UserShadow7989
Smash Journeyman
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Warning, Challenger Approaching!
Specter has joined the Brawl!
=S= History =S=
Specter has joined the Brawl!
=S= History =S=
Specter is the main antagonist of the Ape Escape series. Introduced as the star attraction of a monkey park, he started as an ordinary if intelligent monkey. He was the first monkey to don a "Peak Point" helmet, a device designed to unlock the full mental potential of whatever wears it. The helmet granted Specter superhuman intelligence, the ability of speech, and an array of psychic powers. Angry about how the park goers treated him and the other monkeys, he staged a breakout and gathered an army of monkeys with the intent of ruling the world.
Specter makes repeated attempts to rule the world through the series, his determination never ending. He has a strong hatred towards all humans; the owner of the monkey park he was raised at is possibly the only exception. While cocky and preferring his minions do the dirty work, he has never shown reluctance to fight whatever was standing in the way. His vast psychic abilities make him far more dangerous then his tiny frame would imply, and his sharp mind rarely fails to find a solution to his problems.
=S= Music =S=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9l31Qpcnq4 (Crumbling Castle, AE1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYO42ke05Uc (Final Boss, AE1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfljYvG-g1k (Code C.H.I.M.P., AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSP4QA3oQyw (Code C.H.I.M.P. Part II, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n83fp8NVe4 (Moonbase, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSQHinPXvTY (Moonbase Part II, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv7_eWmfDI8 (Song of the Freaky Monkey Five, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtb_GQwGY6o (Freaky Monkey Five Battle!, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yiZH3XlnS4 (Ultra Goliath Battle, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGeFuQ2jB-E (Final Boss, AE2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcDNPF8h1M (Fantasy Knight theme, AE3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylT7Mf4KtZk (Dr. Tomoki Face-off!, AE3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyGJUO0kZI (Gorilliac Face-off!, AE3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-5GeVqCFw (Specter Face-off!, AE3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX3F-y7tSHs (Grid Core & Mission 31, AE Million Monkeys)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3Hosvjr5w (Specter's Spaceship, AE Million Monkeys)
For quick access to these, right click each header below and select "Open in new window".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfljYvG-g1khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfljYvG-g1k
Size: 5/10
Weight: 1/10
Ground Mobility: 8.5/10
Air Mobility: 7/10
Power: 8/10
Attack Speed: 1.5/10
Range: 7/10
Priority: 7/10
Jumps: 2.5/10
Overall Recovery: 3.5/10
Abilities: Crouch, 'Crawl', Hover.
Specter hovers constantly, causing most Down A moves to slip under him and making him immune to items like the Motion Sensor Bomb or Snake's mines; but since he's so high off the ground, attacks that would normally miss his small frame hit home anyways. He stops hovering with his crouch, and makes his already small form an even smaller target. He can get up and duck very quickly, making it a quick way to evade attacks.
When 'Crawling' Specter is actually running on the ground like normal. He moves at the same speed as he normally does on the ground, and loses all benefits and drawbacks that his Hover normally provides. Specter instantly returns to his normal stance when he stops 'Crawling', and must do so before he can attack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yiZH3XlnS4
Neutral Special ~ Monkey Minions:
Specter has an army of monkeys rallying behind him, and decides to put that fact to use. Upon use of this attack, he summons a yellow pants monkey, the lowest and most common of his forces. The monkey appears directly in front of Specter as a CPU controlled ally with lvl 5 AI and 20% stamina. It has two average jumps, and average fall speed. It has the same size as Specter without the drawbacks of hovering high off the ground, and is slightly heavier then it's leader. Specter can have up to 3 monkeys at a time.
The animation and starting lag of this move depends on the stock/point count. If the opponent with the highest stock left/points earned is behind Specter, he smugly crosses his arms and sneers at his foe. "Why don't you fight someone you can actually beat?" Very long starting lag. If he is tied with that opponent, he will laugh and flip the hair out of his eye. "You're absolutely pathetic!" Long starting lag. If he's behind that opponent, he will angrily shout at his minions. "Come here NOW!" Medium starting lag. Medium ending lag no matter what. Coin matches, Stamina mode, and all non-character-vs-character events/modes use the 'tied with opponent' lag and quote at all points.
In addition to the ability to use items, the monkey has the following attacks:
This cheeky monkey has one purpose: to annoy the crud out of your opponents. Let the monkey constantly interrupt the opponent, and use Specter to provide covering fire with his stronger attacks. If Specter's in trouble, have him pull back and put up a shield while the monkey engages the opponent. Maybe even summon more monkeys while the foe is dealing with one annoying simian.
Side Special ~ Barrier:
Specter creates a barrier of psychic energy the size of a Crate around himself. The barrier has medium priority, and remains around Specter until hit with a higher priority attack or 7 seconds pass. Physical contact with the barrier does 10% damage and medium knockback. Medium starting lag, and long ending lag.
This move has both advantages and disadvantages against all types of characters. Lightweights will have difficulty breaking through the shield, but can evade Specter for the duration. Heavyweights can smash through it, but have to use their slower, easier to evade attacks to get through. Middleweights have slight difficulty punching through, but can keep up with Specter to some degree. Sword users should be avoided at all costs- their disjointed hit boxes overrule the barrier every time. At the very least, the barrier can soak up a single hit.
Down Special ~ Levitation:
Specter lifts off the ground, floating via telekinesis. Specter gains free movement, flying any direction in the air and across the ground at his run speed until he inputs Down B again. Specter can move a maximum of 1.5 Stage Builder Blocks above the ground or platform below, and if higher will descend at his normal fall speed until he's 1.5SBBs or less above it. Specter can use his ground moves in the air while levitating by holding the button input for 0.4 seconds, and his aerials are performed normally. If Specter is hit while levitation is in effect, the effects of levitation end instantly. Medium starting and ending lag. Does no damage in any way.
