by tilting or smashing the control stick. Tilting it uses the first selected element of your current or most recent previous elemental armor, smashing it picks the second selected element. Regardless of element, this is your best throw for pushing an advantage state, but which advantage state you get to go for will depend on what elements you have access to.

Meteors
From underneath where the opponent was thrown by the Primordial Darkness, three meteors will fly up into them, each dealing 3 and weak upwards knockback that combos into the next meteor, leaving them up a good distance into the air. At low percents you can combo this into Fair, or 50/50 with held Fair or regular Nair. If you don't want to go for as direct a combo, this leaves the foe in a rather poor position to respond to Up Smash. It won't true combo or even 50/50 with anything out of this move and Up Tilt's reach sadly won't connect with opponents from this even at low percentages, but the combination of upper body super armor, huge range, and lingering hitboxes of the Up Smash can potentially lead into a bigger advantage than the more traditional combo options, and given Fair combos stop working at middling percents but this will still put pressure on the foe while leaving around lingering hitboxes, it can be a good choice once the foe's out of range of those combos.

Stalactites
The Primordial Darkness bombards the foe with three stalactites, each dealing 3% and almost entirely horizontal knockback along the stage, with the last one actually dealing slightly down angled knockback. This will push the foe across the stage as the projectiles combo into each other, sending them about a battlefield platform away at low percentages and scaling to 1.65 battlefield platforms at around 75% before the stalactites stop comboing into each other because the third stalactite will stop comboing out of the first 2 due to flying too short a distance. The spacing this gives does not combo into much, admittedly, but it actually does give you a solid frame advantage. IF you already have a projectile pattern set to fire, you can throw the foe forward with this, let the projectiles begin to overwhelm them and simultaneously go for Forward Smash, leaving the foe in a very frantic position to dodge its almighty hitbox. If you don't, while it might space the opponent a little too far away to hit with your more practical hitboxes like FTilt or DTilt, the Primordial Darkness outranges almost every character in the game and will enjoy the extra spacing regardless.

This is not factoring in using this to push a foe off the ledge, which will also put the foe slightly below the ledge to make recovering a bit more uncomfortable. Not that even characters with awful recoveries won't make it back, DK and Little Mac can both make it back to the stage fine from this despite the former's horrible vertical recovery and the latter's everything. Still, putting the foe at a rather awkward position off stage is really nice when you factor in that the Primordial Darkness is a surprisingly decent gimper. Three jumps, solid aerial options in the Fair/Nair variants, and the option to just use your massive hitboxes to dominate the ledge all make the knockback of this very convenient at or near a ledge.

Vortexes
This one will fire three tornadoes at the foe which will launch the foe back through each of them until they end up behind the Primordial Darkness, each dealing 2 hits of 1% and then 2%, the later hit dealing a bit of backwards knockback. Like the other throws, this gives a solid amount of frame advantage, and actually would combo into a couple if the foe wasn't awkwardly positioned behind you in the air with this move. That said, you still have the options of going for a mixup between Bair and Nair with this move, or even going for the held variants of Bair/Nair on a particular good read of the opponent's actions. Given both those moves are quite strong and this move's knockback is actually consistent at higher percents, this can lead into KOs quite nicely, especially with your back to a ledge. Of course, none of these options confirm and are all punishable if you whiff, and the Primordial Darkness has some struggles against an opponent behind it, so be careful with this move.

Thunderbolts
The final variant of this move has the Primordial Darkness shoot three thunderbolts forward that deal minimal horizontal knockback each and only 2% per hit, making this a bit of a weaker move than the other 3 variants. With that said, it may provide the absolute strongest advantage state, leaving the foe in front of the Primordial Darkness at a heavy frame disadvantage due to all this move's hitstun. This means the opponent has a very small window to react to whether you're using FTilt or DTilt, and given DTilt will brutally screw up the foe's defensive options and possibly lead into FTilt anyway, that puts the foe in a very scary position. The only way to avoid both moves is to do a backwards roll away from the Primordial Darkness, but if they go for that, you can go for your insanely powerful FSmash and hit them instead, which is an absolutely terrifying thing to get out of a throw disadvantage state. Now, there's a problem with this throw, and its that the read gets a lot worse once the throw starts knocking the foe out of range of Forward Tilt at around 70%, but landing FTilt even at lower percents is good and that's arguably the least powerful successful result of this, and the foe really does not have much time to think.

