Needed to finish this one too. Been on my computer for too long.
SHALLOTTE ELMINUS
Height: 162cm---Weight: 3---Speed: 5---Jump: 5---Traction: 5
"Yeah! It's finally my time to shine!"
It sure is! This peppy gal hails from the Atelier series, being one of the 2 titular protagonists of
Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea - the final instalment of the Dusk trilogy. Yes, the game has 2 Lightweight Female Protagonists, and they are both called "Shallie" for short.
Like most Atelier protagonists, Shallie is an alchemist, albeit an amateur who improves as the story progresses. This is not the transmutation circle-style alchemy Warlord has fed you all over the years, but rather a more traditional style that involves mixing various materials together in a cauldron to create a new item! Other than that, Shallotte is pretty much an ordinary teenage girl living a mundane, unfulfilling life with her mother. She dreams of "hitting it big" so that she can do something meaningful with her life, starting out by doing simple quests for the local guild. As the story progresses, she finds herself getting involved in something big as numerous alchemists gather in her hometown, and comes to realise just what it is she wants to do with her life.
SPOILER: She wants to use her alchemy to help people, and save the world from gradual extinction by the titular "Dusk".
Shallotte is a slight departure from the
typical Atelier protagonist, being an outgoing and simple-minded person who is partially portrayed as a comic relief character, and is one of the only heroines not to use a staff in battle - instead using a broom. She expresses a strong desire to fly after seeing the witch - and self-proclaimed master - Wilbell in action on a broomstick, being oblivious enough to think she can do the same with enough practice until near the end of the story. She often downplays her alchemy skills and can be dumb at times, but her persistence is second-to-none, and she has come up with some innovative ideas like her signature flying machine. Will Shallotte bring this same alchemic brilliance to Smash, or will she fail to leave her legacy?
SPECIALS
Neutral Special ~ The Power of Alchemy
Shallotte searches through her bag eagerly for an alchemy item to use. This is a charge-and-store move that cycles between various items - a thought bubble over her head to indicate her current item - and sees Shallie lob her chosen item as a short-ranged projectile that lands 0.8 platforms ahead of her. The lob comes out almost instantly at frame 4, but a touch of pre-charge lag makes the attack more telegraphed when not charged. The nature of throw means the item will only hit diagonally above Shallie up-close and will miss opponents in front of her, requiring precise spacing to hit opponents level to her. Shallie will generally recover just as an item would be level to where she threw it from, which is decently early, but a grounded opponent spaced for its descent can easily rush in and get a free Dash Attack or similar move - making the projectile unsafe in a ground v. ground situation.
You can mash B to throw out up to 4 extra copies of the chosen item (unless otherwise stated) in very quick succession, each moving slightly faster and landing 0.2 platforms farther than the previous, but at the cost of added end lag that is particularly bad if she went all the way. This can work some bullet hell or even deal some nasty shield damage against a foe standing on a platform beneath Shallie, but if she misses she'll be in a lot of trouble. On the other hand, just having this option can deter opponents from staying behind where her first thrown item would land, and instead get between it and Shallie for a forced close-up situation where she hopefully won't get attacked too early.
While charging, you can press A instead of B to have Shallie hold her chosen item or drop it if she was already holding one; giving her a more versatile projectile, but not spammable as it takes her 16 frames to equip the item. Shallie can spawn up to 4 items this way and do it in combination with lobbing them, only suffering a bit of extra end lag for each one in comparison. Only 5 alchemy items from this move can be out at once, and they stay around for as long as regular items before disappearing. This might sound like a good thing, but Shallie cannot spawn or lob more items if she has reached the limit (though she can still charge the move), forcing her to get rid of any clutter sitting around to make more or just use what she's got out. Furthermore, opponents can pick up and use these items against Shallie, further reason why she shouldn't casually throw out several items at once as the increased end lag gives foes time to hit her with one.
The most basic and iconic alchemy weapon. This bomb shares similar properties to Link's bombs and detonates for 5% on contact, typically dealing diagonal knockback or skywards knockback struck a victim from above or below. Note that the bomb will detonate when thrown against a surface normally, but not when lobbed through the NSpec. Thrown like a regular item, the bomb will explode into a Kirby/Bowser-sized blast radius with a sweetspot at the epicenter that deals 8% that KOs at 190%. Whoever threw the bomb will be immune to its blast, but otherwise they will harm indiscriminately if set off through attacks or other means. If a fighter is knocked into a bomb, they'll take 8% and horizontal knockback that can outright cancel out the original knockback, but will fail if the knockback was particularly powerful.
Bomb blasts can detonate other bombs and set off a chain reaction - something a 5-bomb lob positions them perfectly for. If a bomb detonates while touching another bomb however, even as a result of colliding into it, they will all detonate for one big blast that is 1.1-1.5x wider than the combined length of all the bombs detonated. This blast deals the combined damage and knockback of all the bombs used to form it at the epicenter - typically 27% that KOs at 95% at best - and anywhere between 3/4s to 1/3rd of that damage further away. This big blast will even damage the thrower of a bomb that contributed to it, making it more dangerous if you're not careful with your spacing.
All of Shallotte's bombs are subject to similar rules, physics and detonation effects to a regular bomb, unless otherwise stated.
This is another staple, typically used to freeze rivers to gain access to new gathering areas. Its blast is 0.7x smaller and weaker than that of a regular bomb, but it delivers a chill that cuts a victim's movement speed down to 90-45% their usual amount for 3 seconds, a greater effect on a big blast. This speed cut also affects a victim's ability to catch and throw items, which is somewhat handy when Shallie loves to spawn items...providing it isn't used against her.
The more significant effect of an ice bomb is to freeze any surface it hits or that a grounded victim was standing on, covering 0.5-3 platforms of ground in ice for 10 seconds or until it is thawed out with a fire attack. This functions like Brawl ice, and enables Shallotte to perform the
glide toss through item-tossing to slide farther across the stage than usual. This is extremely useful for mobility, and it's not hard to cover most (if not all) of the stage in ice by throwing out 5 ice bombs at once.
Lightning Bomb
18-30 frames
This bomb, shaped like an hourglass, is smaller than other bombs and is quicker to throw too. Once the bomb hits a target, or has travelled a set distance through the air ALA Bumper, it will explode into a Bowser-sized field of electricity that deals 10 hits of 1% over 1 second, expanding to 1.4x its initial size over that time. This is pretty weak, but the static hitbox can be used for minor stage control or better yet a way to set off other bombs. A "big blast" does not generate a bigger hitbox, but rather stacks the timer of all the individual blasts to create a field that lasts for up to 5 seconds and can deal as much as 50% over time - not that anyone would be foolish enough to stay in the field for that long. Whoever set off the lightning bomb will be immune to its electricity, no matter what.
Dimensional Bomb
31-45 frames
These are tiny, Deku Nut-sized bombs with a trigger reminiscent to that of a Lightning Bomb, opening up and exiting through a small portal upon "detonating". A second later, another portal will open up somewhere, and the now-glowing dimensional bomb flies out to detonate on contact for 0.85x the damage of a regular bomb. This glowing bomb is not treated as an item, and will automatically explode after travelling 5.5 Ganons.
Triggered in midair, the second portal will open up halfway between where the bomb was thrown from and where it created the first portal. If the bomb hit someone or something to trigger the portal, the second portal will open up 1.5 platforms away from their current location and facing them, but not necessarily from the same direction it was thrown. A horizontal or NSpec toss will open up the second portal above the target, an upwards throw will open it diagonally above them and a downwards throw opens it up in front of them. This is essentially a delayed attack, but it takes a wee bit of time for the portal to open up - during which the target can move out of the way - and bomb blast can still hurt the original thrower.
The portals created by a dimensional bomb remain for about one second after exploding, and are just big enough to fit items through. This can actually be done even if the second portal had not been created yet, in which case the thrown item will replace the d-bomb that comes out. If another d-bomb was thrown into the first portal however, the second's creation will be delayed by one second, before all the d-bombs (including the first) fly out in a cluster to stack their damage and knockback per the usual of a big blast. Delayed d-bombs count towards the alchemy item limit, but not the portals themselves.
If multiple d-bombs were thrown in a row via use of the NSpec command, they will all create portals and vanish when one of them hits something. One second later, the bomb cluster lands a small distance ahead of Shallie - or down on an opponent or target struck by one of the bombs - and explode for the stacked damage. This does not leave portals behind, unless only 1 bomb was thrown. If the bombs didn't target something, they'll land a specific distance ahead of Shallie so she'd have been barely out of the blast's range from where she threw the bombs, and will be safe providing she does not enter the blast's range. This leaves Shallie massively open to attack, as the d-bombs don't deal hitstun initially, but if you pull it off you'll have a delayed hitbox to scare enemies with.
It should be noted that both the Lightning Bomb and the Dimensional Bomb deal no hitstun on contact, meaning if Shallie tries to use them for a lob she
will get punished for it. This is in stark contrast to the safer bomb and ice bomb, and unfortunately the charge window between those 2 items is very short in comparison and prevents Shallie from too easily exploiting the speedy lob that comes after. The Lightning and D-Bombs could be seen as "duds" in the context of the lobbing attack, though the latter can potentially punish foes.
Pumpkin Doll
46-60 frames
When lobbed forth with this move, this little Pumpkin Doll will seize any fighter it flies into and keep them restrained for the rest of the move, end lag included. This allows Shallie to true combo into something like an U-tilt or U-Smash if she successfully hits close-up while grounded (falling in midair keeps her from comboing into an U-air). It will even keep victims restrained during a multi-lob, and by holding the control stick sideways during such you can move victims back or forth a very short distance - far enough so they're hit by a subsequent bomb. The doll is alarmingly quick compared to Shallie's other items and actually has a grab hitbox on it, possibly throwing off enemies expecting one of Shallie's other items, but it can be beaten out by any attack to send it flying - projectiles going right through it as though they didn't hit anything. Once struck, the doll will remain lifeless and useless until a player picks it up and breathes life back into it with their MP. The doll will then fight only for its new owner and their teammates until that new life is knocked back out of it.
If the doll didn't hit an opponent on the way, it's not over as it will fly out an extra 0.8 platforms along the ground and then loop back to the front of Shallie if it failed to reach a target. The doll will not restrain or deal any hitstun to opponents it latches onto this way, not a grab hitbox either so it can be shielded to the same effect of landing a moderately powerful-weak attack depending on the strength of their shield. Once the doll has latched onto an opponent, it will stick to them until they shake it off with considerable difficulty (or 5 seconds pass), after which it will fall to the ground but remain sentient as it lies there - able to latch onto enemies who step over it.
The latched doll bears no ill consequences until its victim is struck and that move dealt notable knockback. Halfway into that knockback, the doll will explode for 5% and deals slightly more knockback than the victim already took on the exact same angle, effectively making it KO a bit earlier. The only exception is that if the victim takes any kind of forwards knockback while the doll is latched to the front of them, the explosive knockback will be reversed so they're knocked backwards. This works in reverse if the doll was latched to the victim's back, opening up the potential for combos for most moves dealing knockback on a low angle as the victim is sent flying back towards Shallie. Getting the doll on the victim's back is as simple as hitting them from behind or vertically and mostly behind them, something you can achieve with the lobbing with rather precise spacing. If you succeed with a multi-lob of no more than one follow-up bomb, it can result in the foe being knocked towards and above Shallie.
As an item, the thrown doll goes in a straight line and doesn't stop until it goes offscreen. It flies at its very fast pace when moving in the direction of a foe, having
slight homing capabilities, but it travels slowly when moving away from a foe. This lets the doll be more active if you say, threw it high up while no foes were airborne, but it also makes throwing the doll offstage a pain if Shallie wants to get rid of it for the sake of making different alchemy items. Throwing the doll is extremely fast though, which is only fair when it deals no damage or flinching of any sort upon connecting with a foe and can be repelled easily. If an enemy of the doll's owner tries to pick it up, it will automatically latch onto them, so they need to time their teching attacks well so they (Aerials, Dash Attack, Jab, F-tilt, D-tilt) so this doesn't happen.