Specter can hover just out of reach and use his projectiles to fight foes, or swoop down with his Barrier active for a quick hit or two. Of course, Specter can't go high enough to put him completely out of reach, especially if the opponents have a handy floating platform nearby to give them some more altitude. You need to be very careful if you don't want to be swatted out of the air.
Up Special ~ Throne:
Specter's hovering chair appears behind him. The chair remains in the air where Specter called it for 5 seconds, acting as a platform that only our favorite megalomaniac monkey can use. While in the chair, Specter can use his aerials as if he were in the air, and may jump or levitate off the chair. After leaving the throne, Specter cannot call on it again until he lands on solid ground.
However, this move acts differently if Specter has at least 1 monkey out when activating this move. Specter's hovering chair instead appears in the background. He calmly floats over to it and takes a seat, letting his minions do the work for him. Specter cannot call more allied monkeys until he leaves his throne. Monkeys who are already out all have their AI boosted to Level 7 to compensate for Specter's inability to direct them. He can return to the fight by pressing Up B again, and instantly returns when all of his monkeys are defeated. The player can move the throne in the background by using the control stick.
While in the background, Specter can use certain moves. The moves appear in the foregound right in front of Specter, and have the same damage, knockback, etc. they always do. They all perform normally in the foreground. When you want to use an attack, hold the A button for a standard/tilt, tap the A button for an aerial, and perform smashes and specials as normal. The moves he can use in the background are Side Special, Forward A, Up A, Forward Smash, and Up Air. Regardless of what version kicks in, the throne itself does no damage.
Under normal circumstances, the throne is nothing more then a simple, weak recovery that grants Specter his jumps again or gives him some time to himself in the air. With the special conditions met to enter the background, it's Specter's best defense. Of course, the price is that Specter's damage output is crippled. When backed into a corner or fighting an opponent that just seems to break through any defense you put up, this is your panic button.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyGJUO0kZI
Neutral A ~ "Knock it off!":
Specter is fed up! He pulls his arm back and slaps the opponent upside the head with all his strength. This attack may hit Specter's monkeys as if friendly fire was turned on, doing no damage or knockback and a second of hitstun. If Specter hits a someone in the middle of a move/taunt, that monkey/person cannot use that move/taunt again for the next 5 seconds. Does 6% damage and medium knockback. High priority. Very low starting and ending lag.
This is best used on someone trying to use a moveset important move or an annoying attack you're having trouble with. You can also temp-ban the opponent's KO attack for a short while, buying you time to fight back or escape to a safe distance. The higher priority also allows you to punch through certain attacks on short notice, or use the surprising knockback to send them skyward.
Forward A ~ Energy Ring:
Specter creates a horizontal ring of energy in front of himself, 1.5 Stage Builder Blocks long and reaching into both the background and foreground. If the ring is created over an opponent, it'll have a hole in it's center slightly wider then they are (The ring will stretch wider if the opponent is too big for a normal size ring). The ring of energy will follow the nearest foe for 1 second at the speed of Mario's run, trying to get around them. After the time passes, the ring stops and shrinks into nothing. There can only be two rings out at a time. The ring does 6% damage and light knockback. If inside the ring while it's closing, it does 12% damage and no knockback with long hitstun. Very high priority. Below average starting and ending lag, which increases every time Specter uses this without using something else in between.
Specter can easily chain three or four hits together with this move. Hit repeatedly until the lag starts to add up, then run while the opponent is stunned or strike them with a finishing move. The main attraction here is it can deal damage and set up for a KO relatively easy. Just remember that to take full advantage of this move, you have to be close or have a monkey distract the foe.
Down A ~ Specter X 3!:
Specter glows so brightly he himself can no longer be seen. The light splits into three, and disappears to reveal three Specters floating side by side. Only one Specter is real, the other two are fakes whose attacks do nothing and disappear when hit. They act as CPU controlled allies of level 4 AI. If the real Specter had a barrier or was riding on his throne, the copies will have fake barriers/thrones too. Which is the real Specter is entirely random, and a mystery to even the player themselves until they see which one responds to their controller. This move has long starting and ending lag, and does no damage whatsoever. When a clone is destroyed, Specter will randomly mock his foes with "Wrong!", "Try again!", and maniacal laughter. Short starting lag and medium ending lag.
This is only a short term distraction. The opponent will quickly figure out which is the real Specter, assuming they don't guess right with the first try. This is a quick distraction that allows escape. It's worth noting, however, that there is one move that the imitations can do damage with, the Back Aerial.
Up A ~ Smash!:
Specter creates a Crate-sized cube of light blue energy above his head. The player gains control of the cube for 5 seconds, until it hits something, Specter takes damage, it's out-prioritized, or the player presses the A button again. The cube can move up to 2 Stage Builder Blocks away from Specter in any direction at the speed of Bowser's run, and does 8% damage and light upwards knockback on contact. The player has no control over Specter until the cube is gone, so if Specter is under the effect of his Down/Up Special and it's effect ends, he'll fall and the player must dismiss the cube to move Specter to safety. High priority. Short starting lag. No ending lag if ended early by pressing the A button, but long ending lag otherwise.
Try to use this when the opponent's overhead, scoring a hit that pushes them away and lets you score a second or even third. This is also one of Specter's best gimp moves- just send a cube after the opponent as best you can to make sure they don't come back. You can also block ledges with it to a degree, but due to the slight upwards push from the knockback, they may be able to use it to get back on the stage.
Dash Attack ~ Charge:
Specter leans forward and increases his speed slightly, taking a swing at anyone that gets within his short reach. He can hit anything within this reach regardless of where they are in relation to him. Of course, his physical strength leaves much to be desired, doing only 4% damage and below average knockback. On the bright side, it's likely he'll hit multiple times. Specter stops and returns to his normal dash speed when the A button is released or 2 seconds pass. If the attack ends because 2 seconds pass, Specter stops entirely and suffers from very long ending lag as he struggles to catch his breath. Short starting and ending lag otherwise, and low priority.
