Agi
Smash Lord
Nara Shikamaru
Backstory
Shikamaru, for those of you that don't know, is a supporting character in the anime/manga series Naruto. Rare for a character from this series, and even rarer for a male from this series, he is not in love with Naruto or Sasuke. I just wanted to get that out of the way.
Shikamaru's personality is somewhat strange. It could be summed up in the phrase "Genius by birth, lazy by choice." While in the ninja academy, he saw moving his pencil to take notes or even answer questions as far too much of a chore, and thus was lumped with the under-achievers when it came time to divvy up the teams. He ended up in a cell with Ino and Choji, Choji with incredible physical strength (as well as physical girth) and Ino with an ability very similar to Shikamaru's himself.
Shikamaru only has a single, incredibly specialized jutsu mastered... the art of Shadow Possession, also known as Shadow Paralysis or the Me-and-my-Shadow Technique. With it, he can control his shadow to do all types of things, the most useful of which is to control a foe's actions.
Here's a video showcasing the Shadow Possession in action, as well as his Up Special. Best watched with volume muted.
Shikamaru's personality is somewhat strange. It could be summed up in the phrase "Genius by birth, lazy by choice." While in the ninja academy, he saw moving his pencil to take notes or even answer questions as far too much of a chore, and thus was lumped with the under-achievers when it came time to divvy up the teams. He ended up in a cell with Ino and Choji, Choji with incredible physical strength (as well as physical girth) and Ino with an ability very similar to Shikamaru's himself.
Shikamaru only has a single, incredibly specialized jutsu mastered... the art of Shadow Possession, also known as Shadow Paralysis or the Me-and-my-Shadow Technique. With it, he can control his shadow to do all types of things, the most useful of which is to control a foe's actions.
Here's a video showcasing the Shadow Possession in action, as well as his Up Special. Best watched with volume muted.
Stats
Size -> 6
Weight -> 4
Power -> 2
Speed -> 7
Attack Speed -> 4
Jump -> 8
Second Jump -> 4 (large horizontal boost)
Aerial DI -> 9
Fall Speed -> 3
On the surface of things, Shikamaru doesn’t have a whole lot going for him. Even with the lightest lightweight, you’d expect a decent brute force KO move or a gimp, but he doesn’t have either of these. Nor does he have a Warlordian suicide KO. What he does have going for him is the ability to possess his opponent with a specialized jutsu, as well as several ninja tools to disorient them.Weight -> 4
Power -> 2
Speed -> 7
Attack Speed -> 4
Jump -> 8
Second Jump -> 4 (large horizontal boost)
Aerial DI -> 9
Fall Speed -> 3
/- Neutral Special - Shadow Possession -\
Shikamaru drops to his knees in this pose in a somewhat laggy motion, with his eyes closed. He will remain in this position until he is knocked out of it by the foe, or until you press B again. While in this state, you can move the control stick left and right, moving Shikamaru's shadow across the ground. His shadow can move 1/2 the distance of Final Destination, at the speed of Sheik's walk. Naturally, you can only use this move while on the ground.
Your object is to link your shadow to the shadow of your opponent, located directly underneath them. They MUST be on the ground for this to occur, or at least attached to it. If the foe hovers off the ground by default, that's a different story. When you accomplish this feat, you will be able to control them with your own actions for eight seconds. If you walk left, they walk left. If you jump, they jump, etc. This should be Shikamaru's main method of KOing, as once you have them it's no difficult feat to walk them off the edge for a KO. However, you'll have to be somewhat close to the opponent to pull off this feat, as it's twice as difficult to move shadow through the air than on the ground, and if you try to push the shadow beyond its limits by going over holes or pits, the bond will break, freeing the foe. If you happen to fail to capture the opponent within the time allotted (6 seconds) or you cancel the move, Shikamaru suffers very heavy ending lag.