The doll can latch onto non-hostile items when thrown (not lobbed), though given its small size and the small size of Shallie's items in general it will almost certainly fly over them when thrown forwards. If it does catch an item, it will carry it as it flies and on contact it'll damage foes as though it had been dropped in midair. Foes are most certainly welcome to tech the item if they can, but if they do that the doll will get latched onto them. If the item hits an opponent, the doll will automatically fly towards them and latch onto them. If the doll goes off the top of the screen before hitting with its item, it will drop it. If the doll lands while holding an item, it will be placed there harmlessly alongside the now-still doll.
The doll can also hitch a ride on friendly projectiles that aren't items, even if they were reflected by Shallie because she has the means to do so in her set. If the projectile hits something, the doll will immediately explode to deal an extra 5% and multiply the knockback slightly, barely noticeable if it was mediocre but scary if that projectile had a damage multiplier because it was reflected. If the projectile vanished while the doll was riding on it, it'll continue its merry way in whichever direction it was moving prior to latching on, usually going off-course this way.
Living Trash
61-72 frames
This teethy trash can consumes any item it touches, making it great for clean-up duty! It deals 6% on contact and bounces off victims like Mr. Saturn. The trash also has similar rolling physics to a barrel and can be knocked around with attacks, but it does not produce a hitbox this way.
The trash deals an extra 2% with every item it absorbs or foe it strikes (shields don't count) as it absorbs a bit of their stamina, capping out at 16% that KOs at 140%. What's more, a character who picks up the trash can when it's absorbed stamina this way is healed 0.5% for every 2% it absorbed! This resets the power boost from absorption. The holder also get one status effect healed (most recent if multiple) and this counts as absorbing. Maybe it's not
that great, but the trash can also protect its holder from throwing items if they hit the can directly. This can bypassed by hitting the foe from a different angle, hitting them from high or below frontally (easier on taller characters) or hitting them while they're shielding, so it's a perfect means of protection. The trash can will also disappear temporarily when the holder uses a Special move, unless it's a move that makes direct use of items.
The trash can is noticeably laggier to pick up, throw and even drop than a regular item, making it something of a burden to carry when you look past the benefits it provides when picked up and held - and nowhere near as good as comboing as say Megaman's metal blade. On the other hand, it's one of Shallie's very few reusable items for what it's worth.
Electric Discharge Tube
73-85 frames
This tiny item works somewhat like the X-Bomb, bouncing off horizontal targets diagonally and vertical targets vertically to hover in place and build up power within half the time. A concentrated blast of electricity follows on the exact angle the tube bounced off of; extending nearly half a platform away from it or the same distance it travelled when thrown if that was greater. This deals 15% and paralyzer stun, followed by strong knockback, but only if tube struck close-up when it was thrown. Any farther will only deal 10% at most with lesser knockback and hitstun, which lessens drastically with range to the point of only dealing 5% and no hitstun when the blast is longer than a platform.
Lava Cube
86-100 frames
This minuscule object bonks opponents for 4% and bounces off of them, going directly upwards until it has covered the remainder of its flight (if any). After reaching its peak, the cube will open up and two streams of fireballs will rain down on a 30* angle to either side, 6 fireballs to a stream over 48 frames. These fireballs rain down to the height where the cube struck its target before they disappear, and each one deals 8-13% that KOs at 168-134% - becoming stronger further into their descent. Whoever threw the cube is immune to the fireballs. The cube will disappear once the fireballs are all gone, but it's possible for the thrower to pick it up again for re-use. In that case, they'll have to wait the fireballs to regenerate at a rate of 40 frames per pair, for a total of 240 frames overall to prevent spamming.
The fireballs won't typically hit the same victim of the cube and will instead form something of a "cage" around them. They knock foes out of the path of the next, but even if all the fireballs of a single stream were to hit they deal 2% less on the same target and so on for a minimum of 2% apiece. Totalling at 26-49% per stream. Even so, shielding is still foolish as you'll be left open for all of 48 frames
and end up with a broken shield if blocking a stream at its strongest. As for being knocked into the fireballs, they typically don't disrupt knockback greater than what they would offer, but if the fireball would deal more knockback the victim will be bounced off of it. Caged, they'll bounce into the other stream and back to the first and through that one, but damage taken from the stream is halved each time so it only totals at around 15% or so.
The farther the cube flew prior to striking a victim, the smaller the cage and the less time they have to react before the fireballs come down. A smaller cage requires distance to pull off, risky given that's when foes can tech the cube more easily, but greatly restricts their options for a moment if successfully. Fireballs will clash with grounded attacks/projectiles unless they dealt at least 17-22% or had transcendent priority, making it difficult for them to attack Shallie. Foes can leave the cage early with their dodges or if they've got protective movement options, but the former can be predicted and if the cage was small enough they may not even have enough room to jump. A small cage can also chip at shields if they were put up in reaction, or at least until they're small enough to not cover the fighter. It can be difficult to exploit a close-up cage without projectile options like items, but you can get around this by throwing/dropping the cube on an enemy from below so you're closing the distance between you and them simultaneously.
If you hit with the cube's maximum range, that being roughly 2 platforms, it will not ascend and is guaranteed to hit the victim with the first fireballs of each stream at the same time. This caps to an impressive 20% that KOs at 140%. Even scarier is if the victim shielded against this, as they'll take both streams of fireballs at the same time. This deals so much damage that their shield will break on the 4th streams or so, and then when it's broken they'll be struck by 2 fireballs at the same time anyway for 16%. Not as strong as actually putting the foe into stun, but it's still a strong KO move and the fact that you just broke their shield means their new shield will be weaker than one at full health.
Time Watch
101-107 frames
Shallie raises this item instead of lobbing it, manipulating time to grant her 5 frames of invincibility when the lob hitbox would normally come out. It also inverts a 1.35 platform radius around her, halving the speed of all enemies for one second if they failed to powershield, dodge or be invincible in any kind of way. Enemy constructs are also frozen during this time, not acting as hitboxes during this time, and friendly projectiles have their speed halved but still remain as hitboxes. There is a window of 40 frames or so during which Shallie is free to exploit her victims' condition, but she still has to watch out for lingering hitboxes and the slight possibility that they may dodge.
The Time Watch also buffs its user by speeding up time for them, increasing their mobility by 1.5x and doubling the speed in which anything charges or recharges - be they their shield, Smashes or chargeable Specials like Shallie's NSpec. Even status effects will go away twice as quickly, and moves or mechanics that charge over time like Bowser's Fire Breath or Wario Waft are affected. It also increases the distance items are thrown by around 1.4x without affecting their power. Picking up items and throwing them becomes faster too, cutting off roughly 1-5 frames depending on how laggy they were to throw. The Time Watch lasts for 10 seconds, and that timer will only tick down whenever an action boosted by it is performed. Multiple actions can stack however, so if you were moving and your shield was recharging you'll only get 5 seconds of playtime before the effect goes away, or 2.5 seconds if you threw in a chargeable attack or whatnot. This can default to characters like Wario with built-in timers only getting 5 seconds in general, but hey at least they're getting something out of it!
The Time Watch's effects are powerful and not time constrained unlike some other buffs (it does manipulate time after all!), but there's the little issue of having to charge up the NSpec to get access to it. Even then, the activation window is extremely short (6 frames) and requires precise timing to pull off, to the point where you may want to store the charge near the end of the Lava Cube's window or else you might miss the timing. Guess Shallie doesn't have much of an attention span for watches? And while the watch saves a lot of time in cycling through your items, the increased speed can make it very difficult for Shallie to pinpoint items with stricter activation windows. On the other hand, it's great if she just wants to reach the full charge quickly, and the speed of the cycling can create a "randomness" factor that can throw off opponents given the numerous properties of her items. Also, the Time Watch doesn't count towards Shallie's alchemy items when the buff is in effect. Using another Time Watch while sped up will stack with the previous boosts to contribute half of their buffs while overlapping with them, but good luck cycling towards a second Time Watch when doing so without the buffs is already difficult.
If you pressed A to handle the Time Watch, it will act as a throwing item that imbues a character with its buffs when they overlap with it, dealing no damage whatsoever. This allows other characters to be sped up, something a sane Shallie player would only do in a Team Match, but it lets her time when she wants to acquire the buff. Dropping the Time Watch in midair only takes 1 frame and instantly imbues her with its effects.
Weight Stone
108-120 frames
The weight stone is a very heavy stone - so heavy it's carrying a barrel, and you can only move half as quickly while doing so! And that's saying something, given it is much smaller than your typical heavy item. The weight stone is unique in that it is held over the holder's head, just like in the above image, and as such it flies from a higher elevation and travels farther than a barrel when thrown. It is tremendously laggy to throw, but packs the hard punch of a barrel and rips right through opponents and any projectiles that would get in its way. The stone will come to a complete halt upon hitting a flat surface, but is able to roll down slopes in a similar manner to barrels. The weight stone cannot be reflected, a great asset if you're up against spam-happy reflector.
Something unique happens if the weight stone is held in midair - generally not possible for anyone other than Shallie unless they walk offstage, given her ability to spawn her items in midair. Through the tremendous weight of the weight stone, the holder finds themselves falling like a rock! They are super-armored and deal big damage on the way down, but the landing lag is very painful, literally, as they must keep the heavy stone from crushing them! In Shallie's case, she has to squat with all her might as she comically tries to hold the stone up. Thankfully, characters holding the stone and experiencing the landing lag get 15% super armor given its sheer weight, but this can be bypassed through grabs or multiple weaker hits that accumulate more than 15% altogether. Worse yet, if the stone is dropped by force it will fall on the holder and crush them if they were still beneath it!
If you pressed B to "lob" the stone when cycling to it, something unique will happen. Instead of throwing the stone, Shallie will leap along with it stone-first! She has literally become a part of the projectile itself! This comes out slower than the fall and on a fixed arc, but without the harsh landing lag as Shallie comically flips over and slams into the ground ahead of where the stone landed, dealing a minor 6% to foes while entering prone as a result. This can technically be used as a recovery, albeit a very poor one and requiring Shallie to be fairly high off the stage to get anywhere - not to mention she needs to have the weight stone as her stored alchemy weapon in the first place.
Barrel! A running gag in nearly every Atelier game to date, this classic item acts much like its Smash counterpart except it won't explode and only deals 14% that KOs at 160% on average. Unlike the other items, you specifically need to reach full charge to gain access to the B attack variation, which has Shallie kick the barrel all the same as lobbing it. What makes this worth all the trouble? It comes out on 8 and bypasses the pre-charge formalities due to having already been charged, making it an incredibly good attacking move in its own right. You still can't hit opponents directly in front of you, but it has relatively low end lag and the barrel will keep rolling forwards anyway after it lands! Even better in midair, where the end lag is straight-up low and Shallie can move back and forth slightly. So effective it's more than worth charging the NSpec just to gain access to the barrel, even if you do have to spend 2.5 seconds of your life to get there (or less with the Time Watch!). And the fun doesn't stop there, either...
If the barrel fell beyond the height Shallie kicked it from, because she used it in midair or whatnot, it will fall straight down from that point without any semblance of forwards momentum unlike her other lobbed items. The barrel won't roll when it lands, but that's only fair given Shallie can space it more easily to hit opponents beneath her and even fast-fall the barrel or move ahead of it to really put the pressure on enemies. If the barrel touched down before it would land at Shallie's height however, it will gain slightly more momentum and deal anywhere between 15-17% that KOs at 155-140%. And if the barrel touched down at the exact moment it would reach the peak of its lob, it will roll forwards at extreme speeds and deal a huge 20% that KOs at 105% on contact. This can be done on platforms with precise timing, or better yet use it offstage so the barrel gets to roll along the length of the stage to do some real damage. It can be predictable though, and Shallie only gets one shot at it.