This functions differently if his Side Special is in effect. Specter pauses, lifts off the ground slightly, then rockets in any direction of the player's choosing via control stick at the speed of Sonic's run. Specter can travel a maximum of 3 Stage Builder Blocks with this effect, dealing 16% damage and high knockback to anyone he touches in the process. Very high priority. If Specter stops in midair, he enters freefall. If the duration of his Barrier ends in the middle of this move, it stays up until the move ends.
With the first version, you can bum-rush an opponent off a ledge, or even off stage on a walk off. Not without the risk of being grabbed in retaliation, of course, but it's still of note. Otherwise, it's a quick way to knock the opponent away from you. The second serves as a dodge, a KO move, or even just a bit of damage. The priority allows him to break through plenty of attacks that may give Specter's shield it's walking papers, so if you don't want to lose the barrier it's something to keep in mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYO42ke05Uc
Forward Smash ~ Rapid Fire:
As Specter charges the attack, small pellets of light blue energy appear in front of him, 1 every 1/2 a second to a maximum of 5. Specter fires the pellets at the rate of 2 per second, the pellets moving in the direction the analog stick is pushed. The shots travel at the speed and range of Fox's Neutral Special, doing 6% damage per hit. Specter cannot move until hit or all the pellets fire, and any remaining shots will vanish when Specter is hit. Flinching knockback, medium priority, no starting lag, and short ending lag.
While this attack does a lot of damage, getting it to full power takes a while and leaves Specter open for a long time. Activate his Side Special before attempting this, as at the very least it'll soak up one hit. Not only that, but there's no guarantee you'll hit something. If you did use the Side Special before this, finish with a Dash Attack to send the weakened foe flying.[/COLOR]
Down Smash ~ Homing Shots:
Specter can move as this attack charges. As Specter charges this attack, small purple orbs of plasma appear and circle around him, to a maximum of 5 orbs. When finished charging, one by one with 1/3 a second of pause between each, the spheres turn blue and fly towards the nearest opponent at Mario's dash speed. Each orb lasts 2 seconds after it begins it's pursuit, and Specter must wait until they all disappear before he can perform another move. Contact with a purple ball of plasma does3% damage and no hitstun or knockback. The blue spheres do 9% damage and light knockback each. Short starting and ending lag. Medium priority.
Like the above, Specter's Side Special gives you time to fully charge this move. In addition, it discourages opponents from simply running up and taking the pathetic damage from the purple orbs and preventing the stronger blue versions from appearing. If you don't have the Barrier up, try to keep a 1 Stage Builder Block distance as you charge and stop when you release, letting them run into the blue orbs.
Up Smash ~ Charge Blast:
Specter raises his hand above his head, and a blue orb of energy the size of a Pokéball appears. The orb grows as he holds the pose, to a maximum size of a Crate. He flings the ball forward, which moves at the speed of Ganondorf's run and descends at a rate of 1 Stage Builder Block every 2 seconds. The orb grinds into the ground/wall it makes contact with, shrinking at the rate it grew. While the orb is stuck in the ground, it sends a shockwave along the ground every second that moves at Ike's run speed and travels up to 2 SBBs. The orb itself does 20~35% damage and medium knockback, while each shockwave (1 for every second of charging) does 6% and flinching knockback. Very high priority. Long starting and ending lag. Maximum charge time of 4 seconds.
A quick, uncharged version of this can force foes away, via knockback or the massive priority. With the time this buys him, Specter should use his Neutral Special or Side Special. While on the offensive, use a monkey (or several) from the Neutral Special to deal a lot of hitstun or serve as a distraction as you charge this attack, then let loose with a fully charged verison. The moment Specter recovers from the lag, he should immediatly start charging another ball of energy or, if his loyal monkeys have fallen, follow up with an uncharged version or a low lag move.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSP4QA3oQyw
Neutral Air ~ Warp:
Specter glows for a brief time, then vanishes. As the player moves the analog stick, where he reappears moves at the speed of his normal aerial movement in that direction. After 1.5 seconds, Specter reappears at the selected location. This does no damage, and Specter suffers from very long starting and ending lag. Specter performs the teleport even if hit during the starting lag and takes no knockback/hitstun until he teleports, but cannot move until the teleport ends and still takes damage. If touching an ally while using this attack, they teleport along with Specter.
This has too much lag to serve as a recovery, but it's an anti-gimp, an escape, and a potential mind game, tricking the opponent into thinking you're retreating and teleporting forwards as they adjust their position can come in handy. It can potentially rescue an allied monkey that got thrown by a meaty enemy, but that's a rare bonus and not the intent of the move.
Forward Air ~ Laser:
Specter lazily raises his finger, which has a small spark of energy on the tip. He points forward, creating a beam of energy. The laser lasts as long as the A button is held, and the player can slowly aim the laser with the analog stick. This attack has a shorter duration but does more damage the higher Specter's damage is (capping off at 100%). The laser has a reach of 2.5 Stage Builder Blocks and does 13~18% damage and above average knockback, but it's range and knockback steadily drop at a rate of 1/5~1/3 per second until the laser disappears entirely. High priority. Medium starting and ending lag, but the ending lag is doubled if the duration runs out.
This attack should be used in short bursts at long range. If you want to rack up hits, get close and be very careful not to overdo it or you'll be punished for it. This attack has no real special abilities, simply working as a KO move late into a stock and a damage racker early on. While you can damage rack with it later, it's too risky to try unless you're out of options.
Down Air ~ Explosive Retaliation:
Specter's decent halts, and a faint blue aura surrounds him. After 3 seconds of charging, he releases the energy into an explosive burst, hitting everything within 3 Stage Builder Blocks for 35% damage and high knockback in the direction they touched the sphere (i.e. touching the top sends you skywards). The burst lingers for 2 seconds and Specter enters free fall instantly. For the next 3 seconds, his landing lag, starting lag, and ending lag is doubled and his movement speeds (air and ground) are cut in half. Transcended priority. Long starting and ending lag.