This move is incredibly intricate. Not only are you able to use Shikamaru's own shadow as length, but the shadows of anything else that happens to be on the field. This page from the manga best describes it, but I'll do my best to explain on my own. First of all, if Shikamaru's shadow encounters the shadow of another object, the length of the existing shadow is instantly assimilated into the distance traveled, without taking away from how far the shadow can travel. So, for the sake of argument, if there was a giant cloud over the Temple stage that covered the entire stage in blackness, your range wouldn't be 1/2 the length of FD. It would be the stage. Also, keep in mind that floating stages such as Battlefield can work against the opponent in this manner. If you're on the left edge and they're on the right edge, you can run the shadow off of the left edge, assimilate the shadow that already exists below the stage, and catch them by looping up the right side.
As a final note, know that the discrepancy between your health and your opponent’s will affect how difficult it is to move them around. Until the difference exceeds 50%, there shouldn’t be a problem, but once that fateful number is reached, they’ll be able to halt movement by moving in the opposite direction. If you attempt to possess them after 100% has passed between both you and the opponent, you will lose all control of the bond, falling to the mercy of your enemy. Speaking of which, any damage which is taken by either you or your opponent will be reciprocated to the other until such time as the bond breaks.
Your object is to link your shadow to the shadow of your opponent, located directly underneath them. They MUST be on the ground for this to occur, or at least attached to it. If the foe hovers off the ground by default, that's a different story. When you accomplish this feat, you will be able to control them with your own actions for eight seconds. If you walk left, they walk left. If you jump, they jump, etc. This should be Shikamaru's main method of KOing, as once you have them it's no difficult feat to walk them off the edge for a KO. However, you'll have to be somewhat close to the opponent to pull off this feat, as it's twice as difficult to move shadow through the air than on the ground, and if you try to push the shadow beyond its limits by going over holes or pits, the bond will break, freeing the foe. If you happen to fail to capture the opponent within the time allotted (6 seconds) or you cancel the move, Shikamaru suffers very heavy ending lag.
This move is incredibly intricate. Not only are you able to use Shikamaru's own shadow as length, but the shadows of anything else that happens to be on the field. This page from the manga best describes it, but I'll do my best to explain on my own. First of all, if Shikamaru's shadow encounters the shadow of another object, the length of the existing shadow is instantly assimilated into the distance traveled, without taking away from how far the shadow can travel. So, for the sake of argument, if there was a giant cloud over the Temple stage that covered the entire stage in blackness, your range wouldn't be 1/2 the length of FD. It would be the stage. Also, keep in mind that floating stages such as Battlefield can work against the opponent in this manner. If you're on the left edge and they're on the right edge, you can run the shadow off of the left edge, assimilate the shadow that already exists below the stage, and catch them by looping up the right side.
As a final note, know that the discrepancy between your health and your opponent’s will affect how difficult it is to move them around. Until the difference exceeds 50%, there shouldn’t be a problem, but once that fateful number is reached, they’ll be able to halt movement by moving in the opposite direction. If you attempt to possess them after 100% has passed between both you and the opponent, you will lose all control of the bond, falling to the mercy of your enemy. Speaking of which, any damage which is taken by either you or your opponent will be reciprocated to the other until such time as the bond breaks.
/- Side Special - Shadow Stitching -\
Shikamaru uses the same pose for this move as he did the last, but for a different purpose. This version of the attack has less lag than the first, allowing for near-instantaneous manipulation. It also has twice the range and 3x the speed. The drawback is that it can't actually latch onto the foe. Instead, by pressing A, the shadow will lift up off the ground, turning into a mobile hitbox similar to Meta Knight's Drill Rush, but with less knockback and no final attack.
You can also use these shadows to activate any traps that might be nearby, as well as interacting with your own moves. For example, you can throw shuriken with your FSmash, catch them with your shadow, and throw them again. Items can also be picked up and thrown.