If you pressed B when the move wasn't fully charged, Shallie will instead cycle through her items again. Instead of lobbing or equipping them however, she's placing them inside the barrel! Pressing B will have Shallie place the item in the barrel and then immediately cycle to the next item, requiring you to tap if you want multiples of a bomb inside the barrel, while pressing A will insert an item that she was holding. This allows Shallie to customize the contents of her barrel! The items within spawn in a cluster when the barrel breaks with earliest additions being positioned closer to Shallie, so the order in which items are placed matters and can be exploited if you have something specific in mind - namely with bombs. You can fill the barrel with up to 5 items and do so even if limit would be breached by existing items. In that case, the excess items will not spawn stating from the later additions. The barrel being destroyed will free up one slot anyway, as will using to destroy other items like bombs.
Storing and resuming the charge on the barrel will reset the cycle, but copies of non-bomb items already placed in the barrel will be skipped over. You need to reach the 150 frame cap to get the full charge and your beloved kick attack, but you can always press A instead to straight-up seize the barrel as an item as is.
If A or B was held when selecting an item, Shallie will use her mix ability to fuse that item with another! By pressing A, she'll fuse the item with one she was holding - or was close to her if she wasn't holding anything or you made a directional input. By pressing B, she'll cycle through her prior alchemy items in reverse at twice the usual speed and not affected by the Time Watch. Once both items are selected by letting go of B, Shallie will hold them apart and convert them into red and blue energy orbs respectively before crunching them together in front of herself. You won't get much time to witness this marvel however, as the fusion takes a mere 3 frames to complete. This new alchemy item counts as a single item towards your limit, even if it was fused with an item from a different source.
After doing the fusion, Shallie can either lob or equip her new item the normal way, or else the charge gets stored. If B was held to select an alchemy item, that item will have its activation window reset to the "primary" item in the mixture. This is important, because if Shallie cycles past that Mix'd item it will be lost - reset when she cycles back to that item when charging all over again - and her time will have been wasted. Unless you charged up to the barrel, in which case you can place that item inside of the barrel. You can Mix any number of items together to create your own little super item, just so long as you have the time for it. If Shallie cycles through all the way without picking an item, she will automatically mix her chosen item with a bomb. You can cancel out of the Mixing process anytime by shielding.
Bomb: This turns the other item into a literal bomb, as it now glows orange and has a short fuse planted on it somewhere. It now deals an extra 1% in fire damage, has its base knockback increased notably and the knockback growth increased slightly, just enough to have your move KO around 5% earlier. The item becomes more effective for sending foes flying, its only downside being it can disrupt comboing potential.
The item will indeed explode when it is thrown and hits something. If the item was perishable like a Capsule or another bomb, it will only get the minor boost mentioned above. If the item
wasn't perishable however, like a battering item or Mr. Saturn that would bounce off its target, it will deal an extra 4% and 1.097x more knockback of which can nicely assist any KO potential.
Ice Bomb: The other item becomes frozen over and will freeze any part of the stage it hits, on top of delivering the chill effect to any opponent it hits. If a Bomb and an Ice Bomb are fused together, you'll get the power of the former and the chill of the latter packed into one as they somehow deal fire and ice damage at the same time. Do note, however, that when lobbing or stowing a Mix'd bomb only the first bomb will have those combined properties, any others lobbed or stored afterwards just being regular bombs of the higher type. It is certainly possible to have 5 of these fire and icy bombs out at once, but you'd have to do some tedious setting-up to get there and there's no guarantee that it'll pay-off.
Lightning Bomb: The other item only deals three-quarters of its regular damage output, which also lessens the shield damage it does. When it hits however, sparks with the diameter of the hitbox's total length (or height if that was greater) will manifest and deal 1% every 6 frames until they've outputted enough to deal three-quarters of the hitbox's original damage. The sparks last for no more than a second, and if they would deal more than 10% the damage will manifest at a faster rate. Though unlikely, if you hit with the attack itself and all of the sparks you'll have dealt 1.5x as much damage with that move. The most feasible way you'll hit with these sparks is to have a foe shield against your attack, in which case they'll almost certainly be punished for trying to punish you and you'll get some damage on them out of the whole thing. The sparks can also be used to trigger bombs in the right situation.
Dimensional Bomb: The other item gains a purplish aura. When thrown (not lobbed), the item is immediately sent through a portal, and then comes flying out of another portal and towards the thrower from the same direction it was thrown - in other words, it's essentially a reverse-throw. The item isn't a hitbox until it comes out of the second portal and there's a slight delay to it, but done right you can have all kinds of fun with this, and easily re-use the item by teching it when it comes flying back to you. Note that dropping, discarding or throwing an item down against the floor produces no special effects. If the item was thrown downwards and the thrower was close enough to the ground, the portal will open up against the ground and the item will be shot out upwards, potentially going up higher than where the thrower was when they threw it if they were close enough to the ground.
From here on out, the alchemy items listed will imbue items beneath them with their effects, unless otherwise stated. If you fuse one of them with a bomb, the bomb will remain a bomb with altered properties. The only exception to this is the Dimensional Bomb, which will imbue the items beneath with its properties instead of the other way round. This allows Shallie to place a Pumpkin Doll on her foe from behind more easily, or with the Lava Cube get the max range fireballs from a distance and vice-versa.
Pumpkin Doll: The other item more or less gains the flight physics of a Pumpkin Doll; moving in a straight line; moving 1.5x quicker in the direction of a foe, and only half as quickly when moving away from them. It also gains a very, very scant homing property when within a platform of an opponent, but it can still easily fly past them and be steered off-course. These properties only kick in when the item is thrown, otherwise failing to take effect.
Indicated by a faint orange glow on the item - and a pumpkin face on a surface if there was room - and the item appearing to writhe somewhat. The speed boost can potentially catch foes off-guard despite the visual difference and give them less time to react to the item being thrown at them; and the speed boost when moving away from a foe is extremely useful for giving it a lingering effect and letting you preserve the item for longer, potentially knocking a foe into it as it sails offscreen. The only downside to all these benefits is the extra end lag the thrower suffers after the throw, something you'll want to be mindful of when not specifically aiming at a foe.
Living Trash: The other item deals 2% less, but heals the user each time it damages an opponent - 2% or 1/5th of its damage output if that was greater, but no more than 5%. Non-perishable items only heal half as much, but you can potentially get more out of them.
Electric Discharge Tube: The other item loses a bit of speed and deals slightly less damage as it flies, but after going 3/5ths its distance it'll suddenly bounce with renewed vigour; on a high angle if thrown horizontally or a low angle if thrown vertically, away from the thrower. Items that can be thrown diagonally like barrels will be bounced diagonally. The boost makes the item go 1.15x farther than it would have normally and deal 1.1x more damage if hitting at the start. This allows Shallie to hit with her throwing items from unique angles at long distances.
Lava Cube: The other item will bounce upwards on contact before coming back down in full, dealing 1.135x its usual damage when doing so. Oddly enough, a bomb with this trait will trigger the blast of other bombs it hits and contribute its power to them per usual, but will not actually detonate itself as it bounces up.
Time Watch: The other item imbues its holder with the Watch's buffs for as long as they hold it. Permanently, if they manage to keep a hold of it for that long, but at the risk of foes getting access to it if it was dropped or thrown. There's the problem of the strict activation window however, and there's also the problem of most of Shallie's items not being permanent enough that she can simply re-use them after they hit something. If you go through with it however, you'll have the ease of knowing you can switch the buff on and off in case it's making cycling to a specific item you want too hard.
If the Time Watch was Mix'd to a Pumpkin Doll, it will buff Shallie so long as it remains in flight and when attached to a foe.
Weight Stone: This turns the other item into a heavy object like a crate, doubling its damage output and increasing the knockback by a massive 1.35x when
it is thrown. If the item didn't deal flinching, it will deal high hitstun on contact with an enemy.
If this was attached to a Pumpkin Doll, it will not deal any flinching but it will deal 5% on contact and increase the victim's gravity somewhat and their landing lag. The blast also deals 0.85x the attack's damage as opposed to 0.5x.
Barrel: If you held A to Mix a held/nearby item with the barrel or vice-versa, that item will be placed inside the barrel. This is the only way to place items from other sources inside your barrel. If B was held to do the Mix, the other alchemy item will instead apply its traits to the barrel, but with a few exceptions.
The Weight Stone is skipped over; you cannot Mix it with another heavy item as that would be overkill. This leaves the Time Watch as the first item Shallie cycles to, like with the Weight Stone. It's ironically the easiest way to get access to the Watch, but ironically you can't make much use of it while holding a heavy item other than shaving off some of the throwing lag. Ice and Lightning Bombs will leave trails of ice/sparks when moving over the ground (the latter dealing up to 6% over 90 frames), which is a very, very good way of covering the stage in ice. The lightning can also immediately trigger bombs that were inside the barrel when it breaks.
Regular bombs, meanwhile, cause the barrel to explode like the Smash one all the same - only 100% guaranteed here - to deal its regular damage output if an attack triggered the blast. You won't get any stored items out of this, but this blasting barrel deals an extra 5% over its safer cousin and more powerful knockback that KOs 28% earlier - as early as 77% on a good day! The explosive barrel also counts as a single bomb when triggering one, for what that's worth. While this all sounds good, Shallie ironically needs to spend more time reverse-cycling for the earlier bombs if she wants to imbue their traits into her barrel. It's worth it though, because this can be done when you've got a full charge and that full charge will remain a full charge, letting you get in a bit of customisation even when you've got that powerful attack on stand-by.
Side Special ~ Fishing Rod
Shallotte equips her fishing rod in a deft 5 frames, a rare MYM item not seen since the likes of
Gon. This acts as a battering item that replaces the broom on Shallie's melee attacks as that gets strapped to her back in the meantime, but is considerably weaker in exchange for gimmicks we'll get to later on. The rod can be thrown with similar physics to other battering items, but it only deals 3% and no flinching and disappears upon hitting a target or the ground. You can use it to detonate bombs from a distance, but it's a bad idea to throw out carelessly as Shallie cannot use this move at all if the rod wasn't in her possession. Curiously, Shallie can still pick up items while holding the rod given the broom is on her back, letting her do fun things like throw out a bomb and then throw the rod towards it to detonate it in midair. Equipping the rod while already holding an item will have Shallie throw the rod first if the usual Z input was made to do so, whereas the standard inputs are used to throw that held item so you can do a bit of a mix-up with this. Using this move again will have Shallie un-equip the rod.
By double-tapping B, Shallie will cast the line so it flies out 2 platforms ahead of her (this can be angled) and retracts if it fails to snag a target, not keeping the rod on her person if it wasn't already equipped. Casting and retracting take a mere 5 frames each, and if the hook snags something either way it'll get caught on them harmlessly. This acts as a flimsy tether between Shallie and an opponent that's 2 platforms in length. Characters can pull each other around with slow movement when the line is taut, but the hook will detach itself from the victim if one character was airborne when this happened. If a character moves at speeds greater than Ganon's dash however, the hook or the rod will be forcibly yanked from the other character and go flying towards the speeder. The rod/hook travels a minimum distance of 0.5 platforms, not likely to reach the offender unless the line was short, but every extra “dash speed stat” they were moving at at the time will cause the rod/hook to travel an extra 0.25 platforms. They start out travelling 1.5x quicker than the speed that caused them to get yanked too, and gradually lose momentum during their flight; allowing consistent targets to outrun them while potentially catching up with short bursts of speed like rolls or movement-based attacks.
A flying rod deals deals 1% per dash speed unit of 1 it was travelling at, capping out at 6% and only dealing KB or hitstun when dealing at least 3%. This could be used as a speed trap, but the more practical way to utilise it is to launch a tethered victim and use that speed to yank the rod out of your hands and into them for some extra damage. This specifically requires you to deal more than 2 platforms worth of knockback away from Shallie, but the rod here is strike the victim into the apex of their flight for a guaranteed hit. Not only does this provide Shallie with a few extra frames advantage - of which she can use for NSpec charging time - it also causes the move to KO just a bit earlier, which is good because Shallie has a bit of trouble scoring clean KOs.