N00b bait at it's finest. It's exceedingly powerful if it hits and has a great range, but it's so easy to punish that it's use is limited to cornered or immobile opponents. Send the opponent flying, wait near the ledge, then start it up as they close the distance. Still, you'll have to deal with gimped stats for a short while and the opponent will respawn shortly afterwards, so be ready to run. The slower and less likely they are to KO you back afterwards, the better the target for this. If nothing else, it allows Specter to stall in midair for a great deal of time, ensuring that the opponent will hit the bottom boundry first.
Back Air ~ Scatter Shot:
Specter teleports 1 Stage Builder Block back and creates a ball of white energy in between his hands. After 1.5 seconds of charging, Specter performs a hadoken motion and the energy breaks into five Pokéball sized spheres that fly in random directions away from him. The energy moves at the speed of Ike's run and does 9% damage and flinching knockback. If there are any copies of Specter from the Down A, they will drop whatever they're doing and copy him. Unlike other moves, any copies of Specter who use this attack when he does do damage and knockback as if they were the real deal. Low priority. Medium starting lag and short ending lag.
This is a fairly safe move. Decent range, little lag, and the ability to cover plenty of space with the Down A in effect are the main highlights. Unfortunately, this does little damage or knockback, is fairly easy to evade, and doesn't hit opponents behind Specter as often as a Back Air should. This is used when jumping backwards to retreat from a foe. As a move, it's alright; but as a Bair, it sucks.
Up Air ~ Missile Launch:
If Specter is not on his throne (from Up Special), it appears underneath him for the duration of this attack and disappears after wards. A slot on the back of Specter's throne opens, and four missiles shoot out of it and off the top of the screen. A targeting recticle one Stage Builder Block in size appears on a random platform in a random position for each missile that made it off screen. After 1.5 seconds, the rockets fall from the top of the screen towards each target, exploding with a SBB sized blast radius on contact with anything. The blasts do 20% damage and above average knockback. High priority. Medium starting and ending lag.
When already on the throne, spam this as you close in on the stage. The missiles make it difficult to land a Down Aerial (which have a habit of being gimps) on Specter and with luck will chase away a ledgehog/camper as you get close. As an attack, it's too random to be of any use other then applying pressure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-5GeVqCFw
Grab ~ Psychic Hold/Hold on:
A small blue aura appears in front of Specter, expanding from him to 1 Stage Builder Block away. If an opponent enters this area, the mist surrounds them, binding their arms, legs and midsection. Specter crosses his arms and wags his finger at them for walking into his grasp so easily. Long duration, leaving Specter open to attack for a while, but massive reach. If there aren't any opponents in range and a monkey is within arm's length of Specter, he'll grab them by the shoulder instead and hold them where they are. Specter can hold a monkey indefinitely, while his grasp on opponents has the average duration. Long lag if you miss.
This grab is a fantastic anti-approach move thanks to it's reach. Unfortunately, that blue aura gives attentive foes a warning. On the bright side, this lets Specter put his minions to use in new, unique ways.
Pummel ~ Monkey Fist/Shield:
Specter runs up to the opponent and strikes them with rapid punches. Each punch does a mere 1% damage, but Specter can hit 1 time per button press, allowing for massive damage. If Specter is holding an allied monkey, however, he will hold them in front of himself like Peach's Neutral Special, the monkey taking all the damage for as long as the A button is held or until it's Stamina runs out, at which point it vanishes like normal.
A button masher's wet dream or an obvious ripoff of Peach's Neutral B? You decide!
Forward Throw ~ Monkey Missile:
Be it human or monkey, Specter thrusts his pointer finger forwards and the grabbie is sent flying by a psychic burst of energy. The thrown foe/monkey flies straight forwards with medium knockback, doing 12% damage and medium knockback to anyone they hit until they bleed off the momentum. If the throwie is one of Specter's allied monkeys, it takes no damage. Otherwise, the throw does 16% damage. Short starting lag and medium ending lag.
A quick, unexpected attack to deal with would-be opportunists trying to attack while you consult your loyal ally. This is also a reasonable throw to use in a FFA match, damaging two opponents for the price of one.
Down Throw ~ Hold Still/Defender:
"Hold still for a moment, won't you?" Specter taunts the foe as he holds them flat against the ground with his powers. He cannot move and the opponent is pinned to the ground for double the remaining duration of the grab. Specter can attack during this time, but his attacks do no knockback or hitstun for the duration of this effect. When the duration ends, Specter falls back onto his rear, panting loudly from exertion for 1 second for every attack he used during this effect. The opponent will be lying faceup/down, depending on which way they were facing when grabbed. Long starting and ending lag. No damage.
If holding an allied monkey, Specter creates a barrier around it as he would in his Side Special. The shield protects the monkey from all attacks, and lasts until 7 seconds pass, it's hit by a move with greater priority, Specter is further then 2 Stage Builder Blocks from the monkey, or Specter removes it by performing this throw on it again. Moving into the background via Up Special also disables the barrier. Touching the shield deals 10% damage and medium knockback to the foe. Medium priority. Long starting and ending lag.
An amazing damage builder, designed for your enjoyment. Use the Up A and move the cube so it's touching the opponent, and watch as it hits them repeatedly. This combination also cuts back on the total ending lag a great deal. Of course, it won't serve as a constant stream of damage thanks to the invincibility frames during the foe's flinching animation, so you can't make their damage skyrocket to 999% or anything broken like that.
The ally boosting version of this is throw grants you a portable shield and makes your monkey even more annoying then usual. Stay close and use Specter's quicker moves like the Neutral A to support your comrade. It's main drawback is having to stay close to the monkey or lose the benefits of this move. If you find yourself relying on your monkey, then use this.
Back Throw ~ Item Snatch:
"Mind if I borrow that?" Specter pulls any item the grabbie has into his grasp. If the grabbie is an opponent, he'll casually flip his hair and shake his head, then fling the foe over his shoulder using his powers. 15% damage and above average knockback. If the target is not an opponent and has no item, Specter simply lets go. Long starting lag if the grabbie is an opponent or has an item, very long starting lag if both, and no lag if neither. No ending lag. Specter can't take Dragoon parts or a Smashball from his opponents in this way.