You can also use these shadows to activate any traps that might be nearby, as well as interacting with your own moves. For example, you can throw shuriken with your FSmash, catch them with your shadow, and throw them again. Items can also be picked up and thrown.
/- Up Special - Parachuting Shade -\
In a laggy motion, Shikamaru wraps his vest up in a kunai knife, attaches a letter bomb to it, and throws it with all his might straight upwards. Assuming that there isn't a ceiling in it's path, it'll rocket off the top of the screen and disappear from sight, only coming back down to earth a healthy eight seconds later. As it comes down, it creates a shadow beneath itself, which you could use with one of your jutsus. The beauty of this move, however, lies in the letter bomb. Activate your Up Special again while it's on the way down, and the letter bomb explodes, creating a large cloud of smoke which remains in the air for three seconds before dissipating. It has the potential to create a shadow half the size of Battlefield beneath it. Just use your Shadow Possession on a foe in the area of effect, and when the dust clears, you'll have them captured.
Unfortunately, the explosion tears your vest to shreds, making this one of those one-time-only attacks that Wizzerd hates so much. Naturally, if you decide that things aren't quite aligned properly to activate the second part of the move, you can let it float back down to the ground and scoop it back up for another try. Once Shikamaru is KOed, he'll come back with a brand-new vest.
Unfortunately, the explosion tears your vest to shreds, making this one of those one-time-only attacks that Wizzerd hates so much. Naturally, if you decide that things aren't quite aligned properly to activate the second part of the move, you can let it float back down to the ground and scoop it back up for another try. Once Shikamaru is KOed, he'll come back with a brand-new vest.
/- Down Special - Letter Bomb -\
Pulling out a letter bomb from his stock, Shikamaru affixes it to the ground in a similar manner as Snake's DSpecial. He can detonate it from afar by using this move again, creating a giant flash of light and a brief stun effect. Detonate this near an opponent to cause a shadow 3x their height to form, stretching away from them, as well as to deal 10%. You know what to do from here, right?
/- Neutral A - Kunai -\
Shikamaru pulls out a kunai knife from his vest pocket (or, if you've blown his vest up, a waist pocket), and... well, just holds it in his hand. You can throw it to deal 5%, and it flies on a perfectly straight path any distance. Unlike most items, you can throw the kunai at any angle to pick off midair opponents.
Shikamaru’s Down Special adds a bit more versatility to this move. While holding a kunai, if you use your Down Special then he will affix the bomb directly to the knife, wrapping it around carefully. This takes the same time as a normal use of the move. If the kunai has a bomb attached already, then Shikamaru wraps a string around it in an intricate knot, taking twice as long. After you throw the knife, you can detonate it at any time… on its flight path, once it sticks into the wall, whenever. If you’ve completed the whole process, then when the kunai hits a solid object the letter bomb will dangle off a string, about Kirby’s height downward from where it hit.
This version can be detonated just like a regular one, or you could be clever about it. By throwing a kunai or a shuriken through the string, you will cause the bomb to slowly drift downwards, creating a mobile hitbox that can be detonated at any point. The midair hitbox may not have the stun or the smoke of the previous two, but it does deal moderate vertical knockback (shock and gasp!) that KOs at upwards of 180%.
Shikamaru’s Down Special adds a bit more versatility to this move. While holding a kunai, if you use your Down Special then he will affix the bomb directly to the knife, wrapping it around carefully. This takes the same time as a normal use of the move. If the kunai has a bomb attached already, then Shikamaru wraps a string around it in an intricate knot, taking twice as long. After you throw the knife, you can detonate it at any time… on its flight path, once it sticks into the wall, whenever. If you’ve completed the whole process, then when the kunai hits a solid object the letter bomb will dangle off a string, about Kirby’s height downward from where it hit.
This version can be detonated just like a regular one, or you could be clever about it. By throwing a kunai or a shuriken through the string, you will cause the bomb to slowly drift downwards, creating a mobile hitbox that can be detonated at any point. The midair hitbox may not have the stun or the smoke of the previous two, but it does deal moderate vertical knockback (shock and gasp!) that KOs at upwards of 180%.