As scary as this all sounds, keep in mind, all of those moves are pretty punishable if you get it wrong. Especially if you decide to go for Forward Smash and the opponent does not backwards roll, you might outright eat a partially charged Smash Attack for your mistake. So while this does put the foe in a very tense situation, its a bit high risk high reward to go for. Also it spaces the foe a bit too far to combo into Jab and leaves the foe too close to the ground to make Fair a particularly good option either, so you have to go for one of these riskier options.

All in all, these throws all provide some potentially powerful advantage states out of a throw, but without projectile assistance the true combo options this gives are few and far between, and not particularly powerful. You'll need to make smart reads to make the most out of this throw, but when you do, the rewards will be well worth it.

Up Throw - Collapse
The Primordial Darkness flings the opponent into the air above it, as a pair of hands sprout from the voids once more. After a brief pause, the hands smash together for 15% and upwards knockback that kills at 90%. The initial throw deals 4% and very low upward knockback, so this adds up to 19% and a KO throw that's the best in the game. So what's the catch. Its the admittedly painful flaw of the fact that this second hit does not chain from the first one, the foe is given a chance to dodge it. You can cancel out of this, but the cancel is a bit too slow for this to 50/50 well with Up Tilt, so you're really only going to want to go for this throw if you have the right context.

The context, of course, is that your Side Special projectiles make this a true combo. The hands out to the sides actually have a lingering hitbox on them that deals 2% and a long flinch if the foe comes into contact with them, and basically any projectile except a meteor is guaranteed to knock the opponent into the hands, which will then guarantee the second hit of this attack. Because of this, the context of having a really good KO throw out of your grab is actually not as complicated as you might think and something that's totally possible to pull off in regular competitive matches, but it is a bit predictable for the Primordial Darkness player to grab the foe and go for this while the projectiles are out, so its not necessarily as good as having access to a simpler KO throw like Ness or Incineroar BThrow.

As for other contexts this move is useful, lightning armor will improve the speed of this move a bit, so it actually will 50/50 with Up Tilt. The fact that the foe is basically forced into one specific option of air dodging to avoid this also means you're at a small advantage after the move is done and the opponent's movements will end up pretty predictable, plus the two hands walling off the sides can help keep a foe around falling miasma easier. Its not the Primordial Darkness' best miasma damage throw, but it provides a better advantage state than the other one, so its at least something to keep in mind especially with lightning armor active.

Down Throw - Consume
Lifting the foe up, the Primordial Darkness shoves the foe into the empty hole in its face, sucking them into it and causing them to vanish from the battlefield for a brief moment. This deals an initial hit of 3%, followed by a second of 3% as the Primordial Darkness drains the energy of the consumed foe, before spitting them back out in front of it for another 4%, leaving their model tinted a dull grey and putting the foe in frame neutral with you. The damage on this throw is acceptable, sure, but considering how absurdly slow the Primordial Darkness is not getting an advantage state out of a throw can actually be quite bad. With that said, there are some perks to this move. For one, this throw has quite a long duration, which is another way to pile on just that extra bit of miasma damage, contextually meaning a very large amount of damage out of just one grab if you get off a pummel too.

The other thing is the Primordial Darkness draining the foe's energy and leaving them tinted grey is not just for show. The foe's portrait is also greyed out a bit from this, and while it will slowly return to normal over the next 8 seconds, the foe suffers a 5 frame end lag increase on all their attacks. Admittedly, this debuff incrementally ticks down over the duration, decreasing to a 4 frame debuff after 1.6 seconds, 3 frame debuff after 3.2 seconds, and continues all the way until its down to nothing. 5 frames is actually a fairly considerable lag increase, but adding it to end lag rather than start lag is on paper not as useful to Primordial Darkness. After all, it doesn't help you win out speed trades at all, right? Well, super armored slow moves like Up Special or your smashes will appreciate the foe not getting out of their lag as quickly, making it so that they can punish even a lot of less laggy moves. On top of that, this will mess up the opponent's combos on your massive frame, and allow you to punish the opponent's attacks on a hard read.