If the opponent's giving you hell with an item, you can return the favor with this. Did your monkey grab an item you were gunning for? Take command and snatch it from them. Items like the Fire Flower and such give him access to a low lag, low risk attack that he desperately needs. While not a bad attack on it's own merits, the other throws are much better options if the grabbie doesn't have an item. If you need a quick heal, use the Neutral A on a summoned monkey until it's "Lunch Break" move is the only one it an use, then snatch the stream of bananas for yourself. You can also grab "Snatch"ed items for yourself, keeping the opponent gimped until you're hit.
Up Throw ~ Cage/Lift:
Specter snaps his fingers. A bubble of energy materializes around the foe, sealing them inside. Specter mocks the grabbie, "How's it feel to be the one who's trapped?" The cage rises off the ground and into the air at the speed of Mario's walk, heading to the top boundry. The cage itself has stamina equal to 1/3 the grabbie's damage and takes damage from attacks inside and out. Specter cannot perform his Standards, Aerials, Smashes, Grabs, or Situational while within 2 Stage Builder Blocks of the cage. Instead, pressing the A button creates a surge of electricity inside it for 8% damage to the opponent. Long starting and ending lag.
If holding an allied monkey, the monkey will lift Specter over it's head and act as a platform for Specter to attack from or leap off of until Specter moves off. Short starting lag and no ending lag.
Best against high damage heavyweights that prove too resilient to KO with other means. A quick damage racker or a stalling tactic is how this throw will be used most of the time. As a damage racker, it's inferior to the pummel and down throw but safer then either of the two. There is little call for the monkey interaction portion of this move. If you need a little boost to reach a high up platform/item/foe or you're about to get hit in the face by an attack, you can switch places with the monkey.If you grab a monkey by accident, this is the best way to get out of the grab thanks to it's nearly non-existent lag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9l31Qpcnq4
Rising Attack(Lying Face-down) ~ Shunt:
Specter raises his hand, and any opponent within 1 Stage Builder Block of him are shoved back a set 1.5 SBBs. All projectiles within range are reflected. After, Specter leaps to his feet. Very short starting and ending lag, but does no damage.
This, and the rest of Specter's situationals, are tailored to preventing everyone from taking advantage of Specter's state. By forcing the opponent away, Specter has enough time to run to relative safety. This does better on slower opponents, while it's smarter to roll away from faster fighters.
Rising Attack(Lying Face-up) ~ Acrobatics:
Specter pulls his legs in, then leaps from his sitting position. He lifts 1 Stage Builder Block into the air and 1.5 SBBs forward, flipping until he gracefully lands on the ground. Specter becomes a hitbox moving at Fox's run speed that does 12% damage and light knockback on contact. Enemies hit by Specter receive long hitstun, Medium starting lag and short ending lag. Medium priority.
The hitstun in this move is long enough for Specter to recover from the ending lag and strike with a quick Neutral A if landed near the end of the duration, and enough to guarantee two hits if landed earlier. Sadly, it's fairly telegraphed for a situational move.
Rising Attack(Sitting) ~ Mercy Invincibility:
Specter levitates to his feat, flashing with what platform games refer to as 'mercy invincibility'. For the next 2 seconds, Specter has Super Armor. Short starting and ending lag. Does no damage.
Take advantage of the invincibility to use one of the Specials or beat a hasty retreat.
Ledge Attack(99% damage or less) ~ Swap and Drop:
Specter seizes the nearest foe within 1 Stage Builder Block of himself, levitates himself up off the ledge and the moves victim below, then stomps down with all his might. The opponent and anyone else who get caught under Specter takes 10% damage and below average downwards knockback. Specter steps onto the stage, grinning from ear to ear after. Medium priority. Very long starting lag and ending lag. Specter will levitate onto the stage and go through the motions even if he didn't catch a foe, making this very punishable.
Specter can potentially KO using this move, but the very long lag leaves him open to retaliation from the foe in the form of an Up Aerial if they're close enough to be pulled under Specter at the beginning, or if he misses. It's a surprisingly efficient way to KO early on, but requires great risk on Specter's part.
Ledge Attack(100% damage or more) ~ Banana Peel:
Specter very discreetly places a banana peel on the ledge 0.2 Stage Builder Blocks in front of himself. If the opponent runs or dashes over the peel, they slide over and off the ledge. The peel lasts 3 seconds before vanishing. Specter will never slip on his own banana peel. No starting or ending lag and very short duration. Does no damage.
A quick surprise like the above, but serves as a very safe setup for a gimp instead of acting as a very risky KO move. Opponents will have to advance slowly if they don't want to risk slipping, so anyone without a very long reach can't rush over and knock Specter off the stage.
=S= !!FINAL SMASH!! =S=
=M= Ape Escape! =M=
=M= Ape Escape! =M=
Six monkeys allied to Specter appear in random locations on stage. These monkeys aren't the normal Yellow Pants monkeys, however. These monkeys have individually unique pants colors and abilities, bringing even more mayhem to Brawl! Each has all of Yellow's stats and abilities unless otherwise noted, and share it's Level 5 AI. These monkeys don't count towards the Neutral Special's 3 monkey limit. These monkeys remain until their individual Stamina are reduced to zero, no time limit attached.
First up is the Black pants monkey, sporting a pair of shades and a mean looking machine gun. In addition to the normal attacks the Yellow Pants monkeys have (see Neutral Special), this monkey can fire a stream of 7 bullets in any direction, doing 3% damage and flinching knockback each, with very high priority and medium starting lag and long ending lag. Black can't move while firing, but may stop the attack early if an opponent approaches.
The next monkey is the Red pants monkey, who sports matching boxing gloves and a mean glare in his eyes. He has only 10% stamina, but his attacks have better reach due to it's boxing gloves and do double damage. Red is prone to using the "Fury!" attack more often, and automatically attempts it on the foe after they land a hit (charging towards them at slightly higher then normal run speed first if it has to).