/- Dash Attack - Dark Remnants -\
Considering that Shikamaru really shouldn’t be pushing the approach, you should only ever be dashing when trying to escape your foe. His Dash Attack takes this into consideration. Instead of launching an assault directly ahead of himself, Shikamaru makes the standard Shadow Possession sign with his hands, knocking down his running speed slightly. As you hold A, he will continue to dash, but about a Battlefield platform away from where you first executed this move, (hey, those jutsus take time to start.) his shadow remains on the ground, stretching towards you. Releasing A will cause it to snap back to you, giving this move some ending lag.
This has the same effect as his Neutral Special, and can in some cases be more useful. There’s even a nifty little side effect… if you run off the edge with this move active, then when the shadow retracts, it’ll pull you from offstage directly onto the ledge! With the proper timing, this can be used as an effective edgehog.
This has the same effect as his Neutral Special, and can in some cases be more useful. There’s even a nifty little side effect… if you run off the edge with this move active, then when the shadow retracts, it’ll pull you from offstage directly onto the ledge! With the proper timing, this can be used as an effective edgehog.
/- Side Tilt - Parry -\
Shikamaru holds his wrist out to guard against the opponent's attack, absorbing half the damage of the attack with superarmor. This locks you and the opponent in place for half a second, long enough for you to grab them, but not to do anything else. Any other attempted attack will break your hold on the opponent, both of you sliding away from eachother. You can't block grabs with this.
/- Up Tilt - Last Ditch -\
In a final attempt to catch the opponent with his shadow, Shikamaru holds a lit Letter Bomb above his head, which quickly explodes. It deals the regular damage and knockback to foes in the usual area of effect, also damaging Shikamaru himself. He takes no knockback, however.
Yay self-damaging moves. Oddly enough, though, this one takes advantage of the brief flash of light from the explosion of the Letter Bomb. Immediately after it blows up, his shadow (you did have a Shadow Possession going, right?) jumps two extra Battlefield platforms forwards, giving you that last little bit of distance you might have needed. Remember, though, the extra damage you just did to yourself may have kept the opponent from falling completely to your will, so be careful about throwing this move around.
Yay self-damaging moves. Oddly enough, though, this one takes advantage of the brief flash of light from the explosion of the Letter Bomb. Immediately after it blows up, his shadow (you did have a Shadow Possession going, right?) jumps two extra Battlefield platforms forwards, giving you that last little bit of distance you might have needed. Remember, though, the extra damage you just did to yourself may have kept the opponent from falling completely to your will, so be careful about throwing this move around.
/- Down Tilt - Substitution Jutsu -\
Shikamaru lacks a quick attack to get out of a tight situation, so he must rely on this basic defensive maneuver. Activating this move causes Shikamaru to tense up in place, and his body takes on a slightly lighter shade. If anyone attacks him while he’s in this pose, (About 1.5x the length of Marth’s Counter,) Shikamaru appears to take the knockback, but his image is quickly replaced with a block of wood! He can reappear three SB blocks away in any direction, ready to launch a counterattack. Control where you reappear by holding the control stick in the desired direction.
If you’re in an FFA, things work out a bit more conveniently for you. If you’re expecting an attack from one opponent and there’s another nearby, warp to where they are to place them in harm’s way instead of an innocent slab of wood.
If you’re in an FFA, things work out a bit more conveniently for you. If you’re expecting an attack from one opponent and there’s another nearby, warp to where they are to place them in harm’s way instead of an innocent slab of wood.
/- Side Smash - Shuriken -\
As you charge this move, Shikamaru gathers up to five shuriken, sliding one onto each finger. When you release the charge, he throws them forward at the speed of Falco's laser, and on an identical trajectory. You can angle them slightly up or down by tilting the controller stick. Each deal 3% damage, and a hefty hitstun. While there's a bit of starting lag to this move, there's absolutely no ending lag. Take advantage of this time saved, and assault the foe with a Shadow Possession while they're distracted.