While snagging an opponent is easy, it's easy for them to break the tether and avoid the rod as it flies to them or even tech it to deprive Shallie of this move. Worse yet, if Shallie was using the rod to attack when it got pulled from her she'll keep on going without producing a hitbox, not all that bad given the distance required for foes to yank the rod but still potentially dangerous. Thus, it's generally better to snag at mid-range or close-up, but for how dead-fast the move is it still leaves Shallie open due to its lack of flinching. The NSpec lobbing can help with this in particular, as the rod can be cast and snag before the item would land on a target, letting you get that extra hitbox in for free.
If Shallie throws the fishing rod while it's snagged to a foe, it'll snap back towards them when/
if the line would go taut. While the rod hitbox here isn't very useful, the potential for a delayed attack and the unique angles from which it can hit can prove useful with detonating your dormant bombs if you've got some mad skill. If the rod misses the target during the snap back, the hook will unhook itself from them if the line would go taut so this can only be done once per throw.
If Shallie uses this move right in front of an opponent, it becomes a command grab that sees the victim get hooked and cast out! This deals either 4% and low follow-up knockback or 8% if you smashed the input, technically KO'ing at 210% but often scoring earlier due to the rod flying into the launched victim. You can launch the victim diagonally forwards, backwards, upwards or on a low angle if grounded like you would when throwing them from a regular grab game, but you have to decide quickly or you'll just smash throw them forwards by default. While not the most amazing thing in the world, having access to a grab and a way to bypass shields on an item-focused character is a massive blessing, given she can't use her regular grab game while the fishing rod and other items.
In addition to foes, the fishing rod can be used to snag items! These will be brought back to Shallie without a hitbox and deposited in front of her afterwards, or you can press B to keep them hooked. Shallie can also choose to hook a held item by smashing the input or unhook it with a repeat use. If Shallie wasn't holding an item, this can be done with one within teching range, and if she was already holding an item and wanted to snag something else you simply have to angle the control stick. Having an item hooked alters some of Shallie's melee attacks to make use of that item, but at the cost of making them laggier to a degree. This technically allows Shallie to hold 2 or 3 items at once including the rod, which is good given how item-centric she is, but you don't get to snag foes or have access to the command grab. Note that the line will fly over smaller items and that you'll need to angle the casting down towards them if you want to snag them, but this is generally a good thing as it keeps most of Shallie's alchemy items from interfering with the snagging of a foe - only her heavy items being tall enough to register when the line was thrown out in a straight line. If a hooked item hits an opponent and would perish as a result, they will be hooked in its place.
Casting the line with an item hooked has it fly out without a hitbox, but it can still react to other hitboxes like falling bombs or enemy attacks. You can also press B anytime during the casting to deposit the item and it will fall without a hitbox if deposited in midair, overall good for some generic item positioning. By holding B when casting however, Shallie will put some more oomph into it and the item
will function as a hitbox as it flies. The item only flies 1.6 platforms and it's a good deal laggier than just throwing it normally, on top of not being able to throw it vertically. On the other hand, you can angle this and the item will remain suspended at the end of its flight for an instant before snapping back towards Shallie. This allows you more control over the item and to re-use it if it misses (assuming it's perishable), as opposed to just letting it go offstage or having that bomb you worked so hard on detonate on a surface. It also lets you hit with the item from behind with surprising ease, by timing the retract so the foe is between you and that item. With good positioning and percentage, this can turn even a simple bomb into a true combo as the foe is knocked towards you. It's also safe up-close even if shielded (most of the time), but that's only fair when Shallie is open to attack from that distance beforehand. Oh, and if Shallie is attacked while casting/retracting the item it'll get unhooked and will fall harmlessly.
If Shallie threw the rod while an item was hooked to it, the rod will go flying as that attached item remains harmlessly suspended in midair. Then, after the rod has covered a platform's length, the rod and the line will go taut in place, and that hooked item will get yanked forth a bit faster and farther than usual to deal 1.04x its usual damage and knockback. After going a platform length itself, that item then goes taut and propels the rod and the process repeats until one item hits or is teched. The rod portion of the hitbox is practically useless and basically exists to limit the item hooked to it to travelling 1 platform for every platform length it goes, which is only fair given the rod doesn't restrict Shallie nearly as much as other items. You'll need spacing to hit with the hooked item, and if you're not careful foes can pluck it out of the air while it remains harmlessly suspended. You could also tech the item while it remains suspended as a sort of fake-out, or even reflect it.
Shallie can hook heavy items too. These function like a tethered character, except the line's length is equal to the distance between it and Shallie and no shorter than 0.5 platforms. Your typical heavy item won't budge when reeled in and are pretty useless with the rod, but a barrel comes with a myriad of uses. It can pull Shallie along as it rolls forwards slowly, which you can pull off easily enough by hitting it with a weak attack. Launched or rolling quickly enough, the rod will get yanked towards the barrel and will break the barrel on contact. With a clever set-up, you could hit a foe with the barrel and if they shielded they'll have to deal with the rod that can potentially set off any bombs that were inside the barrel!
The rod is also great for snagging the barrel from a distance so it doesn't roll offstage, and you can hold B when snagging to kill its momentum and yank it upright. You can then hold B when reeling the barrel to have it pulled in with the force of a smash throw, even if Shallie was in midair. You can also turn the barrel into a hitbox by moving quickly along the ground (Dash, roll, glide) as it hook gets yanked back towards Shallie. This is all very powerful, but running around with a rod hooked to a barrel is not without a price: if Shallie was launched enough for the line to go taut, the barrel will go flying towards her all the same as a rod flying towards a launched opponent! It only deals its minimum damage, but that's still pretty serious, and if she was struck onstage any items inside the barrel will fall into the opponent's possession.
By making a sideways input when doing a Mix, Shallie will fuse her chosen item with the fishing rod! If a backwards input was made specifically, the item will be fused with the rod and this works like mixing any other battering item. Make a forwards input however and only the hook will be affected, in turn affecting your snagged target while they remain hooked. Items are imbued with that trait if applicable, but snagged opponents get it a little differently. Mixing a rod takes 7 frames, but does not use up the charge on the NSpec.
Bomb/Pumpkin Doll: Increases the knockback victims take by a very slight and somewhat inconsequential amount. For rod-based attacks, their knockback is enhanced to be halfway between its usual amount and what the broom would do. Any other attack will simply KO 5-3% earlier.
Bomb Ice: Movement speed reduced to 80%.
Lightning Bomb: Suffer 1% every second, which is unavoidable except through straight-up invincibility like that gained from a Starman.
Dimensional Bomb: If the fishing rod is smash thrown towards the relative direction of the snagged target, even diagonally, it will instantly appear over their location after a slight delay and will continue flying from there. While not all that useful with the weak rod hitbox, if a rod move was used to knock around an item it will teleport into a snagged target all the same. If this was done while the rod was hooked to an item, the rod will teleport forwards without a hitbox where it would normally snap forwards, and only the hooked item will have a hitbox.
Living Trash: Any items the victim picks up is instantly broken up into a nasty purple stench that deals them 3%, destroying it in the process. This can prevent opponents from using Shallie's items against her, but it gives them an easy way to destroy them as well.
Electric Discharge Tube: All attacks deal electric damage to the victim, increasing the amount of hitlag they suffer.
Lava Cube: Items will bounce off the foe as though they had been mix'd with a lava cube.
Time Watch: The victim's shield and any moves or mechanics that involve charging - automatic or manual - will do at 70% the usual rate. This can contribute rather nicely to a shield break.
Weight Stone: The victim has their gravity increased slightly, making them a bit easier to juggle.
Barrel: The barrel cannot be fused with the hook. Attempting to do so will instead have Shallie use a bomb, which is never a bad thing.
Up Special ~ Flying Board
Shallotte gets on her Flying Board and takes a good second to rev it up. Performed midair, the Flying Board will nosedive and Shallie will desperately steer it up to a high angle and bring it to a screeching halt, falling 1.4 Ganons during the rev. The falling machine deals 10-6% and minor upwards knockback depending on how early it hit, but contains 2 sweetspots when it first nosedives: one at the front of the machine, which deals 12% and spiking knockback that KOs at 150%, and another on the rest of the machine which deals 8% and sharp mostly-upwards knockback that positions victims just above where the machine would end up facing after being steered. If the machine hit ground before it could brake in midair, it will crush any victim beneath its front for 10% and average mostly-horizontal knockback. The Flying Board can protect Shallie from non-piercing attacks like projectiles, namely from the front, but it only has 15HP and if it's destroyed it will explode to deal her damage and knockback equal to the finishing blow.
Once the Flying Board is fully revved up, it'll go flying like a rocket! It goes fast enough to rival Sonic's dash, flying on that high angle Shallie steered it up towards or soaring on a low angle if the machine was grounded during the take-off. This speedy prototype won't stop until it goes off-screen, but a panicky Shallotte can only hang onto the handles for up to 4 platforms of flight before she loses her grip and is sent flying back by 2/5ths of the distance she covered (roughly 1.6 platforms) in the opposite direction she came. This means that Shallie doesn't recover as far as the machine initially takes her, but it doesn't put her into helpless either. In fact, Shallie suffers very little end lag as she flies back and can act while she's careening backwards. Shallie can get off the board early by fast-falling or jumping if she still had a midair jump available, in which case the reverse-momentum will be carried over into that action to greatly influence it. Despite how this sounds, Shallie will not actually gain any height when doing a midair jump from a high-angled ride, that momentum instead being used to greatly slow her descent as though she were a floaty character. Having a recovery that takes you 4 platforms, even when hindered by the initial nosedive, without entering helpless is strong enough as-is.
If the Flying Board manages to hit something, it will explode and deal 12-15% with mostly-upwards knockback that KOs at 165-138%. This can be a powerful finisher near the top of the screen, did the revving aspect not make it so telegraphed.The greater damage is inflicted if Shallie was still on the board, and when it occurs the blast will send her flying back on a high angle, as though she got hit by the board at 0%. Miraculously, this deals no damage and will never KO no matter how high up she was, actually benefiting her recovery as she will not go careening back from the reverse-momentum. You still need to wait until you've touched down or been struck to use this move again, however. The grounded flight can prove as useful as the aerial variant, because if a foe dodges the board Shallie will fly back towards them and can capitalise on their dodging attempt.
Opponents hit by the board for the mostly-upwards knockback when it first fell are often positioned to be hit by the rocketing board if it took off in midair, though they can still dodge it. If you crush a grounded foe late into the revving, however, the forwards knockback they receive will true combo into the flying board collision for a total of 25%.
If the Flying Board got destroyed, it will break down into the 4 items that were originally used to synthesize it. Most of these items fly away into the background and thus only make a cameo appearance, but the central component of the Flying Board, the Gravistone, will actually stay around as a throwing item that falls to the floor. The Gravistone deals a paltry 5% that KOs at 235% and shatters when it hits something, but is unique in that gravity is inversed for it: instead of falling, it will actually rise to the top of the screen, allowing it to be used in unique ways that regular items can’t be. For example, you could “drop” the Gravistone in midair so it flies upwards and then use your midair jump to catch up to it and tech it. The only exception to this is if you throw the Gravistone downwards, in which case it will eventually stop falling and rise back up, inverse to what happens when you throw an item upwards. The Gravistone also has a secondary effect of lowering the gravity of anyone holding it by around 33%, but unfortunately it’s difficult to take full advantage of this as you can’t use your aerials while holding basic throwing items. Unless it was hooked to a fishing rod in which case the effect will be passed down to the holder of the rod. The Gravistone’s effects can be transferred to any other item by fusing them together, which is generally the best way to make the most of it.