The third monkey of the group is the Blue pants monkey, who wears a nice pair of running shoes and goggles. Blue has a run speed slightly higher then Captain Falcon's, outdoing every Smasher other then Sonic in terms of movement. He can only use the "Monkey Buisness" attack of the Yellow from the Neutral Special, with the added bonus of making foes trip on contact. Like Red, Blue has only 10% stamina. Blue will do his best to run away from the opponent unless there's at least one ally nearby.
Coming in fourth is the Green pants monkey, with an over sized backpack and night vision goggles. Green has half the normal speed of his allied monkeys, and his attacks have double the starting and ending lag. Of course, he has a devastating attack to compensate. Green hunches down and covers his ears as his backpack opens up. a stream of five missiles shoot out from the pack, acting as a mirror version of Specter's Up Air. The missiles do 20% damage and medium knockback, and the attack has long starting and ending lag. Very high priority. All other qualities of the attack mirror Specter's Up Aerial.
We're nearing the end. The White pants monkey is blind as a bat, wearing glasses so thick he can't see anything through them anyways. White has none of the normal attacks his fellow monkeys have. Instead, he lobs small bombs at anyone who runs/dashes within 1 Stage Builder Block of him on the ground (hovering characters like Specter don't attract his attention). His allies will immediately dive out of the way, and will pause to screech at him. The bombs have a blast radius the size of a Smash Ball, doing 18% damage and high knockback, with very high priority. Very long starting and ending lag make White less of an ally and more of a easily avoided stage hazard, but with all the mayhem his allies a causing it's a pain to keep track of him.
Last and most certainly least is the Light Blue pants monkey. Light Blue runs away from foes no matter what, only using an attack when cornered and/or hit. He has a slightly higher run speed then the other monkeys, but other then a mild distraction he has no use. At the very least, Specter can use him in his throws, providing him a barrier to unintentionally smack enemies with as he runs, a nice shield so your more useful minions won't be damaged, or a decent projectile who'll immediatly smash through the opponent they hit as they try to get away.
With these minions, Specter has the advantage of sheer number. Summon three Yellow Pants Monkeys with the Neutral Special, then activate the Up Special to head into the background and rain death onto your foes as they struggle through your allies. Come back in and direct them with the Neutral A, or make use of them with Specter's throws. Perhaps go on the offensive with the help of your comrades, and use them as distractions as you retreat and put up another Barrier. Whatever you do, enjoy the look of supreme annoyance on your opponent's face as they wade through your allies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-5GeVqCFwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-5GeVqCFw
Specter has two crippling weaknesses- his pathetic weight and low attack speed. Opponents can KO him relatively early, and they can hit him before he can complete his attacks. Worst of all, his range while good isn't enough to hit faster opponents before they close in. Combined with his only average recovery, Specter doesn't have much staying power from his stats. However, Specter has plenty of advantages. When he does get off an attack, it's very likely to go through and it'll really hurt when it connects. He has a very good air game, able to use Smashes and other ground moves while using his Up and Down Specials. He's the third fastest behind only Captain Falcon and Sonic, and he has ways to protect himself while suffering from lag. Specter is a character of extreames, and inexperienced players will find him harder to learn then other Brawlers.
Specter can't survive in a face to face fight. He needs to use the effects of his Specials to protect himself. Hovering out of reach with the Down Special, calling in an annoying ally with the Neutral Special, putting up a Barrier with the Side Special, and retreating into the background with the Up Special. Specter wants to have as many of these effects active as he can, as often as he can.
With all of his high lag moves, Specter should take to fighting from as far away as he can. This gives you time to throw up another barrier if it falls, or reactivate the Down Special if Specter is hit by a projectile. Of course, there are time's you be trapped or simply caught of guard. The Neutral A, Down A, Down Smash, Neutral Air, Forward Air, and Throws allow Specter to stall, push away, or render helpless opponents until he can reactivate his defenses. If all else fails, fall back on Specter's fantastic run speed to put some distance between you and your foe.
Of course, you can't spend the whole match on the defensive. Your main forms of attack should be the Forward, Back, and Up Aerials. Their range and reasonable lag/duration times make them Specter's safest attacks, while still doing a good amount of damage and knockback. Put in an occasional use of the Forward A, Up A, Dash Attack(with the Side Special active), Forward Smash, Up Smash, and/or Down Smash to avoid becoming too predictable and make opponents reluctant to approach. If you find yourself unable to stop an approach, use Specter's long reaching grab to halt them in their tracks and follow up with an Up Throw or Forward throw to give yourself breathing room again.
If you can choose between the air and the ground, always choose the air. You have much more room to evade in the air then on the ground, and have access to the majority of Specter's moves while anyone who chases will be limited to a fraction of theirs. Specter's lower range moves can be used without sacrificing his safety by staying out of reach and hovering just far enough away to prevent getting hit.
Because of his "Apply defenses, attack, reapply defenses" play style, Specter fares best on larger stages with more room to escape and evade. Smaller stages make it easier for him to KO and reduce safe spots. Moving stages are hectic and provide Specter with plenty of evading opportunities and a possible Spectercide via Down Throw, but give additional risk to his lag heavier moves, giving them a neutral standing with Specter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcDNPF8h1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcDNPF8h1M
Fighting Specter is about surviving until his defenses fail, then staying on him until he's KOed. Smash through his Side Special with a high priority attack or wait until it falls, take to the air and sucker punch him while he levitates. KO every monkey he summons ASAP. When you hit him, keep hitting him with low knockback attacks and combos until you can finish him with a high knockback move. Once he can't defend himself, Specter is an easy KO. Just be patient and either block, dodge, or interrupt his attacks until that time.
Try to use characters with great air games or high weight. Specter's default response to being out gunned is taking to the air and letting his variety of options do the work for him. The ability to clip his wings is a boon, as you have more attack options on the ground then in the air. Specter also relies on KOing foes quickly, reducing the opportunities they have to take advantage of his low weight when his defenses fall. Heavier characters drag out the match for him, and in the end you'll do more to him then he can to you.