/- Up Smash - Resonance -\
The area around Shikamaru takes on a dark sheen, ever-expanding while you charge. At maximum, it has a radius of 1/4 Battlefield's width, emanating out in a spherical form. Opponents inside are slowed down slightly, taking 1.5x longer to attack, run, etc. The use of this is obvious... to lock your opponent in place while you run after them with a Shadow Possession!
Oh, I forgot to mention that this area disappears after five seconds, and that Shikamaru's maximum shadow length falls to 3/4 it's usual while this area is in existence, that only one of them can exist at a time, and that he has some ending lag afterwards. You probably won't have to worry about the ending lag, though. Any opponent close enough to punish you is probably moving too slow to do anything.
Oh, I forgot to mention that this area disappears after five seconds, and that Shikamaru's maximum shadow length falls to 3/4 it's usual while this area is in existence, that only one of them can exist at a time, and that he has some ending lag afterwards. You probably won't have to worry about the ending lag, though. Any opponent close enough to punish you is probably moving too slow to do anything.
/- Down Smash - Penumbrous Assault -\
While you charge, the immediate area around you begins to take on a black aura. A small amount of fog builds up, your shadow becomes pitch black, and it’s even possible to see tentacles wriggling in the ground towards the end of the maximum charge. When you release, all this darkness is quickly unleashed. Your shadow forms six distinct points, which spiral around you to stab nearby opponents. (yes, I realize I’m not doing a good job describing this. Sorry.) It almost looks like a spring when fully formed, for lack of a better image.
Opponents within the area of effect take 15-26% depending on charge, and slide away from the attack with high hitstun.
Opponents within the area of effect take 15-26% depending on charge, and slide away from the attack with high hitstun.
/- Neutral Aerial - Substitution Jutsu -\
Yes, you read that correctly. Shikamaru’s Neutral Air is nearly the exact same move as his Down Tilt, but used in the air. That doesn’t make it useless, however… in fact, you’ll be glad that you have it! Since Shikamaru lacks a recovery special, he could easily be gimped offstage once he uses up his jumps. However, by tricking your enemy into attacking you offstage, you can warp back to the edge and leave them attacking an innocent block of wood. In fact, you can even use this to edgeguard yourself! Remember how, in the grounded version of this move, you could put another opponent in harm’s way? The same applies here, meaning that you could replace yourself with someone hanging on the edge.
/- Forward Aerial - Shadow Shards -\
You're probably getting tired of all these "Shadow XY" move names, aren't you? Don't worry, only two left. For this move, Shikamaru's shadow wraps around his wrist a he deals a punch straight forward. Don't ask me how his shadow got up from the ground to his arm, it just did. Anyways, when Shikamaru delivers this punch (high priority, low range, moderate ending lag, 8% with low knockback) several bits of shadow become embedded in the opponent. They have the same shadow aura effect as one of Ganondorf's attacks or a white Pikmin surrounding them while they remain, a timeframe of about 5 seconds.
Okay, so what's the point? The thing is, while they remain in this darkness, their advantage of escaping Shikamaru's grab is reduced by 20%. I'll go into the description of how this is treated once we get into the actual grab itself, but just remember this. In addition, if you hit them with another FAir while they retain the effect, it stacks, going to 40%, 60, etc. The timer also resets, so you should have time to land a grab before your advantage disappears.
Okay, so what's the point? The thing is, while they remain in this darkness, their advantage of escaping Shikamaru's grab is reduced by 20%. I'll go into the description of how this is treated once we get into the actual grab itself, but just remember this. In addition, if you hit them with another FAir while they retain the effect, it stacks, going to 40%, 60, etc. The timer also resets, so you should have time to land a grab before your advantage disappears.