If the foe doesn't want to attack as much and goes on the defensive instead while this effect is up? That's perfectly fine. You have Down Tilt to mess with defensive options hard, and miasma puts the pressure on the foe to go on the offensive if they're trying to threaten you with close ranged punishment of your setup options. If they run away, of course, you can set up hellish projectile patterns and get armor or more miasma up, so in spite of the debuff the opponent probably wants to try to keep fighting you, but the rewards will be lower and the risk is much higher. Of course, with how fast the debuff decreases, it will become close to irrelevant pretty fast, but that's where this move's last bit of synergy comes in. If the foe is touching miasma, the effect does not decrease at all as long as they're in contact with it. If you have miasma out, and especially if you have a lot of it out, this throw is a shockingly powerful way to get ahead for how tame the actual hitbox is. Even if you don't, this can still lead to some brutal punishes of whatever offensive or defensive options the foe goes for in response.

Back Throw - Infection
The Primordial Darkness' cape like appendages outright dig into the foe's flesh, small crystals growing out of them as it does so. Those crystals will spread into the opponent's body as it hefts them overhead and smashes them into the ground behind it, leaving them with crystals sticking out of their flesh as they're sent flying away with 11% and diagonal knockback that even at the ledge won't kill until 215%, so its an abysmal KO throw for a set as powerful as Primordial Darkness'. These crystals will be colored the same as the ones the Primordial Darkness currently has active if it has elemental armor, or instead will be colored based on the previously used elemental armor if it does not have one currently active. They'll remain lingering on the foe's body for 5 seconds before falling away, despite looking painful not really interfering with their movements at all.

Actually getting mileage out of these crystals is a bit tricky, at least if its at lower percentages. The crystals will activate if hit with an attack by the Primordial Darkness that is of the correct element, which is either "any of the Primordial Darkness' hitboxes that deal at least flinching damage while it has a corresponding elemental armor on" or "hit them with one of the Side Special's projectiles that is of the corresponding element." The way the elements react to each other is as follows:

Fire will activate if it hits an opponent with embedded icy crystals, causing the foe to immolate especially badly and take an extra 5% from the attack. The damage boost from this will affect the knockback of the move, allowing you some even earlier kills than usual as your damage and knockback on hit is boosted to some astronomical values, especially in conjunction with the fire's base effect.

Ice will activate if it hits an opponent with embedded wind crystals, causing their body to freeze over and take a freezie effect as they take the knockback from the attack. This, mind you, is a very easy effect to break out of, but it does add 3% to the move as well even if it does not increase the knockback, and the few extra frames of stun it will cause the foe to take as they break out at the end of their knockback. If you're using the knockback of an attack to guide the foe to a specific position, the fact that they're taking extra stun there is pretty painful, and this can make it a fair bit more practical to lead into Forward Smash than it usually would be at certain percents. Hell, if the foe's taken barely any additional damage past what this move itself did, you might be able to combo FTilt into DTilt with this move, an option that would not usually come up.

Wind will activate if it hits an opponent with embedded thunder crystals, causing them to take 3 rapid flinching hits of 2% before the actual main hits of the attack in question. These hits take place very fast and the Primordial Darkness will stay in place while they're happening on a melee hit, so its mostly just good for the damage in that case, but on a tornado projectile hitting a lightning crystal opponent, it actually exacerbates the frame advantage a tornado flinging the opponent at you gives even more, meaning at the right times it can sometimes lead into something unholy like Dash Attack. That's obviously very contextual, but its powerful enough to be worth mentioning.