If the Flying Board lands on a bomb, it will detonate and the board will be bounced 0.5-2 platforms up into the air. This resulting blast does not harm Shallie or her Flying Board. If the bomb was grounded, it will be flattened comically and the blast will spread out on either side to be twice as wide, but only 2/5ths as tall. If the bomb was airborne, the opposite is true as the blast shoots downwards in the form of an explosive pillar that is twice as tall but only 2/5ths as wide, spreading along the ground on either side if it manages to touch down before expiring. This allows Shallotte to add some range to a bomb's blast in a specific direction, but that's not all this interaction is useful for. When the Flying Board is bounced up, it remains angled in the same way it was beforehand, the likes of which depends on your timing into the nosedive (early = low angle, late = high angle), and will continue to be revved and eventually go flying out in the direction it was facing. In other words, this lets you choose the direction the Flying Board goes flying in. If the Flying Board would crash into the ground as a result of this, it will explode per usual and shed a Gravicrystal, but this time Shallotte will simply enter a tripped state, having comically escaped the blast unscathed. If the Flying Board collided into a grounded bomb(s), the impending blast becomes 1.2x bigger and stronger for each bomb that was clustered together, and take on the elemental properties of the bomb if it was ice or lightning.
If you held B to use the Neutral Special, tapped the control stick and then rotated it upwards, Shallotte will actually proceed to fuse her fishing rod with the Flying Board before performing the Up Special as usual. What results from this is a small hook being attached to the back of the Flying Board, allowing it to snag any one item the hook makes contact with for the duration of the Flying Board's existence OR was hooked onto the fishing rod if Shallotte was holding it prior to fusing it with the Flying Board, then have the item come along for the ride. When the Flying Board takes off, a fishing line attached to the hook with a total length of 1 platform will unravel from the back of the board as it travels, and once that line is pulled taut the hook (and any item snagged by it) is dragged along. The flying item is a separate hitbox that deals 1.15x the damage it would when smash-thrown, and even if the board is destroyed mid-flight the item will keep on flying from the momentum it built up. If the recovery plays out normally, the item will inevitably run into Shallie as she is flung back off the board, but its hitbox is not triggered on her and this in fact puts her in an easy position to tech the item if she wasn't already holding one. The item dragged along essentially gives foes more hitboxes to avoid in addition to the Flying Board itself, and can put quite a damper on an opponent's shield if they choose to block everything, especially if the item in question was powerful. It might sound as though fusing the fishing rod with the Flying Board is something you should always do when performing the Up Special, but it takes around 0.55 seconds to do the actual fusion, adding to the move's already telegraphed nature, and if Shallotte was airborne during this time she will continue to fall.
Down Special ~ Broom Tornado
Assuming a batter’s stance, Shallie swings her broom and spins around like a tornado! This lasts anywhere between 30-90 frames (spin longer by holding or tapping B) and deals 3% plus another 1% every 6 frames (5-15%), followed by decent-very high base knockback but only KO'ing at 225-177%. Tapping B, it comes with a suction effect that pulls in opponents and projectiles from up to 1.15 platforms away and items strongly from 1.35-2.3 platforms away depending on their size, from either side. The quicker B was mashed, the stronger the suction effect, weak to moderately strong on opponents and moderate to very strong on items. At max suction, items develop their strong-thrown hitbox as they're pulled towards the broom, capable of hitting opponents between them and Shallie. If the knockback that item dealt to a foe was relatively weak, they will automatically be knocked into the broom hitbox. Whether Shallie suctions or not is determined by the nature of your input at the start of the set and cannot be changed midway.
The spinning broom reflects projectiles with intensity based on how long you've spun for:
- Frames 1-3: 1.4x power, 1.25x speed
- Frames 4-30: 1.15x power, 1x speed
- Frames 31-45: 1.28x power, 1.15 speed
- Frames 46-60: 1.55x power, 1.4x speed
- Frames 61-85: 1.8x power, 2x speed
- Frames 86-90: 2.2x power, 3x speed
It comes with a break threshold of 50-100% and multiplies the lifetime of reflected projectiles by 1-1.3%. If Shallie was mashing to get the suction effect at the time, the noted power and speed factors are increased by a further 0.05x-0.12x. That's not all mashing does either, as the suction affects the speed a projectile goes towards and away from Shallie. It's especially notable when reflected, as the projectile will move anywhere between the speed it was being drawn towards Shallie or slower than its original speed before suddenly spiking to its enhanced speed when leaving the suction range. This can be used to keep the projectile close to Shallie for longer and/or catch opponents off-guard, especially when she can stop spinning early 30 frames into the move to stop the suction altogether. The longer Shallie spins for, the stronger the reflector and if she manages to reflect a projectile right at the end of a full spin she'll have the absolute
most powerful reflector in the game on her hands - even stronger than Ness's reflector! Hitting a projectile that late into the game is easier said than done, however.
If the broom hit an item without a hitbox or one with a hitbox that was generated by the suction, it will be swung around and act as a separate hitbox on the exact part of the broom that caught it, replacing one hitbox on the broom's many on contact. This item deals damage as though it were smash-thrown and has its power multiplied by 1.02-1.2x based on how late into the swing it struck. It's even possible to hit with 2 small items such as 2 bombs if a foe landed between them! If the item dealt relatively weak knockback, it will not launch foes out of the spinning and this can be used to contribute some extra damage. Once the spinning is finished, items are deposited on the sides they came from or one specific side of Shallie if the control stick was tiled to either side.
If the broom struck a moving item with a hitbox not generated by the suction, it will be reflected and shot out horizontally regardless of which direction it was travelling beforehand. This can be used to exploit falling items and provide coverage for the spinning. This also affects the fireballs from a lava cube despite not being items, and can be used to wreak absolute havoc on an opponent as they have to deal with 3 streams of fireball hitboxes - 2 coming diagonally downwards from either side of the cube and a stronger stream coming from Shallie herself, forming a triangular hitbox that
will wreck shields if they're put up. To get the most out of this, toss the lava cube at a foe mid-range and then immediately start spinning, though do note that this can get fairly predictable. You can also just reflect the lava cube to increase its travel distance and thereby the range of the fireballs, at the cost of them being less likely to hit due to being more spread out. Another trick is to spin the lava cube around, have it hit a foe and then release them ASAP as they're knocked into a fireball from relatively high-up.
If the first hit of the broom connects with an item, it will act like the hitbox of a regular attack - if applicable - and then the item will be swung around like usual if it didn't perish. This only really applies with bombs, but rather than damage her they will actually propel her 1-3 platforms along the ground as she spins, without pushing her offstage. This goes 2-4.5 platforms on ice-covered terrain. Opponents will get dragged along if the suction effect was at its best, but otherwise Shallie will pass by them. The latter might not seem worth it damage-wise, but items will be always dragged along as Shallie slides, making it very possible to hit an opponent with multiple weak items for some pretty good damage. The downside is that you need more bombs to go farther along the stage, unless you had parts of the stage frozen, and this can give Shallie less items to work with given the cap on her alchemy items.
By using this move normally, Shallie will spin her broom at mid-height and will not actually hit shorter items like her bombs. If Shallie uses this move while crouching however, she will swing her broom along the ground and can catch these shorter items. This allows Shallie some control over the items that get caught in the spinning, and she's really only going to be able to hit bombs and the like while crouching, but the crouch spin leaves her more open from above and can miss higher projectiles. Both variations of the spin have the same suction effect, the mid-height able to draw in low items and targets and vice-versa.
This move has average end lag if performed for the minimum 30 frames, but is of course still punishable against shields. The longer Shallie spins however, the worse the end lag gets; minor without the suction, but extremely bad and among the worst of any attack if the suction was turned on all the way - enough for Shallie to eat a laggy smash attack! This heavily outweighs the measly 15% output by comparison, even with the potentially massive duration and suction effect. Rather, Shallie needs to make clever use of her items in conjunction with the spinning to avoid the worst, like trapping a shielding opponent for a strong falling item to come down on them. Better yet, if you can shield poke an opponent (done by connecting with the tipper of the broom) they won't be able to punish you as they're caught in the attack, but the move deals abysmal shield damage so you have to rely on items or a shield conditioned prior.
Used in midair, this move starts and ends quicker and briefly stalls Shallie when first used, then descends more slowly than usual. It produces no suction effect, but instead keeps Shallie suspended in midair or carries her up to 1.5 Ganons upwards. Sadly, the spinning only lasts for 18-54 frames and deals 3-9%, the worst end lag still crummy enough to make the max height gain near useless. Shallie can cancel her spinning by grabbing a ledge however, and can drift sideways very slightly during her spin. This variant is extremely good for dragging opponents into items or holding them in place for one to fall on them, but dragging an opponent down into a grounded item can prove a bit difficult due to how slowly Shallie falls. And of course, this move can be used for the more practical purpose of gimping opponents by dragging them closer to the abyss or stage-spiking them, though it's not a good ideal to descend too far given the nature of Shallie's recovery or else she'll fall to her death before her flying machine can take off.
Target hooked by rod, they'll be pulled into attacking range during the starting lag if Shallie was grounded at the time, without producing a hitbox on items. The fishing rod only deals half the damage of a broom, which is absolutely abysmal, but if there was an item hooked to the rod it'll go spinning 1 platform ahead of the rod and acts as an extra ranged hitbox. Unlike with your usual spinning, this swung item's power is relative to the reflector property's strength at the time and can deliver devastating damage when connecting right near the end of a full-power swing, though this does require a hard read and some space between you and your opponent for it to connect.
Inputting down from a Mix, Shallie will fuse her chosen item with the broom! This allows Shallie to customise her broom, though it does come with restrictions given the broom is permanent unlike items. Mixing an Ice Bomb cuts Shallie's damage output down to 70%.
Down Special (Smash) ~ Purify
Shallotte clutches her broom or held item between her hands as they flash with a white light, removing all traits applied to it via Mix. This can be used on heavy items by pressing B while holding one, despite the fact that they normally prevent their holders from attacking.
STANDARDS
Jab ~ Cleaning, Cleaning...
Shallie goes
back to the basics with this unorthodox attack that sees her sweep the floor vigorously with her broomstick. This produces a copious amount of transcendent dust that's barely taller than Shallie, but a bit thinner, and racks up multiple hits of 1% somewhat ineffectively (it is just a dust cloud, after all!). This deals
slight pushback against grounded opponents, while aerial opponents are specifically pushed upwards but are able to DI backwards nonetheless. The tallness of the cloud actually makes it better against airborne opponents than grounded ones, but it will not reach opponents on platforms directly above Shallie (unless part of their hurtbox was dipping through, due to an attack or animation or whatnot). Like most multi-hitting Jabs, this will push Shallie back and makes a string of hits short-lived against grounded opponents. On the other hand, this can actually benefit Shallie with her back to the ledge as she'll get pushed off, able to use her good ledge game in the form of NSpec and DSpec and able to potentially exploit an airborne opponent being pushed up by the dustcloud - likely positioning them for an NSpec lob.
Tapping A again quickly has Shallie swing her broom upwards. The handle here deals 3.5% and somewhat wonky but convenient low-angled knockback, of which can be used to tech at higher percents, while the broom head is the sweetspot that deals 7% and strong base knockback that KOs at 185%. This comes out fast and is guaranteed to hit opponents caught in the dust, but close-up you'll only get the weaker knockback that can still be very useful for follow-ups. It's a bit technical, but if you want your space you'll have to push opponents away from to the edge of the dust hitbox - of which is very precise when pushing a grounded foe due to the limited horizontal reach of the dust - rather than hit early. It's also worth noting that this broom swing has notably more horizontal reach than the dust, and can catch out opponents who have been pushed back and think it's safe. Feel free to go for broke or fake-out by just ending the attack there, possibly following into a juicy grab.
The fishing rod doesn't throw up dust, not being a broomstick and all. Instead, the rod is a hitbox
extremely close to Shallie and so is the hook, which rattles back and forth ahead of Shallie to cover an impressive distance and pushing opponents away from her. Hitting the rod, should that somehow occur, yields 2% and low 52* knockback. Tapping A again has Shallie yank the rod back to deal 5% and strong mostly-upwards knockback that KOs at 210%, but if an item that could deal knockback was attached to the hook its hitbox will overwrite it instead but KO no earlier than 140%.