/- Backward Aerial - Gloomy Goo -\
Okay, I lied. Shikamaru does have one suicide KO... but just this one, I promise. With this move, Shikamaru hold his hands in the same pose as his Neutral Special, and a shadow extends out from his back a short distance, about the range of Sheik's BAir. If the foe enters this shade, it attaches to them just like a regular Shadow Possession, and you each enter freefall. There's noticable starting lag between making the sign and the shadow's release, but if the foe tries to airdodge they'll simply pop back into vulnerability just in time to be captured. The shadow remains out about as long as the hitbox from Bowser’s BAir does.
If you and the foe land on the ground after a successful capture, you’ll end up in the regular Shadow Possession position. If you miss, though, you’ll have very high ending lag when you land, like Link’s DAir. Oh, and did I mention you enter freefall even if you miss?
If you and the foe land on the ground after a successful capture, you’ll end up in the regular Shadow Possession position. If you miss, though, you’ll have very high ending lag when you land, like Link’s DAir. Oh, and did I mention you enter freefall even if you miss?
/- Up Aerial - Shrug Off -\
Shikamaru raises his hands up into the air, dealing 4% with miniscule vertical knockback and equally small priority. Worthless, you say? Not at all! Like his Up Special, this also releases Shikamaru's vest, causing it to slowly fall down towards the stage. No letter bomb is attached to it, however, so you'll have to make use of the shadow it forms underneath itself instead. It's about the size of an SB block, oftentimes large enough to get you that advantage you need.
/- Down Aerial - Shadow Pike -\
Shikamaru clasps his hands together in an advanced sign, giving this move a bit of starting lag. As you move forwards, you may notice that your shadow remains on the ground below where you activated the move, writhing in darkness.
It won’t be there for long.
After a short amount of time, a sharp pillar of shadow strikes up from the ground to your prior position, slicing through opponents on its way. The very tip deals 12% with moderate vertical knockback, while the main body deals 6% with a small flinging effect to either side. The pike recedes as quickly as it formed, and your shadow reforms in its natural position. While your shadow remains unattached, you cannot use your Neutral or Side Special.
It won’t be there for long.
After a short amount of time, a sharp pillar of shadow strikes up from the ground to your prior position, slicing through opponents on its way. The very tip deals 12% with moderate vertical knockback, while the main body deals 6% with a small flinging effect to either side. The pike recedes as quickly as it formed, and your shadow reforms in its natural position. While your shadow remains unattached, you cannot use your Neutral or Side Special.
/- Grab - Shadow Strangulation -\
Shikamaru reaches out his hand in front of him in a casual motion, hinting at a very short range. However, he’s not the one attempting for the grab. As his own hand moves forwards, so does a pitch-black hand on the ground; his own shadow. It moves forwards somewhat slowly, giving this technique high ending lag, but has a potential range equal to Samus’s Grapple Beam.
When you catch the foe, they won’t slide towards you like a normal tether grab. They remain locked in place while the dark hands move up their body towards the neck. This is where all those attempts at beating Canary Mary will come in handy.
Both you and the foe must button mash as quickly as possible to advance your own means. If you win, the grab is successful, and the hands crush their throat for 24%. If they win, the hands retreat, and rush back to your own body, leaving you open to attack momentarily. Damage plays a role in who ends up victorious. For each 10% damage you have less than your opponent, your button presses are 10% more effective. (See FAir for mini-mechanic.) However, the grab-ee (is that a word? It is now.) has a distinct advantage. If noone reaches the required advantage (15 more presses than the opponent) in four seconds, they are released.
When you catch the foe, they won’t slide towards you like a normal tether grab. They remain locked in place while the dark hands move up their body towards the neck. This is where all those attempts at beating Canary Mary will come in handy.