As for stage choices, anything small will do. With no room to use his Specials and his pitiful weight, Specter is at a big disadvantage. To be honest, there isn't much to say. Get rid of his defenses and he's nothing but a lightweight with really slow attacks and slightly more power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3Hosvjr5whttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3Hosvjr5w
Specter vs. Metaknight: 30/70, Metaknight's Favor
Metaknight can smash through Specter's shields, go toe to toe in the air, slice and dice his minions, and rack up hit after hit on Specter. Metaknight counters Specter's best defenses and the albino monkey's low weight allows Metaknight to KO him with relative ease. Specter must focus on offense. If his masked opponent gets started, he'll almost certainly KO our megolamaniacal primate friend. Metaknight's weight is fairly low, so if Specter can land a solid hit from his stronger attacks, he can KO Metaknight without worrying about the latter's broken recovery. Summon a handful of monkeys and retreat into the background's relative safety while pummeling away whenever possible. This is Specter's worst match-up, but not impossible if he keeps a cool head.
Specter vs. Captain Falcon: 80/20, Specter's Favor
Inversely, this is Sepcter's best match-up. The Captain's pathetic priority struggles with Specter's barrier, and the albino monkey nearly matches him for speed on land. To make matter worse, if Specter uses his Down Special, there's little Falcon can do in the face of Specter's fantastic air game. All's not lost for the memetic legend. Specter's horrendous weight guarantees that a clean Falcon Punch will really, really hurt. On the off chance Captain Falcon does get through, the match swings to his favor. Until then, it's an uphill battle as he waits for Specter to make a mistake.
Specter vs. Snake: 50/50, Dead Even
A real close one. Snake seems to hold all of the cards. Better priority, good damage an KOing moves, great range, and above average weight and recovery. Specter has one thing going for him, but it's all he needs; his Down Special. Snake's air game is severely lacking, and by fighting in the sky, Specter stays away from Snake's best attacks while having full access to his own. Staying in the sky adds lag to Specter's moves and makes it harder to actually hit, but he's much better off up there then dealing with Snake's smashes. As for Snake, his killer tilts allow him to KO Specter easily if he can get to him before his defenses are put into place, possibly even granting him an early lead. Even without his best equipment he can still take on a psychic monkey.
Specter vs. Mr. Sandman: 40/60, Mr.Sandman's Favor
Sandman will have no trouble at all KOing Specter with his high power blows and hitstun racking, and can beat Specter in the game of attack speed and priority. To add to that, Sandman can really take a beating, which is a headache for someone so reliant on KOing the opponent before their defenses crumble. However, his pathetic jumps and fast fall speed means Specter can stand a chance in the air so long as he's careful not to get hit by Sandman's Up Special, Up Tilt, Up Smash, and especially Up Air (Specter's Down Aerial is too laggy to be of any use against a Sandmanicide), and his bad approach lets Specter camp him to a small extent. Still, the fact that it only takes one slip up from Specter for Mr. Sandman to make him go beddy-bye puts this in the boxer's favor.
Specter vs. Klump and Krusha: 50/50, Dead Even
Even with his high power moves, Specter will have trouble KOing the duo. Klump's high weight makes for a drawn out battle and his meat shie-I mean valued friend and ally, Krusha, nullifies many of Specter's attacks whose lag give Klump plenty of time to turn around. However, the duo have just as much trouble with Specter's defenses as he does with theirs. Monkey allies serve as a nice distraction, interrupting their slow attacks and making it a pain for him to reunite with Krusha. Levitation limits what moves can hit Specter, allowing him more time to try and hit Klump. Specter's defenses are greater, but his lower weight makes him easier to KO when they fail. If Klump is forced to fight alone, there absolutely nothing he can do to fight Specter. Overall, each have an even amount a trouble with the other. A match between equally experienced Specter players and Klump/Krusha players is a nail biter.
Specter vs. Servbot: 55/45, Specter's Favor
Specter and Servbot are very similar- high attack power but easy to KO. The small differences mean everything here. Specter can hit much harder then Servbots and his defensive options are greatly superior, not to mention his great speed. Servbot can hit much quicker then Specter, can control the stage better, and has a much better set of recovery options. The victory goes to Specter for one thing only: Specter's defenses are precautionary and passive. He uses them before engaging and they stay active for a short while. Servbot's defenses are reactionary and require activation. He has to use them right before getting hit or after taking the blow. While this means Servbot can go on the offensive right away, he has to focus on offense. His weight may be better then Specter's, but if Specter hits them with the right attack at the right time they won't even get the chance to recover. Servbot isn't hurt too badly as he can go on the offensive first, but he's still the loser here.
Specter vs. Arche: 50/50, Dead Even
Arche hates hates hates opponents with great air games and Specter has that in spades. He can pursue her nearly anywhere on stage, and off stage she's an easy gimp. To add to the half elf's woes, Specter can use his throne as an offstage platform to keep her within reach, can move through the air almost as well as she can on-stage, and between his Side Special, small size, and high move speed he's an absolute pain to hit. His Forward Aerial can gimp Arche from far away, and her normal defense against thrown objects and projectiles (her Black Hole thingy) won't work as it's not a projectile so much as a really long hitbox. Not even factoring in his Up Aerial, Up Tilt, Forward Tilt, Down Smash, Forward Smash, etc. that, while easy to avoid, gives Arche very few windows to use her better attacks.
All is not doom and gloom for the pink-haired magic user. She's perhaps the only character that can defeat Specter in the air, her attacks smash through his shields and obliterate his minions, she has just as much firepower as he does, and he has even less weight then she does. Technical Up Tilt, Technical Up Smash, Technical Down Smash, Strike Down Smash, all give Specter hell by virtue of his preference for high up areas. It doesn't take Arche much to KO the megalomaniac monkey. While she has to aggro more then she would like for this match, Specter's not much better off. A match between these two will be very bloody, very tense, and very, very short.