If Shallie's broom or rod were imbued with ice, the floor ahead of her will get frozen at a rate of 0.75 platform's worth every second.
Dash Attack ~ Jovial Leap
Shallotte performs a vigorous leap as she spreads her legs, kicking opponents who get in her way! Hitting at the start, Shallie deals 10% and solid knockback right up-close, or 7% with decent upwards knockback from her kick. Hitting any later into the move results in 4% and minor mostly-horizontal knockback. This doesn't take Shallotte very far and exposes her hurtbox all the while, but it's one of the fastest Dash Attacks in the game to the point of being spammable - allowing Shallie to continue dashing after using it! A simple move, its speed is extremely useful for an item-user like Shallie, letting her tech items on the go without really having to commit to the move. The hitboxes are good for set-ups too, especially the 7% hitbox which positions opponents to be right above Shallie given the minor movement from the Dash Attack - excellent if done in conjunction with a tech so you can throw that item up towards the launched victim!
F-tilt ~ Broom Poke
Shallie adopts a stance and stabs her broom forwards like a spear (this can be angled), the handle dealing 4% while the head inflicts 2 hits of 3.5% with reasonable base knockback that KOs past 235%. Both hits have a slight gap between them when connecting, and the first - but not second - hit from the head has transcendent priority. What this move lacks in power is compensated by its solid range and safeness at the head, a good poking move that lingers just enough to wall out opponents. The handle deals low 52* knockback that can actually combo into the head at very low percents, while the head knocks opponents away diagonally. This move has enough range to keep Shallie safe from smaller bomb blasts, and will actually detonate a bomb held by an opponent should the head connect with them. If both hitboxes connect, their damage outputs will be combined and they'll deal knockback that can KO as late as 165%. You can also angle downwards to hit grounded bombs for an extra hitbox.
While not slow, the handle hitbox is completely unsafe on shields and leaves Shallie fairly punishable from minimal stun and the move's relative duration. The head hitbox, on the other hand, hits twice and can actually catch out opponents who drop their shield too early to punish Shallie thinking it was just the sourspot. There won't be an awful lot of situations where the opponent will get fooled by this given the range required for it, but it might work if you've pressured and pushed the opponent away into a situation where you can go for the range.
The fishing rod has an identical hitbox that deals 1% less than the broom, but if an item was hooked it'll go flying as an extra hitbox that deals similar damage to when dropped. This won't combo from the main attack if it connected head-on, but like some of Shallie other attacks it'll deal extra shield damage, has a higher chance of inducing a shield poke and can catch opponents off-guard with the third hit - or two extra hits if the item hit close-up and wasn't perishable like a trash can, as it goes forwards and then back to Shallie. It is somewhat better for walling than the regular version, but extra starting lag makes its uses less liberal and it has a bit of a longer duration.
U-tilt ~ Carrier
Facing the screen with the broom resting in her hands, Shallotte lifts it overhead as though it were a massive dumbbell. This deals 10% and strong base knockback KO'ing at 180% when hitting above her, or 5% when hitting on either side of her. The move comes out a slowly like a heavyweight tilt despite not having the same kind of KO power, but it has excellent coverage and low end lag that is useful for following up and starting a combo with the sourspot at low-mid percentages, all while not hitting low enough to accidentally trigger smaller items like your bombs. Your weaker fishing rod lacks an overhead sweetspot, but is much more effective for keeping foes close to you on top of the hooked item being a flung hitbox while the rod is.
Once the move is finished, Shallie will continue to hold the broom above her for up to 5 seconds. This acts as a makeshift roof to non-hostile items bar a weight stone, allowing her to keep them perched on it for a while (she's pretty strong!) until she cancels into another move - useful if she jumped and tech'd the item just as it was about to land. Shallie can even angle her broom by up to 45 degrees when thrusting it, which affects the hitbox and turns it into a makeshift slope that can guide barrels and make them more powerful as they gain momentum.
D-tilt ~ Sweeper
Shallotte sweeps only the broom head of her broom along the ground for a short-reaching attack, dealing 3% and with a chance of tripping. This tripping factor can be used to Jab lock or even hard read into a punishable attack like the Down Special or D-Smash, as well as set-up into a Neutral Special throw to give foes something to react to if you predict that they'll roll back right away. At higher percentages, this move will launch opponents on a high angle and is great for setting up combos as well as a more feasible alternative to the slower U-tilt. It starts to launch for very weak knockback starting at around 70%. This can combo well into the Jab if you specifically want to hit airborne opponents, even at lower percents.
The fishing rod gets swept to its maximum length when used in this move, but only deals 2% and does not flinch where it would extend past the broom head's range It still does a
bit of shield damage though, just no stun whatsoever. This isn't particularly useful, except that the attack is pretty spammable and could help to freshen up other moves. Furthermore, hooked targets will be pulled in an infinitesimal length (almost no distance) each time Shallie uses this move, smaller items being pulled in a more noticeable distance at 0.3 platforms. The pull can become somewhat relevant closer-up where opponents will have to react when they get within range of the sweetspot, of which can be used to condition for a different move. You could even go straight into the Down Special from this!
Having an item hooked makes no difference in this move, as the item actually gets set down in front of Shallie while she's crouching and using this move. This is very minor on the whole, except where bombs are concerned as they can act as a mini-counter against opponents to some degree - encouraging higher-hitting attacks and possibly deterring Standard inputs that would grab items (Jab, F-tilt, D-tilt) in such a way that Willy Wonka would be proud!
Hitting an item with the broom will bounce it 1 platform upwards without giving it a hitbox. This can be detrimental for the most part, except when a bomb can act as an anti-air. Some of Shallie's Aerials also get bonuses when teching an item, which can work with follow-ups on opponents at higher percentages.
SMASHES
F-Smash ~ Shadow Attack
Shallotte swings her broom like a baseball bat! This 12-16% at the head or only 5-8% at the handle, but comes out fast and is reasonably spammable. It can be angled too, and reflects projectiles that connect with the broom after a slight pause, items treated as though they were smash-thrown. Projectiles that hit the head are sent back on your chosen angle with 1.15-1.5x the speed, distance and 1.3x the power they had before, highly useful if foes are using your projectiles against you, while the handle only bops them up on an awkward high angle with 0.5-0.8x as much power - a decent "fake-out" at best. The broom swing will generally miss shorter items (usually for the better), but it's actually possible to hit them with the broom head angled downwards with some spacing, in which case that item will go sliding along the stage in a manner not normally possible. If there was an item at Shallotte's feet when the charge was released, she'll kick it towards the head of the broom, delaying the swing slightly in exchange for automatically positioning that item to be swung at max power.
The fishing rod is only 0.82x as powerful as the broom and only reflects projectiles with 1.13x as much power at best. The line is actually a transcendent hitbox here however, reaching out 1 platform and briefly stunning opponents it passes through - effective enough to disrupt them or, better yet, open them up for a reflected projectile or batted item. If the line connects while an item was hooked, that item will spin towards the foe and damage them anyway, without needing to make direct contact from a distance. This doesn't work with heavy items. If a barrel was hooked and was some distance ahead of Shallie, it will get yanked and will roll towards slowly pre-charge - with a slight delay as fair warning - and become a hitbox that can work in with the swing itself. If the barrel was instead behind Shallie pre-charge, it will go rolling towards her at high speeds when she swings her rod.
If this move was fully charged and there was an item in front of Shallotte, it will be enveloped in a pinkish sphere that hovers to where the broom head will strike without delaying the swing. This sphere is then smashed forwards to go flying, curving upwards all the while so it ends 1.65 platforms diagonally above where Shallie swung it. If the sphere catches a foe, they'll be sucked into it, and when it reaches its apex it'll just float there for a moment before bursting and dealing them that item's reflected damage output - with the bonus of them being closer to the top of the screen/blast zone. The sphere can be reflected like any other projectile, but once it catches a target it becomes immune to such and fly through obstacles while dealing them any damage it takes without the knockback, capable of detonating bombs it comes across. Despite how the sphere sounds, it is not a grab hitbox and can be shielded against in which case it will continue to fly past the target. The sphere flies at Mario's dashing speed no matter what item it contained, which can serve as a bit of a mix-up if you chose not to fully charge the move otherwise as most items will fly faster than it given the speed multiplier.
U-Smash ~ Dust Storm
Shallotte lowers her broom as though lining up a golf shot, and once released she brings it behind her and gives it a nice wide swing. This deals 15-20% and very high base upwards knockback if it hits in front of Shallie, but only scales to KO at 182-155%. Hitting from above, diagonally or otherwise, instead nets you 13-17% and above-average knockback that scales all the same. The swing also hits behind Shallie but doesn't reach the floor, hitting for 8-12% and slightly forwards upwards knockback that KOs at 220-190%. The sweetspot deals decent shield damage and a surprising amount of push when charged, making it safe on contact and possibly knocking foes over the edge. Barring some starting lag and lack of real kill power, this is a very solid melee attack with both great reach and coverage around Shallie. It's useful for baiting out dodges and for edge-guarding due to the several angles it can hit from, even if it doesn't knock foes back towards the edge. Oh, and it also has low end lag.
When Shallie swings her broom, any grounded items that were close to her are scooped towards the head and shot up after a slight delay, as though they had been strong-thrown or smash-thrown depending on the charge. Only the very start of the swing has this effect on items. This can work on multiple items bundled together, in which case they fly together in a tight vertical formation starting from the later catch and so on. This enables Shallie to send multiple bombs flying at once for the big explosion, and if even one of those bombs connect they'll all deal considerable damage to the target. If you hit a foe and items at the exact same time, the former will go flying up before the delay occurs and then the items will go flying up towards them. The items generally won't reach the foe due to a combination of the delay, shot height and knockback scaling of the move, but it's possible for them to connect at lower percentages and a full charge. Or making the knockback on this move weaker by Mixing the broom with another item.
If Shallie was moving while charging, say because she jump-cancelled a dash into this move, she'll take any items she comes across as she goes. This can be used to collect bombs or stuff from here, though the movement is rather limited without an icy surface to skate along.
Moments after the hitbox ends, Shallie's sweep whips up a dust cloud the height and length an average item would cover when knocked up by the swing. This has no hitbox, but it does strangely detonate explosives that enter the cloud, even if they were being held by someone. Knocking bombs upwards, the cloud actually works against them as it makes them detonate shortly into their descent, which is only fair given the delayed descent hitbox that would result otherwise would be rather overpowered when this move has a lot going for it. On the other hand, a multitude of bombs will detonate without ever needing to hit a foe and can catch them out if they were hit by any part of the U-Smash's hitbox, though the cloud manifests early enough for them to dodge. The U-Smash hit also has a strange property that keeps it from knocking items out of an opponent's hands, so if they were holding a bomb when launched it'll detonate the instant they touch the dust cloud. The cloud lingers for 1.3-2.5 seconds after being created, useful as a wall against bombs being used against you but mostly being an inconvenience to Shallie due to how much she can spam bombs. Only one dust cloud can exist at once, but it mostly serves to punish Shallie if she uses or spams this move carelessly.
The properties of the dust cloud change when the broom's properties are altered. A fire broom treats bombs that explode in it as being 2 "stages" higher or 1 stage if 3 or more bombs were stacked together, meaning a single bomb deals the same damage as 3 bombs together. An ice broom causes the cloud to slow opponents occupying it half as effectively as being hit with an ice bomb. An electric broom damages opponents 1/3rd as powerfully as an lightning bomb. These clouds linger for 2-5 seconds, meaning they'll stay out for longer as a hindrance if not utilised to their full potential. Dust clouds disappear twice as fast when Shallie is sped up with a Time Watch.
No item hooked, the fishing rod simply acts as a weaker broom dealing 75% of the damage and knockback, and without the ability to knock items up. It's also less safe on shields. On the other hand, the lower knockback is easier to follow up on and no dust cloud is created, as well as still having the reliable coverage.