Both you and the foe must button mash as quickly as possible to advance your own means. If you win, the grab is successful, and the hands crush their throat for 24%. If they win, the hands retreat, and rush back to your own body, leaving you open to attack momentarily. Damage plays a role in who ends up victorious. For each 10% damage you have less than your opponent, your button presses are 10% more effective. (See FAir for mini-mechanic.) However, the grab-ee (is that a word? It is now.) has a distinct advantage. If noone reaches the required advantage (15 more presses than the opponent) in four seconds, they are released.
/- Final Smash - Lantern -\
Head towards the nearest sun lamp, Shikamaru has grabbed the Smash Ball! In a very short cutscene, (Think "LANDMASTER!"), he pulls out a large lantern, one of those Oriental sphere-shaped ones. It has a kanji on it that reads "Shadow". He sets the lantern directly beneath his legs, does the same hand motion for Shadow Possession as he normally uses. Then, all hell breaks loose as the lantern releases a bright flash of light, extending Shikamaru's shadow infinitely in all directions. This can be spot-dodged, however, and it's easier to do than you may think. However, the lantern remains in play for the next 15 seconds, doubling the length of Shikamaru's shadow while he stands near to it.
Shikamaru's main goal is so blatantly obvious that if I have to tell you, you probably haven't even glanced at the set. The problem lies in how you go about possessing the opponent. Naturally, there are several ways of going about doing this, but if all you do is focus on the non-damaging Shadow Possession, you'll find it becoming evermore difficult to make it worthwhile. Eventually, you have to find a balance between possessions and damage. I'll touch on the damage, first.
Naturally, the first most obvious damaging tool in your arsenal is the FSmash. Its uses can best be compared to Sheik's needles, with less ending lag. It's a bit simple to go truly in-depth on, so I'll let you work out your own uses for it. Shikamaru's Grab is an excellent damage-racker as well, especially when you're simply trying to maintain an advantage. Use your FAir to hinder the opponent, giving you as much of a button-mashing advantage as possible, and then let your fingers fly as you trap them inside a Resonance field.
Avoiding damage can be a difficult task for Shikamaru, but ya gotta do it if you ever hope to KO. One way is to simply keep your opponent on their toes at all times. If you're on a small stage, such as Battlefield, a combination of FAirs and FSmashes should keep the opponent a fair distance away from you, until it becomes too predictable. They're going to close the distance eventually, though. When they do, and launch their frustrated counterattack, use an FTilt or DTilt to ensure a grab or repeat the process a second time. Be wary, though... neither of these moves will defend against grabs.
Now that you have an idea how to keep yours and your opponent's damages reasonably close, let's take advantage of that with Shadow Possession or variety thereof! As you may guess, a direct approach simply won't work in most cases. Sure, you have the range, but it's extremely broadcasted beforehand. And is there a single character that can't jump farther than your standard maximum reach? Obviously, unless your foe is completely inept, you'll have to combine a few tricks.
Up Special and Up Air create shadows on the playing field that you can use to increase your length. Down Special and Up Tilt increase the length of your immediate shadow, but also provide a light source that makes an Up Special/Air shadow disappear. Dash Attack can be used against an overly aggressive opponent, USmash can slow down nearby foes to make them easier to trap... heck, if a move has "Up" in it's input, it's gonna help you. The key is in tying everything together in the most effective way for you, whether that comes in littering the stage with shadows, moving in for the kill right off the bat, or making every shadow in play as long as possible.
Naturally, the first most obvious damaging tool in your arsenal is the FSmash. Its uses can best be compared to Sheik's needles, with less ending lag. It's a bit simple to go truly in-depth on, so I'll let you work out your own uses for it. Shikamaru's Grab is an excellent damage-racker as well, especially when you're simply trying to maintain an advantage. Use your FAir to hinder the opponent, giving you as much of a button-mashing advantage as possible, and then let your fingers fly as you trap them inside a Resonance field.