Funny enough, these two would work great together in a 2 vs 2 match. Arche can cover for Specter as he gets set up, and he can keep the opponents focused on himself or take the bullet for her with his Side Special so she can just fire away at foes from a range.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylT7Mf4KtZk
Entrance:
Specter is slouching in his throne, looking bored. He floats off the chair, which then hovers off screen. Floating in midair, Specter flips his hair and smiles cockily.
Result Screen Animations:
Win 1: Good to be King
Specter is seen on his throne, slouching. He's resting his head on his hand, smiling as he savors his victory over his enemies. On either side of him, a monkey is fanning him with a large leaf while the third is holding a plate of bananas up for Specter. He chuckles softly, and mocks the losers. "Oh, come now, what did you expect? You should never have messed with me."
Win 2: Replacements
Specter is hovering lazily in the air, simply relaxing. In the background, monkeys dressed up as the losers perform their losing animations. Where did they go? I wonder if it has to do with that bulging, shaking locker in the background. Y'know, with all the muffled grunts coming from it?
Win 3: Fearless Leader
Specter creates several colorful blasts of psychic energy. When the flashes clear the screen, hundreds on monkeys wearing all sorts of outfits and accessories are in the background with the losers, providing a thunderous applause.
Loss: Sore Loser
Specter crosses his arms and looks away, agitated.
=S= Stage: Saru-3's Remains =S=
The main platform hovers in the air by itself, completely even on the surface. In the background, several large cables and monitors litter the area haphazardly, as if thrown together at the last minute. The screens show multiple tv show parodies starring Specter's monkey minions, flashing between them at random. The main platform itself is fairly thick, the top sporting flat green grates, while the rest of it is a uniform gray. The platform is hollow, and filled with water.
The main platform is 8.2 Stage Builder Blocks wide and 3 Stage Builder Blocks thick, a perfect rectangle. The top of the platform is split into 8 1 SBB sized pieces, with the remaining .2 making up the ledges. Every 5 seconds, 1~4 of the sections will lower into/raise from the water at random, taking anyone standing on them down for an impromtu swim. The sections will twitch for 0.5 seconds before the drop/raise, giving attentive fighters warning. There will always be at least 2 sections above water at any time. The stage has no other gimmicks or effects to it's name, making for a good strait-forward Brawl with occasional twists.
Snake Codec:
Snake: Otacon, am I seeing things or are do you see a telepathic monkey too?
Otacon: A telepathic monkey? Hold on, let me check my files... got it. Says his name is Specter. Specter is an ultra intelligent monkey, who managed to get a hold of a pipohelmet.
Snake: Pipohelmet?
Otacon: A helmet designed to boost the wearer's mental prowess. When he first put it on, he took command of his fellow monkeys and tried to take over the world.
Snake: So he's a monkey who's telepathic and is trying to rule the world.
Otacon: Right.
Snake: *mumble*...Why can't I ever fight a normal person?*mumble* Any suggestions, Otacon?
Otacon: Well, telepathic and genius or no, Specter's still a monkey. He shouldn't be able to take a hit like you can, so wait for an opening in his defenses and knock him out as soon as possible.
Snake: Got it. Thanks, Otacon.
Closing Comments:
Unlike most of my sets, I'm confident in Specter. That's probably because I kept the positive parts of my previous sets this contest in mind while working on him. I see much of Servbot in him, but with the level of polish that went into Wily. In fact, the biggest problem and the biggest advantage I had with Specter was how much like Servbot he was through the Neutral Special, Throws, and Playstyle. I went to lengths to differentiate Specter from Servbot's playstyle and keep him in character, while making sure to avoid the pitfalls of Servbot (bad organization, poorly written playstyle, a mechanic that had little to do with the set, etc). I have to wonder if I went overboard with the move interactions, but I get all gooey when I see the potential for them and it allowed me to fit in "extra" attacks or abilities that fit with both Specter and his playstyle.
As always, good luck to my fellow MYMers and thanks for reading. -UserShadow7989
Updates:
9/19/09: Switched the hard to see purple with red, changed the attack headers to Red and Silve instead of purple. Dropped the "lower speed by 1/3" and "Increase starting and ending lag of moves" drawbacks of the Side Special and Down Specials, respectively, to boost Specter's playability. Replaced the walls of white with a nice Dark Orchid to reduce eye stress, leaving only the note sections uncolored. Dropped the "---"s that split the notes from the attack qualities, as they are somewhat jarring. Switched the bright red highlights with a milder silver. Change the wording of a few attacks slightly to make it more friendly. Cut some extras.
9/20/09: Dropped the highlights and the purple. Fixed the one off-color =S= in the Final Smash's header. Dropped the Italics from the attack headers, switched all the blue with royal blue. Bolded important areas details. Put Specter's Neutral Special's attacks into a quote. Gave Specter some major damage buffs. Minor rewrites to simplify and shorten the long read. Thanks, Darth_Meanie.
9/22/09: Modified the Up Special's means of performing ground moves to match the Down Special's. Rewrote the Playstyle section to be actually remotely useful. Thanks for pointing it out, Junahu.
9/27/09: Swapped the bolding for red coloring, gave the monkeys additional moves, buffed existing monkey moves slightly to make them more useful, and added the effect of boosting the Monkey minion's AI when heading into the background via Up Special to compensate for not being able to direct them. Minor changes to Snake's match-up, and removed a stray bold tag and a stray /color tag. Changed music to be in the entire header instead of just the left =S= .Thanks to MasterWarlord's review.
10/05/09: Fixed a whole **** load of spelling errors.
10/14/09: Modified the Up Special to further differ it from the Down Special.
10/28/09: Added a match up against Arche by Junahu.
10/29/09: Minor footnote added to the end of the Arche matchup. Tweaked the Back Aerial to be more useful and reworded the note section of the Down Aerial.
I seriously hope I'm underestimating Tauros' speed.