If there was a barrel hooked to the line, it will be get yanked and will roll towards Shallie at some point during the attack. Initially behind Shallie, the barrel will get tugged forwards when the frontal hitbox comes out, whereas in front of her the barrel will roll towards her when the swung rod is behind her. When pulling the barrel from behind you, it's possible for the end hitbox behind Shallie to connect with the barrel with precise spacing.
Swinging a rod with an item hooked has the line extend 1 platform and have that item able to hit foes when spaced correctly. There's no line hitbox unlike with the F-Smash, but the arc allows the item to cover a wide area. Hitting early on, foes will actually get knocked up into item at its apex and can potentially take more damage than getting hit by the broom. In the case of a bomb, its properties will alter the upwards knockback into lesser horizontal knockback that makes it easier for Shallie to follow-up, especially with her NSpec or SSpec.
Brandishing the pickaxe owned by her late father, Shallotte swings it down with great heft! This deals a generous 16-23% that KOs at 125-95%, but the strenuous labour leaves her exhausted and suffering very high end lag. There's also a hitbox behind Shallie as she swings her leg up for balance, which deals 2-5% and inwards horizontal knockback. This will follow directly into the pickaxe if it hits right at the start, but otherwise you'll miss the timing and will find that the knockback is low and scales to KO at 300-250%, allowing foes to punish Shallie at low-mid percentages. It will also pull shielding opponents in towards Shallie, actually pulling them in right in front of her if their traction was lowered because of an icy surface.
The pickaxe is fairly weak for how punishable it is, but it actually deals huge shield damage on contact - taking off 60-85% or breaking it in one go at full charge. That pickaxe must be alchemically enhanced! It can still be punished when powershielded, but if there was a bomb close-by that can add extra shield damage and possibly finish the job. It's also deadly with a Time Watch as you'll reach that full charge more quickly. What's more, Shallie suffers 2-4% less damage and only 70-40% as much knockback from the front while swinging the pickaxe, actually making it ideal to hit a bomb as getting struck by it will cancel out the horrible end lag and has little chance of KO'ing her. Even better is that Shallie's swinging leg will pull in items to the front of her to get struck by the pickaxe, allowing her a bit more leeway to pull this off. A barrel will go rolling forwards this way, and if you space the kick so the foot hits the barrel it will be timed so the pickaxe misses it and it will keep rolling forwards. This can be used as a secondary hitbox and/or to cover Shallie's end lag.
Like most powerful attacks, the pickaxe hitbox pushes Shallie back when it connects with a shield. This is not enough to keep the end lag from being punishable, but done over an icy surface foes will have to somewhat go out of their way to get that punish in, and charged partway the spacing will be enough to give her a good chance of not being punished. If Shallie goes over the ledge however, she'll cancel out of the rest of the attack and can transition into her powerful offstage game via
shield push cancelling. Definitely something you'll want to go for, and it can be gotten easier by reading the foe's ledge option.
If this move was charged at least partway and hit solid ground, Shallie's impact will create a depression! A platform length of ground around where the pickaxe struck will sink to create a very shallow and sloped Pokeball deep pit. If there wasn't enough ground on either side to accommodate this, no pit will be created. The pit is too short to hide in, but it's enough of a slope for circular items like bombs and barrels to roll into and giving the latter a hitbox just like in Smash. The sloped nature of the pit means that the barrel will keep rolling back and forth until it runs out of momentum, but there's nothing stopping players from attacking or picking it up. The pit stays around for 7 seconds before it caves in on itself and reverts to flat terrain.
While the pit can be used to bring Shallie's items close together, it is not the best use of set-up time due to how laggy the move is, and you won't get the pit if the pickaxe hits a bomb first as the pickaxe needs to hit the ground to terraform it. It's better to utilise the pit in combination with the D-Smash, of which will get you no better result in than using to break the foe's shield. If you have bombs nearby, you can have them all roll into the pit right up into the opponent and exploit them however you please. If you had the NSpec fully charged however, you could kick the barrel over the stunned foe's head so it rolls back into them from behind and they're knocked towards you. This leads to all sorts of fun shenanigans like hooking the victim just before they're hit, and you can short-hop or full-hop the barrel kick and then fast-fall so the barrel is delayed if you've got time. You can even use the aerial Down Special to catch the foe as they're hit by the barrel and drag them down into the contents you loaded it with, practically a death sentence at decent percentages if it contained 5 bombs. Even if you don't have the means to pull off that crazy kill or even a barrel, Shallie still plenty of ways of getting mileage from the set-up.
Objects hooked by a fishing rod will remain hooked even when Shallie puts her fishing rod away for the pickaxe during this attack.
AERIALS
Shallie takes the flying test as she vigorously sits near the back of the broom! She fails to fly for the 100th time, but she succeeds in dealing 10% and high base upwards knockback that KOs at 175% if she hits with the body or broom head right behind her. The handle protruding from the front of Shallie deals 7.5% and diagonal knockback that KOs at 190%. This comes out crazy fast and doesn't weaken over time unlike other sex kicks, as well as being partially disjointed. A good combo-breaker or tech when opponents are nearby. Too bad it has a lot of end lag as Shallie has too much fun during the move, but hey she's allowed to have some fun! The fun ends early if she lands as she lands on her rump and rubs it comically, which is not only kind of funny but also lets her act earlier than when ending the move airborne. Such irony.
Shallie can also ride her fishing rod, which is seriously a thing here because now it's our turn to have some fun. This variant only deals 7-3% and strong/low base knockback, while the front of the rod deals a mere 4-1.5% and no flinching. On the other hand, it has low end lag - as Shallie unsurprisingly doesn't have much fun riding on a fishing rod - and can be used as either a juggler or launcher depending on when you connected.
If Shallie had a foe hooked and launched them with this attack, she'll get taken along for the ride by their momentum! This works only if the foe was knocked at least 0.85 platforms upwards, and even then the sweetspot won't take her too far unless the foe was at a very high percentage or the rod was modified. Shallie is kept 0.85 platforms away from the victim after the ride and at frame-neutral with them, positioned so they're directly beneath the space behind her. While the position may seem a bit inconvenient, Shallie still has plenty of follow-ups from this with her Down Special, B-reversed NSpec and wide-ranged U-air, even if she can't item throw from this due to needing the foe hooked in the first place. Unless you tech'd an item when using this move. The foe is automatically unhooked when Shallie's ride ends, but they will automatically be hooked if struck by the rod portion behind Shallie so you can potentially ride the foe over and over! It works even if Shallie hits a grounded opponent and lands while they're receiving their knockback, in which case her landing lag will be cut short. This can allow Shallie a good chance to tech an item at the same time given she's so close to the ground, in which case she'll be in a good position to use it afterwards.
A hooked item rests directly behind Shallie and functions as a separate hitbox, dealing damage as though it had been dropped. This comes with no extra lag unlike most of Shallie's other rod attacks, but it does compromise the ability to hook a foe. Nonetheless, it can help compensate for the low power to a degree and can be used to "customise" the hitbox. It's also worth noting that the rod gets slanted backwards while supporting an item this way. As such, hitting an opponent with a bomb this way will cause Shallie to bounce up or increase the momentum of her jump, making it easier to follow-up on the purely upwards knockback. If the bomb hits the ground however, she'll go bouncing 1.3 platforms forwards on a low angle! This can occur at any time during the attack: hitting early lets you plough forwards with the hitbox, while hitting later lets you capitalise on the low end lag to hit enemies with another Aerial. This can be used as a bit of a mix-up approach by teching a grounded bomb with this move and fastfalling.
On an extra note, this move works extremely well with the reverse-momentum aspect of the Up Special due to Shallie flying backwards and getting the opportunity to hit opponents from behind to hook them - or just hit with her item. Better yet, the heightened speed at which Shallie flies at causes all aspects of the N-air to deal an extra 6% and appropriate knockback! Weaker attacks like the main hitbox itself will deal noticeably more knockback and allow Shallie to fly farther while hooking a launched opponent, though sadly she obviously cannot use the Up Special again until she touches down. The added momentum also causes Shallie to bounce twice as far while she detonates a hooked bomb, which will in fact refresh her jumps and recovery if done on the ground and can actually be used to fly into an opponent once more if they shielded or dodge. That's sure to surprise them!
Shallotte swings her broom down from an overhead position. The actual hitbox comes out fairly fast above Shallie, but the swing itself is very slow and essentially has more "start-up lag" the lower it hits, finishing on a steep angle. The handle deals 8% while the head deals 10% and good knockback that KOs at 180%: normally diagonal, but purely horizontal when hitting from above (or close to it) and a spike at the end of the hitbox, one that can thankfully be capitalised on easily with the swing's low end lag. Landing lag is conveniently low and useful for cancelling out of the attack if you don't want to go through all of it. The move can be used as an anti-air in this sense, potentially catching out air dodgers with its high range, or simply used to hit opponents on platforms as something of an alternative to the NSpec (because you might want to save the charge or go for a semi-spike).
The head of the broom will knock items out of foes it strikes, after which they fall and are treated as though they were dropped by Shallie. This isn't very relevant to the move itself unless you landed the spike, in which case the victim will get knocked down into the item for some extra damage and possibly back up for a combo. Otherwise it can actually be detrimental to an offstage spike as the item's hitbox saves them from dying. That being said, bombs will actually detonate in the victim's hands instead of being dropped to add their damage output onto the broom head's and improve the knockback to KO at around 146%. Like the F-tilt, this can punish opponents for picking up Shallie's items.
The fishing rod deals less damage, but has a much shorter duration that makes the move more spammable. If there was an item hooked to it however, it will have the same duration as the broom but the item attached to it will get swung down from 1 platform away. The swung item has its knockback enhanced
slightly and will launch on the same trajectory as the head sweetspot, except the first part of the move will spike while the last part deals purely upwards knockback. Both hits can be used to start combos from a distance, the first hit being substantially easier but requiring landing lag to get out of the move's duration. If the spiking hitbox hits a grounded opponent however, they'll be knocked behind Shallie on a relatively low angle, of which can be used to start a gimp - possibly knocking the foe too far away to recover - and harass opponents at the ledge above you to supplement Shallie's good ledge game. Be aware, however, that the swing's long duration combined with the range required for it to hit can put Shallie in a precarious position close to the abyss where she'll have to pretty much recover
immediately with her Up Special afterwards, and if she misses she'll be in for all sorts of hell if opponents come to down to capitalise on her swing's long duration.
If Shallie lands while swinging an item with the rod one-thirds of the way into the swing, it will detach itself from the rod and fall as though Shallie had dropped it. Hopefully not falling offstage. This can provide some extra coverage for Shallie and pressure for close-by opponents, but sadly you cannot do this from most of Shallie's items as they typically perish on hit. You can however fastfall this and try to hit with just the item. Thankfully, this still works if you hit with just the rod, and if you're timing was
reeeally good you might be able to knock the victim into the detached item! On the other hand, this may not be worth it for what other uses you may be able to get out of Shallie's items, and even if the item doesn't connect it can be useful for positioning. What this also does is free up Shallie's rod in case she doesn't want to contend with the extra lag on some of her moves, like being able to spam this move more easily for instance.
B-air ~ Butt Slam
Shallotte sticks her butt out behind her and her limbs in front of her like she's doing stretches, that last resort move people joke about in the chat! The booty is the main attraction here, acting as a brief sex kick that deals a respectable 10% when hitting at the start (KO'ing as early as 160%) and 6% later on. Hitting head-on nets you knockback on a relatively low angle, but if you strike with the bottom of the bottom you'll knock foes towards the front of you at a Sakurai angle. This is a simple combo, power or gimping move where you see fit, greatly helped by the fact that you can knock opponents to either side of you. Though the hitbox only covers Shallie's rump and leaves the rest of her body exposed, it's dead fast and one of Shallotte's most effective option for teching items - along with just pressing Z - and can actually tech items from farther than usual from the front due to having her hands stretched out. It can also be used as a pseudo D-air or dodge given Shallie tucks her limbs forwards during the move, and an effective move out of the reverse-momentum of the Flying Board.