Lightning will activate when hitting an opponent with embedded fire crystals, causing a burst of fire to come out of their body from the initial hit that adds a weaker 2% than the fire and ice version, but still a potential small damage upgrade. The real kicker comes with the electricity still lingering on their body for a moment and electrocuting them 1.5 seconds later for a single, small flinching hit of 1% that interrupts what they were doing. The opponent will be able to see it coming and will be able to avoid the hit by shielding or dodging it... but so will the Primordial Darkness. That brief window of interruption against an opponent who can absolutely slam the door on small opportunities like that can actually be a big deal, making this a pretty strong potential reward.

If the Primordial Darkness has or last activated double elemental armor, both types of elements will be represented in the crystals. This means you can potentially activate two effects of this move, and given the dual type armor you can actually guaruntee your next hit will activate one of these effects without having to switch. Only one effect will activate at a time if you switch to the activation elements of both crystals, and they activate in the order you picked the elements. This move in general becomes way better once double elemental armor becomes a factor in the match, because it makes it incredibly easy to trigger the first buffed hit from this move. That said, getting the second one will require you to switch armors again due to how the elemental reactions are laid out, so if you really want to get the maximum mileage out of this move you'll still need to do an armor switch, which is tricky when you have a 5 second time limit. But the rewards are pretty strong, especially when you get two out of one throw.

Final Smash - Primordial Glare From The Void

Briefly disappearing in a flash of black light, the Primordial Darkness reappears towering over the stage, merged with Gomorroth. The creature looms in the background and is larger than the entirety of Final Destination by a considerable amount, as it smashes its 3 Ganondorf tall hands together after a telegraphed moment of lag. The opponent can definitely dodge this provided there's no projectiles in the way, its a bit more predictable than other final smashes, but if the attack does connect for its initial hit of 20%(12% with Final Smash meter), the opponent is in for a world of hurt as it sends them into a cutscene akin to many other Final Smashes in the game.

Sodam's form floats overhead as the opponent(or opponents) are left floating in a dark void, with no light but the ominous glare of Sodam's body to illuminate them. Suddenly, massive figures appear from the shadows and strike out at them, 4 in total as each of their hits deals 12%(8% with Final Smash meter) before the Primordial Darkness finally unleashes a massive black wave from its body that deals another 20%(12% with Final Smash meter) that KOs the opponent extremely early, usually at around 20%(50% with Final Smash meter). The interesting thing here is that the four figures you'll see are randomized, and can be any possible incarnation of Dark Falz from the entire phantasy star series! While the most common ones are Dark Falz Elder, Loser(Luther), Double(Gemini), and Apprentice, you will sometimes get one of Dark Falz' appearences back from the original Phantasy Star tetralogy, as well as possibly Zio or Lassic. You can also get Dark Falz's appearence from the first Phantasy Star Online, as well as Olga Flow. Even the Profound Darkness' other forms, such as its appearence in Episode 3 of PSO2 or one of its three forms from Phantasy Star 4 are fair game! And yes, for those of you who like Phantasy Star Universe for some reason, even Dulk Fakis might show up.

If the Primordial Darkness wins the match with this move, the victory screen will simply be it floating in an empty void, with the usual background of the Ultimate win screen gone. The losers will not be seen clapping, their places on the victory screen empty. It seems it achieved its goal of completely annihilating the universe in the end...

 

[NeonVoid]

By any chance (out of those who read my Cinderace moveset), does anyone have any tips on what I could do better?

I want to make sure my moveset is the best it can be, and I'll be adding one more Smash-exclusive move to the moveset called the Galarian Punt soon, but I wanted to see if anyone had advice before I got to it!

 

[UserShadow7989]

Since this week has been stressful for many, with bigger things on people's minds than set making, we're pushing the deadline back by 1 more week to the end of November 15th. Pace yourselves!

 

[Katapultar]

A new moveset, inspired by The Primordial Darkness that lingers on this page...

 

[UserShadow7989]

Are the fireflies brighter than usual, or is it just your imagination? Tonight will be a long night.

Been working on this set for far too long; I hope everyone enjoys!

 

[UserRed]

Natalie of the EBF squad joins with devastating magic!

 

[Katapultar]

Ayesha Altugle from Atelier Ayesha is finally here! It's been a long time, but after several MYMs she can finally join her friends Regina and Marion. ​