Avoiding damage can be a difficult task for Shikamaru, but ya gotta do it if you ever hope to KO. One way is to simply keep your opponent on their toes at all times. If you're on a small stage, such as Battlefield, a combination of FAirs and FSmashes should keep the opponent a fair distance away from you, until it becomes too predictable. They're going to close the distance eventually, though. When they do, and launch their frustrated counterattack, use an FTilt or DTilt to ensure a grab or repeat the process a second time. Be wary, though... neither of these moves will defend against grabs.
Now that you have an idea how to keep yours and your opponent's damages reasonably close, let's take advantage of that with Shadow Possession or variety thereof! As you may guess, a direct approach simply won't work in most cases. Sure, you have the range, but it's extremely broadcasted beforehand. And is there a single character that can't jump farther than your standard maximum reach? Obviously, unless your foe is completely inept, you'll have to combine a few tricks.
Up Special and Up Air create shadows on the playing field that you can use to increase your length. Down Special and Up Tilt increase the length of your immediate shadow, but also provide a light source that makes an Up Special/Air shadow disappear. Dash Attack can be used against an overly aggressive opponent, USmash can slow down nearby foes to make them easier to trap... heck, if a move has "Up" in it's input, it's gonna help you. The key is in tying everything together in the most effective way for you, whether that comes in littering the stage with shadows, moving in for the kill right off the bat, or making every shadow in play as long as possible.
Matchups
/- Vs. Ultimate Chimera - 95/5 -\
MT: Wut
It's true! The master of priority and overpowered attacks (not MetaKnight) falls to someone who can hardly attack at all. You see, The Chimera can't jump, or get into the air in any way, shape, or form. With this in mind, all Shikamaru has to do is run a single Shadow Possession towards him. Man's deadliest creation will have no way to fight it. As soon as Shikamaru walks him off the edge, the game is as good as over.
Ultimate Chimera does have one move in his arsenal that can combat Shikamaru, however... his DSmash. By destroying the entire stage, Shikamaru's shadow will have nowhere to lay itself down. His great aerial DI and low fall speed, however, will get him close enough to the plot of land to use either a Neutral Air (warp onto the stage, abuse invincibility frames for Neutral Special) or a BAir (pull Chimera and yourself to your doom, useful when above in stock count) to win the matchup regardless.
It's true! The master of priority and overpowered attacks (not MetaKnight) falls to someone who can hardly attack at all. You see, The Chimera can't jump, or get into the air in any way, shape, or form. With this in mind, all Shikamaru has to do is run a single Shadow Possession towards him. Man's deadliest creation will have no way to fight it. As soon as Shikamaru walks him off the edge, the game is as good as over.
Ultimate Chimera does have one move in his arsenal that can combat Shikamaru, however... his DSmash. By destroying the entire stage, Shikamaru's shadow will have nowhere to lay itself down. His great aerial DI and low fall speed, however, will get him close enough to the plot of land to use either a Neutral Air (warp onto the stage, abuse invincibility frames for Neutral Special) or a BAir (pull Chimera and yourself to your doom, useful when above in stock count) to win the matchup regardless.
/- Vs. Drifblim - 15/85 -\
Shikamaru has the exact opposite problem dealing with Drifblim as he does dealing with Ultimate Chimera. Drifblim is never actually on the ground! While he does tether himself, and you can capture him when he does, the tether will keep him attached to the ground despite your best efforts to move him. And even if you could cut off his tether, (which it turns out, you can! Just like the string from your Kunai, Drifblim's tether can be cut with a Kunai or Shuriken,) you'd still be unable to push him past the bottom blast zone. However, Shikamaru does have a glimmer of hope. If Drifblim just happens to use multiple Shadow Balls on him, then you may be able to jump high enough to push him off the top blast zone, even without a recovery special.
In the meantime, keep Drifblim from tethering onto the ground, and hope that you'll be able to land a lucky letter bomb.
In the meantime, keep Drifblim from tethering onto the ground, and hope that you'll be able to land a lucky letter bomb.