U-air ~Broom Spinner
Shallotte twirls her broom directly overhead for a multi-hitter dealing 6 lots of 1.5%, followed by purely upwards knockback that unfortunately lacks in KO power (past 230%). Finishing at the horizontal extremities of the broom will instead knock foes on a 35* inward angle, which can generically get them overhead of Shallie to be hit by a falling item - or even be used beneath the ledge to knock foes standing on it offstage, a mix-up among her ledgeworthy Specials like the NSpec and DSpec. The multi-hitting can be used to drag opponents too, and if you land while doing so they'll be knocked up slightly as the both of you are put into an opportune frame-neutral. Between this and the U-tilt, Shallie's casual upwards moves lack reach but have good coverage, the former covered by her casual access to items while the latter can catch opponents who try to avoid these items.
By holding A or smashing the input, the broom will generate a platform-tall and Shallie-wide suction effect that specifically draws in items towards her horizontally at the start of the move. This can be used to simply re-direct items, like making them curve to hit below Shallie so bombs can potentially knock opponents up into her hitbox. It can also influence the fireballs from a lava cube. It's not something you can really spam due to the move's duration, unless short-hopped, and used just for the sake of it opponents may be able to punish Shallie.
If an item gets caught directly above the spinning broom, it will simply undulate in place and will get pushed up if Shallie ascends. It then remains floating still for one second afterwards, during which it is not a hitbox, before it falls. This can be used to pace the falling item with Shallie's intentions such as if she wants to land, or simply give foes something to worry about.
If Shallie specifically techs an item when using this move, its damage output will be added to the first hit that connects against a foe for up to 10% extra. This also increases the knockback to potentially KO at 160%. In the case of a bomb, it will detonate only on the final hit and push Shallie 2 Ganons downwards, making this more of a combo finisher.
The fishing rod is weaker than the broom as you'd expect, but the lesser knockback allows Shallie to keep opponents closer for extra pressure. Item snagged, it will have a hitbox on either side of the spinning rod as it spins, and if the final hitbox of the rod connects the item will shoot inwards to the target and its hitbox will replace the usual weak knockback from the rod.
D-air ~ Here Comes Lotte!
Shouting the move's name, Shallie "divekicks" with the back of her broom thrust at breakneck speeds! This deals a powerful 14% and very high base knockback anywhere between a 50-10* angle depending on when it lands, with decent shield damage and one of her better KO moves at 148%. It also comes with an earthshattering hitbox upon landing that deals 10% and solid upwards knockback, reaching out 0.65-0.5 platforms on either side of her depending on how far she fell. Unfortunately, this has tons of landing lag, and while it comes out extremely fast having to be at a specific angle to hit with it makes it more predictable. You can get around being punished by landing behind a blocking foe so they can't attack you as easily, distracting them with falling items, hitting their weakened shield so the earthshatter can poke them from beneath or by cancelling into a ledge grab. As well as using this attack from high enough that you won't land in the first place. You may even want to use the shockwave to trigger a bomb blast to hit yourself out of the lag, ala D-Smash.
The fishing rod only deals half as much damage and knockback and doesn't come with a shockwave, but the landing lag is less severe. Line pulled taut, the hook will get pulled along to extend 1 platform from behind. An item snagged will naturally act as a hitbox this way and can serve to cover Shallie if she whiffs the attack, hitting a short distance ahead of her so that she will get harmed by a small bomb blast. On the other hand, a vacant hook can snare an opponent on the way down, in which case it will temporarily extend as Shallie falls and does nothing all the while. Once Shallie lands however, the hook will yank foes at least 1 platform apart from her down for 5% and strong knockback on a similar angle she descended. This will straight-up KO offstage opponents at 100%, though this requires precise positioning for both them and Shallie, or just forces foes into a tech situation as they plummet to the ground. Afterwards, foes are released from the hook.
If Shallie finishes the attack in midair or cancels it by grabbing a ledge, the rod will either remain hooked to the foe (this will also happen if they were too close to Shallie when she landed) or, if the foe was more than 2 platforms away from Shallie, the rod will go flying into them. This can, as strange as it sounds, actually be used as a "finisher" of sorts against opponents high-up as the rod flies towards them, though it's pretty impractical even when not considering how weak the rod hitbox is. If Shallie was interrupted from her descent in any other way like being attacked, foes will automatically be released from her snare.
GRAB
Shallotte reaches out with one hand to catch a foe by the collar, doing a surprisingly good job for someone so nice and who is also holding a broom. Must be from all that item-handling! This is a respectable grab, but it might not see a lot of use given Shallie's frequent item usage and that she can use the fishing rod as a substitute command grab.
Upon grabbing a foe, Shallie will put her broom away for the duration of the grab as she uses that hand to hold the foe's collar as well.
Pummel ~ Handler
Shallotte knees her captive for a simple 2%. By holding A, she will instead bat their arms with her broom for a slightly longer pummel, but automatically disarming them of any item they were holding. This can be used simply to retrieve an item that an opponent was keeping away from you (or teched), or even to use during the follow-ups. Shallie may also
not want her opponent to be holding an item for her throws.
B Pummel ~ Transmute
Shallie uses her Mix ability to fuse one of her alchemy items with the target's clothing or their body if they weren't wearing anything. Tapping B lets you cycle between Shallie's various alchemy items, whereas holding B uses an alchemy item either character was holding or one close-by and is much quicker for targeting a specific item. This imbues the victim with an identical effect to the hook fusion Side Special and can stack with that effect, lasting for the duration of the grab game plus 3 seconds. The exception to these copied effects are the dimensional bomb as that relies on the fishing rod; this instead causes a portal to open up when the victim suffers strong knockback, before another portal opens up and spits them out 1-1.15 platforms into their knockback. This will only take effect with at least 3 platforms worth of knockback and caps out at 4.5 platforms worth. The portals last for 2 seconds and can be used to pursue the foe or give your items some extra reach.
Shallie shoves the opponent away with one hand for 2% and set 60* knockback 1 platform away. Not bad for a teenage girl! At the same time, she pulls a spiky uni from her bag and throws it at the target to deal them 10% and medium base knockback that scales to KO at 150% - actually killing a bit earlier due to the prior knockback. The uni then bounces off the foe and back towards Shallie to rest at her feet. Furthermore, she suffers very little end lag out of this and can follow-up pretty easily at lower percentages.
Foes can actually react to the uni as it reaches them, but they barely have time to do practically anything other than tech it with a Z input. Which is good, because anyone who picks up the uni gets pricked for 5% and an extra 1% for every second they remain holding it. You can't just let go of the uni casually either, because it's moderately laggy to throw and it's even got some surprising end lag from a drop that prevents it from comboing as effectively as other items, letting foes capitalise on those openings if you're not careful. The uni will not drop easily from its holder taking knockback, either.
The uni deals its solid damage when thrown, which is good because it's pretty much Shallie's only item that packs a punch without modifications
and can be reused as most of them perish on contact. When the uni is thrown at someone, it'll bounce off of them diagonally in the opposite direction the thrower was facing, often back towards them when thrown horizontally. If the uni hits the thrower on the way back because they were close to the target it bounced off of, it'll damage them as well but will slump off of them on contact. The uni also deals 3% to any character who steps over it, even Shallie after throwing out the uni after the shove. The uni stays out for around 3 seconds before disappearing, unfortunately requiring Shallie to handle it or hook it if she wants to exploit it properly.
If foes don't tech the uni, this functions as a very effective KO throw that gives Shallie a free item, ready to exploit with the NSpec or F-Smash among other moves. It's even good at lower percentages as the lesser knockback puts Shallie in a better position to harass the foe with her new toy and capitalise on the lower end lag for follow-ups. If the foe
does tech the uni, the throw effectively becomes the kind that's easy to follow-up on. Foes will likely choose this at higher percentages too, and thus it won't be too difficult to finish them off. It can prove annoying if Shallie wants to go for the KO, but there is a way to guarantee the uni to hit: simply catch the foe out while they're holding an item, and they won't have any room to tech your uni.
B-throw ~ Batter Up!
Shallotte swings the foe behind her and lets of of them, only to spin once more and use the momentum for an extra-powerful swing of her broom! This one knocks foes out of the park for 6% and very high base knockback on a 52* angle, but the scaling is poor and won't KO til around 220%. It's Shallie's best throw for when she wants some space to herself, but it can also prove quite dangerous near the edge of the stage - as the knockback is on a relatively low angle and can force low recoveries, giving Shallie a bit more set-up time if she chooses not to go for a gimp.
When using this throw, Shallie's broom/rod mysteriously glows neon and drains the foe of 2%, emulating the in-game ability to apply the drain property to your weapons. This, for what it's worth, can help alleviate any damage Shallie has inflicted to herself with her own bombs.
U-throw ~ Recklessness
Shallie knocks her foe up into the air with a rising spin of her broom, dealing 3%! This goes 1 platform into the air, and is quickly followed by Shallie swinging her broom down to knock her foe down into the ground for 3.5%. Upon hitting the ground, the victim takes 4% and is knocked straight up for decent base knockback that KOs at 180%. This unorthodox throw leaves Shallie in a good position to pursue with her midair jump, and can easily force midair jumps from opponents at lower percents where the two are very close to each other.
This is Shallie's "KO throw" as the F-throw is not a guaranteed KO for all its power. While not the best KO throw, it becomes much stronger if Shallie had an item such as a bomb to knock the foe into, which adds its damage output to the throw and causes it to KO 30% earlier. Throwing an opponent into a cluster of bombs will scale the damage output until you've gotten max with a set of 5 bombs. This throw works well with the disarm pummel, and can make direct use of items near the either of you. You could also knock the foe into a barrel to hit for its full power.
D-throw ~ Perpetuate
Shallie leaps onto the foe as she pushes them down with mysteriously glowing hands, knocking them up for 4% and mostly-upwards knockback that is good for starting up combos at reasonable percentages (below 200%). That's pretty mundane in itself, but the throw also leaves the victim with the perpetual motion trait for 4.75 seconds as their body glows the same as Shallie's hands - an actual in-game trait that allows an item to be used over and over and over forever. Whenever the victim throws one of Shallie's items in this state - other than a heavy item - and that item disappears/is destroyed or goes offstage, it will magically re-appear in their hands! The only way to counter this is for another character to take the item off their hands, for the afflicted character to pick up another item before their thrown/dropped item expires/gets destroyed... but if that item wasn't one of Shallie's items the previous item will just re-appear in their hands anyway when they lose that item.
This status effect is a bit out-of-place in what is essentially a throw designed to open up combos at any percent, but it's still useful for the most part. It discourages opponents from picking up Shallie's items, as many of them ban most Standard inputs and severely limit their options while held. This includes the grab game, which can spell trouble for an opponent if the item re-appears in a situation where they could retaliate with a grab but cannot. The throw is especially punishing against characters already holding an item when hit by this throw, somewhat forcing them to keep throwing their spawning items upwards if they want time to use their Standard inputs... of which can give Shallie ammo to reflect with her Down Special and F-Smash! Oh, and it's
especially deadly with the F-throw when you follow up on an opponent who chose to tech the Uni. On the other hand, this essentially gives the opponent "infinite items" to use against you and opens up some truly absurd combos where they can keep dropping your own items on you repeatedly. You also somewhat lose access to one of your alchemy items for this, unless the perpetuating item was from a different move in Shallie's set like the fishing rod or the aforementioned F-throw.
To keep the effect from getting too ridiculous, items destroyed within 1.25 seconds (1.7 seconds with a Uni) of spawning will not respawn until that amount of time has passed. This allows opponents a bit of a breather, and unfortunately makes footstool/drop combos more effective as they do still have access to their Aerials for a moment. If an item has an after-effect like the Lightning Bomb's electric discharge or the Lava Cube's fireballs, it will not respawn until that effect has expired.